Crispus Attucks

OnyxFest: Tigone

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

OnyxFest is Indy’s first and only theater festival dedicated to the stories of Black playwrights. These one-act celebrations of Black life and culture are presented by IndyFringe and the Africana Repertory Theatre of IUPUI. After an initial weekend at the IndyFringe Theatre, upcoming performances are Friday through Sunday, Nov. 10-12, at historic Crispus Attucks High School, in the Auditorium at 1140 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Street, Indianapolis. For information and tickets, visit OnyxFest.com.

By John Lyle Belden

As one might guess, the name of the title character of “Tigone,” by Levi Frazier Jr., is a reference to the mythical princess in Sophocles’ play “Antigone” (part of a trilogy with “Oedipus Rex”). That character met a tragic end while trying to act justly. In Frazier’s play, Tigonie (Michelle E. Mitchell) also seeks justice.

On a pleasant day in Memphis, a local church Bishop (Lawrence Blackwell) is relaxing on a park bench when an attractive young woman walks by with two coffees. One of them is just the way he likes it, but the significance of the coincidence doesn’t dawn on him until they are well into their conversation.

As their discussion continues and intensifies, we learn more about her, and more about him. They share a connection, and it is so much more troublesome than you would guess.

Mitchell and Blackwell (who also directs) keep the tension taut and the portrayals believable, riveting us to the bitter end.  

How much can one leave in the past? What can be forgiven? And even if one repents, what about accountability? The exploration into these questions builds to a conclusion that would have impressed the old Greek playwright.

OnyxFest: 5 Moods of Black Anguish

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

OnyxFest is Indy’s first and only theater festival dedicated to the stories of Black playwrights. These one-act celebrations of Black life and culture are presented by IndyFringe and the Africana Repertory Theatre of IUPUI. After an initial weekend at the IndyFringe Theatre, upcoming performances are Friday through Sunday, Nov. 10-12 at historic Crispus Attucks High School, in the Auditorium at 1140 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Street, Indianapolis. For information and tickets, visit OnyxFest.com.

By John Lyle Belden

There is more to local creative Josiah Ray McCruiston than his generally positive and upbeat vibe. Being both deeply spiritual and a Black man, he feels the pain that is heaped upon those who look like him, down to his soul.

He has brought these feelings to light by writing “5 Moods of Black Anguish,” performed by Angela Wilson Holland, Stephen Martin Drain, Clarissa Todd, Byron Holmes, and Jetta Vaughn.

Miss Lucy lets you know why “Hell hath no fury;” a Freedom Rider faces what could be his day of martyrdom; a Griot takes a hard look at an American public school; a Louisiana Creole taker of souls seeks to redeem his beloved; and Yemoja, goddess of the Ocean, steps forth from the City of Bones.

As the title hints, these are stories meant to make you feel, as well as think, and thereby hope to understand. His cast excellently bring McCruiston’s words and characters to life.

This is a taste of what is planned to be a larger work, but don’t miss your opportunity to savor this hearty sample.

OnyxFest: The Heart of a Man

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

OnyxFest is Indy’s first and only theater festival dedicated to the stories of Black playwrights. These one-act celebrations of Black life and culture are presented by IndyFringe and the Africana Repertory Theatre of IUPUI. After an initial weekend at the IndyFringe Theatre, upcoming performances are Friday through Sunday, Nov. 10-12 at historic Crispus Attucks High School, in the Auditorium at 1140 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Street, Indianapolis. For information and tickets, visit OnyxFest.com.

By Wendy Carson

It’s said that women are complicated; however, men are just as complex if not more so. Andre Orie tackles this concept in her play, “The Heart of a Man,” a taste of which we are privy to at this year’s OnyxFest.

Six spectacular actors, Joshua Bruton, KJ Dullen, Jay Fuqua, Trent K. Hawthorne-Richards, Montez Lafayette, and Tijideen Rowley, each inhabit a different piece of a man’s psyche. They show the love, hope, scars, ego, and longing inherent in everyone. While there may be some slight exaggeration of some aspects, you will easily recognize the truth in each one.

Director Rasheda Randle does a spectacular job of keeping each monologue vibrant and poignant without any part truly overshadowing another. While some may rankle at a script highlighting the inner feelings of men written and directed by women, be assured that only one outside of the gender can really reflect on all of the flaws and strengths inherent within.

This taste of the script, with, as Randle put it, aspects of “Love, Lust, War, and Redemption,” is an hour well spent. The full show, with 17 actors and a much wider spectrum of feeling, has plans to stage a full production next year. Keep an eye on the OnyxFest and IndyFringe Theater websites and social media for news.