lgbtq

Teen rite of passage becomes test for all in Civic musical

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By Wendy Carson and John Belden

As you might know, the musical “The Prom” is loosely based on a true incident.* Despite historical  authenticity relative to Disney’s “Pocahontas,” this show – book by Chad Beguelin and Bob Martin, music by Matthew Sklar, from a concept by Jack Viertel – presented by Booth Tarkington Civic Theatre, directed by Michael J. Lasley, entertainingly captures the essence of the story, reflecting the attitudes found in more than just one American town.

From their perspective, at least, this is the story of two aging Broadway stars, Dee Dee Allen (Marni Lemons) and Barry Glickman (Chad Leitschuh) with vanity bigger than their talent. After scorching reviews of their latest flop, they desperately need more positive publicity. With the help of their agent, Sheldon Sapperstein (David Maxwell) and a couple of other actors in need a career boost – Angie  Dickinson (Mikayla Koharchik), who can’t seem to get out of the chorus after 20 years, and Trent Oliver (Evan Wallace), a former TV star who never loses a chance to remind you he went to Juliard – they seek to find a worthy cause that won’t strain them too much. 

Emma Nolan (Kelsey McDaniel) is a high school senior in Edgewater, Indiana, who just wants to take her girlfriend to the Prom. However, the conservative small town district’s PTA, led by Mrs. Greene (Marlana Haig), refuses to allow it, going so far as to cancel the event. Just as it seems that Emma’s ally, school principal Mr. Hawkins (Rex Wolfley), found a way to work the whole situation out, our group of “Broadway Heroes” show up and not only alienate everyone involved, but embarrass Emma.  

Luckily, Hawkins, being a devoted fan of Allen, does not run the whole gang out of town. He even takes the diva to the city’s finest restaurant, Applebee’s.  

After some legal cajoling, the PTA agrees to resume the Prom. Emma plans to take Alyssa (Kaylee Johnson-Bradley), who will finally come out to her family and everyone there. But Emma and her Broadway friends are in for a devastating surprise. 

With the support of our well-meaning heroes, Emma must find a way to take her stand, her way, so that if nothing else, she – and everyone – can dance.

Having only heard a few of the songs beforehand and knowing how the story was handled, we had some reservations as to how this would work out. Would setting the story in Indiana, reportedly as a rebuke to the former Vice President, be a mockery of Hoosiers in general? Fortunately, it’s just gentle jibes we can live with (and have that hint of truth). Rather, the musical’s creators and Lasley’s direction have woven a magical story that is the “Footloose” (with a hint of Cinderella) of our era.  

The whole cast is joyously giving their all in bringing this beautiful event to life. While I am without  enough adjectives to even begin to describe each actor’s fantastic performance, I will say that NYU graduate McDaniel’s powerful voice could land her back in the Big Apple. Broadway’s loss is our gain.

Lemons, Leitschuh, Koharchik and Wallace revel in their license to overact. Haig perfectly portrays the insidious evil of indifference and self-righteousness. Wolfley handles well being the character that is the fulcrum on which the whole plot turns.

Performances of “The Prom” run through Oct. 21 at the Tarkington theater in the Center for the Performing Arts in downtown Carmel. Feel free to bring a date, corsage optional, and arrive early as there is ongoing street construction in the area. Get info and tickets at civictheatre.org or thecenterpresents.org.

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*The true story happened in Mississippi in 2010. (Click here for details) Thanks to Civic for sharing the link.

Sweet ‘Sordid’ comedy at BCP

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By John Lyle Belden

The 1990s were a quaint time, weren’t they? Of course, it wasn’t so nice if you were a “ho-mo-sex-y’all” in Texas – or if your good Christian mother’s love affair gets discovered in the worst possible way.

Welcome to the steamy world of “Sordid Lives,” the classic comedy by Del Shores, presented by Buck Creek Players.

Ty (Kyler Casbon) has a lot to say to his therapist. Despite being a working actor in New York, he’s still in the process of coming out as gay, and feels he has to “butch up” to survive a return to his Texas hometown for his grandmother’s funeral.

The deceased, Peggy Ingram, passed in an accident during a tryst with a married man, G.W. Nethercott (Josh Rooks), who is left wracked with guilt – over the death, but not the adultery. Peggy’s sister, Sissy (Elizabeth Ruddell) is trying to hold it together and make the arrangements between nicotine cravings. G.W.’s wife Noleta (Lea Ellingwood) is furious, but not at Peggy.

Peggy’s daughters, Latrelle (Cathy Cutshall) and Lavonda (Letitia Clemons) are adults, but not very mature. Latrelle, who is Ty’s mother, deals with situations through denial, Lavonda copes with liquor and sarcasm. At the neighborhood bar, G.W. commiserates with local good ol’ boys the Owens brothers, Odell (Jeremy Tuterow) and Wardell (Logan Laflin).

Meanwhile, Peggy’s son, Brother Boy (Thomas Turner), languishes in the mental hospital where he was placed years ago for being gay and dressing up as country legends like Kitty Wells. Today he is a living tribute to Tammy Wynette, much to the chagrin of Dr. Eve Bollinger (Renee Lopez), who really, really, wants to “cure” him so she can get rich off her resulting book deal.

With all these elements in place, it’s truly going to be one wild, hilarious episode of Lone Star lunacy.

There are wonderful performances all around, including Cutshall’s battles with harsh reality, Rooks’ blubbering repentance, Laflin’s wild change of heart, and Lopez’s over-the-top misguided doctor. And Turner cannot be praised enough for his wonderful turn, ladylike enough to want to help his “recovery” but savvy enough to know when it’s time for a country girl to stand for herself.

This delight is directed by Ben Jones, who opts for a recorded Bitsy, the local country singer whose songs set up the scenes. Nothing feels “missing,” though, fitting Jones’ goal of a simple, easy to relate to vision of family love and acceptance. Mary Miller is stage manager.

One weekend remains of “Sordid Lives,” with performances Friday through Sunday, Aug. 11-13 at 11150 Southeastern Ave. (Acton Road exit off I-74), Indianapolis. Get info and tickets at buckcreekplayers.com.

See why everyone went bananas for Baker

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By John Lyle Belden

Like, I suspect, many others, most of what I knew of Josephine Baker was that she was an early 20th-century performer who chose continent-wide fame in France over being just “a Negro” in America. And, knowing she was being adored rather than belittled, she indulged in and claimed power over stereotype with her infamous “Sauvage” dance wearing little more than a string of bananas.

But any cursory look at her biography shows that Baker is so very much more than the first African-American international superstar. “Josephine: A Musical Cabaret,” presented by Dynamite Lunchbox Productions and starring co-creator Tymisha Harris, at The District Theatre in downtown Indianapolis, presents her life story in a most entertaining fashion, letting Baker herself tell it between timeless songs of her era.

Harris brings the diva to life in non-stop flirtatious mode – remembering, relating, dishing, confessing. One moment she dances in pasties, the next she feigns modesty to a gentleman she addresses (including a few she sees in the audience). Yet even at her most exotic, she maintains that tasteful line one had to toe in that time when even the Folies Bergère had its limits. Thus, consider this a pushing-it PG-13 or light R rating for teens and older.

That flirting was with both men and women, as recent biographers have revealed and our Baker freely admits, making her an LGBTQ icon, as well as a war hero and Civil Rights activist – both of these are also addressed.

Also co-created by Michael Marinaccio and Tod Kimbro, this production runs a full two acts rather than the Fringe Festival-length performance seen elsewhere on the tour. Remaining dates are tonight (as I post this) and Sunday at the District Theatre, 627 Massachusetts Ave., Indianapolis. Get tickets at indydistricttheatre.org and info on the show and tour at josephinetheplay.com.

‘Angels’ in Indianapolis

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By John Lyle Belden

Indianapolis Bard Fest brings us one of the most important theatre events of the year with its full production of Tony Kushner’s Pulitzer-winning “Angels in America,” presenting both Part 1 (“Millennium Approaches”) and  Part 2 (“Perestroika”). 

Such a venture brings with it high expectations, which Bard Fest and director Glenn Dobbs more than meet. This play cycle also makes demands of its audience: two sessions of three acts (with two intermissions) each. However, it helps to consider each hour-long act as part of a six-episode drama series you would normally “binge” at home, but get the full experience with cast and audience at the beautiful Schrott Center for the Arts (Butler campus, just east of Clowes).

This story of a plague, the AIDS epidemic, is set in an era that seemed a little unreal, the 1980s – an actor in the White House, a sense of things both beginning and ending with the almost mythical Year 2000 on the horizon. But for a gay man, suddenly, seeing next year or even tomorrow is an issue. Thus, the deep drama gets punctuated by bits of welcome levity and meaningful absurdity. By the time the actual angel from Heaven appears, it seems all too appropriate.

We focus on a number of personalities whose paths criss-cross in New York. Prior Walter (Jay Hemphill) finds he may have to give up more than his drag act as symptoms including fatigue and sores that won’t heal signal that he has the dreaded disease – a fact his lover, Louis Ironson (Matt Anderson), can’t deal with. 

In another apartment, married Mormon couple Joe and Harper Pitt (Joe Wagner and Miranda Nehrig) have their own issues, namely his secret life and her unsettled mind. Joe has just been offered a position in Washington D.C. at the recommendation of the most powerful attorney in the Big Apple, Roy Cohn (Chris Saunders). Roy doesn’t let little things like the law and ethics stand in the way of what he sees is right; he’s also “not a homosexual” who has sex with men, and “doesn’t have AIDS,” demanding his doctor write liver cancer on his chart. Still, no amount of money and influence can keep him off the hospital AIDS ward, where he is tended to and tolerated by gay nurse – and Prior and Louis’ dear friend – Belize (Allen Sledge). 

Eventually, a drunken phone call will inspire Joe’s mother, Hannah (Nan Macy), to leave Utah for New York, and Prior will start to hear the sounds of great feathered wings and the voice of the Messenger (Afton Shepard).

Among other roles by these actors, Macy appears as the ghost of Ethel Rosenburg, who Roy was proud to send to her execution; Sledge is Mr. Lies, a rather entertaining side-effect of valium; and Shepard is a kind but professional nurse practitioner.

Also, we have shadows – Lucy Fields, Scott Fleshood, Jeff Goltz, Kelly Keller, and Eli Robinson – who appear, looking like ninjas, to move set pieces and more importantly to animate Shepard’s angel and her majestic wings. This effect is especially impressive in the second play, as Prior finds himself in a situation that is both life-and-death, and something beyond. The wings, designed and built by Goltz, are practically a character themselves.

This entire cast that Dobbs has assembled and guided are brilliant actors who give their all to this modern classic. I could go on and on about Hemphill fully embodying his role; Anderson finding a way to squeeze nobility out of weakness; Macy getting to unleash force-of-nature moments; Sledge proudly giving us characters persevering even as patience is tested; Wagner as one working through the confusion of not knowing one’s own self and distressed at what he finds; Nehrig portraying mental illness in a way that’s amusing without mocking or caricature; Saunders as the bad guy still managing to ride out on top; and Shepard as something beautifully other-worldly. 

For anyone good with putting in the time and seeing R-rated content, this production absolutely must be seen. Aside from quality performances, it is a reminder of what cruel indifference to LGBTQ people did in another era, and that compassion and humane politics matter, always.

The performance schedule going forward from this posting is:

  • Friday, June 9, Part 1: Millennium Approaches
  • Saturday, June 10, Part 2: Perestroika
  • Sunday, June 11, Part 2: Perestroika 
  • Friday, June 16, Part 1: Millennium Approaches
  • Saturday, June 17, Part 2: Perestroika
  • Sunday, June 25, Both parts

For more information, and tickets, visit indybardfest.com.

Divafest: Exploring ‘alchemy’ of true self

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By John Lyle Belden

Once considered a serious science, Alchemy was the pursuit of turning lead and other metals to gold. No doubt in the process a number of ancient wizards lucked upon some useful metallurgy. Through transformation, iron becomes the steel it was always meant to be.

In “Divine Alchemists,” what is forged is the self, a story told by those who understand as nearly all involved – playwright Lucy Fields, director Kaya Dorsch, actors Rowan Apple-Knotts, Kipp Morgan, Wilhelmena Dreyer, Maya Doss, and the characters they play – are trans or non-binary.

At a college’s informal board-game club, trans woman Aerith (Apple-Knotts) officially comes out to her friends, who are overjoyed – they finally get to present her with “Baby Trans Orientation”! 

In this world, you get the mentorship and equipment sorely needed in the real one. Aerith (pronounced “heiress”) is given a Cloak to help her blend in among the cisgender-heterosexual population, the “Misgender Deflection Remote” that acts like a magic wand to correct – or at least remove – uses of wrong gender or name, and access to the Transformation Station, which allows Aerith to dress reflecting her true self. 

College projects include a photography shoot for witchy Wisteria (Dreyer), with Aerith as one of the subjects. In turn, for a paper on the trans/non-binary experience, Aerith interviews non-binary Wisteria, trans man Iggy (Morgan) and non-binary Grayson (Doss).

The whole show has a bit of an afterschool special vibe, but even as every line spoken is part of the lesson it comes out naturally from characters who (as seems to be typical) always have to explain themselves, their experience, and, sadly, their validity. There is plenty of fierce humor as well, with moments including the impromptu game show, “Gender Those Clothes!” But there is also a serious undercurrent that especially reveals itself when one is denounced by the ones they love.

The actors reflect the passion and heart that Fields put into this play and Dorsch draws out; their exuberant performance isn’t just lifelike, it’s their lives.

In the real world, the remote control only mutes the ongoing news of trans people – especially children – being treated as less than themselves, less than human. This show alerts us that instead we need to turn the volume up on true respect and equality. The engine of society needs the mettle of every human alloy.

Presented by Theatre Unchained and IndyFringe for DivaFest 2023, performances of “Divine Alchemists” are at 7:30 p.m. Thursday through Saturday, May 4-6, at the IndyFringe Indy Eleven Theatre, 719 E. St. Clair St. (near Mass Ave.), Indianapolis. Tickets and info at indyfringe.org.

Embrace your inner ‘Betty’ at the District

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By John Lyle Belden

I always liked the name of Betty Rage Productions, picturing classic pin-up queen Bettie Page in a feminist fury. But from White to Rubble, there are many kinds of Betty, and we experience that variety in “Collective Rage: A Play in Five Betties,” by Jen Silverman, directed for Betty Rage by Kait Burch at the District Theatre.

With touchstones that include Shakespeare and The Vagina Monologues, in this story we meet five women named Betty who are searching, each in their own way, for something more meaningful.

Our first Betty (Tracy Herring) is very concerned about things in the news, very rich, very restless, very frustrated with her husband, and very rich. 

Betty No. 2 (Courtney McClure-Murray) doesn’t come first on this or any list – in fact, she’s realizing she apparently has no real friends at all, or does she? 

Betty three (Sarah Zimmerman) is street-smart and expanding her horizons. She just discovered “The Thee-ah-tah” by seeing a show that had summertime and a dream or something, and now wants to “devise a play.” 

Betty 4 (Jenni White) seems content to be constantly fixing her truck, but is starting to feel left out of things that involve the other Betties (especially one in particular).

The fifth Betty (Kallen Ruston) is out of rehab and in the gym she owns, helping others find their inner strength. Her present challenge: Betty 1.

Through odd dinner parties and unpredictable rehearsals, these five clash and meld in hilarious scenes. Through their unique personalities, we can see a little of ourselves in at least one Betty – even if we don’t have the same body parts.

Speaking of that, be prepared for a lot of discussions about sex, sexuality, queerness, and calling out the labial-vaginal area by its feline nickname. This is actually essential to the plot, especially when one Betty gets the courage to look at her pussy, and discovers a lion.

Each actor is a badass Betty on her own, as we’ve seen them all in various drama and comic ventures, and Burch has helped them to blend these talents in a way that makes sisterhood, or even becoming lovers, feel natural. I don’t like to pick favorites, but I think the one playing Betty was just awesome.

For a fun and unconventional story of self-discovery and empowerment, engage in “Collective Rage,” this Thursday through Sunday, March 9-12, at the District Theatre, 627 Massachusetts Ave., Indianapolis. Get tickets at indydistricttheatre.org.

Being in ‘Error’ feels just right

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By John Lyle Belden

It’s fascinating to see Clerical Error Productions expand its offerings beyond an annual parody of a popular offbeat British sitcom. Case in point: company Creative Consultant and Vaudeville Coordinator James Benn just brought to the District Theatre cabaret stage, “In the Life: Songs of Gay Harlem.”

Accompanied by longtime local pianist Carl Hines, Benn introduces himself as Dr. Tyrell Leviticus Worthington, our instructor in American History – to be more precise, American Black LGBTQ History.

Moments later he is settled on his seat by the piano, enlightening us about “The Life” (code for LGBTQ culture at the time) in 1920s and ‘30s Harlem neighborhoods of New York. As we quickly discover, many of the jazz, blues and early pop icons are also Gay Icons, some surprisingly out and proud. The names include Fats Waller, Bessie Smith, Alberta Hunter, Clara Smith, Billy Strayhorn, Ethel Waters, and the legendary Ma Rainey. With his warm earnest delivery, and the perfect beat popping out of his fingers, Benn puts the “easy” in speakeasy, entertaining in a way so everyone in the packed room feels his personal touch.

Also, you come away knowing a bit more than you did going in. An evening with these classics could have you itching to find the records yourself – provided you’ve got something that plays 78s.

Keep an eye and ear out for his next show – follow “James Solomon Benn” on Facebook and LinkedIn – and check out ClericalErrorProductions.com for upcoming productions, including the Beckett play “Happy Days” with CEP founder Kate Duffy, Feb. 23-26 at the District Theatre in downtown Indianapolis.

Phoenix ‘Fudge’ sweet and salty

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By John Lyle Belden

2020 seemed to ruin everything, and in “The Rise and Fall of Holly Fudge” at the Phoenix Theatre, it’s messing with Christmas as well.

Carol (Milicent Wright) lives for the Yuletide, and her holiday Holly Fudge (named after her daughter, as well as its festive décor) has been the Number One Blue Ribbon winner in town for eight years. Friend and neighbor Chris (Emily Ristine), a fitness trainer who now Zumba’s over Zoom, has taken an interest during the year’s shutdown in making confections herself. They look forward to Holly (Terra Mcfarland) coming home from Seattle for the holiday, and learn she is bringing her new love interest, Jordan (Jaddy Ciucci).

This play by Trista Baldwin is not just a new twist on a holiday story, but on the “coming out” play as well, as, while Carol is accepting of Holly choosing to go from a past with boyfriends to living with a woman, it throws the Gen-X mom that rather than tagging herself a lesbian, Holly opts for “queer.” As events progress, the LGBTQ issue becomes trivial as more typical intergenerational strife comes to the fore.

Carol just wishes things could be as they were, for at least one more Christmas – the fact that the noise on the street outside isn’t carolers but Black Lives Matter protesters doesn’t help.

This sophisticated comedy, in a style much like cable shows or situations in “Modern Family,” brings a lot of laughs even as tensions build to the breaking point – which occurs in a fitting, hilariously dramatic (dramatically hilarious?) fashion. Director Daniella Wheelock said this play resonates with her, especially when going from her home in Chicago to relatives in Connecticut. Mcfarland and Ciucci both commented after opening night that it reflected their own memories of holiday homecomings and letting folks know their true selves.

Mcfarland makes an impressive debut in her first professional-level role. She admitted there was some pressure in having not only a lead but also the title character, but noted she learned a lot working with theatrical veterans, especially Wright. On stage, any nerves were channeled through her apprehensive character, a woman finding herself judged against the girl her mother wanted her to be, wanting to be seen for the person she is becoming and respected for her work as a journalist.

Ciucci and Ristine both nimbly play characters who mean well yet happen to say or do the right thing to make it feel wrong for Carol. As for Wright, typically playing the rock of an ensemble, this time she masterfully portrays a soul adrift, working to get her bearings on something familiar in a very unusual time.

Everyone join in: “Fa-la-la-la-la, No Justice, No Peace!” Performances run through Dec. 23 at the Phoenix Theatre Cultural Center, 705 N. Illinois St., downtown Indianapolis. Get info and tickets at phoenixtheatre.org.

Pain of decades-old loss lingers in McNally play

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By John Lyle Belden

We are often reminded to “Never Forget” a devastating event or era, but those who went through it often can’t stop remembering. Every day, any little thing can bring up a memory of someone who was lost.

“Mothers and Sons” by Terrance McNally, presented by Main Street Productions in Westfield, has a cast of four actors, but there are five characters. Not present but very much felt is Andre, who died 20 years earlier during the AIDS epidemic. We are in the New York apartment, with a view of Central Park as lights come on during the longest night of the year, of Cal (Austin Uebelhor), who had been Andre’s partner and caregiver in his final days. To his mild surprise, he is visited by Andre’s mother, Katherine (Elizabeth Ruddell). Recently widowed, she arrived from Dallas (where Andre grew up) with plans to fly to Europe. Cal shares his home with husband Will (Nicholas Heskett) and their young son, Bud (Tyler Acquaviva).

We come to learn a lot about Cal, Will, Katherine, and Andre. Will chafes at the thought of competing with a ghost. Katherine still harbors resentments and denial – “Andre wasn’t gay when he went to New York.” Cal tries to keep the pain of the past in perspective even as it rises up to overwhelm him again.

“Who’s Andre?” Little Bud is chock full of questions, lots of questions.

This heartfelt play is a comedy, with lots of chuckles throughout, but there is pain that must be dealt with. Grief has no time limit or expiration; before the evening is done, so that Bud and his family can trim the Christmas tree, each adult will have their say.

Ruddell makes Katherine hard to love, but easy to understand. Heskett presents as a superficial millennial, but he emerges Will’s own sense of maturity. Acquaviva delivers the right level of charm. Uebelhor is superb as the man who has had to be a rock for so long, the cracks are undeniable.

Jim LaMonte directs, happy to present this play that he hopes “will broaden [people’s] definition of family.” For those of us who remember the 1980s and ‘90s, this show is also a loving tribute to the struggles so many endured – those who became names on a quilt, and those left behind to stitch them on.

Remaining performances are Thursday through Sunday, Nov. 17-20, at Basile Westfield Playhouse, 220 N. Union St. Get info and tickets at WestfieldPlayhouse.org.

IndyFringe: Gloria Mundi

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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 and Wendy Carson

Gloria (Kayla Jo Pulliam) is not having a good day. She is an addict, out on parole and living in a halfway house. Last night an angel, Harold (Bryson Kramer), came to give her the news that she is to be the parent of the new child of God. When she tells her ex, Jody (Cameron Pride) this “happy” news, is it any wonder he,* and social worker Harold (Kramer), suspect she is using again?

This sets the plot of “Gloria Mundi,” Pamela Morgan’s tale of recovery, parenting, relationships, and faith presented by Nomad Theater Company under the direction of Ashleigh Rae-Lynn.

Morgan and company have created a story that is full of hilarious moments (“the doughnuts have suffered the consequences”) and heartbreaking emotion (the fate of Lanie, Gloria’s first child).

“Don’t f*** it up this time,” angelic Harold advises, and it’s possible that Gloria already has. Through twists both dramatic and funny, we’re taken on a wild ride that ends in a miracle of hope no one expects.

Witness this blessed event, 5:15 p.m. today (as we post this) and 7 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 3-4, at the District Theatre.

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(*EDIT: Character’s pronouns are he/they, we were informed by Morgan after this initially posted, and pronoun and name spelling have been updated.)