Paige Elisse

Poolside play with deep issues

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By John Lyle Belden

“Here is a man…”

In the opening scene of “Red Speedo,” a new drama by Lucas Hnath presented by American Lives Theatre, Peter (Alex Oberheide) is extolling the virtues of his brother Roy (Cody Miley), an Olympic-level competitive swimmer to his Coach (Drew Vidal). Peter, who is also a lawyer, has endeavored in addition to represent Roy as his agent – including working out an endorsement deal with Speedo, the famous global swimwear brand.

Our star athlete who (in this narrative) out-swam Michael Phelps in a club event and made headlines by taking a year on a “spiritual journey” to the desert, is overjoyed at his success while anxious about the Olympic trials that weekend. One moment he doubts, the next he explains the sea-serpent tattoo on his back leaves no doubt which swimmer people are watching. He also wants part of the design’s tail that would be under the suit etched across the leg of his special-edition red Speedo.

However, there is an issue: Performance-enhancing substances have been found in the Club locker room. While a fellow swimmer is implicated, Peter knows that suspicion could fall on everyone, Roy in particular.

Events are further complicated with visits by Roy’s ex-girlfriend Lydia (Paige Elsse), who lost her license as a sports therapist for an unrelated drug-misuse case – an event when Roy and especially Peter were not helpful.

“I wanna be a real person,” Roy laments at one point. But that is not to be. He is a swimming machine with no other skills and an education hindered by spending every spare moment at the pool, putting it all on the line with the singular goal of Olympic medals and the marketing riches that follow. A dancer with Dance Kaleidoscope, Miley does well as an actor in a role requiring a lot of speaking and emoting – his other skillset only displayed by his mostly-visible well-toned body. It’s hard to portray one who may not have quite the wisdom or intellect of those around them without devolving into stereotype, and Miley manages this with minimal “dumb jock” vibes. His odd life carries real consequences, as we witness his struggle for some sort of “normal” he can live with.

Oberheide nimbly portrays a man of noble intentions but slippery morals, swiftly finding his plans on the edge of collapse just as he (and Roy) are about to make it big. Vidal’s Coach is a bit more principled but finds himself tested as well – especially when his own future is on the line. Elisse’s Lydia is the good person who justifies doing bad things for those who she loves, including an interesting twist on two wrongs maybe making a right.

ALT founder Chris Saunders directs, giving us a thought-provoking examination of ethics and human behavior that happens to involve a swimming pool. Speaking of which, a real water-filled pool is set up at the front edge of the Russell Theatre main stage in the Phoenix Theatre Cultural Centre (set design by Matt Mott). It mostly provides the appropriate setting atmosphere, though does feature in a couple of important moments. As Saunders reassured us, there is no “splash zone” for audience members to be concerned about.

Shout-out as well to artist Phoenix Woods for Roy’s “ink.”

“Red Speedo” runs through Feb. 16 at the Phoenix, 705 N. Illinois St. Get tickets at phoenixtheatre.org, info at americanlivestheatre.org.

Suspense in our world beyond time and space

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By John Lyle Belden

We all remember the bizarre feeling of the day/month/season/year that was 2020. By March the world was shutting down, and even late into summer, fall and “virtual” holidays everyone was sorting out this new “normal” that echoes to this day.

Joe and his stepdaughter Abby (Bill Simmons and Paige Elisse) come home from a day at the zoo. They will not leave the house again for a long time. Waiting for them on the porch is a large wooden box.

What could be in this unexpected delivery? Perhaps a book, one that explains the world. Upon opening, they find there is a book, but it has no words, and a doll – that has no face. 

This sets up the drama in “The Body,” presented by the Phoenix Theatre, which playwright Steve Moulds said is inspired by the off-kilter reality of “The Twilight Zone.”

To be honest, it would have helped put the Covid era in perspective if we had a visit from Rod Serling. For most of us, day to day life wasn’t as much about the deadly virus as it was getting through with so many unknowns of how our lives, relationships, and jobs would continue, contrasted with seeing the same four walls around you, and the same faces in the room.

Joe is haunted by something that has nothing to do with the pandemic, a deep personal loss from which he, or his new family, has yet to recover. As Abby becomes “the Detective,” working the puzzle of the book’s illustrations, and the doll suddenly finds a name, fragile reality cracks around the man who just wanted to be a good father. 

Simmons, an excellent stage veteran and acting teacher, wears this role like a comfortable sweater, and as his unease grows, we feel it with him. Elisse embodies the nine-ish girl with all the sass, impatience, and sweetness that keeps it believable. 

As for the story itself, under the direction of Phoenix Christel DeHaan Artistic Director Constance Macy, with excellent mood-setting soundscapes by Mike Lamirand and lighting by Michael Jackson, Moulds’ plot unspools with appropriate tension, keeping us all engaged at the edge of our seats. 

Because it can elicit a strong response, perhaps a trigger warning is in order. I don’t want to give spoilers, but I can think of friends with close family tragedies whom I would not advise seeing this play. If you have concerns, please ask the Phoenix staff when ordering tickets.

Performances run through Nov. 19 on the Livia and Steve Russell main stage at the Phoenix, 705 N. Illinois St., downtown Indianapolis. Get info and tickets at phoenixtheatre.org.  

Clever casting lends depth to ‘Hollow’

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By John Lyle Belden

There is something unusual about “Two Mile Hollow,” the play by award-winning writer (and Butler alum) Leah Nanako Winkler at the Phoenix Theatre, as well as the titular estate, a mansion in the rich neighborhood of East Hampton – home to the family of a Hollywood legend.

Years have passed since the death of Oscar-winning movie star Derek Donnelly, but his widow Blythe (Milicent Wright) still holds fast to his memory. Their children – Joshua (Eddie Dean), Mary (Paige Elisse), and Emmy-winner Christopher (Jay Fuqua) – want to get hold of Derek’s possessions. Christopher arrived with his personal assistant, Charlotte (Arianne Villareal), which becomes an additional complication.

It quickly becomes evident that this is a clever comedy, taking its swings at elitism and lifestyles of millionaire performers, done with heavy-handed melodrama. But it is in its intended casting that this play becomes a brilliant work of satire. It’s not just the uncomfortable things said by these characters that deliver the desired punch, but who we see saying them.

If you find yourself confused – “Are they…?”— just note that they are as they present themselves, and go with it. Immerse yourself in the layers of meaning, let yourself laugh at the goofy things you find there. If more serious aspects soak in, that was the intended effect.

I would go into detail on the excellence of the performances, but I don’t want to give too much of a hint of what is happening. Wright’s casting brings big expectations, which she and company exceed. Mikael Burke returns to direct another provocative piece of theatre art.

Scenic design by Inseung Park makes the house at Two Mile Hollow its own character, complete with the smiling face of the late patriarch, the serious whimsy of Post-its, and signs of decay that the characters either ignore or fail to notice.

Appropriately, the big concept comes with big laughs, like if a “Dr. Strangelove” style film were made by the Wayans Brothers and directed by Wes Anderson. To see what we mean, performances run through April 30 at the Phoenix Theatre Cultural Centre, 705 N. Illinois St., downtown Indianapolis. For info and tickets, see PhoenixTheatre.org.

OnyxFest: Black is My Color

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This play is part of OnyxFest 2022, a production of Africana Repertory Theatre of IUPUI (ARTI) and IndyFringe, “Indy’s First and Only Theater Festival Dedicated to the Stories of Black Playwrights.” Initial performances were the weekend of Nov. 3-6 at the Basile Theatre in the IndyFringe building. The second weekend of performances are Thursday through Saturday, Nov. 10-12, at the IUPUI Campus Center Theater, 420 University Boulevard, Indianapolis. Recordings of performances will be available at ButlerArtsCenter.org. For more information, see OnyxFest.com.

By John Lyle Belden

In a bookstore and coffee shop called I Take It BLACK, two “sistahs” meet. The millennial (Paige Elisse) shares her personal frustrations with an older poet (Marlena Johnson), who shares the wisdom and verse of Mari Evans.

“Who’s that?!” the young woman asks. 

For many of us watching “Black is my Color,” by journalist and playwright Celeste Williams, this is sadly a common question. Evans, who resided in Indianapolis until her death in 2017, was a world-renowned poet, author, and activist. Today, a full-body portrait of her looks down on us from a wall on Massachusetts Ave., but she is not as widely and readily known as other people so honored around Indy. This play helps to introduce us to the woman in the mural.

“Who can be born Black and not exult!” The young reader is puzzled at this declaration. To reach understanding, we step back in time to a cluttered living room where Evans (Ellen Price Sayles Lane) grants a rare interview. She seems to both resent and welcome being considered a “troublemaker” – “I look at everything through a Black lens.”

As Evans speaks, “Who I am is who I was at (age) 5,” her young spirit (Amani Muhammad) appears. She and Elisse dance to accompany the poetry. Evans speaks fondly of the lost community around Indiana Avenue, and frankly about her adopted hometown – “The contradictions are more seething here in Indianapolis.”

Directed by TaMara E’lan G. and Manon Voice, this show is a much-needed lesson in local history, especially of the lives and perspective of African Americans, as well as an insight into a brilliant woman who lived among us, dedicating her life to Black – and therefore human – empowerment. Lane as Evans radiates both power and a generous spirit, holding no malice but accepting no compromise. Muhammad and Elisse are an artful chorus of movement, and Johnson happily gives us entry to this important figure’s world.

As this work develops through its performances, hopefully we will see more of “Black is My Color” at future events.