REVIEW: 5 shows to see at the 2026 IndyFringe Festival
Chloe McGowan reviews Black Thread as a deeply intimate, passionate, powerful, and memorable performance, praising PsyWrn Simone’s singing, rapping, spoken word, and tap dancing.
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the work, witnessed and remembered...
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Toni Stone
The BlackStage review says Baskin’s gifts were “on full display,” calling her portrayal compelling and crediting her with revealing the determination and suppressed history of the pioneering ballplayer.
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Photo: Ben Rose / Indianapolis Black Theater CompanyNew play celebrates the woman who shattered baseball’s glass ceiling
A feature on Indianapolis Black Theater Company’s production identifies AshLee Baskin, performing as PsyWrn Simone, as the star portraying Negro Leagues trailblazer Toni Stone.
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Live at the Center: PsyWrn Simone
This featured-performance profile presents AshLee “PsyWrn Simone” Baskin as an Indianapolis performing artist, educator, and advocate known for blending activism with genre-crossing music.
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“Black Keys” spotlights Black composers for a sold-out crowd
Coverage of the sold-out Indianapolis Chamber Orchestra program highlights AshLee “PsyWrn Simone” Baskin as a featured multi-hyphenate artist contributing powerhouse vocals.
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‘Blackademics’ serves challenging menu
John Lyle Belden reviews Baskin as Ann, writing that she and Chandra Lynch ably embody the stress of lives shaped by both labor and calling as the play challenges their characters’ assumed sisterhood.
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Fonseca Theatre Company’s “Blackademics”
Daniel Shock calls the three-woman cast riveting and Baskin’s Ann “vibrant and real,” noting how clearly the audience feels her excitement when she shares good news with her friend.
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One performing arts organization leaves huge impact on city
The article features Baskin in her leadership role as Asante Art Institute’s Assistant Artistic Director and draws on her perspective as a singer, poet, and spoken-word artist.
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Spotlight on ISO Musicians
The feature identifies Baskin as the local vocalist selected for “Stand By Me” and praises her as an artist who can sing, act, dance, write, and teach.
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Upcoming showcase promotes Indy musical talent
AshLee Baskin is interviewed as a Next Up fellow and showcase performer about her set, touring goals, creative partnerships, and the role artists play in sustaining communities.
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Photo provided by GANGGANGNext Up fellowships aim to help Indianapolis musicians break through
IBJ profiles PsyWrn Simone as a Next Up fellow, vocalist-guitarist, showcase performer, and previous featured artist in the Indy Arts Council’s Art & Soul series.
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Important ‘Mountaintop’ in the hills of Bloomington
Wendy Carson praises Baskin’s matter-of-fact Camae, highlighting how she keeps the character’s rants light without losing their power and remains sympathetic after the character’s truth is revealed.
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Catch the spirit of Civic’s ‘Color Purple’
John Lyle Belden calls Baskin’s Shug Avery magnetic and specifically praises the complexity of her performance in Civic Theatre’s production.
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Photo: Casey Cawthon, courtesy of WRTVBlack History Month 2021: Ways to celebrate in Indianapolis
WRTV identifies AshLee Baskin as one of four featured artists leading the 25th annual Art & Soul celebration’s month of performances.
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Art & Soul Festival goes virtual
The Recorder features headliner AshLee Baskin and examines the timely Nina Simone and Bob Dylan selections she built into her Art & Soul performance.
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