“It was pretty obvious that I didn’t know who I was, but I knew who I wanted to be!”
Show Synopsis
The BETSY Show is a heartfelt and funny one-woman tour-de-force. As Elizabeth Ruth Young unpacks her life, she underscores her stories through songs, comedy and the vulnerability of coming from a picture-perfect family that is pretending that alcoholism isn’t affecting the ones they love. Betsy, (her nickname from her family) takes the audience on a journey to finding love, discovering resilience, and making dreams come true.
Production Credits
Written by Elizabeth Young-Collins
Directed by Joann Yarrow and Brad Beckman
Performed by Elizabeth Young-Collins
Sound Design by Brad Beckman
Co-produced by Daniel Collins
Show Times:
Dates: 3/13, 3/19, 3/20
Show Time: 2:00pm – 3:15pm
High Tea will be offered from 1pm-2pm.
Performance running time is approximately 60 minutes with no intermission.
An interactive talkback is available which is 15 minutes in length, bringing the total run time to 1 hour 15 minutes.
Best for audiences ages 16 and up.
Themes:
Music and the power of singing
Self-love and Humor
The demise of picture-perfect family
The “perfect” woman from the 1960’s to today
Recovery from Addiction
Faith in God and Resilience
Elizabeth Young-Collins creates relatable, powerful content that fuses her love of storytelling, comedy and music. She’s been performing nationally and internationally for more than twenty years and currently lives in Indianapolis. Her training includes Herbert Berghof’s Acting School, Longy School of Music and workshops in Michael Chekhov Technique.
PHOTOS – PRODUCTION (coming soon)
Reviews:
The “Betsy Show” — Elizabeth Young-Collins returns with a more autobiographical story, told with colorful scarves and delightful bits of song. Feeling like her life is one big performance, she comes to terms with the character she was meant to be. Learn how her family was featured in a national magazine and why she truly loves Paris — but not the champagne. So fascinating, the hour was over before I realized it. #indyfringe2023 – John Belden
Last night’s show was so great, and Elizabeth is so incredibly talented! Thank you for letting me know about the show. I love and appreciate theater so much, so it was fun experiencing Elizabeth’s performance. We couldn’t stop talking on our way home about how creative she was with her movement across the stage, the songs throughout and how she used minimal props to keep us all entertained. She drew us all in!! Also, I loved listening to her story, it was funny, emotional and so beautifully told. It’s pretty neat to have met her that way and get to know her a little better. Thank you for including me! – Carrie Maniaci
A tightly-knitted, well-crafted performance!
It was a wonderful way to spend the day. I really enjoyed the honesty, humor and incredible talent of the actress, Elizabeth Young-Col!ins. I left the theater with joy in my heart . A must-see performance!!!
Don’t ever slam the door on forgiveness
“Man is born broken. He lives by mending. The grace of God is glue.” I thought of those lines by playwright Eugene O’Neill after seeing this show. Betsy’s family provided her with incredible opportunities, but she had to steer through a sloshy sea of an increasingly drunken father and mother. Blessed are those who don’t slam the door on forgiveness — and this humorous and vulnerable play shows that Betsy has chosen the wiser path
Smart and pretty
This show was so fun. The mix of music and snippets of scenes and Betsy’s voice literally and figuratively worked so well together! I loved the use of props and scarves. There were a lot of really poignant moments intertwined with fun and honest memories! I was very happy to see it!
Powerful and heartfelt
I really enjoyed The Betsy Show. This one woman is an intimate look at Betsy’s life- and how it was shaped by her spirit and impacted by her alcoholic parents. I felt really connected to the hope, disappointment, despair and delight in this story! Go see it! – Orson Fowlks
The time went by so fast, I wanted to see more!
It was a great experience, makes me want to go to the theater again and again! The lead was very good! Well written, charmingly performed! Nicely staged! Very entertaining!
Betsy Quotes:
“Alcoholism is like a venomous snake; one day you see it, then it disappears from view. The witnesses can’t talk about it – the snake disappears and you are made to feel as if you never saw it. So, you doubt yourself. You think you are crazy. And some alcoholics are the best actors in the world.”
“It was my parents’ 50th wedding anniversary. I decided to tell them how I felt about their drinking. They were thrilled.”
Touring Information: