play

Stage events ‘Illustrate’ Bradbury classics

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By John Lyle Belden

The Ray Bradbury Center at Indiana University – Indianapolis continues to improve the literary profile of the city with its recently completed fifth program of Festival451Indy. The focus was on Bradbury’s story collection, “The Illustrated Man,” in which 18 science-fiction stories are related by the titular character. His various tattoos each appear to move on its own as it relates a tale to the viewer.

We managed to see two performances inspired by this work at venues on Indy’s Massachusetts Ave.

“Plasma/Prayers & Machines” was an avant garde movement and sound performance by Angel Poveda Yanez, held on Sept 26 at IF Theatre. This piece was inspired by the Bradbury story “The Veldt,” one of “Illustrated Man’s” most popular entries. Yanez adapted the concept – two children, addicted to the technology that raised them, choosing the machine over their parents – to wonder what their lives and sense of self would be when their electronic world runs out of power.

The movement expresses curiosity, a sense of play, terror, and searching. This is performed to an atmospheric sound design by Sophie Barker, incorporating electronic sounds, a looper, and a theremin to great effect. In the post-performance audience discussion, it was revealed that Yanez and Barker had only met a few weeks earlier and had composed and designed this collaborative work in less than a month, making this its world premiere.  

Wendy and I, as well as other audience members, found that if you are open to this experience, its narrative seems to reveal itself and what seems at first just weird and bizarre congeals into an interesting whole. Having a bit of exposition afterward did aid our appreciation of the piece. My main suggestion would be some hints at the context prior to future performances.

“The Autumn Country” was a more approachable stage experience, presented the weekend of Oct. 9-11 at The District Theatre. This collaboration involved local performer and playwright Ben Asaykwee, Emmy-winning actor Bill Oberst Jr., and Bradbury Center director Jason Aukerman, who made his acting debut as The Illustrated Man himself.

In a blending of various Bradbury works, Will and Jim – boys from “Something Wicked This Way Comes” – are adults making their way home to Green Town when they encounter the Illustrated Man, who has introduced himself with “The Worm Ouroboros,” a powerful poem written by Aukerman (inspired by Bradbury). Triggered by the “illustrations,” they take turns delivering monologues based on “Remembrance,” “The Rocket Man,” “Pillar of Fire,” The Exiles,” “The City,” “The Lake,” and, of course, “Something Wicked.”

In a past production, Oberst gave a full-length performance of “Pillar,” which informed the intensity he gave here in a shorter passage. Asaykwee gave “Exiles” his humorous touch as we “meet” various masters of fiction in what becomes a tragic story. Overall, the play had various Easter eggs for Bradbury fans to find. After the performance, it was noted that “Rocket Man” was indeed an inspiration for the Elton John hit.

The collaborations in both stage works helped engender an inclusive atmosphere within the festival. This spirit should hopefully inspire more creatives to contribute to the Bradbury Center’s legacy of speculative art and storytelling.

Visit theraybradburycenter.org for information on the Center and future programs – including the return of the 451 Festival at the start of the next Autumn.

IRT: Laughs and love with immigrant family in ‘Kim’s Convenience’

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By John Lyle Belden

If the title “Kim’s Convenience” sounds familiar, the play by Ins Choi now presented by Indiana Repertory Theatre is the hit show that inspired the Canadian television sitcom of the same name. If it doesn’t, well, you are still in for a treat.

The action centers on an independent convenience store in the Regent Park neighborhood of Toronto, owned and run by Korean immigrant Mr. Kim (Tony K. Nam), known familiarly as Appa. His wife is known as Umma (Tuyèt Thi Pham). Their daughter Janet (Jenny S. Lee) is 30, single, and a photographer with occasional clients. Their 32-year-old son Jung (Jae Woo), they don’t talk about.

Austin Michael Young plays all other roles including customers; Mr. Lee (“the Black man with the Asian name”), who arrives with a tempting offer; and Alex, a local police officer who knew Jung and Janet in high school.

After more than three decades in North America, Appa still has issues with English and making himself understood. This naturally leads to much of the comedy, scripted by Choi from his experience as a Korean-Canadian to sound natural, the way hilarious linguistic confusion happens in real life. Add in Appa’s eccentricities, such as his use of Korean martial arts and his obsession with Korean history (feeding a hatred of Japan), and I have rarely laughed so hard at a show as I have with this.

The comic moments blend seamlessly with some deep family drama. “This store is my story,” Appa says, as he seriously considers its next chapter. His options are basically taking Mr. Lee’s generous payout and retiring, which he doesn’t feel good about, or giving Kim’s Convenience to Janet, who does not want it. Meanwhile, Umma makes contact with her estranged son, who is unhappy with his current life despite recently becoming a father himself.

Appa’s attempts to get Janet more involved with the store intensify both the comic and dramatic atmosphere, with aspects of racial and social profiling in his game of “Steal or No Steal.”

A helpful note: When Appa and Umma speak to each other in Korean, the English translations are projected on the backstage wall.

Direction is by associate artistic director cara hinh, who considers herself “such a Janet.” Scenic design – a perfectly organized and stocked c-store floor and counter – is by Yoon Bae.

Performances have a sense of familiarity among the cast, making their interactions – whether sentimental or tense – sparkle. Nam is relatable as a concerned father, while expressing himself in Appa’s unique way. Pham keeps Umma focused on practical matters, anchored by love and faith. Lee’s Janet is a free spirit, while respectful of her family and culture. Young gives Alex a sense of nervous adventure, hoping to connect with an old friend, but finding connection with his sister. Woo presents Joo as burdened by regret that is aggravated by pride.

Learn the Korean name for ginseng, what happened in 1904, and enjoy the heartwarming experience of “Kim’s Convenience,” through Nov. 15 on the intimate Janet Allen stage at the IRT, 140 W. Washington in the heart of downtown Indianapolis. Get info and tickets at irtlive.com.

New look at life on a familiar street

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By John Lyle Belden

Meridian (from Merriam-Webster) a great circle on the surface of the earth passing through the poles; a representation of such a circle or half circle numbered for longitude

Meridian (in Indianapolis) the central north-south street marking “00” address for the city; it helps, with major east-west streets, to make an easy grid for getting around.

It appears that award-winning New York playwright Lucy Thurber has incorporated both concepts into the new play, “The Meridian Cafe,” commissioned by American Lives Theatre and performing its world premiere at the Phoenix Theatre Cultural Centre. With a sense for human connection that transcends East Coast or Hoosier culture, she gives us a night in the lives of people in a central familiar location, marking a place along their lives’ journey.

Director (and ALT artistic director) Chris Saunders agreed when I told him the setting feels like Indy’s South Meridian Street. It’s a working-class neighborhood with a small all-night diner (memories of Peppy Grill were expressed afterward). James (Ian Cruz) runs the café with the sort of Serenity Prayer wisdom that comes from being 10 years sober. His cook, Nicky (Joshua Short), has ambitions of becoming a professional chef. A frequent customer, so to speak, is Candace (Lynne Perkins), a local unhoused woman who is mentally frayed and largely unafraid. The coffee has endless refills.

A young woman, Sara (Morgan Morton), enters visibly upset. There are hints of a man, her husband who now wants a divorce, arriving as well. But the next person coming in the door is Luke (Matt Kraft), a young man who asks to speak with Nicky.

The two men grew up as friends in this neighborhood, but Luke’s substance abuse estranged them and landed him in prison. Now out and professing a year of sobriety, Luke asks for a job. After sizing him up briefly, James puts him to work.

Finally, Billy (Allen Sledge), Sara’s husband, arrives. While trying to talk to her he sees Luke and suddenly remembers meeting him. Confused, Luke retreats to the kitchen.

The situation gets more complicated as we learn that one thing Sara and Billy have in common (likely a catalyst for their struggling marriage) is that they both were fighting same-sex attractions in the Christian community of their small home town. She’s still struggling, while he – a professional theatre artist – feels he no longer can.

Through conversations, some held during smoke breaks outside, and an incident when Sara’s evangelical impulses upset Candace, we see various tensions rise and break. They won’t “sing Kumbaya,” but Billy does favor us with a Broadway number.

This being a fascinating character study taking place over a single night, we get a good impression of each of these personalities, though everyone is largely a cypher, as would be the case to us as strangers observing from our corner of the diner.  Cruz makes James the captain of this ship, leading with calm resolve and stern when it’s called for. His relationship with Candace suggests a history and empathy with her life struggles.

In Perkins’ crafting of the character, Candace would be worthy of a play of her own (which we would love to see). She reflects aspects we too often see on this city’s streets, but without caricature or eliciting pity. There are plenty of hearty laughs in this show, but none at her expense.

Kraft employes his full comedy-to-drama range here. Luke’s apparent sincerity and lack of duplicity now collide with awareness of an addict’s easy lies and the fact he had been literally blackout drunk a year earlier. Given this single window to assess him, he is both likable and unreliable.

Sara is one mixed-up character, and fortunately Morton is brilliant at handling such roles. She has a lot to work through, and we see part of that process here. Billy is on a different point on a similar character arc, forced to reckon with a couple of assumptions about what’s best him and his wife, as well as the factors that brought him to this moment. All this Sledge ably manages, and sings beautifully as well.

Short takes on Nicky’s “young man from the ‘hood makes good” character with earnest good humor, especially in his concern for Luke tempered by the sting of past betrayal. Still, compared to the others, this role feels thin.

As Wendy told me when we discussed this play afterward, “this left me wanting more,” is both praise and critique. Perhaps a few more aspects of character in some roles would help, and the fairly short run time can take on additional moments without feeling padded. On the other hand, what more do we get to know of the strangers in a spellbinding conversation overheard in the next restaurant booth?

Regardless, I could see Thurber taking a production of this to success Off-Broadway (frankly, given her CV, this could be a possibility). Thus, we who saw it at the Phoenix can share the brag of seeing it first.

Nicely evocative set design with cleverly transparent outer walls is by Nick Kilgore. Tristen Durham is assistant director, and Lucy Yahr is stage manager.

An excellent snapshot of Midwest life that looks kindly into its shadows, visit “The Meridian Cafe” through Nov. 8 at 705 N. Illinois St. (a block from Meridian) in downtown Indianapolis. Get info and tickets at phoenixtheatre.org or americanlivestheatre.org.

P.S. It’s interesting to me that one of the great offbeat literary minds of the 20th and 21st Century are each named “Thurber,” but I see no indication that Lucy is related to James (writer of numerous works, including “Walter Mitty”). If anyone is aware of a link, let us know.

P.P.S. Yes, I know The Peppy (which we miss!) was in Fountain Square and on 10th Street; I didn’t want to make a misleading comparison to any actual spot on Meridian.

New play gives fear a voice

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By John Lyle Belden

No one invites him but he’s always there – first to arrive, last to leave. And no one knows you better.

Fear is a personified character in “Moving On,” the new play by Konnor Graber making its premiere with Eclipse Productions of Bloomington. Given life by Dan Heise, he reflects anxieties by speaking others’ darkest thoughts, reminds them of their shortcomings, and persists when not obeyed.

This draws young married couple Leo (Sam Durnil) and Mia (Shayna Graber) toward their breaking point. They feel a growing distance between them, even while next to each other in their small apartment. They rarely even sleep together. Meanwhile, Fear is (literally) lurking, practically stalking them.

They seek help from a therapist, Elizabeth (Erin Parks), whom they call Doc. She tries to provide insight, but has issues of her own, still grieving her late husband, George. Fear insists she regard him as gone forever and give in to despair, taking a bit of her resolve with each visit.

In memories of trauma, Heise appears as Mia’s perfection-demanding father, who was also her pastor and sports coach; and Parks portrays Leo’s barely coherent alcoholic mother. The wounds are mostly psychological and run deep: She is never good enough. He will always be abandoned.

This drama delivers an emotional wallop. It’s a fascinating examination of abuse arising from dysfunction, parents not connecting with their children in vastly different but just as damaging ways. We also get the difficult healing journey of grief in Doc’s story. As each of this trio is tested, is Fear pushing them into their personal hell, or through it?

Konnor Graber said he based this play on a combination of his own memories and people he has known. The story came together fairly quickly several years ago, and after previous attempts to get it produced, he and Eclipse decided to do it themselves. Shayna (nèe Survil, now married to Konnor) bravely takes on this very personal drama, as does Durnil – both experienced with intense roles for this company. As Konnor noted that Doc had been written as an older woman, we see Parks presenting both the crisis and remaining potential of middle age deepening her part of the story. Heise is sharp and uncompromising – it’s tempting to think of this as a devil role, but such entities usually take pleasure in the pain they inflict. He is merely a harsh aspect of humanity, expressing its nature without malice or sadism.

The production is aided greatly by Joshua Lane’s sound design (he has done every Eclipse show so far) and lighting design by Allie Mattox. Salem Winterstein is stage manager.

A personal, perhaps relatable, and literally fearful mental health journey, “Moving On” has performances Friday through Sunday, Oct. 23-25 at Constellation Playhouse, 107 W. 9th St., Bloomington. Optionally, following the Saturday and Sunday shows is their “Cocktail Hour” Fundraiser with live music and a chance to get to know the cast and company. For information and tickets, go to eclipseproductionscompany.com.

A hunt for witches in Westfield

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By John Lyle Belden

A dance popular among children. A young influencer has everyone’s attention. Politics heavily influenced by Christian extremists. Racism. Small-town paranoia involving old grudges. Plots to seize property. Judges ruling unjustly. People die.

2026? Not exactly.

Main Street Productions of Westfield present “The Crucible,” the drama Arthur Miller wrote about the Salem Witch Trials of 1692, inspired by the Red Scare of the 1950s, and echoing in every era that it is staged. While there is some dramatic license, what we see is largely how events transpired.

The Rev. Parris (Sidney Blake) discovers girls in the woods near Salem dancing – a sin in itself – and in a strange manner, led by his slave from Barbados, Tituba (Jada Moon). His daughter Betty (Diya Shah), seeing her father, passes out and awakens at home still and mute.

At his wits end and needing to get ahead of rumors of unholy goings-on, Rev. Parris calls for the Rev. John Hale (Daniel Ott), an expert in things demonic, to confirm that witchcraft is not involved. But after a forced confession from Tituba and outcry from the girls, especially Parris’s niece, Abigail (Piper Williams), the infamous historic witch hunt is under way.

The “afflicted” girls include Fiona Finn as Susanna, Dhruvi Shah as Mercy, and Louisa Dobson as Mary.

Among notable townsfolk: Thomas and Ann Putnam (Jurrell Spencer and Amber K. Roth) are rich in property but have buried seven stillborn children and their one daughter is sick after the dancing incident; they are convinced supernatural evil is involved. Local farmers Giles Corey (Richard Steinberg), Francis Nurse (Jim Simmons), and John Proctor (JB Scoble) find their concern turn to dread as suspicion falls on them. Even Mrs. (said as “Goody” for Goodwife) Rebecca Nurse (Susan Boilek Smith), a pillar of the community, is not immune as Goody Putnam remembers she was her midwife. Sarah Good (Christina King) is also named in the accusations.

John Proctor’s situation is particularly fraught, as Mary is his current servant, who replaced Abigail, with whom he unwisely shared affection. Soon, his wife Elizabeth (Megan Fridenmaker) is accused with “evidence” found in her possession.

For the trials we have Clerk of the Court Ezekiel Cheever (James H. Williams), deputy John Willard (Jacob Slager), Judge Hathorne (Ken Kingshill) and cruel Deputy-Governor Danforth (Duane Mercier).

Directed by Brent Wooldridge with Caity Withers, the cast deliver powerful performances, especially Scoble in his pivotal role. Piper Williams gives a chilling portrayal of calculating, almost sociopathic behavior. Smith presents fierce bravery, edged with humor at the absurdity of it all. Blake’s Parris reveals himself more of a compromising, almost political figure than a man of God. Fridenmaker is inspiring as the one who passes through the “crucible” of these events. Ott also elicits our empathy as the character most changed by these events.

Also impressive are the sets designed and built by Andrew and Melody Burnett, featuring a gallows – with a pair of nooses – always looming in the background. Thia Calley is stage manager.

“The Crucible” has four more performances, Thursday through Sunday, Oct. 15-18 at the Basile Westfield Playhouse, 220 N. Union St. Get tickets at westfieldplayhouse.org. We highly recommend this production as a reminder of the context of a “witch hunt,” even when someone on high exclaims it for his own purposes.

Toast a new century with builders of that future

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By John Lyle Belden

Those of us over 30 have memories of Y2K – not just the possibility of computers failing but more the promise that the new century (and millennium) would bring after decades of advances in science and culture. Computer bug aside, this was likely the feeling 100 years earlier, in anticipation of the year 1900. (I would refer to it as Y-MCM but that reminds me of an unrelated song – still, the surreal nature of that thought is appropriate here.)

The play “Building Jerusalem,” by Michael Redhill, presented by Catalyst Repertory at IF Theatre, directed by Tristan Ross, focuses on that liminal space between eras, imagining a meeting of very different minds for a challenging evening of conversation and party games.

It is the evening of Dec. 31, 1899, in The Grange, home of renowned and controversial academic and writer Goldwin Smith in Toronto, Canada. Smith has not arrived yet, but his niece, Alice (Anna Himes) is on hand to welcome the guests: Dr. Augusta Stowe-Gullen (Alaine Sims), a physician and supporter of women’s suffrage; Adelaide Hoodless (Maria Meschi), director of a Domestic Science institute and advocate for milk pasteurization; Karl Pearson (Ross), a very opinionated Darwinist scientist; and the Rev. Silas Rand (Brant Hughes), a missionary to the Micmac tribe of Nova Scotia.

As midnight and the new century swiftly approach, a snowstorm outside prevents Smith from arriving and anyone from leaving. Let the games begin.

Aside from the mind games such a plot generates – or perhaps as part of them – the girl directs these otherwise rational adults in a series of party diversions common to the era. While “Charades” or “Follow the Leader” may be familiar to us, they also indulge in children’s competitions like “Donkey Do,” “Wee Wifey,” and “Zulu.” Being gentlemen and ladies, they play in earnest and accept the “forfeits” prescribed by Alice when necessary, including a very amusing penalty of “Kiss your own shadow.”

The cast bring out the full dimension of these historical figures, staying polite as possible as society conditioned them, yet each standing firm when their area of knowledge is challenged. Ross makes Pearson almost insufferable at times, but in a manner that reflects the attitudes of his time and the conclusions of his studies, not sinister intent. Sims’s Stowe-Gullen, as a turn of that century’s feminist, confronts a different perspective of womanhood in Meschi’s Hoodless, as they each present their shared desire for better and healthier lives. Hughes as Rand, a man usually confident in his Christian stands, finds himself in uncomfortable company, at first losing at the games before getting in a few verbal points himself.

As for Alice, Himes gives us a devilishly childish young lady of uncertain age and hidden wisdom. Adding to the air of mystery (in an era known for Houdini and Spiritualist trickery) is that at several points she performs simple stage illusions as a matter of course – done quite well, in fact.

As this is a difficult show to describe, please believe me that this is an excellent production, eerily perfect for October and perfect for 2026. Mystery, history, idealism, and ideas of “necessary” cruelty combine for a New Years Eve party you’ll never forget.

“Building Jerusalem” has performances Friday through Sunday through Oct. 25 in the Blackbox at IF, 719 E. St. Clair St., Indianapolis. Get tickets at indyfringe.org.

IRT presents riddle of ‘Da Vinci Code’

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By John Lyle Belden

It’s been more than 20 years since the world was fascinated by the best-selling novel “The Da Vinci Code” by Dan Brown, which stirred controversy and was adapted into a Tom Hanks movie.

Adapted for the stage by Rachel Wagstaff and Duncan Abel, this thriller involving centuries-old secret organizations in and around the Catholic Church is at the Indiana Repertory Theatre, directed by Benjamin Hanna.

The story begins with a murder at the Louvre museum in Paris. Visiting professor and famed symbologist Robert Landon (Nate Cheeseman) is summoned to help decipher the crime scene – and because the message slain curator Saunière (Ryan Artzberger) left behind referenced Landon by name. Police officers Bezu Fache (Sean Blake) and Collet (Devan O’Malia Mathias) are obviously suspicious; meanwhile police cryptographer Sophie (Meghan Kreidler) takes Landon aside to tell him she is Saunière’s granddaughter and this situation is more fraught than he realizes. Soon, after finding more clues in the museum’s works by Leonardo da Vinci (including the Mona Lisa), Landon and Sophie are on the run, eventually seeking da Vinci expert Sir Leigh Teabing (Steve Routman). The killer, Silas (Sam Pearson), a fanatical monk in the order Opus Dei, is pursuing them as well.

The cast also includes Jen Johansen, Derdriu Ring, and Eric Sharp as Teabing’s assistant, Rèmy.

The object of this deadly quest is to find the Holy Grail. As everything in this story has more than one meaning, we learn that the “chalice” is not a cup, but a woman.

Hanna’s direction keeps the suspense taut and performances are first-rate. Cheeseman presents an excellent guide to the mysteries Landon uncovers. Kreidler’s Sophie is right there with him, a partnership of minds more than hearts, with no distracting romance. Routman presents a deceptively charming old adventurer. Pearson gives Silas absolute devotion to his cause, making his ritual self-inflicted pain an indication that he holds no qualms about hurting anyone else.

As for the story, it follows the book fairly well. As a Grail hunt, I felt this falls somewhere between Indiana Jones and Monty Python. While the twists have varying levels of predictability, overall, this high-stakes race across France and Britain is a fun ride. Bear in mind that aside from the characters and story, much of the underlying lore is also fiction (“Or is it?” some would ask).

The look of this production adds to the intensity of the action on the stage. The open scenic design by Christopher and Justin Swader is inspired by the Louvre’s glass pyramids (added to the museum in the1980s) with the triangles hinting at ancient secrets, or as angled lines a suggestion of a situation off-kilter. Lights (designed by Bentley Heydt) play into the mystery – for instance, illuminating the “Rose Line” that is part of the search. Still and video projections by Katherine Freer also contribute, as the IRT continues to make excellent use of the technology.

Follow the clues as puzzles are pondered and secrets sought on the way to breaking “The DaVinci Code.” Performances run through Oct. 19 at 140 W. Washington St. in the heart of downtown Indianapolis. Tickets and info at irtlive.com.

CCP: Living in an idealized past not easy

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By John Lyle Belden

“Home, I’m Darling,” by British playwright and screenwriter Laura Wade, is not often seen outside the UK, where it’s set. However, the central character is captured by the nostalgia of the 1950s as envisioned by popular American television and movies, despite her having been born in England in 1980. 

Carmel Community Players presents a unique production of this Olivier Award-winning comedy at The Cat, directed by Nicole Ansler.

Judy (Lori Ann Gerdisch) and Johnny (Kevin Smith) appear to have the perfect happy marriage – if this were a black-and-white sitcom. Puttering around the kitchen in a pretty dress with pearls and a frilly apron, Judy seems happy to cook and clean at a home in which nearly all appliances and furniture date to the 1950s while Johnny, smartly dressed including a hat, goes to work as a real estate agent. The one concession to 21st century living is a laptop for ordering more vintage stuff online. She only listens to old records and watches old films on a disc player wired into a modified old telly, and has embraced the lifestyle to the extent that she rarely swears and finds herself surprised that Johnny’s boss Alex (Brynn Lee) is a woman.

Judy’s best friend Fran (Amalia Howard) is impressed at how clean the home is and notes her husband Marcus (Mike Sosnowski) wouldn’t mind her living a similar life – though she likes her job. On the other hand, Judy’s mother Sylvia (Barbara Babbitt), a diehard feminist, is quick to point out how uncomfortable she is with the whole situation.

This production includes a clever addition: To help intensify the surreal atmosphere – and give the cast more time for costume changes –there are various 50s-60s style TV commercials between scenes, presented with “Mad Men” charm by Tanya Haas and Mark Livingston, with Jason Creighton voicing the announcer. Products include yellow margarine, smooth-smoking cigarettes, and whitening toothpaste for those pesky yellow stains. Written by Amsler after receiving permission from Wade, these bits are among the highlights of the show. Haas even gets to perform an ad jingle.

This retro paradise quickly shows its flaws as money gets tight with Johnny not likely to get the promotion they were counting on. While Fran tries recipes and household hints from one of Judy’s old books, Marcus is caught in a situation that, in these days, gets more serious attention.

“Nostalgia used to be considered a mental disease” is said, and there seem to be deeper issues at play. This is especially true of Judy, whom Gerdisch plays with iron stubbornness tinged with fear. As we learn about her unusual childhood, her attachment to an idealized world becomes clear, edging on cautionary tale.

Meanwhile Johnny is finding himself disconnected from life, stuck more in an acted role than a voluntary lifestyle. Smith, who can’t help looking a bit like Don Draper, shows his manly strength in a rather un-50s manner, with a hope that he can still reach his time-warped wife.  

Howard charms with her supportive personality, though that trait gets sorely tested. While others play at living in the past, Sosnowski’s character Marcus is more of a throwback. Babbitt plays Sylvia as a loving and concerned mother who could grab a sign to join a march. Lee’s Alex is our anchor to the current era – modern suit, cell phone handy – not judging while focused on practical matters.

The choice was made by Amsler, to the relief of the cast, to not attempt British accents. With numerous idioms and references to English cities, there was no attempt to adapt the script to the U.S. (this story is good for practically any English-speaking culture, and has been staged in Australia). I feel this approach works, as it makes the play more relatable, and attempting the accents (especially considering regional dialects) could end up being distracting or even come off farcical, diluting the serious subtext of this already oddball comedy. Besides, the culture Judy is emulating is mostly American anyway.

Assistant directors are Laura Gellin, who is also intimacy coordinator, and Lauren Lotzow, who is also stage manager. The all-volunteer company did an excellent job of rounding up the various era-appropriate props and set pieces (helpers include Tom Smith, Susanne Bush, Charlie Hanover, and Dave Muse). Costume design is by Judy McGroarty.

A fun show with thought-provoking dark edges, “Home, I’m Darling,” has performances 7:30 p.m. Thursday (at a discount price) and Friday, 2:30 p.m. Saturday and Sunday at The Cat, 254 Veterans Way in downtown Carmel. For tickets, see carmelplayers.org or thecat.biz.

IBTC brings a place that’s closer than we think

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By John Lyle Belden

Indianapolis Black Theater Company presents the powerful drama, “Kiladelphia,” written and directed by DP Demarco.

He makes clear that this is not just a ‘hood in Pennsylvania, but a place found in cities large and small throughout America, plagued by street crime, drugs, and violence.  Throughout the play we see a memorial to a six-year-old girl at the place she was killed by a stray bullet. However, though it struggles, there is also hope here – and faith.

Neighbors Shawaakaatima and Ms. Jordan (Dena L. Toler and Da’Keisha Bryant) are visibly shook by the child’s death, while dealing with the growing independence of their own kids. Shawaakaatima’s son Jabarie (John Singleton) is doing well at the local college. Meanwhile, Teresa Jordan (Raniyah Bannon) is a good teen, however her friends include Shay Shay (Ayshah Matthews), a girl with big attitude and questionable character, and Taylor (Anaiah), who is nice, smart, and the younger sister of Q (Joshua Bruton), the second-in-command to gang leader Jamelle (LA).

The criminal element also includes Kima (Shenita Golder), Bones (Mahogani Johnson), and Malik (David Adams). Atiyyah Radford plays Derrick, Jabarie’s friend, as well as “Clean” – a street character who is anything but.  Jodi Holmes appears as a local police detective and the grieving mother of the little girl.

Jamelle is handsome and charismatic, with hundred-dollar bills peeking out of his pockets. And what he lacks in empathy he more than makes up in the drugs he sells. He sends away his addicted mother, Wanda (Anila Akua), and later takes advantage of naïve rich girl Erica (Shaudia Carter) – both financially and physically.

Not everyone will survive these events in an unflinching look at how easily the pursuit of good times can go very badly, including for the innocent. What feels like love or respect can be a trap. This is not a musical, but we do get a wonderful rendition of Stevie Wonder’s “Knocks Me Off My Feet” sung by Singleton, background music by Matt “Big Beatz” Franklin and Byran Hobbs, and an affective arrangement of the O’Jay’s “For Love of Money.”

We also find in the women and young Teresa a tested Christian faith. Rather than deliver a simple morality play, Demarco keeps it real with Jesus’ love not always accepted but still made available for one who is truly broken.

Performances feel real – even a larger-than-life person like Shay Shay is like someone you know – and at moments engage the audience directly, alerting us that these are events that need our attention here, and out in the larger world. Demarco said he has presented this play in several cities and was struck by how, when he mounted it in West Virginia including white cast members, he sadly didn’t have to change a thing.

Find “Kiladelphia” here in Naptown for one more weekend, Thursday through Sunday, Sept. 24-27, at The District Theatre. Get tickets at indydistricttheatre.org.

At Center Stage, mature folks don’t always act that way

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By John Lyle Belden

Things don’t feel as perfect when you are past sixty.

“Morning’s at Seven,” the title of a popular comedy by Indiana-born writer Paul Osborn, is a line from the Robert Browning poem that famously says, “God’s in his heaven – all’s right with the world,” reflecting a moment of perfection.

Presented by Center Stage Community Theatre of Lebanon, directed by Jan Jamison, the play presents the story of four sisters of a certain age still living in the same neighborhood (three of them sharing a back yard) in the 1920s.

In the home on stage left (audience right), Cora (Cathie Morgan) lives with husband Thor Swanson (Sydney S. Loomis) and never-married sister Arry Gibbs (Elizabeth Young-Collins), who was invited to stay with them 40 years ago, and circumstances just never changed.

On the other side of the stage is the home of Ida Bolton (Beth Popplewell), husband Carl (Scott Stockton) and son Homer (Ryan Moskalick). Up the street somewhere backstage is the home of oldest sister Esther (Molly Kraus) and her husband David Crampton (Rick Sharp), a retired college professor with a very low opinion of his wife’s family.

The opening scene conversations show these folks making a lot out of what little goes on in their lives, setting a tone of gentle eccentricity. This gets even odder with the arrival of Homer with his girlfriend of the last 12 years (the last five engaged), Myrtle Brown (Amy Keitt). He is 40, she 39, and there is even a house in town prepared for them, yet there seems to be no hurry for marriage and Homer moving out of his old room.

This atmosphere of general silliness contains some very serious issues. Esther makes a surprise visit in defiance of her controlling husband’s insistence she never see them. Meanwhile Carl has severe depressive “spells” in which he questions his whole life’s purpose. David arrives and haughtily declares his wife can no longer live on the main floor of their house. But with his background in philosophy, David takes interest in Carl’s laments and starts to mentor him – while exploiting his home-improvement skills to make his “crystal fortress” into a duplex.

As this goes on, Thor finds himself caught between Cora’s desire to have a future only with him and Arry’s fear of growing older alone. This hints at a deeper secret, which the other sisters feel they have figured out.

By the next morning, we wonder, will all be right with their world again?

This juxtaposition of issues that feel modern with the quaint atmosphere of early 20th century Americana makes for a narrative both charming and intriguing. Jamison relished the opportunity to give seven of the nine roles to older actors, who show themselves quite lively and capable of the ironic immaturity called for in a good comedy. Each presents their long-set quirks in entertaining fashion, even the “younger” roles. Moskalick’s Homer is practically a caricature of a “mama’s boy” (we’d see him as a bit on the spectrum nowadays), while Keitt’s Myrtle maintains impeccable manners and finishing-school charm while working to bring about her long-deferred nuptials. Throughout we see that age doesn’t alleviate fears, just reshapes them.

Performances of “Morning’s at Seven” are the evenings of Fridays and Saturdays, afternoons of Sundays, through Oct. 4 at 604 Powell St. in Lebanon. Get info and tickets at centerstagecommunitytheatre.com.