The more performance art I experience, the more I realize how personal that experience is.  I love that it is personal.  I love that it is ephemeral, too.  It is impossible to sustain or even to reproduce exactly, because it is live.  The only way to truly experience a live theatre piece is to be present for it, open to it.

If you are a regular reader of Indy Theatre Habit, you know that I took a long step back in 2011.  I needed a break for a number of reasons.  One was that I was having an existential, “what am I doing here?!?” kind of crisis.  I still haven’t found satisfying answers to the many layers in that question, but I am making good progress.  And in the meantime, I have found that I miss writing publicly about my experiences at the theatres.  Maybe it’s an ego thing.  Maybe there’s more to it than that.  But in any case, I miss it.

So…I have decided to blog about theatre again in 2012, but this time doing it more…personally?  More authentically?  Anyway, more mindfully and selectively, and just see where it takes me.  As I say, I’m still figuring this out as I go along.

But first, a look back at 2011:

I experienced 91 live performance art shows in 2011.  I missed that many and more just around my home in the Indianapolis, Indiana area, so I really shouldn’t use the words “most” or “best” or whatever in this post.  Still, 91 is 91.  Here are a few end-of-the-year thoughts:

The Best Shows Artistically from 2011

Looking back over all of the shows I saw in 2011, there happen to be six shows that stand out to me now for their artistic quality.  In each of these shows, the many elements – script, acting, directing, set design, costumes, sound, lights, and more – came together in an exceptionally satisfying way.  I’m sorry I can’t list every person that contributed to making each of these shows a special treat but I appreciate them all. The six shows, in the order I saw them, are:

• “I Hate Hamlet” – written by Paul Rudnick; directed by Lori Raffel for the Carmel Community Players. (I saw this one twice.)
• “Avenue Q: The Musical” – music and lyrics by Robert Lopez and Jeff Marx; directed by Bryan Fonseca for the Phoenix Theatre. (I saw this one twice, too, and am delighted that the Phoenix is bringing it back for a second run in 2012.)
• “The Drowsy Chaperone” – book by Bob Martin and music and lyrics by Lisa Lambert and Greg Morrison; directed for the Booth Tarkington Civic Theatre by Ron Morgan at the new Center for the Performing Arts.
• “Lost: a Memoir” – written by Cathy Ostlere and Dennis Garnhum; directed for the Indiana Repertory Theatre’s “Going Solo” series.  It starred Constance Macy.
• “Night of the Living Dead,” adapted by R. Brian Noffke from the George A. Romero cult-classic film, directed by R. Brian Noffke for Acting Up Productions, presented at the Indy Fringe Theatre. (I saw this one twice.)
• “The Student” a short play written by Matt Hoverman; directed by Bryan Fonseca and presented as part of the Phoenix Theatre’s “Our Goose Is Cooked: A Very Phoenix Xmas 6.”  It starred Scot Greenwell and Charles Goad.

The Most Personally Powerful Shows in 2011

Looking back over all of the shows I saw in 2011, there also happen to be four shows that resonated with me on very personal levels, beyond the artistry and content of the shows themselves, if that makes sense. I mean, I admired the artistry in them, but I treasure my experiences of them because each one caused a strong healing or teaching or something else extra within me.  I’m not going to take a lot of space to try to explain what I mean here because it’s personal.  I’ll just list the four shows in the order I saw them and add a brief comment:

• “Paul Strickland: Any Title That Works” written and performed by comedian Paul Strickland at the Indy Fringe Festival.  This autobiographical one-man show included letters to his future self, which intrigued me and got me thinking about my own future self and what I might say to her. But also, I was at a point in my life right then when I desperately needed to meet an honorable man in order to remember they exist.  This show did that for me.
• “Beer Can Raft,” written by Lou Harry, directed by Karen Irwin for the Indy Fringe Festival.  This piece consisted of four related vignettes that on one level spoke to me joyfully and mischievously about the capriciousness of life in general but which on another level made me realize what an idiot I had been about a few things in my own life.  The wake-up call made me cry, but I appreciated getting it.
• “I Love to Eat,” written and directed by James Still for the Indiana Repertory Theatre’s “Going Solo” series, starring Robert Neal.  I hated that the IRT had hired a slim actor and put him in a fat suit to portray TV cooking show host James Beard.  Were there no fat actors skilled enough, deserving enough, to play this juicy role?  Seriously? You couldn’t have paid me to watch an actor in a fat suit.  On the other hand…it was a play written and directed by James Still. I love James Still’s work. Love won over hate, but just barely, and I dragged myself kicking and fuming to see this show.  I even experimented with being “skinny and mean” (James Beard’s expression) or rather, cold and closed off as an audience member, and for a while during the show this made me feel powerful.  But then…James Still’s words broke me open.  I can’t explain it any better than that.  And then I just didn’t care any more about who has the right to carry what baggage.  Robert Neal did a great job of bringing James’ words to life, and I left the theatre feeling wracked, but also as if I had spent the afternoon with two complex, fully human people: James Beard and myself. It wasn’t all sweetness and light, but it was good.
•  “The Student” a short play written by Matt Hoverman; directed by Bryan Fonseca and presented as part of the Phoenix Theatre’s “Our Goose Is Cooked: A Very Phoenix Xmas 6,” which was a collection of short plays, songs, etc.  “The Student” starred Scot Greenwell and Charles Goad.  Right after I saw the Phoenix’ Xmas show, I wrote in the comments on Lou Harry’s Arts & Entertainment blog on IBJ.com that “My favorite piece was called ‘The Teacher’…” (I had the title wrong) “…I was surprised to find myself weeping during it.  I guess it just pushed (in a good way) a lot of my buttons related to storytelling, writing, and teaching.”  But later I came to realize that I loved it even more because it was about the complexity and poignancy of self-acceptance. This little two-hander is on both of my “best of 2011” lists.

The Other

I also treasure the one or two theatre experiences that were almost a complete waste of my time in 2011.  I don’t want more than three of those per year and I am not interested in naming them publicly but when I go to a show and there comes a moment in which I think, “Hey, I am actually pretty bored here! I wish I had not chosen this show today over all the other possibilities!” it makes the moments at other shows in which I suddenly hug myself and think, “Oh, I am so glad I’m here!” all the more satisfying. 

In other words, experiencing a bad show now and then makes the sweet risk of theatre-going all the sweeter when I find myself at a great show.   It makes the pay-off for risk-taking all the more gratifying.

Thank you, everyone that helped to make my theatre-going adventures in 2011 so very sweet and rich.

Hope Baugh – Indy Theatre Habit

(Photo above was taken by me with my trusty iPhone.  I bid highest for this snowpeople basket in the Phoenix Theatre’s holiday auction a few years ago so now it is mine.)

I met Maggie Harry at the world premiere of one of Lou’s plays, “Midwestern Hemisphere” in 2008 and got to chat with her again at a board game marathon at their house one winter.  We all shared a table for the dinner theatre production of “Forbidden Broadway” by Actors’ Theatre of Indiana in 2009. 

Best of all, I got to enjoy Maggie’s performance in the ensemble for the Indianapolis Civic Theatre’s production of “Carousel” in 2010.  I am sorry that that is the only show of hers that I saw.

I wish I had better words to express my condolences.  My heart goes out to Lou and the rest of his family.  

Here is a link to information that Lou shared about services this Thursday:

 http://obits.arncremation.com/obit.php?id=58 

Hope Baugh – Indy Theatre Habit

Dear readers,

For a number of reasons that I am not going to discuss, I am not going to blog any more for a while.  I may come back to it later.

I would like to thank everyone that has read and responded to Indy Theatre Habit over the past three and a half years.  I hope you will continue to make a habit of going to see live theatre.

I’ll see you there!

Hope Baugh – www.IndyTheatreHabit.com

(The above photo of a resting amaryllis bulb was taken by Lori L. Stalteri.)

P.S. – If you’re curious about what I’ve been seeing, I am maintaining my Directory of 2011 Shows.  Last updated 12/29/11.   And although I have a love-hate relationship with Twitter, for now I am also tweeting about almost every show I see:  www.twitter.com/IndyTheatre.

http://www2.indystar.com/cgi-bin/obituaries/index.php?action=show&id=127822

It includes the following information (at the end) about a memorial service:

A Memorial Celebration will be held on Wednesday, May 4, from 6 to 8 p.m., at the Athenaeum Theatre, 401 E. Michigan St. Burial services will be private.

John’s sister, Kristin, emailed me to add that calling is from 6 – 8pm with a service/program from 7 – 7:30pm.

Update 4/19/11 – Unfortunately, I have a work conflict that night that I can neither reschedule nor delegate, so I will not be able to attend the celebration of John’s life.  However, I will be there in spirit, wishing John and his family and friends all comfort and peace.

*****************

(Original April 9, 2011 post below, with an update on April 13, 2011)

I am very sad to report that beloved music director John Austin Busch was killed in his home in the beautiful old Woodruff Place neighborhood on the near east side of Indianapolis on Thursday night. 

According to several mainstream media reports (see links, below), someone called the police because their neighbor’s door had been open a long time.  The investigating officers found a body.  Most of the reports do not name John but there were many shocked and grieving references to him on Facebook and Twitter last night and this morning.

I called today (Saturday) and left a message asking for more information from Sgt. Paul Thompson.  He is one of the media relations officers for the Indianapolis Police Department.  If he calls me back, I will update this post.  However, if he has to choose between finding time to call me back and working on the investigation itself, I hope he chooses the investigation!

I also talked with local theatre photographer Zach Rosing by phone.  He said that he could confirm that it was John’s body that had been found because he had spoken with John’s long-time creative partner, Bob Harbin.   Zach added that people had sung an impromptu tribute to John at the monthly “Noise!” open microphone piano cabaret at the White Rabbit last night.

So…the main reason I am posting is to say how very sorry I am for John’s family and friends, and for myself and the rest of the Indianapolis theatre community, for this loss.

I didn’t know John personally but I enjoyed the many shows that he music-directed for the former American Cabaret Theatre and the more recently-formed BobDirex company at the Athenaeum in downtown Indianapolis.  I wrote about three of John’s ACT shows here on Indy Theatre Habit:  “The Wiz,” “Swing,” and “Victor Victoria.”  I wrote about his ”The Music of Motown: Let’s Get It On” on Indiana Auditions.  And I believe he music directed the hilarious ”A Funny Thing Happened on The Way to the Forum” last summer for BobDirex, too.  I didn’t blog about that show because I was on sabbatical.

The Indianapolis theatre community will not be the same without John Austin Butsch.

When I find an obituary and/or learn more about a memorial service for John I will update this post. 

(Update 4/13/11:  I still have not heard or read any specifics about a memorial service yet.  However, Lou Harry wrote a tribute to John in his A&E blog for the Indianapolis Business Journal and several people have left memorial comments.  Here is a direct link:

http://www.ibj.com/lou-harrys-ae/2011/04/11/in-memory-of-john-austin-butsch/PARAMS/post/26481

Zach Rosing also started a memorial thread on IndianaAuditions.com.   Here is a direct link:

http://www.indianaauditions.com/forum/showthread.php?12791-John-Austin-Butsch

Several people have also left memorial comments on John’s Facebook wall.  Here is a direct link to that:

http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/john.austin.butsch?sk=wall 

Sergeant Thompson from the Indianapolis Police did return my call, for which I am grateful.  They released John’s name and the name of the man they suspect of killing him.  I am continuing to follow the reports in the mainstream media but I do not plan to continue posting links to each article here.    I will, however, post any information I receive about a memorial service.

Again, I wish to convey my deepest sympathy to all of John’s family and friends.)

Hope Baugh – www.IndyTheatreHabit.com

Here are the links to some mainstream media reports posted today, in random order:

“Police Discover Body in Woodruff Place” – Indy Star – April 8, 2011 – http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2011104080362

“IMPD Investigating Homicide On Near East Side,” by Alex Brown – April 8, 2011 – WIBC 93.1 - http://www.wibc.com/news/Story.aspx?ID=1398970

“Woodruff Place Neighbors Shocked By Homicide,” by Ann Keil – April 8, 2011 – Fox59 – http://www.fox59.com/news/wxin-homicide-woodruff-place-neighbors-shocked-by-homicide-20110408,0,334302.story 

“Police: Body Found in East Side Home” – April 7, updated April 8, 2011 – Channel 6 News – http://www.theindychannel.com/news/27472647/detail.html

“Police Investigating East Side Death as Homicide” - WTHR Channel 13 – April 8, 2011 – http://www.wthr.com/story/14406965/police-investigate-apparent-homicide

“Woodruff Place Neighborhood On Edge As Homicide Investigation Continues” – WISH TV Channel 8 - April 8, 2011 – http://www.wishtv.com/dpp/news/crime/woodruff-neighborhood-on-edge-as-homicide-investigation-continues

Ellen’s father (Midge’s husband) passed away on Wednesday.  I can’t find the obituary yet in the Indianapolis Star (IndyStar.com), but when it appears, I will add a link to it here.  The memorial service will be at 4pm this Sunday at the Church of the Nativity, 7300 North Lantern Rd, Indianapolis, IN 46256.

I didn’t know Fred as well as I knew Midge but I do know that, like her, he supported Ellen’s passion for the art of storytelling.   He and Midge supported Ellen’s work in many, many ways.  For one thing, he set up and put away at least a million rented wooden folding chairs during the 20+ years of the annual Hoosier Storytelling Festival!

He made it possible for me to hear the best of the best storytellers over the years, and I will always be grateful.

He and Midge also welcomed me into their home many, many times.  Their home is an exceptionally pleasant place to be, both inside and out.  I remember Ellen talking more than once, and with such fondness, about working with her dad in their gardens.

I will miss Fred and Midge.  My heart goes out in sympathy to Ellen and her siblings.

Hope Baugh

www.IndyTheatreHabit.com

(Update 3-22-11 – Here is the link to the obituary in the Indianapolis Star:

http://www2.indystar.com/cgi-bin/obituaries/index.php?action=show&id=126826)

Believe it or not, I have been plugging away at the items on my Writing Plan from March 2.  In the meantime, however:

***  A giant bunny visited me in my workplace with an invitation to see Q Artistry’s next show, “Bunny Spectacular” when it opens on April 1, 2011.  (See video, above.)  I suspect this is a kids’ show, and you know me, I don’t normally review kids’ shows, but I do love the Q folks’ work in general – they are the people that brought us “Cabaret Poe” – and this warm and delightful marketing gimmick totally worked on me.  As soon as the Bunny left, I had my iPhone out and was rearranging my April calendar.

***  One of my favorite playwrights, James Still, told me that his new play, “Love Me Some Amnesia,” will get its world premiere at the American Blues Theater in Chicago this spring.  I feel a road trip coming on!

***  One of my Twitter friends, Scott Semester ( www.twitter.com/sssemester), and I got to attend the final dress rehearsal of the Indianapolis Opera’s production of “La Tragedie de Carmen” in their intimate new space, the Frank and Katrina Basile Opera Center.  This very beautiful (and sexy! and action-packed!) yet very accessible experience was – I am not exaggerating – a life-changer for me.  I was wearing just my everyday jewels and my hair was still silver, but by the end of the opera I was weeping like Julia Roberts in “Pretty Woman” or like Cher in “Moonstruck” all the same.

I want to write a LOT more about my night at the opera, so add that to the Writing Plan.  And think about buying a ticket to see “Carmen” yourself.  It only runs this weekend and next.

(Photo above of Darren K. Stokes as Escamillo and Ariana Chris as Carmen was taken by Denis Ryan Kelly, Jr. – www.deniskelly.com)

And, of course, there are several other new shows that I would like to see this coming weekend:

***  Professional storyteller/actor Antonio Sacre will be sharing his new solo performance piece at the Indiana History Center on Saturday night only.  He was brought to Indy by Storytelling Arts of Indiana. 

***  Matt the Monkey Poet is visiting from Britain with two new shows at the Indy Fringe Theatre.   He was one of my favorite performers at the 2007 and 2008 Indy Fringe Festivals.

***  “Cabaret” opens at the Indianapolis Civic Theatre. 

***  “Pajama Game” opens at Footlite Musicals. 

***  And the parent of a teen I know emailed me to say that the teen is in her middle school’s production of “Annie, Jr.” this weekend, so I am going to try to squeeze that in, too, just to enjoy, not to blog or tweet about.

I think those are all of the shows opening this weekend about which I have received emails.  (My email address is amarylliswriter at gmail dot com.)

“The Storytelling Ability of a Boy” is still running at the Phoenix Theatre.  The Epilogue Players’ production of “To Kill a Mockingbird” is still running, too.  Half/Black Productions’ “Diaspora” has its last two performances at the Indy Fringe Theatre this Saturday and Sunday, I believe.  (I wrote a little more about my experience of these shows on Lou Harry’s “You Review It Monday” post in his A&E blog for the Indianapolis Business Journal last Monday.  I would love to see any of them again.) 

(In the photo above are, left to right:  Maggie Williams as Scout, Ken Ganza as Atticus, and Cormac Doebbeling as Jem in Epilogue’s “To Kill a Mockingbird.”  Photo provided by Rann DeStefano and taken, I think, by Ralph Grant.)

I have not yet seen, but would like to see, “Buried Child,” by Sam Shepard, on its second weekend at the Theatre Within, in the Fountain Square neighborhood on the near southside of Indy.  And there are only two more performances of “In Acting Shakespeare,” by James DeVita, on Saturday at the Indiana Repertory Theatre.

And those are only the shows I have emails about for this weekend!  Still more are opening in the weeks to come.

Also, Thom Johnson from the Rick-Weils Theatre Company out east of Indy emailed me to say that his show, “Tuesdays with Morrie,” is expanding its successful run there in Greenfield by touring to a church in Franklin later this month and to Westfield in April.  I’m sorry that his email did not include the exact dates, times, or locations to share with you.  I can tell you that Thom plays Morrie, “(t)he role of Mitch is played by Gary Roberts.  Making his directorial debut is Tom Corbett.”

And one other bit of Indianapolis-area theatre news before I fall asleep here at my laptop:

***  March 31, 2011 is the deadline for applications to the Blaine Jarrett Memorial Scholarship.  Here is an excerpt from the email that the folks at Buck Creek Players on the southeast side of Indianapolis emailed me:

Jarrett Memorial Scholarship Fund, a fund managed by Buck Creek Players, is pleased to announce the availability of the Blaine Jarrett Memorial Scholarship. Any graduating high school senior or college freshman who is currently enrolled or accepted into a performing arts related major/minor at a college or university is eligible to apply.  Majors/minors which will be considered include: dance, theater performance, technical theater, instrumental music, vocal music, or related field.  Recipients will be based on the applicant’s participation, accomplishments, and involvement in the performing arts in the Central Indiana region.  Recipients will receive a minimum scholarship of $1,000.  Applications are available to download on the scholarship’s website and must be postmarked no later than March 31, 2011 to be considered for a scholarship this year. 

The Blaine Jarrett Memorial Scholarship Fund was started six years ago by Blaine’s family and friends.  The fund has since been growing steadily thanks to the contributions of a variety of donors and various fundraising activities.  The Blaine Jarrett Memorial Scholarship Fund has now reached sufficient funding to allow meaningful annual scholarships to be awarded on an on-going basis.  Additional donations are still being sought and can be sent to BJMSF, 11150 Southeatern Avenue, Indianapolis, Indiana 46259.  More information on donating to the fund can be found by visiting the scholarship’s website. (http://www.buckcreekplayers.com/BJMSF.htm)

‘See you at the theatres…

Hope Baugh – www.IndyTheatreHabit.com

(Above video was taken by Megan the Bunny Minder with my iPHone.  The volume is so low because I forgot to ask Megan to stand very close to us, but I still love the fact that a giant bunny came to see me, so I am posting the video anyway.)

Update at lunch 3/11/11 – Oh, wait!  How could I have almost forgotten:  “Hairspray” is still running at Beef and Boards Dinner Theatre, too!

I also forgot to remind you to check each theatre’s website or call the theatre to confirm show times.  Have a great weekend!

(Photo is of Jonah Winston in “Diaspora.”  Photo provided by the director, Michael Hosp.  See below for more info about the show.)

Well, I have been tweeting fairly regularly (@IndyTheatre) but I am way behind in my blogging!  What can I say?  My fulltime day job and my personal life have demanded most of my attention lately.   I haven’t accepted many media passes this year so far because I knew I wouldn’t have much time in which to write about shows.

However.

I have not stopped seeing live theatre and storytelling and I hope you won’t give up on checking Indy Theatre Habit for Indianapolis-area theatre and storytelling news, reviews, and reflections.  Here is my writing plan for the next few days:

**  Write a review of “Diaspora,” produced by Half/Black Productions, running two more weekends (through Saturday, March 13, 2011) at the Indy Fringe Theatre.  I saw this intense, hip-hop poetry/philosophy theatre piece last weekend and loved it because it made me weep and think.  It is based on the poetry of Saul Williams and directed by Michael Hosp.  It is beautifully performed by Jonah Winston.  I wish I had time to see it again!

**  Write about the three professional storytellers I’ve heard so far this year through Storytelling Arts of Indiana:  Jim May, Kevin Stonerock, and Minton Sparks.  Each was a treat in his or her own way.  I am looking forward to Storytelling Arts’ next “Jabberwocky” event on Tuesday, March 8 and to hearing Antonio Sacre tell on Saturday, March 12, too.

**  Log the who-did-what in Wayne Township Community Theatre’s production of “You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown,” which I saw at the end of January on the last day of its run.  I couldn’t get to it any sooner, unfortunately, but I wanted to see it for three very specific reasons:  I wanted to thank WTCT as best I could for emailing me press releases on a regular basis; I wanted to do the friend thing (i.e. Be Supportive) of the actor that played Lucy because we share an interest in young adult literature – and she also happens to be a lot of fun to watch and listen to on stage; and I was curious about the set.  More about this in the log post.

**  Log the who-did-what in the Phoenix Theatre’s production of “Goldie, Max and Milk,” which I saw before it closed last month because a) I try to see everything that the Phoenix offers and b) because two of my favorite “destination actors” – Angela Plank and Sara Riemen – were in it.  Angela was luminous, as usual, and Sara, too, gave a wonderfully layered performance.  I enjoyed “meeting” the other actors/characters, too, and the story offered a lot of good stuff to think about related to parenting and more.  I am looking forward to seeing the Phoenix’s next show, “The Storytelling Ability of a Boy,” too.  It opens this Thursday and runs through March 27, 2011.

**  Write about my first experience in the new Studio Theater that joins the Palladium in the group of buildings that form the Center for the Performing Arts in Carmel, Indiana.  Country music singer-songwriter Joanna Smith and friends gave a lunchtime concert last Friday as the first performance in the Center’s Emerging Artists series.  I confess that I had never heard of Joanna Smith before last Friday, but now I am aesthetically smitten.  I loved her songs, loved her music, and loved her stage presence.  I loved getting to see the new, black box Studio Theater space, too.  It is very cool.

**  Share my notes and thoughts from a two-part workshop on Social Media for Artists that was offered at no charge by the Arts Council of Indianapolis at the Indy Fringe Theatre last week.  On the first night, Erik Deckers , co-author of Branding Yourself, talked about using things like blogs and Twitter and so on to promote an artist’s work.  On the second night, Rocky Walls talked about making and using videos to promote an artist’s work.  I got a lot of useful information from each speaker.

Whew! I have my work cut out for me and there are several other shows opening this coming weekend that interest me.  It’s a great life, isn’t it.

‘See you at the theatres!

Hope Baugh – www.IndyTheatreHabit.com and www.twitter.com/IndyTheatre.

It is very unusual not to see Ellen at a Storytelling Arts event, so after the storytelling was over, I asked someone if Ellen was okay.

I learned that her mother, Midge, had died the day before.  Oh, I was so sad to hear this!

The official obituary in the Indianapolis Star is here:

http://www2.indystar.com/cgi-bin/obituaries/index.php?action=show&id=125848

My own fond memories of Midge Munds include hanging out with her at the performers’ and volunteers’ tent during numerous Hoosier Storytelling Festivals.  I can see her in my mind’s eye, smiling in her lawn chair, enjoying the informal stories that people were telling, and telling some of her own. 

She relished the more polished tellings by professional tellers up on the stages, too.  Until she became ill, I think she was at every main Storytelling Arts event.  She and her husband, Fred, made it possible for Ellen to start and run Storytelling Arts of Indiana.  How huge is that!

I remember Midge welcoming me into her home so many, many times, for storytelling workshops, storytelling gatherings, and other parties and gatherings not directly related to storytelling.  The Santa Clauses!  The books!  The cozy groupings of seats!  The feeling of belonging, and of being welcome!

I remember talking (okay, gossiping, but it was kind) about the people we knew in common in the Episcopal Church.  We belonged to different congregations but we knew some of the same ministers.  I think that sometimes Episcopalians can seem pretty quirky to other people, and I remember what a delight it was not to have to explain this part of myself to Midge.

I will miss her.  I wish to convey my deepest sympathy to Ellen, her father, and the rest of their family.

Hope Baugh

www.IndyTheatreHabit.com

I have a love-hate relationship with “best of the year” lists.  I think Americans (and probably many other people) are obsessed to the point of disease over making comparisons.

The added problem with a “best of the year” theatre list is that, unlike with a list of books or movies, you usually can not go and experience the “best” shows for yourself.  Not those exact productions anyway.  So it’s not as if people can consult the list when they seek recommendations.

Also, a problem with one person making a “best theatre of the year” list is that it is physically impossible for one person to have seen every live theatre show produced in the Indianapolis area in 2010.  There were just too many of them.

On the other hand, one person’s list of favorites at the end of a year can be an enjoyable reminder for other people of shared past pleasures and/or a gentle creative prompt for doing their own remembering. 

It can be a way of noticing and appreciating, of thanking God for the color purple or whatever.

In any case, I just enjoy making and reading lists in general.

So…I have created a new list:  “Hope’s Top Three – Plus Three – Live, Indianapolis-Area Theatre Shows of 2010.” 

(I’ll work on the title, maybe, for 2011.) 

The top three shows on my list are shows that made me say “WOW!” when I saw them and which still jump out in my mind as core-shakers without my having to look over my directory of what I saw in 2010.  They are the three that continue to resonate with me most strongly, both artistically and personally, here at the end of the year.  If I had a time machine and could only see three shows in 2010, these are the three I would pick.

But thank goodness I was not limited to just three shows in 2010!  I am grateful to have seen many enjoyable shows this year.  In fact, I was fortunate enough to see a total of 119 (no, wait, I saw one more last night) 120 shows at more than 35 theatres in Indiana in 2010.   I missed a lot of shows, unfortunately, especially community theatre shows, but still…120 is 120.

(I also saw two excellent shows at two different professional theatres in Washington, D.C. but I am not considering them for my “best of Indy” list.)

So…I would also like to recognize three more shows that jumped out at me as especially satisfying artistically when I looked over my 2010 directory this morning. 

Drumroll please…

My top three shows from 2010, in the order I saw them, are:

“Becky’s New Car” by Steven Dietz – Indiana Repertory Theatre

This story about a woman figuring out what it means to be loyal to herself and to her loved ones was hilarious and touching.  I saw it three times and wished I could have seen every single performance.  Constance Macy was brilliant as the title character, but the whole cast gave delightfully nuanced performances under James Still’s gentle, empowering direction.

“How I Learned to Drive” by Paula Vogel – Carmel Community Players

I saw this while I was on sabbatical, so I didn’t write about it at the time, but it was a powerful, powerful show about a dysfunctional family.  Angela Steele Bowers and Dan Scharbrough gave complex and heart-breaking performances as a damaged woman looking back on her childhood experiences with the truly loving uncle that sexually abused her.  The supporting cast and the design team were equally strong under the passionate direction of Brian G. Hartz.

“Cabaret Poe 2010” – Q Artistry

Lovingly composed, directed, and choreographed by Ben Asaykwee, and performed by him and a handful of other talented performance artists, this musical literary anthology theatre piece was deeply respectful of the stories and poems of Edgar Allen Poe while bringing them to life with fresh creativity.  Dark, sexy, funny, beautiful…this show put this relatively new company on the Indy theatre map for me.

My three “artistic honorable mentions” are, in random order:

“The Grapes of Wrath” – Cardinal Theatre Company, Bloomington

This jewel was an exquisite example of the multi-faceted possibilities unique to live theatre art.  From the clever staging to the excellent ensemble acting to the costumes to the musicianship and more, Director Randy White and his team of designers and performers brought this “dusty” American classic to life in a rich, vivid way.  

“Cat on a Hot Tin Roof,” by Tennessee Williams – Carmel Community Players

R. Brian Noffke directed an all-volunteer cast in this award-winning script about toxic family dynamics and human yearning.  The actors’ performances were so extraordinary that I truly forgot that I was at the theatre.  (That almost never happens to me, especially at an all-volunteer community theatre piece.)  Coming out of this show was like waking from a dream.

“A Christmas Carol Unscripted,” by Ed Trout and Michael Davis – ComedySportz

I went to this late-night, for-adults-only, improvisational comedy, music, and storytelling show on a whim one weekend just for fun, so I only tweeted about it at the time.  However, as I look back over my show directory for 2010, I remember that the CZ comics at this particular performance were “in the zone” in an exceptionally fearless and admirable way.  The man who played Scrooge (I think his name was Jeff Clawson) was especially adroit at both managing the energy of the sex-starved, blood-thirsty crowd and coming up with truly funny, in-the-moment responses, but everyone in the cast was in mojo mode that night.

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So there’s my list.  Three top shows and three honorable mentions.  I recommend that you create your own list, especially if you disagree with mine.

By the way, I have never made a year’s end “best of theatre” list before, but I did participate in a rich thread on IndianaAuditions.com back in December of 2007 on “the state of Indianapolis theatre.”  Here is a direct link to the beginning of that thread.  What I wrote comes in towards the end, on page 7, I think, but the whole thread is worth reading.  Make yourself a fresh cup of tea and settle in for a good read, and leave a comment there yourself if you want.  Whether you write something or not, if you are at all involved with the Indianapolis theatre community, I bet that thread will trigger some thoughts about where we are now, just three years later.

Also by the way, and while I am in comparison-making mode, I would like to award the following five gold stars: 

• Beef and Boards Dinner Theatre offers me the most consistently comfortable,  enjoyable theatre.
• Broadway Across America offers me the most consistently dazzling theatre.
• The Indianapolis Civic Theatre offers me the most consistently high-quality design elements (sets, costumes, lighting, sound, etc.)
• The Phoenix Theatre offers me the most consistently thought-provoking and enjoyably cathartic theatre.
• Storytelling Arts of Indiana offers me the most variety in terms of emotionally satisfying, professional, performance/oral tradition storytelling.

These five organizations also happen to be the five that make life easiest and fun for me as a part-time, volunteer theatre writer, so I hope their CEOs will also give gold stars to each of their media relations people as well.

To everyone:  please accept my sincere and very best wishes for 2011.  Thank you very much for reading Indy Theatre Habit in 2010.  ‘See you here and at the theatres in 2011!

Hope Baugh – www.IndyTheatreHabit.com 

(P.S. – The photo above is called “Green Heart (And the Green Grass Grows All Around, All Around.”  It was taken by David Goehring and shared in the Creative Commons area of Flickr.com.)

I was not close to him personally, but I enjoyed his company whenever I happened to hang out with him at a party or whatever. 

More importantly, I loved his work as an actor.  He was hilarious in “Kitty, Kitty, Kitty!” and “A Night in Vegas” at Theatre on the Square, for example.  I most recently admired him in a more serious leading role in “The Twilight of the Golds” at The Theatre Within this past March.  Selfishly, I am very sorry for this loss to the Indianapolis theatre community and to myself as an audience member.

I would like to offer my deepest sympathy to Dannon’s family and friends.

Hope Baugh – www.IndyTheatreHabit.com