Stage Write

Rarely do we Hoosiers get a chance to see something fresh from Broadway. New plays tend to make their way from the New York stage across the country slowly. They typically trickle through a dozen other states before making their way to Indianapolis. 'The Little Dog Laughed' is an exception to this trend. It's now on stage at the Phoenix Theatre, it's very first show since Broadway. The play premiered on Broadway in 2006 and was nominated for the 2007 Best Play Tony award. That being said the show is definitely not for everyone. Accolades aside the show has very adult themes and contains some nudity. The comedy gives the audience and glimpse into the life of a Hollywood movie star who is a closeted homosexual. Mitchell Green, excellently played by Michael Shelton, has a career dependent on his ability to appeal to women, as his agent Diane so frequently reminds him. His story is a fictional representation of the many stars that have dealt with the same dilemma, includin...

Arsenic and Old Lace is on stage at Center Stage Community Theatre (CSCT) in Lebanon. Many may remember the story from the classic 1944 Cary Grant film of the same name. The story follows the Brewster family through one confusing night of mayhem. Mortimer Brewster has just decided to marry his sweetheart, Elaine Harper, when he discovers his sweet elderly aunts, Abby and Martha, have been committing murders is their doily dotted home. In addition to that shock Mortimer's evil brother Jonathon has returned home after years abroad to further disrupt the Brewsters' lives. Mortimer's other brother, Teddy, adds to the madness as he charges through the house convinced he is Teddy Roosevelt and is overseeing the construction of the Panama Canal. Mortimer sums up the crazy atmosphere of the Brewsters' home with one hilarious quip, "Insanity runs in my family, in fact it practically gallops." While Teddy chats with nonexistent dignitaries and Jonathon plots everyone...

The Phoenix Theatre's current production, 'Fat Pig,' is sure to spark conversation for audience members. The show revolves around Tom, played by Douglas Johnson. Tom is pretty average, good worker, nice guy. Then he finds himself unexpectedly falling in love with Helen ... a plus size woman. All of a sudden Tom's simple life becomes complicated. His catty ex-girlfriend Jeannie, who is racked with her own self esteem issues, is incredulous. His coworker Carter, a shallow, foul-mouthed jerk, harasses Tom about Helen's size. Although Tom is clearly at his most relaxed and happy when he is with Helen he isn't sure how to cope with the pressure of social "norms." It's almost painful to watch Tom struggle with the issue. Between Jeannie's bitter insecure tirades and Carter's obnoxious putdowns the audience can really feel Tom's pain. The play is written by Neil LaBute, who also wrote 'The Shape of Things' a play which similarly probed...