The Indiana Repertory Theatre has announced the 2020
- 2021 Season. Set to begin
on September 9, 2020, the season continues IRT’s commitment to literary and
multigenerational stories, celebrates the city’s Bicentennial and centers on
the importance of community and change.
The Signature Six Series includes Mary Shelley’s
Frankenstein, Indianapolis at 200: Finding Home, Native Gardens, Thurgood, The
Widow Lincoln, and Steel Magnolias. The additional productions for students and
families will be Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451, Dr. Seuss’s Cat in the Hat, and
the return of the Indy holiday tradition Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol.
The IRT will continue into the second year of the
INclusion Series to celebrate diverse storytelling with the hot-button comedy
Native Gardens by Karen Zacarías and Thurgood, a portrait of Supreme Court
Justice Thurgood Marshall by George Stevens, Jr. Rounding out the INclusion
Series will be Indianapolis at 200: Finding Home, a collection of stories crafted
by writers across the city to support and reflect on Indy’s Bicentennial. The
Season Sponsor for the 26 th straight year is OneAmerica Financial Partners, who
has pledged through 2025. The season is also made possible by Season Partner
Lilly Endowment, Inc.
2020 - 2021 SEASON AT THE INDIANA REPERTORY THEATRE
Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein
adapted by David Catlin
September 9 - October 4, 2020
Join a memorable gathering of literary giants on a dark
and eerie evening as Mary Shelley stitches together her grisly gothic tale of
Victor Frankenstein and his terrifying creation. This galvanic adaptation of
the classic novel thrills and enthralls as it experiments with love, grief,
horror, and the power to create—or destroy—life. There’s a little monster in
all of us.
Indianapolis at 200: Finding Home
a collaboration by writers across the city
with songs by Tim Grimm & Bill Myers
October 6 - November 8, 2020
Delve into beloved icons and hidden gems, the famous and
the forgotten, with an Indianapolis Bicentennial collection created by a
diverse group of writers from all around the city. Featuring songs by Hoosier
singer-songwriter Tim Grimm and Indianapolis jazz icon Bill Myers, this
multifaceted look at our city’s story mixes music and history, comedy and
drama, fact and fable.
Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol
adapted by Tom Haas
November 14 - December 26, 2020
As the weather turns cold, warm your heart with Ebenezer
Scrooge, Tiny Tim, and spirits of the past, present, and future. A Christmas
Carol shines a light on the power of kindness and love in this uplifting tale
of one man’s journey to redemption. Come celebrate the joy of the season with
our annual holiday treasure infused with music and song.
Native Gardens
by Karen Zacarías
January 13 - February 6, 2021
You can’t choose your neighbors. In this thorny new
comedy, cultures and gardens clash when a Latinx couple, Pablo and Tania, move
in next to Frank and Virginia, a white couple with a prize-worthy English
garden. The neighbors, each rooted in their views on race, taste, class, and
privilege, get into a border dispute over a long-standing fence line—pushing
both couples to surprising and hilarious extremes.
Dr. Seuss’s The Cat in the Hat
based on the book by Dr. Seuss
play originally produced by the National Theatre of Great
Britain
adapted and originally directed by Katie Mitchell
January 30 - February 28, 2021
Everyone's favorite cat comes to life in this theatrical
adaptation of the Dr. Seuss classic. From the moment his tall, red-and-white-striped
hat appears around the door, Sally and her brother know that the Cat in the Hat
is the funniest, most mischievous cat they have ever met. With the trickiest of
tricks and the craziest of ideas, he turns a rainy afternoon into an amazing
adventure. But what will Mom find when she comes home? Introduce your children
to the joyful experience of live theatre and the creativity of play.
Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451
adapted by Tobias Andersen
February 5 - March 6, 2021
In a dystopian future where the written word is
forbidden, firemen are paid to burn books instead of fight fires. But when
Montag starts to read the books he is supposed to burn, he begins to question
the life he leads. Now he must choose between continuing his regimented
existence or risking everything for the right to think. Published in 1953, this
science fiction classic is even more relevant today.
Thurgood
by George Stevens, Jr.
March 2 - March 28, 2021
As a young Civil Rights lawyer, Thurgood Marshall risked
his life to guarantee equal education opportunities for all children.
Eventually, he took the landmark Brown v. Board of Education case all the way
to the highest court in the land—and won. Later, as the first African American
Supreme Court Justice, he fought for liberty and justice for all of us. This
Broadway hit is an eye-opening, uplifting, and surprisingly humorous portrait
of an American hero.
The Widow Lincoln
by James Still
March 31 - April 25, 2021
Fascinating, frustrating, and misunderstood, Mary Lincoln
was one of the most criticized and maligned First Ladies in American history.
When Abraham Lincoln was assassinated, she locked herself in a room in the
White House and didn’t come out for 40 days and 40 nights. Commissioned by
Ford’s Theatre, James Still’s hauntingly theatrical play weaves together the
past and the present into the fever dreams of a woman trying to grieve, trying
to imagine a suddenly unknown future, and trying to do it on her own terms.
Steel Magnolias
by Robert Harling
April 13 - May 9, 2021
Before it was a movie, this pop culture favorite was an
off-Broadway hit. With sharp, witty banter and memorable one-liners, six women
from all walks of life celebrate the everyday joys and tears of small-town
living while gathered at their favorite hair salon. But when tragedy strikes,
the play reveals the steely bonds of compassion and love that hold true friends
together.
Artwork by Kyle Ragsdale
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