Western

CrazyLake presents wacky western whodunit

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By John Lyle Belden

Our goofy Greenfield friends at CrazyLake Acting Company tackle the multi-genre mess of “Murder at the O.K. Corral” by Blair Graeme, who was apparently inspired to simultaneously write a farce, a Western, a tribute to television’s golden era, and a mystery that honestly keeps you guessing throughout.

Set in those mid-20th-century years when all three of your TV channels featured legendary cowboys, gunslingers, and lawmen in white hats, we are on the remote desert location of “Days of the O.K. Corral.” Famed German director Hermet Von Kibbel (Jesse Vetters) has been hired to apply his eccentric style to Episode 57: “Curse of the Rattler.”

The show stars Hoyt Hite (Luke Agee) as Marshal Bat Bannister, with Stoop Nasley (Corey Yeaman) as his sidekick Ordinary Jones, Arlene Saknusen (Taylor Shelton) as schoolmarm Miss Fripp, Betty Bannon (Alex Paddock) as saloon girl Miss Pretty, and Fred (Matt Little) as Fred, the bartender. This episode features Leslie Syntax (Chris Vehorn) as gun-toting Wild Belle Oakley; Sheila Voo (Katherine Novick) as Gloria, daughter of the Rattler’s first victim; and Duncan Cadwallader (Trever Brown) as Chief Adobe, a stereotypical (typical in context) Indian.

Von Kibbel’s wild ways are frustrating for the cast and practically abusive to his assistant and script boy Wendell Alapeno (Peyton Rader). For camera man Bosco Laine, (Ethan Stearns), it’s just another job. It quickly becomes apparent that Hoyt was hired for his dashing good looks – and that’s about it. While he comically breaks character, and what few lines he remembers aren’t always his, the other actors are not exactly A-list either. Between takes, we get in their own accents their regrets in being stuck on a sweaty soundstage rather than on Broadway – or practically anywhere else.

Things go from bad to weird when the Rattler, a vengeful Native spirit, emerges from their story to actually kill someone. Who really did it? And who could be next? While each person has their suspicions and (like everyone in showbiz) secrets, Duncan – very aware how offensive his Adobe character is – frets that he’s obviously next to die.

I won’t say here who the victim(s) is/are, because not everyone stays “dead,” which further complicates the plot. Revelations of other names (which might belong to anyone here) add to the mystery. For instance, the actors all have the same agent, the mysterious Cookie LaJar, whom none have actually met.

The play is directed by Alex Agee and Christine Schefer, answering the question of what if Agatha Christie wrote a Carol Burnett skit on the set of “Gunsmoke.” The set here, with some clever features, was designed by Dan Riddle. Andy Sparks is stage manager.

Vetters shows his talent for an unapologetically over-the-top character in Von Kibbel, while Luke Agee gives us a likeable doofus as Hoyt. Rader looks a bit like a young Weird Al, complete with manic personality, as Wendell. Novick plays a character suspiciously in flux, from girlish to sneaky, while Shelton’s Arlene has quirks of her own – including aspiring to be in a musical, and frequently flirting with Fred. Performances all around are noteworthy, as everyone eagerly contributes to the mayhem, bringing on big laughs and head-scratching twists.

To visit the Old West, go east: “Murder at the O.K. Corral” opens Friday, running July 11-12 and 18-20 at the H.J. Ricks Centre for the Arts, 122 W. Main St. (US 40), Greenfield. Get tickets at crazylakeacting.com or Hometown Comics in Greenfield.

‘Wild’ fun at GHDT Academy

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By Wendy Carson      

Gregory Hancock Dance Theatre has brought back its wildly popular “The Wild Wild West,” which premiered in 2019. If you missed the show then, thank your lucky stars and hustle up to The Florence Theater in Carmel to catch it this time around.

It is surprising how balletic many of the typical movements we associate with cowboys in the Old West actually are. Within the first few seconds of Thomas Mason’s opening number, you understand the grace of this cadence.

We are also treated to some Native American dancing that was rigorously researched by the choreography team, including director Gregory Glade Hancock. Traditional Western dances of the time are also included.

The show has an overarching story with various scenes being introduced via cards carried across the stage in a tribute to silent movies. Theme music and visuals hearken to Westerns of both Hollywood and “Spaghetti” style. Also, in a rare breach of tradition, many of the performers have bits of dialogue throughout. Featured dancers include assistant director Abigail Lessaris as Mason’s love interest, Chloe Holzman as an Indian Chief, Olivia Payton as an Indian Princess (and one wacky cowpoke in a couple of ensemble scenes), Josie Moody as dance-hall girl Darla, and Camden Lancaster as the “Mysterious Woman.”

The intimate setting of the Florence, the performance space at the Academy of Gregory Hancock Dance Theatre, makes it easier to hear and see all of the action and maybe even interact with the dancers.

While the dancing is always taken seriously, the entire attitude of the show is very tongue-in-cheek. Feel free to clap along to the music whenever the feeling hits or whoop and holler if you’d like. With so much rollicking fun on stage, this is truly a treat for the whole family (especially younger ones and those who tend to resist seeing “dance shows”).

Dust off your cowboy hat, slip on your boots, lace up your bolo tie, and mosey on up to the Hancock Dance academy at 329 Gradle Drive, Carmel, for performances 5 p.m. Saturdays, 3 p.m. Sundays, through Feb. 25. Get tickets and info at gregoryhancockdancetheatre.com.

IRT: A ‘West’ we don’t often see

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By John Lyle Belden

Just northwest of the center of the state of Kansas is a little town called Nicodemus.

Today it is a National Historic Site, and for good reason. This is living proof that it wasn’t just White families who settled the American West. Many Blacks sought true freedom under the Homestead Act, with, in this case, the help of the Nicodemus Town Company. In “Flyin’ West,” by Pearl Cleage, at Indiana Repertory Theatre, we see an imagined family who held their own land there.

Circumstances including escaping racially-motivated riots in Memphis brought three sisters – Sophie (Lakesha Lorene), Fannie (L’Oreal Lampley), and Minnie (Kayla Mary Jane) – to claim their own stake. On neighboring acres, elderly Miss Leah (Dwandra Nickole Lampkin) kept the farm after her husband passed.

Sophie, gun on her hip to fend off pests in both animal and human form, prepares for winter and to pass a resolution in town to fend off (White) land speculators.  She is persuading Miss Leah to stay on at their homestead, while Fannie is about to be swept off her feet by neighbor Will Parish (Enoch King) if he can sum up the gumption to court her properly. Minnie has recently arrived with her husband Frank Charles (Allen Tedder), whose pale skin masks his slave upbringing. The couple had been living in London, England, where social acceptance came easier, but they hardly saw another with African skin. Frank, eager to get back there, awaits word on a possible inheritance from his father’s estate in New Orleans. Somehow, Minnie also arrived with a bruise around her eye.

Cleage’s compelling drama combines timeless themes of family, dealing with the effects of violence and slavery, and the power of sisterhood in even the most challenging environment. The women’s  performances embody many forms of tested strength, which work together to do what must be done. King plays Will as a rock-solid support without being controlling – in contrast to Tedder’s turn as despicable Frank.

Stories and situations of family drama played out often in these times and places; there’s more to the West than the OK Corral, with a lot more diversity among those involved than our histories and media suggest.

Directed by Raelle Myrick-Hodges, this production includes a deceptively simple-looking turntable set by Junghyun Georgia Lee that suggests a cozy cabin without the obstruction of outer walls, as well as an excellent hand-painted background by Claire Dana, also masterful in its simplicity.

Performances run through Feb. 4 on the IRT Mainstage at 140 W. Washington in downtown Indianapolis. Tickets and information at irtlive.com.

Shakespeare vs. six-shooters in Westfield

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By John Lyle Belden

Upon seeing that Main Street Productions in Westfield has produced “The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance,” one might think that someone dusted off an old script — after all, the John Wayne/Jimmy Stewart movie, and the popular song, came out in 1962. But this play was written in 2014 — by Jethro Compton, based more on the original Dorothy M. Johnson story than the film. And this Western, set toward the end of the 19th century, has a lot to say to us in the 21st.

Rance Foster (Matt Hartzburg), a scholar seeking his fortune out West, is beaten and left for dead by Valance (Adam Davis) and his gang. Rescued by local cowboy Bert Barricune (R.C. Thorne), Foster is brought to a saloon owned and run by Miss Hallie Jackson (Sabrina Duprey) in the tiny town of Twotrees. The local Marshal (Kevin Shadle) isn’t much help as he feels the small bounty on Valance’s head isn’t near worth facing his gun. 

As Foster recovers, he discovers that “Reverend” Jim (Xavier Jones), the black boy who grew up with Hallie, has perfect memory — having earned his nickname by memorizing the Bible just from hearing it, despite being illiterate. Foster decides to teach Jim — and Hallie, and anyone who’s interested — to read, with the help of books he carries with him, including a volume of Shakespeare sonnets.

Hints of civilization don’t set well with Liberty Valance, who wants to keep the territory as lawless as possible for as long as possible, while enriching himself and his gang. So, he comes to visit Twotrees, setting in motion the events that lead to his final showdown.

The play is directed by Veronique Duprey, Sabrina’s mother. She said that when she found the script a couple of years ago and looked for an opportunity to stage it, she had not thought of her daughter to take the role of Hallie. But now, the casting seems perfect. An experienced young actress, Sabrina convincingly holds her own with the men — much like her character.

Other roles are also well-cast. Hartzburg wins us over as the idealistic tenderfoot; Thorne projects strength even standing still; Davis is perfectly chilling; Jones is outstanding in a surprisingly complex character; and Shadle takes what could be a comic role and stays true to the drama, playing the Marshal on the fine line of pragmatism and cowardice. Supporting roles are played by Cody Holloway, Alex Dantin, Robert Fimreite, Rich Steinberg and Rob Stokes.

Tom Smith lends his strong voice and presence as the Narrator, sort of a living embodiment of the Spirit of the West.

More than the events surrounding a legendary shootout, this is a story of love and loyalty, finding the strength to make one’s self and world better, and bravery beyond the ability to hold a gun steady.

And drinking a lot of fake whiskey (it is set in a saloon, after all).

Note the play includes coarse language and the use of loud blanks in the pistols (the venue is kind of small). Main Street Productions will break ground on a new playhouse in downtown Westfield later this month, but for now performances are still in the old former church building at 1836 W. State Road 32, through Oct. 13. Call 317-402-3341 or visit westfieldplayhouse.org.