Only a sadist would envy theater artistic directors these days.
Their challenge: Coming up with plays that further their artistic aims and satisfy audiences, all the while generating enough box office, grants and philanthropic support to keep the doors open. And, ideally, the talent paid.
But the work must be done, and those in artistic charge of local theaters have sifted through the piles of possibilities, assessed their resources, and announced their 2024-25 schedules.
Compared to their work, my task was easy — combing through their picks for the fall season to come up with 10 to recommend, sight unseen.
[10 Indy actors you should be following right now]
Well, not entirely. My picks are based on the work I’ve seen from these artists, these companies and these playwrights.
Of course, there’s a lot more to choose from. For these companies and others in the region, click over to their websites to see what else is in their lineups. There’s a lot to see.
“What the Constitution Means to Me“
Sept. 5-22
American Lives Theatre at the Phoenix Cultural Center, 705 N. Illinois St.
Heidi Schreck’s exploration of what the U.S. Constitution protects and doesn’t protect was not only a surprise hit on stage, but even after it was aired on Amazon Prime Video it has become one of the most produced non-musicals at regional theaters. ALT’s has cast one of Indy’s leading actors, Claire Wilcher, in the key role. (Oh, and don’t forget to VOTE!)
New Harmony Project Playfest
Sept. 13-15
District Theatre, 627 Massachusetts Ave.
For years, if you wanted to see the work of the New Harmony Project, you had to go to, well, New Harmony, Ind. But the company with a rep for workshopping new plays is hosting its first weekend of in-development play readings in Indianapolis. The subjects include Malcolm X, misdiagnosed medical issues, a school sex scandal, baseball prodigies and the development of the birth control pill.
All tickets are free but need to be reserved. And because these are works in progress, a request is made to not discuss or review them publicly.
“Dreamgirls“
Sept. 15-29
KaidyDid Productions and Urban Musical Theatre at the Athenaeum, 401 E Michigan St.
The last time “Dreamgirls” was staged at the Mass. Ave. landmark, shows sold out. Expect more of the same when one of theater’s best backstage/on stage musicals gets a revival. I suggest that folks dining downstairs at the Rathskeller hold onto their plates when it gets near the end of Act I. (Musical theater fans know what I’m talking about.)
“The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee“
Sept. 18-Oct. 13
Indiana Repertory Theatre, 140 W. Washington St.
One of the most noticeable changes at the IRT since Ben Hanna took over as artistic director is the inclusion of comedic musicals — albeit ones with limited casts (and minimal dancing). And the state’s largest regional theater is likely to have a hit with this one.
Given the show’s structure, its quirky humor, and the audience interaction, this oft-produced show is a near-guaranteed crowd pleaser. What separates good-enough renditions from outstanding ones, though, is whether or not the production team can find the show’s h-e-a-r-t amidst the l-a-u-g-h-s.
“Kinky Boots”
Sept. 20-29, Ball State University Theatre, 920 N. McKinley Ave, Muncie
Oct. 4-19, Booth Tarkington Civic Theatre, 1 Carter Green, Carmel
You’ve got multiple options for catching the Cyndi Lauper/Harvey Fierstein musical this season (a third option comes via Footlite Musicals in the spring). In case you missed previous productions or haven’t seen the film, let’s just say that something has to change for a shoe factory to survive and, well, the title is a bit of a spoiler. Bonus: Civic’s production will make use of some of the region’s drag talent.
Side note: Rock and pop stars have been hit-and-miss when it comes to writing original musicals. With this show, Lauper succeeded where Paul Simon and Sting, to name two, didn’t. (You don’t see many – if any – revivals of Simon’s “The Capeman” or Sting’s “The Last Ship.”)
“Toni Stone“
Sept. 19-Oct. 6
Indianapolis Black Theater Company at The District Theatre, 627 Massachusetts Ave.
Lydia R. Diamond’s play is about the first female professional baseball player – who happened to play for Negro League team the Indianapolis Clowns. As IBTC’s first full production, it seems a very smart choice for the new company, likely to attract theater and sports lovers.
“Judy’s Life’s Work“
Oct. 18-Nov. 3
Naptown African American Theatre Collective at the Phoenix Cultural Center, 705 N. Illinois St.
The potential foreclosure of a gym run by an ex-con boxer is the catalyst in Chicago playwright Loy A. Webb’s play involving a desirable notebook, medical breakthroughs and sibling conflict. After NAATC canceled a different Webb show, “The Light,” in the spring, here’s hoping for a return to form for the theater collective, which got off to a terrific start last season with “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom.”
“She Loves Me“
Nov. 1-17
Actors Theatre of Indiana at The Studio Theater at the Center for the Performing Arts, 4 Carter Green, Carmel, IN
If you’ve seen “The Shop Around the Corner” or “You’ve Got Mail,” you know the basic person-who-annoys-you-in-person-is-person-you-are-crushing-on-in-anonymous-correspondence plot. But the charm is in the details and in the score by Jerry Bock and Sheldon Harnick, the duo best known for “Fiddler on the Roof.”
“She Kills Monsters“
Nov. 13-17
Schrott Center for the Arts, 610 W 46th St.
Already pining for next year’s Gen Con? Here’s the show for you. In Qui Nguyen’s play, a woman comes to grips with the death of her sister after finding her sibling’s Dungeons & Dragons notebook.
The playwright has since risen in the film ranks with his scripts for “Strange World” and “Raya and the Last Dragon,” while the play has become one of the most produced around the country, particularly at colleges.
“The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay“
Nov. 15-22
IU Opera at the Musical Arts Center, 101 N Eagleson Ave, Bloomington, IN
The line between opera and theater has blurred over the years – Indianapolis Opera will stage “West Side Story” in the spring. So when a new opera gets a world premiere in the area, attention should be paid, especially when it’s a co-production with The Metropolitan Opera.
Based on Michael Chabon’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, “The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay” follows a pair of cousins whose comic book creations rise in popularity in the 1940s.
Lou Harry is a journalist and theatermaker. His play “Balsa Wood” will be a part of the Spirit & Place Festival in November. He will also co-produce and direct a September production of Warren Leight’s Tony-winning play “Side Man” at the Chatterbox.
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