Lucy Fields

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.

DivaFest: Play honors Depression-era ‘Book Women’

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By Wendy Carson

Between 1935 and 1943, The Pack Horse Library Project employed around 200 women to deliver books and other reading material to the around 100,000 residents of the Appalachian Mountains in rural Kentucky. These “Book Women” faced numerous dangers and hardships in their rounds but were spurred on by the delight of bringing books to people who might never have read or seen one before. Local actress and author J. E. Hibbard imagines a portrait of four of these women as well as their mule, Nellie, as they prepare for a visit from First Lady, Eleanor Roosevelt, in “Ballad of the Book Women.”

Four actresses each play one of the Book Women, as well as other roles to flesh out the story. They also sing songs that help give the flavor of the play’s time and location. Not only do these ladies have to deal with weather, thieves, and the sheer ruggedness of the terrain, they also frequently come up against those who are not only illiterate but also wary of what they see as the evils of reading and writing.

MaryAnne Matthews plays Edna, the feisty elder of the group, but shines as the character of Hal, a crusty loner who secretly looks forward to the visits for food, friendship, and stories that are read to him.

Chelsea Mullen portrays Mandy, who is always making scrapbooks to prevent any piece of reading material from going to waste. Her sweetly delightful turn as one of the few school teachers reminds us of the dire need in the area, rejoicing that her class finally received two books from which to learn, while having sticks in the dirt as the only method for students to practice their writing.

Maria Meschi gives up not only Flossie, the leader of the group, but also spectacularly brings Eleanor Roosevelt to life as she tours the country bringing attention to the efforts.

Tracy Nakigozi is a sheer delight to behold as spunky young Rose. Aside from this endearing character, she is the puppet master of Nellie, which she brings to life in many charming ways. I honestly could have watched an entire show made up of her adventures with the mule.

As timely as this production is – with various books under attack today, especially in rural areas – I am greatly saddened by the sparse ticket sales. The talents involved deserve crowds with only a handful of tickets left, not barely enough audience members to outnumber them. Please, go see this delightful show.

Directed by Lucy Fields and presented by Theatre Unchained and IndyFringe for DivaFest 2023, “Ballad of the Book Women” runs Thursday through Saturday, May 4-6, 8 p.m., at IndyFringe Basile Theatre, 719 E. St. Clair St., Indianapolis (just off Mass Ave.). For info and tickets, see indyfringe.org.

DivaFest also presents activities around the Book Women story: Enjoy a “Scrapbooking Extravaganza” crafting hour at 7 p.m. before Thursday’s performance; attend a Post-Show Discussion after Friday’s performance with Cat Cardwell of IndyReads joining cast and crew to discuss expanding adult literacy. Details at the Fringe DivaFest page.

Healthy dose of love and laughter in Lawrence

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By John Lyle Belden

Could love be considered a disorder? Think about it: The irrational behavior, the mood swings, the heart racing, the feeling in the pit of your stomach – nothing about being in love seems healthy!

Consider our case study of several infected individuals in and around the SuperCenter shopping experience in the comedy “Love/Sick,” by John Cariani, presented by Theatre Unchained at Theater at the Fort in Lawrence, directed by Kaya Dorsch.

The highly talented cast of Lucy Fields, Aaron Henze, Kyrsten Lyster, Brittany Magee, and Joe Wagner bring these afflicted souls to life as various characters in nine scenes in this charming hour-plus one-act.

The performance bar is set high by the first scene, in which – due to their disorder – Fields and Wagner have to deliver their exact same lines, with the same energy, at the exact same time. Add in a bit of intimate physical comedy, and they succeed to hilarious effect.

Fields then takes on the role of delivering a most awkward message to Lyster. We also have, among other bits, Henze discovering how literal “deadly boredom” can be, and Magee on a search to “find herself” that many of us can relate to.

The result is a mix of laughter and heartache that any physician would agree are a sure sign of a love outbreak, and for us in the audience the feelings are contagious.

Dorsch took a lot of TLC in growing this specimen, and if it leads to a pandemic of uncertain joy – know there’s no cure.

Remaining performances are Thursday through Saturday, Jan. 19-21, at 8920 Otis Ave. Get info at TheatreUnchained.org and tickets at ArtsForLawrence.org.

Bard Fest: Women give men a (very) hard time in ‘Lysistrata’

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This is part of Indy Bard Fest 2022, the annual Indianapolis area Shakespeare Festival. For information and tickets, visit indybardfest.com.

By Wendy Carson

With the Indy Bard Fest production of “Lysistrata,” Holly Hathaway-Thompson has done an amazing job of updating Aristophanes’ story of women’s empowerment. She not only made the storyline more accessible to a modern audience, but also shows the true meaning behind its purpose: Women have the power to change everything if they just stand together in their resolve.

The story begins in the not-too-distant future with a young girl (Missy Waaland) approaching her grandmother (Miki Mathioudakis) for more information about the election of 2022. Grandmother is horrified to learn that only a sentence or two about this time exists online and one of those is on bleach vaccines. She then begins the story, “There was this woman …”

We are transported to an alternate reality of Greece in which Lysistrata (Carrie Reiberg) has called together all of the women of the various tribes to set about her plans for P-E-A-C-E (the spelling of this word is vital throughout). Though many of the representatives have disputes among themselves, they all agree that they are sick and tired of their men being away at war all the time. Lysistrata puts forth her simple plan: They will all withhold any romantic or sexual favors until the men agree to give them a Peace.

Surprisingly for some, this is almost as difficult for the women to uphold as it is for the men to endure. Therefore, the women take over the capital for themselves alone until their demands have been met. The men do not take kindly to this tactic and try everything to persuade the women from their resolve. However, even the most bull-headed of them men finally give in to their basest needs and agree that they will meet the demands of peace, healthcare, education, living wages, etc. This brings about the blissfully benevolent future of our Grandmother and Grandchild – a future where men do not control women’s bodies or destinies.

With the source material being a comedy, Hathaway-Thompson has given the cast some truly hilarious lines throughout. Her amazing cast manage to squeeze every possible drop of laughter from each one.

Reiburg brings a slyness to Lysistrata you don’t always see in this role. This was a woman who literally brought a nation to peace with a very simple plan. Mathioudakis is brilliant in her dual roles as Grandmother and Colonice (Lysistrata’s closest ally), bringing the wisdom and experience of both characters. Waaland’s turn as the Grandchild and Ismenia allows us to see the counterpoint naivete of her youth.

Tracy Nakigozi portrays Andromeda as a wary but proud woman who puts aside personal conflicts for the good of the whole. Lucy Fields as Lampito is a comic delight as she bemoans the travails of this lack of intimacy upon herself as well as the men. Scott Fleshood (Xander), shows another side of this longing as the lone representative of those who also love men even though being born with a Y chromosome. Samantha Kelly (Medora) and Nikki Lynch (Cassandra) both do a great job of helping to keep the men in their place.

Jessica Crum Hawkins (Myrrhine) plays one half of a married couple that, despite their love and desire for each other, are still at odds on the matter. Matthew Socey (her  husband, Cinesias) brings comic timing to a new level as he is continually and painfully denied the fulfillment of his desires.

Also at loggerheads are the Leader of the Women (MaryAnne Mathews), Leader of the Men (Robert Webster), and the Magistrate (Eric Bryant) each of them chewing up the scenery as if it were their final meal.

Speaking of the men, being that the story surrounds the baseness of themselves, they are mainly comic relief. However, each brilliantly shows their ability to handle these barbs – especially Jurrell Spencer as the Herald who has apparently “cut a hole in the box.”

I was saddened to discover that most of the audience had never head of the story, but proud of their reception to it afterwards. I do adore this play. It has an important message and it needs to be heard throughout our country and the world.

You have your chance this Friday through Sunday, Oct. 14-16, at The Cat theatre, 254 Veterans Way in downtown Carmel.