IndyFringe 2026

IndyFringe: Sounds good

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This is part of the annual Indianapolis Theatre Fringe Festival, a/k/a IndyFringe 2026, held Aug. 13-23 in venues around downtown Massachusetts Ave. Information at indyfringe.org.

By John Lyle Belden

Reviews of: “Piamon & Buer: Compositions for String Quartet,” by Tanner Hammock; “Resonance: A Sound Healing Experience,” by Bright Jade and Friends; “Sympathetic Resonance,” by Forward Motion. 

Fringe is more than just acting or singing or clowning or dancing while some music may play in the background. Sometimes, it’s the music itself. This year’s festival featured three instrumental presentations, each taking their sound in a different direction.

Piamon & Buer

For fans of classical music, this set of new compositions by Tanner Hammock certainly fits the bill. Performers were Yi-Fan Sun and Chin-Pei Tso on violin, Michael Hill on viola, and Dr. Andrea Kleesattel on cello. All are Indiana based except Hill, like Hammock, is from Louisville.

Though these works are new, they felt timeless. Sometimes they resemble pleasing string compositions by Mozart or his contemporaries; at other moments, it’s like the music setting the mood and color of a movie scene. It has been a long time (having studied music in college decades ago) since I listened to this sort of music critically. Looking at my crude notes, the best I can say is that there is a lot of interplay among the four instruments, mixing periods of brightness and tension. One slow-paced movement is underscored by a single sustained cello line. In another, a violin seems to sing.

I know some people consider such music boring, but this hour, for me, was anything but.

Resonance

Not to be confused with the similarly-named performance in the next review, this was a unique experience for IndyFringe. Several performers sat on mats, blankets or footstools all along the stage of the Murat Arabian Room, surrounded by mostly simple instruments. There were also a couple of electronic devices and a full-size harp.

Bright Jade stood and told us we would be taking a sonic journey moving through the four elements, passing the “gates” of Air, Fire, Water, and Earth. She did not speak again until the end. In the meantime, we experience a “sound bath” involving ambient tones and nature sounds, rattles, chimes, gongs, soft vocalizations and breaths, rattles, ringing bowls, the harp, a hollow “rain” stick, and more, including that wooden frog you find in a New Age store.

Performers sometimes got up and even slowly walked to and around the audience, seeming to spread the energies they generate through the room. All involved took this seriously, serenely.

Needless to say, this was not for everyone. If this kind of experience relaxes and centers you, seek it out. If anyone felt this was an hour wasted – well, for them, it likely was. I found it interesting and appreciated its contribution to the eclectic mix of festival entries.

Sympathetic Resonance

Forward Motion is a local ensemble that “focuses on the performance of new works and free improvisations” (according to their website). Performers include Jennifer Page (flute), Eric Salazar (clarinet), Angela Pulliam (violin), Maya Nojiri Sutherland (cello), Ashton Vickery (piano), and Corey Denham (percussion).  They played several pieces by different contemporary composers including Rob Funkhauser of Indianapolis.

The music and interplay among the instruments was interesting and engaging. The styles varied from modern, reminiscent of Philip Glass, to more traditional, bringing to mind Aaron Coupland.

One interesting piece, Funkhauser’s “Propulsion,” involved Denham playing a modified snare drum with a hidden switch on the rim, allowing him to go back and forth from regular drumming to an electronic vibraphone effect without missing a beat.

In the finale, the audience gets involved in clapping the rhythm, leaving us all feeling we have truly been part of this experience. Forward Motion has upcoming performances, starting later this month. See forwardmotionnewmusic.com.  

IndyFringe: Just making stuff up

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This is part of the annual Indianapolis Theatre Fringe Festival, a/k/a IndyFringe 2026, held Aug. 13-23 in venues around downtown Massachusetts Ave. Information at indyfringe.org.

By John Lyle Belden

Reviews of: “Ad Libs: The Show: The Experience!” by Cryptid Entertainment; “Improvised Stephen King,” by Mark Cashwell; “Welcome to Nowhere,” by Shelf Sabotage Improv. 

There are performers in central Indiana with a particular set of skills: they will find you; they will get words from you; and they will make you laugh. (Hope you read that in Liam Neeson voice.)

Every Fringe festival has its Improv acts, which are tricky for reviewers like me to write up. By the nature of the show, no two performances are alike, and can have vastly different “plots.” Also, audience participation and energy are vital to an enjoyable show. Skillful performers can salvage reluctant suggestions or feedback, but to really bring the funny, an engaged crowd (the bigger, the better) is a must.  

Ad Libs

The popularity of Cryptid Entertainment and the talents of its actors made this a promising selection for your Fringe ticket. Tony Schaab is a natural as our smarmy host of a long-form improv involving a number of “Who’s Line” style games. There are a few things to help guide the made-up-on-the-spot story his fellow local performers will present. On the way in, there’s a choice of three exotic animals for which audience members can vote. We later find the winner fills in the blank in “The Case of the Missing [blank].” Audience members are also given envelopes, most containing options to choose among to guide the narrative.

The story progresses through games including “Sound Effects,” “Props” (bringing an audience member on stage to select), “Party Quirks,” “Alphabet,” and finally “Survivor,” in which the final scene is reenacted again and again, with fewer actors each time.

In the end, at least at the performance I attended, the platypus from the mall with the J.C. Penney was recovered safely, and in entertaining fashion.

The Cryptids have shown themselves to be excellent at both scripted material and wild improvisation. Weeks earlier, they performed a role-playing-game themed improv (featuring Schaab as Bigfoot) at GenCon.  

Improvised Stephen King

Mark Cashwell is both a great actor and an improviser with a gift for brilliantly playing the host of a game or talk show. This time, he combines these skills to give a deadpan presentation of the Master of Horror himself, complete with dark wig and darker attitude.

Mr. King needs to write another bestseller, and is out of ideas, so he will revisit one of his hits. Using audience response, he chooses among “It,” “The Shining,” “Carrie,” and “Misery.” The rest of the show is a suggestion-guided re-enactment of the selected novel/movie.

The performance I attended did “Carrie.” It turned out very well, in part because the highly talented actor and improvisor Frankie Bolda took on the title role. No pigs were harmed, though some chairs were endangered by bouts of hilarious telekinesis, and Carrie even got to live – at least until the clown with the balloon showed up.

Cashwell has given us a wide variety of improvised adventures over the last several years; this makes an excellent addition, especially for those in a macabre mood.

Welcome to Nowhere

Newer addition to the local comedy scene, Shelf Sabotage Improv, presents a long-form improvisation with plenty of audience input for their several-member troupe. The story involves a quirky small town with a weird name, a unique annual festival, an unusual teen fad, an unconventional varsity sport at the high school, and perhaps an exotic animal on the loose.

Just a normal day in [blank].

The performers did well on picking up on all the often bizarre things we shouted to them, crafting a surprisingly cohesive narrative, complete with occasional callbacks and a satisfying conclusion.  Even when we set up a juxtaposition too weird for the player who had been offstage when we set it up to guess, the results were still funny.

Here’s hoping we see more of Shelf Sabotage.

–

All three of these shows were held in the Arabian Room of the Murat Shrine Club, a regular supporter of the IndyFringe festival.

IndyFringe: The Kids Are Alright

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This is part of the annual Indianapolis Theatre Fringe Festival, a/k/a IndyFringe 2026, held Aug. 13-23 in venues around downtown Massachusetts Ave. Information at indyfringe.org.

By John Lyle Belden

Reviews of: “Cicada,” by Carmel High School; “JACKED: A Beanstalk Remix,” by KIPP Legacy High School; “Queens,” by University High School of Indiana; “Whatever Happened to Gold D. Locks?” by Sondra E. Hayes Productions.

Fringe festivals are excellent opportunities to develop skills as well as stories, which makes them perfect for high school and youth programs. As with all forms and genres represented in Fringe, the quality and appeal of each performance differs, and with those whom we know up front are learning their craft, we grant more understanding. I have found that once you give that degree of grace, you find a good story, the noble intentions, individual bravery, and even those young persons with the spark and drive to shine on future stages.

Cicada

(Review by Wendy Carson)

Carmel High School brings us another heartfelt offering with this Southern Gothic steamer. Lily (Lexie Palmer) lives alone with her son, Ace (Jack McNalley). However, they are surrounded by the ghosts of those who have also lived there. We meet Lily’s big sister (Jenna Kraus) who died as a child; Granny Duvall (Hadley Wilkinson), who had actually raised her; and Aunt Sister (Lucy Frey) who came to live with her after Lanora passed on.

We also meet their neighbor, Lanora (Lilyanne Nottingham), who is haunted by memories of her husband (Ron Feinberg) and his struggles for the perfect lawn. Ace wonders about his absent father (Ron Feinberg) and conjures his own memories of him.

Maaike Mora is present as the specter who plays the piano and Maisan Hasan is the voice of the preacher Granny Duvall idolized.

Jerry Dye directs this sweeping tale of loss, memories, and hauntings of one kind or another.

JACKED: A Beanstalk Remix

Established in 2019, KIPP Legacy High School has developed a full array of extracurricular activities, including theatre. For the second year, the students present a show at IndyFringe, giving valuable experience not just in performance, but also in mounting a show in a professional environment. This year’s offering shows growing comfort with their expectations.

With rhymes recited in hip-hop style, we meet Jack – the one with the old cow. Mother tells him to sell her, because she will produce no more milk. However, he considers the animal a pet or even a friend, and when Minka Mysterio comes by with some magic beans and a promise that the cow won’t see a butcher, the famous deal is struck. You can guess what happens next: angry Mom throws away beans; they sprout anyway, making the skyward beanstalk; Jack climbs, discovers a Giant, a talking Harp, and a Goose that lays golden eggs; he opts to steal the bird; the Giant follows him down the stalk – a fatal mistake.

That would be the whole fairy tale, except the show isn’t halfway over.

There is far more allegory here than you, or Jack, expect. We deal with damage from a falling giant; the village being off the gold standard; a more troublesome use for the eggs; as well as the inevitable, upset, Mrs. Giant.

The students work this complex story with upbeat aplomb, making the most of each role. The goose, with a look of frustration and fatigue, gets a lot of amusing expression from her single-word “dialogue.” Minka’s mischief and Jack’s earnestness each shine.

Overall production improvement shows, giving us hope that the school will appear at Fringe for years to come.

Queens

Though the subject matter is the same, this is not “Six.” University High School of Indiana in Carmel presents the story of the wives of England’s King Henry VIII, drawing on historical material, including songs, rhymes and dances of the era, as well as more appropriate costumes.

Henry Tudor is chained to a throne in Purgatory, attended by a Jester, his tormenter. Also on hand are the spirits of all six of his wives to relate the stories of their lives and treatment by their monarch until he truly repents. To relate the events, the women dance or gather through various functions, reflecting the news, speculation, and rumor of Royal society. There is also a Young Henry who each encounters, marries, and deals with his rough temper and selfish pride.

Besides a well-told history narrative, there are lessons for us today, especially in the hazards of obsession. This is most expressed in Henry’s consuming desire for a son to succeed him. When at last one is born, after which his second wife dies, it is declared, “Her life for a boy!” Chained Henry responds, “My soul, for a boy.”

The presentation and choreography are excellent, as well as the various portrayals. The true-to-the-era personalities even included one maiden who enjoyed watching executions.

There were only two performances at the 2026 Fringe, so hopefully this proved a good opportunity for bigger investment in a future festival.

Whatever Happened to Gold D. Locks?

This new take on an old fairy tale was truly a family affair. Written and directed by Sondra E. Hayes, “…Gold D. Locks” is cast with at least three families of parents and their children. Kids get a lot of action and speaking lines, especially young B.B. Bear, whose chair was broken and porridge eaten; the Raccoon crime-watch captain who saw it happen, and the title character, a presumptuous Human who is caught and put on trial in the Woods court.

Before the show starts, every member of the audience is urged to put on a provided animal mask, so that we may observe the trial as the jury. No votes are taken, but we are encouraged, with prompts projected on the back screen, to respond (with animal noises) to the events on the stage.

In their own costumes and masks, we see the court of an Eagle judge with an Owl defense attorney, Badger prosecutor (there is at least one accusation of “badgering the witness”), and Fox sheriff and court officer, with his Kit appearing as the Bailiff to hold the Book of Virtuous Stories for swearing in. (“My Mother told me never to swear!” Gold responds.)

With its added subplots of environment and conservation, as well as admonitions not to judge one another unjustly, this was an excellent all-ages show and perfect for younger children. There were many giggles, from young and old, when the Turtle jury foremen slow-but-steadily made their way up to the stage to leisurely deliver the verdict.

IndyFringe: The ‘pwocess’ of Magic

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This is part of the annual Indianapolis Theatre Fringe Festival, a/k/a IndyFringe 2026, held Aug. 13-23 in venues around downtown Massachusetts Ave. Information at indyfringe.org.

By John Lyle Belden

Stage magic has always been a big part of IndyFringe, though it was a little harder to find in 2026. Aside from longtime Fringe favorite Taylor Martin (and his various personae) busking on Mass Avenue, there were two performers seeking to amaze and amuse, each in their own unique way:

Real Magic

Fringe veteran Jordan Allen returns with a fairly traditional array of illusions, but this time he presents less familiar feats of prestidigiditation. During the preview, he revealed his magical light bulb, which – while easy to say it’s a magic-shop prop – he presents in a manner that invites a little wonder that is sustained by much harder-to-guess tricks.

His thesis in this show, reflected in the title, is that the “real” magic is that aspect of our minds that is open to small impossibilities, like a coin popping into the sealed bottom of a bottle with a neck too narrow to allow it in from the top.

There are cards, and kerchiefs, and a 1999 half-dollar that just won’t stay put, worked with well-practiced sleight of hand and professional presentation. In addition, he takes on a bit of mentalism with the words audience members write on slips of paper.

Allen admitted at the top of the hour that these are fairly new bits for his act, so there was a slip or two, but we all had fun being his test subjects. His evolution doesn’t take him away from the familiar magic wand and nice jacket, while showing us that he’s not quite an old dog and there is always room for new tricks.

Based out of Louisville, Ky., Jordan Allen performs throughout the region. Find him on Facebook or LinkedIn.

Mr. Ow

Making a first-time appearance at IndyFringe is Tozy, a magician/clown/etc. from Reno, Nev., as Mr. Ow, a big pink brain worm with a positive attitude and an Elmer Fudd accent.

As she resides “in your bwain” this is an entertaining hour of whimsical mentalism, flavored with cheeky humor. Faced with a room full of people with minds to dazzle, she does a fair amount of audience interaction, bringing three people down to the stage for more fun. With the help of her tarot-esque deck of “thought” cards, and written answers to specific questions, she progresses from mental marvels to a “silly game” with what feels like serious stakes.

Even the tricky nature of the plastic worm costume works into the act. When a card or other prop is knocked to the floor, she reassures us with a smile that it’s never an error, just part of her magical “pwocess.” And there is more to her tubular garb than first appears.

Presented with audacious charm and peppered with affirmations and encouragement, this was one of the best magical soft clown invertebrate shows I’ve ever seen. Here’s hoping Tozy – in whatever form – makes her way back to Indianapolis soon.

IndyFringe: A Distant Sound of Thunder

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This is part of the annual Indianapolis Theatre Fringe Festival, a/k/a IndyFringe 2026, held Aug. 13-23 in venues around downtown Massachusetts Ave. Information at indyfringe.org.

By Wendy Carson

In August 2025, a record heat wave causes a huge blackout in New York City. In hopes of finding some sort of relief, the locals throw an ersatz block party. When past resident Hector (Ian Cruz) shows up asking a few too many questions, things really get heated.

While recent retiree Bill (Steve Kruse) is delighted to see his old neighbor and catch up on recent changes, Mary (Karin Stratton) doesn’t trust him at all. It seems that numerous people, all of foreign descent, have been mysteriously disappearing from the building, and throughout the city. Since Hector is giving varied stories as to how his arm was broken and is overly interested in their new Trans neighbor, Enchante (Lucy Fields), perhaps Mary may be right.

Producer and author Eric Bryant gives us a true potboiler full of deception, paranoia, intrigue and humanity. Under the direction of Carrie Ann Schlatter, the cast deftly presents these captivating characters leaving the audience to decide for themselves the truth of each person’s story.

Performances were held on The District Theatre mainstage.

IndyFringe: Cowboy Meg’s Saturday Morning Roundup

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This is part of the annual Indianapolis Theatre Fringe Festival, a/k/a IndyFringe 2026, held Aug. 13-23 in venues around downtown Massachusetts Ave. Information at indyfringe.org.

By Wendy Carson

Come on out, Little Buckaroos, and join a live taping of “Cowboy Meg’s Saturday Morning Roundup”. Meet the regular cast members: Morning Grind (Paige Vanzo), Postmaster Malone (Kevin McLane), and Bessie the Cow (Kielynn Tally or Kelsey VanVoorst), as well as some new visitors including Mr. Undertaker (Vanzo).

Although it seems that Cowboy Meg (Meg McLane) may have lost a step and a few things seem awry, the Stage Manager (Jamie Rich) is always there to help get things back on track or play a commercial to keep us entertained. All in all, this is a rip-roaring good time for all, and an excellent showcase for local actor and improv comic Meg.

So, when you get the chance, round up all of your own little buckaroos and give this show a big “Yee Haw!”

IndyFringe: I Came Out (Not Ahead)

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This is part of the annual Indianapolis Theatre Fringe Festival, a/k/a IndyFringe 2026, held Aug. 13-23 in venues around downtown Massachusetts Ave. Information at indyfringe.org.

By Wendy Carson

Jeff McKinney is no stranger to the IndyFringe stages, but he seems to have hit his stride with “I Came Out (Not Ahead): The Wheels of Misfortune,” in which good friend Kristi Zobel interviews his about his long, crazy – but fun – road to his current success..

Or, as he puts it, his “rags to paper towels and slightly better toilet paper” story.

We meet Uncle Pooder, Aunt Fizz and the others who shaped his childhood. Learn about the 4 D’s (dinner, drinks, drugs, and dicks) as well as the fact that he has earned a PhD and was a teacher for more than 20 years. There are so many stories he has to draw upon, and they will all keep you entertained.

McKinney’s Jeff Kidding Me Comedy presents shows from time to time at The District Theatre, and provides leadership and communications expertise through his talents. See jeffkiddingmecomedy.com.

IndyFringe: Timey Wimey Stuff

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This is part of the annual Indianapolis Theatre Fringe Festival, a/k/a IndyFringe 2026, held Aug. 13-23 in venues around downtown Massachusetts Ave. Information at indyfringe.org.

By Wendy Carson

After four years, Victoria Montalbano returns to Indy with another Sci-Fi-based story of her life. This time she turns to the Doctor Who universe, specifically with the character of River Song as her avatar. NOTE: While knowledge of the source material is helpful, it is not required to follow the story.

“Timey Wimey Stuff: The Mid Life Crisis of a Time Travelling Space Archeologist” centers mostly around the mind-numbing drudgery she endures to support her ambitions for a successful acting career. This gives her the chance to daydream of a more adventurous life among the stars, chasing The Doctor. We see how her choices have led her to her current and past states of being as well as the possibilities that might have been, had her circumstances changed even minutely. She constantly strives to be the best person she can and overcome the small, dark voice of pettiness that is ever present in the background.

Always a supreme storytelling talent, this offering even includes an original song. Here’s hoping an opportunity will once again arise for you to catch this exciting, rollicking adventure in storytelling.

IndyFringe: Bats! Our Maligned Friends

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This is part of the annual Indianapolis Theatre Fringe Festival, a/k/a IndyFringe 2026, held Aug. 13-23 in venues around downtown Massachusetts Ave. Information at indyfringe.org.

By Wendy Carson

In this show, Carrie Hawks endeavors to show us the link between bats, Trans people, and Autism. A prestigious graduate of the University of YouTube (they don’t have Majors, rather they are “Rabbit Holes”), she set upon this path while doing research for her upcoming animated presentation, “Vamp Snail,” which hopefully they will bring back to us at a future Fringe Event.

While most of the data presented is about the vampire bat species specifically, there is so much to learn. We find out the formal definition of a bat, which is not nearly as old as you might think. We see the similarities/dangers and spread of both “White Nose Syndrome” and “White Supremacy Syndrome” throughout our country. Hawks proposes that the rise of climate change may be attributed to the rise of transgenders due to their extreme hotness.

We hope that Hawks will revisit our area in the future, because they are a genuinely engaging talent that deserves repeat experiences.

IndyFringe: LOLCow

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This is part of the annual Indianapolis Theatre Fringe Festival, a/k/a IndyFringe 2026, held Aug. 13-23 in venues around downtown Massachusetts Ave. Ticketing and other information at indyfringe.org.

By Wendy Carson

Casey Ross is not only a long-time Fringe creator, but she is also known for her brilliant ability to portray dialogue as a true conversational art form. However, since her personal tastes sometimes run only somewhat adjacent to the mainstream, she is not as well known as she deserves to be.

“LOLCow,” her latest offering, is a brilliant diatribe on Influencer Culture, the power of the internet, the price of fame, and trust in today’s world. Sadly, I feel most of her audience will not see this. Those who take the play at face value could miss the delicate nuances of the script.

While on the surface it is the story of two somewhat awful people abusing themselves and each other for their own purposes, it shows how the 24/7 news cycle and internet culture have led to the monetization and prevalence of the worst of society for the enjoyment of others. (The title references the urge to “milk” a meme for more online fame.)

I will admit that this show is not for everyone, but I request you do consider watching it, bringing an open mind and an inquisitive eye to try to catch the real message underneath the “spectacle.”

Presented by Catalyst Repertory, performances are 12:30 p.m. Saturday and 8 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 22-23, in the Basile Theatre at IF (719 E. St. Clair).