Stage Write

Roald Dahl is famous for writing beloved, if unconventional, characters. From Willy Wonka to the BFG, his creations have captivated hearts for decades. Readers connected with them so deeply because Dahl understood that life often didn’t go as planned. You might not have kind parents or enough money, but there is still magic in the world. The musical version of his novel Matilda stays true to that spirit. It’s not a children’s story with a tiny hiccup, the stakes are high. Cruel adults are controlling Matilda’s world and that tiny little bookworm is the only one who can fix it. Constellation Stage & Screen is producing the show in Bloomington at the Buskirk-Chumley Theater. The century-old icon is a gorgeous place to see any show. There is an orchestra in the front portion of the stage. The live music is excellent, but it’s hard to hear some of the lyrics during larger numbers. Voices are sometimes drowned out by the score. The huge cast brings great energy to the production. Kate G...

Lovers of theatre can usually remember their first introductions to the stage. Whether it's a school performance or a professional one, those earliest shows leave an impression. The Indiana Repertory Theatre's current offering, Elephant & Piggie’s “We Are in a Play!”, is a delightful way to make theatre accessible for kids as young as 3. The show begins with listening rules for kids, who are on the floor in storytime seating. The relaxed style takes away the intimidation that some people can associate with professional theatre.  Devan Mathias and Carlos Medina Maldonado star as Piggie and Gerald respectively. Their enthusiasm and playful performances has the kids laughing aloud. The musical, written by children's author Mo Willems, is a sweet story of friendship and trying new things. It even includes some fun Shakespeare and Star Wars references for older audience members.  Each season the IRT offers one children's show for kids ages 3 to 8 and their fam...

What do you do when an author dies before his work is finished? You make it into a “choose your own adventure” musical of course! Audience goers get the rare experience of choosing not only the murderer, but also which lovers end up together and who plays the detective in the Actors Theatre of Indiana’s production of The Mystery of Edwin Drood. Charles Dickens never had the chance to let readers know how he would’ve wrapped up the novel, but now we can all try our hand at solving the mystery.  The show is in constant motion with cast members moving set pieces on and off stage to create new scenes. There’s a bar, a dressing room, a brothel, a dinner party, etc. all in the small space the stage allows. It’s an ambitious production with a large cast of local talent. Stephen Hollenbeck’s excellent costumes range from top hats to kimonos and corsets and completes the illusion that we’re seeing a music hall performance in the late 19th century.   Paul Collier Hansen per...

  When the Theatre on the Square closed its doors earlier this year, the perennial fall favorite Cabaret Poe needed to find a new home. The show settled into the fourth floor of Circle Centre Mall. It's an unexpected choice, but they make it work. All the best elements are still there, macabre humor, a trio of cynical performers who share the lead, and a delightful selection of Edgar Allan Poe's work. The result is a production that will apparently work in any performance space.  The staging is simple. There are multi-media screens that fill with sinister silhouettes or scribbles of writing in different scenes. A raised stage in the center works to enhance numbers as the actors strut up and down the stairs in heels and bustles.  Ben Asaykwee, the show's creator, stars in each performance, while the other two roles rotate between four cast members. Julie Lyn Barber and Georgeanna Smith Wade were featured in the show I attended. Asaykwee, as always, is charismatic a...

Cabaret Poe is a macabre delight that has become an annual tradition for Indy theatergoers. For the first time it has moved from its Irvington home to Theater on the Square on Mass Ave and has a more elaborate set. This was my first time seeing the show, so I can't compare it to previous productions, but I can say the current version is a must see.  The entire original musical was created by Ben Asaykwee, and uses Edgar Allan Poe’s poetry and infamous short stories to create a collective work perfectly suited for October. At times the cast performs a scene, at others they recite poetry. There's a wonderful balance of variety. There's also live music on the stage enhancing every scene. Each performance features a cast of three people, but Asaykwee is the only actor featured in every show. The remaining two parts rotate between four women. The performance I saw featured Jaddy Ciucci and Renae Stone. Asaykwee could bring on a chill or a laugh with a single raised...

You can’t beat Oscar Wilde when it comes to witty dialogue. The playwright mastered the art form of clever repartee and The Importance of Being Earnest is the best example of that talent. EclecticPond’s recent production of this fun comedy demonstrated this playful banter perfectly. The show is set in the 1990s instead of the 19th century and the modern take is a fun twist. Two bachelors, Jack and Algernon, both find themselves pretending to be someone they are not in order to get what they want. Their actions cause confusion and cat fights when two ladies, Gwendolen and Cecily find themselves falling for the fictional “Earnest.” The two women steal the show. Cecily Cardew is played by the sassy Jaddy Ciucci. She flirts and sighs as any good infatuated young lady should. Lisa Anderson’s fawning and shallow Gwendolen Fairfax is just as hilarious. Though Algernon Moncrieff (Patrick Mullen) and Jack Worthing (Carey Shea) are both fun, it’s the women’s performances that partic...