Stage Write

The Indiana Repertory Theatre opened its season with The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time. It's a murder mystery, but not in the traditional sense. The murdered party is a dog and the "detective" is a teenage boy named Christopher, whose developmental disabilities allow him to see the world through a unique lens. The show is at once emotionally exhausting and energetic. There's humor strategically placed in almost every scene to help break the tension. Mickey Rowe is acrobatic as Christopher. He is the first autistic actor to tackle the role in an American production. Though that's an accomplishment in its own right, he's also spot on in his portrayal. His ticks, his conversations, his immediate strong reactions when anything in his world deviates from its comfortable patterns, all of these things give the audience an accurate look at the world of one person with a developmental disability.  As much as this is clearly Christopher's story, th...

Sherlock Holmes is a perennial favorite at the Indiana Repertory Theatre. The Hound of the Baskervilles is the latest in a line of successful adaptations of the infamous detective to hit their stage. Sir Henry Baskerville (Eric Parks) returns to England from Canada after inheriting a manor. Unfortunately he may have inherited the family curse as well. Suspicions abound and red herrings are everywhere as we travel to the barren English moors. David Pichette and R. Hamilton Wright’s adaptation is beautifully done, adding some delicious twists to the already wonderful tale. The fog is as thick as the tension and the audience is sucked in from the first moments of the eerie opening scene. At its heart, each Sherlock play depends heavily on the casting of the main duo. It’s the antagonistic tête-à-têtes between the detective and his trusty sidekick that make each of their adventures so enthralling. This production offers up Marcus Truschinski as Holmes and Matthew Brumlow as D...

  There’s always something new and exciting at the American Players Theatre in Wisconsin and this season is no exception. APT’s core players never disappoint and the younger performers provides a wonderful suffusion of energy and passion to each production. One of the best aspects of APT is the way it highlights its performers in multiple shows throughout each season. At any given time audience members can see a single performer in a modern drama, a Shakespearean comedy and a tragedy in the same weekend. Both Brian Mani and Greta Wohlrabe performed in all three shows I was able to see. They showed their comedic side in Twelfth Night, took on tragic roles in Troilus and Cressida and then portrayed the complex relationship between former lovers in Skylight. APT defies typecasting, allowing its performers to stretch and grow with each role, juggling multiple shows each season with apparent ease. APT always does a fantastic job with each element in its shows. The sets, wh...

Fallen Angels is currently on the Indiana Repertory Theatre’s Upperstage. The Nöel Coward’s farce serves up a frothy treat, just like the champagne the characters drink throughout the show. The 2 ½ hour production has two intermissions, but the time flies by as the three act play provides continuous laughs. As is the case in all farces, there is confusion and hilarity. Two “happily” married women watch their lives unravel when they receive a postcard from an old lover announcing his imminent arrival. Their husbands have left for a golfing weekend and the wives are left alone to sort through the mess before they return. It’s all restraint and repression at first, but rapid fire dialogue and copious amounts of alcohol quickly liven things up. The subject matter is tame by today’s standards, but when it was written in 1925, it must have been scandalous. The two couples, Jane and Willy and Julia and Fred, have the perfect stiff upper lip relationships. Set in 1950s London, the play s...