PlaysWithJohnAndWendy
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PlaysWithJohnAndWendy
@pwjw.bsky.social
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John B and Wendy C providing news and reviews of Indianapolis area live theatre (and whatever else we post here)
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Jewish Theatre of Bloomington assesses ‘The Price’ - performances Saturday and Sunday at Waldron Arts Center playswithjohnandwendy.com/2025/11/14/r...
Reckoning ‘The Price’ in Bloomington
By John Lyle Belden Playwright Arthur Miller is having a moment in Indiana this year. We recently had a production of “The Crucible” in Indy, and the show about the “Salesman” is opening in Westfie…
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November 14, 2025 at 11:23 AM
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OnyxFest: Love in Unjust Times - performances this weekend at IUI playswithjohnandwendy.com/2025/11/12/o...
OnyxFest: Love in Unjust Times
By John Lyle Belden and Wendy Carson The annual OnyxFest, a showcase of works by new and emerging African American playwrights, returned recently to the IF Theatre in downtown Indianapolis. Produce…
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November 13, 2025 at 2:46 AM
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These kids have made it to Broadway (UMC) in Epsilon Theatrical Company's "School of Rock" - four performances Nov. 14-16
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Epsilon ‘School’ a class act
By Wendy Carson  While it seems that bringing a popular movie to the stage would be an instant ticket to success, there are a few that feel dependent on their stars to pull off the magic of the ori…
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November 13, 2025 at 12:54 AM
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Hang out in haunted Irvington to see dark drama of "Wuthering Heights" presented by 4th Wall Players playswithjohnandwendy.com/2025/11/10/4...
4th Wall: The depths of ‘Heights’
By John Lyle Belden November’s chill extends the desolate feeling of the Halloween season, a perfect time to indulge in the haunting story of “Wuthering Heights,” presented by 4th Wall Players in I…
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November 11, 2025 at 1:36 AM
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Meet the woman the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame calls The Godmother of Rock 'n' Roll, in "Marie and Rosetta" at the IRT playswithjohnandwendy.com/2025/11/03/s...
‘Strange Things Happening’ at IRT
By John Lyle Belden I first encountered Sister Rosetta Tharpe the way I’m sure a lot of people these days have – on the Internet. Several years ago, among the must-see viral videos, there was black…
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November 4, 2025 at 1:33 AM
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Fire bad! Show good! Mel Brooks' "Young Frankenstein" musical by Actors Theatre of Indiana at the Center for the Performing Arts through Nov. 9
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Brooks comedy comes ‘Alive!’ at ATI
By John Lyle Belden One of the cool perks of being Associate Artistic Director of Actors Theatre of Indiana for Darrin Murrell is that he gets to direct the incredibly fun musical, “Mel Brooks’ You…
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October 31, 2025 at 1:08 AM
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Jack the Ripper sings! Catch him if you can, in "The Whitechapel Musical" at The Cat in Carmel playswithjohnandwendy.com/2025/10/28/m...
Macabre musical brings ‘Ripper’ to the stage
By John Lyle Belden “Funny, it takes a murder for anyone to notice we passed this way.” This lament is sung by the women mostly known from their tragic fates in “Jack the Ripper: The Whitechapel Mu…
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October 29, 2025 at 12:54 AM
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Southbank Theatre resumes performances on Wednesday so the witches get Halloween off playswithjohnandwendy.com/2025/10/27/s...
Southbank ‘Crucible’: It’s not the witches we should fear
By John Lyle Belden In times of turmoil, people turn to faith either for hope or, too often, to look for monsters. Such was 1692 in Massachusetts Colony, when the blending of the Puritan church and…
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October 28, 2025 at 2:00 AM
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Just a couple of hours away: GHDT ‘Casket Girls’ dance again playswithjohnandwendy.com/2025/10/25/g...
GHDT ‘Casket Girls’ dance again
By John Lyle Belden Though shrouded in myth, the story of the “Casket Girls” is true*. In the 1720s, by order of King Louis IV of France at the urging of the Church, young women were sent to new Gu…
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October 25, 2025 at 6:07 PM
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Fonseca Theatre Company presents its annual Halloween show "Boo-La-La! 4" through Nov. 2.
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More laughs than chills in Fonseca Halloween show
By John Lyle Belden Proving any time of year is right for a holiday tradition, Fonseca Theatre Company presents “Boo-La-La! 4,” a set of funny and eerie short plays intertwined with appropriate pop…
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October 23, 2025 at 12:51 AM
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Classic psychological thriller ‘Veronica’s Room’ presented by Eclipse Productions of Bloomington playswithjohnandwendy.com/2025/10/21/e...
Enter the haunted trap of ‘Veronica’s Room’
By John Lyle Belden Eclipse Productions* of Bloomington adds to the October chill with its production of “Veronica’s Room.” The 1973 play is by Ira Levin, author of “Rosemary’s Baby” and “The Stepf…
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October 22, 2025 at 12:58 AM
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Athenaeum, NoExit present mysterious 'Gathering' playswithjohnandwendy.com/2025/10/20/a...
Athenaeum, NoExit present mysterious ‘Gathering’
By John Lyle Belden The Athenaeum in downtown Indianapolis has long been reputed to house restless spirits. At “The Gathering,” step inside and find yourself in 1919, right after the first World Wa…
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October 21, 2025 at 12:56 AM
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Remember writing letters? Buck Creek Players presents the musical "She Loves Me" through Oct. 19. playswithjohnandwendy.com/2025/10/13/p...
Pen-pal pandemonium at Buck Creek Players
By John Lyle Belden Buck Creek Players lifts our spirits with a fun production of the classic rom-com musical, “She Loves Me.” This 1960s Broadway hit by Joe Masteroff, with music by Jerry Bock and…
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October 14, 2025 at 1:18 AM
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Ankh Productions presents the raw humor of "Non-Traditional Reckless Relations" at a community coffee shop in the Bates-Hendricks neighborhood. playswithjohnandwendy.com/2025/10/12/a...
Ankh gets ‘Reckless’ in a good way
By John Lyle Belden Indianapolis sees constant production of theatre arts by groups tied not to a place as much to ideas and creative vision. This includes – among others – No Exit, Catalyst Repert…
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October 12, 2025 at 4:50 PM
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Will the Bottoms come out on top and revolutionize theatre (or at least get a play done)? Will Will Shakespeare get his groove back? "Something Rotten!" at the Booth Tarkington Civic Theatre in Carmel playswithjohnandwendy.com/2025/10/08/c...
Civic: Fun time at a ‘Rotten’ show
By John Lyle Belden Farce, parody, and satire collide hilariously with history in the hit musical “Something Rotten!” now staged by the Booth Tarkington Civic Theatre. What even director Michael J.…
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October 9, 2025 at 12:14 AM
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Don't curse yourself for missing it, Garfield Shakespeare Company presents the "Scottish Play" free in the park's outdoor amphitheater. playswithjohnandwendy.com/2025/10/07/s...
Scotland comes to Garfield Park
By John Lyle Belden Embracing the weird and macabre atmosphere of October, Garfield Shakespeare Company presents the tragedy of “Macbeth.” In a convenient coincidence, just last month Southbank sta…
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October 8, 2025 at 12:14 AM
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Center Stage Community Theatre in Lebanon, Ind., presents charming comedy "The Widow in Mink" through Oct. 12
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‘Mink’ a good fit for Center Stage
By John Lyle Belden “Life is too complicated, that’s why I don’t think about it.” This line by the lead character is the essence of “The Widow in Mink,” a comedy by Carl L. Williams presented by Ce…
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October 1, 2025 at 1:35 AM
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Main Street Productions of Westfield presents "Rocky Horror" (the stage musical) Wednesday through Friday evenings and midnight Saturday! playswithjohnandwendy.com/2025/09/28/a...
‘Absolute pleasure’ in Westfield
By John Lyle Belden “The Rocky Horror Show” is the kind of stage performance that defies conventional theatre reviews. Its cheesy-bad plot and pretensions as an allegedly cautionary tale are taken …
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September 28, 2025 at 6:45 PM
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Without a Shadow of a Doubt, we have a Suspicion the Notorious Frenzy of Hitchcock's "39 Steps" at the IRT will leave you Spellbound, maybe feeling Vertigo. Theatre is sorta North by Northwest of Indy's Circle Centre.
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IRT takes hilarious ‘Steps’
By John Lyle Belden Alfred Hitchcock was not known as the Master of Comedy, though he did appreciate dark humor. Since he’s not with us anymore, it is now up to you to see the hilarious adaptation …
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September 25, 2025 at 1:44 AM
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Go if just to experience Marachey Fowler as the "Unruly Heart" at the center of "The Prom," at Footlite Musicals through Oct. 5 playswithjohnandwendy.com/2025/09/24/t...
Time to dance again: Footlite presents ‘The Prom’
By John Lyle Belden It’s not spring; still, any time is good for recognizing we need to let those around us be their authentic selves. In this spirit comes the latest production of “The Prom” at Fo…
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September 25, 2025 at 12:27 AM
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Neil Simon's first Broadway hit swings its way into The Switch in Fishers; The Belfry Theatre presents 'Come Blow Your Horn' through Sunday.
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From fake fruit to real feelings: Belfry delivers Simon classic
By John Lyle Belden You can’t go wrong with a comedy play by Neil Simon, and The Belfry Theatre presents the one that started his incredible run of Broadway and film hits. “Come Blow Your Horn” is …
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September 24, 2025 at 1:39 AM
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Where a life becomes a legacy: IBTC honors MLK with 'The Mountaintop' Thursday through Sunday at The District Theatre playswithjohnandwendy.com/2025/09/22/w...
Where a life becomes a legacy: IBTC honors MLK with ‘Mountaintop’
By John Lyle Belden I have been to the Lorraine Motel. The site near downtown Memphis, Tenn., where the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated, is now a monument and museum. Its façade w…
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September 23, 2025 at 1:05 AM
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Epilogue comedy brings new meaning to ‘juke joint’ playswithjohnandwendy.com/2025/09/16/e...
Epilogue comedy brings new meaning to ‘juke joint’
By Wendy Carson  Epilogue Players whisks us away to a senior living center in Upstate New York for the Indiana premiere of Paul Stroili’s rollicking tale, “A Jukebox for the Algonquin.” It is bille…
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September 17, 2025 at 2:43 AM
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Mud Creek Players present popular Jones Hope Wooten comedy "Dearly Beloved" with laughs and heart as big as Texas.
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Mud Creek hosts marital mayhem
By John Lyle Belden We are cordially invited to a wedding in the quaint and quirky town of Faro, Texas – at least we hope there’s one. Mud Creek Players presents “Dearly Beloved,” the popular comed…
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September 17, 2025 at 2:12 AM
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An important work on freedom of expression and telling the truth in difficult times, woven into actual events, including the origin of one of Shakespeare's most popular plays. "Equivocation" presented by Southbank Theatre Company, through Sunday.
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Play finds a way to have its say
By John Lyle Belden Equivocation, the use of language to say something without directly saying it, is a way of “telling the truth in difficult times,” according to the play “Equivocation” by Bill C…
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September 17, 2025 at 12:53 AM