John

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: 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: 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.

IndyFringe: A Magic Show with Jordan Rooks

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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

Family-friendly Las Vegas magician Jordan Rooks has returned to Indy, by way of Hogwarts.

When you enter the District Theatre cabaret stage for “A Magic Show with Jordan Rooks,” you will be guided to your seat in near-darkness. Don’t worry, this will all make sense once things get started. A brief video (shot on a phone by his Mom) shows Jordan getting a genuine Olivander’s magic wand at The Wizarding World of Harry Potter (theme park in Orlando).

Now that he has magic, granting him control over gravity, cards, and Froot Loops, he shares it with us by giving audience members their own magic wands (unicorn hair may be replaced with ink, though) that we get to use by the end of the show. Rooks also calls on audience members of all ages for aid, as well as sharing his entertaining twist on the classic straitjacket escape. You might even get to meet his Mom.

His souvenir wristbands are glow-in-the-dark this year, and if you get one on the way out after the performance, any donations you give for them all go to worthy causes. Remaining show dates are Thursday and Sunday, Aug. 25 and 28, and Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 3 and 4.

IndyFringe: Sing Down the Moon: Appalachian Wonder Tales

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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

Local youth ensemble Agape Theater Company goes with something more whimsical than their usual serious projects with “Sing Down the Moon: Appalachian Wonder Tales,” a musical by Mary Hall Surface and David Maddux that presents familiar fairy tales as they would be told in the mountains of rural Virginia or North Carolina.

This show is also a little different for Agape as it highlights its younger performers, which enhances the innocent fun of the stories’ presentation. In this production, we get three tales you’ve heard before, but not quite like this:

In “Jack and the Wonder Bean,” directed by Brynn Hensley, crafty Jack (Rachel Majorins) climbs the beanstalk to encounter a huge Giantess (Anastasia Lucia, with puppet support by Nate and Jacob Osburn) and escapes back home to his Ma (Harmony Quinn), bringing goods including a magic Hen (Caroline Hildebrand) and enchanted Fiddle (Evangeline Hillebrand).

In the hoe-down song-and-dance number “The Sow and Her Three Pigs,” directed by Kiron Branine and Rebekah Barajas, narrators Ellie Barajas and Rachel Majorins tell of a Mama-pig (Laney Ballard) who worries what her offspring will do after she is gone. Martha (Nora Moster) and Mary (Joanna Barajas) go cheap on building materials, while Nancy (Eden Majorins) finds something even stronger than bricks. Here comes the Fox (Flannery Partain), hungry for bacon. The simple set includes a cloud-wagon for deceased piggies to sit on while awaiting their relatives’ fate, while most of the cast get involved in the do-si-dos (the dance, not the cookie).

Finally, we get the Cinderella variant, “Catskins,” directed by Grant Scott-Miller. An orphan girl (Lacey Pierce) finds a home with a Farmer (Aubri Cottrell) and his Wife (Harmony Quinn). When the Wife dies, the Farmer, embittered by grief, becomes abusive. The spirit of her adopted mother comes to Catskins’ aid with the help of a magic trunk, and the girl ends up a servant to a fine Lady (Anastasia Lucia) and her Daughter (Flannery Partain). It happens that in that land, a Rich Boy (Jacob Osburn) is holding fancy dances to find himself a bride. Our heroine is a bit crafty and doesn’t need talking mice to help her in this interesting version of the old tale.

The presentation is fun and entertaining, and the Giantess puppet is impressive. Remaining performances are 1:45 p.m. Saturday and 5:15 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 27-28, in the Basile Auditorium at the Athenaeum.

IndyFringe: In the Company of Women

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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

Though (as I’ve often noted) I’m not expert on dance, I have long appreciated the works of Crossroads Dance Indy. And once again, they did not disappoint with their latest Fringe festival offering, “In the Company of Women.”

Choreographed by company members Brittany Gaither, Nicole Dean, Sammi Kindler, Daniella Conti, Paisley Gibson, and Katie Porras, CDI pays tribute to womanhood, as well as specific women.

The beginning piece weaves in words suggested by audience members describing the women in their lives. The number that follows highlights the various professions and roles that women take in life and the workplace. At the center is the Teacher, who helps make the others possible. And in a world that allows women to do more than teach, we see the Executive, the Healer, the Fighter, the Caregiver – all beautifully rendered.

A tribute to Jane Goodall portrays a woman standing alone, not conforming to the human jungle, and finding empathy with the denizens of the natural world. A tribute to Julia Child reveals kitchen activity to be more fun than drudgery, reflecting Child’s upbeat attitude and brave life.

Dean created a duet for Taylor Brown and Lindley Hipsher inspired by the hypnotic style of turn of the 20th century choreographer Loie Fuller, which is a wonderful highlight of the show.

Another great piece portrays how the patriarchy of the 1940s and ‘50s saw Rosie the Riveter and Susie Homemaker to be opposites, a choice of giving up one for the other. As the music gives way to an old radio show, “What Makes You Tick?” the Rosies and Susies unite to confront shallow, outdated attitudes.

The company also includes Hope Frey, Alexis Julovich, Nicole Kelter, Clarice Nolan, Hannah Scott, and Ashleigh South.

Crossroads dance gives an inspiring performance, with the grace, flow and energy I’ve come to expect from this dancer-driven company. They take joy in what they do, and so will you.

Upcoming performances are Thursday evening and Sunday afternoon, Aug. 25 and 28, in the Basile Auditorium at the Athenaeum.

IndyFringe: When Jesus Divorced 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

Laura Irene Young has had an unusual relationship with Jesus.

I’m not referring to Our Lord and Savior – she says that will be the topic of another show. She actually married a man who portrayed Christ in an Orlando Christian theme park; ironically, he forsook her for the woman playing Mary Magdalene.

Laura relates her story in “When Jesus Divorced Me,” which she makes a musical with the help of her ukulele.

With ambitions of Broadway, Laura got into a professional summer-stock company, where she met Pharoah – rather, a guy playing the role in “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.” As she put it, “Did you like someone so much, you wanted to vomit?” She managed to keep her stomach but lost her heart. After the summer, they had a long-distance relationship that got much closer, and eventually, to Florida.

I’ll leave the rest for you to find out, as she tells it much better than I ever could. Despite his presence in the title, we don’t learn as much about unnamed ersatz-Jesus as we do about this interesting woman and her interesting life, told with engaging candor. Find out how “God’s plan” involved a lot of crying, that new hobbies aren’t always good, and how she knows he still has their wedding presents.

Presented by Magic Feather Productions, this lovely one-woman show is only during the opening weekend of IndyFringe, with performances 3:30 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 20 (today, as I post this), and 1:45 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 21, in the Athenaeum.

IndyFringe: Spontaneous Tales of Science-Fiction

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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

Stroopwafel Improv are a group that does silly strange things that make you go “ha ha” and “wha?” and “did they just say…” and more “ha ha.” And it is different at every performance.

This time around, there is an attempted theme – science fiction. However, weirdness knows no limits of time and space, so we get physical humor, odd relationships, and odder jobs, but probably on a future Earth. To aid their quest, aside from the regular audience suggestions (feel free to make it challenging) they have a performer from another Fringe show as a special guest. This person won’t be roped into an embarrassing game, but asked to give a possibly embarrassing monologue, from which ideas will be culled for the next series of comedy bits.

And be warned, even an odd throwaway reference in the opening improv game could become a bizarre recurring bit, as these folks take to it like a dog with a bone, gnawing at it in callbacks until all the humor marrow is extracted. (That sounded so weird, I won’t be shocked if it ends up in a sketch – my apologies.)

They are freewheeling with the entendres and occasional naughty word, so this is for teens and up, but do look them up, and see how truly weird and funny the future can be. Performances are Aug. 21, 26 and 27, and Sept. 3-4, in the Athenaeum.

IndyFringe: The Reluctant Mind Reader

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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

Magician and mentalist Brendon Ware has just two performances left of The Reluctant Mind Reader before jetting off to his next gig in sunny Spain (he doesn’t seem too reluctant about this, though).

While you can, see him probe the minds, and pockets, of various audience members. This Indy Magic favorite also has a twist on the old “slamming the hand down on empty cups” routine in which he risks literally getting egg on his face.

I feel no need to hard-sell this show. You – and likely he – already know you are going to see this, Saturday noon and Sunday evening, Aug. 20-21, at the Athenaeum.

IndyFringe: Trapped!

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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

A handsome, sharp-dressed successful man casually relates an old saying, “A jealous man can’t work; a scared man can’t gamble,” little realizing how that relates to his whole world coming apart.

In “Trapped!” by Greg Stalworth, Cincinnati-based performers Curtis Drake Shepard and Jacqueline Johnson-Wilkinson portray a couple, Richard and Michelle, who have it all, including a 15-year marriage. But the high-stakes stress of running his Fortune 500 company grows suspicion in Richard’s mind. Michelle, who he had regarded as the “battery” that powered his life, is now his “trophy,” a precious possession that others certainly covet, an object that he can control.

For her part, Michelle notices the changes, but tells herself he’ll change back. By the time the abuse becomes unbearable, she can barely manage an escape. Shame and her husband isolating her from her peers keep her from reaching out to them, and she falls among society’s disposable rejects.

This unrelenting drama may have triggers for those with similar trauma as depicted and described here. This is hard to watch, in a good way. Shepard bares his character’s ego, letting us see all the ugly a man can become, and the sorrow it finally brings him. Johnson-Wilkinson breaks our hearts, showing us the folly of both Michelle’s denial and our feelings of “why doesn’t she just…” The production aims to be a wake-up call to men and women who see themselves in their shoes, as well as awareness to those who might know them.

Could so much misfortune visit one woman? Shepard says Stalworth wrote this short play in response to a death in his own family. Domestic violence prevention advocates will tell you that part or all of what happens to Michelle has been and is happening to somebody, somewhere, today.

As Michelle says, “Don’t cry for me, cry out because of me.”

Also, just as importantly, can such a man be redeemed? Watch “Trapped!” – performances Aug. 20, 27 and 28, in the Athenaeum – and judge for yourself.