When I was young, my parents and grandparents would
occasionally take me to see a live performance. Sometimes it was a musical like
Brigadoon or The King and I at Beef & Boards. At other times it was a show
at the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra. From those early years, I loved seeing
productions of all kinds.
That passion grew when I studied abroad in London. Every
chance I got, I made my way to the West End. I bought cheap tickets minutes
before a show began and packed in dozens of performances by the end of my stay.
When I began my career after college, I was working as a
reporter at a daily newspaper. I realized that theatres provided free press
tickets to their shows in the hopes that someone on staff would write a review.
I immediately took up the post and began seeing at least one show a week. That
was in August 2006, and it has been 20 years of plays, musicals, ballets, and
operas since then.
After the newspaper shut down, I moved my column online and
continued Stage Write as a blog. Eventually I joined the American Theatre
Critics Association as one of only two members in Indiana and started reviewing
for Broadway World as well.
What I love so much about theatre is that every performance
is a unique melding of the actors, the space, and the audience. It can give you
a chance to see the world through someone else’s eyes. Sometimes it makes you
laugh, or cry, or feel uncomfortable, or angry, and all of that is valuable.
When you see an excellent production, it sparks new discussions in your life. I
often find myself wanting to learn more about a subject. After seeing “Joe
Turner's Come and Gone” recently, I read “The Warmth of Other Suns” the
following week to dig deeper into the Great Migration.
Great theatre does that; it doesn’t end after the curtain
call. It changes you and stretches your empathy for people and your fascination
with the world around you. I hope I never get tired of watching stories unfold
on a stage.
In honor of the 20th anniversary of my start as a theatre critic, here is a list of a favorite show or two from every year I’ve been reviewing. These are the productions that have stayed with me through the decades for one reason or another. Here’s to many more productions in the years to come!
Favorite Shows from the Last 20 Years
2006: I Have Before Me a Remarkable Document Given to Me by
a Young Lady From Rwanda – Indiana Repertory Theatre
2007: Singing the Blues – American Cabaret Theatre
Aida – Indianapolis Civic Theatre
2008: Twelve Angry Men- Murat – Broadway Across America
Doubt – Indiana Repertory Theatre
2009: The Penelopiad – Dance Kaleidoscope and the IRT
Wicked – Broadway Across America
2010: Proof – The Theater Within
The Syringa Tree – American Players Theatre
2011: The Gospel According to James
I Love to Eat - Going Solo - Indiana Repertory Theatre
The Tempest – American Players Theatre
2012: The Woman in Black – Booth Tarkington Civic Theatre
The House That Jack Built – Indiana Repertory Theatre
August: Osage County – Phoenix Theatre
2013: Next to Normal – Phoenix Theatre
2014: War of the Roses – EclecticPond Theatre Company
2015: The Hound of the Baskervilles – Indiana Repertory Theatre
Twelfth Night – Heartland Actors Repertory Theatre
2016: Cabaret – Actors Theatre of Indiana
Hamlet – First Folio
2017: J. Eyre – EclecticPond Theatre Company
2018: Silent Sky – Summit Performance
2019: Every Brilliant Thing – Indiana Repertory Theatre
Hamilton – Broadway Across America
2020: Sweeney Todd – Actors Theatre of Indiana
2021: Elizabeth Rex – Bard Fest
2022: Natural Shocks – Fonseca Theatre
The Lifespan of a Fact – American Lives
Theatre
2023: Angels in America Part 1 & 2 – BardFest
Les Misérables – Broadway Across America
Our Town – American Players Theatre
2024: Much Ado About Nothing – American Player Theatre
2025: Waitress – Beef & Boards
Dinner Theatre
SIX the Musical – Broadway Across America
2026: Come From Away – Indiana Repertory Theatre
King Lear – Indy Shakes
*Photos property of Stage Write Indy
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