drama

IBTC: True incident inspires Morisseau drama

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By John Lyle Belden

“Southern trees bear strange fruit / Blood on the leaves and blood at the root…”

These lyrics, written by a white activist and made famous by legendary Black singer Billie Holiday, lend a theme to a drama by acclaimed playwright Dominique Morisseau, “Blood at the Root,” presented by Indianapolis Black Theater Company at The District Theatre, directed by Daniel A. Martin.

The plot is heavily based on the 2006 “Jena 6” controversy in which six Black high school students were tried as adults after arrests for beating a White student. The altercation was part of a series of events that suggested racial tensions were a factor. Morisseau’s play is set at Cedar High in a fictional Louisiana town standing in for Jena, a city of around 3,000 located in the Mississippi River Delta region north of Baton Rouge.

Raelynn (Kelly Kel) wants to do something bold for her senior year. With the encouragement of her best friend Asha (Morgan Damato), she decides to run for class president, which if successful would make her the first Black student in the office. She also decides to go sit under Old Devoted, a huge old oak tree where the “cliques” (“White” is unsaid but understood) hang out. Two other students join her.  

At the student newspaper, reporter Toria (Samantha Resnick) is constantly in trouble for seeking controversial topics – adding her opinions in the process – in her zeal to become a “real journalist.” Justin (Matt Ball), the student editor, sees her as talented but her work as unusable, risking the school ending the program.

Raelynn’s brother, Deondre (Marcus Elliott), is a star running back on the football team and a college prospect. The quarterback is Collin (Parker Taylor), a recent transfer student who is White – and gay, a secret that proves difficult to keep.

The next morning, three rope nooses hang from the oak tree. Black students are upset, but the school insists that it is no more than a tasteless prank. Days later, in the high school cafeteria, Collin is beaten by six of his Black teammates, including Deondre. Arrests follow.

The cast also includes Clarissa Michelle, Jay Fuqua, and Evangeline Bouw.

The mighty tree, designed and built by The Sapphire Theatre Company, dominates the back of the stage, a reminder that the emotions and dark legacy of the Civil Rights era were not left behind in the 20th century. Students coming of age in the 21st now have to reckon with this, finding that what once seemed like normal teenage trouble can take on serious consequences, especially in the Deep South. Reflecting today’s culture that is surrounded by music, the play includes moments of song and movement reflecting a scene’s actions and feelings. It avoids classification as a musical, though, so that nothing shown seems light or trivial.

Every character is boldly presented, and each will have their say. Kel’s Raelynn and Elliott’s Deondre present familiar archetypes, a young Black woman and man seeing possibility in their future while dealing with opposing tensions brought about by just being themselves. In Deondre’s case, what would be no more than a blemish in another student’s record becoming his entire future denied by the decision of an unjust system. Demato’s Asha, a girl with White skin and Black relationships, and Ball’s Justin, a Black student bullied by peers for reading and good grades, express their frustrations at social expectations and rules around “blackness.” An idealist from a politically liberal family, Resnick’s Toria is learning the hard way to carefully deal with the facts, and her tact. Parker’s Collin shows how the (also valid) struggles of queerness further complicate existing tensions.

We get outstanding performances all around. Especially of note is the way the actors handle the rural Louisiana accent and way of speaking – akin to both Cajun and Deep South syntax and cadence – flowing naturally, clear and easy to follow.

Presented with the energy and humor of youth, as well as the raw emotion of hard-hitting news, we find that bitterness still comes from a society with “Blood at the Root.” Performances are Thursday through Sunday, April 23-26, at The District, 627 Massachusetts Ave., Indianapolis. Get tickets at indydistricttheatre.org.

IRT: Facing horror with hope and hospitality

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By John Lyle Belden

We all have a story.

Those of us who remember – most of us alive at the time do – all have a story of where they were and what they were doing on Sept. 11, 2001. Just the two numbers, “9/11,” conjure feelings and/or flashes of memory. While people around the world watched on their televisions, many individuals had more personal stories. Among them were thousands aloft on various airlines, unaware what had happened to four other passenger jets that day.

This is their story.

The Indiana Repertory Theatre presents the regional premiere of “Come From Away,” the musical by Irene Sankoff and David Hein, based on real events and real people involved with the emergency landing of 38 planes (including a jumbo 777) on the remote airfield at Gander, Newfoundland, Canada. All air traffic in and around the U.S. was grounded for days while authorities investigated the terrorist attacks in New York; Washington, D.C.; and Pennsylvania, making certain no other aircraft were involved. To the friendly and very hospitable Newfoundlanders, their only concern was that a number of people that equaled the local population had unexpectedly come to stay for a while. “Welcome to the Rock!”

Directed by James Vàsquez, this production is suffused with the welcoming spirit of the Canadian Maritimes and its folk traditions, set on a simple performing-hall stage partly surrounded by musicians on fiddle, pipes, guitars, and percussion. Wooden chairs and tables suffice for the scenes, as the story is told and enacted by a cast in which every actor has at least two roles.

Gander Mayor Claude Elliott (Brian Ray Norris) coordinates the town’s efforts with the assistance of policeman (of a two-man force) Oz (David Kirk Grant), teacher Beulah (Terra C. MacLeod), new local TV reporter Janice (Hannah Embree) and others, including getting a local school bus driver (Brett Mutter) to put the drivers’ strike on hold to help. Bonnie (Bets Malone) of the local SPCA adamantly seeks out animals in the aircraft holds that need care.

Meanwhile, on the jumbo jet, impatient passengers wonder what’s going on.  This includes Mutter and Jesse Bhamrah as gay couple Kevin and Kevin; Larry Raben as Nick from England, who gets to know Diane from Texas (Crissy Guerrero); Will Mann as Bob from New York, and later as an African traveler; Laraisha Dievelyn Dionne as Hannah, whose son is a New York firefighter; and Embree as a harried flight attendant. Up front is Beverley Bass (Jean McCormick), who was the first woman captain for American Airlines. Bhamrah also plays Ali, a Muslim passenger who gets looked on with suspicion by the others.

No doubt due to the plethora of stories gathered to make this musical, along with the talent and dedication of Vàsquez and the cast, this is an outstanding ensemble effort that still manages to give so many individual perspectives. We get the full range of feelings, from the fear and apprehension, as well as the shock as each character realizes what had happened, to the gratitude and good humor from and in reaction to the Islanders’ generosity. The local flavor includes a sort of Newfoundland initiation so that those “from Away” feel more at home – see the displays on the balcony level of the lobby to learn about the Cod and the Ugly Stick.

Music Director is Angie Benson; especially notable in the band are Liz Browder-Bohall on fiddle and Landon Thomspon on percussion (including the Stick).

Personally, this brought a lot of feelings from that time back for me. I could relate in a small way to what it was like for the people portrayed, as while the 9/11 attacks didn’t happen to them directly, it had a profound effect on their lives. The world had changed, and even after the emergency had passed and the aircraft left, no one would be the same afterward. I hope that some of that impact is impressed on those who can only see this as just a historical event from a quarter-century ago.

There is also a relic from the World Trade Center on display in the IRT lobby, on loan from the Indianapolis International Airport.

If you can, go to “Come From Away,” running through May 10 on the main stage at 140 W. Washington St., in the heart of downtown Indianapolis. Tickets and info at irtlive.com.

BCP: The importance of I, You, and We

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By John Lyle Belden

“You’re not really what I expected today.”

Those words are by celebrated playwright Lauren Gunderson, in “I and You,” presented by Buck Creek Players. They are spoken by Caroline, a girl uncertain which will come first – the end of her senior year of high school, or the end of her life.

The words that take on the most meaning are in verses by 19th-century American poet Walt Whitman. Caroline (Piper Williams) is greeted by them – “In this mystery here I stand” – said by unexpected visitor Anthony (Braeden Adams).  They are classmates, though they have never met. She mostly lives in her bedroom, having spent her life in bad health and now needing a liver transplant. He says he is her project partner in American Lit class, needing to make a presentation on the use of “I,” “You,” and “We” in Whitman’s “Leaves of Grass.”

She is furious at first, untrusting, rejecting. But he persists that he’s just there to complete the assigned homework and eventually gets to stay. She has no interest in old poetry, then becomes intrigued. He states she should be able to relate to it, a regrettable statement as it hints at the topic of her health. Their verbal dance gets more intricate as it goes along, addressing her condition, getting to know other aspects of each other, learning about his own heartbreak.

Williams and Adams are brilliant in this dramedy pas de deux, directed by Cathy Cutshall, assisted by Scout Dunlevy.

Cutting and catty, Williams gives us the girl in a frustrating situation few can relate with, not so much afraid of death but tired of years of staring it down. She has low tolerance for those being “nice” as she has long learned to sense its shallow cover for others’ discomfort.

With kindly persistence, Adams gives us the boy who likes girls but not interacting with their various moods. This situation has paired him with someone who intrigues him, and whom he can’t help liking – though cautiously. He seems willing to open up, sharing aspects of his life and the things he enjoys, though we sense a bigger secret in his demeanor.

Complete with a treasured Turtle and an energetic air-piano solo, we see this important project through to its end. The result is uplifting, heartwarming and memorable.

As always, all work here is volunteered, including the excellent set design and build (Carolyn’s neatly decorated upstairs bedroom) by Susanne Bush.

BCP is also involving the Indiana Donor Network with an ad in the program and a table in the lobby. For information on becoming an organ donor, visit donatelifeindiana.org.

Performances are Friday through Sunday, April 17-19, at Buck Creek Playhouse, 11150 Southeastern Ave., Indianapolis (Acton Road exit off I-74). See buckcreekplayers.com.

All the Rage

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By John Lyle Belden and Wendy Carson

It’s been a busy month or so for Betty Rage Productions and its founder, Callie Burk-Hartz. The independent company, dedicated to, in its words, “telling interesting stories, creating original comedy, and making sure there is always a bad-ass role for a woman,” has managed all three quite well.

In the first weekend of March, Betty Rage presented an excellent production of the Noel Coward comedy, “Blithe Spirit,” with a cast for whom acting comes as natural as breathing, including Burk-Hartz herself. This was done in cooperation with the Indianapolis Scottish Rite, which provided more than a venue.

“They have been so supportive,” Burk-Hartz said. The relationship started a few years ago, when she found herself seeking a location for her next play. Having relatives in Masonic organizations, she called the Scottish Rite, which happily provided a beautiful theater, technical help, and even props.

Later in March, Betty Rage presented another one-of-a-kind revue of “Lady Bits” at IF Theatre. Drawing from a variety of local women performers, they bring all manner of comedy “bits” including sketches, improv, and standup. The talent is exceptional and the result is wonderful. (See our review of the January show.) “Lady Bits” returns on June 12-13.

The month ended at the IF with Betty Rage hosting FemmeFest, presenting four original one-hour stage productions written and acted by women. As a development venue for these shows, they often felt raw, but with great potential. You may see one or all of these as polished gems in the future:

“BS Conversations” – The Uncut Diamond Alicia Sims presented a one-woman show, or “Monodrama,” performing about a dozen distinct characters who find themselves on a broken-down bus. As they await repairs, surprising connections are made and discovered among these personalities. The result is funny and engaging, and audience members were impressed with her nimble character work.

“Female Troubles” – A sort of cabaret revue by Elle Tyler, directed by Ana Hammersly, in which five women gather to express their blues. Performers are Maria Meschi, Abby Morris, Skye Walker, Anna Zimmerman, and Tyler on piano. They all helped collaborate on their original songs, presented with energy and humor. And honesty – we found ourselves thinking “that was like if you had said, ‘describe Maria in a song’” after her number. The overall feel is reminiscent of the popular “Menopause: The Musical,” but relating more to one’s 20s and 30s, including experiencing motherhood.

“Out of Yard Signs” – This dark comedy by Jacqueline Lidberg Larabee, directed by Ebony Chappel, is a peek behind the scenes of a political campaign in a major city. Headquarters for Major Brooks is reeling after her competitor, Henson, lands an endorsement from a minor celebrity. However, her powerful campaign manager feels that she can overcome this situation, without resorting to one-upping each other with B-list celebrities. Add to this a perky and very motivated intern who also has to deal with a delusional “supporter” who only wants a yard sign to get her husband off her back, and you have a recipe for hilarity and a nice educational lesson on the current political discourse. Hopefully, this show will turn up again with a little more added (we really want to see the results of the impending press conference) as it is a smartly written look at women and race in the current political climate. Performers were Gabrielle Patterson, Andrea “Sapphyre” White, Ezri Braid-Grizzell, and Erin Moore.

“The Shared Stage” – Presented by Robin Kildall with Karin Stratton, Brandi Metzger, Anna Himes, Kait Burch, and Rachelle Martin, this is a series of six 10-minute plays that all entertained well and we hope some of them might be expanded to become a fringe-length offering.

  1. “American Gurl” – Arden, formerly Olivia, brings his fiancé Hannah home for Thanksgiving. While there, Hannah is going to finally get to see the oft-talked about collection of American Girl Dolls Arden grew up with. However, she is unaware that the dolls actually come to life and interact with people, until they suddenly mistake her for their owner. This makes for some delightful whimsy and interesting backstory.
  2. “Railing it Uptown” – Two women, one in black and one in white, are taking the subway home from a day’s excursion in the city. Their interactions are absurdist at times and quaint at others but show that you can never know what a stranger has to offer.
  3. “Still Life, In Zombies” – A retired zombie hunter is pursuing some of her hobbies when a zombie ends up at her door. It’s not one from the labs her daughter runs, so she locks it in the closet for later. After her best friend and another zombie show up, things get a little more complicated. Still, it looks like at least one of her ideas may actually bring about a possible solution to the situation.
  4. “There Once Were Two Clouds in the Sky” – Two clouds, on roller chairs, interact with each other during their short but interesting lifespan. It’s a sweet take on the fleetingness of a lifetime and one’s purpose in the universe.
  5. “Chicken Shoot” – A girl and her stepsister find the remains of the government complex where their father worked. They try to somehow connect with their always distant father, who was more obsessed with his life’s most important project (The Chicken Shoot). While the actual project was both vastly important and truly absurd, it was a part of their lives, however tangentially, and must be acknowledged as must their roles, however secondary, in his life.
  6. “Carole’s, Cuts, and Dyes” – It’s just before Christmas at Carole’s Salon and everyone has some secrets to share. Between the idea of who has known a murderer, Christmas sex, and the true meaning of Christmas, we are taken on a whirlwind of laughs and food for thought that will keep you reminiscing for a while.

For information on what the Bettys are up to, see bettyrageproductions.com.

GSC mounts ‘Richard III’

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By John Lyle Belden

Garfield Shakespeare Company is an exceptional part of the Indianapolis theatre scene. The not-for-profit volunteer company, residing at beautiful Garfield Park south of downtown, keeps the spirit of classic theatre alive with quality productions and free admission for audiences.

Starting its 20th Anniversary Season, GSC presents the tragic history of William Shakespeare’s “Richard III.” Based on one of England’s less-liked monarchs, we see how this proud, ambitious, and unscrupulous Duke murders his way to the Crown, then famously ends up losing his horse.

Mallory Ward directs a cast of varying experience, all dedicated to honoring the Bard’s work. Derrick Krober eagerly plays the title role, from the start charming nearly everyone while noting with a grin to us watching that he intends to be “the villain.”

In various roles, the other players include Rayanna Bibbs (her proud Lady Margaret never fooled by Richard); Spencer Dorian Crane (compelling in vastly different ways as sad Lady Anne, a reluctant assassin, and sassy Catesby); Hans Cummings (his Clarence almost talking his way out of dying); Omar El Jordi; Sydney Engelstein; Susan Gaertner; Guy Grubbs (playing both a King and a Mayor); Joni Metcalf Kemp; Miranda Khoury (as Queen Elizabeth, with a sharply delivered speech late in the play); Fred Margison; Tess Smith (parts include the heroic Earl of Richmond); and Chad Yadon (in the pivotal role of Buckingham). Also, the multi-talented Zella Mae Elm plays prince and princess roles as well as performing traditional and original songs – one with Shakespeare’s lyrics – playing the mandolin in lieu of a lute.

Performances are 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Friday, and Saturday (March 26-28) at the Garfield Park Arts Center, 2432 Conservatory Drive. While admission is free, as seating in this indoor venue is limited, reservations are recommended at gscindy.org.

Tragic depth in half-full bathtubs

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By John Lyle Belden

Fascination with unusual murder has been a pop culture staple for centuries, especially if such stories are true. Through the last century or so, the arts have explored the minds of monstrous killers, as well as the clever persons deducing who did the deed. Now, stories will often focus on those unable to speak for themselves.

In “The Drowning Girls,” at Main Street Productions in Westfield, we hear them loud and clear.

Based on events in England, this unique drama by Canadians Daniela Vlaskalic, Beth Graham, and Charlie Tomlinson, directed here by Molly Bellner, features just three clawfoot bathtubs on the stage, actually containing water. From these emerge the three known murder victims of George Joseph Smith. They speak to each other – and to us – relating how they were each taken in by the lifelong thief, swindler and bigamist, and how he was finally brought to justice for their killings in 1915.

Bessie Mundy (Jo Bennett) went with husband “Henry Williams” to a seaside resort; Alice Burnham Smith (Monya Wolf) was in a Blackpool boardinghouse with husband “George Rose Smith;” Margaret Elizabeth Lloyd (Sarah Eberhardt) resided with husband “John Lloyd” in Highgate, London. All three died of “misadventure” – perhaps a seizure? – in the bath. The women’s savings, and life insurance, naturally went to the husband.

As the three actors examine and reenact the events, they take on other roles as needed, including taking turns as smooth-talking Mr. Smith(Williams/Lloyd). Society and expectations on women play a part, but also the manipulation familiar to stories of psychopathy, abuse, and controlling behavior.

The pacing and style of the material is familiar to those who enjoy true-crime documentaries and podcasts, which aids the sense that this is nonfiction. Having reviewed the steps that led to their watery demise, Bessie, Alice and Margaret then perform as the various people who finally brought Smith to the gallows – including the attentive Burnham parents, their suspicions deepened by strange coincidence, as well as detectives who broke new ground in forensics and investigation.

Bennett, Wolf, and Eberhardt, each outstanding, don’t put on period English accents as their plight is timeless, as likely to happen in 1914 or 2014 (or ’26). They fully take their characters’ opportunity to express their frustration and give their example as warning, complete with charming moments and gallows humor, yet never straying from the circumstances of their fate.

The simple set (complete with waterproofing, we surmise) is by Ed Trout. Beautiful white gowns by costumer Cathie Morgan help complete the scene. Stage manager is Marissa Hassie, with backstage assistant Baylor Bates.

Though it only took a few inches of water to kill them, “The Drowning Girls” go deep. Performances are Thursday through Sunday, March 26-29, at the Basile Westfield Playhouse, 220 N. Union St. (Downtown construction slows traffic, but the site is accessible.) Get tickets from Main Street Productions at westfieldplayhouse.org.

Lessons beyond language in ‘English’ at IRT

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By John Lyle Belden

In the United States, we take for granted speaking one of the most confoundingly complex languages on Earth. Still, for various reasons millions of people around the world insist on learning it.

“English,” a light-hearted drama on the serious pursuit of another language, was an MFA thesis project for Sanaz Toossi, the American daughter of Iranian immigrants. Since the play won a Pulitzer Prize in 2023, we presume she was awarded her degree. The Indiana Repertory Theatre now presents the local premiere on the intimate Janet Allen Stage, directed by Persian American educator Azar Kazemi with a mostly Iranian-American cast.

The setting is a classroom in a city near Teheran in 2008. Marjan (Neagheen Homifar), a teacher who had spent some years in the U.K., is instructing an “advanced learners” course to prepare for the Test of English as a Foreign Language, or TOEFL, a necessity for finding work and other opportunities in English-speaking countries.

Elham (Natasha Behnam) has an adversarial relationship with English, having failed the TOEFL before, but needs it to pursue medical studies in Australia. Roya (Leyla Modirzadeh) wants to better communicate with her grandchildren in Canada. Omid (Revon Yousif) has cousins in the States. Goli (Emelia Maryam Mosay) is just 18 and looking to expand her horizons.

“English Only,” Marjan writes on the dry-erase board. This is not only typical of an immersive language class, but also a hint at the way dialogue is portrayed in the play. When we hear accents and stilted speech, it is these characters’ speaking in classroom English. When they converse more freely (in English), it is what we hear translated from Farsi (modern Persian, the language spoken in Iran).

There is a brief exchange in actual Farsi late in the play, helping us experience not just the isolating effect of a very different tongue, but also to note its flowing poetic nature. The characters treasure it for this, while Goli notes that English presents more function than flavor, like rice in a meal.

While for audiences, relating to current and past international events is unavoidable, such controversies are outside the scope of the play. The adversary for these students is not the people of other lands, but their language which has overtaken global communication. They struggle with pronunciations and wrestle with idioms. Not all of these pupils will finish the course. In this way, the themes of this drama become more relatable – especially the feeling of abandoning or even betraying their culture in learning to converse and even think as those outside their world do.

Homaifar as Marjan keeps the classes upbeat, often fun, with classroom games and even the use of American and British films to learn linguistic quirks. Her patient encouragement reminds us of favorite educators from our youth. Still, moments of uncertainty about her work creep in.

Benham and Modirzadeh each portray bitter pessimism sharpened by cultural pride. Mosay  is eager and open. Yousif’s Omid seems more fluent than he lets on, as his motives grow suspect.

A simple classroom delivers numerous lessons for all of us in “English,” running through April 4 upstairs in the IRT, 140 W. Washington St. in the heart of downtown Indianapolis. See irtlive.com for tickets and information.

Civic’s bold ‘Letter’ centers strong heroine

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By Wendy Carson

I have been writing a lot about strong women these days, and Hester Prynne is undoubtably one of the strongest examples of such in American literature.

She first entered my consciousness when I was seven, watching a silent film version of Nathaniel Hawthorne’s novel, “The Scarlet Letter.” While she is vastly flawed, her courage and resolve make her an icon of female empowerment and a character to be further explored. With Kate Hamill’s imaginative script, we are presented with a new look at Hester and her situations in the current production by Booth Tarkington Civic Theatre.

As in the book, in 1640s Massachusetts we meet Prynne enduring punishment for a child born out of wedlock. She refuses to name the father and is therefore ordered by Puritan authorities to wear a red “A” (for Adultery) on her chest for the rest of her life.

Directed by Emily Rogge Tzucker, the biggest difference with this staging is the use of a life-sized puppet portraying Hester’s daughter, Pearl. Designed and built by Evangeline Bouw, and voiced and operated by Emily Bohannon, the character takes on a far more ephemeral role. The lone child in a world of strange rules, she highlights the hellion nature of children who provoke and tease others for their own amusement.

Brittany Magee brings forth not only Prynne’s self-sufficiency, but also her unwavering pride and devotion to her precious Pearl. Renee Whiten Lopez as Goody Hibbins channels some of the hysteria of the time by falsely accusing Prynne of witchcraft to justify her own personal shortcomings and try to rectify the unjustness of it all.

Doug Powers’ interpretation of Governor Hibbins keeps him sympathetic in trying to uphold the law in this wild, new land yet not satisfied by doing so. Matt Anderson excellently shows the inner turmoil of Reverend Dimmesdale, the unnamed yet horribly guilty father of Pearl. Daniel Wilke brings a malevolent force to bear as Roger Chillingworth, who carries the darkest secret amongst the group.

While the show’s staging is extremely simple, with limited cast and efficient set and lighting design by Ryan Koharchik, it helps keep the focus on the actors and their stories. The costuming by Adrienne Conces perfectly accents the various needs of narrative in many unexpected ways.

I was greatly impressed by this amazing interpretation of a story for the ages and would have been more than happy to have had it be my introduction to this powerful woman and her story.

Meet Hester and Pearl, and see their world at The Studio Theater of the Allied Solutions Center for the Performing Arts in downtown Carmel through March 28. Get tickets at civictheatre.org or thecenterpresents.org.

Treadwell tragedy retooled by Southbank

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By John Lyle Belden

It’s enticing to explore the mind of a killer, but to only define the person that way misses the point and prevents understanding. In 1927, a woman – an unhappy mother possibly in an abusive marriage – brutally murdered her husband with the help of her lover. One of the most macabre photos published in a newspaper shows the moment of her execution in the electric chair at Sing Sing Prison.

The next year, journalist and playwright Sophie Treadwell published “Machinal,” a fictional examination of a case resembling the one recently in the headlines. This expressionist work with simple staging makes us feel the dark events as we witness them. In the 1920s, women in the workplace were fed into a social machine that used them as the system and the men who ran it saw fit. In the 2020s, Marcia Eppich-Harris proposes that these grinding gears still turn as director of the play for Southbank Theatre Company.

With a dream-like atmosphere (often edging on nightmare), setpieces shift, props become representational, and while costuming stays in the earlier era, technology blends typewriters and telephones with smartphones and laptops. The cast of Natalie Beglin, Brant Hughes, Nia Hughes, Adriana Menefee, Beverly Roche, Patrick Vaughn, and J. Charles Weimer each take on various roles, as well as often appearing in dapper black hats as a sort of Greek Chorus to enhance and punctuate the scenes.

At the center of this is our Young Woman, an excruciatingly brilliant performance by Alaine Sims. With Eppich-Harris’s guidance, she bravely gives substance to the experience of crippling anxiety.

The world is unkind to Her, perhaps as much as for other women who seem to have adapted. With the resigned acceptance of her mother (Roche) and at his insistence she marries her boss (Vaughn) though she can’t stand his touch. She gives him a child, bearing his disappointment at a daughter rather than a son. Then, in the arms of a lover (Brant Hughes) she feels “purified” and plots her escape. Finally, betrayed by lilies and little stones, she meets the fate foretold in the electric hum of the opening scene.

With dialogue often in patter that anticipates beat poetry and hip-hop, and the haunting jazzy Chorus who could be echoes of the press, a jury, or just city folk of the Roaring Twenties who read-all-about-it, this drama flows like a well-told story, reaching out to the frustrated soul within us, reminding us that the machinery is ever turning.

Madison Pickering is assistant director, with Gary Curto as stage manager. The set design is by Kai Harris, with lighting design – essential to this production – by Aaron Burns.

Regarded as one of the greatest plays of the 20th century – with much to say in the 21st – “Machinal” has performances Thursday through Sunday, March 19-22 at Shelton Auditorium, 1000 W. 42nd St., Indianapolis (southwest corner of Butler University campus).

For information and tickets visit southbanktheatre.org.

Fresh serving of ‘Spitfire Grill’ in Hamilton County

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By John Lyle Belden

A balm for hard times, Carmel Community Players returns us to Gilead, Wis., with a new production of “The Spitfire Grill” at The Switch Theatre in Fishers.

Based on the 1996 film, this musical by old friends Fred Alley and James Valcq premiered Off-Broadway in 2001 and has seen many community stagings, including at Westfield in 2023. However, according to licensing agent Concord Theatricals, the show is “newly revised in 2024.” A quick Google didn’t yield details; it appears to us that any changes are subtle, as this is still an uplifting story of redemption – personal and community-wide – with a charm more genuine than the typical “Hallmark” movie romance.

Set around 1990, Percy (Breanna Helms), a young woman released on parole, arrives in this small forest town which she saw featured in an old travel magazine. Though peaceful and located on a trout stream, Gilead is dying as the nearby quarry closed, a major highway bypassed the town, and the celebrated foliage was diminished by logging. Sheriff Joe Sutter (Zach Hoover), the lone lawman and thus Percy’s parole officer, dreams of selling the plot of land he’ll inherit and taking the next bus out. Hannah Ferguson (Susan Boilek Smith) runs the Spitfire Grill, which she has had on the market for 14 years since her husband died.

The Grill is also the only boarding house, and job, for Percy, who takes on serving duties, then is cast almost literally “into the fire” with cooking when Hannah is injured in a fall. We also meet Hannah’s nephew Caleb Thorpe (John Whitaker), who was a foreman at the quarry and is not doing much better in local real estate; his wife, Shelby (Sarah Marone-Sowers), the one thing he feels control over, who he grudgingly allows to help Percy at the Grill; and Effy Krayneck (Christine Sanserino), proprietor of the local combination general store and Post Office, as well as voracious town gossip.

In addition, every night, Hannah leaves out a fresh loaf of bread for a mysterious visitor (Brandon Wentz).

The plot turns on a scheme, introduced by Percy and embraced by Shelby and Hannah, to give the Spitfire Grill to a worthy new owner in a mail-in raffle (Sheriff Joe sings that it’s legal, so don’t come at us with any contrary Wisconsin law). What this does for the town and its residents is fairly predictable, but really nice to watch play out – with only a couple of dramatic bumps on the way.

Under the expert direction of Kathleen Clarke Horrigan, Helms bravely tests the limits of her singing voice while perfectly portraying both Percy’s ex-con attitude and the tenderness she becomes comfortable to reveal. Hoover handsomely presents the Mayberry-esque demeanor appropriate to Sheriff Joe. Marone-Sowers gently portrays good-natured Shelby’s personal growth arc complementary to Percy’s. Whitaker keeps Caleb more stressed than sinister. Sanserino makes Effy a pill, but not entirely unlikable as she acts not out of spite, but her own odd way of striving to belong. Wentz’s mute role speaks volumes.

Smith, a steady stage veteran, is excellent as Hannah in all her maternal aspects. Considering she was Effy in the Westfield production makes an interesting contrast and tribute to her skill that she nailed both roles.

The simple stage set by Jonas Hildreth is enhanced by backstage projections designed by Cassidy Lane, adding atmosphere to the opening number and awe to Percy’s second-act number, “Shine.”

Behold CCP’s “colors of paradise” at The Switch Theatre in Ji-Eun Lee Music Academy, 10029 126th Street, Fishers. Performances of “The Spitfire Grill” are 7:30 p.m. Thursday and Friday, 2:30 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, March 5-8. Get tickets at carmelplayers.org.