historical

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.  

‘Crew’ remembers forgotten Civil Rights heroes

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By John Lyle Belden

“Cadillac Crews are not fictional. They really happened. But we don’t know the many names of the women who, on them, helped to integrate the American south.” – Playwright Tori Sampson in an interview on www.newpaltz.edu.

Black women in the 1960s faced a battle on two fronts. They endured the struggle for racial equality alongside Black men, who at times placed them in a strictly background role, mostly unheard and largely unknown.

In the play, “Cadillac Crew,” by Tori Sampson, presented by Mud Creek Players, this becomes a hard lesson for Rachel Christopher (Shakisha Mahogany), leader in a Virginia civil rights activists’ office. She has arranged for movement pioneer Rosa Parks to speak at an upcoming conference. However, her day starts with friction from office assistant Abby (Shanae Denise), who feels she should have more duties, considering her pre-law degree. Rachel notes that even with her Masters, all she has done is administrative work, but that should soon change. Dee (Gabrielle Patterson) arrives already under stress, dealing with her daughter starting class at a mostly-White school under a new Integration plan. Finally, there is Sarah (Rachel Kelso), whose Whiteness raises quiet suspicion with Abby and Dee, despite her eagerness to help and Rachel’s willingness to vouch for her.

Two pieces of bad news arrive – the male leadership’s decision to demote Parks’ appearance from a keynote address to perhaps a luncheon, and a report out of Florida of a burned-out Cadillac with the bodies of two women voting rights workers. No names are given, but Abby knew them.

Striving to rise above not only the pervasive Jim Crow racism but also what we now call “erasure,” Rachel volunteers her office as the next Cadillac Crew. Such teams are similar to the Freedom Riders of volunteer college students who traveled into the Deep South to organize and register voters (sometimes with tragic results), but in this case more low-key, driving the back roads to speak to churches and women’s groups to encourage the causes of integration, voting rights and other freedoms.

Seeing the lack of writing on the wall, Rachel is determined not to be forgotten, insisting that she and the others keep diaries of their ramblings through the South. Her lofty speeches seem to be well received, and things are going well, provided the crew can make it over the dusty road to Jackson, Mississippi…

Directed by Dani Lopez-Roque, this play is a powerful reminder of the many mostly-unknown people who worked for the cause of freedom, and how the pressures of that struggle led to a lot of tension and disagreement within the ranks. This isn’t four girls on a road trip; it is four women constantly questioning if any of this is worth it. All four actors are as dedicated as the women they portray, embracing the complexity that even within a settled goal like equality, there are many-sided arguments of how to get there.

The play ends with a final scene in 2024, which seems a little odd, but helps put the preceding events in perspective as a young podcaster strives to un-erase what has been hidden.

The Mud Creek Barn helps set the scene before the play with signage as you enter regarding the strictures of Jim Crow. The program is in the style of newspaper from 1963. And be sure you line up at the “right” window when getting your ticket or popcorn.

Performances of “Cadillac Crew” are Feb. 16-18 and 23-24 at 9740 E. 86th St., Indianapolis. For tickets and info, go to mudcreekplayers.org.

Agape: We come to praise ‘Caesar’

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By Wendy Carson      

As I began writing this review, I realized that it has been over 40 years since I actually read and studied William Shakespeare’s “Julius Caesar” in High School and even then, we were more focused on Caesar’s murder (spoiler) and the political ramifications of said action that the actual text of the play. Luckily, Agape Theater Company has staged not only an excellent version of the show but the printed program also contains a detailed study guide.

As you watch the story unfold you realize that while Caesar (Doug Rollison) is in the title, he is not actually the main character. His loyal friend Marcus Brutus (Christopher O’Hara), he of the famed line “Et tu, Brute?” shares that distinction with the menacingly paranoid Caius Cassius (Jake Hobbs).

Director Darby Kear gives us a vision into the underlying – and underhanded – scheming and political moves that take place behind the scenes. As you read the notes on the history of Roman politics you see terrifying parallels with our current political system.

As a whole, the cast are quite compelling and even with doubling or tripling of parts, make the action easy to follow. Such is the standard we have come to expect from this company.

That said, I would like to shine a spotlight on a newcomer to the troupe (and Indiana), Christopher O’Hara. His sonorous voice and solid stage presence makes him a welcome addition to the production. Just his performance and the glorious study guide of the program are easily worth the price of your ticket.

Friends, Hoosiers, everyone: lend them your ears (and eyes); remaining performances are Friday through Sunday, Feb. 9-11, at the IndyFringe Theatre, 719 E. St. Clair St., Indianapolis. For tickets, go to IndyFringe.org.

With heart and hymns, a voting-rights hero tells her story

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By John Lyle Belden

Fannie Lou Hamer was a fairly remarkable woman before she became known to the world outside her Mississippi town. Literate despite a sparse education, the daughter of sharecroppers managed to find a good husband and work as bookkeeper for the plantation. But in 1962, at age 44, she discovered she had the right to vote. And everything changed.

Indiana Repertory Theatre presents “Fannie: The music and life of Fannie Lou Hamer,” by Cheryl L. West. On the IRT mainstage, we meet Hamer (Maiesha McQueen) late in her Civil Rights career, doing what she loves best – baking her “sock-it-to-me” cake and singing the Church music that sustained her throughout her life, through mental and physical abuse, doors slammed in her face, every small triumph and vicious defeat in the struggle to bring the vote to all Americans, especially those with dark skin like her.

She gives us her life story in gentle maternal tones, while never shying away from the dark and tragic moments. Happy to commune with us through the fourth wall, she encourages the audience to sing along with tunes like “This Little Light of Mine” and “I Love Everybody,” and even demands a “Can I get an ‘Amen!’?” Thus, she brings us 21st-century sojourners along on the dusty roads where she braved bigotry and beatings with incredible determination, even taking her message to the 1964 Democratic National Convention in Texas.

Broadway veteran McQueen brings Fannie to life wonderfully, bringing to light a lesser-known civil rights icon, making us feel glad to finally discover her and understand she is one of many workers in the struggle who deserve to be remembered and honored. Though this is presented like a one-woman show, the importance of music to her life is emphasized by the fine upstage backing band of Morgan E. Stevenson, Spencer Bean, and Dorian Phelps.

Henry D. Godinez directs, assisted by Ashlee “Psywrn Simone” Baskin (also understudy for Fannie). The narrative is enhanced by projections designed by Mike Tutaj.

Share in the joys and tears of the person who popularized the phrase, “I’m sick and tired of being sick and tired.” Performances of “Fannie” run through Feb. 4 at the IRT, 140 W. Washington St., downtown Indianapolis. Get info and tickets at irtlive.com.

Southbank ‘Lion’ a medieval family feud

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By John Lyle Belden

If contentious family members join you for the holidays, just be glad there’s not the inheritance of a European empire on the line.

In “The Lion in Winter,” by James Goldman, King Henry II of England – and a whole lot more – is spending Christmas in his castle at Chinon, in one of his French lands (the King of France only controlled a fraction of what is in its borders today). His mistress is a sister of the French King, who is also invited; two of his three sons present had not long before led a rebellion against him (during which another son, the heir Young Henry, died) with the third son, his favorite, a whiny spoiled brat; meanwhile, estranged wife Eleanor of Aquitaine (perhaps the era’s most powerful and influential woman) has been let out of her dungeon for the holiday.

Southbank Theatre Company presents this classic drama with catty comic overtones, directed by Becky Schlomann. A stellar local cast take the stage: Doug Powers presents the stubborn confidence of Henry, ever showing the clever, calculating mind that helped win and keep an empire, but his willingness to use love and relationships as weapons has cost him any family unity. Miranda Nehrig as young Alais shares his bed but, she fears, not his heart, as she realizes her place in the nobility is imperiled the longer she stays unmarried – and eventually to whom she is wed, she has no control.

The three sons couldn’t be more different: Richard (Thomas Sebald) is all about war and fighting, and truly a man’s man. Geoffrey (Jo Bennett) is highly intelligent, charming, and conniving – which means no one is trusting him with the crown.  Then there’s John (Garrett Rowe), a teenager, but really, the baby of the family.

Jean Arnold is a complete fox – beautiful and sly – as Eleanor. With expression and bearing that hints she’s always a chess move or two ahead, she easily matches Henry in their battle of wits.

Kaya Dorsch is impressive as Philip II of France. The young king recently succeeded his father, whom he saw as being too easily taken in by Henry’s shrewd negotiations. Though the underdog in both real power and statecraft, he’s learning quickly.

Aside from the gifts wrapped in pretty boxes, what everyone wants for this Christmas is resolution to issues such as control of various parts of the Angevin Empire, including who will inherit the crown from Henry. Basically, Eleanor backs Richard (which is what had gotten her under castle arrest) while the King favors John. Throughout the play schemes and maneuvers abound, with clever arguments and retorts the weapon of choice.

Those who know history, or Robin Hood legends, know who will eventually prevail as King in a few years. However, we – and others in the audience – couldn’t help but reference Disney’s “Robin Hood” for the portrayal here of Prince John. Rowe’s tantrums are so epically immature we expected him to pop his thumb in his mouth like the film’s animated lion.

If you were unaware of this show, but the plotline seems familiar, note it is also the basis for the television series “Empire” (Cookie Lyon = Eleanor). If you are missing that drama, you will find a similar sassy spirit here.

Performances of “Lion in Winter” are Thursday through Sunday, Nov. 16-19, at Shelton Auditorium, 1000 W. 42nd St., in the southwest corner of the Butler University campus. Get info and tickets at southbanktheatre.org.

Kids face difficult climb in Mathews play

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By John Lyle Belden

Once again, author and former journalist Garret Mathews draws from the deep well of his upbringing to bring us the new play, “No Hope Rope,” based on people and experiences in his high school in the 1960s in rural western Virginia coal-mining country.

Uber-nerds Rayburt (Max Gallagher) and Titus (Christian Perez) have only each other as they are popular with no one else in Dungannon High School. Rayburt is fascinated with words; Titus is fascinated with everything math, tech, and space – he was STEM long before that became a thing. Rayburt gets by, by laying low. Titus prefers to obnoxiously live in his own world, constantly consulting his imaginary computer and giving loud updates to NASA. One thing they share, though, is a lack of upper-body strength. This presents a problem in their senior year as it is announced by the principal, persuaded by football Coach Alexander, that all boys must complete the 40-foot rope climb to graduate.

For our young subjects, that rope in the corner of the gym may as well be 40 miles high.

Rayburt feels doomed, but Titus has a plan. The school weight room is open to all students, not just the athletes, and if they can learn to lift The Heavy Objects, they might be able to lift themselves up before the school year ends. On their first day, as Titus addresses the issues of cool nicknames and proper grunting, they encounter the quarterback of the State Champion Roughnecks, Charley Alexander (Austin Helm), prize son of “Coach Daddy” who is likely assured a scholarship with a Michigan college.

In this funny and heartwarming G-rated look at teen life in the Heartland, we see this is about more than climbing a length of rope. Climbing hand over hand to the top is easy for some, but not for many when the coal mine is a long way down. For the women, maybe they’ll marry the man who becomes foreman or works above ground. Rayburt wants out, likely to a career in journalism, but he feels the gravity. Titus sees his escape as a pathway to the stars. Charley is content working on small engines or his “funnies” – inspired by the comics on the Ed Sullivan show – but his choices bear the weight of family and community expectations. Our young actors embody the characters perfectly, hinting at bright futures themselves.

Mathews, who supplies the adult intercom voices, says the characters are based on himself and people he knew – he can name the know-it-alls he lovingly mashed up to make Titus – but especially for those of us who know rural America (I like to think of the culture of Mathews’ stories as “Hoosier adjacent”) we can all relate.

Aaron Henze gladly directs this production, hoping that works like this (and Mathews works like “Jubilee in the Rear View Mirror” and “Opening Hank Williams”) find a wider audience. As we post this, there is still time to catch “No Hope Rope” at the District Theatre, 627 Massachusetts Ave., Indianapolis, today at 2 and 7 p.m., or tomorrow at 4 p.m. (Oct. 14-15). Get tickets at indydistricttheatre.org.

Bradbury Center hosts one hell of a show

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By John Lyle Belden

Emmy winner and Ray Bradbury superfan Bill Oberst Jr. has portrayed many characters who reflect the darkness within mankind; in his new one-person show, “Adversary,” he takes on the Devil himself.

Presented as part of the IU Indianapolis Ray Bradbury Center “Festival 451 Indy,” Oberst’s performance in the District Theater, Sept. 30-Oct. 1 is the world premiere. (If you are seeing this as it is posted, you may be able to make the 2 p.m. Sunday show.)

Satan, who enjoys toying with the words of others, regards himself through sources ranging from ancient scripture to Mark Twain. Oberst contributes one piece, “Your 3 A.M. Therapist.” Mr. Bradbury is not quoted, though this suits the literary mission of the festival, and Oberst said in a follow-up Q&A that Bradbury’s character of Mr. Dark in “Something Wicked This Way Comes” was an inspiration – one of the better depictions of the Devil in fiction.

“Here we hear lies; here we hear truth,” the entity before us declares. “The devil is in the distinction.”

He focuses on three principal “true lies” that sound good and right but are bendable to darker purposes. Passages such as Fyodor Dostoevsky’s “The Grand Inquisitor,” from “The Brothers Karamazov,” show their application.

It is sometimes said that a work of theatre challenges you in the audience. This one literally does. Old Scratch knows you are watching and speaks to you through the ephemeral fourth wall. Do you answer? Regardless, there is plenty of food for thought here – dine with care.

“Adversary” is a unique, engaging, and in its own dark way enlightening theatre experience. For more information on Oberst and his projects, visit billoberst.com; click here for the Ray Bradbury Center in Indianapolis.

BCP presents charming ‘Memoirs’

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By John Lyle Belden

The legendary Neil Simon’s semi-autobiographical “Eugene plays” hearken to a nostalgia for a time that came before our time, yet feels familiar. The comedy “Brighton Beach Memoirs,” now on stage at Buck Creek Players, adds the tensions of Jewish life in the 1930s and the issues of being a teenager in any era.

Eugene Morris Jerome (Dylan Acquaviva), our 14-year-old narrator, obviously didn’t make the Yankees later in life, as he fervently wished, because otherwise he wouldn’t become a writer and we wouldn’t have this story. This is one of many frustrations that he details in this surprisingly dramatic look at two important days in his young life.

The Jerome house, headed by overworked father Jack (Jeremy Tuterow) and ever-worried mother Kate (Barb Weaver) has made room for her widowed sister Blanche (Letitia Clemons) and nieces Laurie (Quincy Carman) and 16-year-old Nora (Brooke Dennis), whose physical development Eugene can’t help but notice. With the girls in one upstairs bedroom, Eugene bunks with his older brother Stanley (Tallon Wynne) in the other.

The family members’ good nature and guarded optimism are their bulwark against the otherwise crushing stresses of their lives – money always short, young people acting impulsive, the spectre of various diseases (one of which claimed Blanche’s husband years ago), and the constant news from Europe in the papers as well as letters from family facing oppression as the Nazis expand their influence. Thus we both laugh and feel their pain, sometimes simultaneously, as only Simon can make us do.

Acquaviva balances his naïve nature with growing maturity to come off as a rather likable scamp. Wynne and Dennis deliver the complexity of putting up brave fronts while never sure if they are doing the right thing. Carman gets to play spoiled without being too bratty. Clemons has Blanche appear to enjoy a comfortable place in the household, yet her simmering guilt at imposing on the Jeromes never lets her fully relax. Weaver gives us a Mom whose love language is constant complaining, while Tuterow makes Jack a lower-middle class Atlas, shouldering the world as best he can with a wry smile on his tired face.

The director is Jim LaMonte, who also designed the nicely functional set with Tuterow. Chris Becker is stage manager. Also appreciated is Adrienne Reiswerg’s help as dramaturg and advisor on details of Jewish life.

A hilarious and heartwarming story, “Brighton Beach Memoirs” runs through Oct. 8 at the Buck Creek Playhouse, 11150 Southeastern Ave., Indianapolis (Acton Road exit off I-74). Get tickets and info at BuckCreekPlayers.com.

IRT gives life to the monster, and the woman who created him

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By Wendy Carson

While all of us are familiar with Mary Shelley’s story, “Frankenstein,” in one way or another, none of us truly know her full intentions in bringing the tale to life. The Indiana Repertory Theatre’s current production of the drama adapted by David Catlin strives to shed light on suppositions scholars have given over the years as to Shelley’s various metaphors and allusions within the text.

The play opens on the fateful night in 1816 when Mary Godwin (not quite Shelley yet, played by Rebecca Marie Hurd), Percy Shelley (Ty Fanning), Lord Byron (Nate Santana), Dr. Polidori (Terry Bell), and Claire Clairmont (Andrea San Miguel) gathered on a stormy night in Switzerland, engaged in a competition of storytelling. While hesitant as first, Percy’s condescension of a mere woman’s abilities causes Mary to join (and ultimately win) their little game.

As she begins to weave her story, the group joins in acting out the narrative. This brings about a more light-hearted feel to the tale but does not detract in the slightest from the horrors held within. It also brings about a glimpse into exactly what was happening in the historical context that influenced some of the prose.

Hurd is sheer perfection as our titular heroine and tale-spinner, showing the depth of the woman behind the monster. She also brings forth the heart-wrenching feelings of love and struggle of Elizabeth, Doctor Frankenstein’s adopted “more than” sister and betrothed.

Fanning brings Percy Shelley’s failed attempts at dominance to life while also reminding us of his vulnerability and desires. He perfectly embodies Victor Frankenstein’s obsessive delusions and selfishness that ultimately lead to his own downfall.

San Miguel avidly encompasses the characters thrown at her (often quite literally) with a gamely attitude while never betraying that she is almost a footnote in the whole event. She channels Frankenstein’s Mother’s love and devotion beautifully.

Bell shows the true gentleman of Polidori, defending Mary’s rights and fighting off the testosterone-laden nay-sayers (again, sometimes literally) who seek to squelch its continuance. His turn as Henry, Frankenstein’s best friend, befits his caring nature. He also plays the ship’s captain who bookends the narrative.

Santana emulates the rakish self-importance with overwhelming charisma that Byron was known for. He also does an amazing job as the Creature, showing us the frustrated loneliness felt by one who suffers in vain to understand why everyone reviles him.

In director Risa Brainin’s notes on the show, she hints at the question that is often asked upon experiencing the story, “Who is the true monster here?” Go to the IRT and decide for yourself.

“Mary Shelley’s ‘Frankenstein’” runs through October 14 on the main stage at 140 W. Washington St., downtown Indianapolis. Get info and tickets at irtlive.com.

NAATC keeps high standard with run of ‘Detroit ’67’

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By John Lyle Belden

The Naptown African American Theatre Collective (NAATC) is taking its slogan, “We Don’t Follow the Trends, We Are the Trend,” seriously.

Indianapolis’s first Black Equity theatre company, the 501c3 nonprofit organization is dedicated to diverse employment and speaking to the Black experience in all its forms. It also means to make its presence known and felt with excellent productions by great Black talents.

Dominique Morisseau is quickly rising to be a name listed among great playwrights who tell the American story with all its hard truths, names like August Wilson (whose “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom” is up next for NAATC) or even Tennessee Williams. A strong qualifier for the play that is her “Fences” or “Streetcar” would be “Detroit ‘67” – her second produced play, it roars through the tragic side of American culture on all cylinders, carrying with it an interesting mix of relatable characters who find the American Dream a nightmare, and no good deed unpunished.

NAATC’s recent production of “Detroit ’67,” directed by D’yshe Mansfield at the Phoenix Theatre Cultural Center, was a superb showcase of local talent. Set in a neighborhood where racial tensions and police brutality lead to widespread riots (now nearly forgotten, but at the time serious enough to call out the National Guard), we see everything from the relative safety of a residential basement. It’s the house siblings Chelle (LaKesha Lorene) and Lank (Ennis Adams, Jr.) inherited from their parents, along with a modest bank account. They understand how truly lucky they are to be Black homeowners at all, but money is tight, and to make ends meet the downstairs is a literal underground after-hours “Party” spot, where those who don’t want to risk police encounters at bars and clubs can enjoy some drinks, music, and the company of friends.

Their friend, Sly (Daniel A. Martin) has an inside line on getting him and Lank a legitimate neighborhood bar, but Chelle is afraid of touching their saved cash for fear of losing it all, especially with the White powers that be all to willing to strike down any Blacks who assert themselves, even legally. Ever on hand is Chelle’s best friend Bunny (portrayed by Dena Toler or Kelly Kel, depending on performance), whose flirty, fun style masks her practical sense.

Further complicating things is Caroline (Sara Castillo Dandurand), a mysterious white woman rescued by Lank from being left for dead in the street. Her mere skin tone spells trouble, but nothing like the secrets her true identity holds.

Layered in with the drama is a healthy helping of sitcom-level humor. Lots of laugh lines are exchanged among friends, with genuine affection expressed among them, and Caroline striving to be less of a burden as she heals. Add to this a good number of Motown hits in background or woven into the plot, and it all starts to look like fun, or at least the hope of a happy conclusion.

But suddenly, outside the basement windows, there are shouts, and fires, and armored vehicles, and gunshots. The party’s over.

Lorene is solid as the woman at the eye of this storm, whose façade of strength hides a fear of becoming crushed – financially, emotionally, even physically — like so many others in her city. Adams is excellent as the young man who realizes he is overdue to fully grow up and stop leaning on her older sister (much as she likes it), but still wanting her to be happy. Martin is once again a master of both comedy and drama as the chill guy dealing with cold reality, and ambitions he is eager to share with Chelle by his side. I’m sure Toler was outstanding as usual, however, I saw a performance with Kel as Bunny, and it felt like the role was written for her. Dandurand plays the cypher well, proving to be the kind of person who can’t help but get into trouble – bringing others with her.

Woven in with this look at family, trust, and life’s struggles are the bigger issues that still don’t seem fixed more than 55 years later, making “Detroit ‘67” an appropriate choice for NAATC’s inaugural season, and worthy of looking up wherever it is staged. Once again, this company is upping the quality of Indy’s cultural scene – setting the trend.