Ixion Ensemble's She Kills Monsters has only ONE more show, at 7 pm tomorrow, Easter Sunday - so if you want to crack up your Easter eggs with a fun geek/nerd comedy, arrive EARLY because tonight was sold out and the best seats are at the front, near the entertaining monster entourage that appears during scene changes. 

It’s a trip into the Dungeons and Dragons role-playing world, mostly a spoof but with underlying heart, as a schoolteacher sister (Katy Kettles) quests to know her deceased sister Tilly (Storm Boyer) through the D&D “map”(?) notebook she left behind. I’m sure those who were into the game would enjoy it especially, but even we pre-D&D era geriatrics could laugh at the stylized, wise-cracking characters. Tobin Bates was particularly adorable as the “Dungeon Master” leading previously “average” Agnes (Katy Kettles) on her quest.

I echo “guest reviewer” Tom Klunzinger’s assessment that the show offers "a rare opportunity to wallow in the guilty pleasures of faux swordfights and off-color one-liners which benefit mightily from the excellent comic timing of its energetic cast.” (To read that March 19 review, go to greaterlansingtheatre.net, pull down “about the glut” menu and choose “email list” to find the March 19 review.)

In a heartfelt director’s note, Jeff Croff draws parallels of this role-playing game to the role-playing we do on stage and the collaborative fantasies and unique worlds we share through theatre. 

www.ixiontheatre.com
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 517.775.4246

Robin Theatre 1105 S Washington Ave, Lansing, MI 48910
Make reservations at this link: Sunday March 27th at 7 p.m. 

Ixion Theatre is continuing its tradition of soliciting NEW scripts on a theme for a sort of “collective” production each season. They received an overwhelming 115 submissions this year, on the theme “Secrets” - and after a very difficult winnowing process, these eight short gems have been selected for readings, possible revisions, and full production of most/all of them this coming May, directed by Paige Dunckel. 

A small but enthusiastic audience was entertained/intrigued by these eight little “scriptlets" — and I encourage you to come see them — possibly somewhat reworked in response to audience feedback at tonight’s reading — performed by the talented Bruce Bennett, Cassie Little, Miranda Hartmann and a young man I didn’t know, and there was no program so I can’t remember his name (sorry!) Secrets were revealed in a wide variety of ways, mostly with humor, and fun twists. 

Ixion's SECOND reading of SECRETS scripts is Monday, February 15th from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. in the Capital Area District Library auditorium, 401 S. Capitol, Lansing, MI. The readings are free to attend and they look forward to hearing your comments and reactions.

Featured scripts are:
• "Small Talk" by David MacGregor--Is it a crisis when your significant other can't carry on the small talk needed to advance your career?

• "Pumps" by Brett Hursey--A woman struggles to break free of her high heels' control.

• "Aunt Rosa" by Ron Frankel--Jealousy and mistaken identities threaten lives at a fortune teller's shop.

• "Honestly" by Steven Korbar--If nothing is at risk, how honest can a relationship be?

• "Blind Date" by Ron Frankel--Is love blind?

• "Reunion" by David MacGregor--Class reunions always offer a little revelation.

• "Riding Lessons" by Brett Hursey--What happens when your invisible friend is not so invisible anymore?

• "An Understanding Wife" by David Berger-- How understanding can a wife be when asked to consider another woman's love for her husband?

Ixion Ensemble’s latest offering is the twisted comedy The View From Here, written by Margaret Dulaney in the “Southern Gothic” style. It reminds me of my favorite Beth Henley plays (Crimes of the Heart, Miss Firecracker Contest) and one of my faves, The Sugar Bean Sisters (by Nathan Sanders). These shows involve flawed, disturbing and eccentric characters and their often self-destructive but hilarious behaviors. Tragedy sits right beside humor as we laugh our way to sympathy. As the description says, “The View from Here is ultimately about healing and the pain that hope carries with it.” 

Set in the “big hair” 80’s, this show has a retro feel. Sadonna Croff deftly directs a cast of four — with extra kudos to her talented husband, Jeff Croff, who took over the role of Arnold at the last minute (since the original Arnold, Richard Kirkwood (The Whale) was recently injured in an auto accident; he was in the audience and seems to be healing well.)

Rachel Mender brings presence and energy to the agoraphobic Fern, who frenetically invites us into her surreal breakdown at the Super Kroger, explaining why she hasn’t been out of her house in six years. We next meet Fern's initially catatonic but ultimately sympathetic sister, Maple (Cassie Little) who is in distress after being abandoned by her husband who seems… “disturbed." Neighbor Carla (Miranda Hartmann) brings her own wacky perspectives and superstitions to the mix. When Fern wins a microwave that she must redeem in person, her self-imposed house-arrest is challenged.

To purchase tickets online for any Ixion event, please visit eventbrite.com and search Ixion.  Tickets can also be purchased at the door. 

Email: [email protected]
Phone: 517.775.4246