John

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.

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

A glorious thing, so see these ‘Pirates’ sing

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By John Lyle Belden

Buck Creek Players are buccaneers with their fun production of Gilbert and Sullivan’s “The Pirates of Penzance.”

Famous for its singing swashbucklers and songs like “Poor Wandering One” and the rapid-fire “I am the Very Model of a Modern Major-General,” the comic operetta found a great source for satire in the popular romantic stories of pirates (the Golden Age of Piracy being long over and passed into myth by the 1870s, when this was written). Arthur Sullivan (music) and W.S. Gilbert (libretto) also mocked serious opera by figures such as Verdi, and even their previous hit, “H.M.S. Pinafore.” Humor is also drawn from issues of British class and manners, as well as blind obedience to duty – however, in their cheeky fashion, there remained absolute devotion to Her Majesty, Queen Victoria.

The plot, which works in the opera’s own absurd world, centers on Frederic (Shederick Whipple) who finds his apprenticeship to the Pirate King (Casey Adams) at an end, or is it? His childhood nurse, Ruth (Lauren Laski) was supposed to sign him to a ship’s pilot, but had misunderstood the word; now, a revelation in the fine print could doom Frederic further. Meanwhile, this seashore hideaway has been discovered by the many female wards of Major-General Stanley (Daniel Draves), most notably Mabel (Devyn Kerr), who takes a shine to Frederic, who has repented his pirate life and now seeks to eradicate his former shipmates.

Directed by Georgie Teipen, the cast embraces the fun of this show – both in its inherent silliness and the kitsch of being a well-known century-plus old comedy. The sellout audience at our performance certainly picked up on it. It helps that aside from a lot of comic talent on the stage, there are genuine opera performers in Whipple, a tenor whose vast experience includes playing Frederic, and Kerr, a marvelous coloratura soprano who teaches voice at her alma mater, Franklin College. Laski is also wonderful in both voice and performance – and doesn’t look so “plain” once Ruth embraces the pirate life. Adams also excels, and we selfishly hope he won’t be going home to Idaho anytime soon. Draves plays the Major-General in fine form, signature song and all.

Among the cast of Pirates and Maidens, Christine Kruze and Jennifer J. Kaufmann get standout moments, as well as Scott Fleshood, leader of the chorus members (formerly pirates) who return as policemen.

All this comic energy for an unserious opera makes for a very entertaining outing to the Buck Creek Playhouse, 11150 Southeastern Ave. (Acton Road Exit of I-74), Indianapolis. Remaining performances are Friday through Sunday, Sept. 4-6. Get tickets at buckcreekplayers.com.

Black Light shines light on Indy history, culture, again

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By John Lyle Belden

Here’s a homework project we can all learn from.

Black Light Training & Development, a program of The District Theatre, presents “The Griot,” a new dramatic work in progress by Celeste Williams, directed by Ronni Watts with Kelly Kel. For the participants, this is an opportunity to develop skills as writers, actors and directors; for the audience, this is also a window into Indianapolis Black history, with a focus on The Indianapolis Recorder.

Founded in the 1890s, The Recorder has been a vital part of what was then and through the 20th century referred to as the “Negro press,” newspapers that served communities of color across the United States, bringing to light the people, stories, and issues mostly ignored by the mainstream (read: white) media. As one line in the play states, to know what was really going on, “this newspaper, and the grapevine, was it!”

To get misbehaving high school students Rosa (Kenyla Bell) and Malcolm (Tyrell) to take history seriously, their teacher gives them a week to make a presentation about the Recorder – something they barely know or care about.

Malcolm remembers it’s something his grandmother “Moms” (Kea Biven-Williams) reads all the time. Noting his interest, she tells how it covered the career of the great Oscar Robinson and his history-making high school title. While her breaking into the Crispus Attucks High “Crazy Song” is a fun audience sing-along, it overwhelms the boy with its hokey-pokey old-fashioned style and he retires to his bed. Meanwhile, in her home and bed, Rosa nods off while Googling the history of The Recorder.  

This is where the spirit world intervenes. Jeli (Destiny Basnight), the essence of The Griot (a traditional African storyteller and history-keeper) brings together the dreamscapes of both youths to meet her and the spirit of George Pheldon Stewart (Terrance Marquis), co-founder of the Recorder.  D’Andrea Brown arrives as “N. Diana Avenue” to enlighten the kids on local history and “Cora S. Pondent” to relate the Recorder’s role in it. Dom Moon appears as the mistress of “Monster Meetings” that brought notable African Americans to speak at the Senate Ave. YMCA, as well as a soldier who wrote to Black papers during World War II to propose the Victory sign become a “Double V” for victory both in the War and on the homefront for civil rights.

Malcolm and Rosa are shaken from their apathy by discovering the rich history in their own city, learning of success stories, like that of Madam C.J. Walker; events like the visit by Martin Luther King Jr., five years before his “Dream” speech; and the horrors of lynchings across Indiana, murdering “young people like us.” In the process, Rosa confronts questions about her own future, while Malcolm feels he must deal with his own troubled past. Appearing at ease on the stage, Bell and Tyrell show their own talent and potential.

The adults acquit themselves well, too. Basnight’s delivery balances charm and culture to stay above caricature. Biven-Williams is endearing as the grandmother. And Marquis entertainingly brings to life the rather dashing photos of Mr. Stewart, presenting a classy no-nonsense newspaperman.

As in past Black Light productions, we get deeper insight into Indiana’s past as well as an opportunity for future cultural icons.

Overall, the 90-minute play gives a good first public showing with great potential. See what we mean and encourage its development by seeing it 7 p.m. tonight (as this posts) or 4 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 30, in the District Blackbox, 627 Massachusetts Ave., Indianapolis. For tickets and information, see indydistricttheatre.org.

Find Black Light Training & Development on Facebook. The Indianapolis Recorder is available in newsprint, online, and provides a weekly email newsletter.

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.

School is such a Drag in parody musical

PWJW_Indy Reviews, Stage , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

By John Lyle Belden

Twenty years later, it can by forgiven to forget what an outright phenomenon the 2006 Disney Channel movie “High School Musical” was. Featuring a clever script by Peter Barsocchini and the rising talents of Zac Efron, Vanessa Hudgens, and Ashley Tisdale, this teenage tale of defying expectations soared far above typical Disney Channel fare, winning Emmys, Teen Choice Awards, and devoted fans, leading to sequels and more.

Indy Drag Theatre, phenomenal in its own way, apparently gave it a look and said, “b!tch, let’s do this!”

To keep the litigious Mouse at bay, IDT fiercely presents “Night School Musical: A Drag Parody” at the Phoenix Theatre Cultural Centre, directed by Natalie Port Ma’am and Madison Avenue with choreography by Meadowlark Lane.* This cast of drag queens and kings lip-synch the original musical – playing it more-or-less straight, so to speak – with some fabulous enhancements including surprise song additions and “Glee” references to keep it all in campy parody mode.

Dragnar Johnson portrays Troy, the star of the Wildcat basketball team and son of its coach (played by Maurice Mantini), who happens to sing well and considers trying out for the Winter Musicale to get with cutie Gabriella (A.J. Thoma), who aspires to be more than a math-nerd. Having rivals for the lead roles does not sit well with Broadway-obsessed Sharpay (April Rose) and her brother Ryan (Tad Strange); fortunately, theatre teacher Ms. Darbus (Norah Borealis) is on their side.

Schoolmates are portrayed by Sydnie Blair, King Kairi, Lollypop Lyx, Iliana a la Mode, Taron Closeoff, Eli Rose, Rodick, Long Schlong Johnson, Canila C, Caroline Rogers, Jakkie Lupia, Gayle Thyme, and Manatea.

The look and style of drag add just enough magical realism to get us into this fantasy of high school life, where championships on the line are as high-stakes as it gets, and cliques and assumed roles can be overcome by song-and-dance numbers. Earnest professional performances by all rekindle the magic that makes this such an enduring hit.

Credit where due: Costume design is by Maria Fruit; makeup design by Calyko Magick-Waffle; wig design by Oriana Peron with Mackenna Mullins as wig tech; set design by Miss Kay-Ottic with props by Alish Forner; lighting design by Pauly Crumpacker; and stage manager is Brian Kitta, with stage crew Tricera Tits and production manager Mason Veselsky. Superlatives all.

Want to get in on the act? Before the show there is a VIP raffle to win a moment on the stage during one of the scenes.

This is in the main stage of the Phoenix, 705 N. Illinois St., downtown Indianapolis, but all those seats will likely fill fast, Friday through Sunday evenings and Saturday and Sunday matinees, Aug. 28-30. Get tickets at phoenixtheatre.org and info at indydragtheatre.org.

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*(Note: Out of respect for the art form and its performers, they are identified by their Drag names as given in the show program.)

IndyFringe: ‘They will come out and dance again’

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By John Lyle Belden

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.

Reviews of: “First and Last Breath,” by Seda Negra/Black Silk, “Mārgam – The Path in Bharatanātyam,” by Team Laya; “On the Edge of Now,” by Pulse Dance Theatre; “Perfect Ten!” by Crossroads Dance Indy; “Ready Yet?” by Theo Renee; “SOUL: Reimagined” by Kenyetta Dance Company.

The above quote was not said on stage, but by a little girl in the audience behind me, said with naïve and wishful confidence at the end of the show. Her father then gently explained to the enraptured young fan that the dancers would not return, at least in that hour. The previous day, I saw a different child standing by her chair, eyes fixed up on the stage, gently swaying like she was part of the action before her. In a way, she was.

Such inspiration, for all ages, is part of what makes dance and movement so important to the IndyFringe festival. Perhaps you, too, can get swept up in these performances (or if their dates have passed, watch for your next opportunity).

EDIT: I have added a review of the first show, the others were previously published before the festival ended.

First and Last Breath

“The wind will bring collective healing… for the wind is the first breath.” In this production by Seda Negra/Black Silk, incorporating contemporary and traditional dance forms, we explore cycles of life with the spirit Oya — an orisha originally from Nigeria now honored throughout the African diaspora. On the stage of the Athenaeum Basile Theatre, the dancers present a flowing, energetic, almost continuous program. Starting with two, then joined by the company, they move like guiding winds, fall, awake, take on shimmering forms in light flowing robes. They confront and are blessed by Oya in her buffalo form, “preparing for battle.” They embody struggle, and the need to leave old patterns behind. Finally, they embrace the Last Breath to a refrain of “Take me, Oya.” Incredibly beautiful with an exceptional sense of unity, the company’s appearance in the second weekend of IndyFringe was worth the wait.

Mārgam – The Path in Bharatanātyam

The title refers to a particular form of traditional dance from India.  Presented with traditional music and costumes by Team Laya of Columbus, Ind., the three women dancers share with us one of the great Hindu stories, the life of Rama, who was considered the ideal man and an incarnation of Vishnu.

After a traditional invocation, we are shown that before Rama was man or legend, he was a child. A dancer gracefully portrays his caring mother, guiding, chiding and embracing her young son, her precise movements perfectly miming these activities. The three next portray other events in his epic, including his unjust exile, the loyalty of his brother Lakshmana and wife Sita, and his battles to finally gain his rightful crown.

The dancers show great physical control, grace, precision and endurance. Their ankle bells add to the rhythm, much like tap shoes in Western dance. Even if you don’t know the story, the sense of deep, ancient culture is readily felt.

To share in this experience, there is one scheduled performance, 12:30 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 22, on the intimate Cabaret stage at The District Theatre, 627 Mass. Ave. Note that seating is limited so, like the first performance on Aug. 15, a sellout is likely.

On the Edge of Now

The “pulse” of Pulse Dance Theatre is apparently an elevated heartbeat, as the works in “On the Edge of Now” plumb emotional depths. The opening piece, “Hypervigilance,” choreographed by Amanda Hoover, portrays the trapped feeling of past traumas, presented by the grasping hands of company members, seeking to restrict one’s life.

The other dances are choreographed by PDT artistic director Amanda Browning, including parts of “Through the Pulse of Memory” (solo by Morgan Johnson), “Frequencies” (Magdalynn Derloshon and Izaak Vilbrum), and “Elegy for Thoughts Unspoken” (company). In “Suite Bru,” the ensemble deliver in movement a perfect reflection of two of Dave Brubeck’s most famous jazz numbers.

An excellent hour of contemporary dance, one performance remains at 12:30 p.m. Saturday (Aug. 22) in the Basile Theatre upstairs of the Athenaeum (401 E. Michigan Ave.).

Perfect Ten!

Crossroads Dance Indy celebrates a decade of performances with a program of 10 selections to fascinate and amuse us.

With choreography by Brittany Gaither, Nicole Mikesell, Sammi Kindler, Meghan McGill, Kathie Porras, Clarice Nolan, Dani Conti, and Gabby Padilla, the company approaches the concept of “ten” from all manner of angles, set to music ranging from Blondie to Brubeck (consider “Take Five” in 10/8 rhythm) to Rodgers & Hammerstein. There’s a humorous piece on the declining value of a dime, and even a look back at being ten years old. It concludes with a clever look back at their favorite past dances.

As for the common slang definition of the title, “Perfect Ten,” the brave and beautiful ladies (and gentleman) of this troupe remind us that it’s not just that anybody can dance, but that any body can dance, and that’s more than fine with us.

Seek “perfection” at the Athenaeum Basile Theatre (401 E. Michigan) Saturday evening and Sunday afternoon, Aug. 22-23.  

Ready Yet?

Theo Renee was inspired by hearing of a dance classmate being named an “Emerging Choreographer.” The concept of what it is like to emerge, bridging the gap between being a student and a professional, brought about the project, “Ready Yet?” involving Renee and several other performers from Michigan college programs.

 This is only their second production (the first was in Ypsilanti, Mich., in January) so the show is still raw and evolving, but the pieces (seven dances and a monologue) don’t appear unfinished. They display great individual skill and control, while tapping into various emotional states. There are the two dancers whose movements are as if statues did stretching exercises, never losing their graceful presentation. Emotional strain at one point is punctuated with music suddenly stopping and starting, the dancers responding accordingly.

The most interesting and complex number starts with two dancers in a balletic style with bits of humor. Their costumes each have a fringe (appropriate!) of ribbons along the hem of skirt of shorts. As others come on stage to join the dance, dressed likewise, there is frequent trading of ribbons among them – like kids with friendship bracelets. Eventually, each will come forward with a clipped phrase, these non sequiturs building into a more profound whole.

The last piece presents despair, hiding from the calls of others while agonizing whether this is all worth it. Finally, the answer comes.

There are two more performances, Saturday and Sunday (Aug. 22-23) at the Athenaeum Basile Theatre (401 E. Michigan). If you see Theo around the festival, you could receive a free “Ready Yet” friendship bracelet.

SOUL: Reimagined

Kenyetta Dance Company delivers an unflinching examination of history some people don’t want told, a lesson written through movement, in terror and sweat. Starting with literal roots in Africa, we see people taken, broken, transported, sold and used as property. The medium of dance helps us see and practically feel the horrors, the longing, and the eventual elation. Though all was taken from them, their souls persisted, sustained by old and constant rhythms.

This is presented as a single program, with each dance flowing into the next, aided by projected visuals, light narration, and music including traditional African, spirituals, and folk blues. Of the latter, the slave auction song “Bid ‘em in” haunts us with its upbeat tone and casual dehumanization, juxtaposed with movement portraying the cruel scene. At various points, the dancers’ skill and precision startlingly depict wrists, arms, bodies, being pulled and dragged by unseen chains, expressions reminding us that not so long ago they were very real.

This may be the best dance production of the Fringe. Performances are 11 a.m. Saturday and 5 p.m. Sunday (Aug. 22-23) at the Athenaeum Basile Theatre (401 E. Michigan).

Neighbors take offense while building a fence in CCP comedy

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By John Lyle Belden

It’s said that “good fences make good neighbors,” but that depends on where the fence is.

At least that’s the case with “Native Gardens,” the comedy by Karen Zacarias presented by Carmel Community Players at The Cat, directed by Lori Raffel. Set nowadays in a nice Washington D.C. neighborhood, near-retired couple Frank and Virginia Butley welcome young couple Pablo and Tania Del Valle, who buy the home next door.

Frank (Larry Adams), who worked for the General Services Administration and does consulting from home, takes pride in the yard and flowerbed he has crafted with great care for years, hoping to finally rise above Second Place in the local gardening competition.

Virginia (Vickie Cornelius Phipps) is a strong-willed woman from a Polish-American family, now a top engineer with a major defense contractor. She doesn’t hesitate to speak her mind.

Pablo (Oscar Otero Ortiz), who was disowned by his wealthy family in Chile for marrying a poor “United Statsian,” worked his way through law school and has been accepted to a major D.C. firm. He hopes to make partner.

Tania (Yolanda Valdivia), from New Mexico – her family was there when it was just “Mexico” – is about to complete her doctorate in Social Work as well as her obvious pregnancy. Her plans for the Del Valles’ back yard are a bit different from what’s on Frank’s side: keep the big oak tree, no pesticides, and all plants native to the area.

One thing both couples can agree on is that the chain-link fence between them must go!

Replacing this barrier with a nice wooden fence must happen quickly, as Pablo impulsively invited his fellow attorneys – including a named senior partner – to his backyard for a barbecue the next weekend. However, when work begins, a routine property survey leads to a bizarre “border war.” How neighborly!

What could start out as a bit of a fish-out-of-water situation soon becomes a meditation on precisely whose “water” this is. Being near the nation’s Capital, there are political overtones – the Butleys are right-of-center, more Bush-era Republicans than the current strain; while the Del Valles are more left-of-center (New Mexico is demographically Democratic) and Tania considers herself Latinx. This informs their actions regarding what each one feels entitled to, as they work within their differing paradigms to be good people.

Our four actors deliver great examples of being bitter without becoming unlikable, as each flashes from friendly to comically enraged at a moment’s notice. As words are said (including a swear in Spanish), acorns are thrown, and legal action threatened, there seems to be little actual malice.

Katherine Floyd, Jacob Slager, and stage manager Susan Yeaw work efficiently as “Mr. Mow It All” yard services, doing the fence removal, survey, contract work and scene changes.

Kudos to Joyce Pendleton for her set decoration of the beautiful flower gardens and realistic tree.

“Native Gardens” is like a fun sitcom with lots of subtext about differing views of land and our relationships to it and each other. It points not to a position of right or wrong, but rather – however we individually see things – to being good neighbors.

Performances run through Aug. 16 at The Cat, 254 Veterans Way in the heart of downtown Carmel. See carmelplayers.org or thecat.biz.

For the troubled teen in all of us

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By John Lyle Belden

Summer Stock Stage has taken on the recent Broadway smash hit Best-Musical Tony-winning “Dear Evan Hansen” with brilliant results.

Note that as this posts, there are very few (if still any) seats left for this production, through Sunday, Aug. 9, at Schrott Center for the Arts on the Butler University campus (next to Clowes). See summerstockstage.com.

Centering on teens who see the impending end of high school as a source of relief, this drama is like the old “afterschool specials” but for the current generation. Its set-up could be played for bigger laughs, but this musical, with book by Steven Levenson, music and lyrics by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, takes the feelings of its characters seriously. The absurdity of dealing with life and death issues at 17 provides ample honest humor to propel the plot.

Evan (Preston Angus) starts his senior year with a cast on his arm (he fell from a tree) and familiar, friendless anxiety. His single mom Heidi Hansen (Emily Ristine Holloway) encourages him the best she can, privately feeling inadequate while dealing with the stress of her job as a nurse and her college classes. Meanwhile, in another stressful scene, Larry and Cynthia Murphy (Eric Olson and Katy Gentry) are dealing with their kids, surly son Connor (Alden Duez), a senior, and daughter Zoe (Erin Rosenfeld), a junior.

In a first for a “Dear Evan Hansen” production, Zoe is deaf (as is the actor) and accompanies speech with sign language – in fact, some songs feature the cast all incorporating ASL in their choreography, and even Evan does some signing as he has long had a crush on her. Accompanying Rosenfeld at all times is Isabella Agresta as a sort of twin who provides her singing voice. Their coordination is flawless, so that understanding that there is just one girl represented becomes easy – especially considering that another character will frequently appear even though he is not really there.

That would be Connor, who displays serious mental health issues. Seeing Evan as also alone and troubled, he signs his cast. Evan had just printed out a letter to himself (“Dear Evan Hansen…”) that he wrote as a therapy assignment, but seeing Zoe mentioned, Connor lashes out, takes the paper from Evan and runs away.

We later discover that Connor takes his own life (no details given) and his parents find the letter. Seeing it addressed to Evan and signed “me,” they assume it was a last message between friends. Evan, feeling trapped and only wanting everyone to feel better, plays along. His anxiety feeds his talkativeness until an entire best-friends scenario is spun and he is trapped as the only source of solace for a grieving family.

Helping him in this charade is smart-aleck family friend Jared (Jack Diamant) and desperate overachiever classmate Alana (Aubrie -Mel Rubel). As the memory of Connor’s passing fades, they take it upon themselves to start The Connor Project to remember their (fictional) friendship and possibly help others.

If you’ve seen promotions for the musical when it was on Broadway, you likely saw the song “Disappear,” in which the Connor Project goes viral. We see various people reacting and posting on numerous screens hanging over the stage. While the moment feels triumphant, it is only the climax of the first act – there is much more to this story, including an inevitable reckoning for the title character.

Directed by Lauren Morris, we get characters in a situation that seems unreal, yet as messy as real life. Angus plays Evan with constant nervous energy, unsure of what he wants or where he fits. At first embodying the old question of, “if a tree falls and no one is there, was there a sound?” he struggles next with finding what feels like real belonging in a false situation. He commits fraud without malice, adding to his inner turmoil. Rosenfeld presents Zoe in her own whirl of confusion, forced to see a new aspect of her “monster” brother while finding affection for Evan. Olson and Gentry play a couple who were on the brink of dissolution, hanging their hopes on what they desperately want and need to be true. Ristine Holloway brings Heidi’s own struggles into the mix, desperate to keep some connection with her son.  Diamant is as close to comic relief as the show gets, while showing Jared’s own hidden issues. As Alana, Rubel is a girl seeking meaning in activity, seeing an opportunity to be the hero until the inconsistencies start to add up. Duez as Connor gives a great performance as a character who was and is always a cypher, even to himself.

I have seen a number of past criticisms of the musical for the way Evan seems to get away with his acts, and the treatment of issues like mental health and suicide, but at least in this production I see a measured handling of complex problems, with situations ending not tragically or happily-ever-after, but in a manner that allows for healing. Whatever our destinies, with honest effort, they “will be found.”

Eclipse: Circumstances shake certainty

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By John Lyle Belden

Reminding us that current controversies have deep roots, Eclipse Productions of Bloomington presents the drama “Doubt: A Parable” by John Patrick Shanley, directed by Kate Weber.

Set in the 1960s, Catholic school principal Sister Aloysius (Ellen Snyder) hears a sermon by popular young pastor Father Flynn (Michael Allen) that increases her suspicions of serious and too-familiar misdeeds. A private conversation with 8th-grade teacher Sister James (Morgan McMillan) deepens her concern, and now the younger nun is also noticing things.

Like a silent jury, we hear the Sisters mull over evidence of… what? They hardly dare to consider that which, if not investigated, would be betraying the students’ trust and innocence. We also get glimpses of the priest; what we see unsettles rather than resolves. Inevitable confrontation delivers no clarity, especially as the principal’s own beliefs and biases are brought into the discussion.

Important but unseen is a young black student at the center of the issue. His mother (Minka Wiltz) arrives to fiercely deliver her perspective, deepening both the stakes and context.

Issues of race relations, “Vatican II” reforms, and Church structure and bureaucracy factor here. To a degree, they echo today while members of all denominations, both past and present, still wrestle with accusations, speculation, and evidence of crimes – destroying lives and shaking congregations.

Allen gives Flynn charming charisma, making him both believable and highly suspicious, depending on your own perspective. Snyder’s Aloysius is the kind of (literally) old-school nun parents respect and children fear – and she likes it that way. McMillan’s James reflects the newer attitudes, leading with compassion, though it’s possible she’s too credulous.

In a more secular setting, you could find yourself on an actual jury, sorting through the circumstantial evidence. This play is notable for its conversation-starting, thought-provoking nature. We highly recommend this exercise in judgement, Eclipse’s arena to wrestle with “Doubt.”

Opening with the most cleverly appropriate curtain speech (kudos to Jeremy Weber’s solemn delivery), performances continue Friday through Sunday, July 30-Aug. 2, at the Waldron Firebay (first floor of Waldron Arts) 122 S. Walnut St., Bloomington. Get info and tickets at eclipseproductionscompany.com.