Stage Write

  High school is a different world from what many of us experienced growing up. Now, social media is an integral part of life and that fact is evident from the scrolling feeds presented on the hanging panels of the Dear Evan Hansen set. The story of a community coping with the suicide of a teenage boy took Broadway by storm when it premiered in 2016. It helped people feel seen and connected in a time when suicide and hopelessness run rampant in our society. The show is greater than its summary. The description doesn’t capture the grief and depth of loneliness the characters are facing. While the plot is relatable for so many, the show would fall flat without its incredible score. It was written by Grammy®, Tony®, and Academy Award® winners Benj Pasek and Justin Paul (La La Land, The Greatest Showman). A live orchestra performs each number of the captivating composition on a riser above the stage. The Tuesday night production was entirely understudies except for the roles of Zoe and...

Two years ago this play, The Paper Dreams of Harry Chin, was deep in rehearsals at the Indiana Repertory Theatre. It was set to open in March 2020… and then the world shut down. Miraculously, the entire original cast has returned for this production. Harry Chin was a real man who immigrated from China to Minnesota. His story inspired the playwright, Jessica Huang, to delve deeper into historical records and speak with his family members. By focusing on one man’s life Huang tackles the difficult subject of immigration while humanizing the people on the stage. It doesn’t become a big "I" issue play instead, it is the story of a family and a complicated relationship between fathers and daughters and first-generation Americans and their immigrant parents. The cultural differences feel insurmountable at times, but there are undeniable ties that bind a family. It is messy in the way that all real life is. There’s something powerful about the moment when a child discovers her parent...