drama

Fonseca: Diner serves up potential for redemption

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By John Lyle Belden

Regarding the comic drama “Clyde’s” by Lynn Nottage, presented by Fonseca Theatre, a famous 19th-century French quote used by the original Japanese “Iron Chef” series comes to mind: “Tell me what you eat, and I will tell you what you are.”

Or, as the serene chef of this roadside diner puts it, “What’s your favorite sandwich?”

Clyde (Chandra Lynch) is proprietor of the restaurant, of which we only see the kitchen. An ex-offender who doesn’t mind being offensive, she hires felon parolees who find themselves with nowhere else to go. Her demeanor is cruel, even abusive, with a belief that those convicted are forever unredeemable losers that would put Javert of “Les Misérables” to shame.

The zen-like sandwich master Montrellous (Jamaal McCray) raises the crafting of ingredients between slices of bread to art bordering on philosophy. While exacting in his process, he takes pleasure in the simple fact that truckers come from miles around just to have one of his delicious creations. His co-workers come to embrace his approach, desiring to make their own perfect sandwich that “tastes like the truth.”

Clyde, of course, scoffs at this but doesn’t mind the business their unique menu brings in.

Also working the kitchen are Rafael (Ian Cruz) with a robbery conviction and a 12-Step sobriety chip; Tish (Shandrea Funnye) who was busted for drugs while caring for a daughter with medical issues; and Jason (Dave Pelsue) who has a temper, an assault conviction, and Aryan tattoos (which, him being the only White person present, doesn’t go over well with the others).

Director Josiah Ray McCruiston infuses this production with his devotion to good storytelling. We see in every character the distinct fears of the formerly incarcerated, their anxiety over the mistrust and misuse by those they know in the outside world, dealing with the sense that such treatment is deserved, striving to somehow make their lives – if not better – at least worth carrying on. Trust must be rebuilt; anger must be discarded; the act of making something nourishing can be nourishing itself.  

Fortunately, while there are cutlery and dishes, the food itself is mimed. This not only aids the ephemeral nature of its making (and it’ll never look better than it does in our imagination) but also this busy kitchen would generate a lot of food waste over several performances, and the smell would just make us all in the audience hungry. Kudos to Bernie Killian for the set design of this convincingly clean and cozy diner kitchen, complete with order-up window at the back. Paully Crumpacker’s lighting and Ben Dobler’s sound are also commendable.

As I’ve indicated, this is about so much more than making a great sandwich, but it also gets you thinking: What’s your favorite?

Bon Appetit. Performances are Fridays at 7 p.m., Saturdays at 4 p.m., and Sundays at 2 p.m., through May 17, at 2508 W. Washington St., Indianapolis. Get info and tickets at fonsecatheatre.org.

ATI shines with story of faded star

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By John Lyle Belden

Actors Theatre of Indiana gives us a “new way to dream” in an old story, the musical “Sunset Boulevard” by Andrew Lloyd Webber with Don Black and Christopher Hampton, based on the 1950 classic noir film co-written and directed by Billy Wilder.

The movie, which the book of the musical closely follows, starred former silent film star Gloria Swanson (who, unlike her character Norma Desmond, did manage a transition to “talkies”) and William Holden, giving them, Wilder and the film Oscar nominations. It’s also notable for ending with one of the most famous lines in the history of film.

Our Norma is played splendidly by Judy Fitzgerald, joined by the return of fellow ATI co-founder Don Farrell as her butler Max. Being a film noir story, someone will die violently; struggling script writer Joe Gillis (Luke Weber) tells us what leads up to that moment.

After a couple of numbers about the high-pressure hassle of getting a movie produced and made, Joe leaves the Paramount studios – dodging husky repo men after his car – and ends up in the driveway of a large old mansion on Sunset, where he finds an aging movie star about to hold a funeral for her pet chimpanzee.

Promised ample pay, Joe agrees to edit the script Norma has written for her cinematic return (not a “comeback,” she insists). He quickly sees that she is delusional and the pages unfilmable, but he gets to stay at the mansion, so he does. Meanwhile, at Paramount, he works with his friend Artie Green’s (Calvin Bernardo) fiancé Betty Schaefer (Deborah Mae Hill) on an actually promising script for a “Girl Meets Boy” romance.

We also meet various Hollywood folks played by Scot Greenwell, Keith Potts, Megan Arrington-Marks, Brooklyn Stewart, Corey Rudell, Peter Scharbrough, and Eric Olson, who also charmingly portrays legendary director Cecil B. DeMille.

Being set in 1949-50, there are a lot of stage cigarettes. The mood is also set by black-and-white film projections of the era, designed by Joey Mervis. Director Michael Blatt has this typically larger than life musical adapt to the intimate space of The Studio Theater with the help of a flexible set design by Jay Ganz. It hints at the artificiality of Hollywood with pieces at times folding shut like they are part of a backlot studio, other times revealing the worn splendor of Norma’s home.

Musical director is Ginger Stoltz and choreographer is Carol Worcel. Fitzgerald and Weber provide appropriately big bold voices for this big musical, with Farrell’s practically operatic.

There is also a fair amount of humor, mainly directed at the foibles of the movie biz. Norma’s mental decline, meanwhile, is taken more seriously, a contrast that aids the slow-boil suspense.  And it will all lead to that iconic spoken line.

For a look at the dark side of the movie biz, where even “the Greatest Star” can become left behind, see the beautifully tragic “Sunset Boulevard,” Wednesdays through Sundays through May 10 at the Allied Solutions Center for the Performing Arts in downtown Carmel. For tickets, visit atistage.org or thecenterpresents.org.

Fateful decisions divide father and son in ALT drama

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By John Lyle Belden

We all have feelings about the events of Jan. 6, 2021, in Washington, D.C. We all have opinions. In “Fatherland,” the intense 90-minute drama by Stephen Sachs, the only ones that matter belong to two men – a father and son from Texas. One was the first up a set of Capitol steps that day; the other contacted the FBI.

Based on actual proceedings, evidence, and public statements in a U.S. District Court trial, American Lives Theatre presents this play at the IF Theatre, directed by Jacob David Lang, assisted by Madison Pickering.

The main set piece is the witness stand where a 19-year-old man, played by Matt Kraft, testifies against his father, portrayed by Scott Russell.  Built by Josh Morrow and Tony Board, the wooden structure seems solid, but its cracks are evident and reveal in splendid visual metaphor the slow fracture of the father-son relationship as past events are recalled. Various jagged pieces open and stay that way, like unhealed wounds.

The production is aided immensely by video projections, including footage of the Jan. 6 events, which were designed by Paully Crumpacker, assisted by Preston Dildine.

Jenni White portrays the U.S. District Attorney prosecuting this case. Confident and feeling the facts are on her side, she guides the son’s testimony, which in turn narrates the story of what brought us all to this point. Joshua Ramsey plays the Defense Attorney, smugly trying to confuse and discredit this principal witness.

Kraft gives an excellent portrayal of a young man deeply conflicted. He feels the division in his family, he fears what his father might do – to others, to himself, and to him – and above all he feels guilty. Regardless of whether the guilt for turning in his father is justified, it feels real to him.

Russell presents a complex man who has been reduced to a simple ideology. He is intelligent, widely traveled, and until recently successful as an oil well engineer. A reduction in active production left him without work, without purpose. Accepting without question that Donald Trump was as successful as portrayed, a copy of “Art of the Deal” ever in his hand, he not only embraced the MAGA culture, but also joined the Texas Three Percenters. The radical far-right organization intensified his fears for the future of America and primed him for the possibility of violent conflict. Russell gives us a man with cocky energy, a growing fanaticism he mistakes for patriotism, feeding his already-present anxieties. Through his son’s words, we see the slow but steady process that led to this man – convinced he would be a hero – joining the mob assaulting the U.S. Capitol.

Unlike other courtroom dramas, the most important aspect of this production is the examination of what brought these two men to the place we find them in 2022, their feelings, beliefs, attitudes, as well as what has changed – and hasn’t. Not noted, as it happened more recently, is that any guilty verdicts have been negated by Presidential Pardon in 2025.

Still, we do hear the results. The jury, in fact, includes us in the audience. We aren’t literally called on to vote, but are given much to deliberate on as we exit the theatre.

One weekend remains of “Fatherland,” an important piece of theatre for which we are grateful to ALT artistic director Chris Saunders for bringing to Indy. Performances are 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, 3 p.m. Sunday, May 1-3, at the IF (home of IndyFringe), 719 E. St. Clair St., Indianapolis. Get tickets at indyfringe.org, info at americanlivestheatre.org.

CCP presents Grand adventure

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By John Lyle Belden

The play “Men on Boats” by Jaclyn Backhaus is pretty much that – some men who rode on boats going downriver. And yet it is so much more.

Produced by Carmel Community Players, directed by Samantha Kelly, this is about the 10-man excursion on the Green and Colorado Rivers in 1869, the first U.S. government sanctioned expedition to and through the Grand Canyon in present-day Arizona. For this manly feat of bravery, persistence, and luck, the play is cast with all women actors.

Seeing them acting as men, their demeanor as serious as the characters they portray regarded their mission, works in a curious way. It helps that we are accustomed, in the arts as well as in life, to seeing women being strong for each other and intrepid when faced with challenges. It bypasses any sense of machismo, making this adventure more human and relatable. It also gives the character of expedition leader Maj. John Wesley Powell, who lost an arm in the Civil War, a sort of maternal aspect as he led by his wits and wisdom rather than physical prowess.

Powell (Barb Weaver) arranged for four boats, fully provisioned, for the journey. He brought along his older brother, Walter “Old Shady” Powell (Wendy Brown), as well as hunter John Colton Sumner (Kelly Hutchings), who led the first boat; William Dunn (Desiree Black), who becomes a sort of second-in-command; George Young Bradley (Sarah Arthur); O.G Howland (Katarina Zack); Seneca Howland (Victoria Garcia); William Robert Hawkins (Nick Chase); Andrew Hall (Kenzie Wright); and English adventurer Frank Goodman (Ozzie Buttler). While the lands they passed through were familiar to many of European ancestry, with some (including Mormon pioneers) already in settlements, they would be the first to traverse through on the river (rediscovering what Native peoples had seen for millennia), provided they survived the voyage.

Based on Powell’s journals, there is no need for fictional drama as the rapids and falls they traveled over provided plenty. The loss of one of the boats and dwindling provisions provided plenty of tension, with multiple discussions – and arguments – over whether to continue. Powell held firm in his resolve, strengthening most of the others, and respected the wishes of those who left the party.

The cast’s sincere portrayals, with the clever use of “boatveralls” (boat representations designed and built by Kristina Lawyer and Broden Irwin) to perform their movement on the rough waters, help us feel the rush of riding rapids and waterfalls, as well as maneuvering potentially deadly hazards. We get the quirks of individual personalities, including Sumner’s mountain-man mystique, Goodman’s constant nervous chatter, and Old Shady’s campfire songs.

It’s sometimes said that the best man for the job is a woman. See an entertaining take on that concept in “Men on Boats,” with performances Thursday and Friday evenings, Saturday and Sunday afternoons, April 23-26, at The Cat, 254 Veterans Way in downtown Carmel. Get info and tickets at carmelplayers.org.

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.