Jane Austen’s Sense and Sensibility, Onstage!

Runs April 14–May 10, 2020
Indiana Repertory Theatre (140 W. Washington St., Indianapolis)
Adapted by Jessica Swale

Three sisters and their widowed mother lose their family home and must create new lives for themselves in a tiny seaside cottage. Along the way they face kindness and cruelty, duty and deception, as they try to navigate the complex social rules for proper young ladies. What will lead to lasting happiness and true love: practical good sense or following the sensibility of your heart? Sit back and indulge yourself in the wit and wisdom, the beauty and charm of Jane Austen.

Approximate Run Time: 2 hours and 45 minutes, including a 15-minute intermission

Sense and Sensibility is a period romance by Jane Austen. Recommended for patrons 9th grade and above.

“Jane Austen originally published her novels anonymously; today, she is one of the most wildly popular classic authors. Why? Her best books are breathlessly compelling; I find that once I get started, I can’t put them down. Jane Austen writes about the emotional and economic tangles of family and relationships with clear, direct honesty, warm-hearted humor, and gripping storytelling. Our production of Jessica Swale’s stage adaptation of Sense and Sensibility offers a timely and timeless point of view on today’s ongoing struggle to make equal space for women in a man’s world.”

Richard J. Roberts, Resident Dramaturg

Tickets begin at $25. For more information or to order tickets, visit the Indiana Repertory Theatre online!

Agatha Christie’s Murder on the Orient Express, Onstage!

Runs March 3–29, 2020
Indiana Repertory Theatre (140 W. Washington St., Indianapolis)
Adapted by Ken Ludwig

A luxury train trapped in a snowdrift, a dining car full of glamorous passengers, a dead body with multiple stab wounds, a suspicious intruder who keeps disappearing, and mysterious links to a far-distant murder case. Hercule Poirot, the world’s greatest detective, must interrupt his holiday to solve this fiendishly intricate and clever plot—before the snow is cleared and the train moves on. A golden-age detective story springs to life from the pages of the world’s best-selling author.

Approximate Run Time: 2 hours, including a 15-minute intermission

Murder on the Orient Express is a thrilling Agatha Christie whodunit and contains profanity and onstage violence. Recommended for patrons 9th grade and above.

“After directing Jeffrey Hatcher’s Holmes and Watson last season, it is exciting to come back to IRT and work on a very different kind of mystery play: Ken Ludwig’s adaptation of Agatha Christie’s masterpiece Murder on the Orient Express. It is widely believed that the kidnapping and murder of Charles Lindbergh’s son in 1932 inspired the sub-plot of this 1934 novel. When Christie wrote the book, the killer was still at large. The play begins with a kidnapping reminiscent of the real one, but quickly transports us to Istanbul where we meet 10 delicious characters about to take a journey on the luxurious Orient Express. These complex, eccentric, passionate individuals hail from all over the globe from all walks of life. And they all have secrets! Put them together on a train stranded in a heavy snowstorm, and who can tell what might happen? I can tell you these ingredients make for a highly entertaining evening in the theatre.”

Risa Brainin, Director of Murder on the Orient Express

Tickets begin at $25. For more information or to order tickets, visit the Indiana Repertory Theatre online!

Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol, Onstage!

Runs November 16December 26, 2019
Indiana Repertory Theatre (140 W. Washington St., Indianapolis)
Adapted by Tom Haas

A delightful ensemble of players brings Scrooge, Tiny Tim, four spirits, and all of Victorian London to life on our snow-covered stage for this holiday treasure infused with music and song. In the darkness of winter, we all need the shining light of forgiveness, redemption, and love. Come celebrate the joy of the season and the spirit of giving.

Approximate Run Time: 1 hour and 30 minutes, with no intermission

A Christmas Carol is an adaptation of Dickens’ classic tale that contains imagery that may frighten young children. Recommended for patrons 4th grade and above.

“I am excited that A Christmas Carol is getting a fresh new look! Linda Pisano’s new costume designs are beautiful and her research and attention to detail lifts this important story in a magical way. We will have some long-time Carol actors and Indy favorites joining us again this holiday season, while inviting some new spirits into the tradition. Additionally, there will be new songs along with our favorite Christmas Carols. All of these new investments of time and love to Carol come from our commitment to keeping the production fresh, accessible and relevant for our community.”

Benjamin Hanna, Associate Artistic Director and Director of A Christmas Carol

Tickets begin at $25. For more information or to buy tickets, visit the Indiana Repertory Theatre online!

Twelve Angry Men, Onstage!

Runs September 429, 2019
Indiana Repertory Theatre (140 W. Washington St., Indianapolis)
By Reginald Rose

A young man’s life hangs in the balance as a trial jury meets behind closed doors to debate his guilt or innocence. Did he kill his father? Or is there reasonable doubt? What is justice, and how do we achieve it? You will be on the edge of your seat as a dozen men with different viewpoints try to agree on one verdict. This classic American drama from the 1950s could have been written yesterday with its provocative look at power, prejudice, and clashing perspectives.

Approximate Run Time: 1 hour and 40 minutes, with no intermission

Twelve Angry Men is a classic American drama that contains profanity and mild violence. Recommended for patrons 9th grade and above.

“The season opens with the classic American 1950s courtroom drama Twelve Angry Men. We select a play of this nature to unite the adult and student populations with a play that holds power for its strong dramatic tension, as well as its heated debates on the efficacy of the American justice system. It will pack a content and a style punch, and we’re excited to open our season with this quintessentially American high-stakes debate play that feels ripped out of today’s headlines.”

Janet Allen, Executive Artistic Director

Tickets begin at $25. For more information or to buy tickets, visit the Indiana Repertory Theatre online!

The Screwtape Letters, Onstage!

4PM | Saturday, November 2, 2019
Clowe’s Memorial Hall, Butler University (4602 Sunset Ave., Indianapolis)

“I have no intention of explaining how the correspondence, which I now offer to the public, fell into my hands.

“There are two equal and opposite errors into which our race can fall about the devils. One is to disbelieve in their existence. The other is to believe, and to feel an excessive and unhealthy interest in them. They themselves are equally pleased by both errors and hail a materialist or a magician with the same delight.

“Readers are advised to remember that the devil is a liar. Not everything that Screwtape says should be assumed to be true, even from his own angle.

“There is wishful thinking in Hell as well as on Earth.”

C.S. Lewis, July 5, 1941

This acclaimed and faithful stage adaptation of C.S. Lewis’ satiric masterpiece follows Screwtape, a senior tempter in Hell, as he schemes to capture the soul of an unsuspecting human on earth and reveals spiritual warfare in vivid, humorous, and powerful ways.

Run Time: 90 minutes; no intermission.
Age Recommendation: 13 and older. Children under age 4 not admitted.

This play is produced by the Fellowship for Performing Arts, a Biblical Christian organization founded by Max McLean. Tickets will be onsale soon! For more information, visit the Fellowship for Performing Arts online.

Q&A

What is the Fellowship for Performing Arts?

Founded by award-winning actor Max McLean, FPA is a not-for-profit New York City-based production company producing theatre from a Christian worldview to engage a diverse audience.

Where do you produce your work?

In addition to an annual season in New York City, FPA tours its productions in major cities from coast to coast and internationally.

What plays have you done?

FPA recent productions include the international hit The Screwtape Letters, The Great Divorce, C.S. Lewis Onstage: The Most Reluctant Convert, Martin Luther on Trial, Mark’s Gospel, Genesis, Robert Bolt’s A Man for All Seasons, and the first New York revival of the Tony-nominated play Shadowlands.

How do you choose your productions?

FPA carefully selects works from great authors and themes that can articulate the Christian worldview in a way that is imaginative, multi-layered and relatable to audiences from any faith perspective, or none at all.