Samuel D. Hunter’s play “A Case for the Existence of God” is not a play about religion. Instead, it’s about two men who are as unalike as possible save one thing: They are both single fathers. Their shared love and commitment to their children (who are barely toddlers) create a bridge across what seems an unnavigable canyon, leading to an enduring friendship.
Eric Reiberg (left) and Eric Thompson star in “A Case for the Existence of God.” Photo by IndyGhostLight.com.
This week’s theater roundup has officially expanded. In addition to productions opening this weekend (“Stages”), I have added “Sprouts” and “Other Stuff.” I am allergic to all green things that grow, but, dammit, I love gardening anyway, so my doctor phones in the Prednisone and I itch all summer. Under “Sprouts,” you will find garden and earthy events coming up this week. The “Other Stuff” is a catchall for anything else I think deserves mentioning but doesn’t fall into any other obvious category.
So, to recap:
Stages: Live theater productions opening this week.
Sprouts: Spring is here, and you want to grow stuff outside. Learn. Do it.
Other stuff: Miscellaneous stuff of interest.
Enjoy!
Where will LRGM be this weekend? Paige Scott’s “Ship of Dreams” at IndyFringe, “Firebringer” at Stage Door in Irvington and American Lives Theatre’s “A Case for the Existence of God.”
Stages
Cirque Indy: “DreamCycle”
This award-winning troupe of circus artists will lead you on an adventure through a strange yet familiar world, performing astounding feats that will make you say, “I must be dreaming!” Come face to face with both fantasy and nightmare, featuring aerialists, jugglers, acrobats, contortionists, hand balancers, clowns and so much more from across the country. The show was originally produced in 2017 and has been reimagined for the 2024 spring season. Check out www.TheCirqueUs.com for more information.
Talk of the Town: “The Impact of Blues on American Music” featuring the Rev. Robert Jones
Rev. Robert Jones
Storytelling Arts of Indiana welcomes back award-winning master storyteller/musician, historian and visionary the Rev. Robert Jones for its annual fundraiser. The Rev. Jones will explore the impact of the blues on American music through stories and songs.
American music has an amazingly eclectic mix of styles drawn from the many communities that make up American culture. Is American music rock ’n’ roll, or R&B, or country, or bluegrass, or gospel, or rap? While these styles are clearly different from one another, they do have common roots. American music is rooted in the blues.
An award-winning multi-instrumentalist, Jones is accomplished on guitar, harmonica, mandolin, banjo, fiddle and ukulele. The “Detroit Free Press” described him as “Perhaps the world’s most highly educated blues musician, an ordained minister, a longtime DJ and a living encyclopedia of blues history, the Reverend Robert Jones is comfortable among juke joint loud talkers, fancy-hatted church ladies and PhDs alike.”
“A Little Family Business” at Epilogue Players. Photo by IndyGhostLight.com.
Ben is a conservative, bigoted chauvinist who runs an inherited Massachusetts carpet-cleaning factory with a despotic hand. He has a heart attack and goes on a rehabilitating cruise, leaving his equally hardnosed daughter Lillian in charge of the business. Previously more interested in Neiman Marcus catalogues than cleaners, she averts a strike by improving working conditions, increases the profits and thinks of going into politics. Ben returns to find himself stripped of his power. Along the way, there’s much comic confusion resulting from their extra-marital affairs.
When: April 11-21, Thursdays-Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m.
Where: 1849 N. Alabama St.
Tickets: $16; seniors 65+ and students 18 and under $14; Epilogue members $13; Thursday performances $10. https://epilogueplayers.com/
Working Class Socialite: “Ship of Dreams”
2022’s No. 1 Fringe show is back! All aboard for an extended edition of this uproarious adventure featuring a cast of Indy’s funniest comedians. Eight friends attempt to cross an ocean of impossibility to stage James Cameron’s cinematic masterpiece “Titanic” with cardboard, an overhead projector and an embarrassingly low budget. Will they succeed or will they be lost at sea? Part clown show, part puppet show, part nostalgia-induced farce, get on board the “Ship of Dreams”!
Working Class Socialite is the brainchild of Indy-based performance artist Paige Scott, mixing her brand of minimalist theatre with an offbeat sophistication.
Content Advisory: This production contains flashing lights and adult language. It is recommended for audiences 13+.
When: April 11-21, Thursdays-Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 5 p.m.
American Lives Theatre: “A Case for the Existence of God”
Eric Reiberg (left) and Eric Thompson star in “A Case for the Existence of God”
ALT is bringing a 2022 Off-Broadway hit to Indianapolis! Keith, a mortgage broker, and Ryan, a yogurt plant worker seeking to buy a plot of land that belonged to his family many decades ago, realize they share a “specific kind of sadness.” At this desk in the middle of America, loan talk becomes a discussion about the chokehold of financial insecurity and a bond over the precariousness of parenthood. Playwright Samuel D. Hunter (“The Whale”) explores the tenderness of fatherhood and the complexity of friendship between two men living very different lives but with a shared, familiar ache.
At the dawn of humanity, one tribe of cavepeople survives the many trials of prehistoric life under the wise leadership of Jemilla, The Peacemaker. Jemilla taught her people to express themselves, rather than bashing each other’s heads with rocks and eating each other’s babies. But one member of the tribe doesn’t seem to fit in: Zazzalil. She’s always trying to invent things to make life easier … for herself. While out hatching her latest scheme, Zazzalil stumbles upon the most important discovery in history. One that will pit her tribe against wooly mammoths and saber-toothed tigers and will change the world forever. She’ll travel from omega to alpha and become … the Firebringer!
This show is intended for a more mature audience (strong language, suggestive content).
When: April 12-21, Fridays-Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m.
Where: Stage Door Irvington, 5635 Bonna Ave., ww.stage-door-irvington.com
“I Was on a Sitcom” is a show about finding out who you are when your TV show ends and your “real life” begins. Because when you’ve played a character on TV for a decade, what exactly does it mean to “be yourself”? This show offers a rare intimate glimpse inside a popular sitcom actor’s real, raw life. You will walk away feeling like you’ve made a new friend — and learned more about birthing twins than you ever did before.
Greg is a man of middle age, a restless empty-nester, tired of his job in finance, looking for meaning in his life. Sylvia is an exuberant and beautiful lab/poodle mix, astray in Central Park, looking for a new home. When they meet, it is love at first sight. But Greg’s wife Kate, a busy rising star in the public school system, is looking forward to some independence now that the couple no longer has children to care for, and she is less than thrilled by the clever and coquettish canine who jumps, slobbers, sits on her couch and takes Greg’s attention away from his marriage. Wandering the streets of Manhattan with Sylvia by his side, Greg feels like he has connected to a deeper, primal, more natural side of the world. Sylvia supports these poetic musings but can rarely focus on them for long, being more interested in flipping off the neighborhood cat or flirting with Bowser at the dog park. Sylvia exerts such a charismatic pull that Kate’s friends are appalled, the marriage counselor advocates divorce and euthanasia, and even Greg’s new dog-owner friend warns him of the splintering effect a dog can have on the relationship between husband and wife. It is only when Greg is prepared to make the ultimate sacrifice that Kate can see Sylvia not as a threat but as a new member of her family.
Where: The Cat, Carmel
When: April 12-21, Fridays-Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 2:30 p.m.
Indiana Repertory Theatre’s “Little Shop of Horrors” starts previews April 17. Save $15 off performances with promo code GREEN15 when you book by April 26. Offer valid on individual tickets priced $40 and higher for the first two weeks of performances
This year’s Spring Flower Show explains the history and science of botanical nomenclature alongside a beautiful flower show full of blooms. Plant names are an important way of communicating history, culture and identity. In addition, because there are many plants with the same common name, or many common names for the same plant, knowing the botanical name helps people know exactly which plant is which.
Gardening is a phenomenal way to get connected with what we eat! Whether it’s a personal hobby that involves growing some fruits and vegetables, or a community experience that has you sharing your produce, gardening has lots of benefits. The connection with nature, physical activity and fresh produce can impact our health and well-being.
Learn from a naturalist this spring during a series of hikes exploring our native trees. The Nature of Trees hikes will take a deep dive into identification and what makes each species so special.
Torres is a National Poetry Series winner. He was born and raised in Pomona, Calif., where he spent his adolescence as a graffiti artist. In 2016 he received his MFA in creative writing from Minnesota State University, Mankato, was a winner of the Loft Mentor Series, received an Individual Artist Initiative Grant from the Minnesota State Arts Board and was awarded a Jerome Foundation Research and Travel Grant to visit the pueblo in Jalisco, Mexico, where his father grew up. In 2019 he received fellowships and awards from the National Endowment for the Arts, the Bread Loaf Writers’ Conference and The Loft Literary Center for the Mirrors & Windows Program. A former artist-in-residence at the Camargo Foundation in Cassis, France, as well as a McKnight Writing Fellow, he is currently a 2021-22 Jerome Hill Artist Fellow. His first collection of poems, “An Incomplete List of Names,” was selected by Raquel Salas Rivera for the National Poetry Series, named one of NPR’s Best Books of 2020 and was featured on the podcast “Code Switch.” His writing has been featured or is forthcoming in “Best New Poets 2020,” “The New Yorker,” “POETRY,” “Ploughshares,” “Smartish Pace,” “Los Angeles Review of Books,” “The Georgia Review,” “The Sun” and many other publications.
“Civil War” is a tense journey across a dystopian future America, following a team of military-embedded journalists as they race against time to reach Washington, D.C., before rebel factions descend upon the White House. Kirsten Dunst, Cailee Spaeny, Wagner Moura and Stephen McKinley Henderson anchor the movie with true and lively performances, and Nick Offerman is very presidential. Check out an action-packed yet meditative film on the ephemerality of connections, the role of the press and the possible futures facing the American experiment.
Celebrate a classic German-American event over 110 years in the making! This event has everything: bier, live music, a 6-foot-tall billy goat and an appearance from the man, the myth the legend … St. Benno himself! Fill your stein and rock out while you ring in the spring season German-style with live music from Jay Fox & The Jammin’ Germans.
American Lives Theatre will present the Indiana premiere of “The Minutes.” Photo by IndyGhostLight.com.
This hysterical comedy of manners takes audiences into a small-town city council meeting filled with stolen bikes, an inaccessible fountain and a “Lincoln Smackdown.” But beneath the banter lies something sinister and uniquely American. Don’t miss the Indiana premiere of this Broadway hit.
Jan. 25-Feb. 11, Thursdays at 7 p.m., Fridays-Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 2:30 p.m.
2024 Crown Hill Speaker Series: “A Grave Matter in Indiana”
Crown Hill Cemetery has many unique headstones.
Cemeteries tell us much about who came before us. The size, shape and documentation vary from religious groups, time and location. The symbols and markings on headstones, markers and monuments reveal much about the individual and family. Jeannie R. Regan-Dinius, director of historic preservation for Crown Hill Foundation, will discuss the understood meanings of the most common symbols found on tombstones in Indiana, how pop culture affects stones and what you need to look for as you walk through a cemetery.
Cocktails, Comedy and Costumes: A Fundraiser for Actors Theatre of Indiana
ATI knows how to throw a party!
Embark on a hilarious night of glamour and giving with Actors Theatre of Indiana. Experience a blast from the past with some of their favorite costumes from ATI history! Sip on crafted cocktails from the cash bar and engage in the excitement of a silent auction. Elevate your evening of laughter and camaraderie by taking advantage of this wonderful opportunity to help build the community and support the arts.\
The star-studded line up of models includes: Frank and Katrina Basile, Jeff and Shari Worrell, Sam Arce, Lynda Goeke and Don Katz, Muniver Singh, Jill Zaniker, Tim Griffin, Ramona Adams, Jill and Dennis O’Malia, Codi Lents, Heather Richards, Melanie Brewer, Ashley Ulbricht, Dr. Tony Nasser, Brian and Maggie Kelly, Julie Eckert, Liz Williams and Brian and Carol Urbanski. Emceeing the night will be Carmel’s own Jeff Worrell.
Footlite Musicals: You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown
Footlite Musicals will present “You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown.” Photo by IndyGhostLight.com.
Charles Schulz’s beloved comic comes to life in Clark Gesner’s classic musical. Brief vignettes span the months from Valentine’s Day to Beethoven Day, from wild optimism to utter despair.
Jan. 12-21, Thursdays-Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 2:30 p.m.
$25; $20 students and seniors; $15 ages 17 and under; Discount Days are Thursdays and the first Sunday performance: $15 for all seats
Storytelling Arts of Indiana: All Kinds of Love featuring Carol Moore and M.J. Kang
Romantic love will only be one small part of their stories, as Moore and Kang will explore all the ways we experience this intense emotion, how we give, receive, take, find, and surround ourselves with people, places, and things we cherish.
Carol Moore and M.J. Kang
With a style that is comedic, conversational and authentic, Carol Moore has performed with organizations such as the National Storytelling Festival, The Moth, Story District, Better Said Than Done, Tales and Ales, Six Feet Apart Productions, Speak Up Storytelling, TELL: Pittsburgh Storytelling Series and more. Visit Carolnmoore.com/thestoryteller for more info.
M.J. Kang was born in Seoul, raised in Toronto and is currently based in Los Angeles. She is a playwright, actor and storyteller. As a storyteller, Lang has been featured as part of the Women’s Storytelling Festival, NPR, PBS’s Stories from the Stage, New Voices for the Forest Storytelling Festival, National Storytelling Network, RISK! podcast, Scott Whitehair This Much Is True, Eth-Noh-Tec and many others. She has won five of The Moth StorySLAMS. Visit her website at Mkangj.weebly.com to see more of her credits in standup and improv comedy.
Saturday, Jan. 13, 7 p.m.
$20 for general admission, online or in person; $35 for a household to watch the livestream
The Perfect Storm is set in the 1960s. Momma E, owner of Bellstorm Records, located in the heart of Indiana Avenue, is preparing for the annual birthday party she throws for the community matriarch Miss Pearlie. The party is interrupted by a storm that is moving through the area. This storm may be the perfect opportunity for Momma E’s son, Noah, to learn how important music and history are to this community that is dealing with the gentrification of their beloved Indiana Avenue.
This play is part of Black Light Training and Development program funded by The Mellon Foundation and The District Theatre that aims to provide opportunities for training Black artists in playwrighting, directing, acting, technical aspects and arts administration. The Perfect Storm is a unique collaboration of accomplished women who have made their mark in business, as poets and actors and as published authors.
Friday, Jan. 12 and Saturday, Jan. 13 at 7 p.m. and Sunday, Jan. 14 at 2 p.m.
Enjoy a celebratory glass of bubbly, along with a gourmet charcuterie board at your table, and, of course, an exciting cabaret performance of musical theater hidden gems performed by some of Civic’s familiar faces. The bar at Feinstein’s will be open to purchase additional libations. There will also be a Wine Pull, including wine valued at a minimum of $25 per bottle. Want to join in on the fun? Bid for an opportunity to sing with the cast of Ghost Light Cabaret (and Brent Marty) for Marty-oke at the end of the show!
Indiana Repertory Theatre: Fannie: The Music and Life of Fannie Lou Hamer
“Fannie: The Music and Life of Fannie Lou Hamer” artwork by Kyle Ragsdale
The IRT’s first show in the new year is part theater, part gospel revival and all inspiration. Rising from humble roots as the daughter of a Mississippi sharecropper, Fannie Lou Hamer became a leader in the struggle for voting rights at a time when Civil Rights were far from secure. Her grit and determination to keep fighting, through bad times as well as good, shows what it means to be a true revolutionary. She was the last of 20 children born in 1917 to sharecroppers Louella and James Lee Townsend in Mississippi. Forced to drop out of school at 13, Fannie first learned that she had the right to vote at the age of 44, which inspired her mission to fight for every American’s right to vote.
IRT Artistic Director Benjamin Hanna says, “It’s been delightful to see this show come to life under the direction of Henry Godinez, with the brilliant work of actor Maiesha McQueen, and musicianship of Morgan E. Stevenson, Spencer Bean and Dorian Phelps. The production celebrates the legacy of Fannie Lou Hamer — one of many unsung heroes who found her purpose and persevered through unspeakable hardship. Fannie saw everything she had — her time, her talents and what little treasure she had — as gifts to be shared. She was led by an unstoppable faith in God and her country. Her legacy continues to inspire us and encourages us to think about the gifts we can offer to nurture a more equitable, free and loving world.”
Maiesha McQueen
McQueen is also no stranger to Fannie Lou Hamer’s story as she previously was an understudy for the character at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, also directed by Godinez.
Jan. 9-Feb. 4
$37-$68; 18n and under $25
Tickets, showtimes, a virtual program and a study guide are available at www.irtlive.com.
Opening Night Friday, Jan. 12: Enjoy festivities before and after the performance including food and drinks for purchase, a selfie station and music from DJ Godzillest, plus after the show delight in a champagne toast and a one-time-only chance to explore the set with IRT artisans.
Artist Conversation Thursday, Jan. 18 following the 7:30 p.m. performance, Sunday, Jan. 28 following the 2 p.m. performance and Saturday, Feb. 3 following the 5 p.m. performance.
ASL/AD performance Sunday, Jan. 21
Community Conversation Tuesday, Jan. 30 following the 6:30 p.m. performance: Take a deep dive into the extraordinary life of Fannie Lou Hamer, from her humble beginnings in the cotton fields to her fearless advocacy for voting rights and economic empowerment. Susan L. Hall-Dotson, Indiana Historical Society, Judith B. Thomas, city of Indianapolis, and AshLee “PsyWrn Simone” Baskin, assistant director and understudy for Fannie, join IRT’s director of inclusion and community partnerships Devon Ginn for a Community Conversation. Together, the panel will explore how Hamer’s intersectional identity fueled her determination to challenge poverty, racism and sexism through music and community. Discover the resilience of a Black feminist trailblazer who rose from oppression to make an indelible mark on Capitol Hill.
The Movement of 10,000 (MVMT10K) is a digital platform advancing racial equity through learning, behavior change, action and engagement created by The Indianapolis Foundation, associated with the Central Indiana Community Foundation. The app is designed to inform, inspire, and ignite equitable change and justice in our community.
Educators, Bring Your Class to the Theatre: The IRT offers student matinees throughout the season as part of the Christel DeHann Student Matinee Program! Each production offers thoughtful, challenging and entertaining insights that will help your students understand the world around them. Inclusive stories highlight the best of classic literature and current voices in ways that are sure to enrich your English, social studies, theatre, art classes and more.
BLACK: A Festival of Joyis the Spotlight Partner for Fannie: The Music and Life of Fannie Lou Hamer. Supported by The Indianapolis Foundation, this dynamic festival is a vibrant celebration of Black culture in Indianapolis. Led by a dedicated collective of volunteers from Black-led organizations, BLACK: A Festival of Joy aligns with the IRT’s commitment to inclusion, diversity, equity and access.
Discount on Natural Affection tickets!
Alex Oberheide as Bernie in American Lives Theatre’s production of “Natural Affection.” Photo by IndyGhostLight.com.
Phoenix Theatre Cultural Centre resident theatre companies sometimes produce at other venues. Currently, American Lives Theatre is performing the rarely produced 1962 drama Natural Affection by William Inge at IndyFringe Theatre. They have offered Phoenix audiences an exclusive discount code to get $10 off tickets! Just go to www.indyfringe.org and at checkout, enter the code Season4 for the discount.
Carrie Ann Schlatter and Ronn Johnstone in American Lives Theatre’s “Natural Affection.” Photo by IndyGhostLight.com.
Natural Affection has you leaving the theater feeling as if you just got sucker punched in the face. You think you are just witnessing a particularly dysfunctional family in the 1960s, and then BAM – the last 15 minutes wallops you upside the head with the force of Avocado Green Formica.
Natural Affection was unlike Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright William Inge’s previous works (such as Bus Stop and Picnic) when it was released in 1963; it was set in an urban environment, and its subject was darker. The staging at the IndyFringe building is American Lives Theatre’s first foray into the world of 20th-century classics as part of their fourth season, themed “Where We Live,” so it’s a bit of a departure for them as well. American Lives Theatre’s mission includes presenting “new work and neglected classics,” and the newspaper strike of 1962 was instrumental in the play’s relative obscurity until it was revived by Off-Broadway in 2013.
Set in a Chicago apartment during Christmastime 1962, the play delves into the deep crevices of broken families and relationships. Sue has worked her way up to head buyer at a large department store, but 17 years ago, when she was only 18, she had to give up her infant to an orphanage because her fiancée left her pregnant and penniless. She visited the child over the years, and he even spent a summer with her at one point, but he got into trouble with the law and has been at a juvenile “farm” (read: reform school) ever since.
Sue lives with her non-husband Bernie, an abusive lout who acts like he owns the place – and her – though he can rarely (if ever) afford rent … or much of anything else. Sue overcame social obstacles to make a life for herself, yet she still desperately wants that marriage certificate to make her relationship with Bernie legitimate – and she still cleans the hair out of the tub for him when he throws a tantrum over it. Bernie won’t give in to marriage because his macho posturing insists he makes more money than Sue.
Alex Oberheide as Bernie in American Lives Theatre’s production of “Natural Affection.” Photo by IndyGhostLight.com.
Next door, Vince and Claire Brinkman have their own problems. The married swingers don’t have much in common besides sex. Vince is drunk most of the time, and Claire is a horny airhead. Sue bemoans their lack of respectable friends, but the Brinkmans are the sole guests for Sue and Bernie’s Christmas party.
Because this is the last place a troubled teen needs to be, Donnie, Sue’s son, is coming home for the holidays, but he hasn’t told his mother that if she agrees that he can stay with her, he doesn’t have to return to the farm. Donnie has an idyllic ideation of his mother, the same way Sue clings to the idea of Bernie as husband material. While Sue likes to play house with Donnie for a few days, she balks at parental commitment as Bernie balks at marriage.
No one is stable in this story, and no one can commit. Sue calls the city “ugly,” but it’s the people in the story who make it that way.
Surprisingly, or maybe not, it’s the drunk who gets the most honest speech in the play.
Founding Artistic Director Chris Saunders has a superlative cast: Carrie Ann Schlatter and Christine Zavakos share the role of Sue Barker (I saw Schlatter Jan. 5); Alex Oberheide plays Bernie, Zach Hoover as Donnie, Ronn Johnstone as Vince Brinkman and Diana O’Halloran as Claire Brinkman, with Haley Glickman, Garrett Rowe, Wendy Brown and Tim Leonard in smaller supporting roles.
Schlatter plows through the thick atmosphere that settles in when Donnie and Bernie get into a room together. She fusses over them both, playacting the loving wife and mother. The tension builds to that climactic moment when the entire theater gasps, followed by a collective cringe.
Her relationship with Bernie is toxically realistic. Sadly, couplings like theirs are not uncommon. Oberheide gives Bernie just enough smarm to keep Sue leashed. Too much, she might walk; too little, she might walk. But what a bastard at times.
Hoover, as Donnie, is the little boy lost until his rage peeks through, but Johnstone goes full throttle as a ridiculous drunk. O’Halloran as Claire coos over Bernie and Donnie; her loveless marriage and lack of ambition make her a shallow bystander.
Chyna Mayer designed a set that takes advantage of every inch of space in the small Basile Theatre stage area. The illusion of two apartments isn’t hard to imagine when combined with Tim Dick’s lighting.
Natural Affection can be hard to watch, but with the above-par presentation and the legion of discussion topics it spawns, it is worth a look.
Phoenix Theatre Cultural Centre Resident Theatre Companies sometimes produce at other venues. Currently, American Lives Theatre is performing the rarely-produced 1962 drama Natural Affection by William Inge at IndyFringe Theatre. They have offered Phoenix audiences an exclusive discount code to get $10 off tickets! Just go to www.indyfringe.org, and at checkout, enter the code Season4 for the discount.
Jan. 5-21, Thursdays-Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 3 p.m.
American Lives Theatre: William Inge’s Natural Affection
First produced in 1963, Natural Affection is a distinct difference from William Inge’s hit plays Picnic and Come Back Little Sheba. Natural Affection marks a period of new growth for Pulitzer Prize-winning author Inge as he paints a remarkable portrait of urban life in the American Midwest during a decade of sexual and political revolution.
Natural Affection tells the story of a young man, abandoned early in life by his single mother, when he returns home from school to find her living with a confrontational lover. As tensions in their cramped quarters mount, the fight for human connection gives way to a startlingly recognizable form of desperation. Inge urgently asks what happens to people who are reaching for love from people and places that can provide none.
This production marks American Lives Theatre’s first foray into the world of 20th century classics, maintaining their mission to reflect our lives as modern American citizens and the core theme of their current season, which explores a nuanced relationship with the places we live: a city, a cubicle, a council, a home, America.
Jan. 5-21, Thursdays-Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 3 p.m.
Local author, playwright and cardiologist Dr. Louis Janeira, pen name Dr. L. Jan Eira, presents a series of 10-minute short plays, each a microcosm of life’s myriad emotions and experiences. From laughter to suspense to tears, these plays offer a roller coaster of human stories woven together in a condensed format. Learn more about the doctor at https://themdwriter.com/.
Jan. 5-14, Fridays-Saturdays at 7 p.m. and Sundays at 3 p.m.
$18 online; $25 at the door; discounts for students, seniors, active-duty military and first responders
Menopause: The Musical is the hilarious and fun celebration of women and “the change”! Four women with seemingly nothing in common but a black lace bra meet by chance at a lingerie sale in a department store. The all-female cast makes fun of their woeful hot flashes, forgetfulness, mood swings, wrinkles, night sweats and chocolate binges. A sisterhood is created between these diverse women in this uplifting production that includes parodies from the ’60s, ’70s and ’80s. It culminates with a salute to women who are experiencing “the change.”
Indianapolis Theater Reviews 