Stage Write

Take one young man obsessed with death and one elderly woman consumed with living life to its fullest, their unlikely relationship is the quirky concept that made the 1971 film Harold and Maude such a cult classic. The play of the same name is on stage now at the Buck Creek Playhouse. Harold, played by Evan Reed is a 19-year-old teen with an overbearing mother. He copes with his father's death by faking his suicide on a daily basis. He is awkward and socially inept. He spends his time frequenting funerals of strangers and it's at one of these that he meets Maude, a 79-year-old woman who is bursting with energy and passion. Serita Borgeas plays the elderly free spirit who turns Harold's world upside down. Her eccentric lifestyle intimidates him at first, but soon a sweet friendship blossoms. Borgeas makes the show come alive with her vivacious performance. Her cavalier attitude is infectious. She makes their unique love story believable. It takes a woman with decades of exp...

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...

The Indianapolis Civic Theatre's 2012-2013 season from Artistic Director Robert J. Sorbera will include the following shows: A Chorus Line (Sept. 7 – 22, 2012): This award-winning musical, directed by Civic veteran Ron Morgan (The Drowsy Chaperone) gives the audience a glimpse into the lives of Broadway dancers as they audition for the chorus line. Set on a bare stage, the dancers reveal the secrets of their past and what shaped them into the dancers they are today. Featuring signature numbers “I Hope I Get It,” “What I Did for Love” and “One,” A Chorus Line is sure to be “one singular sensation.” The Woman in Black (Oct. 22 – Nov. 10, 2012): In this play within a play starring just two actors, Arthur Kipps retells his personal encounter with the mysterious Woman in Black. Traveling to a small village to sort through the estate of his diseased client, he slowly uncovers the secret of the haunting Woman in Black. This eerie tale is sure to spook and stun the audience from begin...

The Tony-award-winning play God of Carnage is currently on the Indiana Repertory Theatre's main stage. The adult comedy is a 90 minute show with no intermission and provides an intense look at what happens when two couples are thrown together to resolve a scuffle between their young sons. Although it sounds like it might make for dour material, the show is hilarious. Don’t let the homey set lull you into a false sense of security. Though the cast may seem polite enough on the surface, their immature tendencies are lurking just below the surface and need only the slightest provocation to be released. IRT’s playwright in residence, James Still directs. Still is always at his best when telling a character driven story and this one is no exception. With his excellent guidance the characters, which are somewhat unlikeable, are also incredibly relatable. It's hard not to see a little bit of yourself in the couples as they spiral away from social niceties. Ryan Artzberger plays Ala...

The Pulitzer-Prize-winning play, August: Osage County is on stage now at the Phoenix Theatre. Within the first few moments of the opening rambling monologue, you know you’re in for something amazing. The epic family drama tells the story of the Weston clan, an Oklahoma family with two aging parents and three adult daughters. The group is full of charismatic individuals and peculiar introverts, all of whom are broken for one reason or another. When the family’s patriarch goes missing they all return home to help sort it out. The audience is tossed right into the midst of these relationships with no preamble, but none is needed. Each antagonizing remark hints at the scores that have come before it. The family dynamics are so true to real life; parents to children, siblings and spouses all struggling to get along. The show reminds us how easy it is to slip back into the childhood roles in our families, no matter how old we are. As the family spirals out of control, t...

I’m the first to admit that sororities and their constant cries of OMG tend to annoy me, but Legally Blonde manages to poke fun of those sorority clichés while also celebrating the bonds of friendship synonymous with the groups. Legally Blonde: The Musical, on stage now at Beef & Boards, adds song and dance to the main premise of the 2001 film of the same name. Reigning sorority president Elle Woods receives a shock when her long-time boyfriend breaks up with her. On a mission to get him back, Woods gains admission into Harvard Law School to prove she’s smart and serious. Along the way she learns a bit more about what she’s really capable of doing. Maggie Taylor stars as Elle. She’s the embodiment of all things blonde, but she also conveys a sweet sincerity that balances things out. Dominic Sheahan-Stahl is back at B&B as her new friend Emmett and Indiana Repertory Theatre performer Mark Goetzinger (Professor Callahan) is always a treat During the performance I attended t...

Radio Golf is the tenth and final play in August Wilson’s Pittsburgh Cycle. The Indiana Repertory Theatre has produced plays from this series in the past (The Piano Lesson and Gem of the Ocean), each of which has had its own unique feel. Each of the 10 different plays are set in one decade of the 20th Century and look at issues the African American community have had to deal with during that time. This newest production, set in 1997, is on stage now. An ambitious man, Harmond Wilks, returns to the rundown neighborhood he grew up in to spearhead his campaign for Mayor and a redevelopment project in the area. One house is set to be torn down to make way for a Whole Foods. The man who grew up in the home claims he still owns it. The house happens to be the setting of Gem of the Ocean, the first play in the cycle, which makes it a nice bookend for the series. At the IRT there's always something to love, but a few of the elements in this production fall short. At two hours and 45 minute...