Stage Write

What could be sweeter in the midst of the summer heat than slipping into a cool theater and having a good laugh. "Dos Fallopia: Desperate Spuddwives," a satire of pop culture is on stage at the Phoenix Theatre and provides audiences with the perfect place to beat the heat. Dos Fallopia is a Seattle-based comedy duo made up of Lisa Koch and Peggy Platt. Their shows are audience favorites at the Phoenix Theatre and they are back with a new show "Desperate Spuddwives." The show consists of six sketch comedy bits starring Koch, Platt, Kevin Smith and Scot Greenwell. In additions to the mysterious women on "Hysteria Lane" the show mocks faded rock stars, angry poets and militant baristas. Clad in suits and toupees the Dos Fallopia duo portrays President Bush and his right-hand man Dick Cheney in the skit 'Are You Smarter than the President.' The game show pits audience members against the current presidential administration and Hillary Clinton. Peggy Pl...

Eight stories woven into one show. Seven cast members, each taking on a handful of characters. It all adds up to a wonderful night at the theater and a bittersweet way to honor the death of an incredibly gifted man. ShadowApe Theatre Company is an Indianapolis based theater company that offers a new show each year. This year's selection is "Welcome to the Monkey House," an original adaptation of some short stories by Kurt Vonnegut. The production was created by ShadowApe as part of Indianapolis' "Year of Vonnegut." It is currently at the Indianapolis Repertory Theatre; where many of ShadowApe's members are regular performers. The second patrons enter the theater they see a stage set with a simple blue sky background. Suspended in that sea of clouds are ten shelves covered with books and audience members know they've entered one of Vonnegut's Twilight Zone universes. The show would not work so flawlessly without its talented cast. The four man and...

Judy Garland is an iconic figure. She's revered as one of the most talented performers of all time. Countless scores of people have seen and cherished her performances in films like 'The Wizard of Oz' and 'A Star is Born.' But for anyone curious about what lay behind the Garland's beautiful music 'Beyond the Rainbow' is a must see.   Actors Theatre of Indiana's latest show 'Beyond the Rainbow' recreates Judy Garland's famous 1961 concert at Carnegie Hall. The production includes three separate Judys, the youngest played by Kennedy Martin, the 38-year-old Garland singing at Carnegie, and a third who plays Garland from her teens through her early 30s. Each of the three actresses help shape the whole picture of Garland's troubled life. Jody Briskey plays the eldest Garland. Briskey originated the role for 'Beyond the Rainbow' in 2005 and has performed it at many venues in the U.S. Briskey nails each wobbly pitch in Ga...

Rarely do we Hoosiers get a chance to see something fresh from Broadway. New plays tend to make their way from the New York stage across the country slowly. They typically trickle through a dozen other states before making their way to Indianapolis. 'The Little Dog Laughed' is an exception to this trend. It's now on stage at the Phoenix Theatre, it's very first show since Broadway. The play premiered on Broadway in 2006 and was nominated for the 2007 Best Play Tony award. That being said the show is definitely not for everyone. Accolades aside the show has very adult themes and contains some nudity. The comedy gives the audience and glimpse into the life of a Hollywood movie star who is a closeted homosexual. Mitchell Green, excellently played by Michael Shelton, has a career dependent on his ability to appeal to women, as his agent Diane so frequently reminds him. His story is a fictional representation of the many stars that have dealt with the same dilemma, includin...

Arsenic and Old Lace is on stage at Center Stage Community Theatre (CSCT) in Lebanon. Many may remember the story from the classic 1944 Cary Grant film of the same name. The story follows the Brewster family through one confusing night of mayhem. Mortimer Brewster has just decided to marry his sweetheart, Elaine Harper, when he discovers his sweet elderly aunts, Abby and Martha, have been committing murders is their doily dotted home. In addition to that shock Mortimer's evil brother Jonathon has returned home after years abroad to further disrupt the Brewsters' lives. Mortimer's other brother, Teddy, adds to the madness as he charges through the house convinced he is Teddy Roosevelt and is overseeing the construction of the Panama Canal. Mortimer sums up the crazy atmosphere of the Brewsters' home with one hilarious quip, "Insanity runs in my family, in fact it practically gallops." While Teddy chats with nonexistent dignitaries and Jonathon plots everyone...

The Phoenix Theatre's current production, 'Fat Pig,' is sure to spark conversation for audience members. The show revolves around Tom, played by Douglas Johnson. Tom is pretty average, good worker, nice guy. Then he finds himself unexpectedly falling in love with Helen ... a plus size woman. All of a sudden Tom's simple life becomes complicated. His catty ex-girlfriend Jeannie, who is racked with her own self esteem issues, is incredulous. His coworker Carter, a shallow, foul-mouthed jerk, harasses Tom about Helen's size. Although Tom is clearly at his most relaxed and happy when he is with Helen he isn't sure how to cope with the pressure of social "norms." It's almost painful to watch Tom struggle with the issue. Between Jeannie's bitter insecure tirades and Carter's obnoxious putdowns the audience can really feel Tom's pain. The play is written by Neil LaBute, who also wrote 'The Shape of Things' a play which similarly probed...

The always original Phoenix Theatre is currently hosting the world premiere of 'And her hair went with her.' The play is written by Zina Camblin who stars, along with Milicent Wright, in the production. The show focuses on two women who work in a beauty salon. Camblin is Angie, an intellectual single mother in her 20s who hopes to change the world. Jasmine, played by Wright, is in her 50s and has become more settled in her views of others and goals for herself. The pair work side by side and though they spar and bicker about their differing opinions they have become true friends. Their love for Nina Simone and excitement about her upcoming concert is another thread which bonds them together. Camblin and Wright are the only two actors in the show. They each play four characters, changing from role to role with the switch of a wig. The ladies play a slew of customers that breeze in and out of the beauty shop for new hairdos. Each of the women have their own eccentric qualities. T...