Stage Write

Every theatre is unique and the shows that they produce there reflect that diversity. I’m grateful Indy has so many great ones to choose from. There were some wonderful shows in 2017 and here’s a list of my personal favorites. Make sure you keep an eye on these theaters in 2018! 1)  J. Eyre: A New Musical Adaptation - EclecticPond Theatre Company 2) The Originalist - Indiana Repertory Theatre  3) A View from the Bridge - American Players Theatre  4) Kinky Boots - Broadway Across America  5) The Great Bike Race - Theatre on the Square  6) Richard III - First Folio Productions & Catalyst Repertory at the IndyFringe Theatre 7) Ring of Fire - Beef & Boards Dinner Theatre  8) Elemeno Pea - Indy Actors Playground   9) Drankspeare: Hamlet - EclecticPond Theatre Company

 And they’re off! The 2014 IndyFringe Festival favorite is back in a full-length format. The Great Bike Race tells the store of the second running of the Tour de France in the most hilarious way possible. It was vicious, with cyclist cheating their way to the finish line, willing to sabotage anyone who crossed their path. The show is done in a series of vignettes that introduce each of the racers separately. The staging is simple. A screen shows the landscape scrolling by as the bikers pass. Each person holds a set of handlebars to indicate their cycle. Frankie Bolda plays the 16-year-old contender Henri Cornet with a wide-eyed innocence. He wants a gentlemanly race, but his competitors are set on playing dirty. He’s an ambitious lad with dreams of Parisian girls meeting him at the finish line and Bolda shines with her earnest portrayal. The main race is between the cut-throat favorites Hippolyte Acoutrier (Paige Scott) and Maurice Garin (Ben Asaykwee). The prideful pai...