Tom Smith

Solid ‘Salesman’ in Westfield

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By John Lyle Belden

Nearly everyone has heard of Arthur Miller’s “Death of a Salesman.” If for nothing more, it’s known that this Pulitzer-winning drama is regarded as one of the greatest plays in the English language, with its titular lead Willy Loman ranking with Shakespeare’s Hamlet as a role that defines a great actor. However, I confess I had not seen this play until the current production by Main Street Productions in Westfield.

Directed by Kelly Keller, this staging more than lives up to the work’s reputation. Though it takes a full three hours, its pace and substance fill every minute with meaning. To quote Miller’s script, “Attention must be paid.”

Aaron Moon plays Loman, a traveling salesman who lives in Brooklyn while working the entire New England region. More than 30 years on this circuit has affected him, yet he remains upbeat, smiling big and talking bigger as always. But now there is sadness in his eyes while he speaks triumphantly, mostly of past events – increasingly to people only he can see.

This worries his wife, Linda (Susan Hill), who is also growing frustrated with adult sons Happy (Broden Irwin), who shows no signs of settling down from his playboy lifestyle, and Biff (Connor Phelan) who, while doing all manner of jobs in several different states, has not settled into a productive career path.

The scenes blend this present and Willy’s vivid reminiscing of the past, when his sons were teens, eager to please their old man. The memories especially stick around the time that Biff played in a high school championship football game with college scouts in attendance. These moments include the boys’ schoolmate Bernard (Mike Sosnowski) and his father Charley (Jim Gryga), who remain the Lomans’ friends in the later times.

Willy also remembers his brother, Ben (Tom Smith), who “walked into the jungle, and… walked out rich.”

The cast also includes Jonathan Rogers as Stanley, the waiter at the Chop House, Erin Keller and Desiree Black as two ladies who Happy and Biff meet there, Tanner Brunson as the son of the man who first hired Willy (and is now in charge), and Kristin Hilger as “The Woman.”

This parable from the late 1940s still resonates today with our current hustle and grind culture, coupled with an uncertain job market, as well as anxieties ranging from the personal to society in general. For those who struggle, “fake it till you make it” can only go so far, especially when one can no longer tell the illusion of success from the real thing. Compounding these issues, the play also features themes of mental illness and suicide. The title is not a metaphor.

Moon delivers an award-worthy turn as Willy Loman, a mensch you feel for and fear for as we witness his frustrations, optimistic delusions, and decline. Hill is also stunning as his wife, desperate to bring some sense of stability back to a family that had always been on shifting ground. Irwin’s Happy, in living his own way, is more like his father than he thinks. Phelan is exceptional as conflicted Biff, expressing the strain between expectations that diminish him and a life of freedom that would apparently disappoint those he loves. Smith’s dignified calm speaks volumes.

Excellent set design of the Loman home is by Jay Ganz. The lighting, designed by Stephen DiCarlo and operated by Scott Hall, neatly helps emphasize shifts of time and perspective. Tanya Keller is stage manager.

Remaining performances of “Death of a Salesman” are Thursday through Sunday, Nov. 20-23, at the Basile Westfield Playhouse, 220 N. Union St. Get tickets at westfieldplayhouse.org.

War ends but struggle continues for returning soldier

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By John Lyle Belden

Center Stage Community Theatre of Lebanon, Ind., boldly presents the world premiere of the drama “Tail End Charlie,” by Joey Banks, directed by Matt Spurlock. This intense look at family dysfunction, mental health, and the hidden wounds of war might be considered daring for a small-town stage – yet apropos as it goes to the heart of the heartland with its setting in a fictional Lebanon-sized town (near Chicago), centered on a young man coming home from World War II.

But first, we see the soldier’s father (Tom Smith), his grasp on reality slipping, declaring both his sons are dead – Robert (Grant Craig), an Army Airman reported shot down over Normandy on D-Day; and elder son George (Davd A. Shaul), who lives but he chooses to see as a “ghost,” hated for costly alcohol and gambling addictions. Yet it is he, the old man, who will have passed away when our story gets under way the next summer, in 1945 with the War in Europe just ended.

Robert, who survived as a prisoner of war, gets home a little early, surprising his wife Dorothy (Sabrina Duprey) as she prepares the homecoming celebration. She is grateful to see him in the flesh, especially after the ordeal of being told he had perished the year before. George arrives with a cheerful greeting, but bad news: their father’s business, Dobson Manufacturing, which Robert would inherit and George managed in his stead, is in danger of being overwhelmed by big-city competitors. Remembering how his brother used to be, Robert rails at him for apparent incompetence until he sees the books himself – and the buy-out bids that would land them on their financial feet, as well as give a severance to the employees facing unemployment regardless.

As Robert mulls the difficult choices regarding his legacy, keeping at bay growing suspicions and unsettled memories, a slick character straight from a gangster flick (Matt McKee) walks in. The man says he’s Frank, a “friend” of George’s, who still owes him money.

Did George lie about giving up gambling? Or is Frank even real? The elder Dobson suffered from hallucinations, even calling one of them Frank, as his mental and physical health deteriorated. Is it just Robert’s overstressed mind, or is there something increasingly wrong with how his wife is behaving? Visits from Dr. Ross (Chris Taylor) offer little insight, though Robert feels confident enough while alone with him to relate haunting details from his crash and capture by the Germans.

Suspense and suspicion build to a tragic end, leaving us much to consider about the fragility of the mind, especially when forced to choose when there is no good choice. The play’s title refers to the vulnerable position of Robert’s aircraft, flying at the rear of the formation. In a way, his fortunes never get better.

Smith lends calm gravitas to the Dobson patriarch, even in a mental fog, delivering a scene that sets the play’s tone with a character whose lingering effect haunts both his sons. Shaul plays George in a way that deftly keeps us guessing – is this a redemption arc, or is he an exceptional liar? Duprey gives us a heartbreaking portrayal of “Dee,” a good-natured woman worn down by the stresses of the homefront, nearly broken with the news of the previous summer, and still struggling to do more than deal with other people’s circumstances.

Craig does well in giving us in Robert the soldier whose demeanor is not quite off the battlefield – survival reflexes now manifest in hair-trigger moods and snap reactions, compounded by the possibility of a sort of family curse, and the mental baggage he doesn’t dare unpack. Then there’s Frank, a merciless provocateur with the insight of a nagging conscience, which McKee plays with relish.

Language gets intense, though mostly PG-13; there is some impressively choreographed fighting; and we are alerted there will be a gunshot – the circumstances I’ll leave you to discover.

“Tail End Charlie” has two more weekends, July 25-27 and Aug. 1-3, at 604 Powell St. in Lebanon. Get tickets at centerstagecommunitytheatre.org.

Charming look at ‘Club’ all eventually join

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By John Lyle Belden

Epilogue Players presents the lively comedy, “The Cemetery Club,” by Ivan Menchell, directed by Kelly Keller.

Once a month, Jewish widows Ida (Valerie Nowosielski), Lucille (Lisa Warner Lowe), and Doris (Marie McNelis) meet at Ida’s place and go to a cemetery in Forest Hills, Queens, to visit the graves of their husbands. When we meet them, it is the four-year anniversary of the passing of Doris’s husband, Abe, to whom she is as devoted as ever. Ida still loves her Murray, but is starting to feel she wants to do more than converse with a stone. Lucille is just glad her Harry is staying in one place.

Sam Katz (Tom Smith), the local butcher, comes by to visit the grave of his wife Myrna, and things get interesting.

With an upcoming social event – their friend Selma is getting married, again, and all are invited – the opportunity for dating, and maybe more, is in the air. Tom, feeling like a nervous teen, asks Ida out. Perpetual flirt Lucille appears jealous, while Doris is appalled at the whole situation. This results in hilarious situations reminiscent of “Sex and the City,” but older and more Jewish (and less sex). Mary DeBoer adds spice as Mildred, an additional wedding guest.

Aside from being very funny, the play also tugs at the heartstrings as we see friendships tested while they each in their own way continue to deal with loss and the need to “write a new chapter.” Nowosielski, Lowe, and McNelis have the chemistry of three ladies long comfortable with one another’s quirks. However, this familiarity leads to presumptions of what is best for one who is acting differently. Smith’s character is like a guy at any age who is caught up in a women’s world, trying seemingly in vain to do what is right.

Wendy Brown is assistant director, and Patti Boyle is stage manager.

Embrace life by attending “The Cemetery Club,” performances Thursday through Sunday (June 19-22), at Epilogue Players, 1849 N. Alabama (corner of 19th and Alabama St.), Indianapolis. Reserve tickets at epilogueplayers.com.

Center Stage ‘Outsider’ shows silly side of politics

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By John Lyle Belden

At times, the difficult part of satirizing today’s political scene is coming up with something nuttier than what is actually happening. Or, in the case of “The Outsider,” the hilarious comedy by Paul Slade Smith, one could premiere a play in 2015 that in some ways appears to come true in the nine years since.

Center Stage Community Theatre in Lebanon now presents “The Outsider,” directed by Matt McKee with Sabrina Lang. The play is set in an American governor’s office – which state is not said directly, but there is an Indiana flag in the corner. Also, party affiliations are never mentioned as absurdity is non-partisan.

With the popular but corrupt Gov. Larry Clarke (and his whole staff) having resigned due to a sex scandal, the top job has fallen to Lieutenant Governor Ned Newley (Matt Spurlock), who, though highly intelligent and an efficient policy wonk, is totally tongue-tied in public and has botched his swearing-in. Note this takes place “today,” with viral videos on YouTube and other sites.

Chief of Staff (and until this day, Newley’s entire staff) Dave Riley (Neil Acton) is beside himself with worry over his boss’s future. His first hire is friend and expert pollster Paige Caldwell (Veronique Duprey), who manages to bring in nationally renowned political advisor Arthur Vance (Larry Adams). Riley also requested a temp to handle administrative duties, resulting in the appearance of Louise “Lulu” Peakes (Kat Krebs), who boasts experience at dozens of firms because she never lasts a day at any of them due to comical cluelessness.

Vance feels inspired by the Newley video showing the new governor apparently unfit for office. “Unqualified is the new qualified,” says this expert on what the voters want. The fact that Gov. Newley is not stupid only complicates things as Vance sets up a TV interview with local reporter Rachel Parsons (Lauren Lotzow), who arrives with surly cameraman A.C. Petersen (Tom Smith). This attempt to keep the Governor dumbed-down takes a bizarre turn when Lulu stumbles into the office, giving Vance a look at what could be the perfect American political candidate.

Whether you think this is other-worldly absurd or an exaggerated look at current events, the play is non-stop funny, like an SNL opening skit in which all the zingers hit. Acton as Riley plays the neurotic nice guy so well Jimmy Stewart would ask for pointers. Duprey has a natural charm that works perfectly here. Adams brings on contagious energy like a 21st-century political P.T. Barnum with the right sets of cards to get anyone saying what the public (or at least a focus group) wants to hear. Lotzow ably embodies a journalist annoyed with what “the media” have become, yet she must go along to keep a job. Smith, who can make a lot of a little role, does quite a bit with the guy who just wants to stay overlooked while he does his necessary thing.

 Spurlock gives in Newley a perfect rendition of a man who was in a dream job (quietly writing good policy that the one who likes being the public face took credit for) suddenly in way over his head with nearly every neurotic trigger tripped. Still, his honesty and sense of duty towards a government he doesn’t see as bad, or a means to power for its own sake, bring him courage to do what’s right.

As Lulu, Krebs is both a charmer and talented at the deceptively difficult job of consistently playing the ditz in a manner that is so entertaining while we nearly hurt ourselves laughing. Her timing and physicality, as well as Acton’s during the fateful TV spot, elevate the hilarity even more.

Like all good satire, there is a point here, but nothing heavy-handed or preachy. If you see any real-world versions of the attitudes or archetypes presented, just keep them in mind come November.

Whether you can use some topical humor or think politics is no laughing matter, just relax and enjoy “The Outsider,” through Oct. 13 at Center Stage, 604 Powell St., Lebanon. Get info and tickets at centerstagecommunitytheatre.com.

Westfield takes on beloved comedy

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By John Lyle Belden

As it’s been said, classics are classic for a reason. From time to time, community theatres bring out the hilarious antics of the eccentric extended Sycamore family in Moss Hart and George S. Kaufman’s comedy, “You Can’t Take It With You.” This week, the invitation is extended by Main Street Productions of Westfield.

Sweet twenty-year-old Alice Sycamore (Hannah Partridge) is in love with her boss, Anthony Kirby (Aaron Budde), a young executive thanks to his chief executive father (David Dessauer). Tony and Alice want to get married, but she’s afraid the Kirbys couldn’t deal with her family – father Paul Sycamore (James Semmelroth Darnell) makes fireworks in the basement with the help of Mr. DePinna (Eric Bowman), who came to deliver ice years ago and never left; mother Penny Sycamore (Carrie Reiberg) writes melodramatic unfinished plays on a typewriter that just showed up on their doorstep; sister Essie (Cara Olson) makes candy “Love Dreams” daily but really wants to dance (though she’s awful at it), while her husband Ed Carmichael (Noah Shepard) plays the xylophone and obsessively prints cards, menus, and papers with whatever sounds interesting to him; finally, grandfather Martin Vanderhof (John Welch) does whatever he likes because he walked away from his downtown office decades ago and never looked back.

Their maid Rheba (Sophie Liese) is a so-so cook but very understanding and fits right in this household, along with her Irish boyfriend Donald (Austin Uebelhor), who helps when he can, as long as it doesn’t jeopardize his “relief” payments. Russian expat Boris Kolenkhov (Louis Cavallari) tries in vain to teach Essie ballet; this being 1938, he still remembers his homeland before the Soviets and knows exiled nobility including The Grand Duchess Olga Katrina (Miki Mathioudakis). We also meet inebriated actress Gay Wellington (Susan Hill), who isn’t related or a resident, yet adds to the chaos in her own way.

There are also appearances by Tony’s father and mother (Renee Whiten Lopez), as well as Tom Smith as nosy government agents, along with Aaron Ploof and Emma Fox.

For those unfamiliar, yes, it’s a lot. But there is subtle method to this madness in a funny fable about love, acceptance, and truly living out the pursuit of happiness.

Under director Nicole Amsler, everyone gets their moments to shine. Darnell plays Paul as single-minded, trusting the others to do what’s needed, yet amiable when not downstairs. Bowman gives DePinna a sense of joy that reveals a man who would much rather play with fire than work with ice. Reiberg’s Penny is the kind of unassuming person whom whatever she is doing at the moment is right thing, and you can’t help but agree. Shepard and Olson as Ed and Essie seem to not be the sharpest knives in the block, yet come across as charmingly naïve, never stupid. Cavallari brings big energy to his role, making Kolenkhov feel like just one of the family.

Partridge nimbly plays Alice’s struggle to maintain normalcy while still loving her family. Budde, for his part, gives Tony a growing admiration for the freedom that the household represents.

As the patriarch, Welch lends a subtle gravitas to Grandpa. He has his quirks – like keeping snakes – but is as down-to-earth a character one could find. When he says grace in his unique way during the mealtime scenes, you can’t help but feel welcome at his table.

Be their guest this Thursday through Sunday, June 6-9, at the Basile Westfield Playhouse, 220 N. Union St. Get tickets at westfieldplayhouse.org.

Belfry serves up hilarious ‘Dinner’

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By John Lyle Belden

It’s that time of year, when many of us have been, or had to put up with, houseguests.

In a small Ohio city in early December 1939, Sheridan Whiteside – famed writer, lecturer, radio personality, and the toast of any town – visited the home of factory owner Ernest Stanley. It was to be only for dinner, but a slip on a patch of ice left the injured celebrity guest recovering at the Stanley home for the rest of the month.

This fictional incident is the basis for “The Man Who Came To Dinner,” a comedy that Moss Hart and George S. Kaufman based on numerous showbiz personalities whom they knew. This play comes to life in Noblesville courtesy of The Belfry Theatre, directed by Eric Matters.

Two weeks into his convalescence, Whiteside (Robert C. Boston Jr.) decides to take charge of the Stanleys’ living room for his business needs, threatening to increase the amount of his pending lawsuit against Mr. and Mrs. Stanley (Tom Smith and Kim O’Mara) if they don’t yield. As for the hosts, he is more than fed up while she is still a bit starstruck. Ernest’s sister Harriet Stanley (Janet Borcherding) regards their guest with a strange fascination.

While “Sherri” Whiteside is an absolute pill to the elder Stanleys, as well as Dr. Bradley (Gene Burnett) and nurse Miss Preen (Chloe Vann), he is friendly to the nearly-grown Stanley children June (Anabella Lazarides) and Richard (Jericho Franke), as well as the butler John (Aaron Budde) and talented cook Sarah (Grace McKinnies). Faithful secretary Maggie Cutler (Amanda Falcone) seems immune to his verbal jabs and handles work details which mainly involve frequent contact with numerous celebrities. Aside from the characters written to appear in the play, an avalanche of real names from the era are dropped throughout the show.

Local newspaper reporter Bert Jefferson (Eric Dixon) matches Whiteside in a verbal joust, earning respect and an interview, and entry to Maggie’s heart. As it turns out, Jefferson is also a promising playwright.

The plot then largely turns on Whiteside’s efforts to keep the local journalist from taking his secretary, involving various showbiz people who come by the house including ambitious actress Lorraine Sheldon (Hannah Partridge), suave acclaimed actor Beverly Carlton (Drake Walker Smith), and Marx Brother-inspired comic Banjo (Daniel Dale Clymer).  Some actors take more than one role; Melissa Reid rounds out the cast. A few children (unlisted in the program) make a cameo.

Add to all the human foibles the presence of a “Roach City” in the living room, an octopus in the basement, and penguins in the library, and you have the fun makings for a classic comedy, a rather unique take on the Christmas season.

Boston excellently portrays Whiteside much like a wily housecat, presenting charming softness or sharp claws (or both) to any person he wishes, with engaging wit that makes his personal celebrity and connections believable. Falcone presents a savvy sweetness that is endearing and worthy of respect. Dixon convincingly plays intelligent with unflappable Midwest charm. Partridge is a force of nature as a B-list actor feeling entitled to A-plus accommodations.

This wild and entertaining farce with sly insight into the rich and famous of the mid-20th century has another weekend, Thursday, Nov. 30, through Sunday, Dec. 3, at Noblesville United Methodist Church, 2051 Monument St. (enter on the west side of the building), Noblesville. For info and tickets, visit thebelfrytheatre.com.

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.

Bard Fest: Merrily we ROFL along

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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

It is said that Queen Elizabeth I was quite taken with the character of Sir John Falstaff in William Shakespeare’s “Henry IV” (Parts I and II). This merry prankster would end up as much the butt of the joke as the instigator, and helps humanize Prince Hal, the eventual King Henry V. So, legend goes, Her Majesty ordered Shakespeare to whip up a play featuring the bawdy knight in love.

The result, by whatever origin, is “The Merry Wives of Windsor,” now presented at the IndyFringe Theatre, directed by Jeff Bick. The comedy is presented in an over-the-top style that common folk who paid a penny to see a show around the year 1600 would have loved. Sir John (Thomas Sebald), who appears to have a beach ball for a belly, is less interested in “sack” wine and more contemplating what middle-aged women he can get in the sack, so to speak.

This production focuses on two comic plotlines. True to the Bard’s penchant for including a wedding in his comedies, young beauty Anne Page (Sophie Peirce) is being wooed by three men: Slender (Ben Elliot), the doltish son of Justice Swallow (Michael Bick), who in turn is friends with Anne’s dad, Master Page (Tom Smith); the very French doctor Caius (Rian Capshew), who has the approval of Mistress Page (Dana Lesh); and young gentleman Fenton (Connor Phelan), whom Anne comes to prefer despite his having the lightest purse.

The other source of drama and mirth is, of course, Falstaff. He covets not one man’s wife, but two, and sends his squire Robin (Lyndsi Wood) with identical letters to Mistress Page and Mistress Ford (Kelly BeDell). The women being best friends, this attempted courtship will backfire in spectacular fashion. Master Page has no doubt his headstrong wife can take care of herself, but Master Ford (John Johnson) is more wary, and goes to Falstaff disguised as fellow lothario “Brook” to get in on the plot.

“Hilarity ensues” is putting it mildly. Much boisterous laughter was had throughout the audience. Adding to the fun in supporting roles are Angela Dill as busily devious servant Mistress Quickly and Ryan Shelton as thick-tongued Welsh vicar Sir Hugh Evans. Other servants are portrayed by Colby Rison, Nelani Huntington, Carolyn Jones and Patrick Lines.

Sebald ably plays the buffoon under the delusion of dignity. Lesh and Bedell are the stars here, with Lucy-and-Ethel chemistry as they gain the upper hand on all the men. Johnson is goofy fun, letting himself be the second-biggest fool on the stage.

And the antics of the Falstaff plot eventually work to resolve the romantic storyline. Shakespeare’s clever like that.

For an evening of silly fun – which includes, just in time for Halloween, a spooky Faerie encounter – meet the Merry Wives this Friday through Sunday, Oct. 28-30, at 719 E. St. Clair St., Indianapolis.

Dark side of humanity and academia explored in new play

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By Wendy Carson

With “The Profession,” Marcia Eppich-Harris has written a play that encompasses our current political and social climate just a little too well. I was privileged to attend a staged reading of the script a couple of months ago and it has stayed with me ever since. Her script roots out not only the dark underbelly of male dominance and what men will do to protect their own, but also the appalling lack of power or support women have when confronting a system stacked against them. Needless to say, nobody emerges from this story unscathed.

Two main storylines intertwine here. One is about Valerie (Becky Schlomann), a dedicated literature teacher at a small, private university who is desperately fighting to keep her job. Secondly, we have Marina (Trick Blanchfield), the impassioned student every teacher longs for, just trying work her way through college no matter how she has to swing it.

Valerie’s nemesis in her plight is Mark (Brad Staggs), a dean still smarting from her questioning of his decisions last fall and ensuring that her future employability is forever doomed. Department chair Jill (Jeri Jackson) has no desire to ruffle feathers herself. Meanwhile, Theology professor Paul (Brian Stuart Boyd) is also relieved of his job, but with a much better settlement check, wonderful references, and a promising spot at a major university.

For her dedication to learning, Marina deals with the exorbitant fees and ends up working as a stripper in order to stay in school. At the club just off campus, she is mentored by the lovely, yet jaded, Lucy (Lola Lavacious) and watched over by the club’s tough but fair manager Flint (Tom Smith).

Seeing Valerie, her favorite teacher, getting a raw deal, Marina divulges to her the seedy goings on by college staff at the club. Valerie’s personal morality keeps her from using this dirt, at first. But as the situation gets ever more serious, and dangerous, she knows she will have to do something.

This drama pulls no punches in all it entails. It does contain vivid discussions of sex work and abortion. As I noted above, the abuse of power and workplace discrimination are rampant as well. Still, it shows vividly how gender politics, as well as other ills contained within, play out in a realistic manner. Eppich-Harris and director Elisabeth Speckman both drew on their experiences in academia in creating this work and bringing it to painfully vivid life.

The cast is sheer perfection with each one embodying the true soul of their character. While Schlomann and Blanchfield are easy to root for, and to understand the impulsive decisions they feel necessary to make, Jackson and Staggs come off so oily with corruption you may need to remind yourself they’re just good actors if you see them off-stage. Boyd has two faces to work with in his character, and plies them well. Smith, a natural at paternal roles, is no angel, but feeling no need to put on a façade, Flint comes off better than the learned men who frequent his club. Also, a shout-out to Ms. Lavacious – while she has years of stage performance under her belt, this is her first performance in a scripted show.

I cannot recommend this play enough. The concurrence of its opening on the same date as the state’s abhorrent anti-abortion law taking effect feels like a sign that maybe with enough encouragement, we can make some real and lasting changes for the good of all. I honestly hope you leave the theater in this frame of mind as well.

Presented by Southbank Theatre Company, performances of “The Profession” run through Sunday, Sept. 25, at Fonseca Theatre, 2508 W. Michigan St., Indianapolis. Get information and tickets at southbanktheatre.org. (Note: Venue requires masks due to close proximity between audience and stage.)

CCP brings unbelievable adventure to Cat stage

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By John Lyle Belden

“Truth is stranger than fiction
But De Rougemont is stranger than both”

 – The Wide World Magazine, June 1899 (quoted in Wikipedia)

*

Louis De Rougemont was an actual 19th-century personality; Pulitzer-winning playwright Donald Margulies did not make him up. Whether Mr. De Rougemont invented his “amazing adventures,” though, is another question.

See and judge for yourself at “Shipwrecked: An Entertainment! The Amazing Adventures of Louis De Rougemont (as Told by Himself),” presented by Carmel Community Players at The Cat, directed by Lori Raffel.

Embodied by local actor Earl Campbell, De Rougemont relates his fantastic story with an ensemble of Vickie Cornelius Phipps, Joe Aiello, Margot Everitt, Jayda Glynn, Hannah Janowicz, and Tom Smith. He tells of being a sickly boy, raised on stories of adventure read to him by his mother (Phipps). As a teen, he meets a sea captain (Phipps again) and leaves home to find adventure aboard the good ship Wonderworld, searching for pearls off the coast of Australia. As the title hints, he finds himself wrecked and marooned with the ship’s dog, faithful Bruno (Aiello). His journey back to London will take decades, during which he befriends local Aborigines, marrying one (Phipps yet again). He becomes the toast of Britain when he publishes his adventures, but not everyone believes him.

The basic stage set takes us back to a bare-bones turn-of-the-20th-century hall, appropriately giving free rein to our imaginations as the tale is presented with simple, improvised props. Campbell takes on our hero’s charm and charisma with unwavering boldness. Phipps is sweet and versatile, her talent allowing us not to dwell on the Freudian overtones of her casting. Bruno, a literal scene-chewing role, is taken to with endearing gusto by Aiello, who also gets non-barking characters such as the editor of Wide World Magazine, and Queen Victoria.

Other ensemble members get their moments to shine – Smith as the Aboriginal elder and a Royal Geographic Society skeptic, Janowicz showing mime skills reminiscent of her turn in “The Fantasticks,” Glynn as a Paperboy and the card-turner, and Everitt as an able utility player, as well as the gentle nudge needed when the story goes awry.

When all is said and done, we have the highs and lows of our hero’s journey, as well as a counter-narrative. But wherein is the “truth,” and does it matter? To an audience accustomed to watching “Ancient Aliens” and “inspired by true events” on a screen, the bigger questions feel familiar – even current – despite over a century passing since Wide World published the original story.

So, saddle up your sea turtle and indulge in this entertaining “Entertainment,” opening tonight (Aug. 12) and running through Aug. 21 at The Cat, 254 Veterans Way in downtown Carmel. Get information and tickets at carmelplayers.org.