Stage Write

When the play you’re about to see is a murder mystery called “And Then There Were None”, you know there will be a body count. The deliciously dark Agatha Christie novel comes to life on the stage in the Booth Tarkington Civic Theatre‘s current production. Unlike most of its shows, this one is held in the smaller, more intimate Studio Theater, a great fit for the chilly drama. Ten strangers find themselves trapped on an English island with a killer in their midst. They soon realize not all is as it seems when they are all accused of committing various murders. The three-act play has one 15 minute intermission and then a short pause after the second act. The pace clips along briskly as the story unfolds. Charles Goad had quite the challenge as the director. He has to show murders, both onstage and off, without revealing the killer. It’s a game of sleight-of-hand and he manages it beautifully. The audience is pulled into the guessing game as the bodies piled up. I frequently he...

Bard Fest wrapped up its second annual events this past weekend. This year’s festival included three different Shakespeare productions, by three companies, in rotation: Twelfth Night from Garfield Shakespeare Co., King Lear from First Folio, and Coriolanus from Catalyst Repertory. One highlights of the festival is that audiences are able to see plays that are rarely produced in Indiana .  I was only able to make it to King Lear, something I hope to remedy next year. The productions obviously have a small budget, but they make the most of what they have. Costumes are simple and the stage is sparse, highlighting the performances over the atmosphere. Carey Shea’s direction wisely focuses on relationships over action sequences. David Mosedale is the titular king. He’s flustered and frustrated by his situation. His brokenness is clear in the second act. Ann Marie Elliott plays both the rejected daughter Cordelia and the Fool. Her performance as the former is emotional and ...