Ellie Richart

Epsilon ‘School’ a class act

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By Wendy Carson

 While it seems that bringing a popular movie to the stage would be an instant ticket to success, there are a few that feel dependent on their stars to pull off the magic of the original – “School of Rock” is one such property. No matter how talented the cast, it is almost impossible to match the man-boy magic of Jack Black. Luckily, Epsilon Theatrical Company has struck that match in their amazing casting of Caleb Wilson as Dewey Finn.

Wilson brings out the lovable side of this Peter Pan character who is absolutely obsessed with winning the local Battle of the Bands and becoming a Rock God.

After sponging off his best friend Ned Schneebly (Darin Richart) for years, he is finally given an ultimatum by Ned’s hot new girlfriend Patty Di Marco (Afton Shepard) to pay some rent or get out. This leads to Dewey posing as Ned for a substitute teaching position at a posh prep school, Horace Green.

While Dewey’s initial lackadaisical attitude has him on the rocks, he happens to overhear his students’ music class and decides to create a band out of these kids to win the contest. While they have only been exposed to classical music, he fast-tracks them on a rock education and creates an awesome band, complete with back-up singers, roadies, sound and light techs, groupies, even a manager/promotions director.

The shenanigans run fast and furious throughout, but everything manages to come together in the end with love and understanding winning the day.

While the several adults in the cast give exceptional performances, Allison Williamson’s turn as Rosalie Mullins, the uptight Principal of Horace Green (and Dewey’s love interest), is sheer perfection.

As for the kids, please note that although the show does have an orchestra at the rear of the building, all the kids with instruments on stage genuinely play them, and do a wonderful job. Principal band members backing Finn (guitar, vocals) are Zack Mooneyham (Luke C. Wilson) on lead guitar, Freddie Hamilton (Colm Tripple) on drums, Lawrence Turner (Thomas Kim) on keyboard, Katie Travis (Tess Eggeson) on bass, and Tomika Spencer-Williams (Koto Hoskins) as featured vocalist. While they, and gold-star student Summer Hathaway (Ellie Richart) as the band Manager, do get most of the lines and attention, all the young performers were amazing at bringing their rock-star roles to life.

Directed for ETC by Jayson Elliott with additional choreography by Mary McDonnel and Tim Reed as music director, “School of Rock” was adapted from the Mike White film by Andrew Lloyd Webber with book by Julian Fellowes, new music by Webber and lyrics by Glenn Slater. (Though ALW was involved, rest assured this musical is [mostly] Cat-free.)

For a feel-good musical tour-de-force that will have you banging your head for a long time afterwards, sit in with the cool kids at Epsilon’s usual venue, Broadway United Methodist Church, 609 E. 29th St., Indianapolis, 7 p.m. Friday, 2 and 7 p.m. Saturday, and 3 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 14-16.

Info and tickets at epsilontheatricalco.org.

Southbank ‘Crucible’: It’s not the witches we should fear

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By John Lyle Belden

In times of turmoil, people turn to faith either for hope or, too often, to look for monsters. Such was 1692 in Massachusetts Colony, when the blending of the Puritan church and state led to tragic hysteria. Such also was the 1950s, when the Red Scare inspired playwright Arthur Miller to look back to America’s genuine witch hunt to give us “The Crucible.”

In 2025, with political chaos and crisis churning daily, Southbank Theatre mounts a production of Miller’s play with an incredibly talented and dedicated cast. The period script with a more contemporary look bridges these eras, emphasizing this story’s relevance.   

Mostly true to the historical events, the play begins with girls engaged in a mesmerizing, mysterious dance. The Rev. Parris (Doug Powers) happens upon them, and in the shock of being caught in such forbidden activity – the dancing alone being punishable – his young daughter Betty (Ellie Richart) falls unconscious. Parris is furious, not just at what appeared to be a secret rite with some participants possibly naked, but more that his slave Tituba (Kayla Bush) was leading it and his niece and ward Abigail Williams (Hannah Embree) was involved.

Word quickly spreads around the village of Salem, including rumors of witchcraft. Occult expert Rev. John Hale (J. Charles Weimer) is called in to bring calm, but instead he sees signs of the Devil at work. When pressed for an explanation, Tituba fears for her life and tells the men what they want to hear. Arrests, interrogation, trials – and finally, executions – will follow.

Farmer John Proctor (Brian G. Hartz) tries to stay uninterested; however, he had recently had an affair with Abigail, who feels she should take the place of his wife Elizabeth (Morgan Morton) and lists her as an accomplice in her “confession” to witchcraft (giving names being a necessary step to avoid hanging). Also, the Proctors’ servant Mary Warren (Liz Carrier) has been attending and testifying at the court hearings.

We also meet Thomas and Ann Putnam (Darin Richart and Afton Shepard), wealthy landowners with both financial (property of witches is seized and sold) and spiritual (most of their children died in infancy) interest in goings-on. Francis Nurse (James Mannan) finds his wife, the midwife Rebecca (Adrienne Reiswerg) accused. Giles Corey (David Mosedale) likewise sees his innocent inquiry about his own wife jeopardizing their lives. The “bewitched” girls include Susanna Walcott (Mariah Rae Pearson) and the Putnams’ servant Mercy Lewis (Lauren Lotzow).

Director Eric Bryant plays Deputy Governor Thomas Danforth, the lead magistrate, assisted by Judge Hathorne (Paige Scott), with Ezekial Cheever (Matthew Socey) as clerk of the court. Deputy John Willard (Ian Hauer) finds himself having to arrest his friends and neighbors.

When what is and isn’t Christian – or demonic – are matters of law, they must be defined for the sake of enforcement. Modern concerns in the rise of Christian nationalism are echoed in the Puritan inquiries of this drama. The dynamics of power and privilege, or its lack, propel the plot in a situation that ironically becomes devoid of both magick and the mercy of Christ.

Hartz and Morton give powerful performances as the Proctors, finding the courage for their final ordeal. Embree sharply portrays a manipulative girl driven by youthful fantasy, tinged by a genuine fear for her life. Powers gives us the well-meaning local minister, frustrated by what he saw as a lack of respect, now compounded by events going further out of his control.

Bush and Carrier each show the horrors of being powerless with choices that condemn you no matter what you do. Reiswerg appropriately presents a person resolute in her convictions. Unfortunately, so do Bryant and Scott as uncompromising judges. Weimer gives the most complex performance, as a man who finds evil not in an entity but in unbudging egos, leading him to forego his own.

“The Crucible” tests its characters, as well as our own attitudes, a necessary exam for our own time.

Performances resume Wednesday and Thursday (Oct. 29-30), then Saturday and Sunday (Nov. 1-2) at Sheldon Auditorium, 1000 W. 42nd St., Indianapolis (southwest corner of Butler University campus). Get info and tickets at southbanktheatre.org.

Want to see a snowman? ETC presents ‘Frozen’

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By John Lyle Belden

Given the weather lately, some ice and snow would be refreshing. To get the feel, if not the chill, enter an air-conditioned church hall to see the musical “Frozen Jr.” presented by Epsilon Theatrical Company.

As the title indicates, this is the stage version of the 2013 animated Disney film which added songs, a few updates, and hit Broadway in 2018, with book by the movie’s screenwriter Jennifer Lee and music and lyrics by Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez.

The addition of “Jr.” means that this is both cast with and appropriate for children, with ETC’s actors aged about 9 to 19. The content edits are few enough to keep the show tight length-wise, while not lacking in substance. And though a community kids’ production, the talent and dedication are exceptional throughout.

The familiar plot is intact: In the Norway-adjacent kingdom of Arendelle, the King and Queen’s two daughters love each other, but the fact that one of them has magical ice-elemental powers leads to near-tragedy and their parents keeping them apart as they grow up. Later, with the parents lost at sea, elder Princess Elsa is crowned queen as she comes of age, and despite her best efforts, inadvertently releases her weather powers. Seen as a “monster,” she runs away into the mountains. Her sister Princess Anna, eventually joined by local ice-cutter Kristoff, reindeer Sven, and the living snowman Olaf (who the sisters made when they were children), travel off to find her. After Elsa’s big song – you know the one – there is conflict, betrayal, and a true-love ending a little different from other Disney fairy-tale classics.

Epsilon treats us to three sets of sisters – Lila Dodyk and Ellie Richart as young Anna and Elsa, Riley Sutton and Rose Kennerk as “middle” Anna and Elsa with a charming “Do You Want to Make a Snowman?” and Brynn Dunlap and Lauren Bowman completing the play as the maturing Anna and Elsa, respectively. Dunlap gives us the full range of her character, from hopeful, to smitten, to determined, to commanding and heroic. Bowman delivers an apt performance of immense power barely checked by equally powerful fear. Pushed to her limit vocally, she ascends without “letting go” of her vocal chords.

Silas Tripple and Ashlynn Stone play the King and Queen. Other nobility on hand include Caleb Estes as the Duke of Weselton (his “weasel”-ish political demeanor makes him quite entertaining) and Zach Kolterman as Prince Hans of the Southern Isles, who sparks an instant romance with Anna.  Gavin McMillin is the Bishop at the coronation.

The stone trolls of the film have been replaced by the “hidden folk,” also of Scandinavian lore, led by Pabbie (Thomas Kim) and skilled in the ways of magic.

For provisions on Anna and Kristoff’s journey, there is the Oaken Family shop wagon, where Oaken (Tripple) and his kin go all out to provide “Hygge.” Soloists in that rousing musical number include Fender Brokamp, Kennerk, and Amelia Landrum.

Speaking of Kristoff, Aaron Owens delivers the country-boy charm with subtle dignity, accompanied by Judah Owens as Sven – charming in his own way, with more speaking lines than I recall the deer having in the movie. As the “love interest,” Kolterman effectively gives us both sides of Prince Hans.

Elsa’s powers manifest with a “Snow Chorus” of dancers: Molly Ades, Rebecca Burkhart, Bethany Frederick, Hazel Heath, Ellie Richart, and Riley Sutton. Their presence worked without being gimmicky or distracting, arms pointing like the spread of frost on windows. A crew member mentioned to me that some had formal ballet training, and the others learned to follow right in step to deliver their effects.

Natural scene-stealer Colm Tripple embodies the naïve and noble Olaf with easy charisma. He is said to be interested in working behind the scenes as well, so I expect we’ll be seeing a lot of this kid in the future.

The talented cast also includes Norah Ambrose, Ceci Burkhart, Althea Butz, Skyler Cook, Jonah Gibbons, Sarahanne Gibbons, Phebie Heath, Lydia Nilsen, Ella Owens, Jonny Owens, Adelaide Phillips, Nova Prater, Bea Rader, Abby Rowls, Brooklynn Shaw, Ember Stritar, Zoe’Rose Taylor, Greta Wolff, Conrad Zook, and Graham Zook.

Past ETC company member Allyssa Moore returns again to direct, with music director Tiffany Billingsly, choreographer Kennedy Wilson, and stage manager Mia Joelle Baille. The impressive costuming was thanks to costume manager Kate Ambrose, wardrobe director Lawana Penrod, and Moore as “glam squad & wig design.”

All the fun of the popular show, with the thrill of having it all happen right in front of you by eager young local performers, find “Frozen Jr.” playing at Broadway United Methodist Church, 609 E. 29th St., Indianapolis, Friday through Sunday, June 27-29. Get tickets at epsilontheatricalco.org.

Bard Fest tackles tragedy of ‘Medea’

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By John Lyle Belden

“I am a woman of misfortune.”

This understatement is given by the mythical woman Medea, granddaughter of the sun god Helios, but seen as a barbarian as she is from land distant from Greece. She forsook that place and betrayed her father, the King, to aid the Greek hero Jason in stealing the Golden Fleece and traveling to his home to be his wife and bear his children.

But willful Jason opts to take up with another woman, Glauce, daughter of the Corinthian King Creon, who will give his kids greater legitimacy. Medea does not take this well. Creon’s solution? Order Medea into exile, not an easy task for a woman without a country.

In the tragic play “Medea” by Euripides, these are her desperate times. In turn, her desperate measures are legendary.

Bard Fest presents a translation by Ruby Blondell in which Medea (Laura Gellin) is joined by a chorus of women through the ages (Liz Carrier, Cassidy Dueker, Kitty Compton, Hannah Embree) to amplify her woes and pleas. Jason (Darin Richart) is just a man doing what he thinks is best, puzzled that she can’t see things his way while discarding her perspective as barbarian thinking. Guy Grubbs plays the kings who are Medea’s doom and hope. Her children are played by Allie Stacy and Ellie Richart. Amalia Howard and Andrea Haskett complete the cast. Natalie Fischer directs.

If you know the dire deeds that Medea does, watch to understand why. If you don’t know, brace yourself (serious trigger warning!), and strive to understand. Gellin gives an unflinching performance, powerful throughout. Darin Richart makes plain Jason’s motivations, in today’s light visible as aspects of controlling narcissism, betrayed in his cry at the climax of what has been done to him, a character left alive.  

This brilliant staging of the celebrated tragedy has three more performances, Friday through Sunday, Oct. 27-29 on the Basile main stage of the IndyFringe Theatre, 719 E. St. Clair, Indianapolis. Get tickets at indybardfest.com or indyfringe.org.

Orange is the new Bard

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This is part of Indy Bard Fest 2022, the annual Indianapolis area Shakespeare Festival. For information and tickets, visit indybardfest.com.

By John Lyle Belden

Welcome to a secure common room at a local women’s prison. The ladies of D Block present for the visitors (us) the fruits of their fine arts program, a staging of William Shakespeare’s “Richard II,” adapted by the company with director Glenn Dobbs.

For those like me who sometimes struggle to keep all the Histories straight, Richard II (1377-1399) rules England over 150 years after the fall of King John – who was brother to Richard I (Lionheart), among the first Plantagenet Kings, and the unfortunate subject of another Bard Fest offering this year. Richard will end his reign childless (no obvious heir) as the Plantagenets fracture into the Houses of Lancaster and York in the Wars of the Roses. Also, like John, he is not regarded well by history and lore, considered a tyrant especially as he was a big believer in a king’s absolute power by Divine Right.

As presented by these orange-clad thespians, we easily accept that the mostly-male characters will all have feminine voices. This cast of local actors (not real felons, but play along) get to engage in two levels of character work. Aside from portraying the machinations of the 14th Century English Court, they are also women forged in difficult circumstance, feeling a familiarity to this treacherous culture. At any moment, your blood could be on the floor. To emphasize a challenge, a pack of premium smokes cast down is your gauntlet. Which boss inmate you follow can be a matter of life or death, and that crown – whether metal or bandana – is never fully secure.

Outstanding talents take the lead: Afton Shepard as Richard and Rayanna Bibbs as cousin/rival/successor Bolingbroke; with Damick Lalioff as the Duke of York, Evangeline Bouw as Richard’s faithful noble Aumerle, Savannah Scarborough as Bolingbroke’s right hand Northumberland, Nan Macy as John of Gaunt and the Duchess of York, and Sofy Vida as the banished Mowbray and secretive Bishop of Carlisle. Great contributions as well by Missy Rump, Genna Sever, Gracie Streib, Rachel Kelso, Jamie Devine, Gillian Bennett, Gillian Lintz, and a special shout-out to young Ellie Richart as Richard at coronation.

Shepard gives the kind of strong performance we’ve come to expect from her, showing all the various infamous aspects of the King, delivered with an instability that flows from the madness of power to the wilder madness of being without it. Bibbs gives a commanding performance like someone who somehow knows he will be the title character of the next two plays in the series. Bouw gives us a tragic character we can feel for, a young Duke sure he is on the right side – until he isn’t – then all too desperate to redeem himself. Lalioff smartly plays York as shrewd and decisive (things Richard is not), enabling him to ride the changing tides. Macy is again a marvel in her paternal and maternal roles.

It is from this play we get the line, “let us… tell sad stories of the death of kings,” and what a story we are delivered here! Three performances remain, Friday through Sunday, Oct. 28-30, in the Indy Eleven Theatre at the IndyFringe building, 719 E. St. Clair, Indianapolis.