IndyFringe Building ready for the center stage

When one-time Park Tudor High School student Jack Fry brings his story about teaching in South Central Los Angeles

IndyFringe volunteers have been working to refurbish the former church building at 719 E. St. Clair St., just off Mass Ave. An exterior paint job is just the latest improvement, with other projects involving roof repair and air conditioning.

to the IndyFringe Building in October, he will find himself performing inside a freshly painted building which has only recently completed a year-long metamorphosis from empty church to vital cog in the Mass Ave Art & Theater District.

“We are truly delighted with the results of the refurbishment of the IndyFringe building,” said Executive Director Pauline Moffat, who said the building will be even busier in 2010 than it has been so far this year. Between January and August of this year, in fact, over 4,500 people attended shows at the fledgling theater building.

Restoration and renovation of the near-dilapidated building was underwritten by grants from the Allen Whitehill Clowes Charitable Foundation and the Nina Mason Pulliam Trust, plus matching grants from the Local Initiatives Support Corp. and the Mass Ave Community Development Corp.

In addition to fresh paint, the building enjoys air conditioning, refinished floors, upgraded wiring, a new stage and chairs to accommodate audiences of 100. Front and rear concrete steps have been replaced. A rear-access disability ramp is still under design consideration.

Moffat believes the building, in addition to serving as the IndyFringe headquarters, will fill a gap in the local arts community. “We provide a year- round, low-cost rehearsal and performing space to Indianapolis theater and community groups,” she said.

Theater companies and performers who have used the building in the past six months are:

InterAction Theatre Co.
Hart Theatre Co.
Butler University Theater.
The International School of Indianapolis.
Acro Cats of Chicago.
Sister Nancy Murray (“Catherine of Sienna:).
Indiana University (“Terminus”).
Kevin Thornton of Nashville, Tenn.
Merely Players of Owensboro, Ky.
Trina Hamlin of New York.
Orkestra Projekt of Indianapolis.

In addition, Moffat pointed out, the Cottage Home Neighborhood Association has met in the building. The Lacy Leadership Association introduced 60 people to the building (with the Orkestra Projekt and teenage poet Mat Davis giving attendees a sample of what Fringe has to offer). The Feast of the Lanterns committee conducted lantern classes three days a week in preparation for the annual event in Spades Park.

Last spring, Moffatt continued, Mass Ave merchants, IndyFringe and the Kenyetta Dance Co. wowed an audience with “a fabulous and funky spring fashion show.” And, she added, 12 high school and college groups performed to packed audiences during the 2009 IndyFringe festival.

Moffat said special thanks go out to Lee Dykstra (her husband) “for his thousands of volunteer hours working and supervising work in the building.” She added many thanks to founding IndyFringe Board of Directors President Tom Battista for obtaining a theater curtain (from Clowes Hall) and wings (from the Children’s Museum of Indianapolis); Lori Kaplan for donating the interior lights; Durwin Griggs for the signature red front doors; and Karen and Jeff Willmington for the rear doors.

She also noted the contribution of IndyPride, whose members washed down and undercoated the interior walls as part of that organization’s inaugural day of service.

Local artist Gina Soo Golden spent many hours putting final touches to the interior walls and to preserving the existing mural, a legacy of a former tenant know as “the wire man.”

Many other people generously donated chairs and funds towards the building, Moffat added. She also thanked Scott Perkins of PVA Architects for work on the renovation and the interior and exterior paint scheme, and added that Maxim Painting Services and Porter Paints did a great job of finishing off the exterior.