Weekly View » Indiana Repertory Theatre

Noises Off: A Farce Within A Farce

Ethel Winslow — Thu, 03 May 2018 05:09:16 +0000

Finish your beverages in the lobby before you enter the world of Noises Off, the current production showing at the Indiana Repertory Theatre’s Mainstage, or you run the risk of liquids shooting out your nose or choking with laughter. This beloved play is in masterful hands that wring every laugh possible out of the door banging, fire axe wielding, pratfalling, miscued cast of characters racing across the stage.
The farce-within-a-farce Noises Off is the story of a group of actors putting on a sex farce, Nothing On, far away from the glittering lights of London’s West End. We meet them during the technical/dress rehearsal that is going very badly, with Dotty (Hollis Resnik) unable to remember her sardines from her newspapers, and the exasperated director Lloyd Dallas (Ryan Artzberger) increasing his sarcasm levels with every mistake. Enter Garry Lejeune (Jerry Richardson), an actor unable to complete sentences without a script, and Brooke Ashton (Ashley Dillard), a self-absorbed actress over-acting at every turn. Poppy Norton-Taylor (Mehry Eslaminia) is the put-upon assistant stage manager, and Tim Allgood (Will Allan) is the exhausted stage manager, and both are worried that the piece is going to fall apart. Frederick Fellowes (Robert Neal) and Belinda Blair (Heidi Kettenring) seem to be the adults on the stage, if it weren’t for Freddie’s nosebleeds at any hint of violence and Belinda’s incessant cheerfulness. The hard-of-hearing Selsdon Mowbray (Rob Riley) is a washed-up Shakespearean who is either too late or early entering, and has a little drinking problem. Things aren’t going well in Act 1, to say the least. The theater-goers of Weston-super-Mare don’t know what’s about to hit them.
And things really don’t go well at all after intermission, when the audience gets to see Nothing On from behind the scenes a month later at a matinee in Ashton-under-Lynne. Bad things are going on back there — personal scores are being settled, performances sabotaged, jealousy revealed, liquor bottles being hidden and discovered, wardrobe malfunctions, and the director has given up completely. Act 2 is a wild ride of muscular physical comedy that is uproariously funny.
After another intermission, the audience is greeted by Tim, who apologizes for delays, and the audience sees the last performance of Nothing On two months after the disaster in Ashton-under-Lynne, which has only gone downhill since its debut in Weston-Super-Mare. Now in Stockton-on-Tees, the actors are basically improvising (except Brooke, who stubbornly tries to make the script work while everything else is falling apart), with hilarious results.
The award-winning play by Michael Frayn has always been an audience favorite on both sides of the pond. IRT’s reading of Noises Off is a farcical powerhouse, with a superb cast. Thanks to great direction by David Bradley, the controlled chaos moves like a madcap ballet. Kudos go to Bill Clarke as scenic designer who creates both a stage on a stage and a backstage.
Noises Off continues through May 20 and is the last production for the 2017-18 season. Visit irtlive.com or call 317-635-5252 for performances and tickets.

“Appoggiatura” at the IRT

Weekly View — Thu, 08 Mar 2018 06:09:56 +0000

INDIANAPOLIS — Appoggiatura, a play written by four-time Pulitzer Prize nominee and IRT Playwright-in-Residence, James Still, will premiere on the Indiana Repertory Theatre’s (IRT) OneAmerica Mainstage from March 7-31. Appoggiatura, part of a three-play series including The House That Jack Built (2012-2013) and Miranda (2016-2017), will not only make its Indiana premiere, but will also mark the first time all three plays have been produced at a single theater.
Appoggiatura, a musical term meaning ‘to lean,’ shares the story of one unique family, Helen (Susan Pellegrino), Aunt Chuck (Tom Aulino), and Sylvie (Andrea San Miguel), who, due to the recent loss of a loved one, travel to Venice in search of healing and happiness. Charming humor and sparkling realism collide, as the characters find themselves — quite literally — in the winding streets and canals of the floating city.
Appoggiatura, weaves a quirky and lyrical narrative of love, loss and the human soul by featuring three musicians on the accordion (Katrina Yaukey), violin (Andrew Mayer) and guitar (Paul Deboy), and an endearing Italian tour guide, Marco (Casey Hoekstra).
Tickets start at $25. For more information, visit irtlive.com.

Applause!: March 2-8

Weekly View — Thu, 01 Mar 2018 06:09:34 +0000

• The City of Indianapolis and Indy Parks will begin the process to develop a comprehensive Broad Ripple Park Master Plan with a public open house on March 7 from 6-8 p.m. at Broad Ripple High School, 1115 Broad Ripple Ave.
• The IRT is offering discount tickets to its newest play, James Still’s Appoggiatura, which begins March 7 and runs through the 31st. Save $10 when you book tickets using the promo code VENICE1. Offer valid through March 19 on performances March 7-31,and applies to individual tickets priced $35 and higher. Visit irtlive.com to order tickets.
• Two juniors from Fishers High School are the winners of the 2018 Project Pigasus, a statewide screenwriting competition for students in grades 9-12 presented by Pigasus Horizons, Inc. in collaboration with Bloomington, Ind.-based film company Pigasus Pictures. Co-writers Whitney Roberts and Cynthia Foulke were unveiled as the 2018 winners for their screenplay “As We Begin” during a surprise announcement with Pigasus Pictures at Fishers High School on Mon., Feb. 26.
• Spring is coming, and Keep Indianapolis Beautiful is seeking volunteers for many tree-planting projects. The Community Forestry team will focus on planting trees on the northeast side of town, including a special planting at Oscar Charleston Park at 2800 E. 30th St. that will include 10,000 shade trees. Visit www.kibi.org for more information and to sign up.
• Congratulations to local Four Star Schools in the area! Those schools include Cathedral High School, Acton Elementary, Bunker Hill Elementary, Franklin Central HS, South Creek Elementary, Thompson Crossing Elementary, Herron Charter, Covenant Christian HS, Merle Sidener Gifted Academy, Lutheran HS, Paramount School of Excellence, New Palestine HS, and The Oaks Academy-Fall Creek and Middle School.
• IMPD memorialized Drug Recognition Expert Officer of the Year David Moore on Feb. 26. Officer David Moore was killed in the line of duty on January 26, 2011 while conducting a traffic stop.
• The Warren Central World Guard continues its winning streak, bringing home a first place trophy from the Tri-State conest in Campbell, Kentucky Feb. 24.
• The March 2 First Friday lineup looks very exciting, with the addition of a new location at the City Market from 6-8:30 p.m., 222 E. Market St., featuring Artist in Residence Brian James Priest, Indy Urban Sketchers while sipping on pints of Indiana craft beer from the Tomlinson Tap Room, and play free single lane bowling. Live music will be provided by local electric violinist and vocalist Cathy Morris at 6:45 p.m. . with Indiana Landmarks presenting five artists in various mediums (1201 Central Ave.). The Art Bank, 811 Mass Ave. is one of the few art galleries left on Mass Ave. and will host Lisa Green and large scale acrylic paintings.
• Congratulations to the trial teams from Arsenal Tech and Shortridge for their presentations in the Indiana Bar Foundation mock trials on Feb. 17. The IPS teams did a great job presenting their cases in front of judges and a scoring panel.

Theatre Review: The Giver at the IRT

Ethel Winslow — Thu, 29 Jan 2015 06:09:40 +0000

The Giver, adapted from the Young Adult novel by Lois Lowry by Eric Coble, is currently playing at the Indiana Repertory Theatre’s Upperstage through Feb. 21. The story takes place in a near-future in a highly structured society designed to create a conflict-free world, at the expense of individual emotional freedom. Twelve-year-old Jonas (Grayson Molin) is on the verge of his “Twelves,” when his future is selected for him by the Elders in the community. While his friends are given other paths from his, he is selected to be the Receiver of Memories, the individual who carries the memories of society. He learns how to collect these memories from “The Giver” (David Alan Anderson), and is in turn overjoyed to experience the joys of the collective, and shocked at the truths the memories expose. Jonas comes to the realization that sameness and conformity are just as destructive as conflict, and chooses a path out of it. The ending is ambiguous, leaving the audience with the question “does he make it?” unsolved.
Good performances by the younger cast members Joseph Hock, Lola Kennedy, and Jordan Pecar bring the dystopia to life. Bill Simmons as the Father is suitably friendly but distant from his “children” (Jonas is not his biological child), and Katie deBuys as the Mother and Chief Elder is gently persuasive. Anderson as the Giver puts in his usual emotionally powerful performance as the mysterious, semi-magical Anderson — Anderson has been a stand-out in several recent IRT productions, including The Mountaintop, and The Whipping Man.
With a spartan set that includes 228 drawers and little else, the scenic designer Robert Mark Morgan cleverly expands a small area to fit the big themes of The Giver. Added to superb lighting by Betsy Cooprider-Bernstein and sound design by Tom Horan, the entire production is tightly knit and spare.
For information about performances of The Giver and ticket prices, visit www.irtlive.com.

Theatre Review:And Then They Came For Me: Remembering the World of Anne Frank

Ethel Winslow — Thu, 23 Jan 2014 06:09:40 +0000

Indiana Repertory Theatre’s Playwright in Residence James Still wrote And Then They Came For Me in 1996, and its power is undiminished. The play is based on interviews with Eva Schloss and Ed Silverberg, friends of Anne Frank, and were caught up in the nightmare of the Holocaust but lived to tell of lives spent in hiding and the horrors of the concentration camps. When it was first produced, it created a tremendous amount of buzz, and has been performed throughout the world in the years that follow. And Then They Came For Me has come full circle, back to the IRT Upperstage until Feb. 15.
The play takes the audience from pre-Nazi Germany, through their various moves as a result of the anti-Jewish laws passed when Hitler came to power, then into hiding in order to survive, until they are captured and sent to concentration camps. We see the eyes of two young people, Eva and Ed, who are forced to grow up too fast in a world of hatred and madness. Video interviews play overhead, with dialogue from the real Eva and Ed picked up by the actors playing them below.
Live performance and videos of Schloss and Silverberg are woven together on stage to create a memorable theatre experience. The cast includes the outstanding student-actors Elizabeth Hutson as Eva, Weston LeCrone as Heinz and Hitler Youth, Zoe Turner as Anne Frank, and Joseph Mervis as Ed, who bring the young victims of the Holocaust to life on stage. Jennifer Johansen, who plays Ed’s mother, and Mutti, is a familiar face to regular theatre-goers, and brings a powerful presence to her scenes. Mark Goetzinger portrays Ed’s father and Pappy as pragmatic and protective.
Staging is simple and chilling, with barbed wire, rails, and lighting effects that enhance the terrifying story of teens facing the worst of humanity, yet remaining humane themselves.
And Then They Came For Me is an intense, painful reminder of the horrors of the Holocaust specifically, and what hatred can lead to in general. It is also a testament to the strength of Ed, Eva, and other concentration camp survivors, and the enduring spirit of Anne Frank.
And Then They Came For Me continues on Fridays and Saturdays (Saturday matinees at 3 p.m.) through Feb. 15 at the IRT Upperstage. Tickets are $25-$45 and are available by calling 635-5252 or visiting www.irtlive.com.

Applause!: Oct. 11-18

Weekly View — Thu, 10 Oct 2013 05:08:44 +0000

• Fort Harrison State Park will open a dog park with a dedication at 11 a.m. on Oct. 23. The urban setting and available location away from the high use areas of the park make it a good fit. The dog park will be dedicated in honor Indiana Conservation Officer K-9s and their handlers. The park will be located along Fall Creek Parkway.
• It’s the season — not Christmas, but Halloween! — and there’s some great stuff to do all month. Q Artistry begins their Cabaret Poe for a limited time only this weekend at the Irvington Lodge. PLUS, they’ll be having a Monster Concert, a family friendly show with great music, jokes, and much more beginning on Oct. 18 at 7:30 p.m. (tickets are $8 for students & seniors, $10 general admission). PLUS PLUS the Gothic Ball on Oct. 19 at 10 p.m., a costume ball fundraiser for the Q that will feature performances from past Q Artistry shows and special appearances, a silent auction, food and drink, music, dancing, and much more (tickets are $20 or $10 at the door with a purchase of a ticket to Cabaret Poe). Visit qartistry.org for more information.
• Looking forward to the Irvington Historical Society’s chili supper on Oct. 19 at 4:30 p.m. SPIRIT Paranormal Investigation Research & Intervention Team conducted a paranormal of the Bona Thompson Memorial Center, and the results will be revealed for the first time at the supper. Our very own Al Hunter was involved, but he’s not talking until the big day. Tickets are $25 in advance, paid to the Irvington Historical Society, 5350 E. University Ave., Indianapolis IN 46219.
• Also looking forward to the opening of An Illiad at the Indiana Repertory Theatre Oct. 16-Nov. 16, based on Homer’s Illiad. For tickets and information, call the IRT ticket office (317) 635-5252.
• The Wheeler Mission recently received a $1 million grant from the Nina Mason Pulliam Charitable Trust, and will begin construction on a new two story 12,000 sq. ft. facility on N. East Street. The facility will be for homeless men.
• The Emerson Heights Neighborhood will be having a Fall Cleanup on Oct. 12 from 9 a.m.-noon. Meet at the corner of Walnut and Dequincey to get the gear. Volunteers are always welcome!
• Did you know the Irving Theatre will be 100 years old on Dec. 3 this year? Thanks to the hard work and dedication of Dale Harkins, the current owner, the Irving remains a vital part of the east side community, hosting concerts and events year round.
• The latest scam to hit the east side is a doozy. An outfit called “Express Couriers” is calling people and asking if they will be home because they have a package delivery that requires a signature. A package is delivered, in fact, with a basket of flowers and wine. The delivery person says they do not know who sent it and they are only making a delivery but does say because the package involves wine, there is a $3.50 delivery/verification charge proving that an adult signed for and received the wine and that he didn’t just leave it on the doorstep where it could be stolen or taken by a minor. It is when the person to whom the gift was delivered offers to pay cash the delivery person says it must be paid by credit or debit card only so that everything is accounted for and so he does not have to carry large amounts of cash on him. He has a little machine for you to swipe your card and you are asked to enter the card’s pin and security number. A receipt is even printed out. People who accept these deliveries and use their card are discovering, within a day or so, that thousands of dollars has been withdrawn from their account at various ATM Machines. DO NOT ACCEPT THESE CALLS OR THE DELIVERIES.

Fall Theater & Art Season Gets Underway

Ethel Winslow — Thu, 29 Aug 2013 05:11:32 +0000

Exhausting. Exhilarating. Provocative. Those are a few words that linger after a marathon of IndyFringe13 attendance where I saw 30 shows (Paula saw 35, because I was down for the count on Saturday) over 11 days. Thirteen was a lucky number for Fringe this year, where they saw record-breaking attendance, and a 16 percent increase in ticket sales. Of the five top-grossing shows, four of them were local productions: ShadowApe, Three Dollar Bill Comedy, NoExit Performance, and Dance Kaleidoscope. Indianapolis audiences are clearly hungry for quality, locally produced productions.
September is the traditional start for the theater season. To get a preview of what the Indiana Repertory Theatre season, they will be hosting an Open House on Sept. 5 at 5 p.m. They will offer guided tours back stage and in the costume and scene shops. Upcoming shows at the IRT include The Crucible from Sept. 17-Oct. 13, An Iliad from Oct. 16-Nov. 16, A Christmas Carol from Nov. 16-Dec. 24. Dance Kaleidoscope will perform at the IRT Oct. 24-27 with “New Dimensions” and “American Rhapsody” Jan. 9-12. Season tickets are available, as well as single tickets. Visit www.irtlive.com for information about prices, discounts, and more. The theater is located at 140 W. Washington St. Call 635-5252 to order tickets and get show times.
The Phoenix Theatre will host eight more performances of Love, Loss and What I Wore Sept. 5-15 from their 2012-13 season before moving on to Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike, the Tony award winning play Sept. 19-Oct. 20. The Phoenix is known for bringing high-quality contemporary theater to its space. They are located at 749 N. Park Ave. Call 635-2381 or visit www.phoenixtheatre.org for a full line-up of plays and ticket prices.
Buck Creek Players at 1150 Southeastern Ave. is celebrating 40 years of quality productions this year, and kicking off the 2013-14 season with the comedy Rumors Sept. 27-Oct. 6. They’ll follow it with The Little Town of Christmas Dec. 6-22. Tickets range from $18-$16 depending on the production. Visit www.buckcreekplayers.com or call 862-2270 for more information.
Epilogue, a small community theater doing good work will open their 2013 season with Getting the Gold, a story about 80 year old Cammy Cobb and a murder. Shows begin Sept. 6 and run through the 22nd. Curtain times are 7:30 p.m. for Friday and Saturday shows, and 2 p.m. for Sunday shows. Reservations are required; call 926-3139 or e-mail epilogue.players@yahoo.com for more information. In November, they will feature Bubble Gum & Bobby Socks.
Q Artistry is bringing back Cabaret Poe, the full-scale musical based on the works of Edgar Allan Poe, for this October for the 4th year. Tickets go on sale Sept. 1. The show sells out fast, so be sure you make reservations as soon as possible by calling 677-5317 or visiting qartistry.org. They perform at the Irvington Lodge, 5515 E. Washington St.
EclecticPond, which also performs at the Irvington Lodge, will kick off their 2013-14 season with Shakespeare’s R&J, which was originally created for student audiences. Shows will run Sept. 13-28. Contact them at 207-2080 or visit them online at eclecticpond.org for a full schedule. They’ll revisit the very popular (and funny) 10×10 Dec. 27-Jan. 4.
Mud Creek Players on the northeast side of town will start the theater season off with Shakespeare in Hollywood Sept.13-28. Visit www.mudcreekplayers.com or call 290-5343 for ticket information. Mud Creek has been around for about 60 years; they are located at 9740 E. 86th St.
In Beech Grove, the Spotlight Players have been making a name for themselves. They’ll be presenting Torch Song Trilogy Oct. 10-20 at the theater located at 524 E. Main St. Shows are at 8 p.m. Thursdays-Saturdays and 2:30 p.m. on Sundays. Tickets are $15 general admission. Call 767-2774 or visit www.spotlight-players.org for more information.

Stanley Sees Kay’s Look: Stanley Banks (Jeff Stockberger) realizes how happy his daughter Kay (Lisa Ermel) is as she talks to her fiancé in Beef & Boards Dinner Theatre’s production of Father of the Bride, now on stage through Sept. 29.

Beef & Boards Dinner Theatre is currently presenting Father of the Bride through Sept. 29. Now in its 40th year, Beef & Boards offers comedies and musicals throughout the year, all accompanied by dinner buffet. Beef & Boards also offers children’s programming, including Winnie the Pooh from Oct. 11-Nov. 9. The next adult offering will be Les Miserable, beginning Oct. 4 and running until Nov. 24. Beef & Boards tickets range from $37.50-$62.50 and include the buffet. Discounts are available for children and groups of 20 or more. The theatre is located at 9301 N. Michigan Rd. Call 872-9664 or visit www.beefandboards.com for more information about their upcoming season or for ticket availability.

Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream at the IRT

Weekly View — Thu, 18 Apr 2013 05:09:21 +0000

INDIANAPOLIS — Spells are cast, lovers are fooled and revelry flourishes as worlds collide in Shakespeare’s imaginative comedy A Midsummer Night’s Dream, presented by Lilly at the IRT, April 10-May 12. A Midsummer Night’s Dream blurs the line between magic and reality, leading to a night so fantastical you have to dream it to believe it. Love charms and magical encounters all run amok in Shakespeare’s classic comedy set in an Athenian forest inhabited by sprites, fairies and a group of amorous couples who change partners at the drop of a spell. This exuberant tale of young lovers in the woods for a night of mischief is sure to please anyone who remembers the magic of true romance.
Tickets are $25-55, prices vary based on day, time and seat selection. Performances are on the OneAmerica Stage, 140 W. Washington St. For tickets and information, call the IRT ticket office at 317-635-5252 or visit irtlive.com