dakotalumley13@gmail.com<\/a> through May 4.<\/p>\nTo learn more about the upcoming show and art opportunity, we spoke to director Marina Eisenbraun, producer Dakota Jones and Lumley.<\/p>\n
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.<\/em><\/p>\nExplain Cryptid Entertainment for those who are unfamiliar.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n
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Marina Eisenbraun: <\/strong>Dakota Jones and I founded Cryptid Entertainment \u2014 in its current form \u2014 in 2021 when we did \u201cBigfoot Saves America\u201d for IndyFringe Festival. We\u2019re now doing productions of licensed work, which I think is really cool.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n
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Dakota Jones: <\/strong>We have our shows planned through June of next year. We\u2019re bringing back some shows we\u2019ve already done, some pop culture musicals, some shows inspired by TV shows spanning 70 years.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\nWhy are you doing \u201cHedwig\u201d?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n
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Eisenbraun:<\/strong> Because I wanted to [laughs]. \u201cHedwig\u201d is something I\u2019ve wanted to do for a long time. The fact that this is the 25th anniversary of the release of the movie isn\u2019t the only reason, but it\u2019s what got me to decide we should do it.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\nWhat will be Cryptid Entertainment\u2019s take on \u201cHedwig\u201d?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n
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Eisenbraun: <\/strong>\u201cHedwig\u201d is the only show I\u2019ve ever done with a notice at the beginning that this is a document of one production of one night and to make it your own. There are a few places in the show that have to be done a certain way, but there are so many things you can add in or ad lib.<\/p>\nThere are no casting requirements. And 75% of the conductor’s score is just chords.<\/p>\n
For instance, our version of \u201cSugar Daddy\u201d will be like the Neil Patrick Harris version, so our version will be more rock and less country.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\nThe Cryptid Entertainment crew during rehearsals for \u201cHedwig and the Angry Inch.\u201d<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nDid you choose to do \u201cHedwig\u201d because of the current political stakes?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n
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Eisenbraun:<\/strong> It\u2019s not a secret that we\u2019re all incredibly liberal. Everyone in our main group is LGBTQ. So that\u2019s always top of mind. We never stop thinking about it. But we do want to have fun, and theater for a lot of us is our only hobby.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n
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Dakota Lumley:<\/strong> Theater is our only escape.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n
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Eisenbraun: <\/strong>We want to do something that\u2019s fun, but this is a little more challenging. This is the most political script we\u2019ve done. For instance, Hedwig threatens Itzak that immigration is coming. At another point, Hedwig screams at the band, \u201cThat\u2019s big talk for someone without a passport.\u201d It sounds much more threatening today than when the show was written. Different things are much more poignant than they were originally.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n
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Lumley: <\/strong>We tend to be unapologetically us.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\nLet\u2019s talk about the callout for local artists. I don\u2019t recall other shows where a local art auction is part of the set, at least not in Indy. Do you know if this has been done before?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n
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Lumley: <\/strong>I had not heard of this happening before. We talked about doing a silent auction for local artists when we were talking about our other shows. When \u201cHedwig\u201d was brought up, I thought about how we\u2019re doing the background with this giant hanging, floating display of art that looks like it\u2019s defying gravity.<\/p>\nWhen I brought that up, I was wondering, \u201cHow am I going to fill that space and make that happen?\u201d<\/p>\n
I didn\u2019t want the silent auction to be a benefit for us. A lot of artists struggle to find people to see their work, and a lot of people in theater don\u2019t always get to go to art shows. This will be a great mixture of both.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Eisenbraun:<\/strong> The artists are getting 100% of the funds.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\nArtwork by Boss Illustrations (left and right) and Tricera Tits (center) submitted for the Cryptid Entertainment silent auction and staging of \u201cHedwig and the Angry Inch.\u201d<\/p>\n
How many pieces of local art do you anticipate having on display for the show?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n
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Lumley: <\/strong>I\u2019m trying to fill the IF Theatre space with as much art as I can get my hands on.Anything that doesn\u2019t make it into the floating display will be on the walls of the theater.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
How will the art be sold?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n
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Lumley:<\/strong> For all the pieces coming in, I\u2019m going to be creating a catalog. Audience members will be able to see anything in the theater when they are there.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n
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Eisenbraun: <\/strong>Or people can just buy art directly.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n
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Lumley: <\/strong>After the final show, people who are buying the artwork can come pick it up from the theater. Also, some items will be just for display and not for sale.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\nIs there any other art in this show you want to highlight?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n
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Eisenbraun: <\/strong>Dakota Jones is working on the animated sequence for \u201cThe Origin of Love.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n
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Dakota Jones:<\/strong> It\u2019s influenced by Keith Haring, his simplistic style.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n
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