drama

Venture into Narnia with Westfield kids

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By John Lyle Belden

During World War II, many English children were sent to friends’ or relatives’ homes in the countryside, away from cities where German bombs and rockets fell.

You can’t get much further away than Narnia.

This is the situation of the four siblings in “The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe,” a stage adaptation by Joseph Robinette, based on the beloved story by C.S. Lewis (a novel in his Chronicles of Narnia series). It is presented in Westfield as the summer youth production of Main Street Productions through this weekend.

In the country house where the Pevensie children are staying, the youngest, Lucy (Morgan Rusbasan) finds the Wardrobe in the Spare Room, and discovers in it a doorway to a vast, cold forest. There she encounters a faun, Tumnus (Makenzie Walter), who makes the fateful decision to warn her of the White Witch who keeps Narnia in winter – but without Christmas – and to send her to the lamp post that leads back to the Wardrobe portal. When easily-bored brother Edmund (Camren Davis) follows Lucy into the fantasy wood, he meets the Witch (Maile Alpizar) who says she’s the Queen of Narnia and promises him all the Turkish delight he can eat if Edmund brings his siblings to her.

When all four Pevensies cross over, including Peter (Harrison Gabinski Coon) and Susan (Annalisa Schuth), they learn from Mr. and Mrs. Beaver (Chaya Elicker and Nora Gapinski Coon) about the Witch’s treachery, the return of the true king Aslan the lion (Kaelyn Harvey), and a prophecy that these human children (“Sons of Adam, daughters of Eve”) are meant to fulfil. Meanwhile, the Witch dispatches the leader of her secret police, the wolf Fenris Ulf (Layne Thompson) to find the children and slay any being that stands in his way.

This cast of more than two dozen eager children and teens also includes Naomi Mattysse as the mysterious White Stag, Zack Harvey as a Centaur, Cersei Davis as a Unicorn, and John Engle as Father Christmas, who brings the perfect gifts for the Pevensies’ quest.

Directed by Brandi Davis, the fantasy characters are mainly distinguished by head makeup, not encumbered by furs or fake hooves. Full-body costuming is largely reserved for the lead arch-rivals, Alpizar’s Witch in a stunning white gown and Harvey’s Aslan in a dignified lion-hued suit.

Actors often get a kick out of playing the villain, and Alpizar and Thompson take to their roles with gusto. When the Witch/Queen is upset, you’ll know. At the other end of the scale, Harvey gives the Lion all the gravitas she can muster – appropriate as Lewis, a devout Christian, wrote Aslan as a sort of avatar of Jesus Christ.

You have four more chances to visit this vision of Narnia, 7:30 p.m. Thursday through Saturday and 2:30 p.m. Sunday (July 25-28) at Basile Westfield Playhouse, 220 N. Union St. (leave early to get around downtown construction). Get tickets at westfieldplayhouse.org.

History’s flow through Black communities explored in ‘Riverside’

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By John Lyle Belden

The Indianapolis Shakespeare Company, a/k/a Indy Shakes, understands you don’t have to look across the Atlantic for a compelling timeless story. In fact, their current world premiere, “Riverside” by M.L. Roberts, takes place in part on the very ground where it is being performed.

Executive Artistic Director Ryan Arzberger said Roberts underwent extensive research and numerous interviews with people who have lived in the area for decades in the African-American communities in and around Indianapolis, then created a chronicle of a family whose legacy runs through both Indiana and Black history, a well-informed historical fiction and relatable human epic.

A talented and dedicated ensemble play all the parts, from the eternal River that predates the red, then white and black, people who settled here, up to the cusp of present generations in the 1960s. They are Olamide Asanpaola, Kayla Carter, Terra Chaney, Holiday, Malik James, Akili Ni Mali, Ed Gonzalez Moreno, and Milicent Wright, with Jamaal McCray, Josiah McCruiston, and Clarissa Todd as swings. Rudi Goblen directs.

In 1821, there is a settlement of free African-Americans on the White River, led by church Pastor Simon (Moreno) and Sister Sarah Johnson (Carter), who is knowledgeable of the law and whom in the nearby new city of Indianapolis will uphold it. One day, Jacob (James) happens upon the town; he is technically “free” but his white “Massa” who brought him up from Mississippi to work a new farm near Lafayette has him under an unreasonable contract of servitude. After a dramatic standoff, Jacob gains his physical freedom, but it takes time, and Sarah’s gentle patience, to break the chains in his mind and spirit.

The Johnson family that starts on the River follows it down into the heart of Indianapolis, where we find them on legendary Indiana Avenue in the 1920s. Times seem good, but peace is fragile and short-lived, as are some of the neighborhood residents.

As turbulent times follow, Johnsons move upriver to the growing community of Riverside, home of today’s park (and Taggart Memorial Amphitheatre, where this play is presented). In 1962, there is a popular amusement park there, posted Whites Only. Grudgingly accustomed to the culture of segregation, local Blacks take advantage of the singular “Colored Frolic Day” at the park – except for the Johnson children, who at least attempt a protest.

Peppered with humor, music, spirit, and hope, while never afraid to confront the darkness, “Riverside” presents an endearing portrait of a family, a people, and their well-earned place in this American city we call home. The performers help us not just see but feel how the rivers of water and time have brought us to where we are today.

“Riverside” is presented 8 p.m. Thursday through Saturday, July 25-27, at 2441 N. White River Parkway, Indianapolis. Performances at this beautiful outdoor venue are free, with paid VIP seating available. Either way, reserve a ticket to help with headcount for this not-for-profit organization. For more information, visit IndyShakes.com.

Enter the shadowy world of ‘M’

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By John Lyle Belden

Never a company to shy away from dark material, Catalyst Repertory presents “M,” a new play based on an old movie, written and directed by Tristan Ross. The original, by legendary German film pioneer Fritz Lang in 1931, was a predecessor to the genre of film noir. Being Lang’s first picture with sound, he innovated with it in ways that still inspire today’s filmmakers.

Ross captures the feeling of entrapment in a black-and-white world with the audience on three sides of the black-box Everwise Stage (formerly Indy Eleven) surrounded by heavy dark curtains. Entering and exiting this space feels like a labyrinth. Actors’ costumes are in blacks, greys and browns, with among a spare few props bright red balloons for effective contrast.

Voices literally surround us with some lines delivered by obscured actors behind the curtains or prerecorded. Little girls are puppets (provided by Beverly Roche) with vague innocent faces, ethereally voiced offstage by Kristin Watson Heintz. Technical director Arden Tiede and lighting designer Tim Dick assist with the noir effects, including fog and image projections, with graphic assistance by Catalyst founder Casey Ross.

As in the original story, by Lang with Thea von Harbou, there is a serial killer, known as “the Midnight Man,” attacking young girls. Ten have been brutally murdered when Mrs. Beckmann (Maria Meschi) discovers her Elsie is missing. Among the last to encounter the child alive was a friendly blind man (Craig Kemp) who we discover is a homeless former lawyer who manages through barter to get balloons to sell to neighborhood children. Police Chief Lohman (James Mannan) and Detective Grodin (Kirk Fields) find an unseeing “witness” only the beginning of their frustrations, as practically no clues are found and suspect leads go nowhere.

Meanwhile, the criminal community has grown frustrated with massively increased police activity and a fearful population cutting deeply into their “business.” Plus, even hardened criminals have no patience with child murder. Thus, one of their leaders, Breaker (Tristan Ross) leads an underworld search for the Midnight Man, with the help of thief Frank (Jeff Stratfer) and club/brothel owner Sharp (Austin Hookfin), with the Balloon Vendor working the “invisible” street people.

Another genre-inspiring aspect of this story is that the audience sees the perpetrator early on, one of the early plots about a killer’s descending madness and the other characters’ struggle to find and stop him. Normal-looking John Beckert (J. Charles Weimer) is locked in a cycle of obsession and predation. He acts quickly once a random potential victim is sighted, this being both a sign of dangerous impulsivity and part of what makes him impossible to predict.

However, eventually good detective work, and a vital clue realized by the balloon man, lead cops and crooks each to close in on Beckert. Which will get to him first, and what will “justice” be when they do?

The story is appropriately taut, tense and not as predictable as you would think, even as events feel inevitable. The acting is outstanding. Meschi, a mother herself, compellingly communicates the horror and desperation of Beckmann’s grief and need for answers and resolution. Kemp easily portrays his blindness without any broad gestures, his eyes looking nowhere as he “sees” with his hearing and speaks with clear voice to ensure understanding. Fields seems to toy with stereotype, at first an ineffective cop but proving his worth as Grodin realizes the right details to give his attention. Mannan gives us the Chief who is both police and bureaucrat, under frustrating pressure on both sides. Our underworld trio effectively play close to type – Stratfer’s Frank jittery nervous, Hookfin’s Sharp ever suave, and Ross’s Breaker deeply intimidating. (In the movie, the latter’s character is a safecracker, here he seems to be an enforcer; either way, his leather gloves are apropos.)

For his part, Weimer gives us an emotionally driven performance that gives insight into Beckert’s disordered mind and personal horror. This “monster” is given neither justification nor supernatural menace; as is noted during the search, he is “a man, like one of us.”

Consider the title to stand for Midnight Man, or “Murderer” as Lang did, or even the Roman numeral as the killer states “there will be a thousand more” if he is not caught. Regardless, find Catalyst’s “M,” with performances through July 7 at the IndyFringe Theatre, 719 E. St. Clair St., Indianapolis. Get tickets at indyfringe.org.

Desperate straits of addiction in ALT drama

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By John Lyle Belden

American Lives Theatre concludes its 2023-24 season as bold as ever with the drama “Spay” by Madison Fiedler, directed by Jen Johansen.

The setting is a recent September in Williamson, West Virginia (an actual town, hidden away on the Kentucky border). Noah (Jaddy Ciucci) has returned from the hospital, where she had been recovering from a very public heroin overdose, to the home of her half-sister Harper (Shawntè Gaston), who has custody of her pre-kindergarten son Benny (offstage).

The pains of withdrawal and pangs of addiction still rage in Noah, but she insists this time she can stay clean – as she had been for nine months prior to the recent incident. Harper, a no-nonsense kindergarten teacher, insists on assurances that this time will be different. Noah will live there, and in turn she pledges to break up with her boyfriend (and dealer) Jackson (Matt Kraft).  We soon see how thin her resolve is on that point.

As the days start to cautiously pass without a relapse, a stranger comes to Harper’s door while Noah is at work. Aubrey (Julie Dixon) has come from a city hours away to offer help in the name of an organization that specializes in aiding young women with addiction. Harper is naturally slow to trust, but Aubrey confides that she had lost her own daughter to addiction and brings up a lot of valid points and advice, forcing Harper to seriously consider more aspects of her situation.

However, this voice of reason also comes with a choice that seems unreasonable – at least, at first.

It has become widely known the alarming degree to which opioid addiction has ravaged the coal country of Kentucky and West Virginia (part of a nationwide epidemic). This fact, plus an excellent stage set (designed by Zac Hunter) with running water and comfy furniture, aid excellent performances to help the audience, seated on three sides around the Phoenix Basile stage, feel right there with these characters.

Ciucci employs her whole body in a convincing portrayal of near-constant physical and mental pain. Her manner of speech and expression, a variety of moods as damaged and disordered synapses keep her on a perilous edge of self-control, are convincing, while generating a surprising amount of situational dark humor. In her deceptively calm moments, there is the sense they will not last.

“This is a survival town.” That line by Harper sums up the feeling of a desperate need for stability and control that Gaston ably portrays. She has deep affection for her sister but finds herself forced into constantly employing it as tough love. And she is readily a fierce defender of Benny.

Kraft plays Jackson as a charming, means-well, naïve redneck. He seems to care for Noah, but a close listen to his words shows signs of narcissistic control, wanting her as both the girl addicted to him and the loving woman he wants to marry, seemingly blind to the contradiction. His often-infuriating presence adds to the humor.

Dixon plays Aubrey as a gently-revealed enigma, leaving it to us to resolve if she is more savior or bargaining devil. According to ALT artistic director Chris Saunders, organizations such as the one she represents do exist.

Given her long-time presence on numerous stages, it is surprising that this is Johansen’s directorial debut. She has brought her experience with the actors’ perspective to bear to bring out the best in this talented ensemble.

Also notable is the musical soundscape by Todd Mack, with its haunting Appalachian tones.

The play ends on a fraught note, with a decision made but the consequences yet to be seen. This would be infuriating in a movie (begging a sequel) but on the stage a common device to open dialogue about what was just seen and our feelings about it. Still, it was a bit of a stun, the cautious applause when the lights came up snapping us out of a trance, delivering us swiftly back from two states away. Still, those issues, we realize, are here in Indiana as well.

A stunning, engrossing look at a widespread problem brought home to the individuals mired in its depths, “Spay” runs through June 30 at the Phoenix Theatre Cultural Center, 705 N. Illinois St., Indianapolis. Get tickets at phoenixtheatre.org, information (including ALT’s coming 2024-25 season) at americanlivestheatre.org.

Diving into Div(X)Fest

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By John Lyle Belden

How does one describe the ongoing process by which a stage production comes to be? It’s a bit crude to say “how the sausage is made,” as that is just too messy an image to place on creating art. On the other hand, saying its “how the magic is made” – aside from likely being trademarked by Disney – glosses over just how productively messy the journey can be. Writers like myself (and Wendy) use these terms to impress on the reader and likely patron that this work is not finished, but still worth a look which lends an insight into the labor of love (emphasis on both) plays, musicals, et al, truly are.

So, I’ll just say that IndyFringe’s annual Div(X)Fest (formerly Diva Fest) is our witness to the base materials our creators spin into theatre gold. (I think that works.) This year’s edition, again celebrating the talents of women (as well as trans and non-binary folx), features readings of three new works. One day remains, Sunday, June 9, starting at 2:30 p.m. in the IndyFringe theatre, 719 E. St. Clair St., downtown Indianapolis. Tickets are pay-what-you-can. Info at indyfringe.org.

Reviewing in reverse order of presentation, these plays are:

“The Sleepover,” I mention first because it is the closest to completion, planning its world premiere at the 2024 IndyFringe Festival in August. It is a unique collaboration begun earlier this year among five women who also perform in this “coming of age dramedy.”

Christine Gordon (as Alexis), Emily Worrel (Rowan), Natalie Fischer (Jessica), Samantha Hines (Chloe), and Wilhelmena Dreyer (Sydney) are 14-ish girls gathering for their annual (for all but Rowan, who is new to town) end of school year sleepover at Alexis’ house. There is a sense of transition, mainly signaled by moving on to high school in the fall, which has the hostess especially meticulous in her planning.

There is tension among them practically from the start, especially after Sydney finally arrives and they engage in their traditional game of Truth of Dare, “Kessler Road Rules.” Along the way we find hidden secrets, insights into true feelings, and hints of the presence of a monster they thought they had only made up – all magnified through the everything’s-extreme perspective of adolescence.

As others noted at one performance, although all five women contributed to the creation and writing of this play – from exploratory conversations and exchanging basic ideas to fleshing out characters. their relationships, and what they say and do – the pieces have melded together in what feels like a single narrative voice. They admit it did feel a bit like they were school friends who shared a deep bond in this process.

This should generate a lot of buzz going into this year’s Fringe, and we can’t wait to see how their creepy cryptid actually comes to life.

“The Silent Supper” by Kaitlynn McShea is a work of subtle horror in which an older woman sits by a ruined table, struggling to remember what happened before “the fire came.” In this reading, directed by Christine Gordon, Wendy Brown portrays the woman, exhausted by nightmares as every sweet memory “never goes right,” as well as the growing buzz of insects. Each remembrance is enacted by a foursome of local actors (I don’t have names at the moment; may fill in if I get them later) who give us some insight into their lives – presuming the one remembering is a reliable narrator. This short work does well in building suspense, reminiscent of Stephen King at his best. It gives Brown a good role to work with, portraying a troubled soul who pulls on our empathy.

“On the Rag Dolls” by Allison Fradkin starts the day’s entertainment, directed by Mira Cassidy, as a trio of young women (again, names unavailable) play three edge-of-puberty besties on their own “Casual Friday” sleepover. However, this scene is a satirical comedy with entendres and puns coming at you with the pace of a hit sitcom, expressed by girls who barely, if at all, get the subtexts (still, you know tweens talk like that). The trio are apparently all in the same hardcore Evangelical Protestant community, though only one goes to the Christian Academy rather than public school, so talk of the future is of boys they will marry and the children they will have (though sex is gross), as well as if their just-started periods are “the curse” or a blessing. – “Men-ses the day!” one girl resolves. – This work in progress is hilarious and shows lots of potential; after-show talkbacks allow us to give Fradkin ideas on where to take this story (as with McShea above).

We extend a big thanks to IndyFringe for hosting this event and their continued engagement in the development of local talent and new works.

Glimpses of comics’ lives in ‘Purple Lounge’

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By John Lyle Belden

In case there is any confusion, note that “Live at the Purple Lounge” has nothing to do with Prince. Another clarification: “Green Room” is just the traditional name for the place performers can relax before and after going on stage; it can be any color.

This said, welcome to the Purple Lounge comedy club, presented by Betty Rage Productions at the IndyFringe Basile Theatre. Seating includes cozy little tables, where crew member/bouncer, Chelsea (Kelsey VanVoorst), the New Comic, greets us. She doesn’t enforce a drink minimum but advises there are plenty of adult and alcohol-free beverages available for purchase at the back of the room.

However, what we see before us is not the classic stand-up stage backed with faux brick, but the backstage Green Room, tended by club manager Bethany (Meg McLane). Over the course of a few nights, we hear the last bits of a comic’s set, then see what happens in this room after.

Rory (Brooke Neubaum) closes with laments about her dating life, then comes into the room to find her mother Victoria (Jean Arnold) – a successful sex-positive writer – waiting with a rather stress-inducing surprise.

Sydney (Tracy Herring) slays in her set, then comes backstage to husband John (Chad Pirowski) with news that she can book a West Coast tour – a small miracle for a lesser-known 50-year-old comic. He doesn’t quite share her happiness.

Lena (Anna Himes), on the other hand, bombs – and it’s not the first time. Sure enough, old friend Travis (Dave Pelsue) is there to remind her that it’s been a year now. There’s a way to get herself funny again, he promises.

Anna (Rachel Kelso) makes her set about how sadly vanilla her girlfriend is. Meanwhile, in the Green Room, said partner Logan (Laurel Clark) is on her phone with customer service about a defective sex toy.

Abbie (Jenni White), one of the club regulars, is a hit again. Backstage with Bethany, a long-time friend, she is forced to confide an issue that not even her “husband Bill” can help with.

Being a stand-up comic is a funny life – both “funny ha-ha” and funny/unusual – and we get plenty of both in these scenes. The unique lifestyle and stresses of the job are explored in various ways, as well as the toll they can take on those who love them. Some of the biggest laughs, such as the moments with Rory and Victoria, or Anna and Logan, come with their share of tears. In this backstage sanctuary you’re as likely to find a metaphorical punch in the gut as a gut-busting punchline.

Performances are top-notch, especially McLane, who we usually see in absurd comedy shows, getting to exercise her dramatic range to great effect. Himes and White also hit us directly in the feels in their scenes.

Directed by Betty Rage founder Callie Burk-Hartz, “Live at the Purple Lounge” has just four more performances, 7:30 p.m. Thursday and Friday, 3 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Saturday (May 23-25), at 719 E. St. Clair, Indianapolis. Get info at bettyrageproductions.com and tickets at indyfringe.org.

Gritty ‘Streetcar’ an immersive ride

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By John Lyle Belden

A relative newcomer to the Hoosier theatre scene, Eclipse Productions of Bloomington (no relation to the student company in Indy) presents its take on Tennessee Williams’s “A Streetcar Named Desire.” One of the founders, Konnor Graber, told us Eclipse’s shows “are going darker, grittier, and authentic.” This stage classic turned out to be the perfect vehicle, steered by director Kate Weber (another founder, along with Ashley Prather and Jeremy J. Weber).

Perhaps coincidentally running during Mental Health Awareness Month, the production focuses on the growing madness of Miss Blanche DuBois, an aging Southern Belle who lost both her family and their former plantation, Belle Reve, in Mississippi, and goes to her only living relative, sister Stella Kowalski, in a cozy working-class apartment in New Orleans’ French Quarter.

Actually, we meet Blanche (Dania Leova) before the play officially starts, as the lobby has transformed to the vistors’ parlor of a Louisiana mental hospital, not long after the unfortunate woman’s committal in 1947. She is quiet and literally restrained in her chair, while a nurse (Connie Shakalis) reads poems by Poe to keep her calm. We are entertained by a visiting singer (Jen Wells, who is also stage manager) accompanied by Noel Patrick Koontz on guitar.

The theatre doors open, and Blanche is wheeled in before we are allowed to enter and take our seats. Wells follows, her voice lilting “Dream a Little Dream” as she climbs through the audience. For a moment, Blanche is at the corner of the stage, perhaps wondering, how did it all come to this? A quick blackout, and we all proceed to find out.

Leova is exquisite as Blanche, charm laid on as thick as the region’s humidity. She has us believing her despite ourselves, never relenting as the center of attention, though we see her trustworthiness slowly erode. Graber is powerful as Stella’s husband, Stanley. Little effort is made to make the man likable, though he has a personal magnetism that keeps his friends and wife loyal. His is another study in untreated mental issues, a lifetime of class resentment and being called “pollack,” capped by service in World War II, leaving him with a constant undercurrent of rage, only abated when transformed into lustful attention to Stella (Shayna Survil), who is addicted to him like a drug. He practically snarls his lines, at or edging on a shout; every object he handles gets slammed somewhere; and sensing a fellow façade, he sees through Blanche from the start and never lets her forget it. Survil, for her part, is endearing as she struggles to stay the voice of reason, the mediator between her unstable housemates. Alas, she also has what would now be classed a trauma bond with her often abusive husband.

Shakalis and Benjamin Loudermilk are charming in their own way as neighbor/landlords Eunice and Steve Hubbell, in their stormy but loving relationship. Playing Stanley and Steve’s bowling and poker buddies are Koontz as Pablo and Jeremy Weber as Mitch, a single man living with his ailing mother, who takes a fancy to Blanche – a relationship she proceeds to toy with and exploit. Weber ably portrays both Mitch’s infatuation and his solid sense of honor.

The performance is accentuated by the growing intervention of Blanche’s intrusive mental static, music, and other noise provided by sound designer Joshua Lane. Kate Weber credits the combined efforts of her direction, Lane’s soundscape and lighting by Allie Mattox for the overall effect. We all become witness to Blanche’s ever-worsening state, snapped by a rash act that, with her at last speaking truth, no one believes – or wants to.

Bearing in mind appropriate trigger warnings, come aboard the “Streetcar” this Thursday through Sunday, May 16-19, at the Ted Jones Playhouse, 107 W. 9th St., Bloomington. Get info and tickets at eclipseproductionscompany.com.

ALT presents interesting ‘Case’

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By John Lyle Belden

The title is “A Case for the Existence of God,” but this is not an academic lecture. Playwright Samuel D. Hunter, who also wrote the drama “The Whale” and adapted its screenplay, seeks the Divine in unusual yet beautiful places, like Idaho.

In the American Lives Theatre production of “Case,” Eric Reiberg and Eric Thompson play Ryan and Keith, two Twin Falls residents with little in common, except for a specific melancholy.

Keith is a mortgage broker, and Ryan desperately wants to acquire acreage that used to belong to his grandparents. They met at a daycare, each dropping off a daughter to which he has tenuous claim. Most of the play takes place in an office cubicle where Ryan’s iffy credit tests Keith’s talents and patience in securing a loan. In a series of smash-cut scenes over the course of the 90-minute play, we see their relationship develop. They understand little of each other at first, yet simultaneously something deeper. From this we get awkward humor, sparks as issues arise, some unintended bonding, and perhaps a path to the title proposition.

Each actor effectively presents his character’s individual quirks and struggle. Ryan dreams and wants, but has trouble with action and follow-through, often hinting at an undiagnosed mental issue that invisibly disables him. Reiberg plays him with wide-eyed earnestness, the kind of guy you want to root for despite obvious risk.

Keith carries the understandable shoulder-chip of the “queer black boy” who grew up in small-town Idaho, but strives to toe the line, doing the right thing in a job where the numbers always add up, following the rules to fulfil his dream of a family – despite the capricious whims of real life. Thompson plays him with dogged optimism, though it seems no good deed goes unpunished.

Directed by Andrew Kramer, the play presents an interesting and engaging portrait of unlikely friendship, with struggles that challenge and evolve the idea of what it is to be a man in today’s America.

However, does it prove the Case? That is up to the viewer. Performances are Fridays through Sundays through April 28 at the Phoenix Theatre Cultural Center, 705 N. Illinois St., downtown Indianapolis. Get tickets at phoenixtheatre.org, information at americanlivestheatre.org.

They won at all costs

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By John Lyle Belden

“That Championship Season” is not an easy play to watch. It is, however, a powerful drama you should see. A quick internet search revealing the names of actors in the Off-Broadway, Broadway and film productions of this 1973 Pulitzer Prize winner by Jason Miller reveals this is one of those meaty Glengarry-Death-of-a-Godot plays men trip over one another to audition for.

Main Street Productions of Westfield has stepped up to that challenge, bravely directed by Lori Raffel. Set in 1977, we meet the coach and members of the 1952 Fillmore High School basketball team from Scranton, Pennsylvania, which, as underdogs, won the State Championship on a last-second shot. (Some Hoosiers can relate.)

George Sikowski (Earl Campbell), former insurance salesman and current Mayor, is on hand at first with the youngest teammate, Tom Daley (Adrian Scott Blackwell) who at 40 is regarded by the group as a sort of drunken prodigal son. Soon to arrive are Phil Romano (Ken Kingshill), who has made a fortune in strip-mining coal; Tom’s brother James (Mark Kamish), a junior high principal, father of five, and George’s reelection campaign manager; and their Coach (Jim Simmons), who may not live long enough to make their next reunion.

It is telling that the team member who made that final shot, “magic” Martin, is missing, and has never attended a reunion.

The approximately hour-and-a-half of manly conversations weave a bit of nostalgia with a lot of discussions of George’s reelection challenge by a popular Jewish man, and how low-key antisemitism can’t be counted on to affect the results. Mr. Charmin has progressive ideas – some of which clash with Phil’s interests – and Mayor Sikowski is partly known for a zoo opening that resulted in dead elephant. Oh, and Phil slept with George’s wife.

While a solid stream of dark humor runs through the drama, it is also noteworthy for the “locker-room talk” used throughout. Raffel and the cast pull no verbal punches here, as what we hear is likely tame compared to how men in this time, place, and situation regularly spoke (and to a degree still do; fellow Veterans could attest). This was before “political correctness” entered the culture, so in addition to sexual and scatological terms, there is no restraint on the “N” word and similar slurs. After all, the “Pollack” and “Wop” in the room don’t seem to mind too much.

But look beneath the rough language and we see that the men Coach thought he had forged are still just boys in need of game plans, reliant on his guidance – flawed as he also is. Simmons in his portrayal reflects every elder you ever adored, but wondered later if that was a good thing. His is a principled bigotry, the kind often waved off as a product of his times, but still shaded with barely acknowledged hate.

Campbell channels the consummate politician, with good intentions, the desire for legacy, and solid principles as long as the check clears. Kamish as put-upon James desperately realizes that at 44 his clock is ticking on becoming a Big Success; his confidence is thinner than even he realizes. Kingshill plays Romano with a demeanor suggesting relation to certain other Italians in the region, but he stays true to the “family” his championship team provides. Tom’s plight is also reflective of the time, his supposed friends pouring him more drinks as they remark how he can’t hold his liquor; Blackwell provides the pathos and humor as each moment requires.

Hopefully you get the idea of the kind of intense drama and insight into damaged manhood this play provides. On that score, this production of “That Championship Season” is a winner. Remaining performances are Thursday through Sunday, April 11-14, at the Basile Westfield Playhouse, 220 N. Union St. Get tickets and info at westfieldplayhouse.org.

‘Grand’ look at love and relationships

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By John Lyle Belden

Welcome to Grand Horizons Independent Living Community, conveniently located about an hour’s drive from Philadelphia, Pa., or Washington, D.C. In nice apartments with neighbors close at hand a retired couple like Bill and Nancy French, married 50 years, are free to do whatever they want.

Nancy: “I want a divorce.”

Bill: “Okay”

Welcome to “Grand Horizons,” the Broadway comic drama by Bess Wohl presented in its Indiana premiere by The Hyperion Players, directed by Nicole Amsler.

Bill (Chris Otterman) and Nancy (Wendy Brown) prepare for their split as if it were just another household chore, but their sons and daughter-in-law are, to put it mildly, freaking out. Brian (Matt Hartzburg), a high school theatre teacher, is beside himself, wondering if there’s some mystery illness or dementia at play. Older brother Ben (Todd Isaac), a lawyer, is stumped at the illogic of it all, while his very pregnant wife Jess (Morgan Marie French), a couples counselor, tries to employ her skillset to no avail.

There are some deep issues here, including the central couple’s affections outside their marriage – Nancy for now-deceased old flame, Hal, and Bill for new girlfriend, Carla (Cathie Morgan). There is exploration of the nature and meaning of love: Did the Frenches lose it, or ever really have it? And how has it affected their sons, who are each hopeless people-pleasers – Ben with his checkbook, and Brian with his desire to cast every kid in his class whether the roles exist or not.

Brian’s loneliness and confusion comes through in a scene where he brings home a potential one-night stand, Tommy (Austin Uebelhor), who quickly alerts him that neediness is not a turn-on.

As for Ben, he is coming to grips with the actual dysfunction in his upbringing, suddenly afraid of what it could mean as he starts a family of his own. This stress also pushes Jess to the limit.

This examination of relationships and how we feel and communicate blends moments of heartfelt memory and longing with hilarious family-sitcom punchlines. Since older-person roles are usually supporting, it was nice to see Brown and Otterman really shine as the leads. Hartzburg and Isaac portray well two men who haven’t quite emerged from their boyhood insecurities, while Morgan French shows the spark of motherhood that comes with being on the verge of bringing another life into the world, while wondering if she is the only true grownup in the room.

Caroline Frawley assistant directs, and Elianah Atwell is stage manager.

Learn how marriage is like a boa constrictor, that “the defining feature of being an adult is not doing what you want,” and to be careful with the U-Haul. Remaining performances of “Grand Horizons” are Friday through Sunday, March 22-24, at Arts For Lawrence’s Theater at the Fort, 8920 Otis Ave. Get info and tickets at hyperionplayers.com or artsforlawrence.org.