play

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.

IndyFringe: Something funny going on

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This is part of the annual Indianapolis Theatre Fringe Festival, a/k/a IndyFringe 2026, held Aug. 13-23 in venues around downtown Massachusetts Ave. Information at indyfringe.org.

By John Lyle Belden with Wendy Carson

Reviews of: “All You Can Eat,” by American Lives Theatre; “Boy Meets Musical,” by Matt Day; “Breakneck Midsummer Night’s Dream,” by Timothy Mooney Repertory Co.; “The Matt Kraft Comedy Hour,” by Matt Kraft (and friends); “The Phantom of Diopra, IL,” by Diopra Arts Theatre; “Scouts’ Honor,” by Defiance Comedy; “Unalived & Lowkey Forgotten,” by Betty Rage.  

At IndyFringe, the sure-fire ticket sellers are the shows that make us laugh – sometimes at things we can’t believe we’re finding funny. From Shakespeare to new works, IndyFringe 2026 had quite the selection. Speaking of which:

All You Can Eat

American Lives Theatre gets into the act again with a one-act by Christopher Wittman, directed by Jacob David Lang, set in the first decade of the 2000s at a restaurant of a buffet pizza chain near a shopping mall on Black Friday.

Jaded workers Michelle and Luke (Evangeline Bouw and Dakota Reed), with upbeat young Crissy (Cara Wilson) – who just scored a new iPod Nano – are preparing for what will likely be a hellish shift, made worse by the idealistic new guy, Brandon (Henry Mumaw) being late. Manager Jerri (Zarah Shejule) puts on a brave face, has a sign made saying “No Black Friday Deals” (the buffet is already five bucks), and prepares for the worst (i.e. the customers).

This workplace comedy is an entertaining look at the pains of working fast food, seeking purpose in such employment, the ordeal of a trial-by-fire first day on the job, and the odd but genuine camaraderie these crew members share. Adding to this flavor, while Luke is out on an errand, Reed returns as various interesting and often frustrating customers, including the dreaded “Buffet Killer.”

It’s also a bit of nostalgia (the iPod Nano was introduced 20 years ago) to back when Black Friday and shopping malls were more of a thing, as well as the pizzeria we’ll call “DiDi’s.”  

This ALT production was a world premiere for Hoosier playwright Wittman. We could definitely go back for another slice.

Boy Meets Musical

(Review by Wendy Carson)

Note that you do not have to be familiar with the source material to enjoy this show, but you will miss out on a few of the inside jokes.

We begin with Jess (Elizabeth Enderle) watching TV when the announcement of a freak storm is approaching the area. She turns on her favorite show, “Boy Meets World” to watch.

It’s the start of Corey’s (Edgar Tisdale) senior year. He and the gang, Topanga (Kathleen Cicero) and Shawn (Sean Stroup) are looking forward to no longer having to deal with his big brother, Eric (Ryan Powell) and hopefully avoiding interactions with bullies Joey the Rat (Chase Cornelius) & Frankie the Enforcer (Josh Gregory). However, it seems that there is no escaping Mr. Feeney (Preston Dildine).

Suddenly, there is a strange flash of lightning and our main characters, as well as a few other sitcom stars (Morgan Roof and Zachary Adkins), are transported to the current time and place. They enlist Jess’s help to find out what happened and get them back to where they belong.

Presented by Player 2 Productions, with book, music, and lyrics by Matt Day, this show is a madcap look at our past, present and future as well as a hilarious send-up of all the typical TGIF tropes many grew up with.

Breakneck Midsummer Night’s Dream

The irony of Tim Mooney’s “Breakneck” Shakespeare shows is that while these hours-long plays each get reduced to just under an hour (per Fringe festival requirements), for the audience the Bard’s work gets surprisingly expanded. We come to understand more about the plays than what is given by the staging and dialogue. With historical epics, it’s like an entertaining college lecture.

Mooney, like the play’s trickster, throws a curve in the formula with his “Breakneck Midsummer Night’s Dream.” Most noticeably the Tim Mooney Repertory Theatre is not just himself solo, but joined by a cast of Fringe all-stars from across the U.S. This includes local actor Matt Anderson, with Chris Bruzzini, Schmoo Cutlip, Maggie Killian, and Beth Byrd-Lonski as Puck.

We get a bit of commentary, spread among the company. However, the play largely speaks for itself. As is done when “Midsummer” is tightly cast, actors reappear as parts of the three character subsets: the noble Athenians, the Faerie court, and the humble Mechanicals rehearsing a play for the first group, while trespassing on the second. The result is bright, funny and entertaining. It’s edited not only to fit time, but also to enhance clarity so that even a first-timer to this comedy gets the full effect.

Compared to other Breakneck works, though, for those of us familiar with the material there is little additional value. It’s like a nice Reader’s Digest Condensed Shakespeare play. I feel there are aspects that could use some context – like why Athens (perhaps for Greek-inspired magic folk?); what would contemporary (1600s) audiences have understood that we don’t; and what’s the deal with “Pyramus & Thisbe” anyway?

Find the wide array of Mooney’s entertainments, from Shakespeare to famous speeches to his original tragicomedy, “Man Cave,” at timmooneyrep.com.

The Matt Kraft Comedy Hour

Local actor Matt Kraft is brilliant in dramatic roles, which could help explain his sharply wicked sense of humor. He has crafted it into an absurd weapon of mass hilarity in “The Matt Kraft Comedy Hour,” his follow-up to past Fringe entries, “Doctors of Sketch Comedy” and comic fantasia “Somebody That I Used to Know.”

Joined by co-conspirator TJ O’Neil, with Anna Himes, Audrey Stonerock , Morgan Morton, and Zachariah Stonerock, Kraft crafts scenes that are both bizarre and side-splitting. He manages to make televised golf commentary less boring, promote devotion to reading a best-seller, give a candy bar gravitas, send up pretentiously precise restaurant menus (“this is why I don’t come to Carmel”), and inquire why Mr. Jones isn’t teaching his class – all in the worst and most (find more synonyms for funny) way!

To top it off, there is what looks like a sort of long-form improv gone hilariously mad: the Oscar-worthy “Scorsese’s Pride & Prejudice.” (Rated R, of course.)

We’re big on hyperbole and talking stuff up here at PWJW, but everyone we talked to – including fellow Fringe funny-man Jason Adams, who said he wants to produce a full-length “SP&P” – agreed in comparing this to renowned professional comedy sketch shows like Kids in the Hall, Mr. Show, Tim & Eric, The State, and In Living Color. Looking locally, I found the situation set-ups much like the short plays of Mark Harvey Levine, but with a lot more adult language.

Matt Kraft must do more of this. He simply must. Please encourage him.

The Phantom of Diopra, IL

Full disclosure: Wendy and I consider Andrew Lloyd Webber’s “The Phantom of the Opera” to be the most overrated musical ever. However, whether you agree or are a rabid fan of “The Music of the Night,” you would love “The Phantom of Diopra, IL: A Parody.”

Presented by Jordan McQuiston with Elizabeth Enderle, Jackson Lee, Abby White, Anna Meyer, Kelsie Uselman, Chris Enderle, and Aleesia McQuiston, they bring the horror story from an old French novel to a small-town opera house in Illinois. Everyone seems clueless as to how to stop a mysterious masked man’s reign of terror – or clueless, full stop, except for our diva whom the Phantom covets.

We find the limits of love, obsesson, Stockholm syndrome, and the use of copyright works in a parody. For instance, did you know you can sing the alphabet to the ALW score? Also, what happens when you don’t have the budget for the “Masquerade” scene. And it’s not just all for laughs, there is some seriously good singing in this show, as well.

Looking over McQuiston’s body of work, we note he is big on making these serious shows funnier while still entertaining. Add Diopra, IL, to that map.

Scouts’ Honor

(Review by Wendy Carson)

Defiance Comedy has raided the cookies jar and given us a sweet look into the ins and outs of scouting and cookies sales with a healthy sprinkling of courtroom drama added in.

New scout in town Lacy (Hannah Embree) is on trial for various offenses but insists she is not guilty of any of them. As each of her troop members is called to the stand, we see the various situations that have brought them to this point.

Previous Troop Leader, Mindy (Amy Reader) tells of how she brought stories of all the fancy rewards her previous troop regularly had, which led to her being stripped of her title and Lacy taking it. Veronica (Samantha J. Lewis) tells of the horrible Saturday they had to spend in Mr. Gary’s – you can call him Glen (Clay Mabbitt) – sales seminar. Nestor Clamslammer (Amy Reader), of the Irvington Clamslammers, tells of how he was threatened and kidnapped by Lacy and Debbie (John Kern) for non-payment of his cookie debt. Janice (Kelsey VanVoorst) would just rather be hugging everyone. Meanwhile, Troop Mom (Devan O’Malia Mathais) is so fiercely driven by her money-hungry ways, that her intentions are more suspect than Lacy’s.

Add to this craziness Emily Bohannon as the vindictive Prosecutor, John Kern as the inept Defense Attorney, Clay Mabbitt as the very loud Bailiff and Rob Johnansen as Judge Honeysuckle, who must somehow oversee this craziness, and you have the perfect recipe for a hilarious Fringe Show.

Unalived & Lowkey Forgotten

When Betty Rage Productions goes for laughs, it’s always one heck of a show. For this one, put “Arsenic and Old Lace,” “Grey Gardens,” “Ghost Hunters” shows, and the famous Joan Crawford/Bette Davis rivalry all in a blender, and cover it with an almost-popular podcast.

What we get is “Unalived & Lowkey Forgotten,” the name of a young woman’s pod about people who were once famous but are now merely dead. She has come across the Folly Theatre, where old frenemies Margo and Dottie died in a fire during their run of “Arsenic: The Musical” years ago. They still hang around, of course, keeping the orphan handyman who lives there (the only one who can see them) busy. With the help of some puppets and the magic words “I remember it like it was yesterday,” we learn the whole sad (yet funny) tragic story.

You can tell Callie Burk-Hartz and friends had fun with this one. We get a goofy multiple murder mystery, ghost story, and tale of personal and professional redemption, all served with some (memories of) L.S. Ayres Tea Room chicken velvet soup.

This ranks as Callie’s second-biggest accomplishment of the month – the first being Festival Director of the whole darn Fringe.

Breathless pace of ‘Lungs’ at District

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By John Lyle Belden

“That’s what drama is: watching a character make a decision.”

This quote by playwright Duncan MacMillan, from a 2016 interview, fits the style of his first celebrated play, “Lungs,” presented by new company ZED: Teatro at The District Theatre this weekend (Sept. 11-13).

MacMillan, known for his “Every Brilliant Thing,” engages different personal anxieties with this two-person drama which debuted in 2011. It asks, in entertainingly verbose fashion: When one is conscientious of all that is wrong with the world in the early 21st century, is it right to bring another life into the mix?

In the play’s typically minimalist staging, directed by Holly Hathaway Thompson, we witness a Man (Nathan Erdel) and a Woman (Linsey Babrick-Christie) in a very animated conversation. He, a musician, had suggested to her, a PhD student, that they could have a child together. Their shopping day at Ikea is completely ruined.

There follows a lot of “thinking out loud” in emotionally laden conversations and personal reflections. Being citizens of our globally connected era, concerns go beyond themselves to what’s happening with environment and the effects of corporate and political corruption. (MacMillan wisely sensed it would only get worse leading up to today.) There’s only so much one can do, and they are good people – “Are we good people?” – so, would a baby be condemned to future misery, or become the one who helps fix it?

This is more than a single discussion or argument. Time marches through a number of scenes, which follow one swiftly after another much as they will one day in hindsight. The back and forth between them feels natural – nothing resolved, yet ever moving forward as things must. Some humor grows organically from this, especially in “I didn’t mean to say that, well, yes I did…” moments. While there are disappointments, there is no malice.

Babrick-Christie and Erdel nimbly take on what must be an exhausting acting exercise. Moments come on hard and fast, heavy with hope and uncertainty, yet with an undercurrent of love – even when they aren’t acknowledging it. And with this very vulnerable human portrayal, we come to feel they are people we know, or want to.

As this posts, there are performances tonight and tomorrow afternoon in the intimate District Cabaret, 627 Massachusetts Ave., downtown Indianapolis. Get tickets at indydistricttheatre.org. Find ZED at zedteatro.org.

Mother’s devotion touches the world

PWJW_Indy Reviews, Stage , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

By John Lyle Belden

There’s something unique and fascinating about the cliché Jewish Mother. When encountered in performance it guarantees entertainment for the combination of simple values and cultural complexity. When you meet this personality in the real world, especially displaying a familiar mélange of honest concern and resolved acceptance, you find yourself wanting this woman for your second Mom.

In 1970s New York, countless LGBT youth found this maternal comfort in Jeanne Manford, and in her humble and loving way, she changed the world.

Phoenix Theatre Cultural Center presents the world premiere of “Everybody’s Favorite Mothers” by James Still, directed by Zack Neiditch.

When Jeanne’s son Morty (Jack Ducat) came out to her (Constance Macy), she accepted him without question. Her husband Jules (John St. Angelo) took more time to come around, he admits, but was fully accepting when he saw the violence that confronted a gay man just being himself.

Having been outspoken with a strong sense of justice since boyhood, Morty was an avid activist, working with close friends Mike (Matthew David Consell) and Leena (Alicia Barnes). As they planned to join a Gay Rights march on the anniversary of the Stonewall uprising (which had happened just a couple of years before), Morty asked his mother to walk with him. Feeling challenged at her initial hesitation, Jeanne firmly says she’ll be there.

For someone who prefers to live her own life, “I’m not a joiner,” Mrs. Manford is more conflicted than she realizes. The night before the march (which she likes to think of as a “parade”), she finds herself visited in her dreams by icons of motherhood. Maria Von Trapp from “The Sound of Music” (Zarah Shejule) appears in drag-inspired finery to reassure Jeanne and get her mind ready for the coming big day. She introduces two mothers from the past – the Virgin Mary (Barnes) and Mrs. Cratchit (St. Angelo) – and one from the future, Marge Simpson (Conwell), all eager to share encouragement.

The next day’s march sets Jeanne on a path of activism, Jules by his side, that leads to the founding of what is now PFLAG. Her firm sense that family members should support one another fueled her drive to help resolve estrangement between queer kids and their families, and give support to other parents.    

Still – the former playwright in residence at Indiana Repertory Theatre, now living on the West Coast – said he had great difficulty writing this important story of a little-known hero. While researching he found a relevant speech by President Barack Obama and realized that to include this event from 2008 in a story from 1972, he had to be very flexible with the element of time. Thus, to help focus on the central relationship of Morty and Jeanne, they take charge of their story to “rewind” and “forward-wind” to help them, and us watching, better understand what happened. This adds context and drama to a struggle that included trauma that proves difficult to get past.

Shejule also makes an appearance as the principal of the school where Jeanne teaches, having the impossible task of persuading her to reduce her activism.

This play’s clever presentation goes beyond Still’s words and Neiditch’s direction. Sound and video projections by Ben Dobler include actual news footage. The simple set with seating on two sides is by Rob Koharchik with lighting by Michael Moffatt. Anthony James Sirk did the costumes, which include fantastic plastic wigs and outfits for the dream sequence. Props, including Maria’s cute pet goat, are by Kristin Renee Boyd. Stage manager is Emily Root, assisted by Morgan Grabczak.

Ducat presents all the fed-up stress and sense of personal peril in Morty’s struggle to end discrimination. Conwell plays Mike more glib but with his own sense of worry – he also does a perfect Marge voice. Barnes, who said she reflected on her own journey to inform the role, plays Leena as eager and empathetic while dealing with the unfortunate rift among some activist gays and lesbians. Shejule’s turn as Maria is a delight. St. Angelo presents Jules as steadfastly supportive, as his fragile health allowed.

Macy – also the Phoenix Theatre Christel DeHaan Artistic Director – seems effortlessly amazing as Jeanne, working through her infrequent uncertainties while never diminishing her sense of doing what is right.

An unflinching look at the fight for gay rights featuring a mother’s uncompromising care, “Everybody’s Favorite Mothers” delivers an important chapter in American LGBTQ+ history, and a reminder that this story still continues.

Performances run through Sept. 20 at 705 N. Illinois St., downtown Indianapolis. Get info and tickets at phoenixtheatre.org.

For information on PFLAG, see pflag.org.

Born that way? Belfry goes ‘Bad’

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By John Lyle Belden

For more than 70 years, “The Bad Seed” has been one of the most chilling dramas ever held on stage. The 1954 play by Maxwell Anderson, adapted from the novel by William March (prior to the 1956 film), tackles thorny issues of mental health, psychiatry, nature vs. nurture, juvenile development and psyche, trauma and responses to it, parenting, suicide, being blind to one’s assumptions, free will, and more.

All laid bare by a dispute over a school penmanship medal.

The Belfry Theatre production at The Cat in Carmel doesn’t shy away from any of this. Directed by Matt McKee, the story unfolds in a manner that even if you know everything that is going to happen, you can’t help but be drawn into the growing suspense.

Sixth-grader Olivia Cook plays central character Rhoda Penmark, the practically “perfect” daughter of Col. Kenneth and Cristine Penmark (Matt Spurlock and Lisa Anderson). If the name or her charming face in blonde braids look familiar, it may be that last year, she had the lead in “Ruthless,” the musical parody of “Bad Seed” (and “All About Eve”). This time, the singing and campy elements of the previous role cast aside, she proves to be as cold as a Terminator. Cook perfectly embodies the empathy deficit, narcissistic calm with moments of fury, imperfect attempts to be enough of a “nice” girl to get anything she wants, and unhindered calculations to remove obstacles.

Even now, in the era of True Crime programs and podcasts, it’s hard to see this in a cute tween girl; adults in the Eisenhower era didn’t stand a chance.

Lisa Anderson, as increasingly anxiety-ridden Christine, gives us a reminder that she is as capable of award-worthy performance as her husband Matt (who provides a radio voiceover). What starts with a constant vague sense of unease, accompanied by disturbing dreams, grows into ever darker suspicions as each dread becomes confirmed.

Daughter of criminologist turned radio star Richard Bravo (Jamie Kenjorski, who we’ll meet later), Christine takes advantage of her husband being away on assignment to The Pentagon to pick the brain of current criminologist and author Reginald Tasker (Nate Mecija). Joining them for lunch are her landlady and upstairs neighbor Monica (Desireè Black), accompanied by Emory (Thom Johnson), Monica’s brother.

Monica, whom Black plays with blythe confidence, has undergone Freudian therapy and feels herself an expert on the matter, swiftly diagnosing everyone. Tasker, ignoring her amateur prattle, relates advances in studying psychopaths, finding their conditions as much or more a product of birth than upbringing.

Meanwhile, at the school picnic, Claude Daigle – the boy who won the medal Rhoda not only covets but felt entitled to – mysteriously drowns. While others react as you’d expect, Rhoda comes home and calmly puts on her skates to enjoy her free afternoon. The only one to openly suspect her mood and motives is handyman Leroy (Aaron Beal), who has come to terms with his own neurodivergence and senses a fellow traveler in the girl. Though it is plain, even to a first-time viewer, that this apparently simple-minded man is not the principal villain, Beal’s edgy performance helps keep questions open to his motives.

The question of what really happened comes to consume Christine, especially after she is visited by Rhoda’s teacher Miss Fern (Samantha Kelly). We also meet Claude’s parents, Dwight (Tom Riddle) acting like a turtle wanting desperately to retreat into his shell, and Hortense (Becca Bartley), who has submerged her grief and need for answers in alcohol. The Daigles being working-class, feeling socially inferior, factors into the mother’s slurred rants – which Bartley delivers with perfect pathos – adding to the tragedy of their situation.

McKee’s daughters make big contributions to this production. Ava serves as assistant director, stage manager, and has a moment onstage as a Messenger. Her sister Kayla, who also works the light and sound boards at Center Stage in Lebanon, does so here with growing professionalism (light and sound designed by Bill Miller). Costumes, including some interesting mother/daughter combinations, are by Taylor Moss. Susanne Bush made the most of the Cat stage to design the roomy Penmark living room. Jennifer Poynter wrangled the props (where did she get the medal?). Makeup and hair by Victoria Garcia.

“The Bad Seed” takes root for one more weekend, Friday through Sunday, Sept. 11-13, at 254 Veterans Way in downtown Carmel. (Despite ongoing construction, accessing this street is fairly easy.) Get info and tickets at thebelfrytheatre.com or thecat.biz.