drama

New look at life on a familiar street

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By John Lyle Belden

Meridian (from Merriam-Webster) a great circle on the surface of the earth passing through the poles; a representation of such a circle or half circle numbered for longitude

Meridian (in Indianapolis) the central north-south street marking “00” address for the city; it helps, with major east-west streets, to make an easy grid for getting around.

It appears that award-winning New York playwright Lucy Thurber has incorporated both concepts into the new play, “The Meridian Cafe,” commissioned by American Lives Theatre and performing its world premiere at the Phoenix Theatre Cultural Centre. With a sense for human connection that transcends East Coast or Hoosier culture, she gives us a night in the lives of people in a central familiar location, marking a place along their lives’ journey.

Director (and ALT artistic director) Chris Saunders agreed when I told him the setting feels like Indy’s South Meridian Street. It’s a working-class neighborhood with a small all-night diner (memories of Peppy Grill were expressed afterward). James (Ian Cruz) runs the café with the sort of Serenity Prayer wisdom that comes from being 10 years sober. His cook, Nicky (Joshua Short), has ambitions of becoming a professional chef. A frequent customer, so to speak, is Candace (Lynne Perkins), a local unhoused woman who is mentally frayed and largely unafraid. The coffee has endless refills.

A young woman, Sara (Morgan Morton), enters visibly upset. There are hints of a man, her husband who now wants a divorce, arriving as well. But the next person coming in the door is Luke (Matt Kraft), a young man who asks to speak with Nicky.

The two men grew up as friends in this neighborhood, but Luke’s substance abuse estranged them and landed him in prison. Now out and professing a year of sobriety, Luke asks for a job. After sizing him up briefly, James puts him to work.

Finally, Billy (Allen Sledge), Sara’s husband, arrives. While trying to talk to her he sees Luke and suddenly remembers meeting him. Confused, Luke retreats to the kitchen.

The situation gets more complicated as we learn that one thing Sara and Billy have in common (likely a catalyst for their struggling marriage) is that they both were fighting same-sex attractions in the Christian community of their small home town. She’s still struggling, while he – a professional theatre artist – feels he no longer can.

Through conversations, some held during smoke breaks outside, and an incident when Sara’s evangelical impulses upset Candace, we see various tensions rise and break. They won’t “sing Kumbaya,” but Billy does favor us with a Broadway number.

This being a fascinating character study taking place over a single night, we get a good impression of each of these personalities, though everyone is largely a cypher, as would be the case to us as strangers observing from our corner of the diner.  Cruz makes James the captain of this ship, leading with calm resolve and stern when it’s called for. His relationship with Candace suggests a history and empathy with her life struggles.

In Perkins’ crafting of the character, Candace would be worthy of a play of her own (which we would love to see). She reflects aspects we too often see on this city’s streets, but without caricature or eliciting pity. There are plenty of hearty laughs in this show, but none at her expense.

Kraft employes his full comedy-to-drama range here. Luke’s apparent sincerity and lack of duplicity now collide with awareness of an addict’s easy lies and the fact he had been literally blackout drunk a year earlier. Given this single window to assess him, he is both likable and unreliable.

Sara is one mixed-up character, and fortunately Morton is brilliant at handling such roles. She has a lot to work through, and we see part of that process here. Billy is on a different point on a similar character arc, forced to reckon with a couple of assumptions about what’s best him and his wife, as well as the factors that brought him to this moment. All this Sledge ably manages, and sings beautifully as well.

Short takes on Nicky’s “young man from the ‘hood makes good” character with earnest good humor, especially in his concern for Luke tempered by the sting of past betrayal. Still, compared to the others, this role feels thin.

As Wendy told me when we discussed this play afterward, “this left me wanting more,” is both praise and critique. Perhaps a few more aspects of character in some roles would help, and the fairly short run time can take on additional moments without feeling padded. On the other hand, what more do we get to know of the strangers in a spellbinding conversation overheard in the next restaurant booth?

Regardless, I could see Thurber taking a production of this to success Off-Broadway (frankly, given her CV, this could be a possibility). Thus, we who saw it at the Phoenix can share the brag of seeing it first.

Nicely evocative set design with cleverly transparent outer walls is by Nick Kilgore. Tristen Durham is assistant director, and Lucy Yahr is stage manager.

An excellent snapshot of Midwest life that looks kindly into its shadows, visit “The Meridian Cafe” through Nov. 8 at 705 N. Illinois St. (a block from Meridian) in downtown Indianapolis. Get info and tickets at phoenixtheatre.org or americanlivestheatre.org.

P.S. It’s interesting to me that one of the great offbeat literary minds of the 20th and 21st Century are each named “Thurber,” but I see no indication that Lucy is related to James (writer of numerous works, including “Walter Mitty”). If anyone is aware of a link, let us know.

P.P.S. Yes, I know The Peppy (which we miss!) was in Fountain Square and on 10th Street; I didn’t want to make a misleading comparison to any actual spot on Meridian.

New play gives fear a voice

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By John Lyle Belden

No one invites him but he’s always there – first to arrive, last to leave. And no one knows you better.

Fear is a personified character in “Moving On,” the new play by Konnor Graber making its premiere with Eclipse Productions of Bloomington. Given life by Dan Heise, he reflects anxieties by speaking others’ darkest thoughts, reminds them of their shortcomings, and persists when not obeyed.

This draws young married couple Leo (Sam Durnil) and Mia (Shayna Graber) toward their breaking point. They feel a growing distance between them, even while next to each other in their small apartment. They rarely even sleep together. Meanwhile, Fear is (literally) lurking, practically stalking them.

They seek help from a therapist, Elizabeth (Erin Parks), whom they call Doc. She tries to provide insight, but has issues of her own, still grieving her late husband, George. Fear insists she regard him as gone forever and give in to despair, taking a bit of her resolve with each visit.

In memories of trauma, Heise appears as Mia’s perfection-demanding father, who was also her pastor and sports coach; and Parks portrays Leo’s barely coherent alcoholic mother. The wounds are mostly psychological and run deep: She is never good enough. He will always be abandoned.

This drama delivers an emotional wallop. It’s a fascinating examination of abuse arising from dysfunction, parents not connecting with their children in vastly different but just as damaging ways. We also get the difficult healing journey of grief in Doc’s story. As each of this trio is tested, is Fear pushing them into their personal hell, or through it?

Konnor Graber said he based this play on a combination of his own memories and people he has known. The story came together fairly quickly several years ago, and after previous attempts to get it produced, he and Eclipse decided to do it themselves. Shayna (nèe Survil, now married to Konnor) bravely takes on this very personal drama, as does Durnil – both experienced with intense roles for this company. As Konnor noted that Doc had been written as an older woman, we see Parks presenting both the crisis and remaining potential of middle age deepening her part of the story. Heise is sharp and uncompromising – it’s tempting to think of this as a devil role, but such entities usually take pleasure in the pain they inflict. He is merely a harsh aspect of humanity, expressing its nature without malice or sadism.

The production is aided greatly by Joshua Lane’s sound design (he has done every Eclipse show so far) and lighting design by Allie Mattox. Salem Winterstein is stage manager.

A personal, perhaps relatable, and literally fearful mental health journey, “Moving On” has performances Friday through Sunday, Oct. 23-25 at Constellation Playhouse, 107 W. 9th St., Bloomington. Optionally, following the Saturday and Sunday shows is their “Cocktail Hour” Fundraiser with live music and a chance to get to know the cast and company. For information and tickets, go to eclipseproductionscompany.com.

A hunt for witches in Westfield

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By John Lyle Belden

A dance popular among children. A young influencer has everyone’s attention. Politics heavily influenced by Christian extremists. Racism. Small-town paranoia involving old grudges. Plots to seize property. Judges ruling unjustly. People die.

2026? Not exactly.

Main Street Productions of Westfield present “The Crucible,” the drama Arthur Miller wrote about the Salem Witch Trials of 1692, inspired by the Red Scare of the 1950s, and echoing in every era that it is staged. While there is some dramatic license, what we see is largely how events transpired.

The Rev. Parris (Sidney Blake) discovers girls in the woods near Salem dancing – a sin in itself – and in a strange manner, led by his slave from Barbados, Tituba (Jada Moon). His daughter Betty (Diya Shah), seeing her father, passes out and awakens at home still and mute.

At his wits end and needing to get ahead of rumors of unholy goings-on, Rev. Parris calls for the Rev. John Hale (Daniel Ott), an expert in things demonic, to confirm that witchcraft is not involved. But after a forced confession from Tituba and outcry from the girls, especially Parris’s niece, Abigail (Piper Williams), the infamous historic witch hunt is under way.

The “afflicted” girls include Fiona Finn as Susanna, Dhruvi Shah as Mercy, and Louisa Dobson as Mary.

Among notable townsfolk: Thomas and Ann Putnam (Jurrell Spencer and Amber K. Roth) are rich in property but have buried seven stillborn children and their one daughter is sick after the dancing incident; they are convinced supernatural evil is involved. Local farmers Giles Corey (Richard Steinberg), Francis Nurse (Jim Simmons), and John Proctor (JB Scoble) find their concern turn to dread as suspicion falls on them. Even Mrs. (said as “Goody” for Goodwife) Rebecca Nurse (Susan Boilek Smith), a pillar of the community, is not immune as Goody Putnam remembers she was her midwife. Sarah Good (Christina King) is also named in the accusations.

John Proctor’s situation is particularly fraught, as Mary is his current servant, who replaced Abigail, with whom he unwisely shared affection. Soon, his wife Elizabeth (Megan Fridenmaker) is accused with “evidence” found in her possession.

For the trials we have Clerk of the Court Ezekiel Cheever (James H. Williams), deputy John Willard (Jacob Slager), Judge Hathorne (Ken Kingshill) and cruel Deputy-Governor Danforth (Duane Mercier).

Directed by Brent Wooldridge with Caity Withers, the cast deliver powerful performances, especially Scoble in his pivotal role. Piper Williams gives a chilling portrayal of calculating, almost sociopathic behavior. Smith presents fierce bravery, edged with humor at the absurdity of it all. Blake’s Parris reveals himself more of a compromising, almost political figure than a man of God. Fridenmaker is inspiring as the one who passes through the “crucible” of these events. Ott also elicits our empathy as the character most changed by these events.

Also impressive are the sets designed and built by Andrew and Melody Burnett, featuring a gallows – with a pair of nooses – always looming in the background. Thia Calley is stage manager.

“The Crucible” has four more performances, Thursday through Sunday, Oct. 15-18 at the Basile Westfield Playhouse, 220 N. Union St. Get tickets at westfieldplayhouse.org. We highly recommend this production as a reminder of the context of a “witch hunt,” even when someone on high exclaims it for his own purposes.

Toast a new century with builders of that future

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By John Lyle Belden

Those of us over 30 have memories of Y2K – not just the possibility of computers failing but more the promise that the new century (and millennium) would bring after decades of advances in science and culture. Computer bug aside, this was likely the feeling 100 years earlier, in anticipation of the year 1900. (I would refer to it as Y-MCM but that reminds me of an unrelated song – still, the surreal nature of that thought is appropriate here.)

The play “Building Jerusalem,” by Michael Redhill, presented by Catalyst Repertory at IF Theatre, directed by Tristan Ross, focuses on that liminal space between eras, imagining a meeting of very different minds for a challenging evening of conversation and party games.

It is the evening of Dec. 31, 1899, in The Grange, home of renowned and controversial academic and writer Goldwin Smith in Toronto, Canada. Smith has not arrived yet, but his niece, Alice (Anna Himes) is on hand to welcome the guests: Dr. Augusta Stowe-Gullen (Alaine Sims), a physician and supporter of women’s suffrage; Adelaide Hoodless (Maria Meschi), director of a Domestic Science institute and advocate for milk pasteurization; Karl Pearson (Ross), a very opinionated Darwinist scientist; and the Rev. Silas Rand (Brant Hughes), a missionary to the Micmac tribe of Nova Scotia.

As midnight and the new century swiftly approach, a snowstorm outside prevents Smith from arriving and anyone from leaving. Let the games begin.

Aside from the mind games such a plot generates – or perhaps as part of them – the girl directs these otherwise rational adults in a series of party diversions common to the era. While “Charades” or “Follow the Leader” may be familiar to us, they also indulge in children’s competitions like “Donkey Do,” “Wee Wifey,” and “Zulu.” Being gentlemen and ladies, they play in earnest and accept the “forfeits” prescribed by Alice when necessary, including a very amusing penalty of “Kiss your own shadow.”

The cast bring out the full dimension of these historical figures, staying polite as possible as society conditioned them, yet each standing firm when their area of knowledge is challenged. Ross makes Pearson almost insufferable at times, but in a manner that reflects the attitudes of his time and the conclusions of his studies, not sinister intent. Sims’s Stowe-Gullen, as a turn of that century’s feminist, confronts a different perspective of womanhood in Meschi’s Hoodless, as they each present their shared desire for better and healthier lives. Hughes as Rand, a man usually confident in his Christian stands, finds himself in uncomfortable company, at first losing at the games before getting in a few verbal points himself.

As for Alice, Himes gives us a devilishly childish young lady of uncertain age and hidden wisdom. Adding to the air of mystery (in an era known for Houdini and Spiritualist trickery) is that at several points she performs simple stage illusions as a matter of course – done quite well, in fact.

As this is a difficult show to describe, please believe me that this is an excellent production, eerily perfect for October and perfect for 2026. Mystery, history, idealism, and ideas of “necessary” cruelty combine for a New Years Eve party you’ll never forget.

“Building Jerusalem” has performances Friday through Sunday through Oct. 25 in the Blackbox at IF, 719 E. St. Clair St., Indianapolis. Get tickets at indyfringe.org.

Civic’s ‘Pill’ a strong dose

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By John Lyle Belden

What appears to be just a pop “jukebox musical” turns out to be one of the most important theater works in central Indiana this year.

The Booth Tarkington Civic Theatre presents Alanis Morissette’s “Jagged Little Pill: The Musical,” directed by Civic’s Executive Artistic Director, Michael J. Lasley. The show features all 12 songs on Morisette’s 1995 album – a breakthrough both in international stardom and psychologically as she bared raw emotions in her break from dance-pop (influencing the outspoken and genre-bending women vocalists and singer-songwriters who followed).  The lyrics are all hers, with music co-written by Glen Ballard. The musical also includes eight songs from her other albums, a repurposing of her “Uninvited” (originally on a film soundtrack), and two new songs for this production.

Perfectly matching Morrisette’s style, the book of the musical is by author and screenwriter Diablo Cody. The meshing of lyrics to a coherent plot is not only the most successful since “Mama Mia,” but also delivers impactful messages in a powerful work that stands in a very sum-greater-than-parts way. The uncompromising nature of both Morrisette and Cody comes through in that while this should be necessary viewing for all high schoolers, the language and content keep this strictly PG-13 at least. The circumstances and emotional heft of some scenes even shook adults in the audience.

The story of the musical centers on the Healy family of suburban Connecticut. Mary Jane (Abigail Okerson) stays at home, recovering from a car accident, while husband Steve (Rex Wolfley) works extra hours in Manhattan to keep them afloat. Son Nick (Cole Hurt), a high school senior, has just been accepted to Harvard, while younger adopted sister Frankie (Desirae Brown) deals with being a Black girl in likely the most White circumstances in America. Fortunately, she has a girlfriend, Jo (Kelsey McDaniel), who couldn’t be more out but whose mother insists being gay is a “phase.”

With the arrival of Christmas break, Nick is invited by fellow members of the school swim team to a party (unsupervised, of course) at a classmate’s house. Frankie also goes, invited by new classmate Phoenix (Jacob Schilling), who admired her poetry; they quickly leave, neither liking all the noise and alcohol. Bella (Bridget Dean), who takes on an up-for-anything attitude to fit in, is last seen with popular and well-connected Andrew (Keaton McDorman).

Meanwhile, Mary Jane has been feeling herself drifting apart from her husband, as well as in constant pain as her meds aren’t working anymore. The pharmacy won’t fill another prescription, so she found pills elsewhere, while promising herself that she’ll start cutting her dose.

The next day, news of Bella’s sexual assault – cruelly spread by photos on social media – rocks the school and affects the Healy family in various ways. Everyone’s façade of perfection is shattering.

Like in life, this show has a number of lighter moments as well, aided by the more upbeat songs. The issue of irony in “Ironic” is thoroughly dealt with in a way that lets us know all involved understand how ironically unironic the song is, and that perhaps we should all just lighten up about it. “Head Over Feet” gets an appropriately charming moment as well. Still, this pill is indeed jagged, and the cast are fortunately all capable of the trademark Alanis “wail,” put to great use by McDaniel in “You Oughta Know” and Oakerson in an unforgettable performance of “Uninvited.”

The ensemble of Chloe Boelter, Ashley Chisler, Drew Hedges, Courtney Krauter, Halle Massingale, Joseph Massingale, DaSean McLucas, Larkyn Muth, Aiden Powell, Jade Radford, Matthew Sumpter, and Mary Kate Tanselle fill various roles, and frequently appear on stage as chorus. Aided by Kasey Walker Lewellyn’s excellent choreography, such scenes amplify the impact of the songs without being visually crowded. The ensemble work really shines in the appropriately disturbing new song, “Predator.”

Music director is Brent Marty, with orchestra managed by Al French. Sydnie Blair is stage manager, assisted by Chrysa Conley.

Lasley noted that, of course, no one had any idea when this musical was scheduled that the topic of public shame of and accountability for sexual assault would become as timely as it has in recent weeks. Still, understanding that it has always been an ongoing concern, he said from the first rehearsals onward he took extra measures for all cast members to feel the stage is a safe space. Actors who spoke after the performance expressed gratitude for this. Intimacy director Emily Rogge Tzucker, who has worked regularly with Civic, helped ensure that the performers would stay professional and not take on the trauma of their characters.

The sense of safety extends to the audience as well. Civic coordinated with Prevail, a local organization that supports victims of crime and abuse, to have one of their staff in the lobby during every performance of “Jagged Little Pill.” Audience members are free to leave during the show if they feel upset or overwhelmed and will have someone to talk to.

Performances are Friday through Sunday, Oct. 9-11, and Friday and Saturday, Oct. 16-17, in the Tarkington at the Allied Solutions Center for the Performing Arts in downtown Carmel. Get info and tickets at civictheatre.org or thecenterpresents.org.

Dance Kaleidoscope presents fresh spin on Irving ‘Legend’

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By John Lyle Belden

When a prestigious professional dance company takes on a familiar story, the results are as amazing as they are accessible to a broad audience.

In the spirit of the season, Dance Kaleidoscope presents “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow,” adapted, choreographed, and directed by Joshua L. Peugh. The short story by Washington Irving, set in the years following the Revolutionary War in rural New York, has been deepened from its usual brief telling into a 75-minute program in contemporary and balletic styles. The narrative and atmosphere can get a bit frightening, so this is recommended for ages 13 and up.

Historically, the area around Tarrytown (including Sleepy Hollow) was a frequent battleground between American Continentals and the British Redcoats, joined by Hessian mercenaries, leaving many on all sides dead (including locals of varying allegiance and descendants of the original Dutch settlers). There was even a report of a Hessian officer being decapitated by a cannonball, only identified by his uniform as the head was never found.

This background is a vital part of Peugh’s production. We are frequently visited by various denizens of the spirit world, as well as the restless dead. The dancers in these roles appear in masks, often gauzy to make their faces even more haunting.

Company member Zay puts his slender body to work as the central character, Ichabod Crane. Being sensitive and superstitious, he quickly starts seeing things upon his arrival in town. Ever the academic, he banishes the dark visions with a wave of his book, but they won’t stay away long. He gains the patronage of well-to-do farmer Balt Von Tassel (Nathan Rommel) in setting up his position as schoolmaster, hoping to also gain the hand of his daughter Katrina (Julie Russel) for both her beauty and eventual inheritance (not so much a matter of greed as of honest opportunism). Katrina is flattered but not committed. She and Ichabod share an intimate dance and written love letters, but publicly she still spends time partnered with burly Brom Bones (Ryan Galloway).

Just as Crane is not all hero, Bones is not a pure villain. His jealousy over this interloper manifests more in pranks than assaults, made easy by Ichabod’s growing visions. As the days pass in what seems like a normal routine, the ghosts – including of a man Ichabod saw die in a fight that got out of hand – draw ever closer.  

At last comes the harvest festival, where Brom – dancing with a pumpkin – delivers a frightening tale. The rest of the story, you may already be familiar with. Just be sure to hold on to your hat (and what it rests on).

Our spirits of soldiers and villagers are joined by flying witches, a Woman in White (Savannah Rolfe) and even The Great He-Goat (Rommel). Filling the various roles, as well as living residents, are George Brous, Natalie Campbell, Ryan Jaffe, Gavin Kimmel, Marie Kuhns, Briah Napier, Morgan Ranney, Sarah Tylor, and Manuel Valdes. The famous climactic chase features Kimmel as The Horseman with Jaffe puppeting the frighteningly beautiful horse (designed by Nicholas Peugh).

The movement is exquisite, telling an easy-to-follow narrative while blending with the production’s overall haunted look. Historic McGowan Hall, practically across the street from the Benjamin Harrison house on North Delaware, is spooky from the moment you step inside. This continues onto the spare stage by scenic designer William Boles, with cornstalks standing sentry at the back that eventually move inward like the marching forest of Shakespeare fame. To display pride in the new nation, a giant 13-star Old Glory briefly spreads above. And as spirits can pass through walls, don’t assume there’s a “fourth wall” here. Incredible costuming was designed by Elizabeth Bourgeois. Evocative music was composed by Brandon Carson.

So – no “Trick” – here’s a “Treat:” The premiere of Joshua Peugh’s “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” continues into a second weekend! Performances are Friday through Sunday, Oct. 9-11, at 1305 N. Delaware St. Get tickets at www.dancekal.org.

A perfectly chilling part of the Indy Spooky Season (with plans to return next October), this “Sleepy Hollow” may itself become legendary.

IRT presents riddle of ‘Da Vinci Code’

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By John Lyle Belden

It’s been more than 20 years since the world was fascinated by the best-selling novel “The Da Vinci Code” by Dan Brown, which stirred controversy and was adapted into a Tom Hanks movie.

Adapted for the stage by Rachel Wagstaff and Duncan Abel, this thriller involving centuries-old secret organizations in and around the Catholic Church is at the Indiana Repertory Theatre, directed by Benjamin Hanna.

The story begins with a murder at the Louvre museum in Paris. Visiting professor and famed symbologist Robert Landon (Nate Cheeseman) is summoned to help decipher the crime scene – and because the message slain curator Saunière (Ryan Artzberger) left behind referenced Landon by name. Police officers Bezu Fache (Sean Blake) and Collet (Devan O’Malia Mathias) are obviously suspicious; meanwhile police cryptographer Sophie (Meghan Kreidler) takes Landon aside to tell him she is Saunière’s granddaughter and this situation is more fraught than he realizes. Soon, after finding more clues in the museum’s works by Leonardo da Vinci (including the Mona Lisa), Landon and Sophie are on the run, eventually seeking da Vinci expert Sir Leigh Teabing (Steve Routman). The killer, Silas (Sam Pearson), a fanatical monk in the order Opus Dei, is pursuing them as well.

The cast also includes Jen Johansen, Derdriu Ring, and Eric Sharp as Teabing’s assistant, Rèmy.

The object of this deadly quest is to find the Holy Grail. As everything in this story has more than one meaning, we learn that the “chalice” is not a cup, but a woman.

Hanna’s direction keeps the suspense taut and performances are first-rate. Cheeseman presents an excellent guide to the mysteries Landon uncovers. Kreidler’s Sophie is right there with him, a partnership of minds more than hearts, with no distracting romance. Routman presents a deceptively charming old adventurer. Pearson gives Silas absolute devotion to his cause, making his ritual self-inflicted pain an indication that he holds no qualms about hurting anyone else.

As for the story, it follows the book fairly well. As a Grail hunt, I felt this falls somewhere between Indiana Jones and Monty Python. While the twists have varying levels of predictability, overall, this high-stakes race across France and Britain is a fun ride. Bear in mind that aside from the characters and story, much of the underlying lore is also fiction (“Or is it?” some would ask).

The look of this production adds to the intensity of the action on the stage. The open scenic design by Christopher and Justin Swader is inspired by the Louvre’s glass pyramids (added to the museum in the1980s) with the triangles hinting at ancient secrets, or as angled lines a suggestion of a situation off-kilter. Lights (designed by Bentley Heydt) play into the mystery – for instance, illuminating the “Rose Line” that is part of the search. Still and video projections by Katherine Freer also contribute, as the IRT continues to make excellent use of the technology.

Follow the clues as puzzles are pondered and secrets sought on the way to breaking “The DaVinci Code.” Performances run through Oct. 19 at 140 W. Washington St. in the heart of downtown Indianapolis. Tickets and info at irtlive.com.

IndyFringe: Going Solo

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This is part of the annual Indianapolis Theatre Fringe Festival, a/k/a IndyFringe 2026, held Aug. 13-23 in venues around downtown Massachusetts Ave. Information at indyfringe.org.

By John Lyle Belden with Wendy Carson

Reviews of: “Ambiguous,” by Tiffany Michelle Foster; “Before Breakfast,” by Rachel Kelso; “Father Johnny: I Swear to God,” by John Courtney; “Gollum Girl LIVE,” by Amy Yourd; “The Keeper,” by King Richard; “Maniac,” by Todd Sullivan; “The Perfect Rap Show,” by Cecil Creates; “PsyWrn Simone’s Black Thread: Songs that Nina Taught Me,” by PsyWrn Simone; “Then, Eve,” by Billie Jane; “Starship Napademics,” by Kay Hawthorne. 

An essential element of the Fringe experience is the one-person show. Often, it’s a sort of confessional, telling one’s own story or experience in a way that brings us into their uncomfortable shoes. Sometimes it’s about another person or a topic or idea – like a dressed-up TED talk. Whatever is performed, the performer indulges in a very brave act – regardless of the costume, this person is exposed, standing alone, hoping for our understanding. As Shakespeare wrote, “Gently to hear, kindly to judge.”

Ambiguous

While practically no one-person act involves just one person – there are lights and crew, perhaps a co-writer and/or director – we understand that this is essentially all performer Tiffany Michelle Foster. With the help of friends and fellow artists, she presents video scenes on a stageside screen, setting up a situation she has dealt with throughout her life. It’s easy to say she is a “person of color,” but those who meet her can’t help but be curious of the specifics. Her parents and siblings appear to be Black, while she resembles a Latina. Entering her journey of magical realism to answer the question, “What are you?” – and having accidentally squashed the cricket – she gets a sarcastic cockroach as her guide.

In her first costume, she appears as a perfect live-action version of Dora the Explorer, guided by the singing Map through the Forest of Assumption and along the River of Where Are You REALLY From. The journey will take her through a cartoon interlude in which she appears on stage as Betty Boop, and a horror scene with helpful zombies who guide her to becoming the racially/ethnically fluid “Black or White” era Michael Jackson (she admits this was in part to learn how to moonwalk – which she does well).

Tiffany concludes with a few minutes of standup, in which she answers the big question (ambiguously, of course). She reveals that while by genetic percentage she is one racial identity, by her life experience and the laws of her original home state, she is another. (As she tours with this show and could bring it back to Indy, I’ll leave this for you to find out when you see her.)

The bottom line is that “what” Tiffany Michelle Foster is, is human and funny and entertaining, and a joy to see – whatever label fits at the moment.

Before Breakfast

(Review by Wendy Carson)

Mrs. Rowland (Rachel Kelso) is trapped in a now-loveless marriage. Her husband, once a wealthy heir, is now just a drunken sot. She works her fingers to the bone, but he spends his days drinking and regaling his friends with poetry and stories. Her long-suffering plight is laid out for us while she speaks to her husband, who is hungover in the bedroom.

While they were in love at one point and they both risked the wrath of their families to get married, they are now just going through their paces in a mockery of their union. While nobody could have predicted the conflagration of events that led to their current circumstances, he could at least own up to his responsibility to share the burden of working through them rather than just ignoring them wholesale.

While some may feel her tirade comes of as meaningless nagging, there are moments of sincere sorrow that hearken back to her original feelings for the man. She just wants to know that he still feels anything for her. While her tale is a sad one, in the end, her husband finally does show her a little mercy and gives her the second-best outcome she could hope for.

This classic one-act drama by Eugene O’Neill is dark and sorrowful, but does serve to remind us of how harrowing the past was, as well as the trials and tribulations of adulthood.

Father Johnny: I Swear to God

The subtitle of this standup/storytelling/costume act is more a statement than an interjection, as the good Father, presented by John Courtney, does use some mature language and innuendo – and doesn’t mince words about the un-Christlike nature of those in charge of America. While he has kind things to say about our new U.S.-born Pope, there are some aspects of the Catholic Church he’d like to see improved – a global shortage of priests? Let women be ordained!

He gives us video scenes of odd confessions while changing into old Father O’Saughnessy, a kindly Church Lady, and even J.C. himself. His title character also turns out to be an act – while he attended Catholic seminary, he stopped short of the priesthood, finding the Oath of Obedience to be a step too far.

Bearing in mind that standup is always tricky to judge, Courtney’s show is quirky and clever while still feeling rough at points, something a pro like him will no doubt work on. Ever forgiving of the audience, for each line that doesn’t land, he could glibly take up the next to induce some chuckles.

Father Johnny’s blending of the sacred and profane could inspire a few conservative viewers to “arise and walk,” but I think the trinity of Saints Lenny Bruce, George Carlin, and Bill Hicks would bless it.

Gollum Girl LIVE

(Review by Wendy Carson, as posted to Facebook)

Amy Yourd has embarked upon her own personal quest to educate the world on the glorious wonders of the many worlds of J.R.R. Tolkien, the film trilogies of such by Peter Jackson, as well as her love of the true hero of the stories, Gollum.

Growing up different from others, she has always identified with Gollum’s oddities (more of her school mates know her by the nickname of Gollum Girl than her given name). However, she has lived with the nagging fear that at any minute she, like Gollum, would be thrown out of regular society and forced to live in solitude.

Still, she endeavors to find like-minded individuals who might understand her and accept her no matter how odd she seems. Come and witness her story. Find her afterwards and share your own. See her truth and get to know this amazing person who you will surely find some kinship with.

The Keeper

(Review by Wendy Carson)

Come and meet the newest demigod in the modern pantheon, The Keeper (The Keeper of Names being his full title). It is his duty to collect and remember not only the name, but the life story of every person lynched or otherwise killed in a racist act.

Even though he’s been at the job for a mere 10 years, the work is already taking its toll. He knows this is a supreme honor but is frustrated that his own name is lost to himself as well as history. The oath he swore upon taking the role states, “I forget myself, so that I may remember you.”

Witness his story, say their names, forget not that the struggle continues.

Maniac

(Review by Wendy Carson)

Todd Sullivan gives us a unique and interesting take on the motivations and inner workings of a murderer. We are witnessing the trials of a killer and will determine his verdict before the shows end. The first trial is that of Temerity, the second is Veracity, and the third is Rectitude. The trials are quaint and often silly, but they do give us a glimpse of the workings of the accused’s mind.

I must warn those who plan to attend this show that total audience participation will occur. No matter what, at some point you will interact and become part of the narrative. However, the performance I attended, no one seemed to mind even the smallest hint of participation.

Blending actual history, storytelling, clowning, and a bit of magic effects, this show is a rare delight. One that makes you think yet mindlessly enjoy the whimsey of it all. It’s truly a show that could only have been created for a Fringe audience.

The Perfect Rap Show

(Review by Wendy Carson, as posted to Facebook)

Approximately one year ago Cecil wakes up with a groundbreaking idea: “I should quit my job!”

This, added to a seemingly too-good-to-be-true AI assistant, leads him to the vision of taking his music to the next level by live streaming the perfect rap show.

We are here to witness the inception and ultimate performance of this journey as he hones his desires, finds his voice, polishes his marketing and tries to stay true to himself and the music he creates. This is an innovative and enjoyable look inside the creative process for those unfamiliar with it as well as a raw and vulnerable take on the honest struggles of today’s artists.

While some of the language may challenge viewers, I advise you to look past the words and admire the works. This is a must-see for anyone interested in pursuing a music career or just trying to make it online in their own niche.

PsyWrn Simone’s Black Thread: Songs that Nina Taught Me

First premiered during the Indy Black Solo Festival at the end of January, PsyWrn (pronounced “siren,” like one who entices with her singing and can rock your world) weaves her personal story with that of the legendary Nina Simone. Accompanied by Matthew Dupree on an African drum, PsyWrn presents “an appreciation, honoring her spirit,” seeing Nina (the High Priestess of Soul, 1933-2003) as having embodied “the artist as activist.”

In other words, she wasn’t always “Feeling Good.” In fact, Nina is quoted as saying, “first you get depressed, then you get mad.”  

The set includes audio and visual tributes to Nina Simone, including an LED 3-D rendering. PsyWrn also brings her to life in song, from Civil Rights anthems to the uplifting “To Be Young, Gifted and Black.” The Black Thread of the title weaves through those who struggled in decades past and continues in those taking up the call to end injustice today. In delivering this inspiring tribute, today’s Ms. Simone also shows herself capable of being legendary.

Then, Eve

(Review by Wendy Carson)

Billie Jane gives us a novel retelling of the Genesis story that resonates with our current times:

While their main job of naming all the animals seemed wonderful at first, their sheer numbers (there are over 4,000 different beetles alone), eventually made it drudgery. She wants more and can’t understand why her companion is so satisfied with so little.

There is also a lot of confusion within the task at hand. Why are the females of the species so ugly? Why did that bird sit on that white rock? Was the baby bird trapped inside the white rock? Do the rabbits have to constantly do THAT. Should we be doing that? Why did God put a tree here that we aren’t allowed to have anything to do with?

After a while, her companion deserts her so she becomes best friends with Caterpillar. This leads to another batch of questions as her buddy goes about his metamorphosis. She feels that she needs to transform herself but doesn’t know how. She tries talking to God but to no avail. She sets off to visit Lillith but that only makes her feel worse about her situation. Why does paradise feel so much like a prison?

Since she is miserable, she might as well end it all, so she steels herself and goes to the forbidden tree. Picking a fruit, but not yet eating it, she returns to see Butterfly destroyed by a flash of lightning. This seals her fate and she eats of the fruit, gaining the Knowledge of Good and Evil as well as the reality of her true self.

Jane weaves the story line so brilliantly that you are almost blindsided by the novel twist at the end of it all. This was truly a remarkable and thought-provoking look at an age-old tale.

Starship Napademics

Kay Hawthorne has her home in Indianapolis, roots in Africa, and her eyes on the stars. She invites us along on an Afrofuturism journey, embodying two personas. Nessa the stewardess informs us that all within this little theatre are about to embark – be ready for a change of gravity.

Once on our way, we meet her principal self, Napademics, with stories of discovering other worlds through books of science fact and science fiction by Black authors; the music of Sun Ra, Parliament-Funkadelic, and OutKast; and songs of her own she sings for us. The set is hand-made low-tech with high-tech aspirations, like the child who dreams of the Mothership on her way to applying for NASA.

She takes us by Sun Ra’s home of Saturn, and Napademics’ own planet, Mercury, in word and song. She notes that the mostly white scientific community seems to fear Dark Matter, but she doesn’t, adding “you miss so much that you see Black as empty.” However, we have nothing to fear as Nessa will welcome us back to Indy, safe and sound – and a little more funky.

Southbank delivers brilliant Bechdel biography

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By John Lyle Belden

Southbank Theatre Company opens its season of Origins with the coming of age and coming-out musical, “Fun Home,” based on the graphic memoir by Alison Bechdel, with book and lyrics by Lisa Kron and music by Jeanine Tesori.

Cartoonist Bechdel, reaching the age that her father died, tries to come to terms with the past with her art. As she draws, stumped for the right captions to add, she remembers her life as a restless girl with her brother, sister, and parents in a “House on Maple Avenue” in Beech Creek, Pa., as well as her fateful first year of college when, in her words, she came out as a lesbian, and her closeted gay father killed himself.

We find her upbringing to be a little unusual, in a house with a museum-like collection of various antiques, with a father who not only teaches English at the high school but also runs a mortuary (the “Fun[eral] Home” of the title) passed down through the family. Father always has need of a young handyman to help with home improvement projects – his true purpose to which the kids are oblivious, while their mother understands too well.

Directed by Southbank founder and artistic director Marcia Eppich-Harris, she has again assembled an excellent cast. Patrick Vaughn plays conflicted and complex father Bruce, exacting and demanding with others as he strives to maintain tight control on himself. Afton Shephard gives an intense portrayal of self-sacrificing mother Helen. Orion Cortez and Lilly Adams give appropriately goofy teen performances as siblings John and Christian. Their comfort with unconventional surroundings especially comes through in the “Come to the Fun Home” TV-commercial skit they work on with little sister Alison – darkly “fun” in the conventional sense of the word.

Alison herself is portrayed by three actors:

Julie Lyn Barber is splendid as Adult Alison, greeting the memories playing out before her with a grin of hard-won wisdom and an unshakable sense of regret. Sharing her lack of certainty ironically makes her a more reliable narrator.

Emery Haley is Medium Alison, the college freshman discovering herself while struggling to understand her father – unaware their last day together will be their last day ever. Her coming out – first to herself, then her family – is a relatable experience for many, and we can all sense her apprehension at life away from home for the first time. We share her joy as she declares she’s “Changing My Major” to making love to Joan – smartly played by Nia Hughes. Her growing anxiety over life’s changes is also palpable.

Ellie Richart has a big role as Small Allison. This is not the kind of show that says “that’s me as a kid” and moves on – many of the pieces of this play’s puzzle are revealed in her early life. Richart’s talent especially shines in “Ring of Keys” in which the subject of the song is never seen but must be realized through the girl’s description and expression; this is a pivotal moment in Alison’s young life, and Richart nails it.

Bobby Haley also does very well as the various men in Bruce’s life. Most scenes of them together come off more serene than tawdry, adding to the growing tension as the Bechdels find their life of secrets ever harder to manage.  

Music director is Kristin Cutler, choreography by Andre Williams, and stage manager is Madison Pickering. The set design by Scott Hall features large reproductions of panels from the book made by Eppich-Harris and Casey Ross.

A compelling production of the Tony-winning, Pulitzer-nominated masterpiece, “Fun Home” has four remaining performances, Thursday through Sunday, Sept. 24-27 at Shelton Auditorium, 1000 W. 42nd St., Indianapolis (southwest corner of Butler University campus). Get info and tickets at southbanktheatre.org.

IBTC brings a place that’s closer than we think

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By John Lyle Belden

Indianapolis Black Theater Company presents the powerful drama, “Kiladelphia,” written and directed by DP Demarco.

He makes clear that this is not just a ‘hood in Pennsylvania, but a place found in cities large and small throughout America, plagued by street crime, drugs, and violence.  Throughout the play we see a memorial to a six-year-old girl at the place she was killed by a stray bullet. However, though it struggles, there is also hope here – and faith.

Neighbors Shawaakaatima and Ms. Jordan (Dena L. Toler and Da’Keisha Bryant) are visibly shook by the child’s death, while dealing with the growing independence of their own kids. Shawaakaatima’s son Jabarie (John Singleton) is doing well at the local college. Meanwhile, Teresa Jordan (Raniyah Bannon) is a good teen, however her friends include Shay Shay (Ayshah Matthews), a girl with big attitude and questionable character, and Taylor (Anaiah), who is nice, smart, and the younger sister of Q (Joshua Bruton), the second-in-command to gang leader Jamelle (LA).

The criminal element also includes Kima (Shenita Golder), Bones (Mahogani Johnson), and Malik (David Adams). Atiyyah Radford plays Derrick, Jabarie’s friend, as well as “Clean” – a street character who is anything but.  Jodi Holmes appears as a local police detective and the grieving mother of the little girl.

Jamelle is handsome and charismatic, with hundred-dollar bills peeking out of his pockets. And what he lacks in empathy he more than makes up in the drugs he sells. He sends away his addicted mother, Wanda (Anila Akua), and later takes advantage of naïve rich girl Erica (Shaudia Carter) – both financially and physically.

Not everyone will survive these events in an unflinching look at how easily the pursuit of good times can go very badly, including for the innocent. What feels like love or respect can be a trap. This is not a musical, but we do get a wonderful rendition of Stevie Wonder’s “Knocks Me Off My Feet” sung by Singleton, background music by Matt “Big Beatz” Franklin and Byran Hobbs, and an affective arrangement of the O’Jay’s “For Love of Money.”

We also find in the women and young Teresa a tested Christian faith. Rather than deliver a simple morality play, Demarco keeps it real with Jesus’ love not always accepted but still made available for one who is truly broken.

Performances feel real – even a larger-than-life person like Shay Shay is like someone you know – and at moments engage the audience directly, alerting us that these are events that need our attention here, and out in the larger world. Demarco said he has presented this play in several cities and was struck by how, when he mounted it in West Virginia including white cast members, he sadly didn’t have to change a thing.

Find “Kiladelphia” here in Naptown for one more weekend, Thursday through Sunday, Sept. 24-27, at The District Theatre. Get tickets at indydistricttheatre.org.