Stage Write

Indiana Repertory Theatre closes its season with a bang, or rather the slamming of many doors, in Noises Off. I’ll admit that farces don’t tend to tickle my funny bone, but this one is an exception to the rule. It rises above the general stereotype of mistaken identities and slapstick (though there is plenty of both) by adding another brilliant layer. It is a play within a play, three acts and two intermissions packed with nonstop humor. In the first act we meet a cast rehearsing a farce called “Nothing On”. This opening gives each character a chance to warm up and establish some basic ticks. The next two acts expertly build on those so that the audience always feels like it’s in on the joke. In the second and third act, the audience watches the matinée and evening performances unfold. The hilarity lies in the farce that is unfolding behind the scenes as the cast acts out another on the stage. One character describes the situation as “becoming farcical” and the on-the-nose d...

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...

It's thriller season at the Indiana Repertory Theatre this month. Dial "M" for Murder is currently on the mainstage and suspense is the name of the game. Some may be familiar with Alfred Hitchcock’s film version of the play or even the 1998 remake, “A Perfect Murder”, but for those in the dark, the plot will be even more interesting. A young couple in 1950s London is not quite as happy as they may first appear. Soon the audience discovers that the husband is plotting his wife's murder. Matt Mueller plays the malevolent husband Tony. He’s cold and calculating, but still the eternal British gentleman. He’s decided he wants his wife’s money and has no qualms about killing her to get it. Robert Neal provides a great foe as Chief Inspector Hubbard. The set, designed by Kate Sutton-Johnson, is gorgeous period piece. The 1950s apartment has a classic feel, with vintage furniture and luscious wallpaper. One odd element was the decision to project images on th...

The world undoubtedly needs a bit more swashbuckling. The Indiana Repertory Theatre opens its 45th season with the classic tale of The Three Musketeers. The show is adventurous and hilarious. It never takes itself too seriously, especially in the first act, and it's incredibly fun because of that.   Jeb Burris plays D’Artagnan with an unending stream of earnestness. He's captivating as a young man devoted to king, country, and the woman he loves. Milady de Winter (Elizabeth Laidlaw) is a classic femme fatale. She is haughty and dangerous, and completely enthralling. Ryan Artzberger, David Folsom, and Nathan Hosner play the title musketeers as Athos, Porthos, and Aramis respectively. They are moody, reflective or jovial in all the right measures. In one scene Artzberger makes a murder feel almost like a prayer. The show is directed by Henry Woronicz, who starred in the one-man show An Iliad in 2013 . This is his first time directing at the IRT and it's not a di...

There aren’t many Shakespearean plays where a can dog steal the show, in fact there’s only one: The Two Gentlemen of Verona. It’s one of the Bard’s lesser known works and it includes the infamous dog, Crab. In previous productions I’ve seen the dog played by a stuffed animal, but the Indiana Repertory Theatre’s current production has the real thing and the sweet pup holds the audience captivate every time she’s on stage. As great as the canine performance is, it’s not the only highlight from the show. The IRT opens its 43rd season with a play in honor of Shakespeare’s 450th birthday. The show includes a cast of IRT vets like Ryan Artzberger and Robert Neal (who both starred in HART “The Tempest” this summer), along with some excellent newcomers. Two standouts were Charles Pasternak as Valentine, who vacillates between ardent lover and frustrated exile and Ashley Wickett as both Julia’s maid Lucetta and the sought-after Silvia. The plot itself is not without its problems. Li...

Vonnegut isn't always associated with sweet stories of love and romance. In fact, most people would assume he never wrote anything near those topics, but the Indiana Repertory Theatre's current Mainstage production features three Vonnegut short stories that are perfect for February lovebirds. Who Am I This Time? celebrates one of Indiana's greatest writers with a sublime collection of his stories reworked as a trilogy of love stories set in a sleepy little Indiana town. Janet Allen directs with her deft hand, taking advantage of the talented musicians in the cast to provide songs as interludes between the scenes. The rollicking songs and tender ballads add a great tone to the production. The first piece is a story titled "Long Walk to Forever" which in classic Vonnegut style was originally called "Hell to Get Along With." It's about a soldier who goes home for a brief visit with his old childhood playmate.   The second title piece was my favo...

Joey Stoshack has the unique ability to travel back in time using old baseball cards. Jackie and Me, based on the novel by Dan Gutman and adapted for the stage by the talented Steven Dietz (Dracula, Becky's New Car), follows Joey back to 1947 where he meets the great Jackie Robinson. The show is now playing on the Indiana Repertory Theatre’s Upperstage and it's a wonderful way to bring history alive for any age group. The casts rotates through the present day segments and those in 1947 with almost every person taking on multiple roles. Rob Johansen’s turn as the card collecting Flip was particularly fun. Robert Neal was perfect as the brash Branch Rickey who went out on a limb and signed Jackie Robinson as the very first African-American to play in the Major Leagues. Beethovan Oden, Lanise Antoine Shelley, Ryan Artzberger, Jennifer Johansen all do wonderful work as Jackie and Rachel Robinson and Joey’s concerned parents along with a myriad of other characters. ...