Indianapolis isn’t known for being an “actor’s town.” While the city has a good number of local theater organizations, it’s not typical for an actor to have name recognition with much of the community in Indianapolis.
The new “Irving’s Crossroads” and the long-standing Indy Actors’ Playground, aim to not only promote Indianapolis actors, but to introduce more people to the world of theater and the arts.
Each performance is kept a secret from the audience…
Each performance from Indy Actors’ Playground — whether rehearsed or not — is kept a secret from the audience until curtain call. This serves several purposes: first, it helps bring audiences out of their comfort zones by introducing them to works they might not pick for themselves. It also helps actors broaden their horizons without the limitations imposed by marketing.
“Any actor who gets a job in this city is dependent on what an artistic director chooses,” co-founder Lou Harry said. “So, unless they’re self-producing, their personality is sort of shaped — at least their perceived personality — is shaped by the roles they get.”
[Click here to read Lou Harry’s Cultural Journal]
Indy Actor’s Playground was started in 2013 by Harry and Bill Simmons. Both men had been involved in the local theater scene for decades and wanted to create opportunities for actors to perform script readings in front of a live audience. Harry now runs Indy Actors’ Playgroud with Kelsey Leigh Miller, an Indianapolis-based actor.
Once a month, one actor had an opportunity to pick a script to perform. Like many artistic endeavors, the COVID-19 pandemic effectively shut the Indy Actors’ Playground down.
After a three year break, Harry and Miller are bringing Indy Actors’ Playground back on April 1 at Indy Reads, 1066 Virginia Ave., and plan to continue the program on the second Monday of every month.
By giving actors a chance to pick a script to perform, Indy Actors’ Playground also provides opportunities for works that may be too obscure to secure a large audience through larger theaters. This practice also helps boost the visibility of local actors in the city.
“Cold, Cold Readings,” which happen once a year, are also a chance for actors take the stage with a script they’ve never read before.
“In a typical stage play, the actors know what’s going to happen in Act II,” Harry explained. “One of the joys of the blind readings we’ve had is that the actors themselves are discovering the play as it goes along, and discovering the character as it goes along. That brings up something really cool.”
Actor Brian Hartz performed in a “Cold, Cold Reading” performance of the play “Gnit” — a post-modern adaptation of Henrik Ibsen’s “Peer Gynt” — in 2019. The unrehearsed, off-the-cuff readings, he said, helps actors learn to roll with the punches.
“It reinforces the need to be present and dialed in to your fellow actors,” Hartz said. “Everyone is discovering it as they go along, so it’s almost like an improv experience in that you need to be just absolutely receptive and ready to roll with just about anything.”
[10 theater performances to look forward to in Indianapolis]
Attending these monthly script readings, Indianapolis residents get to experience theater for free as well. Whether you’re a bonafide theater buff or new to the craft, Harry prides himself on the creation of a barrier-free exploration of theater in Indianapolis.
“Freedom from expectation.”
Irving’s Crossroads, a new monthly program at Stage Door Irvington, 5635 Bonna Ave., also aims to highlight the unique talents in Indianapolis and throughout the midwest. Through stageplays and music, organizer Matt McDonald is looking to share and celebrate the eclectic mix of talent throughout Indianapolis and the Midwest.
Irving’s Crossroads kicked off on March 1, with three musical acts and a performance of the short play “Till Death Do Us Part,” written by local writer Emily Worrell. Each performance, as McDonald noted, provided artists and audiences alike the ability to experience the work with “freedom from expectation.”
“This is essentially a concert series focused on giving artists a chance to take risks and experiment and give audiences the chance to expect the unexpected,” McDonald said.
As an actor and a touring musician, McDonald recognized that many venues limit their bills to a specific genre. This isn’t just limiting for audiences, he says, but not congruent with how people tend to listen to music.
“A lot of the things that make a show commercially viable are just a little bit different from what makes it exciting and engaging,” McDonald said. “Shows need to be interesting and immediate and fun, so the hope is that by removing some of the unnecessary hurdles, we can have something more unexpected and engaging.”
Worrell sees Irving’s Crossroads as an opportunity to introduce more people to local arts and culture.
“This is a unique way to experience art, and it works because, no matter what your taste is, there’s a good chance that you’ll find something you’ll enjoy,” she said. “Ultimately, it helps people branch out and get out of their comfort zone.”
Mirror Indy reporter Breanna Cooper covers arts and culture. Reach her at breanna.cooper@mirrorindy.org. Follow her on X @BreannaNCooper.
Republish our articles for free, online or in print, under a Creative Commons license.
