Indiana Repertory Theatre facts for kids
The Indiana Repertory Theatre, often called IRT, is a professional theatre company in Indianapolis, Indiana. It started in 1972 as a true repertory theatre, meaning its actors performed in many different plays at the same time. Today, it's a major regional theatre and a member of the League of Resident Theatres.
Each year, the IRT usually puts on nine or ten plays. These shows are performed on two different stages. At least two plays are chosen especially for students, and one of these is often a play by William Shakespeare. A popular holiday show, usually A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens, is performed on the OneAmerica Stage.
The theatre company has been in two different buildings. It began in 1972 at The Athenaeum. In 1980, the IRT moved to its current home, The Indiana Theatre. This building, located at 140 West Washington Street, was built in 1927 as a movie theater. It was later changed to become the IRT's theatre.
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Actors and Famous Plays
Many talented actors have performed at the Indiana Repertory Theatre multiple times. Some well-known names include Priscilla Lindsay, who was once an Assistant Artistic Director, and Scott Wentworth, who helped start the theatre. John Henry Redwood was another important actor. He created a one-man show called Looking Over the President's Shoulder at the IRT in 2001. This play told the true story of Alonzo Fields, who worked as a butler for three United States presidents.
Other writers have also created plays for the IRT. Charles Smith wrote Les Trois Dumas and Sister Carrie, and more recently Gospel According to James. Actor Johnny Lee Davenport played Deputy Marshal Henry in the movies The Fugitive and U.S. Marshals. He also played the main character in Othello at the IRT. Tim Grimm is another actor who often appears in their shows.
The theatre is very famous in Indiana for its production of Charles Dickens's A Christmas Carol. This version was adapted by Tom Haas, a former artistic director. It's a special kind of production that keeps many of the story's darker parts. For example, it includes the scene with "Want and Ignorance," which Dickens thought was very important.
The IRT mostly stopped doing musicals in the 1990s. However, they did create a new musical called Captive Heart: The Frances Slocum Story in 1999. This musical is based on the story of Frances Slocum, also known as Maconaquah. Her story is a common part of Indiana history lessons. They also performed Enter the Guardsman, a musical based on a play by Ferenc Molnár. More recently, the IRT has put on musicals like Crowns, The Fantasticks, and Stephen Sondheim's A Little Night Music.
The IRT made history by being the first theatre to cast an autistic actor, Mickey Rowe, in the main role of the play The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time. This was an important step for including more diverse actors.
Special Programs
The Indiana Repertory Theatre also supports young writers. They sponsor a playwriting competition for middle and high school students called Young Playwrights in Process. This program helps young people develop their writing skills for the stage.
Recent Seasons
The Indiana Repertory Theatre has a new season of plays each year. Here are some of the plays from recent seasons:
2016-2017 Season
- The Three Musketeers
- Finding Home: Indiana at 200
- A Christmas Carol
- Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner
- The Cay (for students and families)
- Stuart Little (for young children)
- Boeing Boeing
- Miranda
- Dial “M” for Murder
2015-2016 Season
- The Great Gatsby
- April 4, 1968: Before We Forgot How to Dream
- A Christmas Carol
- Peter Rabbit and Me (for young children)
- The Mystery of Irma Vep
- To Kill a Mockingbird (for students and families)
- Fences
- Bridge & Tunnel
- The Mousetrap
2014-2015 Season
- The Two Gentlemen of Verona
- Red
- A Christmas Carol
- The Velveteen Rabbit (for young children)
- Good People
- The Giver (for students and families)
- The Hound of the Baskervilles
- What I Learned in Paris
- On Golden Pond
