Indy Theatre Habit

I was supposedly “off duty” last Friday - i.e., I was not going to a show and therefore I would not be blogging about that particular day.  However, my brother introduced me to a magical new open microphone place that I would like to tell you about.  It is called Rachael’s Cafe.  It is in Bloomington, Indiana, just a block or two south of the public library.  It has only been open for a couple of months. 

Most of the time it is “just” a coffee house, but its energy is light-years away from the feeling at your neighborhood Starbucks.  Mind you, I enjoy going to Starbucks, but if I lived in Bloomington, my Starbucks days now would be over.

Rachael’s feels like something out of a feng shui manual before feng shui became trendy.   There are hand-painted galaxies on the big, round tables.  The poles in the middle of the large room are painted to look like snakes.  Live plants fill the two walls of windows.  Framed art and murals decorate the other walls.  A tiny fountain burbles on a window ledge.  When someone orders the chicken soup, it smells divine.

My brother had suggested that we meet at Rachael’s in the afternoon for coffee or beer, and since we had other plans for dinner, that’s all we had, so I am not going to write about the food.  If you’re interested in the food at Rachael’s, Chelsea Merta did a fine job of writing about it in the March 26, 2008 edition of the Indiana Daily Student newspaper.  Please read her review of the place as a restaurant.

What interested me was the atmosphere at Rachael’s Cafe and its potential as a performance space.

There is a microphone or two in one corner.  The owner, Rachael Jones, happened to be behind the counter when Ned and I were there.   She told me that not only do they have a regular open mike time on Friday nights from 6:00-9:00, they have hosted whole plays.  A version of “Little Red Riding Hood” ran there on Thursday nights for a while until very recently.

“What if someone else has a play or some other performance piece that they want to try out?” I asked her.

“Just tell them to call me,” she said.  “You know, keep it fun, keep it clean, but I’m open to new ideas.”

Later in our conversation she mentioned that she used to be a salesman in Indianapolis.

“What prompted you to become a restaurateur?” I asked.

“I was starting to fail as a salesman.  What else could I do?  I didn’t want to do it, but I had to.”

Something made me think that she wasn’t just talking about her career. 

“Go to YouTube and look up ‘Rachael’s Cafe,’” she said.  “A man is doing a documentary on me.”

I could only find “part 4 of 5” but it was accompanied by a note that said that the full documentary will someday be screened at Rachael’s.  The clip is mostly about Jones being a transgendered person, which, I agree, is interesting.  She appears on the video as Rachael and also as Eric.

But towards the end of the clip, she talks about her vision for her restaurant.  That is what interests me most.   Her calm hopefulness is what I responded to in her space, subliminally, before I had talked with her or seen the video.  I was touched by her saying, on the video, that she wants the cafe to be a place where all kinds of people can come together and talk.

This made the librarian in me think, “Book club!”

But it also made the idealist in me think, “Yes!  Let’s all just keep talking to each other!  We can disagree and still keep talking to each other.”

The small paper that Jones gave me when I asked if she had a business card says, “Rachael’s Cafe grew out of a desire to create a friendly, inclusive, peaceful atmosphere for all.  Our mission is to bring understanding, education,  and acceptance over a cup of coffee.

“We offer gourmet coffees and drinks along with homemade soups, salads, sandwiches and entrees.  We believe that high quality, modestly priced food and drinks served in an unashamed, eclectic environment will nurture the meeting and mixing of both friends and strangers.  An open mic night will give everyone the chance to express their views or share their talents, including live music and open discussions on diverse topics.”

Most of all, I love the slogan:  “Welcome to Rachael’s Cafe - the coffee house with room to grow!” 

Rachael’s Cafe is at 300 E. 3rd Street in Bloomington.  The phone number is 812-330-1882.  Can you believe I forgot to ask the hours?  I am writing this at 1:00 a.m., but when I get a chance to call about the hours, I will change this blog post accordingly.  In the meantime, why don’t you give them a call yourself?  Or better yet, stop by!  There are a few parking spots at the side of the building.

Hope Baugh - www.IndyTheatreHabit.com