Stage Write

Three men claiming to be Sherlock Holmes are being held in an asylum on an island. The famous detective's trusty sidekick, Dr. Watson, must make his way to the remote isle to identify the true Sherlock. The Indiana Repertory Theatre's season opener is a twisty mystery that keeps you guessing until the final moments. It takes a minute for the show to hit its rhythm, but it's worth settling in to wait and see how the identities are revealed.   The set is one of the most extraordinary the IRT has created. Its gothic design layers stairs and ledges deep into the stage. There is even an aperture that opens and closes to reveal different characters and gives the audience the feeling of being inside of a camera at times. Kudos to Robert Mark Morgan for its creation.  Each of the three Sherlocks have a unique take on the role. One is classically clever, two is grief-stricken and emotional, and the third is literally catatonic. The seven-person cast keeps the show hummi...

The Indiana Repertory Theatre opened its season with The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time. It's a murder mystery, but not in the traditional sense. The murdered party is a dog and the "detective" is a teenage boy named Christopher, whose developmental disabilities allow him to see the world through a unique lens. The show is at once emotionally exhausting and energetic. There's humor strategically placed in almost every scene to help break the tension. Mickey Rowe is acrobatic as Christopher. He is the first autistic actor to tackle the role in an American production. Though that's an accomplishment in its own right, he's also spot on in his portrayal. His ticks, his conversations, his immediate strong reactions when anything in his world deviates from its comfortable patterns, all of these things give the audience an accurate look at the world of one person with a developmental disability.  As much as this is clearly Christopher's story, th...