Sofy Vida

Agape: True story of youthful resistance to a cruel regime

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By John Lyle Belden

“We are your bad conscience” – from Leaflet 4 of The White Rose, summer 1942

Agape Theatre Company established itself as exploring the conjunction of faith and the theater arts, and with “Why We Must Die So Young,” adds one of the darkest moments in human history.

Written and directed by local playwright William Gebby, this drama tells the story of The White Rose, a resistance movement of students at the University of Munich, roughly from May 1942 to February 1943. This would be during the height of Nazi Germany’s power and territorial gains; Munich is in Bavaria, southern Germany, at the time deep within the Axis powers’ empire.

Agape shows are typically youth productions, however, this play has an appropriate mix of young artists and adults which maintains a realistic look, aside from apt costuming and the jarring presence of Nazi flags at the corners of the stage. Another important aspect is that from the beginning the audience is alerted to the fate of the White Rose members portrayed: all, save one, will be executed. This, in addition to expressions of faith by the characters, gives the drama the aura of a Passion Play. We know how it will end and must deal with that growing tension, yet a theme is the perseverance of the expressed ideal beyond death.  

Sophie Scholl (Sofy Vida), whose family members see Nazi ideology as antithetical to Christianity, departs from their home in Ulm (directly west of Munich, just over the Bavarian border) to join her brother Hans (Joshua Lehman) at the University. There they, along with schoolmates Traute Lafrenz (Megan Janning), Christoph Probst (Codie Monhollen), Alexander Schmorell (Joey Devine), and Willi Graf (Thor Hunter) attend the lectures of Prof. Kurt Huber (Robert K. Fimreite), who openly yet cleverly expresses his disdain for the current regime. Moved by his increasingly un-subtle calls to action, the young men and Sophie secretly make and distribute their first anti-Nazi leaflet.

Being Hans’s girlfriend, Traute is kept out of the loop – which she resents, as she quickly figured out what’s happening. She thus soon joins and adds a loose network of like-thinking friends in other cities. Huber, once he is informed who wrote the leaflets (and that it’s not a Gestapo trap), also joins the White Rose, authoring one of its most powerful messages.

Mac Williams and Agape founder Kathy Phipps play Hans and Sophie’s conscientious parents, with Julianna Britt as younger sister Inge. Hannah Schwitzer is Gisela, one of the kids’ friends in Ulm.

We also meet Chelsea Jackman as Prof. Huber’s wife Clara; assistant director Leslie Gebby as intellectual Frau Docktor Mertens; and Matthias Neidenberger, Candice Clorinda, Albert F. Lahrmann III, Nathan Rakes, Doug Rollison, and Ruth Bowen in other roles.

The story moves at a steady pace through numerous short scenes, the small underground movement progressing while its participants maintain near-impossible optimism, feeling at times fraught but carrying on aided by youthful recklessness. There is only slight lag in the transitions; I wonder if a future staging with a large three-side turntable of setpieces might improve the flow. We get not only the growth of the White Rose’s reach, but also the more persistent and desperate search by the authorities to shut it down. Our young agitators knew the risks, but that doesn’t reduce the impact of inevitable tragedy.

Vida is simply inspiring as Sophie, earnest and faithful. Lehman takes to his role like a committed soldier (which Hans also was) showing his bravery is not bluster. Monhollen gives all aspects of a complex character – Probst being concerned for both the safety of his wife and children, and the fate of his nation. Our father figures – boldly shown by Fimreite and Williams – are stalwarts as well, willing to stand up to unjust authority in a dangerous era.

Important history which could be seen as inspiration during current events, “Why We Must Die So Young: The story of the White Rose Resistance,” has three more dates, Friday through Sunday, March 14-16, at Arts for Lawrence’s Theater at the Fort, 8920 Otis Ave., northeast Indianapolis. Get tickets at artsforlawrence.org.

Agape ensemble brings ‘Hunchback’ to life

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By John Lyle Belden

God bless those who are less seen.

This applies not only to stories such as Victor Hugo’s “The Hunchback of Notre Dame,” but also to Agape Theatre Company, a program of Our Lady of the Greenwood Catholic Church. The company shares the spotlight among its participants, as backstage crew are brought up at every curtain call, and during the run of each production, the understudies get to take the stage.

Wendy and I attended one of the understudy-led matinees of the Disney Theatricals musical of “The Hunchback of Notre Dame,” and, honestly, it was superb.

Perfect for an endeavor that explores the link between faith and classic drama, while giving youth from junior high to college experience in the theatre arts, the “Hunchback” musical – book by Peter Parnell, music by Alan Menkin, lyrics by Steven Schwartz – draws closer to the original Hugo novel for inspiration than the animated movie. Moments of lightness are contrasted with the dominating 15th-century atmosphere of the Paris cathedral of Notre Dame, complete with Church choir and Latin chant. Songs from the 1996 film are kept, including title character Quasimodo’s “Out There,” Romani dancer (and romantic lead) Esmeralda’s “God Help the Outcasts,” the Festival of Fools theme “Topsy Turvy,” and most notably “The Bells of Notre Dame” which is used as an exposition and framing device throughout the show.

Wendy told me, “I keep forgetting they’re understudies.” Given their chance to shine, we got stellar performances by Caleb Wilson as Quasimodo, standing in for Ben Frederick; Ruth Bowen as Esmeralda, in place of Rebekah Barajas (who was Maria in Agape’s “West Side Story”); Jake Hobbs as self-righteous Archdeacon Dom Claude Frollo, otherwise played by Aiden Lucas; and Olivia Schemmel as the energetic “Queen of the Gypsies” Clopin Trouillefou, rather than the “King” played by Cyrus Dzikowski. We saw Quasimodo’s unfortunate parents played by Isaiah Haydon, in the place of Jack Tiehen – who instead portrayed Captain of the Guard Phoebus, in place of Wilson – and Hailey Ready, in place of Bowen.

Several in the cast play the plaster Saints and stone Gargoyles, who, rather than being comic relief as in the movie, are Quasimodo’s only true unjudging friends. As the conversations are in his head, we hear the Hunchback speak without impediment, as well as the statuary. In understudy, we saw Sarah Franklin, Rachel Majorins, and Ellie Wooden as the Gargoyles. Also notable was Nate Irskens as St. Aphrodesius.

Directed by past Agape performer Brynn Hensley, assisted by Sofy Vida and under the eye of artistic director Dr. Kathy Phipps, with musical direction by David Turner and stage managing by Mia Joelle Baillie with Joseph Devine, this is solid quality entertainment no matter who is on stage.

Remaining performances are 7:30 p.m. Friday, 2:30 p.m. Saturday (with understudies), 7:30 p.m. Saturday, and 3 p.m. Sunday, July 28-30, at Lutheran High School, 5555 S. Arlington, Indianapolis.

For tickets and information, including how performers ages 8-18 can join Agape’s Theater Practicum Class and take part in their upcoming Christmas production of “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer,” visit agapetheatercompany.com.

Orange is the new Bard

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This is part of Indy Bard Fest 2022, the annual Indianapolis area Shakespeare Festival. For information and tickets, visit indybardfest.com.

By John Lyle Belden

Welcome to a secure common room at a local women’s prison. The ladies of D Block present for the visitors (us) the fruits of their fine arts program, a staging of William Shakespeare’s “Richard II,” adapted by the company with director Glenn Dobbs.

For those like me who sometimes struggle to keep all the Histories straight, Richard II (1377-1399) rules England over 150 years after the fall of King John – who was brother to Richard I (Lionheart), among the first Plantagenet Kings, and the unfortunate subject of another Bard Fest offering this year. Richard will end his reign childless (no obvious heir) as the Plantagenets fracture into the Houses of Lancaster and York in the Wars of the Roses. Also, like John, he is not regarded well by history and lore, considered a tyrant especially as he was a big believer in a king’s absolute power by Divine Right.

As presented by these orange-clad thespians, we easily accept that the mostly-male characters will all have feminine voices. This cast of local actors (not real felons, but play along) get to engage in two levels of character work. Aside from portraying the machinations of the 14th Century English Court, they are also women forged in difficult circumstance, feeling a familiarity to this treacherous culture. At any moment, your blood could be on the floor. To emphasize a challenge, a pack of premium smokes cast down is your gauntlet. Which boss inmate you follow can be a matter of life or death, and that crown – whether metal or bandana – is never fully secure.

Outstanding talents take the lead: Afton Shepard as Richard and Rayanna Bibbs as cousin/rival/successor Bolingbroke; with Damick Lalioff as the Duke of York, Evangeline Bouw as Richard’s faithful noble Aumerle, Savannah Scarborough as Bolingbroke’s right hand Northumberland, Nan Macy as John of Gaunt and the Duchess of York, and Sofy Vida as the banished Mowbray and secretive Bishop of Carlisle. Great contributions as well by Missy Rump, Genna Sever, Gracie Streib, Rachel Kelso, Jamie Devine, Gillian Bennett, Gillian Lintz, and a special shout-out to young Ellie Richart as Richard at coronation.

Shepard gives the kind of strong performance we’ve come to expect from her, showing all the various infamous aspects of the King, delivered with an instability that flows from the madness of power to the wilder madness of being without it. Bibbs gives a commanding performance like someone who somehow knows he will be the title character of the next two plays in the series. Bouw gives us a tragic character we can feel for, a young Duke sure he is on the right side – until he isn’t – then all too desperate to redeem himself. Lalioff smartly plays York as shrewd and decisive (things Richard is not), enabling him to ride the changing tides. Macy is again a marvel in her paternal and maternal roles.

It is from this play we get the line, “let us… tell sad stories of the death of kings,” and what a story we are delivered here! Three performances remain, Friday through Sunday, Oct. 28-30, in the Indy Eleven Theatre at the IndyFringe building, 719 E. St. Clair, Indianapolis.