IRT celebrates retiring Margot Lacy Eccles Artistic Director Janet Allen’s legacy with a capital campaign that renames the Upperstage Theatre in her honor
Fundraising efforts also support the IRT’s endowment and artistic development

Indianapolis, Ind.— On June 6, 2023, the Indiana Repertory Theatre announced its Back to the Future capital campaign as part of a retirement celebration for Janet Allen, the Theatre’s longest-running Margot Lacy Eccles Artistic Director. The $6 million campaign will support the renaming of the Upperstage Theatre to honor Allen’s legacy and career at the IRT, as well as upgrades to the performance space and will add to the IRT’s endowment.

IRT recently closed its 50th Anniversary Season which celebrated the history of the organization, the hopes for the future, and Allen’s impactful tenure. This year-long celebration culminated in an announcement of the renaming of the Upperstage Theatre, one of the IRT’s three performance spaces and one close to Allen’s heart due to the intimate nature of plays produced in that space. This announcement was a surprise for Allen, and the exact naming of the space will be determined at a later date.

On behalf of the Mayor’s office, Deputy Mayor Judith Thomas attended the reception and announced an official proclamation naming June 6, 2023, Janet Allen Day in Indianapolis. In addition to that honor, Allen was awarded the esteemed Sagamore of the Wabash from Indiana Governor Eric J. Holcomb, joining her with presidents, musicians, citizens, and more in being recognized for their great service to the state and Hoosier heritage.

“Janet has been an integral part of the growth of this organization, not only in financial stability and sustainability, but through the Theatre’s multigenerational art, student programming for Indiana youth, and community involvement,” Managing Director Suzanne Sweeney said. “Naming the Upperstage Theatre in her honor speaks to Janet’s vision, legacy, and hope for the longevity of this arts and culture landmark.”

The campaign, chaired by community leaders Gene Tempel and Michael Harrington, has received $3.5 million in commitments toward the $6 million goal. The money raised will allow for ongoing sustainability endeavors at the IRT, including technical and performance space upgrades, increased support of artistic development, and endowment contributions.

“Leading this campaign to honor Janet, her commitment to the community through art, and engaging Indiana’s audiences has been important,” Gene Tempel said. “As a long-time supporter of the IRT and its work in the community, I believe this campaign can bring this institution some of the greatest gifts–additional financial stability and improved sustainability.”

The IRT extends a special thank you to Sarah and John Lechleiter and the Allen Whitehill Clowes Charitable Foundation for their lead gifts, as well as every donor who has contributed to the success of the campaign thus far.

Janet Allen will officially retire at the end of the month, and Benjamin Hanna will become the IRT’s Margot Lacy Eccles Artistic Director and co-lead the institution with Suzanne Sweeney. To contribute to the campaign and IRT’s next 50 years, gifts can be made by contacting Suzanne Sweeney at ssweeney@irtlive.com. 

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ABOUT THE IRT
Founded in 1971, the Indiana Repertory Theatre (IRT) is the largest professional not-for-profit theatre in the state and one of the leading regional theatres in the country. The mission of the Indiana Repertory Theatre is to produce top-quality, professional theatre and related activities, providing experiences that will engage, surprise, challenge, and entertain people throughout their lifetimes, helping us build a vital and vibrant community.

Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Access (IDEA): The IRT strives to celebrate and serve the diverse people and cultures that make up our whole community. The IRT is committed to providing access for all; to creating and maintaining an antiracist theatre that is inclusive, safe, and respectful.
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Indiana Repertory Theatre announces 2023-2024 Season beginning this fall
IRT’s 51st season marks next chapter with new leadership, lineup, and musical moments
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Indianapolis, Ind.— The Indiana Repertory Theatre has announced its 2023 – 2024 Season. Scheduled from September 20, 2023, to May 19, 2024, this season will be Benjamin Hanna’s first year as the Margot Lacy Eccles Artistic Director after Janet Allen’s retirement. This new artistic journey features a lineup of beloved classics and uncharted histories, spine-chilling drama and heartwarming comedy, as well as the Theatre’s first full-scale musical in a decade.

Opening the 23-24 Season is an electrifying look at a classic thriller in Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, followed by the return of the holiday tradition Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol with Priscilla Lindsay directing, and the family sitcoms of the 70s will get a contemporary lift in The Folks at Home. Two productions focus on the lives of inspirational and influential women in politics and art, including Fannie: The Music and Life of Fannie Lou Hamer and Frida … A Self Portrait. The season will go out with a song with the hilarious horticultural horror musical, Little Shop of Horrors.

“We are looking forward to welcoming our audiences back in September as we begin this new chapter,” Managing Director Suzanne Sweeney said. “With our dedicated staff, a welcoming community, supportive patrons, and shows that will spark thought and shared laughter, we are excited to embark on the Theatre’s next 50 years.”

Sweeney will co-lead with Hanna, and the transformational leadership and institutional change begins in July. A director, curator, avid arts educator, and IRT’s Associate Artistic Director for the past five years, Hanna’s passion for multigenerational theatre and dedication to equity and access fuels his investment in Indianapolis’ community to generate art for–and with–all.

“I’m honored to serve as IRT’s next artistic leader. Using theatre’s transformative power to strengthen our cultural community, my first season strives to open the doors to our Theatre wide, welcoming Hoosiers to call IRT home,” Benjamin Hanna said.

The IRT is grateful for the ongoing support from OneAmerica Financial Partners as the Season Sponsor, a partnership that has endured for more than half of the IRT’s existence.  
Seated ticket packages are available now, and Build Your Own packages and single tickets will go on sale this summer. To learn more about season packages and to purchase, visit irtlive.com.


2023 – 2024 SEASON AT THE INDIANA REPERTORY THEATRE

Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein
adapted by David Catlin
September 20 – October 14, 2023
OneAmerica Mainstage
electrifying look at a classic thriller
Join a memorable gathering of literary giants on a dark and eerie evening as Mary Shelley stitches together her grisly Gothic tale of Victor Frankenstein and his terrifying creation. This galvanic adaptation of the classic novel thrills and enthralls as it experiments with love, grief, horror, and the power to create—or destroy—life. There’s a little monster in all of us.
 
 
Charles Dickens’
A Christmas Carol
adapted by Tom Haas
November 18 – December 24, 2023
OneAmerica Mainstage
Indy’s holiday tradition
Banish your bah humbugs and celebrate the season at the Indiana Repertory Theatre! A Christmas Carol shines a light on the power of kindness and love in this uplifting tale of one man’s journey to redemption. As the weather turns cold, warm your heart with story and song at the IRT.
 
 
Fannie: The Music and Life of Fannie Lou Hamer
by Cheryl L. West
January 9 – February 4, 2024
OneAmerica Mainstage
justice will not be denied
Rising from humble roots as the daughter of a Mississippi sharecropper, Fannie Lou Hamer became a leader in the struggle for voting rights at a time when Civil Rights were far from secure. Her grit and determination to keep fighting, through bad times as well as good, shows what it means to be a true revolutionary. You’ll be clapping and crying and singing along with a show that is part theatre, part gospel revival, and all inspiration.
 
 
The Folks at Home
by R. Eric Thomas
February 20 – March 16, 2024
OneAmerica Mainstage
a modern family comedy
Roger and Brandon, an interracial couple living in South Baltimore, are doing the very best they can to live their version of the American dream: love, house, solid jobs. Except Roger’s been laid off for months, their mortgage is late…and there might be a ghost in the attic. And that was before both sets of parents decided to move in! This contemporary riff on the beloved family sitcoms of the 70s is a complex yet heartwarming portrait of modern life.
 
 
Frida … A Self Portrait
written and performed by Vanessa Severo
March 12 – April 7, 2024
Upperstage Theatre
extraordinary tour de force
Iconic Mexican painter Frida Kahlo was a woman who lived boldly, loved wildly, and painted prolifically in order to see herself and the world around her more clearly. With stunning stagecraft and irresistible charm, Brazilian writer and performer Vanessa Severo unearths powerful common ground between herself and Frida, inviting us to experience the artist’s vibrant, tumultuous life and rare genius.
 
 
Little Shop of Horrors
book and lyrics by Howard Ashman
music by Alan Menken
April 17 – May 19, 2024
OneAmerica Mainstage
hilarious horticultural horror musical
When shy, awkward Seymour Krelborn finds a strange and interesting new plant that sings wicked R&B, he suddenly sees an unexpected road to fame, fortune, and the heart of his true love—as long as he’s willing to pay a horrible price. This silly, scary sci-fi musical romp has devoured the hearts of audiences around the world—and now it’s coming for you! You’ll laugh. You’ll scream. You’ll give up gardening for good!
 
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ABOUT THE IRT
Founded in 1971, the Indiana Repertory Theatre (IRT) is the largest professional not-for-profit theatre in the state and one of the leading regional theatres in the country. The mission of the Indiana Repertory Theatre is to produce top-quality, professional theatre and related activities, providing experiences that will engage, surprise, challenge, and entertain people throughout their lifetimes, helping us build a vital and vibrant community.

Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Access (IDEA): The IRT strives to celebrate and serve the diverse people and cultures that make up our whole community. The IRT is committed to providing access for all; to creating and maintaining an antiracist theatre that is inclusive, safe, and respectful.