By FRANK PHILLIPS
frankphi@hotmail.com
There are 400 bills before the Indiana House of Representatives. The last day to file a new bill was Tuesday, Rep. Vern Tincher said at the Clay County Farm Bureau Crackerbarrel meeting at the Cory Firehouse Saturday morning. About half of those bills were filed on the last day.
One idea that farmers who were present at the meeting don't want to see enacted is the idea of mandatory corn check-off on the value of a corn crop.
As farmer Steve Bussing explained it to the legislators, a proposal favored by Indiana Farm Bureau (not necessarily Clay County Farm Bureau) would lower his profits by $5,000 per year on his corn crop.
At $4 per bushel corn prices, the difference between 1/-cent per bushel check-off and a check-off based on 1/2 cent per bushel would take $1 million out of Clay County and cost farmers in the state $16 million per year. That amount could be reduced if the price of corn goes down, Bussing said.
David Schopmeyer, who is employed at the Statehouse, said the bill to watch is HB 1121.
The money generated by the check-off is used to investigate and promote ethanol, which is 85 percent corn alcohol and 15 percent gasoline.
There are two ethanol plants operating in the state and 21 plants are eventually planned, Rep. Vern Tincher (D-Riley) said.
Tincher, Rep. Clyde Kersey (D-Terre Haute) and Sen. Richard Bray (R-Martinsville) voted against a corn check-off bill last year and planned to vote against a bill to expand the check-off if it comes to them this year.
However, Rep. Amos Thomas (R-Brazil) said he would listen to what all the constitutents in his district says.
Putnam County Farm Bureau was for the corn value check-off, he said. He had not yet talked to people in the Parke County Farm Bureau.
"I am listening to what everyone says," Thomas said. "My mind is open."
Saturday, January 20, 2007
Clay County sheriff seeks help from state concerning cougar, other wild animals
By FRANK PHILLIPS
frankphi@hotmail.com
There are apparently more wild cats running around Center Point than at first thought, Sheriff Mike Heaton told the Clay County Farm Bureau Crackerbarrel meeting Saturday morning.
The cougar that has been on the prowl, outside its cage since it escaped from its cage with a 14-foot high fence and a second, much lower fence, is only the first reported escape, the sheriff said. And that word, reported, is important.
"This has been our first reported escape, but if you ask neighbors, there have been other unreported escapes," Heaton said.
In those instances, owner Joe Taft was able to coax the animals back into their cages, the sheriff said.
Since Jan. 5, the sheriff's department has received many calls from people who believed they saw the escaped cougar and those calls are eating away at his budget in a way he and the county council hadn't anticipated.
Heaton has learned the federal government really doesn't regulate exotic animals, such as the nearly 200 wild cats housed at the Exotic Feline Rescue Center near Center Point. He wants the county and state to start regulating the animals.
The rescue center is in a heavily wooded area. If a tornado cause trees to crash down on the fences, lions and tigers as well as cougars could escape and begin hunting in a populated area.
The problem is not limited to Clay County, the sheriff said. Other counties in the state are home to wild animals that are being housed by residents.
He cited an instance when a black bear escaped for its cage and had to be captured.
Clay County Commissioner Charlie Brown and Dept. of Natural Resources Director Rob Carter are working on the problem, said Rep. Amos Thomas (R-Brazil). Carter lives in Clay County and is aware of the problem.
"I will (also) talk to the DNR director and see if he has any ideas, said Rep. Vern Tincher (D-Riley).
frankphi@hotmail.com
There are apparently more wild cats running around Center Point than at first thought, Sheriff Mike Heaton told the Clay County Farm Bureau Crackerbarrel meeting Saturday morning.
The cougar that has been on the prowl, outside its cage since it escaped from its cage with a 14-foot high fence and a second, much lower fence, is only the first reported escape, the sheriff said. And that word, reported, is important.
"This has been our first reported escape, but if you ask neighbors, there have been other unreported escapes," Heaton said.
In those instances, owner Joe Taft was able to coax the animals back into their cages, the sheriff said.
Since Jan. 5, the sheriff's department has received many calls from people who believed they saw the escaped cougar and those calls are eating away at his budget in a way he and the county council hadn't anticipated.
Heaton has learned the federal government really doesn't regulate exotic animals, such as the nearly 200 wild cats housed at the Exotic Feline Rescue Center near Center Point. He wants the county and state to start regulating the animals.
The rescue center is in a heavily wooded area. If a tornado cause trees to crash down on the fences, lions and tigers as well as cougars could escape and begin hunting in a populated area.
The problem is not limited to Clay County, the sheriff said. Other counties in the state are home to wild animals that are being housed by residents.
He cited an instance when a black bear escaped for its cage and had to be captured.
Clay County Commissioner Charlie Brown and Dept. of Natural Resources Director Rob Carter are working on the problem, said Rep. Amos Thomas (R-Brazil). Carter lives in Clay County and is aware of the problem.
"I will (also) talk to the DNR director and see if he has any ideas, said Rep. Vern Tincher (D-Riley).
All-day kindergarten idea favored, but how will it be funded, lawmakers ask
By FRANK PHILLIPS
frankphi@hotmail.com
Little children may one day have to go to kindergarten all-day long (which probably seems daunting to a 5-year-old) but before that happens, lawmakers will have to figure out how to pay for the program.
Sen. Richard Bray (R-Martinsville) supports the governor's plan.
"I think it has merit, but I don't know where the money is coming from," he told about 50 people at the Cory Firehouse Saturday morning. The occasion was the first of three planned Crackerbarrel meetings sponsored by Clay County Farm Bureau.
The other elected officials in attendance, Rep. Clyde Kersey (D-Terrre Haute), Rep. Vern Tincher (D-Riley) and Rep. Amos Thomas (R-Brazil) , seemed to agree all-day kindergarten is a good idea, but they shared Bray's quandry about paying for it.
Clay Community Schools Board member Terry Barr finds it "alarming" that Gov. Mitch Daniels' all-day kindergarten proposal would not require mandatory participation by all eligible students. That is "ludicrous" she told the legilslators.
However, not everyone agreed all-day kindergarten should be mandatory.
"A lot of children are not ready for all-day kindergarten," Kersey said.
It should be a decision made by parents on a child by child basis, the right of parents to decide, he said.
However, Tincher agreed with Barr and favors mandatory all-day kindergarten, if the program is initiated.
"Some children need as much early intervention as they can get," Tincher said.
Kersey agreed all-day kindergarten is a wonderful thing, but it can be prohibitively expensive.
Verderburgh County tried all-day kindergarten decades ago. The dropout rate went down, students all seemed to do well, "But it nearly bankrupted the school district," Kersey recalled.
The governor's plan is estimated to eventually cost more than $200 million when implemented statewide. There are about 1 million students in grades k-12 throughout the state, Tincher said.
frankphi@hotmail.com
Little children may one day have to go to kindergarten all-day long (which probably seems daunting to a 5-year-old) but before that happens, lawmakers will have to figure out how to pay for the program.
Sen. Richard Bray (R-Martinsville) supports the governor's plan.
"I think it has merit, but I don't know where the money is coming from," he told about 50 people at the Cory Firehouse Saturday morning. The occasion was the first of three planned Crackerbarrel meetings sponsored by Clay County Farm Bureau.
The other elected officials in attendance, Rep. Clyde Kersey (D-Terrre Haute), Rep. Vern Tincher (D-Riley) and Rep. Amos Thomas (R-Brazil) , seemed to agree all-day kindergarten is a good idea, but they shared Bray's quandry about paying for it.
Clay Community Schools Board member Terry Barr finds it "alarming" that Gov. Mitch Daniels' all-day kindergarten proposal would not require mandatory participation by all eligible students. That is "ludicrous" she told the legilslators.
However, not everyone agreed all-day kindergarten should be mandatory.
"A lot of children are not ready for all-day kindergarten," Kersey said.
It should be a decision made by parents on a child by child basis, the right of parents to decide, he said.
However, Tincher agreed with Barr and favors mandatory all-day kindergarten, if the program is initiated.
"Some children need as much early intervention as they can get," Tincher said.
Kersey agreed all-day kindergarten is a wonderful thing, but it can be prohibitively expensive.
Verderburgh County tried all-day kindergarten decades ago. The dropout rate went down, students all seemed to do well, "But it nearly bankrupted the school district," Kersey recalled.
The governor's plan is estimated to eventually cost more than $200 million when implemented statewide. There are about 1 million students in grades k-12 throughout the state, Tincher said.
General Assembly marked by cooperation, so far, legislators say
By FRANK PHILLIPS
frankphi@hotmail.com
There seems to be healthy air of cooperation and fraternity among the legislators in Indiana's General Assembly, according to remarks made by four of the five legislators representing Clay County.
Sen. Richard Bray (R-Martinsville), and State Representatives Clyde Kersey (D-Terre Haute), Vern Tincher (D-Riley) and Amos Thomas (R-Brazil) spoke to about 50 constituents at the Cory Firehouse Saturday morning during the first of three scheduled Crackerbarrel meetings.
Sen. John Waterman (R-Shelburn) did not attend.
Here are the highlights of the legislators' opening remarks before taking questions:
* Kersey -- "There is one thing we must do this session and that is to pass a budget."
He opposes taking money from local school districts to fund all-day kindergarten.
He likes the idea free textbooks, but doesn't think there is a enough money to fund all-day kindergarten and free textbooks. Indiana is only one of 10 states that require parents to pay textbook fees.
On privatization of the state lottery -- he wants to study the issue.
He liked what he heard in much of Gov. Mitch Daniels' State of the State address including: cooperation on the state budget is needed and Democrats and Republicans need to investigate privatization.
He called the 2 percent circuit breaker legislation, to limit tax increases, "good for property owners but bad for local governments."
* Tincher -- Welcomed the governor's call for cooperation. He believes the first two years of the governor's administration showed a district lack of cooperation -- "It was his way or no way," Tincher said.
Privatization of the Hoosier Lottery is a bad idea.
Tincher has concerns about the proposed local option sales tax. He said that because so many Clay County people shot in Terre Haute, the local option tax would benefit Vigo County, but take money out of Clay County.
He would rather see the state sales tax increased by 1 percent.
Tincher wants to see legislation passed that would plug gaps in the Open Door Law. He cited the decision to fire Bob Knight by Indiana University, saying the school's president met with the university board in small groups to prohibit public involvement in the decision.
Tincher favors a bill that would allow teenage boys to register for selective service at license branches. Sixteen-year-olds would fill out the paperwork and it would be filed when they turned 18.
Tincher would like to see the state crack down on illegal immigrants by holding their employers responsible. He sees the problem a state problem because the federal government has been indecisive about the problem.
* Bray --
He believes all-day kidnergarten has merit (see accompanying story).
Bray does not favor free textbooks because a survey of his constiutents indicate parents don't mind paying for their children's textbook rental.
He said Gov. Daniels is "very bright" and has more initiatives than any governor in Bray's lifetime. But some of his ideas are good and some are bad.
"He doesn't always do a good job selling his ideas," Bray said.
The division in Indianapolis is not just Republicans and Democrats but it is also rural versus urban. He would like to see the fuel tax formula changed to include pick-up trucks and SUVs when gas tax money is returned to counties.
* Thomas --
He believes being a freshman representative gives him an advantage because he doesn't know all the details about debates on the issues.
He also thinks his maturity and experience gives him an advantage over his younger freshmen legislators.
"It's harder to fool me," he said.
He has taken up the mantle of the fuel tax formula.
He has introduced a bill that would force all state agencies to examine their energy use.
A bill he co-authored with State Rep. Dale Grubb (D-Covington) has passed the House. It will provide some money to help maintain covered bridges in Indiana. It has yet to go to the State Senate.
frankphi@hotmail.com
There seems to be healthy air of cooperation and fraternity among the legislators in Indiana's General Assembly, according to remarks made by four of the five legislators representing Clay County.
Sen. Richard Bray (R-Martinsville), and State Representatives Clyde Kersey (D-Terre Haute), Vern Tincher (D-Riley) and Amos Thomas (R-Brazil) spoke to about 50 constituents at the Cory Firehouse Saturday morning during the first of three scheduled Crackerbarrel meetings.
Sen. John Waterman (R-Shelburn) did not attend.
Here are the highlights of the legislators' opening remarks before taking questions:
* Kersey -- "There is one thing we must do this session and that is to pass a budget."
He opposes taking money from local school districts to fund all-day kindergarten.
He likes the idea free textbooks, but doesn't think there is a enough money to fund all-day kindergarten and free textbooks. Indiana is only one of 10 states that require parents to pay textbook fees.
On privatization of the state lottery -- he wants to study the issue.
He liked what he heard in much of Gov. Mitch Daniels' State of the State address including: cooperation on the state budget is needed and Democrats and Republicans need to investigate privatization.
He called the 2 percent circuit breaker legislation, to limit tax increases, "good for property owners but bad for local governments."
* Tincher -- Welcomed the governor's call for cooperation. He believes the first two years of the governor's administration showed a district lack of cooperation -- "It was his way or no way," Tincher said.
Privatization of the Hoosier Lottery is a bad idea.
Tincher has concerns about the proposed local option sales tax. He said that because so many Clay County people shot in Terre Haute, the local option tax would benefit Vigo County, but take money out of Clay County.
He would rather see the state sales tax increased by 1 percent.
Tincher wants to see legislation passed that would plug gaps in the Open Door Law. He cited the decision to fire Bob Knight by Indiana University, saying the school's president met with the university board in small groups to prohibit public involvement in the decision.
Tincher favors a bill that would allow teenage boys to register for selective service at license branches. Sixteen-year-olds would fill out the paperwork and it would be filed when they turned 18.
Tincher would like to see the state crack down on illegal immigrants by holding their employers responsible. He sees the problem a state problem because the federal government has been indecisive about the problem.
* Bray --
He believes all-day kidnergarten has merit (see accompanying story).
Bray does not favor free textbooks because a survey of his constiutents indicate parents don't mind paying for their children's textbook rental.
He said Gov. Daniels is "very bright" and has more initiatives than any governor in Bray's lifetime. But some of his ideas are good and some are bad.
"He doesn't always do a good job selling his ideas," Bray said.
The division in Indianapolis is not just Republicans and Democrats but it is also rural versus urban. He would like to see the fuel tax formula changed to include pick-up trucks and SUVs when gas tax money is returned to counties.
* Thomas --
He believes being a freshman representative gives him an advantage because he doesn't know all the details about debates on the issues.
He also thinks his maturity and experience gives him an advantage over his younger freshmen legislators.
"It's harder to fool me," he said.
He has taken up the mantle of the fuel tax formula.
He has introduced a bill that would force all state agencies to examine their energy use.
A bill he co-authored with State Rep. Dale Grubb (D-Covington) has passed the House. It will provide some money to help maintain covered bridges in Indiana. It has yet to go to the State Senate.
Wednesday, January 17, 2007
Whare are they now? Eddie Curry is producer
By FRANK PHILLIPS
frankphi@hotmail.com
Tuesday, January 16, 2007 8:15 AM CST
Eddie Curry not only remembers Terre Haute and ISU fondly, he has remained a Hoosier since he graduated in 1989.
This is Eddie’s 19th season at Beef & Boards, though he was not full-time for the first five years. He had roles on stage in one or two productions a year until he became a show producer for the company in 1994.
About eight years ago, Eddie began doing some TV commercials as a hobby, but now he is looking more seriously at a career in TV and films.
Last summer, he worked in three 15-minute films shot in Indiana, to showcase the talents of the film’s creator. Last weekend he was involved in a multimedia project at Ball State University. The project involved film, TV and live stage work and was broadcast live on a Muncie public television and on the Internet. A DVD will soon be available.
“I couldn’t watch it, obviously, but my wife said it blew her away,” he said.
Eddie can be contacted at Beef & Boards Dinner Theatre, 9301 N. Michigan Rd., Indianapolis, IN 46268, (317) 876-0505.
frankphi@hotmail.com
Tuesday, January 16, 2007 8:15 AM CST
Eddie Curry not only remembers Terre Haute and ISU fondly, he has remained a Hoosier since he graduated in 1989.
This is Eddie’s 19th season at Beef & Boards, though he was not full-time for the first five years. He had roles on stage in one or two productions a year until he became a show producer for the company in 1994.
About eight years ago, Eddie began doing some TV commercials as a hobby, but now he is looking more seriously at a career in TV and films.
Last summer, he worked in three 15-minute films shot in Indiana, to showcase the talents of the film’s creator. Last weekend he was involved in a multimedia project at Ball State University. The project involved film, TV and live stage work and was broadcast live on a Muncie public television and on the Internet. A DVD will soon be available.
“I couldn’t watch it, obviously, but my wife said it blew her away,” he said.
Eddie can be contacted at Beef & Boards Dinner Theatre, 9301 N. Michigan Rd., Indianapolis, IN 46268, (317) 876-0505.
Where are they now? Retired ISU prof. has returned to acting
By FRANK PHILLIPS
frankphi@hotmail.com
Tuesday, January 16, 2007 8:15 AM CST
Lew Hackleman plays General MacKenzie, one of 10 guests in a home on Indian Island in Beef & Boards Dinner Theatre’s production of "Ten Little Indians." The Agatha Christie murder mystery is on stage now through Feb. 11. For more information, visit http://www.beefandboards.com.
Lew Hackleman is doing what he likes. His passion is theater and in 38 years, teaching at Indiana State University, he has nearly done it all.
"I taught everything except costuming," he said.
Lew, a slight, rather short man with gray hair was sitting in the green room, backstage at Beef & Boards Dinner Theatre in Indianapolis.
*
"This is a great cast," he said. "These people are so talented and it's just like family."
Lew is spending his retirement doing what he likes and what he likes is acting.
His former student, Eddie Curry, got him this gig, playing Gen. MacKenzie, a quite daft, retired army officer, who insists his dead wife "is here. I'm going to sit here until she comes to get me."
The play is Agatha Christie's murder mystery, "Ten Little Indians," also known as "And Then There Were None," a quite ominous name for a mystery set in the 1930s in which bodies are piled up like so much cord wood in the study of the mansion on an island off the coast of Massachusetts.
It is not type casting. His decades of dedication show in his performance.
He points out the following fellow actor Jeff Stockberger has in each performance. Lew is certainly not jealous, but he is obviously glad to be a part of the Beef & Boards family.
This is the first show he has been in since he retired from ISU two years ago. He hopes to pick up more acting jobs, just not too many. He is retired and he likes to spend time with his wife, Kathy, and the rest of his family. His daughter, son-in-law and grandchildren live in England and the couple spend as much time there as possible. Lew and Kathy continue to call Terre Haute home.
Is he ready to for other acting jobs?
"I'm available," he said. "This came up and Eddie offered me the role."
He remembers Eddie as one of his promising students.
"My favorite thing was 'Pump Boys and Dinettes'," he said. "I try to stay in touch with my students.
Eddie met Lew in the fall of 1985 when Eddie was a freshman at ISU. After one theater class under Lew’s tutelage, Eddie changed majors.
“He believed in me before I believed in myself,” Eddie said in a telephone interview Monday.
Lew was the main reason many students chose ISU, Eddie recalled. Each summer, Lew had an intensive two-week theater camp for high school students each year. In those two weeks, Lew was able to communicate his passion for theater and made believers of soon-to-be college students.
Fast forward to two years ago. Lew’s former student, Eddie Curry, had become a producer for Beef & Boards Dinner Theatre in 1994. Lew retired from teaching at ISU and decided to return to his first love: acting.
“We try to use age-appropriate actors at Beef & Boards,” Eddie said. “If a part calls for a 40-year-old, we try to find a 40-year-old actor.
“When we did ‘You Can’t Take It With You’ two years ago, I wanted Lew to play Grandpa, but he had planned a trip and wasn’t available.”
When the part of Gen. MacKenzie came up in “Ten Little Indians,” Lew was delighted to get the part and be reunited with his former student.
"It's a nice life," Lew concluded.
frankphi@hotmail.com
Tuesday, January 16, 2007 8:15 AM CST
Lew Hackleman plays General MacKenzie, one of 10 guests in a home on Indian Island in Beef & Boards Dinner Theatre’s production of "Ten Little Indians." The Agatha Christie murder mystery is on stage now through Feb. 11. For more information, visit http://www.beefandboards.com.
Lew Hackleman is doing what he likes. His passion is theater and in 38 years, teaching at Indiana State University, he has nearly done it all.
"I taught everything except costuming," he said.
Lew, a slight, rather short man with gray hair was sitting in the green room, backstage at Beef & Boards Dinner Theatre in Indianapolis.
*
"This is a great cast," he said. "These people are so talented and it's just like family."
Lew is spending his retirement doing what he likes and what he likes is acting.
His former student, Eddie Curry, got him this gig, playing Gen. MacKenzie, a quite daft, retired army officer, who insists his dead wife "is here. I'm going to sit here until she comes to get me."
The play is Agatha Christie's murder mystery, "Ten Little Indians," also known as "And Then There Were None," a quite ominous name for a mystery set in the 1930s in which bodies are piled up like so much cord wood in the study of the mansion on an island off the coast of Massachusetts.
It is not type casting. His decades of dedication show in his performance.
He points out the following fellow actor Jeff Stockberger has in each performance. Lew is certainly not jealous, but he is obviously glad to be a part of the Beef & Boards family.
This is the first show he has been in since he retired from ISU two years ago. He hopes to pick up more acting jobs, just not too many. He is retired and he likes to spend time with his wife, Kathy, and the rest of his family. His daughter, son-in-law and grandchildren live in England and the couple spend as much time there as possible. Lew and Kathy continue to call Terre Haute home.
Is he ready to for other acting jobs?
"I'm available," he said. "This came up and Eddie offered me the role."
He remembers Eddie as one of his promising students.
"My favorite thing was 'Pump Boys and Dinettes'," he said. "I try to stay in touch with my students.
Eddie met Lew in the fall of 1985 when Eddie was a freshman at ISU. After one theater class under Lew’s tutelage, Eddie changed majors.
“He believed in me before I believed in myself,” Eddie said in a telephone interview Monday.
Lew was the main reason many students chose ISU, Eddie recalled. Each summer, Lew had an intensive two-week theater camp for high school students each year. In those two weeks, Lew was able to communicate his passion for theater and made believers of soon-to-be college students.
Fast forward to two years ago. Lew’s former student, Eddie Curry, had become a producer for Beef & Boards Dinner Theatre in 1994. Lew retired from teaching at ISU and decided to return to his first love: acting.
“We try to use age-appropriate actors at Beef & Boards,” Eddie said. “If a part calls for a 40-year-old, we try to find a 40-year-old actor.
“When we did ‘You Can’t Take It With You’ two years ago, I wanted Lew to play Grandpa, but he had planned a trip and wasn’t available.”
When the part of Gen. MacKenzie came up in “Ten Little Indians,” Lew was delighted to get the part and be reunited with his former student.
"It's a nice life," Lew concluded.
Sunday, January 14, 2007
Review: "Ten Little Indians"
By FRANK PHILLIPS
frankphi@hotmail.com
"Ten Little Indians" is a treat for mystery fans. I am not a devotee of Agatha Christie, the author of this engaging whodunit, but the play is a charming brain teaser.
I guessed wrong; the character I thought responsible for the bodies piled up like so much cord wood in the study proved to be innocent.
It is set in the romantic 1930s, on an island off the coast of Massachusetts.
Eight guests and two servants are gathered at the invitation of a lady named "Owen." They all received invitations from someone known only as U. N. Owen, a lady who is not present to greet her guests.
This is a cracker jack story. It has murders, 10 people gathered in a mansion on an island from which there is no escape. It even has a dark and stormy night, a device writers are supposed to avoid, but masterful in the hands of Agatha Christie.
This is a top-notch cast; it would have to be such to perform this story. One moment out of character would ruin the show. But their portrayals successfully make the audience suspend reality and get drawn into the on stage living room. One suggestion: the cast should slow down the dialogue in the opening scene. It seems to be due to nervousness, but the opening lines were difficult to catch. Quickly, though, the cast found their rhythm and the speeches were easily understood by this member of the audience.
The cast includes: Nina Edgerton as the stunning, redheaded secretary, Vera Claythorne; Lew Hackleman, a former Indiana State professor who plays General MacKenzie. Watch for a profile of Mr. Hackleman in upcoming edition of The Brazil Times this week Michael Haws as Dr. Armstrong; Nicholas Horton as Anthony Marston; Carrie S. Neal as Mrs. Rogers, the cook and housekeeper; Gene Raye Price as Emily Brent. Watch for her on the CBS miniseries, "Comanche Moon," in February. Whit Reichert as Justice Lawrence Wargrave; David Schmittou as Philip Lombard; J. R. Stuart as Rogers; and Jeff Stockberger as William Blore. Jeff has gained a following (and many laughs) for his comedic roles in "A Beef & Boards Christmas," "South Pacific," "Crazy For You," "Peter Pan" and "Anything Goes."
The production is directed by ISU alumnus Eddie Curry, who for the first time since graduation has been reunited with his former teacher, Lew Hackleman.
This is a ensemble production. There is not just one star, one lead. The cast is killed off one by one and some are on stage for only a short time.
"This is a great cast," Hackleman told me after the show Friday. "These people are so talented and we are a family."
There is something special about watching a mystery acted out live on stage. There is a quality you simply cannot experience in front of the TV set.
"Ten Little Indians" is on stage at Beef & Boards Tuesdays through Sundays, through Feb. 11.
For more information or to purchase tickets, call (317) 872-9664, 10 a.m.-7 p.m. daily.
On the Net:
Beef & Boards: http://www.beefandboards.com
frankphi@hotmail.com
"Ten Little Indians" is a treat for mystery fans. I am not a devotee of Agatha Christie, the author of this engaging whodunit, but the play is a charming brain teaser.
I guessed wrong; the character I thought responsible for the bodies piled up like so much cord wood in the study proved to be innocent.
It is set in the romantic 1930s, on an island off the coast of Massachusetts.
Eight guests and two servants are gathered at the invitation of a lady named "Owen." They all received invitations from someone known only as U. N. Owen, a lady who is not present to greet her guests.
This is a cracker jack story. It has murders, 10 people gathered in a mansion on an island from which there is no escape. It even has a dark and stormy night, a device writers are supposed to avoid, but masterful in the hands of Agatha Christie.
This is a top-notch cast; it would have to be such to perform this story. One moment out of character would ruin the show. But their portrayals successfully make the audience suspend reality and get drawn into the on stage living room. One suggestion: the cast should slow down the dialogue in the opening scene. It seems to be due to nervousness, but the opening lines were difficult to catch. Quickly, though, the cast found their rhythm and the speeches were easily understood by this member of the audience.
The cast includes: Nina Edgerton as the stunning, redheaded secretary, Vera Claythorne; Lew Hackleman, a former Indiana State professor who plays General MacKenzie. Watch for a profile of Mr. Hackleman in upcoming edition of The Brazil Times this week Michael Haws as Dr. Armstrong; Nicholas Horton as Anthony Marston; Carrie S. Neal as Mrs. Rogers, the cook and housekeeper; Gene Raye Price as Emily Brent. Watch for her on the CBS miniseries, "Comanche Moon," in February. Whit Reichert as Justice Lawrence Wargrave; David Schmittou as Philip Lombard; J. R. Stuart as Rogers; and Jeff Stockberger as William Blore. Jeff has gained a following (and many laughs) for his comedic roles in "A Beef & Boards Christmas," "South Pacific," "Crazy For You," "Peter Pan" and "Anything Goes."
The production is directed by ISU alumnus Eddie Curry, who for the first time since graduation has been reunited with his former teacher, Lew Hackleman.
This is a ensemble production. There is not just one star, one lead. The cast is killed off one by one and some are on stage for only a short time.
"This is a great cast," Hackleman told me after the show Friday. "These people are so talented and we are a family."
There is something special about watching a mystery acted out live on stage. There is a quality you simply cannot experience in front of the TV set.
"Ten Little Indians" is on stage at Beef & Boards Tuesdays through Sundays, through Feb. 11.
For more information or to purchase tickets, call (317) 872-9664, 10 a.m.-7 p.m. daily.
On the Net:
Beef & Boards: http://www.beefandboards.com
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