
Melissa Hall
Melissa Hall has been reviewing live theater since 2006. She lives in Indianapolis and enjoys the city's thriving local arts scene. She is a member of the American Theatre Critics Association and serves on its Steinberg/New Play committee. She is also a board member of the Indianapolis Shakespeare Company. She loves to travel and has been to 41 states and 16 countries. When she's not at the theatre, she can either be found at home with her husband, daughters, and dog or at her job, running a magazine for a state association.
Learn More About Melissa Hall
First Show
The King and IFavorite Show
Seeing Les Misérables in London and In the Heights in New York City are two of my favorite memories at the theater.Favorite Stories
- Every Brilliant Thing - An incredible show that blended comedy and drama so perfectly.
- Silent Sky - A new theater group premiered in our city with this wonderful production.
- Interview: IRT Playwright-in-Residence Wins Drama Award - It was a delight to learn some of the behind-the-scenes details about playwriting from James Still.
- Sweeney Todd - I love that shows can range from huge musicals in incredible venues, to a world premier one-man show in a black box theatre. This is an example of the former.
- J. Eyre - Highlighting an original musical from our city was such a treat.
Most Popular Articles


Review: THE 39 STEPS at Indiana Repertory Theatre
September 24, 2025

Review: SINGIN' IN THE RAIN at Beef & Boards Dinner Theatre
April 14, 2026

Review: THE PLAY THAT GOES WRONG at Beef & Boards Dinner Theatre
July 21, 2026
Sometimes you just need to laugh.

Review: SINGIN' IN THE RAIN at Beef & Boards Dinner Theatre
April 14, 2026
The stage version of the 1952 musical is back, and many of the previous cast members are revising their roles.

Review: BORROWED BABIES at American Lives Theatre
February 13, 2026
A world premiere, a Hoosier playwright, and a little piece of fascinating but overlooked history.

Review: THE 39 STEPS at Indiana Repertory Theatre
September 24, 2025
It’s not often you get a peek behind the curtain as an audience member in the theater.

Review: WAITRESS at Beef & Boards Dinner Theatre
July 23, 2025
Waitress is one of the rare non-musical movies that transitions to the stage with ease.

Review: THE LITTLE MERMAID at Beef & Boards Dinner Theatre
May 27, 2025
The Beef & Boards annual family show is the perfect way to kick off the summer.

Review: THE PLAY THAT GOES WRONG at Indiana Repertory Theatre
April 16, 2025
What did our critic think of THE PLAY THAT GOES WRONG at Indiana Repertory Theatre?Sometimes you don’t realize how badly you needed to laugh until your sides are aching, and your face hurts.

Review: NINA SIMONE: FOUR WOMEN at Indiana Repertory Theatre
February 8, 2025
The success of this production rests on the voices of the actresses and what a success it is! Without incredible singers, the rest falls flat.

Review: MURDER ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS at Beef & Boards Dinner Theatre
January 12, 2025
The show’s farcical first half works because the second sticks the landing.

Review: WHITE CITY MURDER at Phoenix Theatre
July 25, 2024
There are a few Indy performers whose name alone is enough to get me to their show.

Review: THE WIZARD OF OZ at Beef & Boards Dinner Theatre
May 29, 2024
A trip on the yellow brick road is not a rare occurrence in local theater, but some productions just hit it out of the park.

Review: THE KING AND I at Beef & Boards Dinner Theatre
April 11, 2024
Thirty years ago I saw my very first professional musical.

Review: THE MINUTES at American Lives Theatre
January 29, 2024
The stodgy claustrophobic feel of the first half of the show is intentional and director Christ Saunders handles it beautifully.

Review: TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD at Clowes Memorial Hall
January 24, 2024
You can go to the show to see Thomas play Atticus, or Mary Badham (who played the original Scout in the film) as Mrs.

Review: MATILDA at Buskirk-Chumley Theater
December 19, 2023
Matilda is an entertaining show, but the message at its heart is the transformative power of finding love and connection.

Review: A CHRISTMAS CAROL at Indiana Repertory Theatre
December 6, 2023
A Christmas Carol is back at the Indiana Repertory Theatre.

Review: FROZEN with Broadway Across America
November 22, 2023
The mega-hit musical Frozen is on stage now at the Old National Centre.

Review: MARY SHELLEY'S FRANKENSTEIN at Indiana Repertory Theatre
September 24, 2023
Do you think you know the story of Frankenstein? Do you picture a green-skinned creature with bolts in his neck? The true story is less about the monster than it is about its creator and this adaptation looks closely at the writer behind the story.

Interview: Cast of ANGELS IN AMERICA at Bard Fest
May 24, 2023
Bard Fest, Indy's only annual Shakespeare Festival, is producing the epic two-play cycle of Tony Kushner’s Pulitzer-prize-winning Angels in America.

Review: BEAUTY AND THE BEAST at Beef & Boards Dinner Theatre
May 22, 2023
If you want to be reminded of the magic of theater, take a young child to see their first show.
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