PlaysWithJohnAndWendy

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…

Classic psychological thriller ‘Veronica’s Room’ presented by Eclipse Productions of Bloomington playswithjohnandwendy.com/2025/10/21/e...

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…

Athenaeum, NoExit present mysterious 'Gathering' playswithjohnandwendy.com/2025/10/20/a...

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…

Remember writing letters? Buck Creek Players presents the musical "She Loves Me" through Oct. 19. playswithjohnandwendy.com/2025/10/13/p...

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…

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...

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.…

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...

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…

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...

‘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…

Center Stage Community Theatre in Lebanon, Ind., presents charming comedy "The Widow in Mink" through Oct. 12
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‘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 …

Main Street Productions of Westfield presents "Rocky Horror" (the stage musical) Wednesday through Friday evenings and midnight Saturday! playswithjohnandwendy.com/2025/09/28/a...

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 …

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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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…

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...

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 …

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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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…

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...

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…

Epilogue comedy brings new meaning to ‘juke joint’ playswithjohnandwendy.com/2025/09/16/e...

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…

Mud Creek Players present popular Jones Hope Wooten comedy "Dearly Beloved" with laughs and heart as big as Texas.
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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…

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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New play presents a fateful correspondence By John Lyle Belden There is much to be said for the magic of the theatre, the blurring of space, distance, and communication between characters and to our silent witness, all on the limited confin…

Correspondence with a Death Row inmate proves revealing for both persons involved. World premiere of "Wad," presented by American Lives Theatre and The New Harmony Project at the Phoenix Theatre Cultural Centre through Sept. 28
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‘Mockingbird’ has its say in Carmel By John Lyle Belden Nineteen-thirty-five was 90 years ago, approaching a century, and aspects of our culture then still linger with us today. That’s why “To Kill a Mockingbird,” the novel by Harper…

Tickets are selling fast for Carmel Community Players "To Kill a Mockingbird" at The Cat, through Sept. 21
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New dinner theatre celebrates Broadway By John Lyle Belden This year there is a new place for dinner and a show, in an old, familiar building. The Murat Shrine Club (north side of the historic building that now houses the Old National C…

New dinner theatre celebrates Broadway playswithjohnandwendy.com/2025/09/10/n...

Musical blast from the past by ATI By John Lyle Belden Every era has both its triumphs and struggles; they were also years which those who grew up in tend to remember fondly. For some of us – and many of our parents – that was the 1…

Musical blast from the past, "Beehive" by ATI in Carmel celebrates the girl groups and brave women singers of the 1960s playswithjohnandwendy.com/2025/09/09/m...

Wild Wilde comedy at Buck Creek By Earnest Bunbury John Lyle Belden Buck Creek Players takes on a classic comedy tackling issues of identity within a strict society, “The Importance of Being Earnest,” which playwright Oscar Wilde…

Creative casting that seems apt for an Oscar Wilde classic, Buck Creek Players gets 'Earnest'
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Phoenix launches unflinching look at ‘Rocket Men’ By John Lyle Belden During 20th century developments in rocketry, its uses in warfare, and eventually in space exploration, there were contentious discussions regarding solid and liquid explosive f…

German geniuses helped launch us into the future, but does it make up for their past? 'The Rocket Men' through Sept. 21 at the Phoenix Theatre playswithjohnandwendy.com/2025/09/07/p...

ALT: What happens in Aspen… By John Lyle Belden One of the biggest surprises for me in seeing “Aspen Ideas,” the new dark comedy by Abe Koogler, is that the Aspen Festival of Ideas is a real thing – an annual gathering of the…

American Lives Theatre presents something unusual making its way to "Aspen Ideas," performances Thursday through Sunday at Phoenix Theatre Cultural Centre playswithjohnandwendy.com/2025/08/25/a...

IndyFringe: Operation! This is part of the 20th Anniversary Indy Fringe Festival, Aug. 14-24, 2025, in downtown Indianapolis. For information and tickets, see indyfringe.org. By John Lyle Belden This has nothin…

IndyFringe: "Operation!" is not the game, but still lots of fun. Get Medieval with the Disgusting Brothers Company with performances Aug. 22, 23, 24 playswithjohnandwendy.com/2025/08/18/i...

IndyFringe: Grad School Sucks! This is part of the 20th Anniversary Indy Fringe Festival, Aug. 14-24, 2025, in downtown Indianapolis. For information and tickets, see indyfringe.org. By John Lyle Belden Fact may someti…

IndyFringe: What really sucks is that there is no more "Grad School Sucks!" - at least for now.
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IndyFringe: El Traje Nuevo Del Emperador This is part of the 20th Anniversary Indy Fringe Festival, Aug. 14-24, 2025, in downtown Indianapolis. For information and tickets, see indyfringe.org. By John Lyle Belden Now that it has…

IndyFringe: El Traje Nuevo Del Emperador playswithjohnandwendy.com/2025/08/18/i...

IndyFringe: Beyond Ballet This is part of the 20th Anniversary Indy Fringe Festival, Aug. 14-24, 2025, in downtown Indianapolis. For information and tickets, see indyfringe.org. By John Lyle Belden You have one ch…

IndyFringe: "Beyond Ballet" by Indianapolis Ballet with one remaining performance this Saturday playswithjohnandwendy.com/2025/08/18/i...

IndyFringe: The Estate Sale This is part of the 20th Anniversary Indy Fringe Festival, Aug. 14-24, 2025, in downtown Indianapolis. For information and tickets, see indyfringe.org. By John Lyle Belden When you enter “The Estat…

IndyFringe: Looking back at "The Estate Sale" and looking forward to seeing Kelly Dee with her Sale wagon around the Fringe this week playswithjohnandwendy.com/2025/08/18/i...

Paige Scott warming up the crowd for the #IndyFringe Preview, about to start at the Athenaeum

CCP: A bitterly arousing ‘American’ story By John Lyle Belden One of the cruelest linguistic tricks of the last 10 years is how the meaning of “woke” has been thoroughly obscured from its use by African Americans notably at least since the…

One rainy night, a mother is awakened to a sadly too-familiar event that deserves all our attention. "American Son" presented by Carmel Community Players at The Switch Theatre in Fishers, through Aug. 17
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Summer Stock’s ‘Chill’ a hot ticket By John Lyle Belden Talk about an upgrade – Summer Stock Stage presents a Mainstage young artist production of the Broadway hit “Be More Chill.” Based on a story genre that dates back to tales of F…

We remember when "take a chill pill" was just a saying; what if someone actually made one? See the musical "Be More Chill" presented by Summer Stock Stage at Butler's Schrott Center for the Arts, through Aug. 17
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