Bat in the Wind – Courtesy of Indy ghost Light Photography. Used with permission.
Upon seeing Catalyst Repertory co-founder and Artistic Director Casey Ross’s searing “Bat in The Wind.” last August during the IndyFringe Theatre Festival, her script and the quality of the acting deeply impressed me. The fact that I yearned to see more of the IndyFringe version, which was 50 minutes in length, was a good sign for me that the play’s story was, indeed, captivating. Click here to read my previous review.
Bat in the Wind – Courtesy of Indy Ghost Light Photography. Used with permission.
Fortunately, everything I admired about Ross’s “study on addiction and depression” was still present in the 90 minute (sans intermission) I attended Friday night at IndyFringe’s Indy Eleven Theatre, so it is pointless to repeat my previous observations in this review.
What was different about this expanded version of Ross’s two-hander about the odd couple Randy and Taylor, neighbors who share a dilapidated duplex in a blue-collar neighborhood, was the addition of several scenes which provided further exposition regarding the characters and the performance of Dane Rogers as Randy, who replaced David Pelsue who originated the role last summer. Ross’s added scenes flesh out the characters a bit more and provide further exposition regarding the origins of Randy and Taylor’s respective emotional states.
In regard to Rogers’s performance as opposed to Pelsue’s — it is pointless to compare as the two are both consummate actors, and both performances were unique in their own right. But for the sake of those readers who might be curious about their differences —it was their physical size —Rogers is taller and stockier than Pelsue, thus more intimidating. Another difference were the quirky ticks they both displayed and business the actors employed, making their respective characterizations more colorful. However, for those who did not see Pelsue’s performance, comparison is moot. Zach Stonerock, who also directed the Fringe production, masterfully guided this pair of gifted actors. A fine actor himself, Ross’s attention to detail was impeccable, as was his grasp of the material.
As far as the riveting, well-written work itself was concerned, Ross is to be commended for acknowledging that the semi-autographical, dark but also funny and sarcastic play is based on her own past experiences, warts and all, as a struggling artist.
Not only is “Bat in The Wind,” a cautionary tale about the tragic results of addiction, and the scourge of depression, but it is also an honest commentary on the cost of self-absorption, narcissism and lack of empathy on the part of self-destructive creatives who selfishly place their art above self-care and healthy relationships.
For tickets and information about “Bat in The Wind,” presented by Catalyst Repertory, which runs weekends through Sunday March 17 visit indyfringe.org.
