reviewed by Ken Klingenmeier Rodgers and Hammerstein’s The King and I, which opened this week at Indianapolis’ Beef & Boards Dinner Theatre is celebrating its 73th year of existence. Opening on Broadway in March of 1951 to solidly positive reviews, the show has since enjoyed a long series of productions all over the world. It made a star of Yul Brynner and won the 1952 Tony Award for Best Musical. B&B director Brian Jose develops a production rich in talent, design and diversity. With musical direction by Kristy Templet and choreography by Jennifer Ladner, Jose strikes a triumph in hi ..read more

reviewed by Daniel Shock The Gregory Hancock Dance Theatre presents Fables and Folklore, a double feature of tales expressed through contemporary dance. The first piece is a world premiere of “Golem,” based on the Jewish folklore story “The Golem of Prague.” The second piece is the returning Hancock adaptation of “Pinocchio,” which premiered in 2011. In his director’s notes, Mr. Hancock observes that while the two stories are very different, they share the common theme of creation to better the world, which he describes as a beautiful sentiment. Mr. Hancock’s vision for “Golem” is uncannily p ..read more

reviewed by Ken Klingenmeier Jason Miller’s 1972 play That Championship Season – which won the 1973 Pulitzer Prize for Drama as well as the 1973 Tony Award for Best Play – is rarely produced these days. Notably direct in its portrayal of 5 men who once shared the glory of a high school basketball championship, the script is quite raw, with curse-filled anger, disparaging references to blacks, Jews and women, infidelities, double-dealing and rough humor. As the playwright did not hold back on language and frankness, neither does Main Street Productions’ offering, directed by Lori Raffel. The C ..read more

reviewed by Daniel Shock Amid the chaos of our morning preparations for a road trip to Chattanooga, our cat decided to make a statement by throwing up in our open suitcase. This incident left us half-amused, half-frustrated, and fully convinced it was a calculated act. This moment coincided with my need to gather my thoughts about the unpredictable charm and occasional mayhem pets bring into our lives for this review of Theatre Unchained’s production of Neil Martin’s Herding Cats. Unlike our little saboteur, the feline characters in Herding Cats may not resort to villainy, but they certainly ..read more

reviewed by Ken Klingenmeier Alfred Uhry’s play Driving Miss Daisy started as off-Broadway fare in 1987, winning the 1988 Pulitzer Prize for Drama. It wasn’t long before Hollywood took notice and the Oscar winning film by the same title was produced. Booth Tarkington Civic Theatre’s production opened earlier this past weekend in the black box space at The Studio in the performing arts complex. The play, set in the years from 1948 to 1973, tells the story of Daisy Werthan – aged 72 at the onset – who, after a bad car crash, is in need of a driver, at least according to her son, Boolie. She won ..read more

reviewed by Daniel Shock I had exactly two black professors when I attended Indiana University in the early 1990s. Both women. Both had high expectations for their students and would not accept less than your best. Both taught lessons that have stayed with me ever since I sat in their classrooms. One taught me about African musical influences on music in the Americas. The other taught about how cultural differences affect the approach speech therapists take when designing therapy. She also changed how I introduced myself, from Danny to Daniel, just by how she said my name. Both professors wer ..read more

reviewed by Carrie Neal There’s something irresistible about a quest. As theatergoers, we love to see characters go on emotional journeys, so when there’s an actual physical journey as well, so much the better. Man of La Mancha takes this concept to the next level, though, and has the protagonist go on both an emotional and physical journey inside his mind. For those unfamiliar with the story, Cervantes is imprisoned during the Spanish Inquisition and takes his fellow prisoners on an imaginary journey to help everyone forget their circumstances. This story-within-a-story has held an almost un ..read more

reviewed by Jay Hemphill “You give me those shoes!” Never since the Wicked Witch of the West has anyone wanted a pair of shoes more than Rhoda Penmark. Tonight, a friend and I ventured into the hallowed halls of the Scottish Rite Cathedral to watch the final dress rehearsal of Betty Rage’s latest production, The Bad Seed. Directed by Callie Burk-Hartz with assistance by Gigi Jennewein, with an adaptation by James Capps, the cast includes Greta Shambarger, Lukas Schooler, Christine Zavakos, Shannon Samson, Austin Hookfin, Alyce Penny, Tristan Ross, Jenni White, and Ronn Johnstone. The Bad Seed ..read more

reviewed by Ken Klingenmeier Indiana Repertory Theatre presents R. Eric Thomas’ The Folks at Home, a sit-com patterned comedy recalling any number of favorite TV series from our pasts. Director Reggie D. White unwraps the script with a fine cast of players, depicting a good ol’ fashioned 70s/80s style situation comedy. The story is a bit more modernly faceted than any from that era – a mixed gay couple, Roger (Keith Illidge) and Brandon (Garrett Young), are struggling to keep up their mortgage payments since Roger lost his job at a realty agency. Brandon believes the solution is to sell the h ..read more

reviewed by Daniel Shock I parked my car and made my way down the sidewalk, then turned north up an alley. There, I found a well-lit door on the side of a building that led me into a small theatre known as ‘The Brick Room’. Alone for this show, I couldn’t convince my 13-year-old son to join me to see a recreation of a 1970’s era talk show exploring the life and career of a golden age movie star. I understand. When I said the name ‘Katharine Hepburn’ to him…he had no idea who that was. I didn’t even bother to say the name ‘Dick Cavett’. As I found my seat at the back of the theatre, it occurs ..read more