IndyFringe

IndyFringe: Sadec 1965, A Love Story

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This is part of IndyFringe 2022, Aug. 18-Sept. 4 (individual performance times vary) in downtown Indianapolis. Details and tickets at IndyFringe.org.

By Wendy Carson 

A brilliant storyteller, Flora Le spins the tale of “Sadec 1965: A Love Story,” her quest to discover her father’s hidden past in Vietnam prior to his arrival in Canada, where he attended college and married her mother.

Le’s relationship with her father was never great. He left the family when she was five. During her bi-weekly forced visitations she was neglected and abused. He refused to tell her anything about him, his family or Vietnam, no matter how much she asked.

This lack of a male touchstone in her life led her to make some poor and questionable choices along the way. However, her friend convinces her that the only way she will truly learn about the man is to visit Vietnam for herself. So, she leaves her soul-sucking job and goes upon a motorcycle tour of the country.

She proudly buys herself a beautiful motorcycle, disregarding the fact that she has never ridden on, let alone driven one. She is excited to see the foreign land, disregarding that she only knows approximately three phrases in Vietnamese. Still, she valiantly forges ahead.

Her discoveries throughout the countryside are interspersed with memories of her father. When he is struck down by a brain tumor, she visits him in the hospital but his treatment of her has not changed since she was a child. In fact, she only learns of her father’s past from interviews of the Vietnamese man her brother hired to sit by her father’s bedside.

Through him she finds out about her father’s first love, whom he left behind. She pledged herself to be faithful and wrote him over six hundred letters during a span of about six years. This devotion makes Le desperate to meet the mysterious woman, but will that connection actually be made?

Le’s story is raw and lovely as she pulls no punches regarding anyone’s faults (especially her own). However, the tapestry she weaves is engaging and beautiful and hopefully there will be another opportunity if you missed viewing it during the opening weekend of IndyFringe.

Flora Le’s story continues on her website, containing photos of those involved as well as some of the letters written. Check it out at https://www.sadec1965.com/

IndyFringe: Love OverDose

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This is part of IndyFringe 2022, Aug. 18-Sept. 4 (individual performance times vary) in downtown Indianapolis. Details and tickets at IndyFringe.org.

By John Lyle Belden

React theatre for children and teens (formerly Young Actors Theatre) has created an exceptional topical performance piece in “Love OverDose.” Developed by students with the help of adult mentors and experts, this play with movement and monologues addresses the current opioid crisis from the kids’ perspective, serving as a wake-up call to us all.

Students at Bridgeport High School, U.S.A., Riley Hembry (Hannah Schultz) and sister Alex (Sadie Sheets) are smart, successful, and popular. That means they get invited to all the good parties (“good” defined by the presence of drugs and alcohol). They might drink a bit, or have a pill or two, but it’s not like they’re addicted or anything.

As Riley’s best friend Blake (Regina Jones) says when asked if she does drugs, “No – just sometimes.” Their pal Benny (Bryan McElroy) goes along, though he would rather just chill with classmates at home with a movie. Emma (Katya Bain) knows to take it easy, remembering the embarrassment of her addict father. Jesse (Will Harris) is a freshman in accelerated classes who tutors (or does their homework) to get in with the cool kids. This gets him into the party, but he doesn’t feel like staying.

Still, life can get really intense when you’re a teen, especially when the Hembrys’ parents start to divorce. Riley has some pills. Alex grabs the pill bottle. Before they realize it, they are making life-and-death decisions.

Scenes are punctuated with individual fourth-wall speeches given literally standing on a box, movement interludes that accentuate the feelings of adolescence and projected pharmaceutical-style commercials for “Opioids!” complete with “side effects may include…” that range from feeling invincible, to death.

Aimed squarely at teens and their parents with blunt honesty – without being cheesy, naïve, melodramatic, or overwrought like an “afterschool special” – this also measures up as an excellent theatre piece with gripping drama.

Fringe-goers should see this: 7:15 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 25; 7 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 27; 8:45 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 3; 5:15 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 4. Those interested in having this presented at a school or other organization can get information at reactkids.org/projects/loveoverdose.

IndyFringe: Sweet Dreams, Pillowman

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This is part of IndyFringe 2022, Aug. 18-Sept. 4 (individual performance times vary) in downtown Indianapolis. Details and tickets at IndyFringe.org.

By Wendy Carson

Monique (Audrey Stonerock) is literally a hot mess. Her apartment is a wreck, her hygiene is questionable at best, her cat has run away in disgust and her only companions are a trio of singing rats (Chelsea Mullen, Carrie Powell, and Maria Meschi). Is it any wonder she has begun talking to the pile of pillows and blankets next to her?

She has also started to imagine hearing a strange male voice from somewhere. Is it the rats playing a trick on her or something more sinister?

When she discovers that there is indeed a Pillowman (voiced and puppetted by Zachariah Stonerock), she is frightened at first, but then begins to deal with this manifestation. As is often the case, her visitor is here to help her work through the issues that have brought her to this place in her life.

In “Sweet Dreams, Pillowman*,” presented by American Lives Theatre, many hard truths are explored, but catharsis (and oranges) win out in the end.

Personally, I feel that J. E. Hibbard’s script makes a perfect Fringe show. The characters are interesting, the story is charming, it lulls you into a false sense of whimsy and then hits your emotional buttons (without going overboard).

Experience the sweetness 7:15 p.m. Friday and noon Saturday, Aug. 26-27, on the Indy Eleven stage at the IndyFringe Theatre.

(*This play has nothing to do with the much-darker drama “The Pillowman” by Martin McDonagh; though if you do find a production of that one, be sure to check it out.)

IndyFringe: The Real Black Swan

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This is part of IndyFringe 2022, Aug. 18-Sept. 4 (individual performance times vary) in downtown Indianapolis. Details and tickets at IndyFringe.org.

By John Lyle Belden

Popular Fringe storyteller Les Kurkendaal-Barrett returns to bring us “The Real Black Swan: Confessions of America’s First Black Drag Queen.” In the process, he gets in a few confessions of his own.

For most of his life, Les had a Pink Bubble. It’s like the one Glinda the Good Witch rides in on in “The Wizard of Oz.” Only he can see it, but it protects him.

More recently, Les had a lump in his thigh. It turned out to be a tumor, but neither it, nor the growing Black Lives Matter movement outside his doors concerned him, as the Pink Bubble remained intact.

As he prepared for surgery to remove and examine the lump, Les learned of an article about William Dorsey Swann, who was born a slave in the 1800s and went on to become a Black drag queen (reportedly the first) as well as the first LGBTQ activist on record. This being good material for his next show, Les let it into the bubble. Then he checked in to the hospital.

Under anesthesia, Les drifted in a haze, surrounded by the bubble’s pink glow. Then he saw someone walking towards him – this person was tall, Black, and in a 19th-century dress. In a gruff voice, Swann declared, “You need to start feeling things!”

POP!

We’re not in Oz anymore; this dream takes a more “Ebenezer Scrooge” turn, as Les – and we – examine Swann’s life, and the moments where Les could have used The Queen’s strength. His talent for entertaining us with his introspective stories is blended with a fascinating biography. We get an insight into the history of “gay life” (in both senses of the word) in old Washington, D.C. As one would expect, Swann saw his share of trouble, but being taught how to write while in jail led to his petitioning President Grover Cleveland for a pardon – securing his place in history, regardless of the outcome.

This exercise in self-reflection – we learn why “Kurkendaal” is spelled that way – coupled with seeing worlds outside the bubble, make for yet another great performance in Les’s exceptional repertoire.

Pop on over to the District Theatre to see him 9 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 25, and 5:15 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 28.

IndyFringe: Fly Blackbird Fly/Voices We Can’t Unhear

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This is part of IndyFringe 2022, Aug. 18-Sept. 4 (individual performance times vary) in downtown Indianapolis. Details and tickets at IndyFringe.org.

By Wendy Carson

“Fly Blackbird Fly/Voices We Can’t Unhear” begins by honoring those who are no longer with us. We then see the four actresses entering as children at play.

The group then comes together, giving us monologues about the physical changes of puberty as well as the rude and threatening attitudes of the boys around them to this change. Physical, mental, sexual, and social abuses are discussed, but also acknowledged as sad a part of growing up.

The ladies of the cast – Dedee Austin, Maya Mays, Rav’n Partee, and Latrice P Young – slide in and out of characters ranging in age from 7 to over 45 throughout the course of the show. They enchant us, persuade us, and challenge us not just to hear them but also to fully see them as the complex creatures they truly are.

The show, which Ms. Latrice defines as a “choreopoem,” is a mixture of poetry, scenes, music, and movement portraying the lives of these four females as they grow up into powerful and proud women. Just know that as you are never too old to see a rainbow, you should not leave this spectacle unseen.

Presented by Ms. Latrice, aka Distinctly Unique, with OnyxFest, performances are 9 p.m. Friday and 1:45 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 26-27; and 5:15 p.m. Saturday and 7 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 3-4, at the IndyFringe Theatre, 719 E. St. Clair.

IndyFringe: Bigfoot Saves America

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This is part of IndyFringe 2022, Aug. 18-Sept. 4 (individual performance times vary) in downtown Indianapolis. Details and tickets at IndyFringe.org.

By John Lyle Belden

If you see only one cryptid-centered action-adventure comedy this Fringe Festival, it was probably this.

“Bigfoot Saves America,” by Dakota Jones, tells the story the government (allegedly) doesn’t want you to see, how in 1978, agents of H.A.I.R. reactivated the being known as Bigfoot to team up with the reanimated – but lycanthropy-infected – President Theodore Roosevelt to rescue Mr. Foot’s ex-wife, top scientist and hot blonde Dr. Love Interest from the diabolical Mothman. For this reenactment, the roles are portrayed by Tony Schaab, Aaron Henze, Kyrsten Lyster, and Jo Bennett, with Matthew Walls and Taylor Cox as both Federal Agents and Gay Hench-Moths (see if you can tell the difference), as well as master stagehand Lillian Eisenbraun as needed.

Sponsorship for this episode provided by wonder-drug Sexadryl (“Sexadryl”). See show for possible side-effects.

The best description I can come up with for this is a Cartoon Network “Adult Swim” episode come to life. Absurdity, goofy go-with-it attitudes, and echoes of the self-awareness of action spoofs like “Venture Brothers” or “Bird Girl” abound, with the characters taking things just seriously enough to advance the plot. Cartoonish but for college-age kids, taken on this level “Bigfoot Saves America” is one of the funniest things you’ll see at the Fringe.

If you love America, and don’t want your genitals to explode, you’ll see this unbelievable adventure, playing Thursday evening and Sunday afternoon, Aug. 25 and 28, as well as noon and 7 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 4, at the District Theatre.

IndyFringe: Tortillo 3, Sombrero’s Revenge

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This is part of IndyFringe 2022, Aug. 18-Sept. 4 (individual performance times vary) in downtown Indianapolis. Details and tickets at IndyFringe.org.

By Wendy Carson

Casey Ross has brought back another chapter in the never-ending saga of the Tortillo Corporation and its unfortunate predicament of having cocaine mixed into the seasoning mix for their chips, again. Again.

Presenting “Tortillo 3: Sombrero’s Revenge,” by Ross’s Catalyst Repertory. Even though this is the third installment of the series, you do not have to have seen the previous ones to understand or enjoy it. In fact, highlights of the first two shows are shown prior to beginning of the performance. The cast has an opening number discussing the past events as well.

We begin with put-up Patrick (Dave Pelsue) dealing with imbecilic customer complaints as well as disappointment in the company overlooking his accomplishments.

While Dave (Robert Webster, Jr.) is trying to keep things in the company on an even keel, his decision to bring back the sexist pig, Steve (Matt Anderson) to head up their pretzel division has caused much distress throughout the company even with his wife (Lisa Marie Smith) and their baby Chip. After a heated board meeting, Patrick quits to pursue his dreams.

While Steve and his idiot nephew, Mitchell (Ryan Powell) – Patrick’s cellmate during chapter 2 – are doing research, it’s discovered that the chips are doped yet again, leaving Patrick as the prime suspect.

Will we find out who was behind this nefarious plot? Will Sombrero actually return? Who exactly is the lovely Madeline (Trick Blanchfield) and why does she seem to know so much about Patrick’s past? Also, why is Ted (Tristan Ross, no relation) even here – didn’t we kill him already? That’s not THE John Entwistle (Brian Kennedy) as our Janitor/Narrator, is it?

These burning questions and many more will be answered (whether you want them to or not) in this crazy show. Watch, laugh, enjoy, and be ready in case this gang cooks up another sequel.

Note Casey likes writing the F-word, otherwise it’s OK for teens and up, with performances Saturday night and Sunday afternoon, Aug. 27-28; and Thursday night and Saturday afternoon, Sept. 1 and 3; at the IndyFringe Theatre, 719 E. St. Clair.

IndyFringe: PANEL SHOW

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This is part of IndyFringe 2022, Aug. 18-Sept. 4 (individual performance times vary) in downtown Indianapolis. Details and tickets at IndyFringe.org.

By John Lyle Belden

Spare a thought for poor Mark Cashwell. Over the last two years or so, this man whose performances largely rely on making improvisational comedy with other people had no companion but the telly. Not the American television, but the device showing chat shows and “programmes” with celebrity panel games, such as those hosted by Jimmy Carr.

You don’t need to know of Carr or appreciate his deadpan “humour” to enjoy “PANEL SHOW,” Cashwell’s interpretation of the genre. He hosts an ever-changing lineup of panelists, who may or may not include Thomas Peterson, Kimber Renee, and performers not in another Fringe show at that moment. They play games that could involve popular music, or revealing embarrassing stories about themselves. It’s quite likely they will play British Scrabble, in which what words are allowable may not exist on either side of the Atlantic, but at least sound English-ish. There is also a Distraction, who might be Bill Wilkinson as a clown (this too, varies). Points will be scored, which may or may not matter.

What is certain, however, is that there is something not quite right about Cashwell. (Other than his usual state, I mean.)  

For us watching, as well as the panelists, this hour is a lot of fun and just a bit absurd. Observe this smashing good time Saturday and Sunday afternoons, Aug. 27-28; and Thursday and Saturday nights, Sept. 1 and 3; in the cabaret stage at the District Theatre.

IndyFringe: Ron Popp is a Responsible Adult

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This is part of IndyFringe 2022, Aug. 18-Sept. 4 (individual performance times vary) in downtown Indianapolis. Details and tickets at IndyFringe.org.

By Wendy Carson

This is Ron Popp’s third show at IndyFringe and sadly it is his last, at least for a while. His keen observational humor, though, is still as sharp as ever.

He discusses various issues that resonate today such as aging (“I feel like I walked onto the set of ‘Cocoon’”); sensible gun laws (“even Chekhov had a three-act waiting period”); the state of our country (“we have racism, sexism – community productions of ‘Equus’”); and so much more.

We learn about his life during COVID, surviving the ‘90s, getting a new therapist, and being too gay to get cast in “The Wizard of Oz.”

The show is a laugh riot; it should not be missed as we cannot be sure how long it will be before he returns. Fortunately, you have four shots at this: 10:30 p.m. Saturday and 3:30 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 27-28; 5:30 p.m. Thursday and 8:45 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 1 and 3; on the Indy Eleven stage at the IndyFringe Theatre.

IndyFringe: How Do You Read Me?

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This is part of IndyFringe 2022, Aug. 18-Sept. 4 (individual performance times vary) in downtown Indianapolis. Details and tickets at IndyFringe.org.

By John Lyle Belden

Howard Lieberman and Loren Niemi are master storytellers, in part because they speak candidly about their fairly long and interesting lives. In “How Do You Read Me?” they use deeply personal stories to confront our perceptions of what we think when we see a person with a particular look or in a specific situation.

Lieberman recalls returning from closing a big-money deal to see a homeless person on the street and giving the man a dollar. But Howard has had personal experience with homelessness, and he returns to the man, spending a day that realigns his life. Niemi recalls from his young adulthood, his own day spent with “Tommy the Wino,” the taste of Mad Dog 20/20, and the effect that lingered long past the alcohol.

There’s no guarantee you’ll get the same stories, but you might also hear about when the road took Lieberman to Boston, where a big man called La Diabla became his guardian angel. Then, there was the time Niemi badly mistook a first impression, gaining an enlightening lesson on how a person deals with an unusual and emotionally taxing life.

While, in the past, their stories typically elicit laughter, this time the humor is subtle, allowing room for the full range of appropriate emotions. “It’s worth the moment of seriousness,” they say, and I wholeheartedly agree.

Don’t judge this show by its “cover,” delve within and experience the richness of their stories. Remaining performances are 5:30 p.m. Thursday and 8:45 Saturday, Aug. 25 and 27, at the IndyFringe Theatre, 719 E. St. Clair.