The Blue Eyed Bettys

With Sarah Hund on fiddle, Daniel Emond on banjo, and Ben Mackel on guitar, The Blue Eyed Bettys delight with their Americana-Folk-Bluegrass sound.

But what always seems to grab audiences immediately are their powerful vocals in three part harmony. Playing a mix of originals and covers, they put their own Betty twist on songs by a diverse array of artists such The Beatles, Fleetwood Mac, and Simon & Garfunkel.

They have played venues and festivals throughout the U.S., including Lincoln Center NYC and the Ocrafolk Festival.

All actors by trade, The Blue Eyed Bettys met while doing a play together in Sarasota, FL.

“The Blue Eyed Bettys lit up the stage… with a mix of tunes that was part traditional and mostly innovative. And it was damn good.” – Doug Thompson, Blue Ridge Muse

“The Blue Eyed Bettys are easily the most exciting Americana act to hit Sarasota in the past year…. Their sweet harmonies drive smart originals and judiciously chosen covers.” – Wade Tatangelo, SarasotaHerald-Tribune

January 23, 2020

Doors open at 6:30. Performance at 7:30

Select from VIP (on stage), Premium (front two rows) and General Admission seating

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Bill W and Dr. Bob

From the author of the best-selling novel, The House of God, this critically acclaimed version which played Off-Broadway in 2007, tells the amazing story of the two men who pioneered Alcoholics Anonymous, and of their wives, who founded Al Anon.

During the roaring ’20s, New York stockbroker Bill Wilson rides high on money, fame, and booze. In ’29, both he and the market crash and he becomes a hopeless drunk.

Dr. Bob Smith, a surgeon in Akron, Ohio, and a pillar of the community, has been a secret drunk for thirty years, often going into the operating room hungover and high on sedatives. His family has tried everything to no avail.

Through an astonishing series of events involving doctors, ministers, the Oxford Group evangelical movement, and Henrietta Sieberling a scion of the Goodyear Rubber fortune, Bill and Bob meet on Mother’s Day of 1935. The two men form a relationship which keeps each sober. Fired up, they seek out a third drunk to see if their program will work for others.

February 7th – 16th

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Sentimental Journey Vol 1: Hits of the 30's and 40's

Brenda Williams welcomes you back to her “living room” in the first of our 2020 series of shows.

Brenda and her friends pull from the treasure chest of songs from the 1930s and 1940s.

These songs provided solace, hope, and joy to Americans here and in foreign lands through the Great Depression and World War 2.

February 23, 2020 – Doors open at 4, seating and light Jazz at 4:30, show at 5

Premium Seating and General Admission Seating

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The Golden Girls: The Lost Episodes, Vol 2

They’re baaaack!

“The Golden Girls: The Lost Episodes, Vol. 2” is an original parody of the beloved TV show. Volume 1 was the sold-out hit of our 2019 Parody Series.

These gender-bending Girls find themselves in situations never before seen on television – that’s why they’re lost episodes!

Written by David Cerda and originally performed by Hell In A Handbag Productions in Chicago, the show features all of the beloved sitcom characters, including the forthright Dorothy, the sweet airheaded Rose, the lusty Blanche and the sharp tongued Sophia.

In these “never before seen episodes,” they band together as the girls struggle with the senior dating scene in a Valentine-themed story, as well as a “very special” cross-over episode with “Murder She Wrote,” giving us the Jessica Fletcher/Dorothy Zbornak song-and-dance we never knew we needed.

The production also features “Guess That Girl!,” a Golden Girls trivia and games to help audiences fully embrace the Miami experience.

February 28 – March 21st – 2 Shows nightly Friday & Saturday, 7:30 & 9

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Detroit

Fire up the grill and the middle class. This incendiary drama by Lisa D’amour explores two couples in middle America clinging to the ideal that hard work is rewarded with comfort and contentment. This “sharp x-ray of the embattled American psyche” (New York Times) is a “brilliantly observed piece of art” (Chicago Tribune). Pulitzer Finalist.

The Cast:  Conner Kelley, Clay Mabbit, Kelsey Miller, David Mosedale, Jenni White

May 8 – 24th

More Info

The One: A Matrix Musical Parody

The One: The Matrix Parody Musical combines hilarity & harmony to poke fun at everyone’s favorite digitally dystopian 90’s classic.

Audiences join Neo as he goes down the musical rabbit hole to learn his real purpose.

Created by fans, for fans, the show centers on the events of the first film while paying tribute to the expanded universe. The one-act story features an original score, dance battles, pop songs, and puppets, all in a D.I.Y. style!

This is THE ONE parody musical you won’t want to miss!

ABOUT THE WRITER: Laura Marsh is a performer, choreographer, improviser, and comedy writer turned playwright. While in Chicago, Laura has been a contributing writer for sketch shows performed at Improv Olympic, Second City Studio Theaters, The Crowd, MCL, and Gorilla Tango.

March 27 – April 18 – 2 shows nightly Friday & Saturday, 7:30 & 9

 

 

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Vandals damage Mass Ave's Artful Piano

Vandals have struck a piece of unique and interactive public art which stands outside the District Theater in the 600 block of Mass Ave. The vandalism has left IndyFringe, which unveiled the “Artful Piano” in June, looking not only for experts to repair the piano but also the funds to underwrite the effort.
The Artful Piano has been nothing but a joy to thousands of people who have played, tinkered and wondered at its history since it was placed outside The District Theatre on June 8 for Pride Parade. Unfortunately the Piano was vandalized over Labor Day weekend.
Will you help us restore this delightful addition to the Mass Ave Cultural District? As for the Artful Piano, Lee Dykstra and volunteers have moved the heavy instrument into The District Theatre to keep it safe for now.
The board is looking for an expert to diagnose and repair the piano. Jennifer Pope Baker from the CICF Women’s Fund has offered to help fund repairs and connect the theater with the artist, Aaron Underwood.
Read about it in the IndyStar
Donate here

Upcoming shows

THE BLUE EYED BETTYS

With Sarah Hund on fiddle, Daniel Emond on banjo, and Ben Mackel on guitar, The Blue Eyed Bettys delight with their Americana-Folk-Bluegrass sound.

But what always seems to grab audiences immediately are their powerful vocals in three part harmony. Playing a mix of originals and covers, they put their own Betty twist on songs by a diverse array of artists such The Beatles, Fleetwood Mac, and Simon & Garfunkel.

January 23, 2020
BUY TICKETS

 

 

 

 

THE GOLDEN GIRLS:  THE LOST EPISODES, VOL 2

They’re baaaack!

“The Golden Girls: The Lost Episodes, Vol. 2” is an original parody of the beloved TV show. Volume 1 was the sold-out hit of our 2019 Parody Series. These gender-bending Girls find themselves in situations never before seen on television – that’s why they’re lost episodes! Written by David Cerda and originally performed by Hell In A Handbag Productions in Chicago, the show features all of the beloved sitcom characters, including the forthright Dorothy, the sweet airheaded Rose, the lusty Blanche and the sharp tongued Sophia.

In these “never before seen episodes,” they band together as the girls struggle with the senior dating scene in a Valentine-themed story, as well as a “very special” cross-over episode with “Murder She Wrote,” giving us the Jessica Fletcher/Dorothy Zbornak song-and-dance we never knew we needed.

The production also features “Guess That Girl!,” a Golden Girls trivia and games to help audiences fully embrace the Miami experience.

February 28 – March 21 2020
BUY TICKETS

 

 

 

 

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SENTIMENTAL JOURNEY, VOL 1:  HITS OF THE 30’S & 40’S

Brenda Williams welcomes you back to her “living room” in the first of our 2020 series of shows.

Brenda and her friends pull from the treasure chest of songs from the 1930s and 1940s.

These songs provided solace, hope, and joy to Americans here and in foreign lands through the Great Depression and World War 2.

Doors open at 4, seating and light Jazz at 4:30, show at 5

Premium Seating and General Admission Seating

 

February 23, 2020
BUY TICKETS

 

 

 

 

THE ONE:  A MATRIX PARODY MUSICAL

The One: The Matrix Parody Musical combines hilarity & harmony to poke fun at everyone’s favorite digitally dystopian 90’s classic.

Audiences join Neo as he goes down the musical rabbit hole to learn his real purpose. Created by fans, for fans, the show centers on the events of the first film while paying tribute to the expanded universe. The one-act story features an original score, dance battles, pop songs, and puppets, all in a D.I.Y. style!

This is THE ONE parody musical you won’t want to miss!

March 27 – April 18, 2020
BUY TICKETS

 

 

 

 

 

 

From the author of the best-selling novel, The House of God, this critically acclaimed version which played Off-Broadway in 2007, tells the amazing story of the two men who pioneered Alcoholics Anonymous, and of their wives, who founded Al Anon.

During the roaring ’20s, New York stockbroker Bill Wilson rides high on money, fame, and booze. In ’29, both he and the market crash and he becomes a hopeless drunk.

Dr. Bob Smith, a surgeon in Akron, Ohio, and a pillar of the community, has been a secret drunk for thirty years, often going into the operating room hungover and high on sedatives. His family has tried everything to no avail.

Through an astonishing series of events involving doctors, ministers, the Oxford Group evangelical movement, and Henrietta Sieberling a scion of the Goodyear Rubber fortune, Bill and Bob meet on Mother’s Day of 1935. The two men form a relationship which keeps each sober. Fired up, they seek out a third drunk to see if their program will work for others.

February 7 – 16, 2020
BUY TICKETS

 

 

 

 

DETROIT

Fire up the grill and the middle class. This incendiary drama by Lisa D’amour explores two couples in middle America clinging to the ideal that hard work is rewarded with comfort and contentment. This “sharp x-ray of the embattled American psyche” (New York Times) is a “brilliantly observed piece of art” (Chicago Tribune). Pulitzer Finalist.

The Cast:  Conner Kelley, Clay Mabbit, Kelsey Miller, David Mosedale, Jenni White

May 8 – 24, 2020
Industry Night – May 11th
 BUY TICKETS

 

 

 

 

“Coming into this play, I was completely surprised by the history of IUPUI — how it all began. “I had no idea of the struggle and the price it actually cost to have this establishment that we have here today.” — Jay Fuqua, Actor “The Price of Progress”

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Our inaugural year as The District Theatre has a full docket; make sure you don’t miss a show! Sign up for our newsletter and we can keep you up to date on performances, volunteer opportunities and fundraising efforts!

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“Consider this a new theater with a fresh concept in an old Mass Ave spot.”

— IndyStar, Dec. 2018

 

“{IndyFringe} stepped in this year to manage The District Theatre, to insure Mass Ave remains a vital spot for theatre in the Circle City.”

— NUVO, Oct. 2018

 

 

“In the District’s intimate cabaret space, you get to see them perform right up in your face.” 

— NUVO, Jan. 2019

“The intimate confines of The District Theatre secondary cabaret stage add to the atmosphere, especially when Banta and Mullen’s antics take them through the audience.”

— Plays with John & Wendy, March 2019

 

Interested in volunteering?

Are you ready to participate where laughter, love and pathos converge – along with a little bit of elbow grease? We are accepting applications for volunteers. Reach us through our contact form!