PlaysWithJohnAndWendy
@pwjw.bsky.social
John B and Wendy C providing news and reviews of Indianapolis area live theatre (and whatever else we post here)
See a variety of holiday celebrations in GHDT ‘Winterfest’ this weekend (Dec. 12-14) in Carmel playswithjohnandwendy.com/2025/12/10/v...
Variety of celebrations in GHDT ‘Winterfest’
By Wendy Carson Gregory Hancock Dance Theatre gives us a shimmering delight with its presentation of “Winterfest,” paying tribute to pretty much every December holiday/celebration in existence. Thi…
playswithjohnandwendy.com
December 11, 2025 at 3:29 AM
See a variety of holiday celebrations in GHDT ‘Winterfest’ this weekend (Dec. 12-14) in Carmel playswithjohnandwendy.com/2025/12/10/v...
Center Stage Community Theatre in Lebanon downloads "Pride @ Prejudice," seeing the 19th century Austen story from a 21st century perspective playswithjohnandwendy.com/2025/12/10/c...
Center Stage: #PrideAndPrejudice gets upgrade
By Wendy Carson With all the various Holiday shows on stages right now, Center Stage Community Theater brings us an alternative with a rollicking interpretation of a Jane Austen classic, “Pri…
playswithjohnandwendy.com
December 11, 2025 at 2:37 AM
Center Stage Community Theatre in Lebanon downloads "Pride @ Prejudice," seeing the 19th century Austen story from a 21st century perspective playswithjohnandwendy.com/2025/12/10/c...
A lot of work went behind giving an old man the night of his life. Ben Asaykwee adds a new perspective to the events of "Christmas Carol" with his new musical "Wonders" at the District Theatre on Mass Ave playswithjohnandwendy.com/2025/12/08/a...
Asaykwee and friends present the story behind the Carol
By John Lyle Belden When you think about it, there is only one ghost featured in Charles Dickens’s “A Christmas Carol.” That would be the tortured soul of Jacob Marley; other beings present as “spi…
playswithjohnandwendy.com
December 9, 2025 at 2:56 AM
A lot of work went behind giving an old man the night of his life. Ben Asaykwee adds a new perspective to the events of "Christmas Carol" with his new musical "Wonders" at the District Theatre on Mass Ave playswithjohnandwendy.com/2025/12/08/a...
"A Very Phoenix Xmas XVII" is so Very and so Phoenix, yet so Xmas! Very funny as well (with mature content), running through Dec. 21 at the Phoenix Theatre Cultural Centre
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Phoenix in its Xmas era
By John Lyle Belden That Holiday Tradition that’s an alternative to Nutcrackers or Tiny Tim or other Christmassy cliches – except perhaps to mock them – has returned to the Phoenix Theatre Cultural…
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December 1, 2025 at 1:52 AM
"A Very Phoenix Xmas XVII" is so Very and so Phoenix, yet so Xmas! Very funny as well (with mature content), running through Dec. 21 at the Phoenix Theatre Cultural Centre
playswithjohnandwendy.com/2025/11/30/p...
playswithjohnandwendy.com/2025/11/30/p...
The holiday tradition returns: 'Christmas Carol’ at the Indiana Repertory Theatre playswithjohnandwendy.com/2025/11/24/i...
IRT’s unique and traditional ‘Carol’
By John Lyle Belden After a recent performance, the cast of “A Christmas Carol” at the Indiana Repertory Theatre was asked, what percentage of their script was the words of original author Charles …
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November 25, 2025 at 12:29 AM
The holiday tradition returns: 'Christmas Carol’ at the Indiana Repertory Theatre playswithjohnandwendy.com/2025/11/24/i...
Mud Creek Players present ‘4 X'mas’ thru Dec. 6 playswithjohnandwendy.com/2025/11/23/n...
No place like Mud Creek ‘4’ the holidays
By John Lyle Belden For those who don’t know, “X” is, aside from part of the English alphabet, the Greek letter “Chi,” which is traditionally used as a shorthand for “Christ,” thus making “Xmas” an…
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November 24, 2025 at 12:28 AM
Mud Creek Players present ‘4 X'mas’ thru Dec. 6 playswithjohnandwendy.com/2025/11/23/n...
Epilogue Players presents 'The Heiress' through Nov. 23 playswithjohnandwendy.com/2025/11/19/i...
Issues of love and money vex ‘The Heiress’
By Wendy Carson Epilogue Players brings us an intriguing look at upper class life in 1850 New York with “The Heiress” by Ruth Goetz & Augustus Goetz. Dr. Austine Sloper (Stan Gilliam) raised yo…
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November 20, 2025 at 4:02 AM
Epilogue Players presents 'The Heiress' through Nov. 23 playswithjohnandwendy.com/2025/11/19/i...
Carmel Community Players goes to Vegas with "4 Weddings and an Elvis" this weekend at The Cat. playswithjohnandwendy.com/2025/11/19/v...
Viva Carmel Players, where love is King
By Wendy Carson Director Nicole Amsler and Carmel Community Players approach the Holiday season by giving audiences the gift of joy with their hilariously quirky offering, “Four Weddings and an Elv…
playswithjohnandwendy.com
November 20, 2025 at 2:54 AM
Carmel Community Players goes to Vegas with "4 Weddings and an Elvis" this weekend at The Cat. playswithjohnandwendy.com/2025/11/19/v...
Cool divas of Indy Drag Theatre take on 'Frozen'
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playswithjohnandwendy.com/2025/11/19/c...
Chill with another cool Indy Drag parody
By John Lyle Belden Do you want to see a gay man? / Though it’s more than being gay. / The musical that you adore / Has become something more / In an Indy Drag way! / So now they’re doing “Frozen” …
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November 20, 2025 at 2:16 AM
Cool divas of Indy Drag Theatre take on 'Frozen'
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playswithjohnandwendy.com/2025/11/19/c...
Classic of American stage comes to life with 'Death of a Salesman' by Main Street Productions in Westfield
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Solid ‘Salesman’ in Westfield
By John Lyle Belden Nearly everyone has heard of Arthur Miller’s “Death of a Salesman.” If for nothing more, it’s known that this Pulitzer-winning drama is regarded as one of the greatest plays in …
playswithjohnandwendy.com
November 20, 2025 at 1:48 AM
Classic of American stage comes to life with 'Death of a Salesman' by Main Street Productions in Westfield
playswithjohnandwendy.com/2025/11/19/s...
playswithjohnandwendy.com/2025/11/19/s...
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…
playswithjohnandwendy.com
November 14, 2025 at 11:23 AM
Jewish Theatre of Bloomington assesses ‘The Price’ - performances Saturday and Sunday at Waldron Arts Center playswithjohnandwendy.com/2025/11/14/r...
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
OnyxFest: Love in Unjust Times - performances this weekend at IUI playswithjohnandwendy.com/2025/11/12/o...
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…
playswithjohnandwendy.com
November 13, 2025 at 12:54 AM
These kids have made it to Broadway (UMC) in Epsilon Theatrical Company's "School of Rock" - four performances Nov. 14-16
playswithjohnandwendy.com/2025/11/12/e...
playswithjohnandwendy.com/2025/11/12/e...
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…
playswithjohnandwendy.com
November 11, 2025 at 1:36 AM
Hang out in haunted Irvington to see dark drama of "Wuthering Heights" presented by 4th Wall Players playswithjohnandwendy.com/2025/11/10/4...
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…
playswithjohnandwendy.com
November 4, 2025 at 1:33 AM
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...
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
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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playswithjohnandwendy.com/2025/10/30/b...
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
Jack the Ripper sings! Catch him if you can, in "The Whitechapel Musical" at The Cat in Carmel playswithjohnandwendy.com/2025/10/28/m...
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…
playswithjohnandwendy.com
October 28, 2025 at 2:00 AM
Southbank Theatre resumes performances on Wednesday so the witches get Halloween off playswithjohnandwendy.com/2025/10/27/s...
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
Just a couple of hours away: GHDT ‘Casket Girls’ dance again playswithjohnandwendy.com/2025/10/25/g...
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
Fonseca Theatre Company presents its annual Halloween show "Boo-La-La! 4" through Nov. 2.
playswithjohnandwendy.com/2025/10/22/m...
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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
Classic psychological thriller ‘Veronica’s Room’ presented by Eclipse Productions of Bloomington playswithjohnandwendy.com/2025/10/21/e...
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
Athenaeum, NoExit present mysterious 'Gathering' playswithjohnandwendy.com/2025/10/20/a...
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…
playswithjohnandwendy.com
October 14, 2025 at 1:18 AM
Remember writing letters? Buck Creek Players presents the musical "She Loves Me" through Oct. 19. playswithjohnandwendy.com/2025/10/13/p...
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…
playswithjohnandwendy.com
October 12, 2025 at 4:50 PM
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...
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.…
playswithjohnandwendy.com
October 9, 2025 at 12:14 AM
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...