Collin Moore

Strange and silly spycraft in MCP ‘Best Laid Plans’

PWJW_Indy Reviews, Stage , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

By John Lyle Belden

It can be frustrating, while relaxing in Jamaica working on your next book, when the plots of your spy novels start coming true.

This is the essence of the espionage-themed farce “The Best Laid Plans” by Fred Carmichael, presented by Mud Creek Players, directed by Collin Moore.

Ada Westbrook (Molly Kraus) had tired of writing children’s books and, realizing that spy stories were like fairy tales with guns and sex, drew from her late husband’s work with the U.S. State Department to become “America’s Ian Fleming,” with titles such as “The Seductive Spy.” Her editor and personal assistant Francis Daniels (Lexi Gray) is just glad to no longer proofread stories about silly animals, looking forward to her working vacation with Ada in their beachside island home.

A rather nosy neighbor, Phoebe (Rosemary Meagher) appears, claiming to know one of Ada’s friends, gaining an invitation to come over later for cocktails. Also invited is one of Ada’s husband’s former colleagues Hubert (Ronan Marra), whose son Guy (Matthew Ball) is dating her granddaughter Gail (Lane Fiorini) – they are on their way as well.

Meanwhile, a rather pushy man (Kevin Smith) comes in claiming to work for The Government, saying due to her State Department ties, Ada has been chosen as an intermediary to receive The Plans in an exchange that prevents Them from stealing these threats to national security. She is only given the Swiss bank book to be exchanged, as well as a flowery password exchange, before this Mr. Dike (pronounced “deek”) slips out to his boat, which promptly blows up.

From here, things get complicated, strange – and hilarious.

A very eager Russian-sounding agent, Goralsky (Lark Green), arrives with the right password but apparently dies before completing the exchange.

Then, Phoebe and her husband Vincent (Rob Kent) arrive and – you remember that TV show “The Americans”? These two didn’t do as well in Russian infiltrator school. Also, there’s another agent, Michael (Connor Phelan), who is apparently quickly dispatched.

And Hubert keeps talking to his shoe.

On top of this, Gail and Guy make their own macabre discovery, and deal with it as best they can (badly).

From all this we get constantly-moving bodies that often won’t stay dead, secret identities, repeated failure to find the titular Plans, clever Ada being underestimated, and Francis just needing another drink. For stage buffs, with the use of a window-seat as a hiding place, there are even a couple of references to “Arsenic and Old Lace.”

Kraus thrives playing Ada as the center of attention, while Gray is so cool as the PA who has nearly seen it all, I wondered if Lexi was the secret spymaster. Fiorini and Ball work Gail and Guy’s misunderstandings of the plot into the mix for maximum effect. The others are a nifty mash-up of 007, Get Smart, and Boris & Natasha archetypes working well in this variant of the “slamming door” farce.

For funny with a bit of firepower – and cleverly hidden secrets – “The Best Laid Plans” plays tonight and Sunday (as this posts), July 26-27, as well as July 31-Aug. 2 at the Mud Creek Barn, 9740 E. 86th St., Indianapolis. Get tickets at mudcreekplayers.org.

Mud Creek comedy sparking conversation

PWJW_Indy Reviews, Stage , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

By John Lyle Belden

Whatever we find engulfed in destruction – be it a relationship, family, organization, government, nation, or even the world – there is always the question that arises: How did it get this far? Now, in the mirror of hindsight, we see the signs missed, so many of them obvious. And you are positive that if so confronted, you would act better. Right?

Mud Creek Players presents, “The Arsonists,” a translation by satirist Alistair Beaton of the 1950s dark absurdist comedy by Swiss writer Max Frisch, directed by Connor Phelan.

Mr. Biedermann (Collin Moore), a good, honest man who made his modest fortune selling useless hair tonic, is indignant at the news in the paper that somehow various nice houses in the town keep burning down, their owners realizing too late it was the strangers – serial arsonists – who had asked for a place to sleep. “They should all hang,” he says of the firebugs, noting he would never be so easily taken in. His wife Babette (Judy McGroarty) bids him be calm, as this affects her nerves, too. Sharply professional maid Anna (Brittany Michelle Davis) says there is a man at the door.

Thinking it’s about his heretofore faithful employee, Knechtling, whom he had let go, he orders her to send him off. But, she says, it is a stranger. This is different, he realizes, not a matter of business but of manners – a stranger at the door can’t be sent away offended.

Enter Joe Schmitz (Nathan Terhune), a burly man who earnestly states he is a former wrestler from the circus (that burned down) he worked at after a hard life as an orphan. He just needs a little time inside, out of the rain. And a drink would be nice. And maybe some cheese…

Reassuring Biedermann that, of course, he’s not an arsonist – why even suspect such a thing? – Joe sleeps in the attic. A day later, they are joined by Billy Eisenring (Eric Dixon), Joe’s friend and past head waiter at the local restaurant (that burned down). Surely there’s room for him as well, and a few items…

Somebody should see where this is going; fortunately, we have the Chorus, a/k/a the local Fire Brigade. The Superintendent, our Chorus Leader (Katie Brownlee) leads the warning call, between cigarettes (apt in 1953, but adding irony today). The Firefighters – Christopher Moore, Cyrena Knight, Kelly Keller, Ameetha Widdershins, and Malcolm Marshall – join in the cries of woe.

Widdershins cameos as Mrs. Knechtling, and Marshall also plays the “very far-sighted” Doctor of Philosophy, giving his observations of the goings-on.

Given its style and ever-weighty content, this play gives a lot for audiences to take in. But it is well worth the effort, making us laugh and think in equal measure. The cast perfectly play it with nary a wink towards the audience at the growing absurdity that requires no fantasy elements and hardly any sleight of hand. Terhune and Dixon’s “houseguests” give a master class in manipulation and preying on one’s good will. Moore makes Biedermann’s slide into delusion tragically believable.

This occurs in a beautifully detailed set by Michelle Moore, who, with Chris Bundy, arranged set decoration and props. Alaina Moore was assistant director. Stage managers are Cathy Ewbank and Kathy Jacobs.

Frisch at first presented this story as a radio play, the Swiss audience believing it to be a warning against Communism. His perspective was wider, having visited Germany in the 1930s and seeing how his Jewish girlfriend was treated. Decades later, we are invited to consider its metaphors in greater scale.

Anybody got a light?

Performances of “The Arsonists” are Aug. 18-20 and 25-26 at Mud Creek Players, 9740 E. 86th St., Indianapolis. The 2:30 p.m. Sunday performance (Aug. 20) includes a talkback, “Burning Questions,” after the show. For information and tickets, visit mudcreekplayers.org.

Mud Creek has its hands on something special

PWJW_Indy Reviews, Stage , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

By John Lyle Belden

“American Dream, Japanese car.”

That line from “Hands on a Hardbody” sums up the theme of this musical, which had a brief Broadway run, but is more suited to the Heartland. Local hands have crafted it for Mud Creek Players through Sept. 24.

Based on a 1990s documentary about an actual contest, in this musical by Doug Wright with songs by Amanda Green and Trey Anastasio, a Nissan dealer in the small east-Texas city of Longview selects 10 contestants to stand with at least one hand touching a Hardbody pickup, with the last one who loses contact with the vehicle winning it. Dealer Mike Ferris (Joe Aiello) has ordered extra inventory to sell to onlookers, which annoys his assistant Cindy Barnes (Kathy Borgmann), but she’s hoping for the best. The event is covered live by radio station KYKX, announced by deejay Frank Nugent (Jeremy Crouch).

Benny (Onis Dean) has won this contest before, but his wife left him in that prize truck. He is full of plans and strategies to win again. Aging and injured former oil-rig worker J.D. (Chris Otterman) sees this as the chance for something to go right, as wife Virginia (Beth Ray-Scott) resents his stubborn insistence at competing yet stands by with refreshments and cool towels. Ronald (Noah Nordman) is between jobs and sees opportunities with a new truck, providing there’s no rain and he keeps his blood sugar up. Norma (Anya Andrews) sees the Lord’s Will in winning the contest, buoyed by “prayer warriors” at her church and Gospel music on her Walkman. Jacinta (Natalie Coronado Hammerle) hopes to sell the truck after winning so she can finish her veterinary degree. Janis (Jennifer J. Kaufmann) has six kids and little else, aside from a devoted cheerleader of a husband, Don (Collin Moore). Chris (Nicholas Gibbs), out of the Marines long enough to have grown his hair, doesn’t say much. Greg (Matthew Blandford) is a young, out-of-work dreamer. Equally fresh-faced Kelli (Nicole Crabtree) has a job but could use a better vehicle. Heather (Carolyn Lynch) acts like just being a hot blonde is enough to make her win – and unbeknownst to others, she may be right.

Also on hand are judge and timekeeper Lilly (Kirsten Cutshall), event medic Dr. Stokes (Sophie Peirce), and Service Dept. mechanics Miki (Lauren Bogart), A.J. (Ahnn Christopher) and Jerry (Peyton Rader). The on-stage band are Ben Craighead, Craig Kemp, Katie Ryan, Jill Stewart, and leader Linda Parr.

The true star, of course, is “Ruby,” the body of a 1997 Nissan pickup. Director Michelle Moore said Mud Creek volunteers fixed up the impressive prop so that it looks brand new, complete with shining red paint job, working tailgate and doors, bed one can climb into, seats, and functional headlights and horn.*

This kind of situation lends itself to a lot of humor, like Kaufmann’s charming take on the straight-talking redneck mama, and a bit of intrigue (what exactly is Mike up to?). It also examines the extreme edge of American competitive spirit. For those familiar with it, this show is like a less-tragic version of the dance-marathon classic “They Shoot Horses, Don’t They?” complete with the mental and physical consequences of forced exhaustion. As Stokes notes, staying awake for what will be 90-plus hours is a tactic used in other countries to torture prisoners. Benny understands this, exploiting the fraying tempers and confidence of fellow competitors – giving Dean a lot to work with in his complex character. We also get an insight into past stresses, such as Chris’s experiences in the first Gulf War, and the frustration of ethnic assumptions, as Jacinta bristles at having to point out she was “Born in Laredo.”

Characters to root for include Norma, as Andrews has us feeling her pain when the Spirit is weak, as well as Greg and Kelli, with their growing feelings and a fateful decision that changes their lives.  

So, who ends up with the truck? That’s kinda beside the point (and a huge spoiler) but this tale does come with a satisfying ending, as well as the what-happens-next lines by each of the main cast during the last songs.  

With the friendly confines of the Mud Creek “Barn,” its excellent stage set (cleverly designed by Moore), and Dani Gibbs choreography that even has the truck “dancing” to the stage edge, there is an immersive element to “Hands on a Hardbody” that makes this as much an experience as a play, complete with a final song with chorus we are invited to join in on.  

Our shortcut to the Lone Star State is 9740 E. 86th St., Indianapolis. For tickets and information, visit MudCreekPlayers.org.

–

(*Moore said the pickup prop – which has no engine to weigh it down or leak on stage, a reinforced hood an actor can climb on, and sets of casters it rests on for easy movement – will be available after this run to a company that wants to mount a production of this musical. Contact her via the website for details.)   

Hilarious new creation at Mud Creek

PWJW_Indy Reviews, Stage , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

By John Lyle Belden

In the classic comedy style of something simple going wildly out of control, “In the Beginning…” — a new play at Mud Creek Players — God creates the Heavens and the Earth, and immediately regrets it.

At first, the Almighty (Nicole Crabtree) tries to put the Big Bang back into its bottle, or at least mop up it all up with black holes, but alas, once matter and energy exist, they can’t be destroyed. She may as well see what’s happening on the little blue thing, where a bunch of living things are crawling, swimming, flying and running around everywhere. There, she tries to customize a creature that stands upright, with less fur and a big brain — another mistake.

In this silly possibility of how everything came to be, we meet God’s top angels — Michael (Kate Carpenter), Gabriel (Eric Dixon), Lucifer (Connor Phelan), as well as the Voice of God (Craig Kemp) — and Biblical characters including Adam (Kelly Keller), Eve (Tanya Keller), Noah (Fred Margison) and Moses (Alaina Moore). 

Unless you are really devoted to a literal interpretation of Scripture, you should find all this a lot of hilarious fun. If we are made in the Lord’s image, wouldn’t it make sense that — just like when we invent and accomplish things — our Heavenly Parent is also just making it up as they go along?

Crabtree plays that unprepared Mother/Father with the right touch of exasperation and growing love for the critters she brought into being, however unintended. Dixon and Carpenter keep things lively with his urge to “smite” and her love of writing up new Commandments. Phelan’s Lucifer, naturally, is the smartest angel in the room, suave and brash, but eventually resigned to having to deal with all the extra souls that turned sour. Kemp reassures us that, as we all suspected, the commanding voice of the Almighty has a British accent. The humans all have their humanish quirks, especially Eve, who apparently overdoses on the Tree of Knowledge. And young actors Hadley Skinner and Ben Odom get a charmingly amusing moment in featured roles.

The Mud Creek Barn goes high-tech with this premiere production, with visual effects by Stephen DiCarlo that perfectly help the story along. Jay Ganz directs.Crew member Collin Moore wrote the script, and it shows a fair amount of polish for a new play.

Truly, something wonderful has been created. Performances are Friday through Sunday (Feb. 7-9) and Feb. 14-15 at 9740 E. 86th St. (Castleton/Geist area), Indianapolis. Call 317-290-5343 or visit mudcreekplayers.org.

 

It’s like this thing that never happened, totally happened, at Mud Creek

PWJW_Indy Reviews, Stage , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

By John Lyle Belden

We know two things for certain: First, Albert Einstein and Pablo Picasso were alive and in Europe during the first years of the 20th century, and second, comic legend Steve Martin has an exceptional wit and entertaining flair for the absurd.

These things considered, it was inevitable – in a Martinesque world much like our own – that Einstein would meet “Picasso at the Lapin Agile,” in the play by Mr. Martin now on stage at Mud Creek Players through May 6.

When you arrive at the old barn – which hasn’t seen livestock in ages, but they call it that anyway – at 9740 E. 86th St., Indy, you will receive a program, and looking within, you will notice two things: First, that the director, Kelly Keller, is quite handsome. Perhaps it is Photoshop, perhaps moisturizer. Second, you will see the characters listed in order of appearance. This is important, as characters must appear in order for a play to happen. They should also arrive in order, but note that this is Paris and people like Einstein are forever altering history.

You will also notice the barman, barmaid, a local drunk who really should get his prostate checked and others engaged in interesting clever conversations on art and genius. Perhaps this is a European thing. And Picasso does show up, redeeming the apparent premise of the play, to learn the most important aspect of his career – that he should sign his drawings.

We also meet the greatest inventive mind of the 20th century, Charles Davernow Schmendiman. This alone should have you calling the box office.

By this point in the review you should notice two things: First, that I do like doing that “two things” thing, and second, that I’m not very good at being consistent.

I must warn you that when this comic drama of a dramatic comedy concludes, you will discover that the ladies and gentlemen are not who they have presented themselves to be. Einstein turns out to be Justin Lyon, a local actor, though he is quite convincing, and even shows us “the hair.” Likewise, Picasso was nicely impersonated by Brad Root, who, it turns out, does not have a single piece hanging in the Louvre. Zach Haloski should be commended for his striking resemblance to Schmendiman. We are also cleverly deceived by Eric Matter, Collin Moore, Monya Wolf, Savannah Jay, Robert C. Boston Jr., Susan Hill and Lexi Odle. It would be best not to mention that Brock Francis appears in this production, as it is a surprise. Fortunately, despite this allegedly being a barn, there were no pitchforks or torches, so the audience was very forgiving of the illusion portrayed on the stage – on the contrary, they quite enjoyed it.

For a pleasant evening of highly meaningful nonsense, call 317-290-5343 or visit www.mudcreekplayers.org.