Photo Flash: OCTOPUS At Phoenix Theatre Of Indianapolis

After two gay couples get together for an evening of partner-swapping, one of the four men receives a telegram from a mysterious messenger and then disappears into the deep blue sea. One by one, the other three men receive telegrams of their own. Is it a bizarre coincidence or some kind of cosmic revenge for a night of debauchery? Octopus examines the fallout of the turning-point evening on two committed relationships. Audience Advisory: Contains adult content, nudity and strong language.

Steven Yockey is a member of Atlanta's Out of Hand Theater and a regular fixture at Dad's Garage Theatre Company in Atlanta with the plays Sleepy and Ski, Stop Motion (2004), Swallow (2005), Snuff Film (2006), and Sucker Punch (2007), all commissioned and directed by frequent collaborator Kate Warner. Other works include the plays Bellwether, Tsuru: a ghost story, Cartoon, Heavier than..., and Adoration, plus the short films Medusa, Cake, Sucker Punch, and the feature-length film Salvage. Steve is a Phi Beta Kappa, Summa Cum Laude graduate of the University of Georgia and holds an MFA in Dramatic Writing from NYU's Tisch School of the Arts.

Bryan Fonseca directs Jason Gloye as Kevin; Benjamin Snyder as Blake; Ricardo Melendez as Andy; Nate Walden as Max; and Scot Greenwell as the Telegram Delivery Boy. James Gross is the set designer; Laura Glover is the lighting designer; and Beth Marx is the costume designer.

Octopus will be performed on the Phoenix Mainstage June 11 through July 11, 2009. Performances are Thursdays at 7:00pm, Fridays at 8:00pm, and Saturdays at 8:00pm. There will be no performance on Saturday, July 4, but there will be a bonus performance on Wednesday, July 1, at 7:00p.m., and it will be priced at the Duke Energy Cheapseats rate of $15 per ticket. Single tickets are $25 for those 25 and over, $15 for those 24 and under. All Thursdays are Duke Energy CheapSeats nights: All tickets are just $15. Group rates for adults are available for groups of 15 or more, as are discounts for buying out the house. To purchase tickets: 317.635.PLAY (7529), or purchase online at www.phoenixtheatre.org.

Photo by Julie Curry.