wendy

Fringe review: 4.48 Psychosis

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By Wendy Carson

“4.48 Psychosis,” by Savage at Last at Theatre on the Square Stage Two, is one of those edgy, artistic shows that makes the Fringe what it is. The performance is created to give you an insight to the constant suffering of psychotics. Aparently the 4.48 of the title is a reference to the 1 hour and 12 minutes of clarity that she experiences.

My best take on the production was, What if William Shakespeare wrote “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest”?

While the show’s disjointed narrative is necessary to drive whatever story that exists here, difficult and challenging are the best descriptors I can come up with. Plus, it has the strangest, most awkward ending I’ve ever experienced.

This show is not for everyone, but it is a powerful experience for anyone who attends. If you do add this to your schedule, I strongly suggest that you schedule a light comedy afterwards to keep our brain from being overwhelmed.

GenCon wrap-up

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By Wendy C. Carson

Here’s a look back at GenCon:

WEDNESDAY, JULY 29

John went downtown to take part in some of the Trade Day panels and picked up his event tickets. Trade Day events were mainly for educators, librarians and games retailers.

After picking me up from work in the afternoon, we made our way back to the Indiana Convention Center so that I could pick up my event tickets. However, the line stretched the length of the building about three-wide and was moving extremely slowly, so I decided to try and get my tickets on Thursday.

THURSDAY, JULY 30

We got up early to get into the Press line and get our badges before going to a 9 a.m. writing seminar. While John held my place in line, I sauntered up to Will Call and got my tickets in a matter of minutes. We usually go straight to the Exhibit Hall, but since we decided to do things differently this year (and were both interested in the panel), we gave back our early entry tickets so someone else could take our places. Judging by the long line at the Press room, it really looked like they were going to run out or early passes this year.

The seminar was about the business of writing, and how to navigate through the obstacles and pitfalls that can befall a budding writer. We met some great people and were glad that we attended. We also went to a networking panel later that day. As with past networking panels we’d attended, they all really boil down to: “Don’t be a dick to other people.”

After the networking panel, our stomachs were growling so we went out to the food truck area on Georgia Street for some grub. I got an amazing grilled cheese sandwich (barbequed meat, two kinds of cheese and caramelized onions) while John got a combo platter at the Jamaican truck. We shared our meals and then had a doughnut sandwich for dessert. This was one of the most delicious and decadent things I’ve ever eaten. It had a large scoop of Nutella gelato sandwiched between two halves of a chocolate yeast doughnut. Mmmmm…

We decided to tackle the Exhibit Hall by starting at the furthest end (row 3000) at “Entrepreneur’s Avenue,” which we were most interested in checking out. Not only is it nice to support new games and creators, but some of our favorite games have come from there. This year once again did not fail to impress. Watch for our reviews of the new hot games that everyone’s going to want to play.

There was one small drawback overall. Many companies throughout the room were advertising and demonstrating some amazing games, but they were merely prototypes to be Kickstarted or produced later. In fact, we had a major, “Shut Up and Take My Money” moment when we played World Champion Russian Roulette and weren’t able to buy it. We tried to get one of their demo copies, but to no avail. We did talk to them and they should send us a copy as soon as we can have one but we will still do a quickie write-up of it soon.

We then attended a seminar on researching for writers. It was quite helpful. I am slowly working on a story whose main character shares a life story very similar to an existing person, and I got advice on how to approach her, as well as friends and family, for interviews.

Anyway, after that, we hurried off to get ready for the Miskatonic University Graduation Ceremony. (We volunteer to be part of the Chaosium Games official H.P. Lovecraft-inspired event each year.) I was to be the “Dean of Women” but ended up being more of the “Mistress of Discipline.” The event was wonderful. Each year, not only do more and more people attend, but they come up with the most amazing material to add to the storyline that we really don’t have to do much besides give them a topic and let them go. Our Valedictorian won by “sacrificing” himself (almost literally). When he fell down, his head whacked a steel beam in the room with a resounding THUD. Once he assured us he was OK, another person said he “Majored in Necromancy” and brought him back from the dead. I really can’t wait to see next year’s “Cthulhu for President” rally. It’s going to be amazing.

FRIDAY, JULY 31

I had tickets to the 10 a.m. puppetry panel with guest of honor Trace Beaulieu, so we arrived around 9:15 or so because I expected a huge crowd. It turns out that there wasn’t, but being early allowed me to talk to Trace on and off for a bit and that was quite fun. He’s got a lot of great stories and is very easy to talk to. Since the staff seemed short-handed and were busy getting everything set up, I ended up organizing and controlling the line for the event, as well as the one next door which was also very popular.

There was some confusion over when the panel ended, so John ducked out around 11 to make it to the Gaymers (LTBTQ gamers) panel and I joined later after reminding those in charge that this was scheduled to be a 1 hour panel, not a 2 hour one like was occurring. The Gaymer panel was a nice discussion and it was good for us to be reassured that we are not alone in facing similar challenges.

Afterward, we headed off to the dealers room to play some Mayfair games to earn the “Knight of Catan” ribbon & the half-price coupon that goes with it. Frankly, the coupon is the only way we can afford to buy some of their games at all. I managed to get mine partly by running several demo games of Catan Dice, since they were short-handed and we own the game. John had to run off and attend a panel on podcasting during this time.

We then met up again and tried some more games. I had tickets to the 4 p.m. autograph session with Terry Brooks, but when I made it to the line there were about 40 people from the 3 p.m. line in addition to the hundred or so in the 4 p.m. line. Since I really don’t like his writing and was only there for the autograph in principle, I gave my tickets to someone else.

We eventually left at 6 p.m. when the Exhibit Hall closed and grabbed a quick bitr from Der Pretzel Wagon. While food-truck food can be a bit pricey – even though it’s often unique and a real treat — this place is a great bargain. You get a large sandwich, chips, drink and a huge pretzel for $11 (which is a pretty great deal compared to other trucks).

We then headed over to Union Station to check out the Gaymer gathering, which was supposed to be a sort of a mixer. However, even though the event sold out online, only a few people showed up. We did meet a few cool people, and won a copy of Cards against Humanity. We probably should have left early and gone to the Crossplay contest as I had signed up to compete. However, when I signed up, I wasn’t sure what my costume lineup for the weekend would be and was hoping to showcase my Minion outfit. Still, I was dressed as a female version of The Doctor, so I thought that might work but we just didn’t have the energy to schlep all the way over to the hotel where the event was being held.

Feeling totally wiped out, we went home to get some rest. Remember, we’re not as young as we used to be and the schedule is starting to catch up to us. Still, we had a great time that day and even more the rest of the weekend.

SATURDAY, AUG. 1

We took it easy in the morning and had a nice breakfast before heading downtown. We hit the Exhibit Hall as it opened and John and I both played games to get him his Knights of Catan ribbon. Then we used our discounts and bought some fun games that we will review later on (after the official reviews are exhausted). I did notice that this year Mayfair made the “Wood” ribbon games much more time intensive. I’m not sure why.

After this we ran off to the “Cthulhu All-Stars” panel which promised a séance to contact H.P. Lovecraft as part of the event. The discussion of Lovecraft’s works and their endurance prior to the ceremony were quite interesting — and who could have predicted the outcome of the séance? NOTE: I shot video of this and it should be posted here soon.

We then returned to the Exhibit Hall (yes, we do spend most of our time there but it is HUGE and since our main objective is searching out new games to review and promote, it makes sense to be there most of the con).

I spent the day in my Minion outfit and it was a big hit. Sadly, the booth selling official Minion games sold out as soon as the room opened, so I couldn’t get my planned pic with that.

After the hall closed, we had gotten tickets for a few cosplay events but there was a Gaymer’s picnic at Greg’s (one of the local gay bars) that promised food and drink, so we swung by. While there was some food (yummy burgers and hot dogs), the event never really happened. If it hadn’t been for a sweet young “Drag Princess” coming by and talking to us, we might as well have been invisible. Plus, I was the only female (cis or trans) in the place.

We had hoped to make it to the Talbot Street drag show that evening (a special GenCon event) but we were so exhausted we just went home and crashed.

SUNDAY, AUG. 2

So there we were on the last day of the con. Unfortunately, we were not able to sleep in, because when we got home on Saturday night, I looked over our event tickets and realized that I had signed us up for an 8 a.m. game slot playtesting a new game. So, we somehow got out of bed and made it to the event.

Being a Sunday morning slot, many of those signed up to play as well as demo the games did not show. There was a wide variety of games available but only around half of them were actually available. John and I both picked different games to play (neither of us got our first choice and I ended up with my third one). However, I really enjoyed the game I chose. It was a gangster themed game in which each player tries to build up their resources and allies in order to be the top mob in town. You’ll hear more about it in a later post as I was given a preview copy to review. and it will be on Kickstarter soon.

Even though the playtesting slot was two hours and most if not all of the boardgames took an hour or less to play, they officially would not allow anyone to sign up for and play a second game, However, prior to my game ending. another game designer showed up and watched us play. After we were done, he sat and talked to one of the designers of the game I had played and the three of us ended up playing his card game and it was also very fun. I also ended up getting a copy of his game, too, and again, it will be reviewed in conjunction with his Kickstarter as well.

When we were done, we tackled the Exhibit Hall and gathered up all of the review copies of games we could. Adding in the games we bought not strictly for reviewing, we ended up with more than 30 new games to review. Plus, I got a new copy of Telestrations to replace my old dying first-edition set.

There are also about a dozen other games that sold out during the con that we should be getting mailed to us. So even though we do a lot of theater reviews here, expect a lot of game reviews to be in the mix, especially once the Fringe Festival ends.

After the convention ended, we headed out and grabbed some dinner then ran back to Mass Avenue to catch a special GenCon themed edition of Lou Harry’s “Going, Going, Gone”. This edition did not disappoint in the least. The actors were hilarious and the items up for bid were the usual eclectic mix. In fact, we ended up exhausting much of our hoard of leftover play money from the past editions and brought home a rather full box of fun items.

Once again, exhausted but elated, we packed it in and crawled back home to spend some time with our oft-neglected friend that we call bed. I hope you liked my little tale of our adventure and will look forward to all of the many game reviews coming your way soon.

—

Note: GenCon returns to the Indiana Convention Center Aug. 3-7, 2016.

Wendy’s GenCon update

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Trace Beaulieu, popular for playing Dr. Forrester and Crow T. Robot on "Mystery Science Theater 3000" as well as appearing on shows including "Freaks and Geeks", was Puppetry Guest of Honor at GenCon 2015. His next project has him again playing a mad scientist on the web series "Vermin." -- photo provided
Trace Beaulieu, popular for playing Dr. Forrester and Crow T. Robot on “Mystery Science Theater 3000” as well as appearing on shows including “Freaks and Geeks”, was Puppetry Guest of Honor at GenCon 2015. His next project has him again playing a mad scientist on the web series “Vermin.” — photo provided

By Wendy Carson

I am still alive (somehow). I had an amazing amount of fun at GenCon this last weekend in downtown Indy. We brought home a ton of awesome games to review (see John’s post below). Overall, it was wonderful.

This year’s convention was very different for us from the ones in the past. First of all, I didn’t make it to Trade Day on Wednesday because I had to work. I could have taken that day off, but felt that just having Thursday and Friday off was sufficient (plus, I didn’t want to push my luck at the new job).

The biggest difference, though, was that rather than just playing games, we attended several panels throughout the weekend — I don’t think we’ve done that in years (at least not since the convention moved to Indy). Our first panel — a writers’ workshop — was at 9 a.m. Thursday, so we skipped out on getting early entry to the exhibit hall, but we were glad we did.

The whole feeling of this year’s con was more laid-back overall but still very hectic. We took our time working through the vast exhibit hall. We didn’t finish seeing all of the game booths until most of the way through Saturday. Since almost all of the clothing and whatnot dealers together seemed to be grouped in the center of the hall, we just scanned those aisles and skipped portions of them. We also didn’t get to see much of the artists’ area. I was only there for a second to find one we knew and update her on my efforts to promote her work by getting her promotional bookmarks to all of the cons in the area. I never even got to check out the Autograph area or the entertainment booths (except for a quick second at Trace Beaulieu’s booth to get his autograph). I had secured a ticket to get Terry Brooks’ autograph, but the line was entirely too long for me to deal with (two-plus hour wait) so I gave my ticket to someone else. Besides, I don’t actually like his books, so it’s no big loss.

I did get to see Trace (Dr. Forrester and “Crow” of MST3K) several times throughout the con, and he was absolutely charming and funny. If any of you out there get a chance to see him, please do — you won’t be disappointed.

Since John was researching an article on “Gaymers,” [coming soon either in print or online with The Word — John] we attended a few of their gathering and panels. Some were sparsely attended, but on the upside, we did end up winning a “Cards Against Humanity” game (which we didn’t have yet).

The Miskatonic University Graduation Ceremony Thursday night went amazingly well. John and I volunteer to assist with the official Chaosium event each year which has a Lovecraftian theme, most notably the “Cthulhu for President” rally on election years (next year!). We had a solid turnout, with attendees unbelievably into the whole event even more than in the past few years. One even hit his head on a steel beam when he fell to “sacrifice” himself (he was OK, and another person used his “Necromancy Degree” to resurrect him). My Dean of Women (more of a “Mistress” of Students) went over amazingly well.

While we didn’t get to do everything we wanted, we did enjoy everything we could get to.

Review: Ohmygod, you guys! CrazyLake has hit with “Legally Blonde”

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Amy Studabaker (left) is townie hairdresser Paulette and Peyton Cole is Harvard law student Elle Woods in the CrazyLake Acting Company production of
Amy Studabaker (left) is townie hairdresser Paulette and Payton Cole is Harvard law student Elle Woods in the CrazyLake Acting Company production of “Legally Blonde: The Musical” — CrazyLake photo

By Wendy Carson

CrazyLake’s new show, “Legally Blonde: The Musical,” does a fantastic job of showcasing many of the talented young adults in the Hancock County area. With a mere 15 percent of the enormous cast consisting of adults, it’s really impressive to see these kids ruling the stage. I’m sure most of them will be off to college and out of the area very soon, but those that do stick around should be regulars on the area stages very soon.

Besides the overall level of acting and singing, the true stand-out here is the choreography by Amy Studabaker. The various dances are not only artfully crafted but perfectly executed. This is especially amazing in the numbers with seven or more dancers performing in unison. The finale with the entire cast is particularly breathtaking.

The show’s story is very faithful to the original movie’s script and the elaborate musical numbers do not detract from the story. However, like the film it was based on, it never takes itself too seriously. Hence, the running gag of Elle’s “Greek Chorus” appearing periodically thoughout.

Payton Cole is sheer perfection in her turn as Elle, a ditzy sorority girl who will do anything (including getting in to Harvard Law School) to snag the man she feels she is destined to be with. Harrison Kenn is appropriately pompous and self-involved as the object of Elle’s affections. Patrick Gawrys-Strand’s does a beautifully nuanced job in his role as Emmitt, the financially disadvantaged kid who is Elle’s most faithful supporter. Studebaker is delightful as Paulette, the salon owner with her dreams of Ireland and a better life with a good man who truly supports her.

Still, many of the true stand-outs are in some of the “lesser role,” such as the divine band of ladies playing Elle’s sorority sisters and the Greek Chorus. Trevor Brown’s take on Kyle, the UPS guy, was hilarious and fun to behold. Of course, I cannot leave out the amazing talents of the two most adorable cast members, Banner McDowell-Fisher and Buddy Brown as Bruiser Woods and Rufus — they were consummate professionals through and through.Honestly, I could easily write at least a dozen or so more paragraphs highlighting every single performer and role but I already feel like I’m exhausting my audience’s patience as well as running out of adjectives. So just let me say that every single cast member was sheer perfection, and if anyone out there misses this production, they will truly regret it.

Performances are today through Sunday and July 17-19 at the H.J. Ricks Centre for the Arts, 122 W. Main St. in downtown Greenfield (on U.S. 40, just west of the county courthouse). Info and tickets at the CrazyLake Facebook page and CrazyLake.com.

Review: Casey Ross Productions’ “Stoops” conquers

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Cast of Casey Ross Productions' "She Stoops to Conquer," Friday, June 19, 2015 -- photo by John Belden
Cast of Casey Ross Productions’ “She Stoops to Conquer,” Friday, June 19, 2015 — photo by John Belden

By John Lyle Belden and Wendy Carson

It’s too easy to call the Grove Haus, the funky former church building in Indy’s Fountain Square district where Casey Ross puts on her plays, the “Groove House” – because Miss “Uncanny Casey” is so, well, groovy.

And speaking of mildly-outdated but still appropriate words, Ross takes the 1700s Oliver Goldsmith comedy “She Stoops to Conquer” and gives it a groovalicious update.

Like the 18th century, the 1980s were a time of big hair, regretful fashion and wacky music. In the meantime, Florida has become synonymous with rednecks, stupidity and all manner of bizarre behavior. Add these two elements to the script of the classic and slightly bawdy play and you have CRP’s latest entertaining diversion. The tale of arranged marriages (including one between two cousins), mistaken identities, besotted or scheming individuals, and overall confusion meshes well with the chosen setting.

Dick and Dorothy Hardcastle (David Malloy and Ross) own both a home and a motel, sufficiently tacky that one can’t tell one from the other. Dick wants charming daughter Kate (Ann Marie Elloitt) to check out his old friend’s son Marlow (Max Jones), whom they haven’t met, as a potential husband; while Dorothy wants her drunken slacker son Tony (Taylor Cox) to marry his cousin (and Kate’s bestie) Constance (Veronica Orech) to better secure their property, especially the precious jewels that Constance inherited and Dorothy is holding onto as dowry.

Marlow arrives with best friend Hastings (Tyler Gordon), who has cultivated a romance with Constance. From here on, the plot gets twisty, as Tony pranks Marlow into thinking the Hardcastle home is the motel, so the young suitor treats Dick like the hired help and pines for Kate, thinking she is a just a maid and not the lady he was supposed to meet – the girl, in turn, plays along for comic situations that would do the Bard proud. Meanwhile, Hastings and Constance conspire to run away to marry, enlisting Tony’s help in getting the valuable jewels. Everything goes wrong, and, this being a comedy, everything goes right in the end.

The play not only makes use of the small stage at the head of the house, but also the central floor area, with actors occasionally sitting with and talking directly to the audience. This intimate staging not only helps us connect with the action, but also precludes the need for sticking microphones to the actors. This is a refreshing change from most Indy-area community theatre. However, in this environment, enunciation and vocal projection are more critical, and any failings are more noticeable. Opening night only had a few unclear lines, which no doubt have been worked on during this intervening week, and the story was easy to follow.

The stage set is appropriately tacky, with a couple of in-joke posters, and Ross’s sound design includes a lot of snippets of ’80s hits, keeping the mood light and fun.

Under the direction of partner “Fedora Dave” Matthews, Ross makes a welcome return to the boards, exuding gleeful maternal malevolence under a burgundy wig. Elliott is 100 percent pure-cane sweetness; Cox does slackerdom proud; Gordon is suave and valiant; Orech is comically sharp; and Molloy is fun as the blustering patriarch. Also notable is John Garlick, who comes in late in the play as Marlow’s father. Jones does great at his complex character, having to come off as naive, shy and buffoonish, but then win us over as the romantic hero at the end (Elliott-as-Kate’s kind, forgiving nature helps).

The setting doesn’t translate 100 percent, but is close enough when one considers Southern society can be at least as idiosyncratic as Olde England. One reference to pounds instead of dollars sounds out of place, but can be forgiven.

The show has one more weekend, Friday through Sunday at 1001 Hosbrook St. Tickets are $15. Get info at facebook.com/caseyrossproductions and go get your groove on.

“Idiot Anthems” – We should have more shows like this

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“Ja-ja-ja-jaded…” Carly Kincannon shows the softer side of Aerosmith during an informal cabaret show June 17 at Theatre on the Square. — photo by John Belden

By Wendy Carson

Wednesday night, select members of the “American Idiot” cast got together at Theatre on the Square for an “Idiot Cabaret” concert. Even though most notice of the show was by Facebook invite or other theater insider word-of-mouth, the crowd was decently large and up for anything.

Taking the stage dressed in what would best be called “casual black” were Lydia Burke, Lisa Ermel, Olivia Huntley and Carly Kincannon, with castmates Spencer Curnutt and Matthew Lee. (“American Idiot” continues through July 5 at the Phoenix Theatre.)

The theme for the evening was “Songs of Angst,” with the first half of the set being popular songs that were meaningful to each performer during their school years and the second half being favorite songs of angst from Broadway.

While the radio hits were familiar, each singer chose their own arrangement, and while most were in stark contrast to the original, all of them were equally beautiful. Who would have thought that “Jaded” by Aerosmith would work perfectly as a torch song?

The whole show was spectacular, with each singer bringing their all — even the few technical glitches between the songs were entertaining. Everyone who missed this event really missed out on a unique and fantastic show.

For anyone out there who didn’t know about the cabaret show, John and I are doing our best to find out about these events as soon as possible and will be posting that information here, as well as the Facebook page, so you won’t miss another one.

Personally, I would really like to see more of these cabaret events happening. Hopefully, someone will step up and organize them into a monthly occurrence. Besides replacing the “Glee” withdrawal most of us are feeling, the opportunity to showcase many of our talented local actors in a more relaxed light would be very welcome. Especially our teen and young adult performers would get a chance to test their range and gain more experience. There is so much potential for some amazing shows, plus, the one-night-only scheduling should help to make the audiences more diverse yet still very supportive.

Review: An imperfect “10”

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Sean Baker (right) rehearses with Dan Flahive, who is also in the cast of Baker's
Sean Baker (right) rehearses with Dan Flahive, who is also in the cast of Baker’s “Perfect ’10′”, holding its world premiere at Theatre on the Square in downtown Indianapolis. — TOTS photo

By Wendy Carson

Theater on the Square is currently presenting the world premiere of a new play, “The Perfect ’10’,” by local musical talent, Sean Baker. Baker has a long musical history in the Circle City, comprising of being part of several bands, The Leisure Kings being the most well known. He is also the house pianist for Chef Joseph’s at the Connoisseur room, the current and more upscale incarnation of Agio.

Being an autobiographical piece, the story is a new artistic offering for Baker. However, it does fall short of its goal. It plays more as a play being workshopped than a finished product.

This is not to say that it is entirely unwatchable and does not show some promise. The story development in the second act is quite compelling and does prove that, with some polish and rewrites, that this play will work.

There are quite a few good laughs to be had, especially Sean’s encounter with “Beaux Derek.” Maybe with the trimming of unneeded characters, Justine and Allyson in particular, it would flow better. The interactions with Sean’s therapist might be better reflected with her in voice-over, save for a late-night phone call which plays perfectly. Also, while the bartender’s actions are quite funny, he does tend to upstage and draw attention from some of the more vital dialogue. A reining in of his antics is needed. Plus, it wouldn’t hurt to add a few more songs and eventually turn the show into a full-fledged musical.

I would advise you to either watch or re-watch the movie, “10” (1979, directed by Blake Edwards, starring Dudley Moore and Bo Derek) prior to the show as there are quite a few inside jokes and nods to it in the play. Still, if you’d like to catch a rising talent at beginning of his writing career, go and check out “The Perfect ’10’” at TOTS, 627 Massachusetts Ave., Indianapolis. Call 317-685-8687.

Review: “American Idiot” at Phoenix Theatre

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By Wendy Carson

From left, Matthew Lee, Spencer Curnett and Lincoln Slentz star as three best friends in
From left, Matthew Lee, Spencer Curnutt and Lincoln Slentz star as three best friends in “American Idiot,” through July 5 at Indy’s Phoenix Theatre. — Phoenix Theatre photo by Zach Rosing

In 2004, punk band Green Day released their celebrated concept album, “American Idiot.” The album’s lineup formed a story of teen angst in the new millennium. Upon hearing the record myself, I could see the threads of the story woven together in a complex narrative that seemed to lend perfectly to a full-fledged musical. Luckily for us all, Michael Mayer felt the same and Billie Jo Armstrong, the band’s lead singer, agreed. While many of the overall themes of the show hearken back to Mayer’s previous show, “Spring Awakening,” the story’s present-day setting makes it more accessible to the target Millennial audience. With Indiana’s current increase in heroin usage and the resulting HIV crisis, the show could not be more relevant and meaningful. Naturally, The Phoenix Theatre proudly brings this story to the Indy stage almost a year to the day after its Broadway run’s end.

The show’s story follows just under a year in the life of three slacker buddies (Johnny, Will, and Tunny). Their disillusionment with life in their suburban home town leads them to decide to take a bus to the big city and go experience all that life can provide. Sadly, Will is waylaid before he can even leave by his girlfriend’s unexpected pregnancy so he is forced to remain behind and long for the adventures relayed by Johnny’s occasional postcards.

In the big city, Tunny is plagued by intense depression and is called to join the army in order to find himself. He eventually ends up a troubled, broken veteran who only survives with the love and devotion of an Extraordinary Girl.

Meanwhile, Johnny’s search for meaning leads him to the seductive world of drugs, courtesy of the charismatic St. Jimmy. During this time he meets the girl of his dreams and they share a fiery affair until she tries to wake Johnny from his drug-fueled haze. Things escalate quite quickly with him choosing the allure of St. Jimmy to the love of Whatsername.

Eventually, all three characters reunite in their little hometown to face the choices they’ve made and how they’ve changed as a result of them.

Directors Bryan Fonseca and Emily Ristine have rounded up an exceptional cast to bring this story to life, many of whom are veterans of the Phoenix’s 2011 production of “Spring Awakening.” Spencer Curnutt expertly brings all of Johnny’s angst and desperation to his performance. Lisa Ermel once again shows her amazing range in the ethereal role of Whatsername. Lydia Burke brings a poetic grace to her Extraordinary Girl. Matthew Lee and Carly Kincannon’s portrayal of Will and Heather expertly show the harsh reality of teenage parenthood. Eric J. Olson shows the dangerously enticing St. Jimmy and his world of drug-fueled oblivion as an easy answer to life’s stresses, yet never lets us forget its cost. Lincoln Slentz’s vulnerability as Tunny was only marred by his struggle to stay in tune on some of the songs. While the remaining five cast members are only listed as “Ensemble”, their ability to believably breathe life into the myriad of roles they are called on to assume makes each one stand out as a major talent.

While the harsh, grittiness of this show might make some apprehensive, the show’s message resounds so much with today’s youth that it should be a must-see for anyone over 15 if only to show them some of the harsh realities of the world and drug addiction in a format they will better respond to. I would best describe the show as this generation’s version of “Hair” (sans nudity but with mature language and a scene of simulated sex). See the show Thursdays through Sundays through July 5 at the Phoenix Theater, 749 N. Park Ave. (corner of Park and St. Clair near Mass. Ave.), Indianapolis, but you should get your tickets soon, because they are selling quickly and you really don’t what to be an American Idiot by missing out.