review

GHDT: Once more, with feeling

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By John Lyle Belden

We have written about a number of recent productions by Gregory Hancock Dance Theatre, and how founder/director/choreographer Gregory Glade Hancock is an excellent visual storyteller. But dance is more than that; dance is art, and art evokes.

Hancock has been open about his journey and his love for dance, his late mother, and places he’s visited and worked, especially India. These things, in turn, inform the dance he creates. “I don’t even have a name for some of the moves,” he confesses. But his troupes, presently the seven principal dancers and the “G2” student team, understand his movement language to beautifully communicate it to us on stage.

This year, as GHDT celebrates its first 25 years, rather than long-form storytelling, we see pieces from various works Hancock has done, getting a bit of the story with a lot of the emotional heft. This is especially true with “Illumination,” a production focused on spiritual themes, especially hope.

Performed on Easter weekend, which coincides with Passover and Ramadan, this series of dances touch on many cultures and faiths. While there are one- and two-person numbers, there is no true “star,” so I’ll list the performers here alphabetically: Hannah Brown, Zoe Hacker, Allie Hanning, Audrey Halloway, Chloe Holzman, Camden Lancaster, Abigail Lessaris, Thomas Mason, Evangeline Meadows, Josie Moody, Audrey Springer, Rebecca Zigmond.

After opening with a piece from 2016’s “The Violin Under the Bed,” the dances, some rarely seen, date back to the 1990s and early 2000s. Highlights include Brown and Payton in “Between Heaven and Earth,” written for two sisters and reflective of any companionship that life conspires to separate; “The Song of Bernadette,” with Lessaris as the Saint and Moody as the Vision; Lancaster and Mason in “1968,” an imaginative piece inspired by the Prague Spring; and Holzman in “1941,” an emotionally-charged solo reflecting on an event in the Holocaust. There are also lighter moments, such as one from “Crop Circles,” an Irish-inspired frolic on “the mysteries of Nature,” as Hancock puts it.

“Illumination” has one more performance, tonight as I post this (April 8). But the 2023 journey is not over for GHDT. The next production, “Director’s Choice,” will be at the Tarkington at the Center for the Performing Arts in downtown Carmel. With a quarter-century of works to draw from, Hancock’s selections will prove to be a sentimental journey for long-time patrons, and a nice “sampler platter” for new fans.

Wendy and I first got to know Hancock and his company while seeing his work in “La Casa Azul,” the musical with dance based on the life and work of Mexican artist Frida Kahlo. GHDT will present “The Music of La Casa Azul” with the Carmel Symphony Orchestra on Aug. 5 at The Palladium (also at the Center for the Peroforming Arts).

Find tickets for these shows at thecenterpresents.org. For more information on GHDT, see gregoryhancockdancetheatre.org.

Clever casting lends depth to ‘Hollow’

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By John Lyle Belden

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The ‘flip’ side of the American ‘Dream’

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By John Lyle Belden

Some lucky people find themselves in a rather American dilemma: Is it better to hold on to a legacy, or to cash out? This situation is at the heart of the new comedy, “Dream Hou$e,” by Ellana Pipes, playing at Fonseca Theatre Company.

Latinx sisters Patricia (Yolanda Valdivia) and Julia (Lexes Rubio) have this good fortune, inheriting the family’s beautiful mission-style home, hand-built over a century ago, from their mother who recently passed. Wanting to get the most out of their property, Patricia contacted the real estate reality TV show, “Flip It & List It!” Suddenly, the host Tessa (Jean Arnold) appears with her crew (Brant Hughes, Chris Creech and Mad Brown) to record every step of the house’s transformation.

At first reluctant, the sisters are stunned into compliance with the amount the home could sell for. But things take a turn when, as renovations begin, the walls begin to bleed.

This is not the only bit of magic around, as the sisters (as siblings do) can suspend time for a moment when they really need to discuss something. Otherwise, we tackle some real-world issues of neighborhood transformation/gentrification, the struggle to preserve culture, and how does one best move on when dealing with unavoidable change?

Arnold is a wild joy to behold as the ever-upbeat TV host. She’s savvy in the ways of media and real estate, lacing her persistent charm with an all-business demeanor. However she’s never mean, even taking a liking to the young women; her candid honesty helps keep her from coming off as the villain.

Valdivia and Rubio shine in their own ways. They each approach the situation differently, and have issues to resolve with the house, and each other. Still, their portrayal shows the tested patience of a family bond, with the easy give-and-take of a comedy duo.

Director Jordan Flores Schwartz says it is in Pipes’s script that the community in the play is called “Highville,” so it is either by fate or coincidence it is staged in the Near-West Indy area of Haughville. Given ongoing events in the surrounding city, this does seem apt.

With equal parts hilarity and heart, “reality” and the surreal, this “Dream Hou$e” is well worth a look. Performances run through April 16 at 2508 W. Michigan St., Indianapolis. Tickets and info at FonsecaTheatre.org.

Classic Britcom ‘Served’ up hilariously

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By John Lyle Belden

The hit 1970s British sitcom “Are You Being Served?” returns to Buck Creek Players (last seen in 2005) with the marginally competent staff of London’s Grace Brothers department store at your service.

On the fine clothing floor, Mr. Rumbold (Lindy Meyer) and Captain Peacock (Tim Latimer) supervise young Mr. Lucas (Hayden Walker), less-young Mr. Grainger (Tom Smith), and dandy Mr. Humphries (Ben Jones) on the men’s side, with lovely Miss Brahms (Anna Ely) and colorful Mrs. Slocombe (Sharon Winderlich) on the women’s side.

This is not an ordinary day at Grace Brothers, as it prepares to renovate for a storewide celebration of the European Common Market. This crew’s part will be a celebration of German culture and products – little-regarded and cheeky maintenance man Mr. Mash (Patrick Murphy) has found authentic costumes for their presentation. Meanwhile, the company nurse (Ben Poppelwell) is on hand to deliver injections for their travel on a company holiday.

The second act finds our sales staff in sunny Spain, at a resort run by Don Bernardo (Ron Pittman), assisted by Conchita (Maria Manalang). It turns out these are less than ideal accommodations, but after a rather restless night, what more could go wrong?

The cast also includes Nickie Cornett as a Spanish revolutionary, Dennis Karr at his scene-chewing best as passionate rebel leader Cesar (Karr and Cornett also play customers in the first act), and David Shetterly as “Young” Mr. Grace himself.

Written by series creators Jeremy Lloyd and David Croft, these stories make full use of the show’s trademark slapstick and double-entendres. Matt Spurlock, in his directing debut, gets splendid timing and execution of all the characters’ quirks and foibles. – For the fans, yes, we do get to hear about Slocombe’s pussy(cat). – The production’s look comes together nicely with sets by John Walker and costumes by Sue Kuenhold.

Funny, silly, a bit nostalgic, and a little naughty, “Are You Being Served?” has one weekend remaining, April 7-10, with tickets selling fast. Get info and tickets at buckcreekplayers.com.

Constellation: Demands of faith and fame come ‘Fast’

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By Wendy Carson

Last week, as I was looking over my work calendar I noticed that Ramadan began. Not being Muslim, I was only vaguely aware of what this meant to the sports world as a whole or the NCAA basketball tournaments specifically. In “American Fast,” on stage in Bloomington, playwright Kareem Fahmy brings us the story of a brilliant young player who has to deal with the ins and outs of this juxtaposition.

This is the tale of Khady (Victoria Nassif), the star player on her college team and a key reason that they have made the NCAA Women’s Tournament. Her Coach (TayLar) feels that while she is an amazing talent, she doesn’t acknowledge the rest of the team’s contributions because she is entirely focused on herself. Boyfriend Gabe (Austin Michael Young), a star on the men’s team, tries to support her but she is so self-obsessed that his will is about to break. Then there is Khady’s mother, Suzan (Haneen Arafat Murphy), who became more devoted to her faith in the past year and insists that Ramadan fasting happen regardless of the tournament.

NOTE: for those not familiar with Ramadan, followers are not to have any food or drink (including water) during the daylight hours of the month-long celebration.

Nassif brings a passionate drive to Khady, showing the struggles of a young woman trying to find herself in life without alienating everyone around her. She gives the character actual flaws and edges just as any college-aged girl would have, yet manages to keep her identifiable if not sympathetic.

Murphy gives Suzan a fiercely protective mama-bear vibe while still keeping herself oblivious to exactly how far her daughter has strayed from her hardline faith. Murphy is able to keep Suzan loving and identifiable without the overbearing bent the character could have.

TayLar gives Coach all the qualities that the position demands. She is fair but just, inspiring but realistic, and just distant enough to allow Khady to stand or fall on her own terms yet compassionate enough to support her when she does.

Young shows Gabe as a true friend, yet becoming tired of being used both as Khady’s personal cheerleader and figurative punching bag. He brings great love and devotion to his role but also the strength to stand up for himself and find his own self-worth.

Director Reena Dutt gives us a new story to help us to gain more knowledge of other religious traditions. The fact that it centers around basketball can aid in Hoosiers’ ability to better identify with the story. Dutt keeps the narrative honest especially in a story that is all about the true costs of winning.

I must note that, going in, I had no idea what the show was about or why it had such an odd title. But “fast” has many meanings – speed, like the play of our young point guard; holding tightly to something; doing without, especially to show devotion. All these come into play during this unique drama. So don’t let the odd title dissuade you from experiencing this tale, a beautiful peek into a different side of people’s “hoop dreams.”

Presented by Constellation Stage & Screen, performances run through April 8 at the Ted Jones Playhouse (formerly home of Bloomington Playwrights Project, now part of Constellation), 107 W. 9th St. Get info and tickets at SeeConstellation.org.

Summit: Much revealed in women’s sacred space

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By John Lyle Belden

On a mountain in France, what appears to have been a Medieval monastery has been repurposed as a unique women’s retreat in “The Convent,” a play by Jessica Dickey given a full production by Summit Performance Indianapolis following a successful staged reading last summer, directed by Summit founder Lauren Briggeman.

Mother Abbess (Jolene Mentink Moffatt), founder and leader of the facility, had been a regular American wife and mother who gave up her ordinary life to seek God. Unsatisfied with religion organized in His name, she instead dedicated The Convent to Her spirit. Upon arrival, each seeker gives up modern clothing and conveniences (including the smartphone). She receives simple clothes, is expected to do the chores of centuries past, and must study to identify with her “Nomen,*” a historic female Christian Mystic.

British heiress Cora Dimlin (Carrie Ann Schlatter), assigned Catherine of Siena, has done many such retreats, and acts as The Convent’s number two. She arrived first, as did her friend Bertie (Chynna Fry), a naïve survivor of an isolated cult, assigned St. Clare of Assisi. Jill (Maria Argentina Souza) arrives next; she is at a crossroads in career and marriage, and assigned Teresa of Avila. Wilma (Miki Mathioudakis) is a nun who finds herself unable to pray; she is assigned St. Hildegard. Tina (Shawnte P. Gaston) is trying to change from seeking pleasure to seeking purpose; she gets Juliana of Norwich. Running in late, to past participants’ dismay, is brash bratty Patti (Dekyi Ronge), still holding her Nomen card for Mechtilde von Hackeborn that she received in a previous session.

Feel free to Google the Saints (none are fictional), however, we do get to learn a bit about them during the play.

As these women undergo their journey of self-discovery, they undertake various exercises (including physical). At mealtime prayer they express, “I want…,” starting with trivial things that pop into their heads, adding items until a true deep desire comes forth.

While each has to come to terms with what feelings and needs brought them to this place, the main struggle is between Mother Abbess and Patti, for reasons that soon become clear. Though their connection is easy to guess, Moffatt and Ronge excellently portray their fraught relationship. Fry gives us a charming girl who finds more than her spirit awakening, while Schlatter embodies the English ideal of stiff-upper-lip control, at least for as long as Dimlin holds out. Gaston does a good balance of portraying a woman acting like a “tourist” yet still open to the retreat’s purpose. Mathioudakis plays another strong character; she allows Wilma to shift paradigm without abandoning the person she vowed to be. Souza gives us Jill’s inner chaos that didn’t stop with a change in scenery.

No real sacrilege here, but still for mature audiences, “The Convent” is a fascinating and thought-provoking examination of the continuing struggle and need for women to define themselves in the worlds they live in. There are a number of laughs, a tear or two, and a few unexpected sacred visions.

Feel free to say, “I want” tickets – performances run through April 9 on the Basile Stage of the Phoenix Theatre Cultural Centre, 705 N. Illinois St., downtown Indianapolis. Info and tickets at PhoenixTheatre.org.

(*Ancient word for “name,” or perhaps reference to “gnomon,” the indicating part of a sundial.)   

Before the ‘bang:’ A visit with Van Gogh

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By John Lyle Belden

Welcome to the world of Vincent Van Gogh!

Our entry is via the path of “Exhausted Paint” by Justin Maxwell, a playwright and Associate Professor at the University of New Orleans (another world of French style and cool cafes), presented by MFA student Drew Stroud with tour producer and wife Carly Stroud, directed by Baton Rouge-based R’Myni Watson. The Strouds have brought this one-man performance to the IndyFringe Indy Eleven stage for a single weekend before taking it to Illinois in April.

The subtitle, “The Death of Van Gogh,” is a bit misleading. The troubled genius painter was presumably alone when shot in the chest by a small-caliber revolver. It wasn’t the bullet that killed him, but the ensuing infection, 30 hours later on July 29, 1890. This isn’t covered in-depth in the play, though we eventually see it coming. (Theories have abounded in the years since, from an apparent suicide attempt to accident and even murder, but look elsewhere to expound on that.)

However, we do meet him in his final years, 1888 in Arles, France, through the birth of the namesake nephew he would never meet, in January 1890, to the day he wanders off with the gun. Correction: Time travel isn’t real (sorry, Doctor Who fans) so we’re meeting him in 2023 on a cluttered stage with painting supplies, an easel, random objects and some sort of rotating drum. And here is Vincent, who admits he is more a pop culture object now, embodied for the moment by an actor who speaks bad French (“His Dutch is even worse,” Van Gogh quips) yet through this theatre graduate student with hair dyed the copper sheen of one of the famous self-portraits, he remarks on that two-year period, based on the numerous letters he wrote to his brother – the man who financially supported him, as only one of his multitude of paintings sold in his lifetime.

Since the artist is being channeled through an improv performer, and befitting a history of various unspecified mental disorders (he leaves that up to others to define, but admits syphilis as a factor isn’t out of the question), Vincent frequently spins the drum, which has numerous parchment words stuck to it. He then pulls one, and lets the prompt guide his next brief monologue, memory, action, or audience encounter. He drinks wine, he drinks turpentine (not recommended), he bandages his head (you probably know why), he offers a bite of his potato. He labors at the canvas in bold strokes, then shows you his whole world in an envelope. He is amused, he is troubled, he is in touch with God, he is lonely, he pursues the light, he finds color in darkness. Nature – the crow, the tree root, the very atmosphere – mocks him. Another hasty drink, and the drum spins again. Stroud noted after the show this structure is indeed random, helping make no two performances the same.

Despite attempting only one French phrase, our 21st-century man does an excellent job embodying the master, complete with tics of mental distraction that don’t sink to caricature, in a modern colloquial style – complete with a few F-bombs – that would befit an Impressionist genius who just appeared, a la “Bill and Ted,” in our lecture hall. Thus I highly recommend this to anyone, teenage an up, interested at all in the man, his life and work. Through this appropriately unconventional means, we gain surprising insight into his story, and what makes his paintings – which you could have picked up back in the day for a handful of francs – worth multiple millions of dollars today. (This irony is not lost on the spirit of Vincent, either!)

If you happen to catch this review as I post it, you have a couple more opportunities to see “Exhausted Paint” in Indianapolis, today and Sunday (March 25-26) at the IndyFringe building, 719 E. St. Clair St. Get tickets at indyfringe.org. Upcoming performances are in Jacksonville, Ill., April 13; Springfield, April 14-16; and Decatur, April 18. Get info at ExhaustedPaint.com.

Belfry presents literary classic of age of excess

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By John Lyle Belden

It has become common practice when staging a Greek or Shakespearean tragedy to place it in another time and place than its original setting – such as America in the “Roaring” 1920s. However, F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel “The Great Gatsby” is already very much at home in that era, which gives heft to the Simon Levy stage adaptation, presented by Belfry Theatre at Theater at the Fort in Lawrence.

Directed by Andrea Odle, this production presents people caught up in the roar of jazz, fancy cars, bootleg booze, and easy money, oblivious to the fact it was all too good to last. If a sip of gin made everyone an outlaw, what other sins were fair game? And what if even the slickest con man had honest feelings?

Our narrator and guide through this gilded world, Nick Carraway (Troy Bridges), visits his cousin Daisy (Rachel Bush) and her husband Tom Buchanan (Mike Lipphardt) at their swank Long Island home. She introduces Nick to tennis star Jordan Baker (Tessa Gibbons) with hopes of matchmaking. 

Nick’s rental is next to the palatial estate of the mysterious Jay Gatsby (Samuel Smith), thrower of frequent wild parties. Upon meeting, Nick finds Gatsby is a fellow World War I veteran – a fact obscured by numerous rumors about his life and wealth – who had a past relationship with Daisy. The tangled web of characters includes Tom’s mistress Myrtle (Jessica Hawkins) and her unsuspecting husband George Wilson (Jackson Stollings), New York City socialites Chester (Zach Thompson) and Lucille McKee (Erin Chandler), and Gatsby’s business associate Meyer Wolfsheim (Nicholas Maudlin). Maudlin and Chandler also play a Policeman and witness to a tragic event in the second act.

Bridges ably plays Nick as one both fascinated and repulsed by the excesses around him. Smith presents Gatsby with a shrewd eye, likable even when you don’t quite trust him. Bush gives us a sweet young woman with everything but bravery. Gibbons, on the other hand, plays Jordan strong but addicted to the glamour of a life she feels she earned. Hawkins wins our sympathies as someone who didn’t get the breaks but keeps hoping to the point of delusion. Lipphardt manages an interesting but mildly detestable character living in a time and place where bigotry could get a person quite far in society. 

The play presents a fascinating insight and commentary on a past era that resonates so well with our own, when the lifestyle of excess is still splashed upon our screens and reported with the news. Perhaps the 2020s have a roar of their own. 

Remaining performances are 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, at 8920 Otis Ave. For info and tickets, see thebelfrytheatre.com and artsforlawrence.org.

IRT: Shakespeare’s wife has her say

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By Wendy Carson

The title of the play, “Shakespeare’s Will,” by Vern Thiessen, is a turn of phrase that would impress the Bard himself, not only a twisting of William Shakespeare and describing the document of his estate, but also alluding to the willful nature of the man and his wife, Anne Hathaway.

Speaking of language, words overused in popular speech have lost their impact, still I feel the only way to describe this amazing one-woman show, at the Indiana Repertory Theatre, is “tour-de-force.” Thiessen has written a script that sweeps us through “Bill” and Anne’s first meeting, courtship, marriage, their children, his career, and the aftermath of his death. This reveals Hathaway as a remarkable woman in her own right.

Tracy Arnold takes us on a 90-minute ride through Hathaway’s complicated relationship with her husband. While we are taught incessantly about Shakespeare, little is ever told to us about the woman he married. We know her name, the names of her children, and if we are lucky, the actual terms of the titular will.

The show begins as Anne returns home following her husband’s funeral. She is sad, rain-soaked, tired, and carrying a copy of Shakespeare’s will which she hesitates to read. She turns instead within and reminisces of her time spent with (and often without) him.

Arnold uses a bench, chair, shawl, and a spectacular bed as her props to whisk us away to numerous points in time she reenacts. While going at a whirlwind pace, you never feel any scene is rushed or too brief. The various other characters she inhabits throughout are extremely well crafted, especially Hathaway’s father.

Director Brenda DeVita keeps the narrative guided on Hathaway’s path within the greater story of her connection to Shakespeare. History fails to record the lives of women, so we are left with far too few verifiable facts to work with in their remembrance (a mere nine in this case, according to DeVita).

A unique experience, this show is tender, defiant, tragic, and challenging, yet beautifully enjoyable. Happily, IRT has scheduled Student Matinees of the show to help bring youth a new and more accessible side of the history they are learning.

Performances run through April 16 on the Upperstage of the IRT, 140 W. Washington St. in Downtown Indianapolis. For information and tickets, visit irtlive.com.

Catalyst creates outstanding ‘Streetcar’

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By Wendy Carson and John Lyle Belden

With all of the winter weather we are having, it is satisfying to have Catalyst Repertory bring us a steamy trip to 1950s New Orleans with its imaginative production of Tennessee Williams’ “A Streetcar Named Desire.”

The first clue to the uniqueness of the show is the inventive set design of Nick Kilgore. He has basically cut apart the walls and rooms of an apartment house to make them easily flow into each other without losing each location’s identity. The actors enter, exit, and perform within the full 360 degrees of set as well as multiple levels available to them. With the size of the stage, you might think this is incredibly cramped, but it never feels claustrophobic. In fact, the layout causes a rare intimacy to occur between the troupe and audience, seated “in the round,” which makes the whole a more enjoyable evening. A couple of pieces – a bedroom vanity, a nearby bar piano – even extend into the audience space naturally. The concessions bar for patrons at intermission is even part of the set, suggesting a piece of nearby Bourbon Street.

For those unfamiliar with the tale: Fading Southern belle Blanche DuBois (Sara Castillo Dandurand) turns up on the shabby doorstep of her younger sister, Stella (Anna Himes) and Stella’s husband Stanley Kowalski (Ian McCabe). Blanche lives in a world of delusion she consistently concocts to keep her from realizing that she is desperate, alone, old, and without any other place to go. After months of living with her disdain and lying, Stanley is determined to send her packing.

This description, of course, doesn’t do justice to the genius of Williams’ drama, and in the practiced hands of director Casey Ross – herself an artisan of plot and dialogue – narrative richness and tension as thick as Louisiana humidity imbues the play from start to finish.  

Dandurand transforms into Blanche, wearing her pride like a fading flower, masking dysfunction with flirtatious charm so well it fools everyone – except Stanley. For his part, McCabe ably puts on Kowalski’s working-man swagger. He is devoted to Stella, but has issues (to put it mildly), complete with a low-simmering rage fed by a lifetime of being called a Pollack, among other things. Perhaps the fact he has to present a public mask helps him detect Blanche’s. The two circle each other throughout, like a pampered cat and a mangy dog, claws out, fangs in their smiles. Himes is also wonderful as a Stella who sees the good in Stanley, is eagerly the yin to his yang, and tries to be at peace with the fact her debutante days may be gone forever.

Making a stunning dramatic debut is Brian DeHeer as Mitch Mitchell, Stanley’s bowling and poker buddy who knew him since their WWII service together. Feeling lonely as he tends to his ailing mother, Mitch starts falling for Blanche – it won’t be a soft landing. 

In excellent support are Audrey Stonerock and Matt Kraft as neighbors Eunice and Steve Hubbell, as well as Tom Alvarez as poker buddy Pablo, Mitchell Wray as a boy who comes around, and Viviana Quinones as a local flower-seller. Alvarez’s partner in Magic Thread Cabaret (a co-producer), Dustin Klein, tickles the ivories at the corner piano, with old tunes and his new compositions to underscore the action. At the club microphone is the exquisite voice of Courtney Wiggins. David Mosedale and Wendy Brown complete the cast, mainly in the final scene.

For either those new to “Streetcar,” or Williams fanatics looking for something fresh, we cannot recommend this production enough. There are adult themes and herbal cigarettes (though perhaps the first-ever Ross-directed play without an F-bomb), yet if you can take the heat, you won’t regret the experience of this scorching masterpiece.

Performances run Fridays through Sundays, through March 19 at the IndyFringe Basile Theatre, 719 E. St. Clair, Indianapolis. For tickets, go to IndyFringe.org.