storytelling

IndyFringe: Bad Brother: Religion and Politics in ‘69

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By Wendy Carson

With all of the current political discord in our country, there can be no better time to look back to the events of the late sixties and early seventies to see what can be learned from the successes and failures of those early radicals to change history.

Enter Loren Niemi, a former novitiate of the Christian Brothers, liberal thinker, political idealist and fighter on the front lines of history. He presents the tales of his life trying to balance his religious beliefs with his radical agendas and the fallout from those struggles.

These are stories of history that you won’t learn in school, yet are vital to be aware of, lest the social changes made are lost. Being such an engaging storyteller, Niemi not only holds your attention, he submerges you totally in the narrative.

So whether you lived through these times, were too young to have been aware of them, or are hoping to learn a thing or two, make sure you come out and follow Niemi down his patch to a sort of salvation.

Performances are Friday, Saturday and Sunday, Aug. 26-28, at the Phoenix underground stage. Info and tickets at indyfringefestival.com.

IndyFringe: Uberview from the Heartland

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By Wendy Carson

It’s sometimes surprising how much a passenger will open up to a driver and the stories that they reveal in such a short time. D Paul Turner has been driving for the ride-share company for over three years and during that time, has been privy to many a curious and interesting tale.

He has religiously collected the stories into a personal journal. He then regales the audience with several highlights from within. The stories range from silly, disconcerting, uplifting and all points in between. He has met some truly remarkable people who have all touched him in one way or another.

So, buckle up your seat belt, and settle in for a slightly bumpy, but always enjoyable ride. Who knows, you might even end up with a free trip from Uber.

Performances are Saturday and Sunday, Aug. 27-28, at the Indy Eleven Theatre. Info and tickets at indyfringefestival.com.

IndyFringe: Terror on the High Seas

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By Wendy Carson

In-laws. We all have dealt with them or heard horror stories from friends about theirs at some point in time. Now, imagine being stuck on a 10-day cruise with them, in Alaska of all places. Thus begins Les Kurkendaal’s tale.

Being a liberal, gay, black man from L.A. was hard for his partner’s conservative, gun-toting, Trump-supporting, Bakersfield family to accept, but they have repeatedly made some effort. They brought him along on this cruise to celebrate the patriarch’s 70th birthday. Their original destination was the Mediterranean, but it was deemed to be “too hot!” by his brother-in-law. Therefore, since they’ve all wanted to see Sarah Palin’s home state, Alaska was decided on.

From taking every excursion offered in order to escape them, to making some hilarious new friends on the boat, Kurkendaal’s tale swings from one crazy situation to another. However, even among all of the zany people he meets, and the crazy antics of the family, some sobering situations are also encountered.

The storytelling skill it takes to maneuver all of these issues while still keeping everything compelling is impressive, and Kurkendaal does not fail. Every show he brings here is so much better than the last. In fact, my biggest annoyance was that I wished the show had been longer.

Whether you have seen one of Kurkendaal’s shows before, or are experiencing him and his family for the first time, you should really do yourself a favor and come aboard for some laughs.

One performance left during this Fringe: 3 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 27, at ComedySportz. Get tickets at indyfringefestival.com.

IndyFringe: What’s a Wedding Got to do With It

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By Wendy Carson

This is the journey of a man — one who abhors the very idea of the institution of marriage and all it stands for — taking the plunge and actually getting married. The story is told  by Jeremy Schaefer in four parts, each of which illustrate the various rituals and ornamentations society demands be included in order for the ceremony to occur.

From the history of the engagement ring, the music choices for the reception, the guest lists, locations, scheduling and every detail in between; it’s a pretty overwhelming feat that anyone does this at all. Still, when the right person enters the picture and the legal ramifications of the bond hit close to home, he finds himself struggling to make sure that everything is perfect for her.

For a sweetly touching look at love, marriage and all of the traditions surrounding it, this show is a delight. Besides, where else are you going to get the opportunity to see someone wearing a wooden bow tie?

Performances are at ComedySportz Aug. 24, 27 and 28. Info and tickets at indyfringefestival.com.

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.