storytelling

IndyFringe: C-

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By Wendy Carson

Your college years, they were fun — weren’t they?

You had a good time and the worries of the day-to-day working world were but a distant glimmer on the horizon. But now graduation is over 20 years behind you. What have you done with your life and what do you wish that you had been taught back then to better prepare you for your future?

This is the story of one man’s quest to reconnect with some of his frat brothers in order to discern the answers to those questions. Among those Eric Jaffe finds are his redneck buddy who went to college because his parents wouldn’t support his dream of being a “Rock God,” the disgraced athlete who let his scholarship slip through his fingers, and “The Sponge” who was always smoking pot but never bought any of it.

The stories are compelling and their messages are strong. In fact, I would hope that parents would try to bring out their high school-aged kids to see this and maybe learn some of the pitfalls that college offers.

However, the narrative was not at all linear, and this caused the individual characters’ storylines to be impossible to follow. With a little polish, this could be an amazing show that could be a useful teaching tool for college-bound students.

Even so, the message is important enough to make this show worth a look.

Performances are at the Theatre on the Square second stage Aug. 25 and 27. Info and tickets at indyfringefestival.com.

IndyFringe: Cody Clark, A different way of thinking

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By Wendy Carson

If you weren’t aware of it going in, you will certainly know before leaving, Cody Clark is Autistic. However, he has discovered a way to embrace that part of his being through his skills as a magician. The show is an autobiographical journey through his life up to now and how he has been able to overcome so many of the issues regarding his autism primarily through his study of magic.

Not only will you be delighted by the illusions performed, you will also be privy to a lot of data regarding autism and the day-to-day challenges faced by those inflicted.

Since autism causes a person’s brain to be literally “wired differently”, social interactions as well as physical or athletic abilities are a challenge that are often difficult to overcome. Luckily, Cody’s early passion for magic helped him develop not only the courage and confidence to believe in himself but the deft motor skills in order to perform.

Even if you take autism off the table, this is a very solid magic show by a young talent that is already making a name for himself. His takes on various standard tricks are creative and they embellish his story rather than detract from it.

The show is very family-friendly and even though most of Thursday’s sell-out audience were college students, the sheer delight that they beheld lets me know that this is the show you simply must bring your kids to.

One quick word of warning, though. There is audience participation and no area of the audience is off-limits to be drawn from. I know this might hinder some, but since the theme of the show is that it’s OK to be different, you will not be scorned if you choose not to go onstage. There will be plenty of other willing volunteers to take your place.

Performances are at the Theatre  on the Square second stage Aug. 22,  26 and 27. Get info and tickets at indyfringefestival.com.

IndyFringe: Victory for the Recycled Virgin

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By Wendy Carson

What seems at first to be just a funny little story about how a seventy-nine-year-old woman is still full of life and vitality, takes several surprisingly dark turns in order to fully hammer that point across.

Houston Robertson’s tale of just exactly how far she’s come and the hurdles she’s faced throughout her 79 years is vivid, touching and raw. She’s that Grandma you see on the back of a Harley cruising down the highway with her much younger boy-toy in tow, and she’s bringing us all along for the ride.

Coming from an era in which women were considered more of a decoration than an equal, her journey is far more impressive. She fights to further her education and find personal meaning despite her husband constantly uprooting her and foiling her plans. She even takes their inevitable divorce and the surprising situations surrounding it in her own stride.

You’ll laugh at her various turns through the dating scene: personal ads; one-night stands; vacation gigalos; etc. While you are aware that she will eventually “get her groove back”, the challenges she faced in doing so just serve to remind us all that we should be proud of the lengths that feminist trailblazers went to in order for us to have all of the opportunities we do today.

This show is sad, sweet, silly, crude, outrageous, and very compelling. It’s a testament to exactly what’s meant by “You’ve come a long way, Baby.”

Performances at the Indy Eleven Theatre on Aug. 22, 26 and 27. For info and tickets, see www.indyfringefestival.com.

IndyFringe 2015 Wrap-Up

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We had a great time at this year’s IndyFringe. Though we didn’t see all the shows, we saw quite a few, so, here in one place are the links to all our reviews, for anyone wanting to look one up:

“4.48 Psychosis” by Savage at Last

“4Square” by AV Productions

“Acting My Age” by Matt Holt

“The Adventures of Les Kurkendaal” by Les Kurkendaal

“Auditioning for Swan Lake” by Lou Ann Homan

“The Best of Indy Magic Monthly” by Magic Taylor’d for You (Taylor Martin)

“Breakneck Hamlet” by Tim Mooney

“Bromance” by Farewell Tour Productions

“Cabaret of Puppetry” by Peewinkle Studios

“Ca-Ching” by Nomads Collective

“Camp Summer Camp” by Defiance Comedy

“Cocooned in Kazan” by Royal Kung Foolery

“The Comedy Magic of Oscar Munoz” by Oscar Munoz

“Dancing in the Mist” by RibbetRepublic

“Drosselmeyer’s Magical Bedtime Story” by No Exit Performance

“The Eulogy” by Michael Burgos

“Fruit Flies Like a Banana” by Fourth Wall

“Ghost Story” by Peter-John Byrnes

“Growing Up All Over Myself” by Mat Alanso-Martin

“Hannibal: LIAR!” by Chris Hannibal

“Hell’s Fourth Ring: The Mall Musical” by Casey Ross Productions

“Home Grown Originals” by Band O’ Leers

“An Indian Comedian: How Not To Fit In” by Krish Mohan

“I’m Not Gay” by Submatter Press

“Interrupting the Sermon” by First Hand Theatrical

“The Invisible Man” by What’s in a Name? Company

“Jason Adams is a God Damn Mind Reader” by Jason Adams

“Kill the Column” by MamaProductions

“Laughing Sober” by Rick Garrett

“A Little Business at the BIG TOP” by David Gaines

“Men’s Room” by MayDay Productions

“Mom?” by Box of Clowns

“Mr. Boniface, the Wise” by KT Peterson

“My Sister Diane” by Jim May

“Not My Baby!” by Dreadmelon Productions

“The Not So Secret Origin of Captain Ambivalent” by Captain Ambivalent

“ODDyssey” by Blair Godshall

“Orange is the New Black Keys” by ComedySportz Indianapolis

“Sarge” by Clifton Performance Theatre

“The Secret Book of Jesus” by Maximum Verbosity

“Shakespeare’s Ear” by Early Music in Motion

“The Shout” by In the Mix

“The Sibling Staircase” by Sally Perkins

“Speedthru” by Eclectic Pond

“Threads” by Tonya Jone Miller

“Tipped and Tipsy” by Jill Vice

“Top Shelf: Our Last American Tour – Again” by Betty Rage

“The Traveling Tap Dance Super Show” by TapMan Productions with Circle City Tap Company

“Ulysses Grant: A Fluxkit Opera” by Stephen Rush

“Up Yours, Indianapolis” by The Fleece Academy

“VELOUR” by Schedule C Productions

“Whisper in My Good Ear” by Vintage Players

“Who Run The World: A Madwomen’s Cabaret” by Main Street Artists

“The Wizer of Odd” by Gift of Gab

“Working Titles” by Jeremy Schaefer

“The Yellow Wallpaper” by Earlham Theatre Department

Fringe review: Tipped & Tipsy

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By Wendy Carson

In “Tipped & Tipsy,” Jill Vice puts on a whirlwind one-woman performance in the story of Candy, the bartender at Happy’s Bar, and her regular customers.

Among the patrons we meet Pat, the homeless, alcoholic ex-boxer; Ace, the muscle-headed, tough guy who has a crush on her; and Rico, the disco ladies-man, who is also “The owner of this place.”

She shifts from one person to another with such ease you almost forget that she is alone onstage inhabiting these characters. Everyone’s stories are woven together into a rich tapestry portraying the family dynamic that comes from people habitually sharing the same space.

Like a shot of tequila, the results are more bitter than sweet, but the brutal honesty of these lives and their reasons for seeking out alcohol to help numb them to their failures is a revelation to behold.

The show is certain to be a buzz-worthy crowdpleaser. However, while the intimate venue of Theatre on the Square’s second stage highlights the story perfectly, once the word gets out, you might not be able to get a table, so reserve your seats quickly.

Oh, and don’t forget to always TIP YOUR BARTENDER.

Fringe review: My Sister Diane

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By John Lyle Belden

In “My Sister Diane: A Story of Hope, Humor and Hospice,” Jim May warms us up with a little about his Catholic boyhood (including how “genuflecting” spelled backwards is pronounced) and his life as a professional storyteller.

Then he relates the story of an autumn 14 years ago, when, while working on a new telling of “Noah’s Ark,” he is struck by a flood of another sort, no less devastating: His sister, the sibling he had been closest to growing up, has cancer. He and other family members fly out to see her, and talk with doctors who reveal that there is little to no hope for remission or cure. Then, the tale turns to the soothing miracle of hospice, as Diane gets to fade away in comfort with the people she loved.

A story that should have left us all in weeping puddles on the floor instead becomes uplifting and inspiring in May’s masterful hands. Instead of mourning, we celebrate the passing of a beautiful soul with one who truly loved and admired her. And for those with end-of-life decisions on their minds, the narrative provides an excellent overview of hospice care.

Fringe review: Auditioning for Swan Lake

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By John Lyle Belden

In “Auditioning for Swan Lake” at the IndyFringe Indy Eleven Theatre, storyteller Lou Ann Homan starts us off with an Estonian fairy tale, which alone is nearly worth the price of admission, and helps set the theme of this story of stories about dance.

Homan always wanted to be a dancer, but she grew up Baptist. When an AARP bulletin says that the three ways to preserve memory as you age are learning a new language (took that in high school), learn an instrument (piano, got that covered) and learn to dance (oops!), she seeks to express her inner ballerina. She finds an adult class, and after a few months has the desire to try out for a local production of “Swan Lake.” Where lack of raw talent or actual ability might fail her, she’s sure to persevere with her knack for telling stories – right?

No matter what her ballet judges thought, Homan wins us over with her true tales of how she “almost danced” on skates, how a Saturday night dance helped save her son’s life, and how sometimes what you need isn’t in the flash cards. If you’re in the mood for stories spun with heart and humor, this is definitely a show to check out. Wearing a tutu is optional, but she’ll have hers on.

Fringe review: Hannibal: “LIAR!”

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By Wendy Carson

“Hannibal: ‘LIAR!’” at the IndyFringe Indy Eleven Theatre was the most “grown-up” magic show of the Fringe, so the fact that there were some younger children in attendance causing him to partially censor himself actually made it much funnier, in my opinion.

His tricks are presented as a story of his childhood and the delight that he experienced whenever his grandfather would entertain him with even the simplest of illusions. While there are a few points in which the audience participates, the amazement delivered is abundant. Especially when one of the other Fringe performers reacted to some impressive card predictions with, “He’s the Devil!”

If you get a chance to see Chris Hannibal, AKA #CardMonkey, do. It’s a charming hour of fun and tricks that will make you glad that you came.

Fringe review: The Adventures of Les Kurkendaal

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By Wendy Carson

Many of you may remember Les Kurkendaal from his past IndyFringe performances. His storytelling abilities are well known on the Fringe circuit, and in this year’s presentation, which played at the IndyFringe Indy Eleven Theatre, he admirably upped his game.

It seems that his boyfriend, Mike, has made the list of “Top 100 People from Bakersfield” due to co-producing the film, “Thank You for Smoking,” but has also decided that Les should accompany him to his 20-year class reunion.

While Les is hesitant, not only due to their being gay, but also as he wonders how Mike’s classmates will react to his being black as well. Mike reassures him that he had a single black classmate, George, and that nobody will really notice.

Les’ jealousy at seeing Mike living out his own dreams of success is a struggle, but he does make the best of it. There are plenty of laughs here, many coming from the fact that everyone in attendance thinks he is the aforementioned George.

This show is definitely the best one that Kurkendaal has brought to IndyFringe. I was delightfully impressed by how his charm and skill have developed and greatly look forward to his next visit.

Fringe review: Threads

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By John Lyle Belden

Tonya Jone Miller presents “Threads,” the story of her mother, Donna Jean Miller, whose life took her from Indiana to Vietnam in the 1960s and ’70s.

Donna married a sailor, which meant traveling, including to Hawaii, where she studied at the University to become a teacher in the Far East. While her marriage collapsed, she found love with a fellow student, a Vietnamese man. This leads to a teaching job in Saigon in 1968.

While the war raged elsewhere, the effects were often felt in the South Vietnamese capital. She deals with teaching while shells crash outside the building, and helping care for orphans who have little hope of survival. Years after her return to the States, with the fall of Saigon imminent, she goes back to make a desperate attempt to go help her boyfriend’s family, in spite of being nine months pregnant (with Tonya).

Miller tells of the threads, figurative and literal, that bind people and lives together, and how we affect one another. We get a fascinating look into a war-torn city, and through Donna’s brother, a glimpse of how war changes those who fight it. The story is non-linear, but easy to follow, as we trace the threads of time back and forth across two decades. Every tale is well told, fascinating and revelatory. We feel through Miller the love for her mother and what she went through and gratitude for the little events that led up to her own creation.

“Threads” unspools at the IndyFringe Basile Theatre.