Stage Write

The world undoubtedly needs a bit more swashbuckling. The Indiana Repertory Theatre opens its 45th season with the classic tale of The Three Musketeers. The show is adventurous and hilarious. It never takes itself too seriously, especially in the first act, and it's incredibly fun because of that.   Jeb Burris plays D’Artagnan with an unending stream of earnestness. He's captivating as a young man devoted to king, country, and the woman he loves. Milady de Winter (Elizabeth Laidlaw) is a classic femme fatale. She is haughty and dangerous, and completely enthralling. Ryan Artzberger, David Folsom, and Nathan Hosner play the title musketeers as Athos, Porthos, and Aramis respectively. They are moody, reflective or jovial in all the right measures. In one scene Artzberger makes a murder feel almost like a prayer. The show is directed by Henry Woronicz, who starred in the one-man show An Iliad in 2013 . This is his first time directing at the IRT and it's not a di...

When it comes to live theatre it’s always a treat to find productions of classic plays or see performances from talented actors or to be moved by the intense subject matter of a show. It’s rare to find a production that combines all of those elements, but the Indiana Repertory Theatre’s season opener The Crucible does just that. The play is perennial favorite, telling the story of the Salem witch trials while alluding to other moments of persecution in American history such as the 1950s Red Scare. Set during 1692 at the height of the high-strung Puritan life style, the residents of Salem must decide if they will keep their heads down or if they will stand up for what’s right when the charge of witchcraft is shouted in the streets.  The stark set and lighting paint the actors in black and white while the plot shows us shades of gray. This is a show that explores a terrifying situation. When society is turned upside down and the lives of so many are being held in the...