To spot the Indiana Repertory Theatre, look for an ornate, historic white building with a grand, castle-like façade and arched windows tucked between tall, modern office towers on West Washington Street, not far from where the sidewalk dips into a parking entrance.
Welcome to your first stop-Indiana Repertory Theatre! Or, as its friends like to call it, IRT. Picture yourself standing where countless plays have swept audiences into new worlds for over a century. With its dazzling white exterior and baroque decorations, it’s clear this theater isn’t just about what’s on the stage-it’s a star in its own right. Imagine the excitement on opening night, the soft glow of the marquee, the buzz of the crowd filing in, -and the sense that something truly magical is about to happen.
IRT began its story in 1972, but not here-its first act took place in The Athenaeum, another grand old building in the city. The real show started in 1980, when IRT moved into the Indiana Theatre, which you’re admiring now. This former movie palace was built in 1927 for Paramount Pictures, back in the heyday of grand cinemas, when going out to the movies was like stepping into a palace-you half expected to see movie stars mingling in the lobby (though you’re more likely to spot teachers on a field trip these days).
Back in the early repertory days, actors darted between different characters and shows, keeping audiences on their toes-and probably inspiring a few backstage sprints that deserve awards of their own. And while IRT eventually shifted to a more traditional season format, there’s always a surprise in store: from Shakespeare’s sword fights to the heart and humor of A Christmas Carol, which has become a holiday tradition for Hoosiers far and wide.
If these walls could talk, they’d have plenty of backstage gossip. Legendary actors like Priscilla Lindsay and John Henry Redwood have graced this stage, leaving echoes of their applause in every corner. Redwood himself performed a one-man show here called Looking Over the President’s Shoulder, which tells the real-life story of Alonzo Fields, a butler who served three U.S. presidents. Can you imagine the stories Fields could tell, walking these halls in White House style? IRT also boasts playwrights like Charles Smith and the talented James Still, whose works have premiered here before heading out into the world.
Now, just listen for a second-can you hear it? That’s the spirit of IRT, where dramas like The Crucible or comedies like The Three Musketeers have kept the city laughing, gasping, or on the edge of their seats. And don’t overlook the students: every year, young playwrights get the chance to see their stories performed in the Young Playwrights in Process competition, some of them discovering their love for theater right on this very street. It’s not all dust and nostalgia-recent productions like To Kill a Mockingbird, Fences, and August Wilson’s Radio Golf have shown the company’s ability to make even the oldest works feel as fresh as tomorrow.
Then there’s IRT’s inclusive spirit. They made history as the first theater to cast an autistic actor, Mickey Rowe, as the lead in The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time-to resounding applause, of course. And though musicals might not fill the program the way they once did, world premieres like Captive Heart: The Frances Slocum Story, based on Indiana’s own history, ensure that this stage still has a few song-and-dance numbers tucked beneath its boards.
Standing here, you can almost picture the velvet curtains just inside, the hush before a show begins, and the thrill as the lights dim. The IRT is more than just a building-it’s a treasure chest of Indiana’s stories, passed down year after year. Whether you’re a lover of Shakespeare, Dickens, or maybe even a future playwright yourself, this is the place where all the drama, comedy, and wonder of the theater world is just waiting for its next act. Now, take a bow-you’ve arrived at one of the city’s great stages!
