Stage Write

  I love a locked room mystery, but put that room on a train mired in a snowstorm and you’ve got a classic. Agatha Christie’s Murder on the Orient Express is the perfect mix of fascinating plot and exciting twists and turns. Even when you know the final reveal it still entertains. Ken Ludwig’s adaptation is particularly excellent; tightening the story, dropping clues in every scene, and pulling the audience in quickly. In the opening moments an eerie voice over adds a layer of creepy intimacy to the story. It sets the stage for the mystery that’s about to unfold. The real kidnapping of the Lindbergh baby provided the inspiration for this mystery, which gives it an added gravitas. Once we are on the train, the sets are beautiful. The bar car is particularly splendid and William Mohoney’s design uses space well with a turntable and an additional set on a balcony. The cast is full of Beef & Boards favorites like Eddie Curry, Suzanne Stark, Devan Mathias, Scott Greenwell, and Ben...

When it comes to live theatre it’s always a treat to find productions of classic plays or see performances from talented actors or to be moved by the intense subject matter of a show. It’s rare to find a production that combines all of those elements, but the Indiana Repertory Theatre’s season opener The Crucible does just that. The play is perennial favorite, telling the story of the Salem witch trials while alluding to other moments of persecution in American history such as the 1950s Red Scare. Set during 1692 at the height of the high-strung Puritan life style, the residents of Salem must decide if they will keep their heads down or if they will stand up for what’s right when the charge of witchcraft is shouted in the streets.  The stark set and lighting paint the actors in black and white while the plot shows us shades of gray. This is a show that explores a terrifying situation. When society is turned upside down and the lives of so many are being held in the...

The Fox on the Fairway, a fun farcical romp, is on stage now at the Booth Tarkington Civic Theatre. The play is about a heated golfing competition between two rival country clubs. The stakes are raised when side bets are made and everything depends on the outcome. I think farces often work a bit better as period pieces. There is more room for misunderstandings and scandalous situations when there are more taboos. Setting one in present day leaves little room for any true shocks. That doesn’t take away from the humor; it just feels a bit more like a TV sitcom with over-the-top humor and confusion that’s all ironed out by the end of the episode. Jean Childers-Arnold plays Pamela, a jilted ex-wife and a board member at the country club. Her comedic timing was one of the highlights of the show. She slipped in quick-witted barbs at all the right moments. Dickie Bell (Paul Ellis) and Louise (Melissa Mellinger) battle it out for the role of the loudest one on the stage. I think B...