ABOUT US

Stage Door Irvington is a passion project of a few Irvington prominents with an abandoned building and a dream. Deb Kent, Jamie Willis (building owners) and Laura Krell (Artistic Director), have joined forces to create something new and much needed in the Indianapolis area: an affordable community performance and rehearsal space. With the generous donation of Kent, Willis, Gallery of Homes & Compass Realty Company, the spot on Bonna Avenue is becoming a sought-after venue for local thespians, writers, poets, musicians, & artists.

“The local Indianapolis community has very little affordable theater space, making the cost of mounting productions very difficult and unreachable for some."-Michael Swinford.

Since the inception of the Stage Door Irvington project in 2020, dozens of artists, musicians, & thespians have found a new home for rehearsals and future performances. Together, we’ve built a great team of leaders, artists, directors, grant writers, and volunteers who have been laying the foundation for a phenomenal asset to Irvington & greater Indianapolis.

Dr. Laura Krell-Artistic Director

Singer, composer, director, and teacher Dr. Laura Krell performed and directed in several theaters in Muncie, Richmond, and Marion, IN. Laura also has performed many operatic and music theater roles, her favorite being the Queen of the Night from Mozart’s Die Zauberflöte, and Miss Scarlet in Clue: the Musical. 

In 2015, Cambridge City, IN Krell began her own theater and directed/composed musicals for her students and community actors. Her theater also hosted a local band and showcased musical, theatrical, and variety show acts. Upon finishing her doctoral degree, Krell moved to Indianapolis and is delighted to be named the Executive Director of the Stage Door Theater, and to serve its mission to train, entertain, and herald a fresh, new theater landscape to the Irvington area.