Phoenix Theatre

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.

Exploring the degree we ‘Flex’ to fulfill dreams

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By John Lyle Belden

I am in a unique position to review the play “Flex” by Candrice Jones, presented by Summit Performance Indianapolis at the Phoenix Theatre Cultural Centre. At the time and place of this fictional drama – late 1990s in rural southeastern Arkansas – I was a small-town reporter covering sports in that region. I also grew up in a tiny town where basketball was practically the only school sport, and to have a player noticed at all by college scouts was a miracle.

Starra Jones (Shelby Marie Edwards) is the star point guard of the Plano, Ark., (pronounced “Plain Ol’ Arkansas”) High School Lady Train. The daughter of a promising woman baller from pre-WNBA days, she practices on a packed-dirt court by her home. Fellow senior teammates are Sidney Brown (Maggie Kryszyn), who recently moved from California, bringing with her attention from Division-1 scouts; Cherise Howard (Marissa Emerson), a devout newly-minted youth minister who wants baptism to wash away her feelings for…; Donna Cunningham (Enjoli Desiree), who will use an academic scholarship to escape small-town life; and April Jenkins (Kelli Thomas), whose unplanned pregnancy will likely get her benched by no-nonsense Coach Pace (Alicia K. Sims) just as the Train are State Tournament bound.

Starra was brought up in a take-charge ethos as powerful as her talent, calling the shots in a traditional 1-3-1 offense. Coach finally feels, with two star players in a tightly knit squad, she can run the “Flex” offense she has developed for years. This calls for frequent passing to overwhelm opponents – a lot more sharing than Starra is used to, on top of seeing Sidney’s stats and status rise. Meanwhile, April has a plan to get back on the court, involving a secret road trip across the Mississippi River. Desperate measures are being taken, putting these girls’ futures and perhaps even their souls at risk.

Directed by A.J. Baldwin, the play excellently portrays both the closeness of small-town life, developing tight bonds and pride, and the desperate urges of youth to kick the dirt off your feet for good, getting out to find bigger opportunities far away from Plano. These five mesh as a team and both fight and support one another like sisters. Edwards, our principal narrator, gets much of the focus (like her character) but this squad all give brilliant performances, bringing out their dreams, struggles, and pain for us all to share – making triumph all the more sweet.

Sims mainly plays the mentor but adds layers as Coach Pace also finds she, too, has lessons to learn. The title comes to mean more than a basketball strategy, as all figure out when in life one should – and shouldn’t – be flexible.

I was also impressed that this story was not critical of the role of evangelical Christianity in the girls’ lives, letting it be a source of comfort and even healing in Charise’s unsure yet faithful hands.

SMALL SPOILER: I did have one concern about the script, in that a stumble in the tournament, while essential to the plot, did not eliminate them from the Finals. Please allow some dramatic license here.

Inventive set design by Maggie Jackson puts a basketball court flowing into a rural highway at the center of the black box Basile Stage, with seating on both sides giving a good close view to all. Stage managers are Becky Roeber and Chandra Lynch, who also appear as referees.

With a real hoop at regulation height, the most impressive aspect was how well-practiced the actors were, as there are a number of moments in which shots had to be made. At our performance, every swoosh was right on cue.

Experience small-town hoop dreams with “Flex,” through Feb. 2 at 705 N. Illinois St., Indianapolis. Get info and tickets at phoenixtheatre.org.

Quirky Christmas at a Montana bar in new comedy

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By John Lyle Belden

It seems the wooded lands on the northern edge of the United States host some eccentric goings-on. A number of films, TV shows, and plays have celebrated this, and now we can add “Snow Fever: A Karaoke Christmas,” a holiday comedy by Robert Caisley presented as part of a National New Play Network Rolling World Premiere at the Phoenix Theatre Cultural Centre.

To paraphrase one of its characters, weird stuff happens at Christmas, especially in Montana.

The Phoenix black-box stage has been converted into a bar, the Wet Whistle, which features a drink special that audience members can purchase before the show. It used to belong to Laverna (Jolene Mentink Moffatt) – then known as Taverna Laverna – but now is the property of her son, Brendan (Grant Niezgodski), who runs it with Kenny (Austin Hookfin), an odd young man with “no backstory” and little impulse control.

Local college student Lucy (Sarah Powell) arrives to interview for a job to discover she not only has it but also has arrived late on her first day. Laverna says that can be forgiven (she lives upstairs and acts like she still runs the joint, complete with her free hand with the booze). Kenny comes in with another young woman seeking work, Greta (Akili Ni Mali), a professional Karaoke DJ whom he injured with a frozen snowball to get her attention.

Preparations are under way for the bar’s Christmas Eve party, despite the growing snowstorm outside. The only band Brendan can book is a pair of banjo-playing twins, and he absolutely refuses to have anything as upbeat as the karaoke machine (which Greta is already setting up) in his somber dive bar. Also, Kenny has stolen a tree from the farm of the one man whose name no one is to say – “F. U.” (Brian Tyrell) – thanks in part to what happened at last year’s party.

Also, I should mention, there is Duke. No one knows what Duke is, but he is there.

So, if like me you saw the title “A Karaoke Christmas” and thought this might turn out to be a fluffy holiday music revue, we must remind ourselves: This is the Phoenix F-ing Theatre. Director John Michael Goodson sees this play as a quirky rom-com, but without the Hallmark schmaltz. There is singing in the show, mainly popular karaoke hits. But as love and nostalgia are as much a part of the holidays as the common Christmas trappings, a little “I Will Survive” works just as well as Jingle Bells.

Moffatt revels in her role as mama-bear/queen bee/cougar – the whole menagerie. Laverna can be a bit much, but with a big heart and best intentions. Niezgodski makes a great Phoenix debut, his pragmatic and at times bitter character weathering the chaos. Mali plays Greta as charmingly independent, a roaming soul who takes what life gives her, strange as it may be. Powell also plays Lucy as a roll-with-it sort of character, with more the attitude of someone familiar with the local ways. As for Hookfin, what may seem like just another take on the goof he plays so well in local comedies turns out to have surprising depth; what Kenny appears to lack in intellect he more than makes up for in intuition, as well as irresistible charm.  

Kudos to the cozy set design by Shane Cinal and props by Kristin Renee Boyd.

For a heartwarming holiday play with no heavy message, just good times with a few old pop hits thrown in, come in out of the cold for “Snow Fever,” performances through Dec. 22 at 705 N. Illinois St., downtown Indianapolis. Get info and tickets at phoenxtheatre.org.

NAATC: A legacy worth fighting for

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By John Lyle Belden

Naptown African American Theatre Collective, Indy’s first Black Equity stage company, continues to bring us stories that are both the Black Experience and our human experience.

The theme for its 2024-25 season is Cementing Our Legacy, which can mean different things to different individuals, even within the same family. “Judy’s Life’s Work” by Loy A. Webb, presented by NAATC at the Phoenix Theatre cultural Centre, is a hard-hitting example of this.

Xavier (Xavier Jones) rose up from hardship to become a boxing champion. Time in prison convinced him of the importance of education, so now he runs his own gym and offers free tutoring for neighborhood kids, which has him on the ropes financially. As luck would have it, his new uptown girlfriend, Camille (Selena Jackson-King) has a way to keep the place solvent and run it as a not-for-profit. He just needs one thing, which he has to get from his sister, Charli (Cara Wilson).

It turns out that this simple story has so many layers. The macguffin of the plot is a notebook belonging to Camille and X’s mother, Judy, who had recently passed away. She was a leading biological researcher who had kept her work to herself, wary of the motives of others – especially Duffy Pharmaceuticals, located in their city.

Word had gotten out that Judy had made a revolutionary breakthrough shortly before her final battle with cancer. Charli had worked closely with her Mom and keeps the notes hidden; X, who is years older, had been given up by his mother for adoption, landing him in a hellish foster system. As he sees it, Duffy can continue the breakthroughs while giving him the funds to keep his community-minded project alive. Win-win, right? As for Camille, we soon see she is motivated by something more than love for a down-and-out former Champ.

The gloves are on, the bell is rung. Who will still stand when this round is done?

Jones is commanding in his role, with all the cocky bluster of a young Will Smith. His feelings run deep, both in affection for his sister and bitter resentment of his mother. He carries himself as one who has been knocked down plenty – in and out of the ring – yet still managed to find a way to stand again. Wilson cleverly plays Charli with a look and manner that seems to scream “adorable little sister” while displaying a sharp intellect in fighting condition for this battle of wills. Jackson-King ably portrays the conflicted heiress caught up in a high-stakes challenge.

How do we define one’s “life’s work” and its value? With little surprises all the way to the end, this examination of one’s legacy keeps us engaged throughout. The director is Philadelphia-based award-winning multidisciplinary artist Angela Bey, who was drawn to Naptown by her love of Webb’s plays and is impressed with what NAATC is doing. “There’s nothing like this in Philly,” she said on opening night.

The opening also featured the Hip-Hop Legacy Cypher, a spoken word battle with poets Manòn Voice and Tony Styxx. Consider us all knocked out by the power of their truths. This isn’t a regular feature, NAATC producing director Lakesha Lorene said, but something like this could come around at their next show opening.

“Judy’s Life’s Work” continues through Nov. 3 at the Phoenix, 705 N. Illinois, downtown Indianapolis. For information, see naatcinc.org; for tickets, go to phoenixtheatre.org.

ALT, Phoenix present meaningful production

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By John Lyle Belden

For us Americans, we are asked from the time we first learn about it in school what we think about the United States Constitution, but, honestly, what do we know about it? What does it do, has it done – has it not done?

American Lives Theatre and Stage Door Productions present “What the Constitution Means to Me” by Heidi Schreck on the main stage of the Phoenix Theatre Cultural Centre in downtown Indianapolis. This play is a unique blend of (mostly) one-woman storytelling and memoir, compelling lecture, and on-stage debate with elements of improv and audience response.

In its award-winning Off-Broadway run, Schreck recalled how she earned her college tuition as a teen winning prizes at speaking contests on the Constitution held by the American Legion. The narrative comes to more recent times with personal stories and taking notice of how the Supreme Court has upheld – or possibly failed – America’s foundational document.

In the current local staging, highly talented stage veterans Claire Wilcher portrays Schreck while Ben Tebbe is on hand as Heidi’s friend Danny Wolohan, who assists by portraying a Legionnaire contest moderator whom Schreck recalls fondly. In the second act, Jada Radford, a local performer who also participates in Speech and Debate as a student at Marian University, comes out as herself to take a side against Schreck/Wilcher on a constitutional issue chosen at random. Audience members are free to submit topics, as well as questions for the performers, which will be used at the next performance.

Wilcher’s manner is so natural and earnest that any line between her and Schreck vanishes. We readily absorb her recollections, as well as facts and history that may not be common knowledge but affect us all. We delve deeply into the vital Fourteenth Amendment, as well as the cryptic Ninth Amendment, and their role in recent decisions, as well as cases before the courts today.

While there is a fair amount of humor, disturbing truths cannot be avoided. Director K.T. Peterson admits in a program note that “this play is upsetting,” but sees that as a good thing. Difficult topics include domestic abuse, abortion, and civil rights, especially for women. Wilcher-as-Schreck doesn’t get angry, yet pulls no punches in her delivery, a from-the-heart pleading from both women in unison.

Tebbe is supportive and good natured, playing it aptly more as an ally than a co-star. Radford is simultaneously brash and charming. She nimbly blends her stage and forensic skills, even winning the debate in the performance we attended.

So, if anyone tells you something is not in the Constitution, tell them, “Penumbra.”

Want to know why? Find out “What the Constitution Means to Me” in performances through Sept. 22 at the Phoenix, 705 N. Illinois St. Audience members also each get their own copies of the Constitution to take home. Get tickets at phoenixtheatre.org and information at americanlivestheatre.org.

SSS Eclipse ‘Lizzie’ a riotous spectacle

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By John Lyle Belden

The Summer Stock Stage Eclipse program (professional, with collegiate performers) presents “Lizzie,” the new musical by Alan Stevens Hewitt and Steven Cheslik-deMeyer, book by Tim Maner, based on the Lizzie Borden legend, presented internationally since its introduction in 2010.

To clarify “musical,” this show is a Riot Grrl-style Punk Rock Opera – modify expectations accordingly and hold on for the ride.* To ask why it’s in this mode is to miss the cultural mystique of Miss Borden. She was already an outsider – unmarried at 30, still living with her controlling father and detested stepmother – when the gruesome events of August 1892 occurred in Fall River, Mass.

“Lizzie Borden took an ax, gave her mother forty whacks; when she saw what she had done, gave her father forty-one!”

Being rich from their penny-pinching parents, Lizzie and sister Emma hired the best possible representation, and with an all-male jury actually working in their favor, got her acquitted at trial. However, historians and even her fandom are fairly certain she did the deed. Still, this is not just a play about getting away with murder.

The story is presented nearly all in song by four women: Lizzie (Erin Lambertson), older sister Emma Borden (Cora Kendall), neighbor and close friend Alice Russell (Mai Caslowitz), and the Bordens’ maid Bridget “Maggie” Sullivan (Samantha Ringor). Backing them – literally, seen through the slats of the set by Abigail Wagner that suggests both a simple home and cozy barn – are the band of Ginger Stoltz (keyboard and conductor), Ainsley Paton Stoltz (bass), Kirstin Cutler (drums), Joy Caroline Mills (guitar), Sally McSpadden (guitar and keyboard), and Taylor White (cello and percussion). Direction is by local actor and teaching artist Devan Mathias with musical direction by Ben Rose (who coincidentally has worked at the actual Lizzie Borden House, now a B&B).

Act 1 brings into focus the conditions the Borden sisters were likely living in, and potential motives for what is to come. The tensions weigh on Lizzie and Emma, while a longing grows in Alice; meanwhile, with a dollar from the girls in hand, Maggie is quick to go downtown for the afternoon so she can say she didn’t see a thing someone might be doing.

In Act 2, there is quite a mess – one song is titled, “What the F*** Now, Lizzie?!” – and loosely period costumes give way for something more turn of the Millenium (all designed by Allison Jones) as events take a more modern procedural, crime-of-the-century feel. The number in which Lizzie and Emma make their Kardashian-esque public plea is priceless.

Throughout it all, these ladies rock their hearts out. There are also touching, tender moments, including a song between Lizzie and Alice that recurs in each act, giving two meanings to “Will you lie?” Overall, a bravura performance.

This show brings more of a different perspective to the Borden case and legend than giving any new facts. Events portrayed in any medium are always conjecture and subject to artistic license. Perhaps a good friend “coming to call” could mean more in 1890s New England. Still, the major points follow the story as told elsewhere. This version is very feminist-focused, so one can forgive the downplaying of other problematic aspects such as suspicions cast on local immigrants. On this stage, it’s the grrls’ turn to tell the story – the closest you get to a male presence is Daddy’s body under a sheet.

Four performances remain for “Lizzie,” Thursday through Sunday, Aug. 8-11, at the Phoenix Theatre Cultural Centre, 705 N. Illinois St., Indianapolis. See phoenixtheatre.org for tickets or get info at summerstockstage.com.

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(*“Lizzie” could be compared stylistically to the musical “Six,” but the latter was developed in the U.K. more recently.)

‘White City Murder’ strikes again

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By John Lyle Belden

One hundred thirty-one years ago, Chicago hosted the World’s Fair. Practically everyone who was anyone at the time was there. Also, a notorious and prolific serial killer, who had his victims coming to him, which he dispatched not only for the thrill but also for cold hard cash.

You might already know about this, especially if you have read Erik Larson’s “The Devil in the White City.” Before that non-fiction bestseller was in print, Ben Asaykwee, then living and performing in Chicago, started work on a musical inspired by the brazen exploits of swindler and murderer H.H. Holmes.

Eight years ago, Asaykwee and collaborator Claire Wilcher premiered “White City Murder” in Indy’s Irvington neighborhood (just blocks where Holmes had briefly resided, killing one of his last victims). Last weekend, the duo opened the latest edition of this fascinating historical extravaganza in the black-box Basile stage at the Phoenix Theatre Cultural Centre.

For such an audacious event as the shining white Fair, with the unbelievably dark deeds occurring just miles away, Asaykwee and Wilcher go big with carnival barker energy befitting a Buffalo Bill show (Bill also makes an appearance – in fact our actors portray dozens of people from simple to celebrity). Once they have grabbed our attention, they keep us fascinated and entertained by the story of tragic fates and horrible deeds, aided by a hidden keyboard and a vocal looper to reflect the inventive atmosphere of the late nineteenth century.

A large paper notepad registers the body count, climbing ever higher. It is unknown how many Holmes killed – he was convicted of just one murder and had been pursued only for insurance fraud – but this is not to celebrate that. Asaykwee gives us a snapshot of a wild time in a dynamic era, presenting those whose lives were touched and ruined as much as the man who doomed them. And for us – twenty-first century consumers of true-crime entertainment in its various forms – he gives us a show that truly kills, complete with catchy tunes and wry gallows humor.

Back when I first saw this, I noted its rough edges (now nicely polished) and wondered if this performance was only suited to Asaykwee and Wilcher’s unique style and talents. I now sense others willing to engage the gusto this show demands could do it just fine, but still, make a date to see the originators.

“White City Murder” runs through Aug. 4 at 705 N. Illinois St. in downtown Indianapolis. Info and tickets at phoenixtheatre.org.

Desperate straits of addiction in ALT drama

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By John Lyle Belden

American Lives Theatre concludes its 2023-24 season as bold as ever with the drama “Spay” by Madison Fiedler, directed by Jen Johansen.

The setting is a recent September in Williamson, West Virginia (an actual town, hidden away on the Kentucky border). Noah (Jaddy Ciucci) has returned from the hospital, where she had been recovering from a very public heroin overdose, to the home of her half-sister Harper (Shawntè Gaston), who has custody of her pre-kindergarten son Benny (offstage).

The pains of withdrawal and pangs of addiction still rage in Noah, but she insists this time she can stay clean – as she had been for nine months prior to the recent incident. Harper, a no-nonsense kindergarten teacher, insists on assurances that this time will be different. Noah will live there, and in turn she pledges to break up with her boyfriend (and dealer) Jackson (Matt Kraft).  We soon see how thin her resolve is on that point.

As the days start to cautiously pass without a relapse, a stranger comes to Harper’s door while Noah is at work. Aubrey (Julie Dixon) has come from a city hours away to offer help in the name of an organization that specializes in aiding young women with addiction. Harper is naturally slow to trust, but Aubrey confides that she had lost her own daughter to addiction and brings up a lot of valid points and advice, forcing Harper to seriously consider more aspects of her situation.

However, this voice of reason also comes with a choice that seems unreasonable – at least, at first.

It has become widely known the alarming degree to which opioid addiction has ravaged the coal country of Kentucky and West Virginia (part of a nationwide epidemic). This fact, plus an excellent stage set (designed by Zac Hunter) with running water and comfy furniture, aid excellent performances to help the audience, seated on three sides around the Phoenix Basile stage, feel right there with these characters.

Ciucci employs her whole body in a convincing portrayal of near-constant physical and mental pain. Her manner of speech and expression, a variety of moods as damaged and disordered synapses keep her on a perilous edge of self-control, are convincing, while generating a surprising amount of situational dark humor. In her deceptively calm moments, there is the sense they will not last.

“This is a survival town.” That line by Harper sums up the feeling of a desperate need for stability and control that Gaston ably portrays. She has deep affection for her sister but finds herself forced into constantly employing it as tough love. And she is readily a fierce defender of Benny.

Kraft plays Jackson as a charming, means-well, naïve redneck. He seems to care for Noah, but a close listen to his words shows signs of narcissistic control, wanting her as both the girl addicted to him and the loving woman he wants to marry, seemingly blind to the contradiction. His often-infuriating presence adds to the humor.

Dixon plays Aubrey as a gently-revealed enigma, leaving it to us to resolve if she is more savior or bargaining devil. According to ALT artistic director Chris Saunders, organizations such as the one she represents do exist.

Given her long-time presence on numerous stages, it is surprising that this is Johansen’s directorial debut. She has brought her experience with the actors’ perspective to bear to bring out the best in this talented ensemble.

Also notable is the musical soundscape by Todd Mack, with its haunting Appalachian tones.

The play ends on a fraught note, with a decision made but the consequences yet to be seen. This would be infuriating in a movie (begging a sequel) but on the stage a common device to open dialogue about what was just seen and our feelings about it. Still, it was a bit of a stun, the cautious applause when the lights came up snapping us out of a trance, delivering us swiftly back from two states away. Still, those issues, we realize, are here in Indiana as well.

A stunning, engrossing look at a widespread problem brought home to the individuals mired in its depths, “Spay” runs through June 30 at the Phoenix Theatre Cultural Center, 705 N. Illinois St., Indianapolis. Get tickets at phoenixtheatre.org, information (including ALT’s coming 2024-25 season) at americanlivestheatre.org.

Dearly beloved, gather for ‘The Wedding Singer’

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By John Lyle Belden

Being a Generation X’er, I get mixed feelings about 1980s nostalgia, but some things catch the kitschy spirit of the decade just right, like the Tony-nominated musical, “The Wedding Singer,” based on the 1998 Adam Sandler film.

Presented by the 21st-century actors of Eclipse, the professional-level program of Summer Stock Stage, “Wedding Singer” is on the main stage of the Phoenix Theatre Cultural Centre through June 16, directed by Kate Galvin.

In 1985 New Jersey, singer-songwriter Robbie Hart (Alex Pharo) is having modest success leading an in-demand wedding band, Simply Wed, with best friends Sammy (Micah Phillips) on bass and George (Matthew David Conwell) on keytar. Robbie is also looking forward to his own wedding, to Linda (Kha’Lea Wainwright), but things don’t go to plan. Meanwhile, Julia Sullivan (Leela Rothenberg), who with her cousin Holly (Dori Salumurovic) are waitresses at the wedding venue, is getting engaged to rich Wall Street boyfriend Glen Guglia (Jack Ducat). Julia has Robbie promise to sing at her wedding – which he eventually will, but not in the way anyone expected.

The plot hits all the expected beats of a typical rom-com, from the meet-cute all the way through to the “go out and get her!” What’s important is how the story goes from here to there, and all the charming, mildly dramatic, and laugh-out-loud moments along the way.

Pharo takes on this journey well, making Robbie a hero to root for, funny and charming without any of Sandler’s mannerisms so the character stands on its own. Rothenberg makes Julia both noble and sweet, the kind of woman worth going great lengths for. She and Salumurovic have a natural chemistry as well, like they grew up as almost-sisters. Phillips, looking like a mad scientist combined Hall and Oates, and Conwell, a sort of Boy George homage, also make memorable likable characters. Wainwright and Ducat give their roles each a flavor of vanity that befits the era – Glen’s especially, as a “greed is good” trader overflowing with hubris.  

Local stage veteran Devan Mathias steals scenes in roles including Robbie’s grandmother Rosie and Julia’s mother Angie. The supporting ensemble get a lot of time on stage – weddings, a bar mitzvah, at the mall, etc. – so get a lot of moments as well, featuring Isabella Agresta, Kayla Mariah Fifer, Fletcher Hooten, Byron Ledford, Hillary McGuire, and Maddux Morrison (who rocks Fake Billy Idol).

The musical, with book by Chad Beguelin and Tim Herlihy (from Herlihy’s screenplay), music by Matthew Sklar and lyrics by Beguelin, avoids the endless headaches of song rights by providing originals with the familiar feel of ‘80s hits, from the catchy “It’s Your Wedding Day” to the charm of “Come Out of the Dumpster.”

Galvin is aided by music director Jerico Hughes, choreographer Phillip Crawshaw and stage manager Rebecca Roeber. Embarrassingly accurate fashion and look by Wendy Meaden (costumes) and Andrew Elliot (wigs, hair, and makeup).

Highly entertaining with a story of love lost and found “Right in Front of Your Eyes,” find “The Wedding Singer” tickets at phoenixtheatre.org.

IndyShakes: ‘Caesar’ as seen by CNN or C-SPAN

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By John Lyle Belden

Julius Caesar. If you didn’t sleep through World History or Western Civ in high school or college, you are familiar with his name and his brief reign over the Roman Empire. Thanks mainly to the tragic play by William Shakespeare, his fate is forever part of popular culture – especially in mid-March, when the man becomes a meme on your smartphone.

What if those early 21st century devices were available in the 1st century BC? In the common practice of adapting the Bard to different eras, Indy Shakes and Zach & Zack present Shakespeare’s “Julius Caesar” in a tech-savvy Rome complete with 24-hour social media and news cycle. In the big black box of the Basile stage of the Phoenix Theatre Cultural Centre, we get a multimedia blitz of projected talking heads, Tweets on X, and smartphone video streams, with our players front and center enacting the familiar story with the freshness of breaking news. Diverse casting of race and gender, along with modern dress with hints of official robes, help make ancient times feel like today.

Quick refresher: The death of fellow leader Pompey left Caesar (Andy Ahrens) the sole Consul over the Roman Republic. This worries the Senate, who easily surmise that the man will overtake them as a tyrannical dictator. In Shakespeare’s telling, Cassius (Scot Greenwell), who was close to Caesar and feels him both too ambitious and too weak (the stigma of his epilepsy) persuades Brutus (Jen Johansen), another beloved of Caesar, to join a conspiracy to assassinate their Emperor. Despite signs and warnings, Caesar enters the Senate on March 15 and is slaughtered by his countrymen. Antony (Kelly Mills) plays along with the killers, but when given a chance to address Caesar’s funeral, stirs the people of Rome to action.

Other roles include Morgan Morton as Brutus’s spouse Portia, as well as Cinna the Poet; Carlos Medina Maldonado as Cinna the conspirator and others; Chandra Lynch, Daniel Martin and Immanuel Umoren as conspirators Decius Brutus, Trebonius, and Casca; Kelli Thomas as Brutus’s servant Lucius; Tiffany Gilliam as Caesar’s wife, Calpurnia; and Jacob Barnes as the Soothsayer, and later Octavius Caesar (who will eventually become Emperor Augustus).

From top to bottom, the cast have solid resumes and consistently display their dramatic talents throughout. It is in this adaptation, though, that Johansen’s Brutus stands out, doggedly facing both inner and outer conflict, reluctantly justifying extreme acts, then standing up to the consequences. Ahrens plays Caesar as having noble intentions but too driven to see how his larger-than-life personality could inspire his doom. In today’s U.S. Senate, Greenwell’s Cassius would be that devious deal-maker who would go to any length to advance his agenda, a Ted Cruz with knives. Mills’s Antony manages to come off as the rare honest politician, rising to the occasion like our memory of JFK, or Obama at his inauguration. Zack Neiditch is director, with sound and video design by Zach Rosing. Excellent costumes are by Tony Sirk with Caitlin Davey.

Still, the whole of this production is greater than the sum of its well-executed parts, going beyond just putting old speech in a new setting. In a time when tragic events, including wars, unrest, and celebrities performing to ever-present cameras are constantly on our television, computer and phone screens, this makes historical events feel even more “real” than any attempt to tell the story in its own time.

Two weekends remain of “Julius Caesar,” through May 19, at 705 N. Illinois St., downtown Indianapolis. Get information and tickets at indyshakes.com or phoenixtheatre.org.