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Dave Pelsue

Dave Pelsue

ARTISTIC DIRECTOR

Dave has been with Catalyst since before we were even Catalyst! Joining forces with what would to become our creative team, in 2013, with his first Fringe show appearance in The Solidarity, written by Casey Ross and directed by Dane Rogers, for the 2013 IndyFringe. Dave has been a leader on the Catalyst team, ever since.

BIOGRAPHY:

Dave is an acclaimed actor and celebrated musician, who has been seen on many stages, both theatrical and musical, throughout the country. Dave is also talented wood-worker, painter, and carpenter, which has made him an essential member of our team. Dave has hand a hand in most of Catalyst’s shows – if he’s not in them, he’s usually somewhere on the team; be it building, writing,  designing, or composing. On top of his work with Catalyst, he also works for the renowned Phoenix Theatre, Defiance Comedy, Betty Rage Productions…and more. In his non-exsistent free time, he performs as the front-man for popular local band, Fareway. If he looks familar, Google him, because he probablly was in. that one band. Some of Dave’s most memorable Catalyst Repertory performances include: The Pillowman (Tupolski), Tooth of Crime (Hoss), The Diviners (C.C. Showers), Canvas/The Gallery Trilogy (Jackson), and Copyright/Safe (Badger). You last saw Dave in Tortillo! 3: Sombrero’s Revenge (Patrick), at the 2022 IndyFringe Festival. Coming up, Dave will be starring in our upcoming 2023 mainstange productions of A Streetcar Named Desire (Stanley) and our revival of the cult-classic musical, Starmites (SpacePunk).

2023 SEASON SPONSORSHIPS

Catalyst Repertory demands to never pay our actors less than a $100 stipend, for any production and any role. For leading roles, we collect tax deductable donations toward sponsoring repertory actor’s major roles, in the upcoming Catalyst season. This also allows us to hire AEA actors or crew members, and to helps our non-union company leaders begin to command equity comparable rates, to help keep top teir talents perfomring in Indianapolis. To help sponsor Dave for our 2023 season, donate below:

APPEARING IN 2023:

STANLEY

  • $100.00 Raised
    of $1,500.00
 

SPACEPUNK

  • $0.00 Raised
    of $1,500.00
 

COMPOSER/MUSICAL DIRECTOR

If you know anything about our Artistic Director and Music Man in Residence, Dave, it’s that this guy can really spice up a sound design with original music. We’ve been lucky to employee Dave for several original compositions, that have amplified our productions and our brand – From original scores, like that of our award-winning, 2016 production of Equus, to Musical Direction for our critically acclaimed Taming of the Shrew (2017) – Dave has lead the shaping of Catalyst’s musical voice. 

Dave and fellow Catalyst Artistic Director, Casey Ross, even penned the first fully Catalyst-created original musical, Hell’s 4th Ring [The Mall Musical], which premiered as a Fringe cut, in 2015, and was later revived into a full-length workshop production, in 2018. 

Dave has been a life-long recording artist and musician. Presently, Dave still finds time to front-man a regularlly performing rock-band, Fareway.  Fareway plays at local bars, clubs and private events all over Indiana and the Midwest. Dave Pelsue is literally our repertory’s “Rockstar in Restidence.” 

Fareway, PHOTO CREDIT – BAND’S FACEBOOK PAGE

ACTOR IN RESIDENCE

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APPEARENCES

  • (2013) THE SOLIDARITY (INDYFRINGE)  (BEN), CASEY ROSS
  • (2015) HELL’S 4TH RING [THE MALL MUSICAL] (INDYFRINGE)  (MUSIC/ERIC), CASEY ROSS & DAVE PELSUE
  • (2016) TORTILLO!   (PATRICK), CASEY ROSS
  • (2016) THE DIVINERS   (C.C. SHOWERS/SET DESIGN), JIM LEONARD, JR
  • (2016) EQUUS   (ORIGINAL SCORE), PETER SHAFFER
  • (2016) TORTILLO! 2: DICKENS RISING (INDYFRINGE)   (PATRICK), CASEY ROSS
  • (2016) CORIOLANUS   (LARTIUS), SHAKESPEARE
  • (2017) TOOTH OF CRIME   (HOSS), SAM SHEPARD
  • (2017) CANVAS (INDYFRINGE)   (JACKSON), CASEY ROSS
  • (2017) TAMING OF THE SHREW   (PETRUCHIO), SHAKESPEARE
  • (2018) HELL’S 4TH RING [THE MALL MUSICAL]   (MUSIC/ERIC), CASEY ROSS & DAVE PELSUE
  • (2018) ARCADEFIRE! [THE REDEMPTION OF BILLY MITCHELL] (INDYFRINGE)   (VOICE OF DONKEY KONG), CASEY ROSS & CHRISTOPHER MCNEELY
  • (2021) COPYRIGHT/SAFE (INDYFRINGE)   (BADGER/ORIGINAL SONGS), CASEY ROSS
  • (2022) THE PILLOWMAN   (TUPOLSKI), MARTIN MCDONAGH
  • (2022) TORTILLO! 3: SOMBRERO’S REVENGE (INDYFRINGE)  (PATRICK), CASEY ROSS

Tooth of Crime, by Sam Shepard

Canvas, by Casey Ross

Copyright/Safe, by Casey Ross

PRESS

Our Creative Director, Dave Pelsue, got to sit down with vetern theatre journalist, Tom Alverez to talk about his theatre career, Catalyst Reperoty, long term goals of the theatre, and his role in our exciting upcoming 2023 theatre season.

What I love about acting, and performing in general, is connecting and communicating with people, whatever that story is, message, show, or song is. I think that is the bug for me. It is that moment to be on a platform. To be on stage and tap into the emotion and communicate whatever that message is. I love connecting with people. I think that is what performing for me is.

HIGHLIGHTS