John

Breathless pace of ‘Lungs’ at District

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By John Lyle Belden

“That’s what drama is: watching a character make a decision.”

This quote by playwright Duncan MacMillan, from a 2016 interview, fits the style of his first celebrated play, “Lungs,” presented by new company ZED: Teatro at The District Theatre this weekend (Sept. 11-13).

MacMillan, known for his “Every Brilliant Thing,” engages different personal anxieties with this two-person drama which debuted in 2011. It asks, in entertainingly verbose fashion: When one is conscientious of all that is wrong with the world in the early 21st century, is it right to bring another life into the mix?

In the play’s typically minimalist staging, directed by Holly Hathaway Thompson, we witness a Man (Nathan Erdel) and a Woman (Linsey Babrick-Christie) in a very animated conversation. He, a musician, had suggested to her, a PhD student, that they could have a child together. Their shopping day at Ikea is completely ruined.

There follows a lot of “thinking out loud” in emotionally laden conversations and personal reflections. Being citizens of our globally connected era, concerns go beyond themselves to what’s happening with environment and the effects of corporate and political corruption. (MacMillan wisely sensed it would only get worse leading up to today.) There’s only so much one can do, and they are good people – “Are we good people?” – so, would a baby be condemned to future misery, or become the one who helps fix it?

This is more than a single discussion or argument. Time marches through a number of scenes, which follow one swiftly after another much as they will one day in hindsight. The back and forth between them feels natural – nothing resolved, yet ever moving forward as things must. Some humor grows organically from this, especially in “I didn’t mean to say that, well, yes I did…” moments. While there are disappointments, there is no malice.

Babrick-Christie and Erdel nimbly take on what must be an exhausting acting exercise. Moments come on hard and fast, heavy with hope and uncertainty, yet with an undercurrent of love – even when they aren’t acknowledging it. And with this very vulnerable human portrayal, we come to feel they are people we know, or want to.

As this posts, there are performances tonight and tomorrow afternoon in the intimate District Cabaret, 627 Massachusetts Ave., downtown Indianapolis. Get tickets at indydistricttheatre.org. Find ZED at zedteatro.org.

It’s no jive, ATI’s back in the ‘Hive’

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By John Lyle Belden

Actors Theatre of Indiana is buzzing again with the sound of a “Beehive” musical, opening its season with “Never Can Say Goodbye,” remembering the music of the 1970s.

Five of the six women from last year’s “Beehive: The ‘60s Musical” return: Rachel Dudt, Riley Francis, Michaela McGarel, Kayla Perry, and Kira Rangel, joined by Deborah Mae Hill, who was featured in last season’s “Sunset Boulevard” at ATI. Carol Worcel again directs, with musical direction by Ginger Stoltz.

Taking inspiration from the prior musical by Larry Gallagher, this edition is by Fred Stuart with George Luton. While the song selection for this revue gives emphasis to female performers, some songs – originally recorded by men – still feel like ones your Mom (or grandmother) sang along to with the radio back in the day. Whatever the source, as soon as you hear these hits, you can’t help but think of the era they came from.

To help put everyone in the Beehive mood, the ladies revisit the “Name Game” – with a bit  more funk. They take on various aspects of 1970s sound, from the country-rock feel of Linda Ronstadt to the punky pop of Blondie. For the mellow side, there’s a mashup of “First Time Ever I saw Your Face” and “You Light Up My Life” which works nicely.

At the end of the first act comes an excellent tribute to the classic rock band Heart, in which guitarist Bryan Hedrick steps forward into the fog-bathed spotlight. Worcel said this took some persuading, as the musicians prefer to stay in the background, but it came off great. And by the combined power and harmony of the women’s voices, they managed to evoke the legendary vocals of Ann Wilson.

The Beehive band, led by Stoltz, also included Gisele Dollinger, Chloe McManallen, Dave Paulson, Neil Broeker, Christian Starnes, Matt Greven, and Greg Wolff.

The second half of the show ranged from Motown to Country to Disco – as well as the “ooga-chaka” version of “Hooked on a Feeling” – with a couple of instances of bringing an audience member into the act.

Worcel noted after opening night that this was very much a collaborative effort to bring these songs so wonderfully to life. Aside from the cast, and Stoltz and the musicians, she acknowledged stage managers Nina J.S. Ludwick and Hadleigh Pierce.

An excellent evening (or Sunday matinee) of music and memories with an infectious feeling of funky fun, “Never Can Say Goodbye: The 70’s Beehive Musical” is in its second weekend, running through Sept. 20 in The Studio Theater of the Allied Solutions Center for the Performing Arts in downtown Carmel. For info and tickets, visit atistage.org or thecenterpresents.org.

Mother’s devotion touches the world

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By John Lyle Belden

There’s something unique and fascinating about the cliché Jewish Mother. When encountered in performance it guarantees entertainment for the combination of simple values and cultural complexity. When you meet this personality in the real world, especially displaying a familiar mélange of honest concern and resolved acceptance, you find yourself wanting this woman for your second Mom.

In 1970s New York, countless LGBT youth found this maternal comfort in Jeanne Manford, and in her humble and loving way, she changed the world.

Phoenix Theatre Cultural Center presents the world premiere of “Everybody’s Favorite Mothers” by James Still, directed by Zack Neiditch.

When Jeanne’s son Morty (Jack Ducat) came out to her (Constance Macy), she accepted him without question. Her husband Jules (John St. Angelo) took more time to come around, he admits, but was fully accepting when he saw the violence that confronted a gay man just being himself.

Having been outspoken with a strong sense of justice since boyhood, Morty was an avid activist, working with close friends Mike (Matthew David Consell) and Leena (Alicia Barnes). As they planned to join a Gay Rights march on the anniversary of the Stonewall uprising (which had happened just a couple of years before), Morty asked his mother to walk with him. Feeling challenged at her initial hesitation, Jeanne firmly says she’ll be there.

For someone who prefers to live her own life, “I’m not a joiner,” Mrs. Manford is more conflicted than she realizes. The night before the march (which she likes to think of as a “parade”), she finds herself visited in her dreams by icons of motherhood. Maria Von Trapp from “The Sound of Music” (Zarah Shejule) appears in drag-inspired finery to reassure Jeanne and get her mind ready for the coming big day. She introduces two mothers from the past – the Virgin Mary (Barnes) and Mrs. Cratchit (St. Angelo) – and one from the future, Marge Simpson (Conwell), all eager to share encouragement.

The next day’s march sets Jeanne on a path of activism, Jules by his side, that leads to the founding of what is now PFLAG. Her firm sense that family members should support one another fueled her drive to help resolve estrangement between queer kids and their families, and give support to other parents.    

Still – the former playwright in residence at Indiana Repertory Theatre, now living on the West Coast – said he had great difficulty writing this important story of a little-known hero. While researching he found a relevant speech by President Barack Obama and realized that to include this event from 2008 in a story from 1972, he had to be very flexible with the element of time. Thus, to help focus on the central relationship of Morty and Jeanne, they take charge of their story to “rewind” and “forward-wind” to help them, and us watching, better understand what happened. This adds context and drama to a struggle that included trauma that proves difficult to get past.

Shejule also makes an appearance as the principal of the school where Jeanne teaches, having the impossible task of persuading her to reduce her activism.

This play’s clever presentation goes beyond Still’s words and Neiditch’s direction. Sound and video projections by Ben Dobler include actual news footage. The simple set with seating on two sides is by Rob Koharchik with lighting by Michael Moffatt. Anthony James Sirk did the costumes, which include fantastic plastic wigs and outfits for the dream sequence. Props, including Maria’s cute pet goat, are by Kristin Renee Boyd. Stage manager is Emily Root, assisted by Morgan Grabczak.

Ducat presents all the fed-up stress and sense of personal peril in Morty’s struggle to end discrimination. Conwell plays Mike more glib but with his own sense of worry – he also does a perfect Marge voice. Barnes, who said she reflected on her own journey to inform the role, plays Leena as eager and empathetic while dealing with the unfortunate rift among some activist gays and lesbians. Shejule’s turn as Maria is a delight. St. Angelo presents Jules as steadfastly supportive, as his fragile health allowed.

Macy – also the Phoenix Theatre Christel DeHaan Artistic Director – seems effortlessly amazing as Jeanne, working through her infrequent uncertainties while never diminishing her sense of doing what is right.

An unflinching look at the fight for gay rights featuring a mother’s uncompromising care, “Everybody’s Favorite Mothers” delivers an important chapter in American LGBTQ+ history, and a reminder that this story still continues.

Performances run through Sept. 20 at 705 N. Illinois St., downtown Indianapolis. Get info and tickets at phoenixtheatre.org.

For information on PFLAG, see pflag.org.

Born that way? Belfry goes ‘Bad’

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By John Lyle Belden

For more than 70 years, “The Bad Seed” has been one of the most chilling dramas ever held on stage. The 1954 play by Maxwell Anderson, adapted from the novel by William March (prior to the 1956 film), tackles thorny issues of mental health, psychiatry, nature vs. nurture, juvenile development and psyche, trauma and responses to it, parenting, suicide, being blind to one’s assumptions, free will, and more.

All laid bare by a dispute over a school penmanship medal.

The Belfry Theatre production at The Cat in Carmel doesn’t shy away from any of this. Directed by Matt McKee, the story unfolds in a manner that even if you know everything that is going to happen, you can’t help but be drawn into the growing suspense.

Sixth-grader Olivia Cook plays central character Rhoda Penmark, the practically “perfect” daughter of Col. Kenneth and Cristine Penmark (Matt Spurlock and Lisa Anderson). If the name or her charming face in blonde braids look familiar, it may be that last year, she had the lead in “Ruthless,” the musical parody of “Bad Seed” (and “All About Eve”). This time, the singing and campy elements of the previous role cast aside, she proves to be as cold as a Terminator. Cook perfectly embodies the empathy deficit, narcissistic calm with moments of fury, imperfect attempts to be enough of a “nice” girl to get anything she wants, and unhindered calculations to remove obstacles.

Even now, in the era of True Crime programs and podcasts, it’s hard to see this in a cute tween girl; adults in the Eisenhower era didn’t stand a chance.

Lisa Anderson, as increasingly anxiety-ridden Christine, gives us a reminder that she is as capable of award-worthy performance as her husband Matt (who provides a radio voiceover). What starts with a constant vague sense of unease, accompanied by disturbing dreams, grows into ever darker suspicions as each dread becomes confirmed.

Daughter of criminologist turned radio star Richard Bravo (Jamie Kenjorski, who we’ll meet later), Christine takes advantage of her husband being away on assignment to The Pentagon to pick the brain of current criminologist and author Reginald Tasker (Nate Mecija). Joining them for lunch are her landlady and upstairs neighbor Monica (Desireè Black), accompanied by Emory (Thom Johnson), Monica’s brother.

Monica, whom Black plays with blythe confidence, has undergone Freudian therapy and feels herself an expert on the matter, swiftly diagnosing everyone. Tasker, ignoring her amateur prattle, relates advances in studying psychopaths, finding their conditions as much or more a product of birth than upbringing.

Meanwhile, at the school picnic, Claude Daigle – the boy who won the medal Rhoda not only covets but felt entitled to – mysteriously drowns. While others react as you’d expect, Rhoda comes home and calmly puts on her skates to enjoy her free afternoon. The only one to openly suspect her mood and motives is handyman Leroy (Aaron Beal), who has come to terms with his own neurodivergence and senses a fellow traveler in the girl. Though it is plain, even to a first-time viewer, that this apparently simple-minded man is not the principal villain, Beal’s edgy performance helps keep questions open to his motives.

The question of what really happened comes to consume Christine, especially after she is visited by Rhoda’s teacher Miss Fern (Samantha Kelly). We also meet Claude’s parents, Dwight (Tom Riddle) acting like a turtle wanting desperately to retreat into his shell, and Hortense (Becca Bartley), who has submerged her grief and need for answers in alcohol. The Daigles being working-class, feeling socially inferior, factors into the mother’s slurred rants – which Bartley delivers with perfect pathos – adding to the tragedy of their situation.

McKee’s daughters make big contributions to this production. Ava serves as assistant director, stage manager, and has a moment onstage as a Messenger. Her sister Kayla, who also works the light and sound boards at Center Stage in Lebanon, does so here with growing professionalism (light and sound designed by Bill Miller). Costumes, including some interesting mother/daughter combinations, are by Taylor Moss. Susanne Bush made the most of the Cat stage to design the roomy Penmark living room. Jennifer Poynter wrangled the props (where did she get the medal?). Makeup and hair by Victoria Garcia.

“The Bad Seed” takes root for one more weekend, Friday through Sunday, Sept. 11-13, at 254 Veterans Way in downtown Carmel. (Despite ongoing construction, accessing this street is fairly easy.) Get info and tickets at thebelfrytheatre.com or thecat.biz.

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.

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

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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.)