Stage Write

A Raisin in the Sun, the seminal work of playwright Lorraine Hansberry, tells the story of Walter Lee Younger and his family. Their dreams and plans have been thwarted and yet a ray of hope remains in the form of a life insurance check which could provide a new future for all of them. The Indiana Repertory Theatre is producing the play just in time for Martin Luther King Jr. Day and Black History month.  Tony Cisek’s incredible set design transports the audience into Chicago tenements. There are worn rugs on the floor, holes in the ceiling, and every rustic detail pulls us back into the 1950s. It takes a moment to notice the second layer of the set. Three stories of staircases rise up behind the apartment walls, simultaneously demonstrating the oppressive nature of their situation and the hope of rising to a better future. Kim Staunton is perfectly cast as the matriarch Lena. Her performance gives the entire show an earnest and raw sense of urgency. She seems the cracks...

  The heartbreaking thing about the Indiana Repertory Theatre’s current show, Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner, is that it’s still incredibly relevant. I wish that wasn’t the case, but it feels timely in a way that is surprising since it’s set 50 years in the past. The story revolves around a married couple whose adult daughter, Joanna (Annie Munch), comes home from a trip and announces she’s getting married. The joyous news is met with consternation when her parents discover her betrothed is a black man. Despite the fact that he’s a brilliant doctor and complete gentleman, they are concerned that their daughter doesn’t know how difficult her interracial marriage will be. In a world where Black Lives Matter and racially-driven shootings by police are daily items on the news, it’s a good time to see this play. It creates some awkward conversations; important ones that folks shouldn’t shy away from. I think one of the most powerful aspects of the plot is that Joanna’s fath...

Pride and Prejudice  This story is so well-known and beloved that any new adaptation has a high bar to hit for success. The American Players Theatre’s adaptation features a huge cast complete with lovely costumes and a delicate set which switches from a small sitting room or a ballroom in a moment. Kelsey Brennan and Marcus Truschinski star as Elizabeth Bennet and the infamous Mr. Darcy. Their chemistry is electric, beginning with their first hostile scene all the way through the tender romance that develops. The play features a Lizzy that’s stubborn and self-righteous and whom you can’t help but love. Mr. Darcy is stormy and cold, right up until the moment when he bares his heart. Each of the Bennet family members was perfectly suited for their role. There was the frivolous Lydia, witty Mr. Bennet, gentle Jane, and of course, the eternally high-strung Mrs. Bennet. Brennan’s interactions with her father, played by James Ridge, were subtle and gave so much depth to the fam...