comedy

IndyFringe: Vinny the Pooh

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This show is part of the 15th Annual Indianapolis Theatre Fringe Festival, a/k/a IndyFringe, Aug. 15-25, 2019 on Mass Ave downtown. Info, etc., at www.IndyFringe.org.

By Wendy Carson

While waiting for the show to begin, you are serenaded by lounge singer Richard Cheese — and if you know who that is, then you have a good idea of what you are in for with this show.

Apparently, after Christa MaBobbin left the 50 Hectare Forest to marry Toad and take a wild ride in neighboring Frogswallow, things changed. Now these beloved characters have been forced into a life of crime in order to remain a “family.”

Steve Kruze gives Vinny the hopefulness and love of honey that you might remember but he also brings a little street-smarts to the role as well. Kelsey VanVoorst as Sniglet gives us a new interpretation of the original’s worried indecisiveness.

Clay Mabbitt is hilarious as Eyesore, with his gloomy outlook and eyepatch(es). Joshua C. Ramsey channels all of the pompousness of Jowl, speaking in Latin throughout.

Carrie Ann Schlatter’s portrayal of Franga (and puppet child Shmoo) brings all of the fierceness that wild kangaroos are known for.

Rounding out the “Family” is John Kern as Stagger. His energy levels are amazing as he bounds through each scene bringing out the self-centered side of his character.

Morgan Morton, as MaBobbin, deftly maneuvers her character from innocent victim to devious plotter without batting an eyelash.

So come out and see how the corruption and intrigue work out. Just know that in this story, while there are snacks, there will also be blood.

An Approxima Productions joint, remaining performances are Friday and Saturday (Aug. 23-24) at the IndyFringe theatre, 719 E. St. Clair.

IndyFringe: Behind Every Great Mariska Hargitay is a Great Kurt Fitzpatrick

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This show is part of the 15th Annual Indianapolis Theatre Fringe Festival, a/k/a IndyFringe, Aug. 15-25, 2019 on Mass Ave downtown. Info, etc., at www.IndyFringe.org.

By John Lyle Belden

One often hopes to go from treading the boards at little festivals like this to eventually working in Hollywood and on television. Careful what you wish for?

Kurt Fitzpatrick was hoping to get his acting career off the ground, but auditions were exercises in frustration. Then after a failed attempt at a commercial gig, he heard from a friendly stripper (and fellow aspiring actor) that there was a lot of work in being a non-union extra on TV crime dramas.

As it turns out — having been a face in the background of numerous shows and movies, playing cops and bartenders, working invisibly for four Oscar-winning directors — that Fitzpatrick can’t help but see the parallels between what he’s been doing and sex work.

See this fascinating one-man show to find out what he means, and why possibly his face looks familiar (aside from his past IndyFringe appearances). An excellent storyteller, he reflects on his unusual path to quasi-stardom in entertaining fashion

However — he frames the show with a flight of fancy about the “Jungles of the Sahara” that I found hard to follow. It frustrates me that I miss what metaphorical or other purpose it served, and it made for an abrupt and confusing ending. Still, the rest of the content is strong and worth your while.

See the “Great Kurt Fitzpatrick” this Friday, Saturday and Sunday at the District Theater (former TOTS location), 627 Massachusetts Ave.,

IndyFringe: The Cookie Dough Show

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This show is part of the 15th Annual Indianapolis Theatre Fringe Festival, a/k/a IndyFringe, Aug. 15-25, 2019 on Mass Ave downtown. Info, etc., at www.IndyFringe.org.

By John Lyle Belden

Fringe shows are often full of half-baked ideas. Emerging Artists Theatre Indy presents several, in various flavors, so you are sure to find at least one you like. 

There’s a Christmas comedy with a misunderstanding around “Santa Clara.” There is a series of quick funny scenes that take jabs at customer service, mansplaining and The Container Store. I even saw a couple of pieces of moving drama. All this is locally written, presented by local talent.

And then, there’s Paige.

No matter what you think of any one scene or sketch, it is more than worth your ticket to see the finale, Paige Scott at a tiny piano singing the praises of an underrated Hollywood superstar. It is so much more funny than you think, even if you know the comic heights Scott is capable of.

In exploiting the function of Fringe to incubate theatre ideas, EAT is on to something with this show. Hopefully they will scoop up more “dough” in future festivals.

Sorry to be vague, but lineups change with each performance. Remaining dates are Thursday and Sunday (Aug. 22&25) at ComedySportz, 721 Massachusetts Ave.

IndyFringe: Class Dismissed, Figuring Out What the Hell We’re Going to Do With Our Lives

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This show is part of the 15th Annual Indianapolis Theatre Fringe Festival, a/k/a IndyFringe, Aug. 15-25, 2019 on Mass Ave downtown. Info, etc., at www.IndyFringe.org.

By Wendy Carson

Your Senior year of High School, we’ve all been there and remember what it was like for us. However, the current Millennium presents a whole new mountain of concerns over planning for the future. Aside from the stress of just getting into college, there’s the concern about the crippling debt paying for it, if you are not lucky enough to find or receive a scholarship. Plus, is not actually attending college a guarantee that you will fail?

This is the quandary ensconcing the players in this energetic production from the Sugar Creek Players Youth Troupe (from Crawfordsville).

We are sped through the senior cycle with a look at some of the wacky clubs you can join to improve your application, SATs, Various classes, as well as Prom and Graduation. Since the ultimate answer of what to do is unique to us all, the characters here are boiled down to basic stereotypes.

Austin Coon dominates the cast in his role as he “Crazy Teacher” demanding that everyone MUST get into college or you are doomed to work a “McJob” the rest of your life.

Liberty Owens portrays the “Juul Kid” (those are the e-cigarettes that the kids are vaping with these days) as stealthy, cynical, and appalled that people actually pee in the Juul room (even though it’s actually the bathroom). She is certain that she can become a successful online personality and that will get her through life.

Isabella de Assis-Wilson’s turn as the “Poor Kid” highlights the desperation felt by those who don’t have the means to shoulder the expenses of college and are overwhelmed by the scarceness of financial aid to help.

Sara Adams shines as the incredibly vapidly self-centered “Rich Kid” who just buys her way out of any and all situations. She even has a butler to feel emotion for her.

However, it is Cameron Tyo as the “Middle Kid” who truly catches out attention. He just wants to go to cooking school and then open a bakery after High School. While his dream is discouraged at every turn, he starts selling his cookies around school and makes enough to convince his detractors that his dream is a valid choice.

The final members of our cast, Terran McCarty & Evan Baldwin as “Keynote Speaker” and “Freshman” do a good job but are barely seen on stage.

So come out and support these youngsters in their quest for answers, and encourage them that their efforts here are worthwhile. Remaining performances are 9 p.m. Thursday, 1:30 p.m. Saturday and 3 p.m. Sunday (Aug. 22-25) at ComedySportz, 721 Massachusetts Ave.

IndyFringe: Jan of All Trades

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This show is part of the 15th Annual Indianapolis Theatre Fringe Festival, a/k/a IndyFringe, Aug. 15-25, 2019 on Mass Ave downtown. Info, etc., at www.IndyFringe.org.

By John Lyle Belden

In what Jan Shirley Ann calls her “autobiocomedy,” our stand-up and seminarian presents a clean family-friendly show. In fact, when I saw it, a good number of family and friends were in the audience. But you don’t have to be related or have grown up with her in Gary, Ind., to understand and laugh along with her stories of life’s road that led her here.

Yes, she’s from the hometown of the Jacksons, and even was in a singing group that called itself The Jacksons’ Five (note the placing of the apostrophe to avoid confusion). She tells of dissecting frogs in Vacation Bible School, using a Jamaican accent for no reason, learning Japanese, teaching the Japanese to speak English (badly), and of the exceptionally handsome man the Lord used to persuade her to attend Butler University. 

Not often you see a comedian-storyteller who is also a minister in training, but that could explain why an hour with her feels like such a blessing.

She only has so many relatives and bff’s; y’all need to come out and enjoy this show, too. Performances are Friday through Saturday nights at ComedySportz, 721 Massachusetts Ave. 

IndyFringe: Make Me A Match

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This show is part of the 15th Annual Indianapolis Theatre Fringe Festival, a/k/a IndyFringe, Aug. 15-25, 2019 on Mass Ave downtown. Info, etc., at www.IndyFringe.org.

By John Lyle Belden

One of the creators of last year’s “Paper Swords,” Matt Day, wrote this musical with Jordan Brown and Josh Brown, a story of love and empowerment taking place on a TV dating show.

On “Make Me a Match,” a bachelorette — on this occasion, Beth (Emily Sanders), an internet Influencer — gets to pick which of the three male contestants she has to marry. The bachelors are smooth rich boy Steve (Kerrington Shorter), cocky horndog Todd (Ryan Powell) and kindergarten teacher Brad (Josh Brown), who didn’t know he was living in a musical.

Smarmy host Danny Sharp (Ethan Mathias) is treated like a god, while he treats cue-card intern Meredith (Riley Iaria) and makeup girl Lexi (Jordan Brown) like crap. 

There is also a security guard (Aaron Williams) for when things get intense.

One thing that was impressive was that even though there was an on-stage band, the actors didn’t use or need mics. Also, to complete the immersive experience, the audience is the show’s studio audience, and we have an important part to play near the end. 

Mathias makes an excellent bad guy. Sanders counters your expectations of shallowness to show Kardashian-types aren’t quite as dumb as they look. And Iaria and Jordan Brown have appropriately righteous fire. Josh Brown, caught in the middle of this, supplies many of the comic moments. 

This #MeToo musical is better than a lot of what’s actually on television, and more fun. 

Performances are 9 p.m. tonight, as well as 7:30 Thursday, 9 p.m. Saturday and 3 p.m. Sunday (Aug. 20-25), at The Oasis (Shriners’ entrance of the Murat, on the north side), 502 N. New Jersey St.

IndyFringe: BRAIN-O-RAMA — Mentalism and Mischief

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This show is part of the 15th Annual Indianapolis Theatre Fringe Festival, a/k/a IndyFringe, Aug. 15-25, 2019 on Mass Ave downtown. Info, etc., at www.IndyFringe.org.

By John Lyle Belden

Kevin Burke is a brave soul, and I’m not referring to him calling himself “the world’s only psychic comedian” or how he plays Russian roulette with staple guns — meaning we either get a mentalist trick or a sideshow geek act — but because he has the audacity of leaving the sound-effects for his show totally in the hands of the venue tech.

At ComedySportz.

At the show I attended, the goofball up in the tech’s crow’s nest was Mark Cashwell, which meant that Burke’s hilarious antics just got that much funnier.

Goofy noises aside, Burke demonstrates his “telepathetic” powers in various ways, and even teaches us a trick. He also leaves some of the mentalism in the hands of the amateurs he brings up on stage so if it works, he’s a genius; if it doesn’t, it’s your fault. Bur regardless, you will laugh — a lot.

See and experience yourself this Friday, Saturday or Sunday (Aug. 23-25) at ComedySportz, 721 Massachusetts Ave.

IndyFringe: YAS, Twain

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This show is part of the 15th Annual Indianapolis Theatre Fringe Festival, a/k/a IndyFringe, Aug. 15-25, 2019 on Mass Ave downtown. Info, etc., at www.IndyFringe.org.

By Wendy Carson

Zach & Zack have returned to the Fringe with their latest historical farce. This look into the life and times of Mark (or maybe Shania) Twain enacted by a diverse cast gives you an unusual insight into highlights and lowlights of Twain’s story.

From the beginning of the show, when each cast member comes out dressed as Twain (complete with overstated mustaches) arguing about the exact wording of one of his quotes, you know this will not be a typical offering. Then Mary Margaret Montgomery bursts in late and begins to start her presentation on Shania Twain (she wasn’t listening at rehearsals).

The narrative begins in earnest once they unfurl the blue fabric representing the Mississippi River. The part of Twain is never played by a single actor but each member of the troupe embodies a different element of his story.

Twain’s younger years and the origin of his pen name (he was born Samuel Clemens) are touched upon as well as his and his brother’s ill-fated trip to Nevada. They were too late for the Gold Rush, but this period brought about the inspiration for his first story which launched him to a decent amount of fame.

We touch on several of the people and stories that influenced him throughout the years, including his tempestuous courtship and marriage with his future wife Olivia, portrayed brilliantly by Tiffany Gilliam.

Everyone is then treated to the delightful interlude that is, “Matt and Evan Explain the Novels”. This wacky bit highlights Matthew Altman and Evan Wallace’s comedy chops as well as giving a brief overview of the various novels Twain wrote.

Christian Condra’s turns as Twain’s brother, Orion, and the Fallen angel, Satan, highlight his spectacular range as an actor. Shawnte Gaston is slips from character to character so effortlessly that one could easily overlook the intense skill needed to embrace the magnitude of her talent. Montgomery’s spunk and determination to promote her own Twain story offers much-needed comic relief in a tale that takes many darker turns than one would expect.

If audiences flock to this (Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday, Aug. 21 & 24-25, at the District Theater) as vigorously as they did with past Zach & Zack shows, buy your tickets immediately as future performances are already close to selling out.

IndyFringe: It Gets Bitter, The Ron Popp Story

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This show is part of the 15th Annual Indianapolis Theatre Fringe Festival, a/k/a IndyFringe, Aug. 15-25, 2019 on Mass Ave downtown. Info, etc., at www.IndyFringe.org.

By Wendy Carson

Ron Popp is a Native Hoosier, and he says that you can tell by his accent, that he’s gay. Growing up in the small southern town of Fairland, Indiana, and attending the University of Indianapoli,s he has many fond memories of the state and its people. Still, it’s been 15 years since he’s spent time in our city and he has noticed the many changes in that period alone.

Popp deftly guides us through stories of his childhood, dating life, gay marriage (he still uses the term just because it still irks some people) and love of the theater. Between his homey insights, sharp tongue and witty cynicism, he manages to keep the audience laughing. Plus, his show has something for every walk of life.

I find it hard to give you a more detailed review without directly quoting his jokes and I know I could not do them the justice they deserve. What surprises me most is that this is his first Fringe Festival. So let me say this, let’s all give him a warm Hoosier welcome and pack the house each show for a night of laughs. Also, this guy’s going to be a major headliner soon, so you’re not likely to get this opportunity to see him in this sort of an intimate setting, at this price, again.

With performances Tuesday, Wednesday and Saturday (Aug. 20-21 & 24) at ComedySportz (721 Mass. Ave.), the show also makes a great palate-cleanser to help you even out your psyche after partaking of some of the more somber offerings at the Fringe.

IndyFringe: Is Your Brain Still Cooking?

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This show is part of the 15th Annual Indianapolis Theatre Fringe Festival, a/k/a IndyFringe, Aug. 15-25, 2019 on Mass Ave downtown. Info, etc., at www.IndyFringe.org.

By John Lyle Belden

How much do you remember from your “good old days”? As people grow older, being able to retain memory is vital — and now it can win valuable prizes!

In this game show, presented by a local channel that has given up on appealing to the younger demographics, a going-nowhere actor (played by Jim Banta) is host to the titular contest, which features contestants Edmund (Dan Flahive), a retiree who keeps conversational topics on Post-it notes attached to his jacket; and Ruby Flo (Case Jacobus), a silver sinner whose hobby is being a blue-hair in blue films. She makes the most of her character’s license to say outrageous things, providing some of the biggest laughs of the show, ever frustrating the show’s producer (MaryAnne Mathews).

This is the latest by frequent IndyFringe contributor and retired Evansville journalist Garret Mathews. It is not one of his stronger scripts — at times things felt in disarray, testing Banta’s improv skills. Flahive being a talented and patient soul helps keep things anchored in his own way. Thus, this comedy is a fine example of Fringe’s function to test new material and aid the development process. Weaknesses are more than compensated by the air of nostalgia, as our contestants reach back through time and memory to tell of past places visited, things done and people loved. 

Don’t expect Tony material, but feel free to laugh, and remember — and consider for yourself: “Is Your Brain Still Cooking?” Performances are 3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday at the District Theatre Cabaret (formerly TOTS), 627 Massachusetts Ave.