Candlelight Theatre

Choose Your Murder

photo of two comedies of error actors. a woman is standing on the left, holding a human skull and holding a hand above a seated man's head while he has a curious expression on his face.

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Performing Arts

Candlelight Theatre

Now Announcing the 2026-2027 Candlelight Theatre Season

Each Season features plays within the historic home of the 23rd President, which provides an authentic backdrop and a theatre experience you won’t soon forget!

Creative Director Donna Wing, Resident Playwright James Trofatter, and a dedicated company of seasoned actors perform a combination of mysteries, comedies, and thrilling historically-inspired tales!

The 2026-2027 season of Candlelight Theatre is:

Murder at Millfields | October 9, 10, 16, 17, 24 & 25
An exclusive spa weekend turns into a nightmare with the discovery of a dead guest in the hotel bar. Will your group come together to crack the case?

A Dickens Christmas | December 11, 12 & 13
Classic Dickens holiday tales, adapted for stage by resident playwright James Trofatter, come to life int he rooms of the presidential residence.

Romance and Remembrance | February 14
Treat your special someone to an evening of music, wine, and poetry in a celebration of love with Candlelight Theatre.

Murder Most Merry | April / May, 2027
Join us for three classic mysteries performed parlor style in the signature performance of the season.

Learn more Buy Season Tickets!

UPCOMING PRODUCTIONS

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Meet Candlelight Theatre

Learn about the creative partners behind our productions.

Portrait of Donna Wing. An older woman with red hair, green eyes, red lipstick, and a gold necklace.

Donna Wing, Creative Director

Donna spent her childhood and teen years in both New York City and Tulsa, Oklahoma where she was a young dancer, actress and TV model for a local teen scene show. After a hiatus from theater, she returned to the boards after moving to Indianapolis in 2000. In 2003, with the support of Phyllis Geeslin, she founded the Candlelight Theatre Company. She holds a doctorate in education from the University of Tulsa in conjunction with the University of London, England. In 2012, she was a partner fellow in the Advanced Leadership Initiative at Harvard University Business School and the Harvard Kennedy School of Government. Her project focused on creating innovative art delivery paradigms of which Candlelight Theatre is a prototype.

Portrait of James Trofatter. He is an elderly man with blown back white hair, cleanly shaved. He wears a slight grin.

James Trofatter, Playwright in Residence

Jim was born and raised in north-central New Jersey. He holds a B.S. in Zoology from Duke University, an M.S. in Differential and Developmental Cell Biology from Rutgers, The State University, and a Ph.D. in Medical and Molecular Genetics from Indiana University. In 2003, Jim retired from academia to fully focus his efforts on writing plays and acting. Candlelight Theatre has been Jim’s creative home since 2004. He assumed the role of Resident Playwright in 2006. Since then, he has directed, written the Ghost Tales series, the winter Holiday series, and some of the Spring short plays. He has written numerous versions of plays based on the real-life murders attributed to Nancy Clem, who was tried by Benjamin Harrison in Indianapolis in 1868. Even though Jim has moved back to his home state of New Jersey, he continues to write for Candlelight Theatre.