Breanna Helms

Issues of love and money vex ‘The Heiress’

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By Wendy Carson

Epilogue Players brings us an intriguing look at upper class life in 1850 New York with “The Heiress” by Ruth Goetz & Augustus Goetz.

Dr. Austine Sloper (Stan Gilliam) raised young daughter Catherine (Emily Reese Castro) well and it is time she should pursue a marital situation. While not unattractive, Catherine is socially awkward and is constantly reminded of her inferiority to her father’s sainted memory of her mother. She feels she has nothing to offer – except for her inheritance of $10,000 per year from her mother, with an additional $20,000 annually after her father passes (a sizable fortune in that era). Her widowed Aunt Lavinia Penniman (Cathie Morgan) is on hand to assist in helping Catherine gain confidence in herself.

During a dinner to celebrate the engagement of her cousin Marian Almond (Christian Taylor) to Arthur Townsend (Lawrence Wunderlich), she is introduced to his cousin, Morris Townsend (Brett Edwards). Thus begins a whirlwind courtship between the two and a pledge to marry. However, the doctor regards Morris to be nothing more than a fortune hunter seeking to take advantage of his daughter’s naivety. Desperate, Catherine plans to elope, even if it means losing her father’s inheritance.

As events play out, this comic melodrama takes interesting and unexpected turns. Overall, the show is an interesting look at the social strata of the pre-war North, and the cast all do an excellent job bringing their characters to life. I was very impressed by Breanna Helms’s turn as Maria, the Slopers’ maid, who was constantly able to say volumes about any situation with a single look.

The cast also includes Susan Yeaw as Marian’s mother (and Dr. Sloper’s sister), Elizabeth Almond; and Sarah Marone-Sowers as Morris’s sister, Mrs. Montgomery. The play is directed by Kathleen Clarke Horrigan with Jay Stanley, stage managed by Patti Boyle.

In Castro’s performance we get an intriguing profile of a misunderstood soul who eventually comes to understand herself. Edwards gives us the appearance of a very noble and flattering suitor – at first. The line between true devotion and selfish desire seems thin indeed. Gilham gives a sharp performance of a gentleman of the era, frank in his opinions but not without feeling. Morgan’s Lavinia isn’t shy about injecting her own notions of romance into the situation.

“The Heiress” has four more performances, Thursday through Sunday, Nov. 20-23, at 1849 N. Alabama St. (corner of 19th and Alabama), downtown Indianapolis. Reserve tickets at epilogueplayers.com.

Poe’s ‘muse’ inspires new play

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By John Lyle Belden

For this year’s Halloween festivities in Irvington, local playwright Breanna Helms took on an intriguing question: What if the “Lenore” in Edgar Allan Poe’s poems was an actual woman? The result is the short play, “The Silent Muse,” presented by 4th Wall Players in late October, directed by Josh Gibson.

Poe published the poem “Lenore” in 1843, and more famously, “The Raven,” in which the dead Lenore is longed for, in 1845. They were carefully crafted literary works allegedly not inspired by any singular person, but that death came easily for many in the 19th century, including many of Edgar’s relatives, and soon his sickly young wife, Virginia.

In this alternate history, Poe as a young struggling writer (played by Jy’lerre Jones) is acquainted with sisters Lenore (Emma Gedig) and Annabelle (Alice Graves the first weekend, Helms during the second), as well as their Mother (Tracy Herring).

Asked his opinion by Annabelle, Edgar romantically likens her to a calm pond that has become a wild sea (a hint towards how she would inspire her own poem). To his surprise, he finds Lenore lurking in a hollow tree that she likes to climb. Calling her a wood nymph, he proceeds to flirt with her in earnest – she being the unmarried sister.  

Soon, however, Mother brings around Guy de Vere (Kyvaille Edge), a proper wealthy suitor for Lenore’s hand. Seeing her place in society as inevitable, she agrees to his proposal.

True to an Edgar Allan Poe story, the marriage is not happy and our ending is tragic. Still, Helms makes this story beautiful and engaging enough for us to believe these events could inspire a masterpiece. There are even a few hints at the poem dropped through the narrative. The script is a neatly-written half-hour, which I feel could be revised to Fringe length (45-50 minutes) with no obvious padding. (This is why I’m keeping to my usual policy of avoiding spoilers).

Performances brought the story to life nicely. Jones shows great energy and potential with his acting journey getting under way; his restless Edgar longs for love and a better life and chafes at being seen as not worthy of the social circle he lives in. Gedig gives us a gem with facets including the “nymph” with her aura of unruly magic; the dutiful daughter and wife; and a soul somehow aware of the shadow of her limited future.

Hopefully, we will see “The Silent Muse” return, and more creative work by Helms in the future.

For now, 4th Wall dives back into the gloom with Emily Bronte’s “Wuthering Heights,” adapted and directed by Alan Keith, opening this weekend and running Nov. 7-16 at Backlot Makerspace and Venue (formerly Stage Door), 5235 Bonna Ave. Indianapolis (in historic Irvington).

Get info and tickets at 4thwallplayers.org.

Mud Creek hosts marital mayhem

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By John Lyle Belden

We are cordially invited to a wedding in the quaint and quirky town of Faro, Texas – at least we hope there’s one.

Mud Creek Players presents “Dearly Beloved,” the popular comedy by Jessie Jones, Nicholas Hope, and Jamie Wooten, directed by MCP president Dani Lopez-Roque.

We await the blessed event in a church fellowship hall as the Futrelle sisters – Honey Raye (Lisa Warner Lowe), Frankie (Jennifer Poynter) and Twink (Lea Ellingwood) – must work together to make the wedding of Frankie’s daughter Tina Jo (Breanna Helms) as perfect as possible.

Estranged from her siblings, Honey is welcome to pitch in if she can stop flirting in her search for Husband No. 5. To Frankie’s horror, Twink’s idea of catering is a potluck supper, complete with hog roast in a pit behind the church. Frankie’s husband Dub (Jason Roll) and the bride’s twin sister Gina Jo (Helms) are also on hand to help, as well as friend Raynerd Chisum (Fred Margison) and wedding planner/florist Geneva Musgrave (Laura Gellin). Not wishing to help, or for the nuptials to even happen, is mother of the groom Patsy Price (Marie McNelis).

Unknown to the others, Twink has seen a fortune teller, Nelda Lou (Addie Taylor), who told her if she is to be married herself, she must attend a wedding with her boyfriend Wiley Hicks (Kevin Smith) – which is why her beau is there despite being severely sick, and on way too much cold medicine. Dub also has a secret, which he hopes to reveal later at the reception.

UPS driver Justin Waverly (Stephen Di Carlo) arrives delivering bad news: the minister can’t come to the wedding. However, as he is also a seminary student, Justin can officiate. This is followed by worse news: the bride and groom are headed out of town! Local police officer John Curtis Buntner (Jackson Hawkins) is dispatched to fetch them back.

From the opening scene at Geneva’s Bookoo Bokay all the way to the ceremony at the end, there are practically non-stop laughs, punctuated by all the feelings such a day can summon – love, rage, etc. Still, amongst the flurry of things going wrong, the important stuff goes right.

The entire cast get into their characters, bringing us into the fun. Lowe, Poynter, and Ellingwood exhibit sibling chemistry, both when sparks fly and when they join forces. Roll is sweet as the long-suffering dad and husband. Helms shows a knack for physical comedy, particularly when Gina Jo deals with her crush on Justin. Smith, playing a man who barely knows what planet he’s on, provides some of the wildest moments.

It feels appropriate to have a “barn” at the edge of the city host this charming and hilarious piece of small-town silliness with heart as big as Texas. Performances of “Dearly Beloved” are Friday through Sunday, Sept. 19-21, and Sept. 26-27, at 9740 E. 86th St., Indianapolis. Get info and tickets at mudcreekplayers.org.

4th Wall brings us ‘Fire’

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By John Lyle Belden

What can we say? Wendy and I made it to 4th Wall Players’ production of the comedy musical “Firebringer” on the one night when an unforeseen issue in the cast caused the performance to be cancelled just a few scenes in. It went on as scheduled the next day, but we had other commitments.

Still, I can give you our glowing impression of what we did see, and by all indications the overall show is a lot of fun.

Developed in 2016 by the YouTube-famous parody and comedy musical company Starkid Productions (and financed by a Kickstarter!), “Firebringer” fits the bare-bones sensibilities of 4th Wall, one of the newer independent companies on the Indy stage scene, presented in the cozy confines of Stage Door Theatre in Irvington.

Back in the days of cave-people, Jemilla the Peacemaker (Michelle Wafford) takes charge of the tribe, succeeding elder Molag (Tracy Fouts), who also acts as narrator to us “privileged f**ks” in the future (while antics are childish, the language gets mature). Maintaining peace won’t be easy, while shaman Ducker (Peyron Rader) shouts dire prophesies from their god, the All-Powerful Duck, and Tiblyn (Taylor Shelton) tires from constantly raising her hands to hold up the sky. To quote their cousin, Chorn (Alexandra Paddock), “Chorn!” Then, to advance the plot and give this play a title, Jemilla’s rival, Zazzalil (Breanna Helms) finds and brings back some of that glowing, burning stuff at the end of the stick.

The tribe also includes Silvia Seidle, Aidan Morris, Emily Spencer, Ryan Powell, Zach Moore, Elena McKinney, Tyler Gibson, Miranda DeHaai, Sarah Kinney (who also designed the puppets), and 4th Wall Executive Director Josh Gibson in the immortal role of Smelly Balls. Katherine Gibson directs, with vocal director Joel Johnston and choreographer Kelly McKinney.

Feedback we’ve seen from those who have experienced the entire musical has been positive, and we did get to see the popular no-work work-song. If we get lucky, we’ll get a shot at seeing this again; you have opportunities this weekend, April 19-21, at 5635 Bonna Ave., Indianapolis. Get tickets at https://ko-fi.com/4thwallplayers/shop.

Ludwig ‘Holmes’ comedy a holiday treat at BCP

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By John Lyle Belden

One of the interesting things about Ken Ludwig’s comedy mystery, “The Game’s Afoot, or, Holmes for the Holidays,” on stage at Buck Creek Players, is that the lead role is a fictionalized version of actual early-20th century actor William Gillette, who not only helped set the traditional look for Sherlock Holmes on stage and screen, but also starred in a Holmes play that he wrote with the blessing of Sherlock creator Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. While, as portrayed here, Gillette did make fame and fortune as the legendary detective, tinkered with inventions to aid his stagecraft, and had a castle built for him on his Connecticut estate, Ludwig also plays up the man’s Holmes obsession to the point that he seeks to solve the mystery of an attempt on his life.

Hilarity, and apparently a murdered body or two, ensues.

Joshua C. Ramsey excels at rock-chinned steadfast leading man, even when played for laughs, and delivers Gillette’s stoic sense of purpose so well that flummoxed moments come off all the funnier. His family and friends (a/k/a, the suspects) are played by Cathie Morgan as Gillette’s mother, Martha; Tony Brazelton as Felix, his past best friend and present on-stage Moriarty; Tiffany Wilson as Marian, Felix’s wife; Hannah Partridge as recently widowed ingenue Aggie; and Josh Rooks as ambitious young actor Simon. They are joined at what they thought was an end-of-the run holiday party by ruthless newspaper columnist Daria Chase (Sarah Powell), and the evening’s activities will bring around an actual detective, Inspector Goring (Renee Lopez Whiten). In addition, Cyrena Knight, Breanna Helms, and Julie Gilpin play the house staff, and can step in as understudies.

Under the direction of Brian Noffke, no stranger to wild comedy, the cast all hit the farcical beats with professional precision. The exquisite stage set, designed by Ed Trout, includes an infamous rotating bookshelf used to full comic effect.

Even though I saw a production of this years back, I had forgotten “who done it” (yes, there is a mystery to solve amidst this madness) but even if you aren’t surprised at the end, you’ll assuredly be delighted by this unconventional “holiday” play.

“The Game’s Afoot” for two more weekends, through Dec. 18 at the Buck Creek Playhouse, 11150 Southeastern Ave. (Acton Road exit off I-74), Indianapolis. Get info and tickets at buckcreekplayers.com.

BCP drama examines historical mystery

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By John Lyle Belden

On Aug. 4, 1892, somebody murdered Abby and Andrew Borden in Fall River, Mass. This is historical fact, as well as the arrest and trial of Andrew’s daughter, Lizzie, for the killings. The last 130 years have seen the growth of legends, myths, and a nursery rhyme around the incident, the kind of true-crime story familiar to those who remember the sensationalized double-murder trial of a former football star in the 1990s.

Buck Creek Players takes a whack at the lore with “Lizzie Borden of Fall River” by Tim Kelly, directed by Ben Jones.

The first act sets up the infamous events. Lizzie (Renee Whiten Lopez) is smart and headstrong, as well as kind to those she loves, even her strict and stingy father, Andrew (Tim Latimer). She shows no love or affection to stepmother Abby (Sarah Latimer), whom she is sure married her father for his wealth and controls his decisions. Lizzie and sister Emma (Rachel Bush) are very close, sharing to a degree an impatience with their father and distrust of the stepmother. Their live-in maid Bridget (Amelia Tryon) is adored by the girls, but has problems with the parents, who blame her and not the days-old mutton for recent stomach ailments.

Other characters who factor into the coming events include handyman Mr. Sousa (Josh Rooks) from whom Andrew withholds part of his pay because “you might spend it foolishly;” Aunt Vinnie Morris (Cyrena Knight), who wishes to claim a New Hampshire property promised by her sister (the girls’ mother) as her dying wish, but which Andrew refuses as there is no binding contract; neighbor Mrs. Churchill (Lea Ellingwood), who is outraged that Lizzie took the church’s Sunday School superintendent position she felt entitled to; church minister Rev. Jubb (Matt Trgovac), who is very fond of Lizzie; and the girls’ friend Alice (Cass Knowling).

Fortunately, the dire deed is done with sound-effects, the only blood being on Lizzie’s hands after she discovers her father’s body.

The second act, appropriate for an audience raised on Law & Order reruns, focuses on the arrest and trial. Patrolman Harrington (Jason Roll) at first has to protect against the mob and onlookers around the Borden home, but then has to slap the cuffs on Lizzie when the Marshall (Dustin Miller) comes to arrest her. On her side are Boston attorney Ms. Jennings (Melissa Sandullo) and New York Sun reporter Amy Robsart (Nora Burkhart). At one point Sousa’s wife Carlotta (Breanna Helms) appears, concerned that her husband is a potential suspect.

Though it does present its own theory of what happened, don’t expect this drama to be the conclusive last word. Lizzie Borden’s guilt or innocence is still a matter of debate, and Kelly took some license with characters and events.

Presented as an entertaining history-based whodunit, the play works with a bit of melodrama and almost comic foreshadowing. In what I suspect is a mixture of the script, Jones’ guidance, and Sarah Latimer’s stony delivery, Abby is so thoroughly despicable, we all want to take a turn with the hatchet. Tim Latimer’s performance shows Andrew to be more a product of his times and frugal upbringing, but not entirely without heart. Tryon’s Sullivan is sweet and likable, even when the discovery of poison adds her to the suspect list. Rooks manages to perfectly balance Sousa’s principled stance and his hot-headedness. Knight gives Aunt Vinnie charming sweetness that gives way to injured desperation. Ellingwood delivers a mix of nosy and nasty that helps make Churchill an unreliable witness. Bush masterfully works Emma’s interesting arc that draws her slowly from the periphery to the center of the plot.

Lopez gives us a fully realized, relatable character in Lizzie, with charisma somewhere between Susan B. Anthony and Mary Poppins, but always with that dark edge, a shadow that still follows over a century later.

So, who did it? Who saw what and when? What of the poison, or the destroyed dress? You have one more weekend to find out, Friday through Sunday, Aug. 12-14 at Buck Creek Playhouse, 11150 Southeastern Ave. (Acton Road exit off I-74), Indianapolis. Get information and tickets at buckcreekplayers.com.