Stage Door Theater

4th Wall brings us ‘Fire’

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By John Lyle Belden

What can we say? Wendy and I made it to 4th Wall Players’ production of the comedy musical “Firebringer” on the one night when an unforeseen issue in the cast caused the performance to be cancelled just a few scenes in. It went on as scheduled the next day, but we had other commitments.

Still, I can give you our glowing impression of what we did see, and by all indications the overall show is a lot of fun.

Developed in 2016 by the YouTube-famous parody and comedy musical company Starkid Productions (and financed by a Kickstarter!), “Firebringer” fits the bare-bones sensibilities of 4th Wall, one of the newer independent companies on the Indy stage scene, presented in the cozy confines of Stage Door Theatre in Irvington.

Back in the days of cave-people, Jemilla the Peacemaker (Michelle Wafford) takes charge of the tribe, succeeding elder Molag (Tracy Fouts), who also acts as narrator to us “privileged f**ks” in the future (while antics are childish, the language gets mature). Maintaining peace won’t be easy, while shaman Ducker (Peyron Rader) shouts dire prophesies from their god, the All-Powerful Duck, and Tiblyn (Taylor Shelton) tires from constantly raising her hands to hold up the sky. To quote their cousin, Chorn (Alexandra Paddock), “Chorn!” Then, to advance the plot and give this play a title, Jemilla’s rival, Zazzalil (Breanna Helms) finds and brings back some of that glowing, burning stuff at the end of the stick.

The tribe also includes Silvia Seidle, Aidan Morris, Emily Spencer, Ryan Powell, Zach Moore, Elena McKinney, Tyler Gibson, Miranda DeHaai, Sarah Kinney (who also designed the puppets), and 4th Wall Executive Director Josh Gibson in the immortal role of Smelly Balls. Katherine Gibson directs, with vocal director Joel Johnston and choreographer Kelly McKinney.

Feedback we’ve seen from those who have experienced the entire musical has been positive, and we did get to see the popular no-work work-song. If we get lucky, we’ll get a shot at seeing this again; you have opportunities this weekend, April 19-21, at 5635 Bonna Ave., Indianapolis. Get tickets at https://ko-fi.com/4thwallplayers/shop.

Comics creator faces his ‘Savage’ truth

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By Wendy Carson 

“Where do you get the ideas for your stories?” It’s an age-old question that authors are always being asked. Rebecca Gorman O’Neill shows one man’s answer in her brilliant script, “Mynx & Savage,” currently being offered by StageWorthy Productions in their new Irvington location.

Comic book writer/artist Adam Mark Evans (Josh Cornell) has his popular superhero series, “Mynx & Savage,” rapidly approaching its 100th issue. However, he’s been missing deadlines for quite a while, so the publishing house has sent in a brilliant new inker and colorist, Ket (Kayla Cange), to get his script and drawing back on track and help him better manage his time.

Initially, the two hilariously chafe each other raw; it’s Ket’s passion for the storyline that adheres their partnership. Secretly a huge fan of Adam’s work, including an award-winning graphic novel, Ket is dying to see his secret project “that all writers have going on the back burner.” They eventually wear him down, getting a brief peek at some pages, but the truth of that story, Adam fears, could destroy him.

Cornell does a great job of bringing Adam’s damaged psyche through without making him a victim or martyr. Cangle adeptly balances Ket’s justifiable ego regarding their skills with the actual passion of being a part of something they have loved for years.

While all of this is happening, Emma Howell and Tanner Brunson portray the titular characters, as well as others needed throughout. Though their roles seem secondary, they are the true stars of the show. Fully embracing the drawn characters, no matter what storylines or scene changes are thrown at them, they keep their tones in context without slipping into camp. However, their talent is displayed best as Jill & Kyle (who are actually at a camp), the subjects of Adam’s secret story.

Brunson gives Kyle all the vulnerability and bravado of a young boy trying to deal with the struggles of his personal life without his Summer Break bestie knowing. Howell shows Jill as a feisty young girl, tired of always living in the shadow of her two older sisters and ready to be her all, yet still with fears of her own.

I must admit that John and I were definitely among the target audience of the script, I also felt that those in our audience who were not necessarily comics fans enjoyed the show as well. Do note that there is a smattering of curse words, including an F-bomb Adam finds distasteful, so be warned the show is not ideal for very young children – think PG-13.

Directed by StageWorthy Artistic Director John Kastner, this Indiana premiere has three more performances, Friday through Sunday (June 30, July 1-2) at the Stage Door Theater, 5635 Bonna Ave. (on the Pennsy Trail, across from Strangebird), Indianapolis. For ticket info, visit stageworthy.org or call 317-750-6454.

Starting over with Stageworthy

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By John Lyle Belden

Indy theatre-goers may remember Stageworthy Productions, which had last performed in 2017 at Broadway United Methodist Church. However, a fire in the church’s Community Room late that year destroyed most of SWP’s property.

Aside from fire recovery, the events of recent years forced a lot of starting over for everyone. Seeking a new home for Stageworthy, Artistic Director John Kastner was put in touch with Deb Kent and Jamie Willis of Gallery of Homes Real Estate in the Irvington community of Indianapolis’ eastside. They found him a space near their office, a former garage at 5635 Bonna Ave., which Kastner and friends (SWP is all-volunteer) turned into a nice black-box theatre space.

Dubbed the Stage Door Theater, it hosted SWP’s revival with the Indiana premiere of another story of starting over, “The Impossibility of Now,” through the end of July. This romantic comedy by Y. York is the story of a writer, Carl (played by Larry Adams), who recovers from a coma with no memory of his prior life. His wife, Miranda (Alyssa Johnson), is astonished to find as he recovers bits and pieces of the past, and relearns words, he is completely happy and cheerful. This is far different from the bitter “soul-sucking” man she was about to leave, which complicates her plan to move out and live with her lover, Anthony (Jaime Johnson), a children’s dentist.

Adams practically glows expressing Carl’s joy at every word he rediscovers, envisioning them hanging in the air or falling like snowflakes. He even savors the word “savor.” Negative words seem to physically hurt, though. His rebooted brain confuses memories with movie scenes. Also, stories told him by people whose biographies he wrote come back to him like they are his own experiences. Yet the old Carl is a stranger to him, even when he brings himself to read his old journals. He even takes an odd delight at a negative review to one of his books.

Alyssa Johnson makes Miranda surprisingly sympathetic for a woman who was about to leave her husband, as we see her personal insecurities and how she is caught in the middle of what had felt like an easy decision, suddenly vastly complicated. She’s not heartless, so she seeks a way to true happiness, even if it means breaking a vow.

Meanwhile, Jaime Johnson gives Anthony a gentle descent from anxious and impatient, to kind of a jerk, to total jerkdom. (However, in this play, the dentist isn’t eaten by a plant.)

Hopefully another stage will host this easily-produced charmer. Until then, I’ll note the plot’s conclusion is a statement on the importance of mental health and being willing to ask for help. Carl has been given a second chance in more ways than one, but it shouldn’t have to take a major injury to kickstart your happiness.

Speaking of new chances, Kastner says he can use any and all assistance as he works on bringing the next production to Stage Door. Plans are for this to be a resource not only for SWP, but also to the Irvington community. At stageworthy.org, find Kastner’s address and email, as well as online forms to donate or volunteer.