HOW THE OTHER HALF LOVES Explores the Stage at Arts for Lawrence’s Theatre at the Fort

Three Bickering Couples, Two Disastrous Dinner Parties, and One Very Sticky Affair 

The farce HOW THE OTHER HALF LOVES, by Alan Ayckbourn, will take the stage at Art for Lawrence’s Theatre at the Fort as the season opener for The Belfry’s 59th season. 

HOW THE OTHER HALF LOVES is a wild farce that follows three married couples whose lives are hopelessly entwined. Frank employs Bob and William and is considering William for promotion. Bob is having an affair with the boss’s (Frank’s) wife and argues constantly with his wife, Teresa. Mary thinks (incorrectly) that William, her husband, is having an affair.  

The plot thickens when each of the adulterous parties, plays host to William and Mary at dinner parties on successive nights, both of which dinners end in disaster. As relations between partners deteriorate, matters become more confused and only the truth can restore order to chaos. 

The inventive stage acts as a seventh character. “Typically, the stage is split, with the shoddy Phillips apartment set on one side and the posh living room of the Fosters on the other,” said Nicole Amsler, director. “Instead I envisioned a lenticular stage, where the stage is segmented into strips and action is overlapping, depending on which furniture and space they are interacting within. It adds a lot of fun to staging and blocking. It’s not unlike air traffic controlling.” 

The cast consists of Tim Long (Frank Foster), Susan Hill (Fiona Foster), Sarah Froehlke (Teresa Phillips), Ronan Marra, Sr. (Bob Phillips), Lisa Warner (Mary Detweiler), and Ken Kingshill (William Detweiler.) The show is directed by Nicole Amsler. 

How the Other Half Loves runs two weekends, September 22nd-October 1st, 2023. All evening shows (Friday and Saturday) are held at 7:30 pm. Sunday’s matinees start at 2 pm, with the first Sunday matinee (September 24th)  featuring an ASL-interpreted show. Arts for Lawrence’s Theatre at the Fort is located at 8920 Otis Ave, Lawrence, easily accessible off I-465.

As the first show in its 59th season, The Hamilton County Theatre Guild, which operates The Belfry, has partnered with Arts for Lawrence for this show. 

The rest of the season includes THE MAN WHO CAME TO DINNER (November 24-December 3rd, 2023) at Noblesville First United Methodist Church; ONE MAN, TWO GUVNORS (February 2-11, 2024) and FATHER OF THE BRIDE (March 15-25th, 2024), both at The Switch Theatre at Ji-Eun Lee Music; WAITING IN THE WINGS (April 26-May 5, 2024) and DISNEY’S BEAUTY AND THE BEAST JR. (July 24-28th, 2024) at Noblesville First United Methodist Church.

Tickets are on sale now and can be purchased at https://www.artsforlawrence.org/events-1/how-the-other-half-loves-2023-09-22-19-30

Belfry Nominated for 30 Encore Awards!

Congratulations to the Hamilton County Theatre Guild’s The Belfry Theatre, which has received 30 Encore Association nominations for the 2022-23 Encore Awards.

The Encore Awards celebrate excellence in community theater. Congratulations to our cast and crew nominees!

Winners will be announced during the annual awards night at 7 p.m. Monday, Oct. 23, at The Toby at Indianapolis Museum of Art in Indianapolis.

Here are The Belfry nominations:

• Best Production of a Drama: Betsy Reason, producer, “Rehearsal for Murder”; and Diane Wilson, producer, “The Great Gatsby.”
• Best Director of a Drama: Andrea Odle, “The Great Gatsby”; and Diane Wilson, “Rehearsal for Murder.”
• Best Lead Actor in a Drama: Troy Bridges, “The Great Gatsby”; and Kelly Keller, “Rehearsal for Murder.”
• Best Lead Actress in a Comedy: Becca Bartley, “Crimes of the Heart”; and Sara Eberhardt, “Crimes of the Heart.”
• Best Lead Actress in a Drama: Tessa Gibbons, “The Great Gatsby.”
• Best Major Supporting Actor in a Drama: Jackson Stollings, "The Great Gatsby."
• Best Major Supporting Actress in a Comedy: Ka’Lena Cuevas, “Crimes of the Heart.”
• Best Major Supporting Actress in a Drama: Olivia Carrier, “Rehearsal for Murder”; Jessica Hawkins, “The Great Gatsby”; and Kim O’Mara, “Rehearsal for Murder.”
• Best Cameo in a Drama: Cindy Duncan, “Rehearsal for Murder.”
• Best Ensemble in a Comedy: The Three Sisters, “Crimes of the Heart.”
• Best Performer Under the Age of 18 in a Drama: Rachel Bush, “The Great Gatsby.”
• Best Costumes for a Drama: Addie Taylor and Judy McGroarty, “The Great Gatsby.”
• Best Set Design of a Comedy: Jen Otterman, “Crimes of the Heart.”
• Best Set Decoration of a Comedy: Nicole Amsler and Jen Otterman, “Crimes of the Heart.”
• Best Lighting Design for a Comedy: Eric Matters, “Crimes of the Heart.”
• Best Lighting Design for a Drama: Brian Coon, “The Great Gatsby.”
• Best Light Board Operation for a Drama: Lexi Odle, “The Great Gatsby.”
• Best Props for a Play (combined category): Nicole Amsler and Jen Otterman, “Crimes of the Heart”; and Lindsay Vest, “Around the World in 80 Days.”
• Best Stage Manager of a Play (combined category): Monya Wolf, “Around the World in 80 Days.”
• Best Lead Actress in a Musical: Ellen Vander Missen, “The Sound of Music.”
• Best Major Supporting Actor in a Musical: Rob Lawson, “The Sound of Music.”
• Best Major Supporting Actress in a Musical: Susan Boliek Smith, “The Sound of Music.”
• Best Female Singer: Ellen Vander Missen, “The Sound of Music.”

Also, The Belfry Theatre Apprentice Players youth cast members ages 5-18 from the summer’s “Willy Wonka Jr.” are expected to perform during a Rising Star portion of the program at the Encore Awards on Oct. 23.

The 53-year-old Encore Association is comprised of nonprofessional, nonprofit community theaters. Its board annually plays host to this awards ceremony recognizing excellence from the previous theatrical season. A committee of judges view productions and select nominees. This year, there are about 60 categories.

The Encore Association awards ceremony is traditionally the social event of the year, like the Oscars, or the Tonys, but for community theater, where people dress to the nines, and cheer on fellow thespians lucky enough to go home with awards for being the best in their show.

Visit EncoreAssociation.net for more information and also for tickets beginning Oct. 1. For more information about The Belfry Theatre’s season, visit www.belfrytheatre.com