drama

Catalyst creates outstanding ‘Streetcar’

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By Wendy Carson and John Lyle Belden

With all of the winter weather we are having, it is satisfying to have Catalyst Repertory bring us a steamy trip to 1950s New Orleans with its imaginative production of Tennessee Williams’ “A Streetcar Named Desire.”

The first clue to the uniqueness of the show is the inventive set design of Nick Kilgore. He has basically cut apart the walls and rooms of an apartment house to make them easily flow into each other without losing each location’s identity. The actors enter, exit, and perform within the full 360 degrees of set as well as multiple levels available to them. With the size of the stage, you might think this is incredibly cramped, but it never feels claustrophobic. In fact, the layout causes a rare intimacy to occur between the troupe and audience, seated “in the round,” which makes the whole a more enjoyable evening. A couple of pieces – a bedroom vanity, a nearby bar piano – even extend into the audience space naturally. The concessions bar for patrons at intermission is even part of the set, suggesting a piece of nearby Bourbon Street.

For those unfamiliar with the tale: Fading Southern belle Blanche DuBois (Sara Castillo Dandurand) turns up on the shabby doorstep of her younger sister, Stella (Anna Himes) and Stella’s husband Stanley Kowalski (Ian McCabe). Blanche lives in a world of delusion she consistently concocts to keep her from realizing that she is desperate, alone, old, and without any other place to go. After months of living with her disdain and lying, Stanley is determined to send her packing.

This description, of course, doesn’t do justice to the genius of Williams’ drama, and in the practiced hands of director Casey Ross – herself an artisan of plot and dialogue – narrative richness and tension as thick as Louisiana humidity imbues the play from start to finish.  

Dandurand transforms into Blanche, wearing her pride like a fading flower, masking dysfunction with flirtatious charm so well it fools everyone – except Stanley. For his part, McCabe ably puts on Kowalski’s working-man swagger. He is devoted to Stella, but has issues (to put it mildly), complete with a low-simmering rage fed by a lifetime of being called a Pollack, among other things. Perhaps the fact he has to present a public mask helps him detect Blanche’s. The two circle each other throughout, like a pampered cat and a mangy dog, claws out, fangs in their smiles. Himes is also wonderful as a Stella who sees the good in Stanley, is eagerly the yin to his yang, and tries to be at peace with the fact her debutante days may be gone forever.

Making a stunning dramatic debut is Brian DeHeer as Mitch Mitchell, Stanley’s bowling and poker buddy who knew him since their WWII service together. Feeling lonely as he tends to his ailing mother, Mitch starts falling for Blanche – it won’t be a soft landing. 

In excellent support are Audrey Stonerock and Matt Kraft as neighbors Eunice and Steve Hubbell, as well as Tom Alvarez as poker buddy Pablo, Mitchell Wray as a boy who comes around, and Viviana Quinones as a local flower-seller. Alvarez’s partner in Magic Thread Cabaret (a co-producer), Dustin Klein, tickles the ivories at the corner piano, with old tunes and his new compositions to underscore the action. At the club microphone is the exquisite voice of Courtney Wiggins. David Mosedale and Wendy Brown complete the cast, mainly in the final scene.

For either those new to “Streetcar,” or Williams fanatics looking for something fresh, we cannot recommend this production enough. There are adult themes and herbal cigarettes (though perhaps the first-ever Ross-directed play without an F-bomb), yet if you can take the heat, you won’t regret the experience of this scorching masterpiece.

Performances run Fridays through Sundays, through March 19 at the IndyFringe Basile Theatre, 719 E. St. Clair, Indianapolis. For tickets, go to IndyFringe.org.

Ancient tragedy an IRT triumph

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By Wendy Carson

First, let me say that Greek mythology is my forte and “Oedipus Rex” is a favorite of the tragedies, so I had very high hopes for this production. That said, David Daniel’s recent adaptation of Sophocles’ script, called simply “Oedipus,” exceeded anything I could have imagined.

This timeless drama, superbly directed by Indiana Repertory Theatre playwright-in-residence James Still, is on the IRT mainstage through March 18.

The play begins near the end of the legend and slowly recounts the events that will lead to its tragic conclusion. Oedipus has been doomed to kill his father and marry his mother. Fearing this prophesy, he flees his kingdom for neighboring Thebes, which he saves by solving the riddle of the Sphinx. He becomes King, and the land prospers for many years under his reign.

However, as we come to the start of the play the land is again struggling. Oedipus and his Queen, Jocasta, send her brother, Creon, to the Oracle to tell them the will of the Gods to end their plague. From there, much drama ensues.

Scenic designer Carey Wong gives us a barren stage with the brown hues bearing out the dusty death throes Thebes is suffering. Costume designer Sara Ryung Clement opts for flowing garments that hearken to a desert lifestyle showing what the land has become. The subtle ombre tones highlight their downtrodden plight while also touching on some of the character’s roles. I particularly liked her take on Creon’s garb, showing him as a statesman with an altered modern dress shirt but still a man of leisure with the rest of the ensemble.

Lindsay Jones (sound design) and Mariel Greenlee (movement) choreograph our characters’ actions to help translate the stylizations of the ancient time as well as the religious devotions of the ancient Greeks. Utilizing only percussion instruments, played by Chorus member Jed Feder, the soundscape is both lovely and demanding as the narrative drives it to be.

As for the cast, every performance was sheer perfection. Highlights for me were: Ryan Artzberger’s turn as the Corinthian perfectly brings a much needed touch of light humor to an otherwise grim story. Lisa Wolpe as Tiresias the seer highlights Oedipus’s fatal flaws of hubris and obliviousness. Trieu Tran’s Creon artfully walks the fine line between loving relative, potential suspect, and distant observer. All the rest – Olivia D. Dawson, Jan Lucas, Sola Thompson, and Mary Beth Fisher as Jocasta – beautifully flexed their acting muscles to the height of their skills.

Regarding David Alan Anderson’s role as Oedipus, a man of good heart but doomed by fate and pride, it is so good to see him commanding the stage again. I have been a fan of his acting talents since we first saw him around 20 years ago. My delight in his name being a part of this production was enormous. I am thrilled to say that he brought forth what is his greatest performance that I have ever witnessed. He flawlessly inhabited the character, sparking every emotional note such that he drew the audience into the story as witnesses, not merely observers.

I spoke with some people afterwards; they were all quite moved by this production. Even those who had no prior knowledge of the story felt later that they had known it all their life. This is what great theater is about, and I am proud to have witnessed such a thing of beauty as is being given to us here.

To attend “Oedipus” at the IRT, 140 W. Washington in the heart of Downtown Indianapolis, find tickets and information at irtlive.com.

Our moment and old myths meld in ‘Mojada’

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By John Lyle Belden

“Medea” is one of the most produced tragedies of all time, going back to when Euripides set this mythical woman’s story on a Greek stage in 431 BC. In this past century, the play is often produced through a feminist perspective, a woman in a man’s world driven to dire acts to reclaim herself. To this, contemporary Chicano playwright Luis Alfaro layers on the story of today’s Latinx immigrants, complete with the ancient spiritual energy of the Americas.

Indianapolis Shakespeare Company presents Alfaro’s “Mojada” at the Phoenix Theatre Cultural Centre, directed by Maria Souza.

Medea (Erica Cruz Hernandez) makes her living as a seamstress working from her present home in a rapidly developing neighborhood in California. She came here from Zamora, Mexico (deep in the country, west of Mexico City) with Jason (pronounced “Ha-sohn,” played by Christopher Centinaro) and their son, Acan (Jasmin Martinez), as well as a woman only known by the word for a dear aunt, Tita (Isabel Quintero). While Jason works his way up from construction laborer to assistant to Armida (Kidany Camilo), the woman who owns their house, Medea never strays far from her front door, looking to Tita, a curandera (healer), to keep her connected to her old homeland. Neighbor and pastry baker Josefina (Camilo), who sports blond hair and wants to be called “Josie,” encourages Medea to “be of this place,” but she refuses, even as her man – as well as young Acan – spend ever more time at the boss’s luxury estate.

Even without knowing the Greek source material, you can tell this won’t end well.

This production, in the intimate confines of the Phoenix’s Basile Theatre, is bilingual – and at times trilingual – with projected captions on the back wall in English, Spanish, and Nahuatl (Aztec language). This bit of inclusivity and culture aids understanding and context, but works best seen from the stage-front section of seats. The gods and spirits invoked here are of the New World, including sacred animals, the Guaco bird and Monarch butterfly. Tita is our guide in this way, as well as the classic function of Chorus.

While Centinaro, Martinez and Camilo ably play relatable roles of those wishing to assimilate, Hernandez is fascinating as a woman who is both stuck, unable to move from her past, and justifiably stubborn, not wanting to pull off her native culture like an old garment. Quintero nimbly works from sweet to flinty, and ever wise, like anyone’s favorite aunt.

In a flashback scene, we see what these immigrants endured and sacrificed to arrive at this place, and why Medea can’t go home. This may be the most important part of the play, a lesson for those who only know their struggles from a few words in the news, while deepening the reasons for the coming madness.

“Indy-Shakes” chose wisely to open its 2023 season with this hybrid legend, made richer by the contributions of both Euripides and Alfaro, brought excellently to life in – naturally – the Phoenix. Performances of “Mojada” run through March 5 at 705 N. Illinois St., get info at indyshakes.com and tickets at phoenixtheatre.org.

Civic ‘Anne Frank’ stirs young audience

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By Wendy Carson 

This past Wednesday, I was fortunate enough to be allowed to attend one of the special student showings of “The Diary of Anne Frank,” at the Booth Tarkington Civic Theatre. It was eye-opening for all, to say the least. Overhearing their comments both during and after the show helped drive home how important theatrical productions of Holocaust stories are in our world.

With most of the audience being of roughly the same age as Anne, the tragedy of her life and situation really resonated with the students. While they were aware of World War II as history, seeing the images in context really drove these horrors home. After the performance, most were busy wiping tears from their eyes, even those who had read Anne’s “Diary of a Young Girl” prior to attendance.

The power of the show begins with the spectacular set design of Ryan Koharchik. The multi-level set reflects the spaces these souls were forced to inhabit during their two years in hiding but the grim truth of the situation comes from the high, chain-link fence topped with razor wire that serves at the back wall to the show. This also allows for Michael J. Lasley to project timely background photos to further the message beginning with the initial one of Anne’s photograph and actual pages of writing from her diary. Lasley also has a short moment on stage near the end of the show.

While Wendy Kesselman’s new adaption of the play by Frances Goodrich and Albert Hackett is stirring, nothing would ring true without the amazing skills of the actors here, under the direction of versatile theatre artist Claire Wilcher. Especially since many regular theater goers will know several of them for their numerous comedic roles and will be delighted to see their incredible range highlighted here.

Rebecca Piñero brings the shy stoicism of Anne’s older sister Edith to light, keeping her character from being overlooked and fading into the background.

Kevin Caraher as Mr. Kraler, who keeps the doors to the Franks’ business open and running while ensuring no one else is aware of the eight souls above, shows both the hopefulness and fear of his role.

Mookie Harris as the dentist Mr. Dussel keeps his character cold and very removed from the others he is with, but also hints that this is the character’s way of shielding himself from the devastation of losing more people he cares about.

Jay Hemphill and Carrie Reiberg as Mr. and Mrs. Van Daan bring the elitist pomposity out in their characters, yet still show us the struggles of a couple terrified of the situation they have been put into.

Garrett Rowe, as Peter Van Daan, brings his character’s growth from fear at being thrown into a new situation with unbearable co-inhabitants, delicately budding into happiness and growing romance throughout their time together.

David Wood as Otto Frank keeps the optimistic outlook as the leader of this group of survivors. Brittany Magee’s maternal turn as Edith Frank is perfection indeed. She enacts the struggles and sorrows of a mother fighting to keep control of her family and situation so well you might think she has raised a slew of teenagers herself.

Anyone who has ever witnessed her on stage before obviously knows the spectacular comic whirlwind that is Kelsey VanVoorst. Now we are a party to the depth of her pathos as she portrays Miep Gies, the character most at risk of tragedy for her part in this endeavor. VenVoorst keeps Miep as upbeat as possible as she bravely smuggles in the supplies to keep the group alive during their time in hiding. The strength and resolve that keeps her going are evident as she forces herself to find the happiest news she can find to share with the families.

Finally, we arrive at the cornerstone role of the play, Gemma Rollison as Anne Frank (alternately played by Sydney Pinchouck on Feb. 28 and 24). Known as a brave girl who fought through so much to keep herself optimistic through her lifetime, this side of Anne is presented perfectly, yet Rollinson also brings the girl’s precocious and obnoxious spirit also noted in her writing and memories of her surviving father. Beginning as an oblivious 13-year-old who thinks teasing her companions is the height of joy, Rollinson exquisitely brings out Anne’s changes into a budding young woman by the show’s end.

As this country has recently experienced fear and confinement from a life-threatening disease, it feels like we can identify somewhat with the desperation and anxiety faced here. However, the fatalities of the Coronavirus are nothing in comparison to the horrors of the Holocaust. This grave, terrible reality is precisely why these stories must be told and retold. As the years pass and memories begin to fade, we must ensure that this dark chapter of the past is never forgotten or allowed to recur. The Indianapolis Jewish Community Relations Council is on hand in the lobby to provide information of how to participate in continuing this vital effort.

After seeing the reactions of the young people in the audience, I urge you to get as many of them to this show as you can (as well as yourselves). While the subject matter is rather intense and is probably not suitable for all ages, anyone 13 and up really needs to see what life could have been like for themselves if they had been born during this time. Performances run through Feb. 25 (public showtimes at 7 p.m. Thursdays through Saturdays, 2 p.m. Sundays) at the Tarkington theatre in the Center for the Performing Arts in downtown Carmel. Get info and tickets at civictheatre.org or thecenterpresents.org.

Unflinching, uncompromising ‘Road Trip’

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By Wendy Carson

As you can guess by the title, “Abortion Road Trip,” Fonseca Theater Company’s latest offering deals with one of the most polarizing subjects of the last fifty-plus years. Rachel Lynett’s script delves into the reasons and reasoning behind the choice to have, or not have, an abortion. Nothing is sugar-coated here, which is why it is important for women especially to see and hear this story. I’m not saying it will change your opinion, but it will open some eyes as to what access to this single procedure actually means for the female gender.

Set in 2016, just after Texas made abortion access illegal, sisters Minnie (Leona Jones) and Lexa (Viviana Quinones) hire a cab to take them from their home in Houston to the nearest clinic in Albuquerque, N.M. (nearly 885 miles, according to Google). Lexa’s aversion to flying, she says, is the reason behind this strange mode of travel.

While on the road, Lexa, Minnie and their Driver (Carrie Ann Schlatter) talk through the incidents and choices that have brought them all together in this “adventure.” While Lexa is unwavering in her decision to have the abortion, her manic questioning and need for them all to “get heavy” hints at her anxiety over her entire situation.

These vignettes are acted out with the help of Megan Ann Jacobs, who portrays both Taylor (Driver’s wife) and Quinn (Lexa’s best friend and Minnie’s girlfriend), and Paige Scott as the sisters’ loving Mom. I would like to note that for anyone who thinks the stories are absurdist propaganda, I have either experienced or been a party to every one of these scenarios. They are far from uncommon or false.

The sets and props are sparse but road trips and memories need little to be portrayed, making the minimalist approach of Bernie Killian (scenic design) and Rebekah Radloff (props) a fitting lack of distraction. Mad Brown’s costuming skills are highlighted in the change of wigs and clothing to differentiate Quinn from Taylor.

Under the delicate guidance of director Abby Scharbrough, the cast brings this story together beautifully, leavened with dark yet appropriate humor. Jones shows Minnie’s courage and determination in finding her own way without ever feeling diminished in spirit. Quinones shows Lexa as a female who is realizing that she’s no longer a carefree child and now must make adult decisions and deal with their ramifications to everyone else in her life. Schlatter also balances her own character’s change from impartial non-observer to somewhat-willing participant by baring her own scars but holding back enough detail to keep their origins her own.             

Jacobs manages to craft her “accessory” characters into real beings. She shows Taylor’s journey through betrayal and tragedy, ending in a loving hopefulness for the future. Meanwhile, she gives Quinn a kindly sweetness that manages to belie her personal beliefs until they reach their ultimate conclusion.

Perhaps the most effective and stunning turn is Scott as Mom. She brings the love, understanding and warmth that we have all craved from our own mothers but they could never quite equal to the unconditional love and support shown here.

Whatever means of transportation you personally choose, use it to get you to the Fonseca Theater and watch this curious road trip unfold, through Feb. 26 at 2508 W. Michigan St., Indianapolis. Get tickets at FonsecaTheatre.org. (Note: The regular Saturday performance time is now 4 p.m., allowing audiences the evening free for other activities – maybe another play!)

Westfield presents classic drama with current feel

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By John Lyle Belden

“Night Must Fall,” a classic thriller by Emlyn Williams, who also starred in its original 1935 London production, haunts the stage of Main Street Productions in Westfield, directed by Ian Hauer.

In an English countryside estate, bitter Mrs. Bramson (Julie Wallyn) rules from her wheelchair, tolerated by sassy housekeeper Mrs. Terence (Ashley Engstrom) and timid maid Dora (Cassie Knowling), and with a hint of familial obligation by niece Olivia (Rachel Kelso), whom she uses, with unearned distrust, as a personal secretary. When we meet them, Bramson is attended to by visiting Nurse Libby (Lizzie Schultz) while milquetoast family friend Hubert (Matt Hartzburg) tries in vain to woo Olivia.

When the matron seeks to sack Dora for tardiness, the girl confesses to be pregnant. Morally outraged, Bramson nonetheless keeps the maid on the condition that the man who will be the father present himself and commit to marriage. Enter “Babyface” Dan (Adam Phillips) whose lilting peasant voice seems to carry a hypnotic note, quickly winning over the usually suspicious woman.

Soon, Scotland Yard Inspector Belsize (Ian A. Montgomery) visits, inquiring regarding the disappearance of a woman last seen at a local nightspot Dan had been known to frequent. This clinches Olivia’s already growing suspicions, but while she makes her own investigation of their handsome new houseguest, could she be slipping under his spell as well?

This drama also features Brad Staggs in an ominously foreshadowing voiceover.

Under Hauer’s direction, Williams’ script feels ahead of its time as a tense character study of sociopathy – “What’s behind his eyes?” Olivia marvels. Our 2023 audience, having seen true-crime shows, perhaps read such books and heard the podcasts, can only watch as the blind side of human nature fails to foresee what unfolds. These things couldn’t happen decades ago in beautiful genteel Essex, England – until they do.

Wallyn manages to keep Mrs. Bramson equal parts harsh and human. She is not a dupe so much as failing to realize she is being played like an instrument by a virtuoso of persuasion, which in its own way helps us to feel for her, despite her edges.

Kelso is given a lot to work with in two acts, managing to keep pace with Olivia’s odd trajectory. Engstrom adds to the humor factor with Terence’s gaelic-accented commentary, a very what-you-gonna-do-fire-me attitude that Bramson somehow respects. Knowling’s Dora is a bit of a leaf-on-the-wind character, who craves not being the center of attention and is visibly relieved when talk of marrying Dan seems to cease.

Montgomery makes the most of his few scenes as the Inspector, exuding authority while wielding it with tact. Meanwhile, Hartzburg keeps his softy Hubert fairly likable, a character sadly out of his depth who should find love in a much nicer play.

If only posh folk understood the warning of ironic nicknames like “Babyface.” Phillips eases into a character that grifts as easily as breathing. His Dan blurs the line between kind and suspicious behavior so well, he toys with the tension both on stage and among the audience right up to the end.

“Night Must Fall” four more times, Thursday through Sunday, Feb. 16-19, at the Basile Westfield Playhouse, 220 N. Union St. Get tickets and info at WestfieldPlayhouse.org.

ALT: Voices on the right take their ‘Turn’

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By John Lyle Belden

What if you were in an echo chamber, and the voice coming back questioned you? Or said something else entirely?

Welcome to the edge of a small town in the west-central part of Wyoming, home of cowboys and a Catholic college. It’s Trump country – especially in August 2017, with conservatives still grateful they narrowly avoided a Hillary Clinton presidency and perhaps realizing that buffoonery was about all they would get from the President they elected.

In the Pulitzer-nominated drama “Heroes of the Fourth Turning,” by Will Arbery, presented by American Lives Theatre, you will find no “liberals,” yet these four young men and women gathering seven years after graduation from the college, celebrating their mentor becoming its president, aren’t entirely of the same mind.

The atmosphere is ominous: Could it be that the infamous Charlottesville riot was just days ago? Or that this land where the Plains meets the Rockies will soon be in the totality of a solar eclipse? Or is it something about the deer that Justin (Tyler Lyons) shot, or that unnatural noise in his shed? His guests – Teresa (Morgan Morton), who lives in Brooklyn, N.Y., and admires then-White House advisor Steve Bannon; Kevin (Taylor Cox), an apparent alcoholic working for a Catholic publisher in Oklahoma; and Emily (Devan Mathias), who lives with chronic pain and in the shadow of her mother, Dr. Gina Presson (Gigi Jennewein), whom they have gathered to honor – start to have what Kevin likes to call “big conversations.”

Teresa is fascinated by the controversial 1997 book, “The Fourth Turning,” by social scientists William Strauss and Neil Howe, and treats it like prophesy, asserting the “Turning,” a time of upheaval, is upon them. She calls it an imminent “war,” and Justin, a Marine veteran, agrees, seeing the conflict not as spiritual, cultural or rhetorical, but armed revolution. Emily, who battles mental and physical torment with an exceptionally upbeat outlook – “pain and grace,” she calls it – doesn’t want to hear any of it. Kevin, feeling uncertain about everything, wants to delve further. To change the topic, Justin tells of a children’s-book story he is working on, “The Grateful Acre,” about the stoic optimism of a plot of land.

Eventually Gina arrives, and when prodded for her thoughts, adds her perspective to the party.

In the words of Arbery, with the guidance of director Andrew Kramer, we get excellent insight on what people on the political right are thinking and why. Any notes from the other side of the spectrum come from experiences with others, as bits of devil’s advocacy, or in warnings from Teresa that “this is what they say about us.” The militant and reactionary perspectives dash against the rocks of Gina’s intellectual conservatism (think Bannon vs. George Will), but even her logic frays at the edges.

Morton and Lyons are solid as characters who stick to their guns (one figuratively, the other literally). Jennewein’s stalwart academic reminds me now much I miss the relatively measured stance of the late Bill Buckley Jr.

Mathias nimbly gives us a necessarily complex character, too often finding herself in the middle of things with no real control. Emily also has a life experience that impacts her conservative Catholic beliefs, a thing that won’t reconcile easily.

“It’s hard to be the ‘Holy Fool,’” Kevin says, but Cox gives us a master class in embodying the archetype. Like the Fool who stood by King Lear in a storm, his Kevin is all over the place both in dialogue and movement, ever probing for the veritas his vino won’t provide. Ridicule, insult or pity him – as others do – but his jagged queries are worthy of answers.

This play was written and first staged in 2019, yet instead of feeling dated its contents become more profound in the light of what would happen in America over the next three years. One can argue if the Pandemic is the Fourth Turning, or if events have damaged the presumptions of Strauss and Howe’s work, but what’s portrayed are what people did (and do) think and feel.

Regardless of your place on the political spectrum, this is a worthy challenge to experience, leavened with a few situational laughs and a curious bit of supernatural edge. Remaining performances are 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, Jan. 27-28, at the Basile IndyFringe Theatre, 719 E. St. Clair St., Indianapolis. Get info and tickets at AmericanLivesTheatre.org or IndyFringe.org.

Storefront: A comedy of the corrupt

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By John Lyle Belden

The title, “Post-Democracy,” is a little misleading. This short darkly comic drama by Hannah Moscovitch, presented in its U.S. premiere by Storefront Theatre of Indianapolis, is less about the halls of government power than it is the ivory towers of corporate privilege where the truism, “power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely” rings as true as your recently-signed non-disclosure agreement will allow.

Bill (Ronan Marra Sr.) has serious business on his mind. His health is forcing his hand in picking his successor as CEO. That would be distant cousin Lee (Alex Oberheide), the COO who just swung an acquisition deal for a manufacturing plant in Latin America, however the young man can’t stop acting like a misogynist jerk (complete with tics like a slimy Jim Carrey), enraging Bill’s daughter, Justine (Tracy Herring), the CFO.

Meanwhile, Shannon (Carly Wagers), the executive working on preserving the company’s public image, is scrambling to contain the damage of Gary the Brand Manager’s flagrant sexual harassment. She seeks escape in the arms of Lee, who blurts a drunken confession that adds another layer of issues to an already deep mess.

How would you handle this? Or, to be more realistic, how would people with massive wealth and a lot more money and power at stake handle this? Does being in a third-world country make things more permissible? Does buying and nurturing an entire village of “those people” give you the moral high ground? Is the NDA binding?

While it would be easy to write off these characters as just four sleazy people, Moscovitch’s script, and these performances, directed by Ronan Marra (Jr.), won’t let it be that simple. Marra Sr. keeps Bill’s focus on his suddenly-fragile legacy. Herring’s Justine is holier-than-thou and privilege-blind, but means well, and perhaps sees herself (an adopted orphan) in a likely victim. Wagers shows how the demands of Shannon’s job eat at a soul she thought healed long ago. And Oberheide’s Lee, especially in a vino veritas moment, lets slip there might be some conscience beneath that frat-bro persona.

Plenty of food for thought here, entertainingly prepared. Bring your corporate boss (or their overworked assistant) to see “Post-Democracy,” through Jan. 29 at Storefront’s new home, 2416 E. 55th Place (near the Subway on N. Keystone, across from the Meier), Indianapolis. Tickets and info at storefrontindy.com.

Unique ‘Holiday’ story seeks to heal family

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By Wendy Carson

As bright and sparkly as they appear to be, for a large number of us the Holidays ramp up our depression and sorrow. Such is the situation with the Abrams clan in “A (Happy) Holiday,” presented by Theatre Unchained.

Grandmother Bunny (Wendy Brown), mother Busy (Jenni White) and daughter Leigh (Wilhelmena Dreyer) are not only dealing with the death of son-in-law/husband/father Owen (Bradley Lowe), but also their lack of connection with each other. Into this mess enters the gloriously anthropomorphized chemical compound, Sarah Tonin (Ariel Laukins) along with the ever-perky duo of Elf 1 (Anja Willis) and Elf 2 (Thomas Sebald) to deliver a present to make their Christmakkah (being a blended family, they have a blended holiday) complete.

Reluctantly the ladies work their way through a giant magical book with 12 chapters of Holiday memories, forcing them to face their past – no matter how good, bad, or ugly. Leigh just wants to move forward and find her true self regardless of what her mom or society demand of her. Busy wants Owen back and will settle for nothing else. Bunny, who just wants everyone to be happy and get along, seems to down a lot of “holiday cheer” to keep her distracted.

This show has numerous parodies of holiday movies and TV shows as well as other pop culture touchstones to keep the laughs coming. However, the story pulls no punches in showing the sadness and sorrow of these women. Each comes to terms with pivotal moments of their past that damaged them, yet taught them to grow and carry on, to be their true selves.

This show is a true ensemble piece, executed with sheer perfection. Each performer being great on their own, together they will move you to tears of sorrow and joy. Speaking of ensemble, this play is a special project of Theatre Unchained, co-written by Karina Cochran, Kaya Dorsch, J.E. Hibbard, and director Max McCreary. They initially set out create a series of distinct holiday scenes, but found they fit together in a single theme, focused on this relatable yet unique family.

As you can tell, this show is not a typical Holiday story. Still, it is moving, touching, endearing, and entirely affirming for all. This should be at the top of your list of shows to see this month, especially since there are only three performances left, this Thursday through Saturday, Dec. 8-10, hosted by Arts for Lawrence at Theater at the Fort, 8920 Otis Ave.

Good for teens and older, grab up those members of your family and come together for an uplifting story – maybe start an important dialogue to help make your own holiday complete. Get tickets at ArtsForLawrence.org.

Pain of decades-old loss lingers in McNally play

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By John Lyle Belden

We are often reminded to “Never Forget” a devastating event or era, but those who went through it often can’t stop remembering. Every day, any little thing can bring up a memory of someone who was lost.

“Mothers and Sons” by Terrance McNally, presented by Main Street Productions in Westfield, has a cast of four actors, but there are five characters. Not present but very much felt is Andre, who died 20 years earlier during the AIDS epidemic. We are in the New York apartment, with a view of Central Park as lights come on during the longest night of the year, of Cal (Austin Uebelhor), who had been Andre’s partner and caregiver in his final days. To his mild surprise, he is visited by Andre’s mother, Katherine (Elizabeth Ruddell). Recently widowed, she arrived from Dallas (where Andre grew up) with plans to fly to Europe. Cal shares his home with husband Will (Nicholas Heskett) and their young son, Bud (Tyler Acquaviva).

We come to learn a lot about Cal, Will, Katherine, and Andre. Will chafes at the thought of competing with a ghost. Katherine still harbors resentments and denial – “Andre wasn’t gay when he went to New York.” Cal tries to keep the pain of the past in perspective even as it rises up to overwhelm him again.

“Who’s Andre?” Little Bud is chock full of questions, lots of questions.

This heartfelt play is a comedy, with lots of chuckles throughout, but there is pain that must be dealt with. Grief has no time limit or expiration; before the evening is done, so that Bud and his family can trim the Christmas tree, each adult will have their say.

Ruddell makes Katherine hard to love, but easy to understand. Heskett presents as a superficial millennial, but he emerges Will’s own sense of maturity. Acquaviva delivers the right level of charm. Uebelhor is superb as the man who has had to be a rock for so long, the cracks are undeniable.

Jim LaMonte directs, happy to present this play that he hopes “will broaden [people’s] definition of family.” For those of us who remember the 1980s and ‘90s, this show is also a loving tribute to the struggles so many endured – those who became names on a quilt, and those left behind to stitch them on.

Remaining performances are Thursday through Sunday, Nov. 17-20, at Basile Westfield Playhouse, 220 N. Union St. Get info and tickets at WestfieldPlayhouse.org.