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Indiana Squirrel Stampede: A New Musical
Premiers at the Indianapolis Theatre Fringe Festival &
Indiana State Parks this summer.
Something to think about as the summer comes to an end: in 1822 squirrels stampeded through Indiana and much of the Midwest, wreaking havoc as they went. This event was commemorated in Hamilton County with a number of Squirrel statues, and now it will be memorialized in an hour-long, family-friendly, musical comedy. Audience members will hear first-hand accounts from historical characters, as well as some wild hear-say from a few questionable characters who may be prone to exaggeration.
Performances will take place during the Indianapolis Theatre Fringe Festival in the new Indy Eleven Theatre at 719 E. St. Clair St., Indianapolis. Fringe performances are Saturday, August 20 at 4:30pm, Sunday, August 21 at 7:30pm, Wednesday, August 24 at 9pm, Thursday, August 25 at 6pm, Friday, August 26 at 7:30pm, and Sunday August 28 at 7:30pm. Tickets for the Indyfringe shows can be purchased at www.indyfringe.com.
Parks performances include Mounds State Park in Anderson, Indiana at 7pm on Friday, September 2, and two performances at 2pm and 7pm on Saturday, September 3 at Spring Mill State Park in Mitchell, Indiana. Performances in the parks will be free to park visitors.
Julie Lyn Barber, an Indiana playwright, was awarded an “Arts in the Parks” grant by the Indiana Arts Commission to write this new musical for presentation at Indiana State Parks during the bicentennial year. More information about the playwright is at www.JulieLynBarber.net.
The show is directed by the playwright, who also plays a role. Other performers include Indianapolis favorites Jenny Reber, most recently seen in Heathers at Theatre on the Square, and child actors, Sofia Murrell and Sage Barber Murrell, who have previously played “Belinda Cratchitt” and “Tiny Tim,” respectively, in A Christmas Carol at Beef and Boards Dinner Theatre.
"This activity is a signature project of the Indiana Bicentennial Commission, and is made possible, in part, with support from the Indiana Arts Commission, the Indiana Department of Natural Resources."
