Indy Theatre Habit

Last Sunday morning I drove west for over an hour to reach the Myers Dinner Theatre in Hillsboro, Indiana, which is just this side of the border between Indiana and Illinois.
This semi-community, semi-for-profit theatre has intrigued me ever since one of its regular artists, Linnea Leatherman, told me that she commutes there every weekend from […]

Last Friday night I drove downtown for the opening night of “Sherlock Holmes: The Final Adventure” at the Indiana Repertory Theatre.  To read my thoughts about the show itself, please go back one post, here.
I want to share some thoughts about the razzle-dazzle of the first opening night of the season at the IRT, too.  […]

I admire the people behind the scenes who make the performers look and sound their best for the audience.
On the second Friday night of the 2008 Indianapolis Fringe Festival, in between seeing “Potpourri Potluck Kitchen Sink Meatloaf” and “Phil the Void: Comedy Over Quality,” I got a chance to chat with theatre technician Chris Strange.  […]

Several days ago, after I had seen the Spotlight Players’ production of “The Dastardly Ficus and other Comedic Tales of Woe & Misery,” I got to chat by phone with the playwright, Emily Schwartz.  She was born and raised in Brownsburg, Indiana, but now lives in Chicago.
It was a pleasure chatting with her!  I am […]

If you have been reading my blog regularly, you already know that I have agreed to be an Encore Awards judge starting this fall.  Until last Friday night, I had been to each of the eleven Encore theatres except one: the Hendricks Civic Theatre.   Since I won’t be able to write publicly about any of the […]

Last Sunday evening, after seeing “A Very Merry Unauthorized Children’s Scientology Pageant” at the Theatre on the Square, I met costume designer Stephen Hollenbeck for further conversation.  I admire his creativity, his passion, his skill, and his commitment to excellence.
I had talked with him about his work twice before:  first, a few months ago in his […]

Last Sunday afternoon, I drove downtown to see Theatre on the Square’s production of “A Very Merry Unauthorized Children’s Scientology Pageant.”  The book, music, and lyrics are by Kyle Jarrow, from a concept by Alex Timbers.  Ron Spencer is the director at TOTS.
This is one bizarre show.   Bizarre…but fun.  And enjoyably, surprisingly, educational.

On Friday night, my friend Chris and I drove downtown to the Frank and Katrina Basile underground space at the Phoenix Theatre to see the midwestern premiere of Jeffrey Hatcher’s “Murderers.”  Both of us thought of several friends and family members who would love the humor, the creepiness, and the procedural details in this connected […]

Last Friday night I drove downtown to the American Cabaret Theatre to see “The Wiz.” 
I didn’t realize it was their summer youth production, and probably I would not have gone if I had been paying better attention, because I have promised to focus on adult productions for this blog and I don’t have time to see […]

About a month ago, right before I saw “Voices from the High School,” I met Jeremy Tuterow and Jim LaMonte outside the Spotlight Players’ new location at 524 Main Street in Beech Grove for a tour.  Spotlight’s Board of Directors includes several talented men and women, but I think of these two directors, in particular, […]