Stage Notes is a weekly aggregate post about theater, classical music and stage news, events, reviews and other pertinent information.
Stage Notes Calendar
Opening this week:
Forbidden Broadway: Merrily We Stole a Song, today-Saturday at the Wyly Theatre.
Theatre Arlington: The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time, Friday-May 25.
DSO Pops: ¡Bailamos! A Night of Latin Music, Friday-May 11.
Ochre House Theater: Moving Creatures, Friday-May 24.
Pegasus Theatre: Death/Take:1!, Friday-May 24 at the Bath House Cultural Center.
Rockwall Community Playhouse: The Sound of Music, Friday-May 25.
Oak Lawn Band: … For Band, 4 p.m. Saturday at the Latino Cultural Center.
FWSO Special: Picasso Symphony, 7:30 p.m. Saturday at Will Rogers Auditorium.
Avant Chamber Ballet: Masterworks, Friday and Saturday at Moody Performance Hall.
Coppell Community Chorale: Show Off!, Saturday and Sunday at the Coppell Arts Center.
Broadway at the Bass: MJ, Tuesday-May 15 at Bass Hall, pictured.
Onstage now:
Circle Theatre: The Hatmaker’s Wife, through Saturday.
McKinney Repertory Theatre: Deliver Us from Mama!, through Saturday.
Second Thought Theatre: Healed, through Saturday.
Amphibian Stage: Rift, or White Lies, through May 11, pictured.
Bishop Arts Theatre: A Dallas Hedda, through Sunday.
Jubilee Theater: Thunder Knocking on the Door, through Sunday.
Kitchen Dog Theater: The Grown-ups, through Sunday at Samuell-Grand Amphitheatre.
Garland Civic Theatre: Boeing Boeing, through Sunday.
Theatre Off the Square: Four Old Broads, through Sunday.
MainStage ILC: The Sunshine Boys, through May 17.
Pocket Sandwich Theatre: Romeo and Juliet – The Melodrama, through May 17.
Allen Contemporary Theatre: The Outsider, through May 18.
Theatre Frisco: The 39 Steps, through May 18.
Theatre Three: The Mystery of Irma Vep, through May 18 in Theatre Too.
Undermain Theatre: H*llo K*tty Syndrome, through May 25.
Review: ACT’s The Outsider is a playful look at the circus of politics
Smith’s political comedy, The Outsider, directed by Chris Berthelot, premiered last weekend at Allen Contemporary Theatre. Set in an unnamed governor’s office, the simplistic premise of the play, while aiming for comedy, felt somewhat a bit too-soon given the recent election and the inherent absurdities of politics. That being said, the show was an inviting story of laughs.
Chief of Staff Dave Riley is doing his damnedest to keep the imbroglio around the perceived incompetence of Governor Ned Newley to a minimum with the help of staffer Paige and a new temp hire Louise with zero skills matched with a big personality. Spin doctor Arthur Vance is brought in to help Newley keep his seat but then finds a potential Lieutenant Governor in Louise. News reporter Rachel Parsons and her cameraman A.C. are on the scene trying to piece the hot mess together of who’s running for what.
Ryan Maffei’s portrayal of Dave was a standout. His performance as the high-strung character skillfully combined physical comedy with subtle yet effective punchlines. Despite the constant chaos surrounding him, Maffei grounded Dave as the voice of reason, providing comic relief amidst the confusion. His performance was a consistent delight.
In contrast, David Kelton gave a properly understated performance as the dubious governor who didn’t have confidence in himself. Kelton’s performance felt genuinely sweet albeit the character’s fish-out-of-water circumstances. Michael Miller was unctuous as Arthur Vance with slicked hair and a slick suit and thus, an ideal performance for the character
Rashae Boyd, a local comedian, displayed a smart presence as the reporter Rachel onstage, though her performance felt somewhat restrained. While there were hints of a more vibrant portrayal, she appeared to be holding back, which felt ironic given her background. Boyd possessed a certain gravitas which makes me curious to see her in future productions.
Kya James was a lovely surprise in her ACT debut. As the ditzy Louise who ends up in the running for Lieutenant Governor, James nailed the part with an eager and cheerful disposition for Louise. We all know a Louise and James cemented her distinct ever-smiling and non-stop confusing chatter into a fully realized character.
Berthelot’s direction felt punchy and the show had sitcom vibes which fit the story. He led his cast into finding the right wavelength of funny for each scene also allowing for a few poignant moments peppered throughout.
Contemporary American politics make the play’s outlandish premise feel way too plausible. However, the playwright’s humor and Berthelot’s clever direction, combined with a charming cast, elicited genuine laughter. In this instance, reality isn’t stranger than fiction; it’s nearly identical!
Theater responses to NEA grant withdrawals
Last Friday, the National Endowment for the Arts pulled its grant money assigned to arts and cultural organizations across the country. Some of those are here in Dallas. Soon after, the organizations took to social media.
First,to read about the tidal wave of bad news for arts organizations, click on KERA/DMN’s article here about the quick effect this news has had on local groups.
Bishop Arts Theater opened its latest show A Dallas Hedda on Friday only to receive the news after. The company posted this on its socials on Monday.
Kitchen Dog Theater is in the middle of the run of The Grown-Ups which is staged at Samuel-Grand Amphitheater. The news hit them as they were battling the rains in the show’s outdoor setting. KDT posted the following to its socials as well as in an email which is screen captured here.
Teatro Dallas announced that it lost $39,000 of grant money by the NEA’s pilot program ArtsHere. The news came the week before Teatro opens its new show El Otro at the Latino Cultural Center. Teatro’s annoucement can be seen in its Instagram post from Wednesday.
In good arts funding news, TACA receives an historic $500,000 gift from The Eugene McDermott Foundation
At Wednesday’s annual Silver Cup Luncheon hosted by TACA, the arts granting organization announced a $500,000 gift from The Eugene McDermott Foundation, delivered by Foundation Trustee Grace Cook. The donation is the largest single-year gift in TACA’s 57-year history.
“TACA is deeply honored and humbled by this unprecedented gift from The Eugene McDermott Foundation,” Maura Sheffler, Donna Wilhelm Family President and Executive Director of TACA said in a press release. “This donation is not only a historic moment for our organization, but a long-term investment in the sustainability and growth of TACA and our support of the arts in Dallas. It is a true testament of the generosity and dedication to our arts community.”
This investment will support the implementation of strategic initiatives that enhance TACA’s sustainability and organizational infrastructure.
“The Eugene McDermott Foundation is proud to invest $500,000 in TACA — the largest single-year gift in TACA’s history,” Cook stated. “My grandparents, Margaret and Eugene McDermott, believed that building a stronger Dallas wasn’t just an act of generosity — it was a responsibility. Supporting TACA honors that legacy and affirms our belief that creativity is one of Dallas’ greatest natural resources. This gift is an invitation to everyone who believes in the future of this city — to invest in the artists, organizations, and ideas that will shape the Dallas we haven’t even yet imagined.”
For more than 50 years, TACA’s mission is to strengthen the North Texas’ arts community and invests in more than 60 arts organizations to ensure that North Texas remains a vibrant place to live, work, and play.
The event had also raised more than $90,000 at the luncheon with a match challenge by arts supporter Donna Wilhelm. TACA honored Bruce Wood Dance Dallas Executive Director Gayle Halperin and Dallas arts leader Jim Nugent with its Silver Cup Award.
–Rich Lopez