From the moment we walked in--feeling secure with visible security and welcomed by friendly…read moregreeters--this experience was fabulous. Smiles were everywhere, setting the tone right away. My son and I went on a special date to see A Christmas Story, and it did not disappoint. The cast was incredible! Their energy was contagious and drew us into the story from the very first scene all the way to the end. I truly can't say enough good things about how amazing this show was. We will absolutely be back for more plays!

Booth Tarkington Civic Theatre is the largest of more than 70 community theatres in Indiana and one…read moreof the ten largest of over 7000 active community theatres in the U.S. It is also considered the nation's longest continuously active community theatre. In operation since 1915, Civic Theatre offers 90 performances and 500 opportunities to participate onstage or behind-the-scenes in a professional theatre setting annually. Since its beginning, Civic has had five different homes. In 1915, it started at the Herron Art Institute before moving to the 240-seat Hedback Community Theatre in 1924. In 1973, Civic moved to the 645-seat Showalter Pavilion at IMA before relocating in 2004 to a 490-seat theatre at Marian University. Finally, Civic moved into the Tarkington at the Center for the Performing Arts in 2011. The current theatre has 513 seats. Mainstage productions include everything from musicals to comedies to dramas with an average of 30,000 patrons annually. Education has also always been a strong component of Civic programming with education and outreach programs reaching over 20,000 people each year through classes, workshops, and educational performances for all age groups from toddlers through older adults. As someone who believes strongly in inclusive theatre (I was a drama minor in college myself), Civic does one of the better jobs in Central Indiana of addressing accessibility issues. They are known to offer sensory friendly performances, have offered audio-described performances (and have large print programs), and also offer accessible parking, accessible entrances, and accessible seating that can be reserved. They also offer shows with ASL and Assisted Listening. For those with disabilities, I recommend contacting Civic for more detailed information. I've seldom attended a show here without seeing other wheelchairs or individuals with intellectual/developmental disabilities. I've never been on-stage at Civic, but I have worked behind the scene in years past. Most recently, I've attended as both an audience member and media member. My experience has been that Civic leans toward more well known, fairly mainstream productions. For example, the 2022-23 season includes The Diary of Anne Frank, The Cat in the Hat, The Sound of Music, and Murder on the Orient Express. Jr. Civic is an amazing opportunity for the kids to get involved. Civic Theatre is definitely one of Central Indiana's longtime stage gems. With an outstanding group of professionals and volunteers, Civic offers consistently high quality performances and a great experience for theatergoers. Located in Carmel, it's an easy drive and a great entertainment in a beautiful setting.

What a great performance space! The first time I was able to check out this theatre is at…read moreiNDYfRINGE festival 2012, and it definitely had some great shows there, including BOT, which was freakin' spectacular! Not to mention, this space has a refreshment booth, which is always a plus. You've gotta appreciate these smaller performance spaces because it keeps the show more intimate with the audience, as well as getting the community involved in local theatre. I cannot stress enought how important it is for us to support that which makes our city special - the arts especially. I'm a huge advocate of small businesses and local artists, so forgive me if I sound huffy-puffy when I say GO RIGHT NOW! See some indie show that will probably never be seen again because some guy wrote it in his car because he needed the money for gas. You won't regret it! And even if you do regret it, you'll still walk away with a different point of view. That's the beauty of theatre!

TOTS, or Theatre On the Square, is one of Indy's best bets when wanting to take in local theater…read more TOTS offers a varying selection of plays and other types of shows, and is one of the main theaters used during the Indyfringe Festival in the fall. The Main Stage offers auditorium style seating. Stage 2 is more of an intimate setting that is primarily made up of four top tables and higher bar top seating. In both cases, if you want to feel as if your on stage, the front row will but you extremely close to the action. There is a small concession stand that offers drinks, including beer and wine, and snacks for cash prior to entering. Tips to keep in mind: **Seating for both stages is first come first serve, so make sure to arrive early if you wish to have all of your party sitting together. ***The main restroom is down a flight of stairs. They do have a single restroom on the top level near the main stage; however, it may or may not have a "Cast" sign **If you don't have time to visit their box office, they do use Vendini online ticketing, which will charge you a small fee. ***Parking - It's Mass Ave, so parking can be hard to come by. Factor extra time in when planning to arrive in time for shows ***If you tend to go to a lot of their shows, they usually offer a flex pass at the start of the season that is a good option.

For years, Shelton Auditorium was home to the Repertory Theatre at CTS (Christian Theological…read moreSeminary). Over time, that live theater company would become known as Edyvean Repertory Theater. These days, the Christian Theological Seminary continues in the building that now is under the Butler University umbrella and this theater falls under the Butler Arts Center. It continues to host a wide variety of events throughout the year. Shelton Auditorium has nearly 400 seats in the Greek-style tradition. The building itself is mid-century pre-Gothic and was designed by Edward Larrabee Barnes. It opened in 1966. In most ways, Shelton is very accessible. There's a nicely done parking lot (free parking) and multiple accessible spots. There's a nicely done concrete ramp into the entrance. The theater itself is accessible, though Greek-style has always been one of my least favorite designs as it typically means I'm sitting at the top (think Beef & Boards, though this one is more accessible). A major plus here is that the stage itself is accessible (as someone who was a theater minor, this matters to me). I've actually performed on this stage - I think it was probably 35 years ago in the play Whose Life Is It Anyway?). I think this is one of Indy's unsung stages. It's a solid mid-range stage that won't necessarily draw A-listers or B-listers because of its size, however, it is awesome more intimate shows, lectures, regional comedy, local/regional theatrical troupes and more. The acoustics are wonderful, employees/volunteers always friendly, and the atmosphere feels consistent with its seminary roots. Grateful I got back to the Shelton for a holiday show. It reminded me how much I love this place and how much I need to be a more frequent guest.

My husband and I came here last week to see Please Don't Destroy. I purchased these tickets back in…read moreMarch as a surprise date night since my husband and I love watching SNL together. I had blocked off my calendar for 7-11 PM for August 19th, but never checked to see what show I had purchased tickets for when the day came I had assumed I purchased tickets to the 7 PM show so we could have dinner at Chatham like we normally do after a Butler event, but it turns out I purchased tickets to the 9:30 PM showing so we could eat dinner BEFORE the show. Super embarrassing, but the staff were all so friendly and understanding. They had even asked if we wanted to just stay for the 7 PM showing since we were already there, but we decided to go to dinner since we knew we had good seats for our actual time slot and didn't want to risk getting seated somewhere further away. The auditorium is gorgeous! We had thought all of the event spaces for Butler were all near each other since we had never been to the Shelton Auditorium before, but it's about 5 minutes away from the other ones. The show was so fun, and again all of the staff were so nice, and they had a concessions just outside the entrance to the auditorium with additional bars on either side before you walked down to your seats, so there was never a wait. It was such a cozy feel and the acoustics were great. Can't wait to come back!

My husband and I came here for the first time earlier this month to see CLUE: A Drag Parody. It was…read moreSO fun. They had a Pretty Little Liars esque interpretive dance to open up the show, a Scooby Doo chase scene before intermission, and the costumes and acting were phenomenal. Something we didn't love was that when purchasing the tickets for the show, the website showed that we were sitting at tables and you picked which table you wanted to sit at. When we were seated though, the theater was all just one large section of very small theater seats, so that was misleading.

We attended the Little Shop of Whorrors, VIP Style. I was impressed. The VIP lounge was beautifully…read moredecorated in the theme of the show. Complimentary cocktail included which of course was fittingly called: the Big Bad Green Mother. Not sure what all was in there, but It was green and I'm thinking it had some Medori in it. A bit sweet, but delish. All the staff very quite friendly and we got lovely seats front and center. I'd say when you get a chance, upgrade to VIP. It's not much more and the seats as well as the welcome, the lounge & drink are well worth it. The show itself was absolutely fabulous and I would go see it again in a heart beat. I'll have to keep an eye out for their upcoming shows. See you there...

If you haven't been to the Irving on acoustic night, you're really missing out. Mark Proctor was…read morethere for the local community even during COVID thanks to Dale! It truly is gorgeous there and in the winter open stage is going on inside so it's nice and warm. This gem have some other interesting nights like Rocky horror picture show as well as I heard one time Michael Anthony Hall came, and while they played the movie, he would give his stories about his times in the brat pack. My favorite player at the acoustic night is Mansuper!

I saw an event onYelp's things to do about a performance that was designed after WW2 USO shows…read more It was held in the Irving theatre First the theatre, an historic landmark. It has been completely gutted. Even the ceiling studs are apparent. They have put up clever lighting but it is quite evident the theatre is going through transition. Some old theatre chairs, some church pews, some folding chairs. ( Not for the faint of heart) Upon entering we were greeted my a gentleman in full Army field attire. As I look back he reminded me of a character from MASH, Radar. The show was made up of two very talented singer/dancers. They changed costumes throughout the performance, added historic dialogue and were very entertaining They recognized past Military in the audience with a handshake and a hug They sang songs and acted out various areas of the country representing the whole nation They included the Viet Nam war and had a radio which played news clips of that era. They of course, welcomed all Viet Nam Vets home They ended the presentation with "Proud to be an American". I saw many wipe their eyes As I understand it, they are a fundraising group, supporting entertainment for all branches of the military They play all over the country and recently preformed for "D-Day" in Normandy It was very entertaining and insightful. Glad we went

Great productions. Too bad the City of Noblesville refuses to help them in finding a new home in…read morethis little city.

Red and White Tuna Great playhouse. Large with about 130…read moreseats. Pretty comfortable seats as well! We have been here several times and have enjoyed just about every seat. I'm not a fan of front seats but if that's your thing... nice large stage, too bad they have limited beverages and not sure if they have popcorn.

Our foodie group went to Mud Creek Players one Saturday afternoon after brunch to see the play "I…read morelove you, you're perfect . . .now change." This was my first time coming here to see a play, so I was looking forward to the performance. It has been a long time since I have seen a play at a local community theater, so this was a treat for me. The play did not disappoint me at all. The actors did a wonderful job with the performance. The play is based on a Broadway musical, and it had a little bit of everything from singing to acting with different skits throughout the play. I was laughing and even crying a little bit throughout the play. Mud Creek Players is a great venue in Indianapolis that offers community theater plays and sketches for entertainment. The interior is definitely like an old style stage and theater with a concession stand in the front. All proceeds from the concession stand sales go towards a foundation for the theater. It is a very nice venue and the staff are wonderful and friendly. The play was excellent and entertaining like I said earlier, and it was worth the ticket price of $20. I'm glad I was able to see a play here at Mud Creek Players, and will definitely come back here again to see a play because it was great entertainment for a Saturday afternoon. So glad Indy has culture available to us!

Enjoyable outdoor version of Alice in Wonderland. The large cast did an awesome job considering…read morethe limitations of having to move/remove props themselves as the action progresses. The audience was seated either at tables or were free to sit on the grass. Several groups brought blankets to spread out with some bringing food to eat while they watched the performance. It was a great low key performance. Although tickets were free they did need to be reserved in advance. And donations are accepted which I didn't realize until a friend noticed a small sign and basket on the way out. So if you go and enjoy the performance I'm sure donations are most welcome.

The Brick Room is awesome. The price is really a good value, the comedy was entertaining. It's a…read morereally small venue so be there when the doors open to get the best seats. And bring cash for concessions.

Hard to believe no one has reviewed the Brick Room. Maybe they are trying to save this hidden gem…read morefor themselves. An amazing place for comedy. Very small. Get there early.