Stage Write

  Miranda is a CIA operative working in Yemen in the current upperstage production at the Indiana Repertory Theatre. Written by IRT's playwright-in-residence James Still, the show is the third play in a trilogy he created. The first play, The House that Jack Built premiered at the IRT in 2012. The second play, Appoggiatura, is part of the theatre's 2017/18 season. Each play works as a stand alone, but they deal with a single family and a tragedy that has shaped their lives.  At its heart Miranda is about identity. The titular character is strong-willed and stubborn. The only thing fluid about her is the constant shift in her public persona. She goes by four different names in the short time we have with her. Her identity is shaped by her work and family.When her faith in the identity she's created is shaken, she begins to question everything.  Jennifer Coombs embodies the broken but brash Miranda. Her layered performance captures the troubled spy's inner turm...

Broadway Across America is thrilled to announce the 2017/18 Indianapolis season. Season tickets are now on sale. Finding Neverland         October 17-22, 2017 - Clowes Memorial Hall The winner of Broadway.com’s Audience Choice Award for Best Musical, this breathtaking smash “captures the kid-at-heart,” says TIME Magazine. Vogue cheers, “It’s a must-see you’ll remember for years to come!” Directed by visionary Tony®-winner Diane Paulus and based on the critically-acclaimed Academy Award® winning film, Finding Neverland tells the incredible story behind one of the world’s most beloved characters: Peter Pan. A Christmas Story, The Musical                                                    ...

From April 13-15 at Speak Easy Downtown, the Circle City New Play Fest will bring four playwrights’ works to life through staged readings and offer audience members a chance to be a part of the development process of new work. The Circle City New Play Fest is produced by Bo Frazier and KT Peterson in association with Storefront Theatre of Indianapolis and The Geeky Press. Audience members are also an important part of the process - before each reading, they will be able to meet the playwright in a happy hour setting, and after the reading, they will be invited to discuss what they saw. Circle City New Play Fest – April 13-15 Speak Easy Downtown $10 ticket includes a seat and 1 drink ticket Tickets available at storefrontindy.com Thursday, April 13 at 6:30pm - The Daughters of the Moon by Reginald Edmund It starts with the sound of a drum. Or a racing, beating heart. From the first moment, Reginald Edmund’s play ushers the audience into the world of Mawu, or Glet...

One man, three fiancés, one Paris apartment; what could possibly go wrong? The Indiana Repertory Theatre presents Boeing Boeing, a farce set in the 1960s and complete with all the hallmarks of the genre. The three women are all flight attendants from different countries.  Bernard (Matt Schwader) is a charming man whose selfish view of the world leads him to believe that dating three women, who all think they're the only one, is the perfectly acceptable. When his old friend Robert arrives from Wisconsin the show really gets moving. Robert (Chris Klopatek) is bumbling and sweet and completely overwhelmed by this unusual situation. His naïveté pairs well with Schwader's worldly confidence. The essential element of any farce set is plenty of doors! The trendy '60s set, complete with period furniture and art, certainly covers that criteria. With seven doorways, the characters have plenty of options for dramatic entrances and exits. A porthole window and balcony add ev...

This week I attended the 50th performance of the Indy Actors' Playground. This little gem of an event is held on the third Monday of every month at Indy Reads Books. Fantastic Indianapolis actors get to pick a play and do a live reading. The only requirement is that it is a professional play that has already been produced (not a new work) and that it hasn’t been produced in Indianapolis any time recently (and isn’t in an upcoming season).   This gives actors the chance to select shows they’ve always wanted to do. The play isn't announced until the show begins. People attending don’t know what they are about to see. This means that the actors don’t have to worry about whether or not it’s an easy production to market. There are no sets, no costumes, and no elaborate lighting effects. It’s just a simple stage with folding chairs. The actors sit a few feet away from the audience members and read directly from the scripts. The amazing thing is that with excellent acto...