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.
