If you are one of the people in the Indianapolis area who did not go to the 21st year of the IndyFringe Festival, you can talk to another person who did: “It was a superb experience” they will say. The Creative Director of this publication allowed me to accompany her to two — count them, 2 — showings of “Ad Libs: The Show: The Experience!” The second iteration was different from the first, and Weekly View Correspondent Mary Kuhns, Paula, and I sat with one of the players from another show. Skye Webb Walker, from “Female Troubles,” got one of the envelopes passed out to “Ad Libs” attendees, who then present them to the performers to incorporate into their show.
Fringing is a fun time for friends, both old and new. After seeing “PsyWrn Simone’s Black Thread: Songs that Nina Taught Me,” on Friday, August 21st, Paula and I met two Fringers. Cindy and Deborah were from Tampa and Jacksonville Florida, respectively, and seemed to have enjoyed Simone’s concert as much as we had. As we chatted, a young lady handed us a card announcing her show, “Ambiguous.” I asked Tiffany Michelle Foster what her show was about. She told me that the ambiguity revolved around her racial identity. On Saturday, August 22nd, Paula and I saw “Fleet Week,” a rousing presentation by the Indianapolis Men’s Chorus, and “Ready Yet?” by Theo Renee, from Ypsilanti, Michigan.
Paula had arranged to meet Mary Kuhns (her daughter) at the Feast Of Lanterns on Saturday evening, and she graciously allowed me to tag along. Music drifted across the crowd, and as we browsed the “Artist’s Row,” a woman asked me if I was “CJ.” I was delighted to see Mary Ann again. I had written of having spent time “Making Community” (The Weekly View, July 16th, 2026) on my front porch with her and her husband, Steve. I had wanted to see the two of them again, for I wanted to ask how to spell her name. On this day, Mary Ann introduced me to her two sisters, Julie, and Diane. All three were wearing sparkling tiaras, and I serenaded them with a snippet from “Dancing Queen” by the band, ABBA. Mary Kuhns took a picture of her mother and me and my three friends, two of whom were new inductees into the “CJ Friendship Club.” At the time of our meeting, I also did not know that my bit of singing to them would be foreshadowing another IndyFringe performance.
On the next day, Paula and I saw “Queens,” a tale of the head-lopping King Henry VIII, who sits chained on purgatory’s throne as his murderous insults are recounted by a “sinister Fool.” Unlike the three queens I had serenaded at the Feast Of Lanterns, these queens and mistresses were all doomed to die for not having borne the king an heir. We also saw “Ambiguous,” and I got to tell Tiffany about my racially diverse family, and my youngest granddaughter. Born to a bi-racial mother, she has a White grandmother and father, and a Black grandfather, and she is blonde (ish) and blue-eyed. I hope that she will identify — as Tiffany stated in her closing — as “human.”
Attendance at the IndyFringe Festival always presents opportunities to see delightful stories, have fun, and bond with friends. My friend of more than 40 years, Paula Nicewanger (this publication’s Creative Director) got to meet my friend of several months after we had spent several days and evenings sipping from the cups of joy provided by the IndyFringe performers.
Their arts and craft augment the joy of friendship.
cjon3acd@att.net