Stage Write

  A world premiere, a Hoosier playwright, and a little piece of fascinating but overlooked history. Borrowed Babies has all the makings of a great play. American Lives Theatre’s (ALT) current production is on stage at the Phoenix Theatre Cultural Centre right now. ALT produced playwright Jennifer Blackmer’s Predictor in 2023. That show demonstrated Blackmer could highlight a piece of history while breathing life into it and developing rich characters. Borrowed Babies follows in the same vein. With stellar casting, including veteran actors Jen Johansen and Lauren Briggeman, as well as other supporting cast members, the plot delves into an unbelievably real program in the 1950s where women “borrowed” babies from orphanages and other organizations to practice homemaking skills. To be successful, a show like this has to do more than just relay the history. It has to pull the audience in and get them to care about what is happening. Between Bridget Haight’s direction, Blackmen’s writing...

  A remote country manor, a murderer on the loose, and a blizzard; put them together and you’ve got a classic Agatha Christie story. Beef & Boards opens its 2026 season with The Mousetrap and it is a delight. As the snowstorm worsens, the tension builds and the guests can’t help but question everyone’s alibi. Eddie Curry directs and the story clips along throwing red herrings in every scene. It’s perfectly paced, which should be no surprise as the world’s longest-running play has kept audiences entertained since premiering in 1952 in London. Audience members are famously asked to keep the big reveal a secret so every person who sees the shows gets to experience the twist themselves. The casting is wonderfully done. Newcomer Malia Munley nails the role of Mollie Ralston, the timid guest house owner who finds her inner steel as the danger draws closer. Crowd favorite Jonathan Cobrda was electric as Christopher Wren, a troubled young man who vacillates between whimsical and di...

  The show is brilliant, let’s start with that. If you haven’t seen it, go immediately. If you’ve seen it before, there’s so much packed into each scene that multiple viewings are essential. The Broadway Across America production is on stage now at the Old National Center (Murat Theatre). Each time I see “Hamilton” something new stands out to me. After a year marked by grief and heartache, the story of so many unexpected young deaths was painful to say the least. To have a show that is a pop sensation, still resonate such deep themes is shockingly rare in the Broadway world. Grief and legacy aren’t light topics, but the speed and humor in the show balance it nicely. Hoosier Michael Natt took the stage as Hamilton at the performance I attended. A.D. Weaver, another Hoosier in the cast, is the fearless leader, George Washinton. Jimmie “JJ” Jeter’s Aaron Burr feels a bit more sardonic than past versions.   Nathan Haydel (John Lawrence/Philip Hamilton) and Lauren Mariasoosay ...

  Hamilton’s “You’ll Be Back” might as well have been written about me and Les Misérables. There will never be a time I’m not drawn to this show. I think we often forget that musicals and plays that have become commonplace to us are still new to the next generation. Bringing my nine-year-old daughter to see the show for the first time was a beautiful experience. I remember seeing it in London for the first time at 21 and being blown away. The depth of the story, the beauty of the songs, the range of the vocals, it was a revelation. Seeing the same response from her made this production particularly special for me. Broadway Across America included this show in its season two years ago, and many of the lead actors, including Javert (Preston Truman Boyd), Valjean (Nick Cartell), the Bishop of Digne (Randy Jeter), and others, all remain the same. Their powerful performances could carry the show alone, but the large supporting cast is full of standouts. Alexa Lopez does a beautiful job ...

It’s not often you get a peek behind the curtain as an audience member in the theater. I was able to glimpse behind the scenes of the Indiana Repertory Theater’s latest production The 39 Steps. It’s impossible not to have a greater appreciation for a production when you see the actual hammering and sewing that it takes to make it happen. This particular show was done by the IRT in 2011 and many of the sets were saved. The theater-within-a-theater design and creative use of ladders and trunks made for a versatile set. It was easy to morph from a train to a plane with minimal shifts.   The show relies heavily on the gag of four people playing a huge cast of characters. Much of the heavy lifting lands on the shoulders of Ema Zivkovic and Michael Stewart Allen who each play a revolving cast of characters with enthusiasm. Often, they play multiple roles in the same scene, swapping wigs or jackets for a pipe and hat. The pair bring such energy to the play that you can’t help watching t...

  The IndyFringe Festival is back and it’s celebrating its 20th Anniversary! Attending for the first time can feel intimidating because there are six venues, 69 unique shows, and almost 250 ticketed performances from Aug. 14 th to the 24 th . But the team at Fringe has made it as user-friendly as possible. To start, there is a preview night TONIGHT! You can get a glimpse of shows and decide which ones interest you the most. Info here: WHAT :  IndyFringe Festival Preview Night WHEN : TONIGHT, Aug. 13,2025, Doors open at 5:30 p.m. Show starts at 6:00 p.m. WHERE : Then Athenaeum Basile Theatre, 401 E Michigan St., Indianapolis COST : Pay-what-you-can tickets can be purchased  online  or at the door.  For the actual festival, here are some helpful facts: Week-night shows typically run between 6:30PM & 10:30PM and weekend shows may run between 11:00AM – 11:00PM. Shows are all 45-60 minutes long and they all start on the same 90-minute intervals a...