historical

Hear and feel the ‘Voices of the Avenue’

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By John Lyle Belden

From Emancipation in the 1860s to well into the 20th century, Black populations brought together by community and herded by racist policies gathered in neighborhoods across America that managed – despite contrary forces – to flourish, at least for a time. In Indianapolis, that legacy is Indiana Avenue.

That street, and its jazz-infused culture, is celebrated at the District Theatre on Massachusetts Ave. in the world premiere musical, “Voices of the Avenue,” a stunning, inspiring story by new playwright Brandi L. Metzger.

Set at an actual popular Indiana Ave. nightspot, the Sunset Terrace, this is the story of sisters Constance (Jodi Holmes), a writer for the Indianapolis Recorder (still a voice for Black issues today), and Pearl (Komoca Rowley), a singer and regular at the Sunset. On the night of club owner Denver’s (Jay Fuqua) 50th birthday celebration, Connie arrives hoping to persuade Pearl to join her in leaving for New York to seek bigger opportunities. The joint is jumping, thanks in part to performer Burnin’ Bernie (Keiston Drake). Also present is a mysterious white man, calling himself Apollo (Clay Mabbitt), who keeps writing something in his notebook.

This is also a story of a time and a place at a cultural and historical crossroads few on the Avenue saw coming. As Denver reminisces, despite troubles through the 1920s and ‘30s, the Black communities rallied and “Indy’s Harlem” persevered. But it is 1945; soon, thousands of men – mostly white – will be returning from the War and the age of “redevelopment” and suburban boom will begin. This Apollo represents succinctly. An advance scout and embodiment of the coming change, he presents himself as an amateur hypnotist who can freeze the moment to let us in our own era beyond the fourth wall know what forces are at play and the justifications they will use to act.

The brighter side of the Avenue, full of life and brave joy, is personified by the music of the outstanding on-stage ensemble, led by Matt “BigBeatz” Franklin at the keyboard, with jazz pianist Carl Hines, Jef Payne on trumpet, and Byron L.A. Hobbs on drums. Stephen Martin Drain and Nakia B. White tend the bar and provide backup vocals. Club patrons are played by Heather Strain, Teresa Francis and DaJuan Thrasher.

This production is in the able hands of veteran director Nikki Miles, assisted by Angela Leonard. Justin M. Lewis provides cool choreography appropriate to the times, and even gets Mabbitt to cut a rug.

The songs are all original, by Metzger in collaboration with Franklin and the actors who perform them. They perfectly capture and move the plot, and a rousing salute to “The Sunset” is fun to sing along to – which we’re encouraged to do at the end.

Holmes and Rowley give great performances with voices sharp whether in song or snapping at each other as siblings do. We can feel their relational struggles as well as the growing shadow of the bigger story they are in. Fuqua plays Denver as all charm and blind optimism, perhaps not an angel, but a vital part of the Avenue. Drake gives Bernie the driven attitude of the talented up-and-comer not wanting to consider there might not be a place to get to.

The only disappointment is that this intense experience clocks in at just under an hour. Still, a lot of story and history is packed in. It never feels rushed, like great jazz; I just wasn’t ready for it to end. It’s one thing to learn by reading, lecture, or even documentary, about the spirit of Indiana Avenue, but “Voices of the Avenue” gets you to truly feel it.

This work was brought about by Black Light Training and Development, a grantee of the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. Metzger is a recent graduate of its playwriting course. Find more information at the program’s Facebook page.

Remaining performances of “Voices” are today (as we post this) and tomorrow, Saturday and Sunday, June 1-2, at the District Theatre, 627 Mass. Ave., Indianapolis. Get tickets at indydistrictthteatre.org.

‘Fiddler’ at Footlite: ‘Tradition!’ refreshed

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By John Lyle Belden

Footlite Musicals presents the beloved classic, “Fiddler on the Roof,” and judging by the sellout opening night, the show still has wide appeal. Director Paula Phelan likens it to a sort of theatrical comfort food.

With songs by Jerry Bock and Sheldon Harnick, and book by Joseph Stein, the story set in the Jewish village of Anatevka in pre-Revolution Russia centers on the family of milkman Tevye, who has five daughters, three of them marrying age but he can’t afford a dowry. In the first Act, the focus is more on village life, and the small but growing changes that come to established “Tradition!” Act Two brings even harsher changes, as the cruel outside world overtakes their simple, manageable one.

Daniel Draves brings an air of paternal authority with the right touch of whimsy to Tevye, complete with a singing voice that nicely hits every “biddy-biddy bum.” Jennifer Hallberg as his wife, Golde, matches his bluster with the patience of an Old Testament matriarch. Elder daughters Tzeitel (Allison Williamson), Hodel (Paige Penry) and Chava (Nicole Sherlock) bravely come of age before our – and their father’s – eyes. The younger daughters, Bielke and Shrpinze, are played by Rebecca Burkhart and Greta Shambarger.

As for the suitors, Alex Bast is charming and only a little goofy as the tailor Motel, who wins Tzeitel despite her being promised by Tevye to the butcher Lazar Wolf (Graham Brinklow). Michael Sherman as radical intellectual Perchik, who causes a stir in the village and wins Hodel’s affection, wears confidence as armor, never shaken except by love. Jackson Lee is Fyedka, the Russian Christian who refuses to take part in an anti-Jewish “demonstration” and shares his books and heart with Chava.

Being volunteer community theater with a popular show, there is a huge cast, with, to name a few, notable turns by Adreinne Reiswerg as Yente the Matchmaker; MarKay Burkhart as the ghost of Grandma Tzeitel, Lauren Laski as Fruma-Sarah; Jeremy Crouch as the town Beggar; Tom Bartley as Modchal the Inkeeper; Chris Vojtko as the Rabbi’s son; and Duane Leatherman with his unmistakable honeyed voice as the wise Rabbi. Dan Flahive lends his stage presence to the role of the Russian Constable who won’t admit he likes the Jews in his charge, but sees little sense in harassing them – though will if ordered by the Tzar’s officials.

As per, well, tradition, all the familiar songs are here – “Matchmaker,” “If I Were a Rich Man,” “To Life,” “Miracle of Miracles,” “Sunrise, Sunset,” “Do You Love Me?” etc. – and the memorable scenes such as the wedding “bottle dance” (executed smoothly by Joe Burke, Logan Laflin, Derek Savik-Hesser, and Derek Sumpter). Though the subtext is of inescapable tragedy (this year, the fact that Perchik comes from Kyiv gains resonance), the heart of this story is inspiring and uplifting in its perseverance. This is personified especially by Kevin Bell as the Fiddler of the title, the myth made manifest for his people. Bell convincingly play-synchs the instrument as he concentrates on his effective movement, adding a touch of nearly balletic storytelling to his role.

Director Phelan’s excellent guidance includes about the best staging of the final departure we have seen. Crew also includes choreographer Linda Rees, vocal director Lisa Reynolds, costume designer JoAnne Bogdon, and stage manager Melissa Yurechko. The orchestra is conducted by Aaron Burkhart.

Two weekends remain of “Fiddler on the Roof,” through May 19 at the Hedback Theater, 1847 N. Alabama St., Indianapolis. Get tickets and info at footlite.org.

IndyShakes: ‘Caesar’ as seen by CNN or C-SPAN

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By John Lyle Belden

Julius Caesar. If you didn’t sleep through World History or Western Civ in high school or college, you are familiar with his name and his brief reign over the Roman Empire. Thanks mainly to the tragic play by William Shakespeare, his fate is forever part of popular culture – especially in mid-March, when the man becomes a meme on your smartphone.

What if those early 21st century devices were available in the 1st century BC? In the common practice of adapting the Bard to different eras, Indy Shakes and Zach & Zack present Shakespeare’s “Julius Caesar” in a tech-savvy Rome complete with 24-hour social media and news cycle. In the big black box of the Basile stage of the Phoenix Theatre Cultural Centre, we get a multimedia blitz of projected talking heads, Tweets on X, and smartphone video streams, with our players front and center enacting the familiar story with the freshness of breaking news. Diverse casting of race and gender, along with modern dress with hints of official robes, help make ancient times feel like today.

Quick refresher: The death of fellow leader Pompey left Caesar (Andy Ahrens) the sole Consul over the Roman Republic. This worries the Senate, who easily surmise that the man will overtake them as a tyrannical dictator. In Shakespeare’s telling, Cassius (Scot Greenwell), who was close to Caesar and feels him both too ambitious and too weak (the stigma of his epilepsy) persuades Brutus (Jen Johansen), another beloved of Caesar, to join a conspiracy to assassinate their Emperor. Despite signs and warnings, Caesar enters the Senate on March 15 and is slaughtered by his countrymen. Antony (Kelly Mills) plays along with the killers, but when given a chance to address Caesar’s funeral, stirs the people of Rome to action.

Other roles include Morgan Morton as Brutus’s spouse Portia, as well as Cinna the Poet; Carlos Medina Maldonado as Cinna the conspirator and others; Chandra Lynch, Daniel Martin and Immanuel Umoren as conspirators Decius Brutus, Trebonius, and Casca; Kelli Thomas as Brutus’s servant Lucius; Tiffany Gilliam as Caesar’s wife, Calpurnia; and Jacob Barnes as the Soothsayer, and later Octavius Caesar (who will eventually become Emperor Augustus).

From top to bottom, the cast have solid resumes and consistently display their dramatic talents throughout. It is in this adaptation, though, that Johansen’s Brutus stands out, doggedly facing both inner and outer conflict, reluctantly justifying extreme acts, then standing up to the consequences. Ahrens plays Caesar as having noble intentions but too driven to see how his larger-than-life personality could inspire his doom. In today’s U.S. Senate, Greenwell’s Cassius would be that devious deal-maker who would go to any length to advance his agenda, a Ted Cruz with knives. Mills’s Antony manages to come off as the rare honest politician, rising to the occasion like our memory of JFK, or Obama at his inauguration. Zack Neiditch is director, with sound and video design by Zach Rosing. Excellent costumes are by Tony Sirk with Caitlin Davey.

Still, the whole of this production is greater than the sum of its well-executed parts, going beyond just putting old speech in a new setting. In a time when tragic events, including wars, unrest, and celebrities performing to ever-present cameras are constantly on our television, computer and phone screens, this makes historical events feel even more “real” than any attempt to tell the story in its own time.

Two weekends remain of “Julius Caesar,” through May 19, at 705 N. Illinois St., downtown Indianapolis. Get information and tickets at indyshakes.com or phoenixtheatre.org.

Civic charms with historical mystery

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By John Lyle Belden

In 1918, Tsar Nicholas II of Russia, his wife, and their children were all arrested, then secretly executed in a mass of confusion, smoke and bullets. This much is historical fact.

Naturally, there were also rumors. The Bolsheviks were possibly not all happy with killing children. A persistent story soon arose that one of the Tsar’s daughters, 17-year-old Grand Duchess Anastasia Nikolaevna Romanova, had somehow escaped and lived in hiding. Among supporters of Imperial Russia – while from its ashes the Soviet Union immediately ascended – this legend, at least, would never die.

This sets the stage for the musical “Anastasia,” presented by the Booth Tarkington Civic Theatre.

The book by Terrance McNally takes inspiration from two motion pictures of the same name, a 1956 film by Authur Laurents and the 1997 Don Bluth animated feature, as well as a prior play by Marcelle Maurette. Musicians Stephen Flaherty and Lynn Ahrens added and adapted songs from the 1997 version. Here, as in all the scripts, some liberties were taken with history, so for those who accept more recent forensic discoveries on the matter, consider this a fascinating fairy tale in a parallel world.  

After opening scenes with Louisa Zabel, then Keegan Connor, portraying the authentic Anastasia, we find ourselves in St. Petersburg (renamed Leningrad by the Soviets) in 1927, ten years after the Tsar’s death. Hearing the rumors of the lost Grand Duchess, prospective con men Dmitry (Troy Bridges), a handsome grown-up street urchin, and Vlad (Steve Kruze), who used to work his grift among nobility as a faux Count, see a prospective payday in finding a young woman to present as Anastasia to the Dowager Empress (Jill O’Malia), the Tsar’s mother living in exile in Paris. (As a bonus, this also gets them out of the ever-worsening USSR.)

By chance they find Anya (Isabella Agresta), an amnesiac who had mentioned being a princess while in the sanatorium but now keeps that to herself, as it keeps triggering mysterious dreams. With this true backstory making her royal provenance possible, the three prepare to attempt their con, but Vlad notices she knows far more about Russian court life than she should.

Adding to their difficulties, Soviet secret police officer Gleb Vaganov (Nathanael Hein), who has his own personal connection to the Tsar’s family execution, is growing wise to their plans.

It’s a minor spoiler, but it’s in the program that Anya makes it to Paris for Act II. There we also meet Countess Lily (Nina Stilabower), the Dowager Empress’s lady in waiting, who is still sweet on Vlad despite seeing through his schemes. One climactic scene takes place at a ballet, during which we get an exquisite performance by ballerina Izzy Casciani.

Agresta manages to combine everyday girlish charm with regal bearing to keep us guessing while hoping that Anya is who she pretends to be, in a performance that shows the woman “pretending” less and less each scene. Bridges is great in these likable rascal leading man roles (think if Disney’s Alladin were a twenty-something Russian) and charms his way through this show as well. Meanwhile, Kruze is as smooth as top-shelf vodka.

In a standout performance, opera tenor Hein employs his powerful voice to add authority to his man on a dark mission, bringing more than expected to the story’s necessary villain. Overall, this show is a pleasing adventure with the feel of history and how people lived then, peppered with charming tunes like “Once Upon a December” and the powerful big number “Journey to the Past.”

Director Anne Beck noted she immersed herself in the musical’s story and the appeal of its what-if mystery, and it shows. The costumes by Adrienne Conces excellently reflect the story – brilliant white for Imperial glory, drab earth tones for Russia after its fall, then a swift shift to bright colors in the City of Lights. The production also effectively employed scenic projections provided by Broadway Media Distribution, enhancing the audience experience. Music director is Kayvon Emtiaz and Katie Stark is stage manager.

So, even in this bit of fiction, is she, or was she, that tragically lost girl? True nobility knows to be discreet, so you’ll have to see for yourself. “Anastasia” is at the Tarkington stage at The Center for the Performing Arts in downtown Carmel through May 11. Get info and tickets at civictheatre.org or thecenterpresents.org.

In ‘Frida,’ IRT presents beautiful portrait

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By Wendy Carson

For those whose knowledge of Frida Kahlo is only that she was a Mexican painter with a unibrow, you are missing out on the history of this woman who was in herself a true force of nature, defying all odds to become a legend in her own right.

In “Frida: A Self Portrait,” at Indiana Repertory Theatre, author and performer Vanessa Severo embodies the feisty spirit of Kahlo. Her tale takes us from her sad beginnings to her death inside her home, the legendary Casa Azul.

Contracting polio in childhood, her father forced her to overcome her afflictions and endure the pain in order to become who he believed she should be. This stubbornness kept her going after, at age 18, she was severely injured by a bus. This broke numerous bones in her body, leaving her in agonizing pain for the rest of her life.

Her persistence led her to a mentorship (and eventual marriage) with the renowned artist Diego Rivera. Their tumultuous relationship opened doors for her but brought immense heartache as well. As with many artists, she died relatively unknown in 1954, but her rediscovery in the ‘70s led her to become a feminist icon.

Scenic Designer Jacqueline Penrod and Costume Designer Katherine Davis, aided by Rachael Cady’s clever lighting, provide a unique setting in the IRT’s more intimate upperstage that allows Severo to easily slip from one character or situation to the next, including herself – a young performer told she has a similar spirit, and whose research included going to La Casa Azul herself to find out. Director Joanie Schultz, who has worked with Severo on this at other venues, helps her fully embody each step of this woman’s inspiring (and heartbreaking) journey, as well as her own.

Having learned more about Kahlo in the past few years, I can say that I honestly believe she would be the first to applaud this show. If you feel hesitant, even if you care nothing for the subject, the storytelling style and acting are superb so you should give this masterpiece a chance.

Performances run through April 7 at 140 W. Washington St., downtown Indianapolis. Get information and tickets at irtlive.com.

Take a ride with Civic’s ‘Miss Daisy’

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By John Lyle Belden

Sometimes, it’s nice to have the entertainment equivalent of comfort food.

Booth Tarkington Civic Theatre presents “Driving Miss Daisy,” the Pulitzer-winning play by Alfred Uhry, directed by Civic executive artistic director Michael J. Lasley. It’s a familiar story, thanks to both it being a heartwarming hit that’s easy to stage with three actors, and its adaptation into an Oscar-winning movie.

It also has the familiar feeling from being based on Uhry’s own relatives and including events that occurred in Atlanta in the 1950s and 1960s. The plot’s not complicated: Seventy-two year old Daisy (Ellen Kingston) has crashed her new automobile, and her son Boolie (David Wood) insists she no longer be allowed to drive. She stubbornly refuses to hire a driver, so he does – Hoke (Antoine Demmings), a middle-aged man of varied driving experience. What follows is the growing friendship between the old Jewish woman set in her ways and her Black driver with unflagging good nature and saintlike patience.

What makes this worth your ticket are the performances. Wood keeps Boolie genuine in his love for his mother and respect for Hoke, and his voice maintains a nice Georgia lilt that enhances his moments on the stage.  Kingston embodies Daisy with persistent toughness that never goes bitter, like a beloved grandma.

As for Demmings, his Hoke presents the big smile and easy manner that keeps him in good stead with White folks of that place and time, yet it’s genuine pleasure, not a stereotypical “Uncle” put-on. Still, he is his own capable man, and quick to gently say so if he feels it necessary.

The story flows easily, thanks in part to the scenic and lighting designs of Ryan Koharchik. Jay Hemphill is assistant director, and Nicole Cooper is stage manager.

The ride is not always smooth, but the journey is sentimental, with an interesting view. Come along at the Studio Theater at the Center for the Performing Arts in downtown Carmel, through March 30. Get info and tickets at civictheatre.org or thecenterpresents.org.

Southbank takes up Quixote quest

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By John Lyle Belden

“Take a deep breath of life and consider how it should be lived.”

These words spoken by Miguel de Cervantes as his creation Don Quixote in the musical “Man of La Mancha” help sum up the method behind the madness of the deluded knight at the center of the story – and is perhaps his most lucid advice.

Southbank Theatre Company and its founder, director Marcia Eppich-Harris, present the man, the madness, and the dangerous times in which this celebrated satirical novel came forth in their current production of the Broadway classic. Written in the 1960s by Dale Wasserman with music by Mitch Leigh and lyrics by Albert Marre, the story is loosely adapted from Cervantes’s 1605 book, portraying the author working through select scenes and characters in the more sweeping novel.

In the late 1500s, the dreaded Spanish Inquisition has arrested Cervantes (Paul Hansen), along with his servant (Anthony Nathan), not for a certain book he has yet to finish, or for being an actor or playwright, but because in his temporary employ as a tax collector, he tried to foreclose on a church. This lands him in our principal setting, a spacious communal dungeon in which the other prisoners mill about, seeking to cure their boredom. Their Governor (Scott Hall) declares the newcomer should stand trial for charges of the criminals’ choosing.

Cervantes seizes the opportunity – both to buy time and see how his stories are received by others – and “defends” himself by putting on our main story, the play within the play. Pasting on gray whiskers, he declares himself Don Quixote, with his servant now the farmer-turned-squire Sancho Panza. Other prisoners join in as various characters as needed.

If you know nothing else of this tale of an aging minor nobleman who reads one too many medieval romances and thinks himself the last defender of Chivalry, you have probably heard about the windmill. It’s actually a small part of the story, and Quixote’s charge against the four-armed “giant” happens quite soon in the musical. This is how we theatre folk get you, casual fan: come for the windmill tilting, stay for the meaningful stuff.

The plot really gets rolling when Quixote and Sancho arrive at an inn, which our knight sees as a castle (naturally). The Innkeeper (Hall) humors them, and we meet the other guests, a gang of muleteers led by Pedro (Kevin Caraher) who harass Aldonza (Jessica Hawkins), the wench serving up drinks, and maybe something more if the price is right. Quixote sees the woman, envisioning a high-born lady whom he declares to be “Dulcinea.”

Meanwhile in La Mancha, Quixote’s niece Antonia (Ashton Driscoll) and housekeeper (Yolanda Valdiva) enlist the help of a priest (Jericho Franke) and Dr. Carrasco (Rachel Serago) to find the man and bring him back to his senses.

The cast also includes Kendall Maxwell, Scott Stockton, Amalia Howard, Susannah Briscoe, Aaron Henze, Andrea Haskett, and Will Harris, who also plays guitar in coordination with the backstage orchestra, led by Seth Young.

A notable aspect of Cervantes’s satire is the comedy of good intentions gone awry, usually with others hurt while our oblivious old man goes blithely onward. This especially hurts Aldonza, who ironically becomes the one who most gets the point of this pointless adventure in the end. Thus, the musical asks a lot of Hawkins, and she is more than up to the challenge. She is compelling and commanding as a woman coming to terms with the possibility that her horrid past and present don’t define her future.

Veteran actor Hansen captures that perfect mix of maturity and whimsy to tackle his double-role. In both modes, he exudes confidence that stays a step ahead of the fear of a darker reality. Nathan, who must have been a court jester in a past life, is totally in his comic wheelhouse here. Serago, who as a prisoner is Cervantes’s “prosecutor” at trial, keeps one guessing if maybe the good Doctor is getting a kick out of tormenting Quixote in his efforts to save him.

There is much to unpack thematically, especially the simultaneous folly of and need for striving for a higher ethos. Perhaps this is why its most famous song, “The Impossible Dream,” resonates so much for so many. Hear it in context and see the “Man of La Mancha” at remaining performances Thursday through Sunday, March 14-17. at Shelton Auditorium, 1000 W. 42nd St., Indianapolis (edge of Butler University). For tickets and information, go to southbanktheatre.org.

Clerical Error brings legendary actress to life

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By John Lyle Belden

Known for their comical works, Kate Duffy and Clerical Error Productions have taken on their most serious project yet: “Call Me Kate: Katherine Hepburn Tells it Like it Is.”

Based on a 1970s television interview Hepburn gave to Dick Cavett, this intimate production, held recently in the cozy confines of The Brick Room comedy club in Noblesville, takes us to a 1973 episode of “The Dick Cavendish Show” at ABC studios in New York. The audience is, of course, the studio audience, in sight of a black-and-white monitor that shows appropriate commercials and the flashing “APPLAUSE” sign. As we settle in, the crew are busy – David Molloy as Arthur the producer, Dennis Forkel at the bulky camera, Stacy Long and Cindye McDaniel on hair and makeup, and studio page Manny Casillas. Cavendish (Blake Mellencamp) arrives, blue interview question cards in hand, and finally, Ms. Hepburn herself (Duffy), fussing about the rug and the arrangement of the furniture, barking orders and receiving reassurance from her assistant Phyllis (Wendy Brown). Within seconds, Arthur is counting down: “Four, three, two…” Cue music and applause.

Can something with this big a cast be considered a one-woman-show? As in a great screen bio-pic or stage reenactment, Duffy completely disappears into Hepburn, bringing the Hollywood legend to energetic life. The time frame, between her 1960s performances with Spencer Tracy (“Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner”) and Peter O’Toole (“The Lion in Winter”) and her upcoming notable roles with John Wayne (“Rooster Cogburn”) and Henry Fonda (“On Golden Pond,” winning her fourth Oscar), has Kate at the pinnacle of her power and fame. Mature and candid about her age, she reflects on her varied career, both the hits and the flops, and the many fellow legends she worked with – as well as a few choice words for a director or two she felt deserving of obscurity.

It is clear that Duffy has thoroughly researched the actress, in voice and manner picking up her unique style with confidence, while sharply “remembering” various studio stories and her feelings towards others, especially long-time co-star Tracy. As a further test, all audience members are asked before the show to write a question for “Kate” to answer in the last segment of the program. She answers several, completely in character. (Just don’t ask about films or TV she hasn’t done yet!)

For his part, Mellencamp plays Cavendish as a little starstruck and rather flustered, barely in control of his own show (which Kate has no problem pointing out). It adds to the humor, and the sense that especially in those times, guys can barely handle the presence of a strong woman just being herself.

Clerical Error Productions will next present “Mother Ireland: Women Who Shaped a Nation” in May, before working up a fresh farce for IndyFringe in August. Still, I hope we haven’t heard the last of “Kate” and given this successful premiere, you could one day get to question a “living” legend.

Magician presents spirited old-style gathering

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By John Lyle Belden

At the same time as the modern magic show evolved throughout the 19th and 20th centuries, a movement arose involving communication with the deceased, known as Spiritualism. Turns out, the two had a lot in common.

Lexington, Ky., magician John Shore presents “The Talking Dead: Experiences from the Victorian Séance,” a one-hour exploration of the history and methods of Spiritualist mediums. After a successful debut at The Mary Todd Lincoln House in Lexington, and some revisions, this carefully-researched performance had a one night only showing recently at the IndyFringe Basile Theatre in Indianapolis, produced by Taylor Martin.

Shore decries the tense horror atmosphere of seances as portrayed by Hollywood, noting that especially from the 1840s to the 1920s, they had an overall relaxed atmosphere, an evening’s entertainment for middle and upper classes. Seating is mainly on stage, with some especially close to a pair of small tables, recreating the necessary intimate feel. Light is sometimes by a single candle.

We learn about historical figures including the Fox Sisters, who started the craze with rapping at walls and tables; D.D. Home, whose spirit power made furniture move; Dr. Henry Slade, who advanced from yes-or-no knocks or guesses at cards to mysterious messages on schoolhouse slates; and Margery the Medium, whose feats defied explanation throughout her career. We also hear about notables such as Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, who believed absolutely everything presented to him, and legendary magician/escapologist Harry Houdini, who absolutely did not.

Shore delivers more than a lecture. The table moves and the cards reveal, while mysterious raps surround us, a simple bell rings itself, and a tambourine clatters – revealing that our séance has its own unseen spirit guide present.  (We even get “her” name.)

This splendid presentation gives us illusions in which the knowledgeable might suspect solutions, but with an air of mystery that keeps that part of you that wants to believe tuned in. As Spiritualism evolved into a bona fide religion, Shore notes that the mystery of faith plays an important role in the experience.

“Exposing it (as Houdini and his contemporaries did) really became beside the point,” Shore said after the show. As it was said in that era, neither for the skeptic nor the believer would anything fully change their minds.

As in a true séance of yesteryear, there is a fair amount of audience involvement. In fact, all who attend are asked to each write down a question for the spirits. A number of these will be selected – and answered.

Martin, a longtime Fringe veteran and master of the Indy Magic performance series, is working with Shore to bring “The Talking Dead” to this summer’s IndyFringe Festival. We are hoping they make it onto the schedule, as this enlightening and entertaining show will likely be a big hit. However, as much of the audience in the recent performance were members and friends of the local magic community, it will be interesting to see how more mundane folks handle the mysterious goings-on.