Stage Notes: Shakespeare Dallas' 'Hamlet' with all-woman cast; Theatre Arlington's 50th season

Jenny Ledel as the titular character in ‘Hamlet’ by Shakespeare Dallas. (Courtesy photo by Jordan Fraker)

Stage Notes is a weekly aggregate post about theater, classical music and stage news, events, reviews and other pertinent information.

Shakespeare Dallas closes 50th season with all-woman cast of Hamlet

Shakespeare Dallas’ year-long celebration of its 50th anniversary will culminate with a performance of Hamlet. The show opens Sept. 7 and runs thorugh Oct. 15 at Samuell-Grand Theater. Tickets are on sale now.

The show is directed by Christie Vela and stars Jenny Ledel (Hamlet), Francine Gonzalez (Horatio), Karen Raehpour (Claudius), Victoria Angelina Cruz (Gertrude), Constance Gold Parry (Polonius), Nicole Berastequi (Laertes), Tex Patrello (Ophelia), Whitney Holotik (Rosencrantz), Elizabeth Evans (Guildenstern), Donjalea Reynolds Crane (Player King/Gravedigger), Allie Donnaly (Player Queen), Claire Parry (Fortinbras), Mindamora Rocha (Francisco).

Artistic and executive director Raphael Parry expressed his excitment for Shakespeare Dallas to present the first woman to play Hamlet in the Dallas area.

“To have an all-woman cast for Hamlet is an exciting step. Shakespeare had limited roles for women in his plays because the laws at the time did not allow them to perform on stage; all the roles were performed by men and boys,” Parry said in the press release. “By converting some roles from the historical gender that they have been cast as, opens the play up to new interpretations and provides much more access to the incredibly talented performers in our community, who are not traditionally offered these roles due to their gender representation.”

Parry added that the show will retain its original material.

“In addition to Hamlet, I am excited to see great roles like Claudius, Hamlet’s father, Horatio, his friend, and Laertes, Ophelia’s brother, be cast as women. None of the gender pronouns in Shakespeare’s text will be changed, so all the roles traditionally assigned to men will use he/him and those to women will use she/her. I think it will bring a unique energy to the production that I have not experienced before.”

Throughout the run of Hamlet, the company has added bonus activity nights including a North Texas Giving Day kick-off celebration on Sept. 16, Bark in the Park on Sept. 18, a closing night celebration on Oct. 15 that will include a special bench dedication for Shakespeare Dallas founder Bob Glenn. Event updates will be posted on the company’s social media channels.

Dallas Theater Center welcomes new resident artists

Onn Wednesday, DTC announced the addition of Olivia de Guzman and Gary Adler to its staff of resident artists. Adler will join the theater as Resident Music Director and de Guzman will be the newest member of the Diane and Hal Brierley Resident Acting Company as this year’s Linda and Bill Custard SMU Meadows Actor.

“Dallas Theater Center is overjoyed and grateful to welcome both Gary and Olivia as full-time resident artists,” Enloe/Rose Artistic Director Kevin Moriarty said in a press release. “Gary brings an impressive background of experience as a music director, composer, orchestrator and arranger. He will oversee the music direction of our mainstage musicals, Public Works pageants, and our annual Centerstage Gala. In addition, he will play a vital role in our season planning, provide music supervision for plays that require music, aid in the development of new musicals, and contribute to the professional development of our Brierley Resident Acting Company.”

Adler most recently worked with DTC as music director for In the Heights in 2019. He previously served as the music director for Avenue Q throughout its entire six and half year run on Broadway. Additional credits on and off-Broadway include The Fantasticks, Chicago City Limits and The Radio City Christmas Spectacular.

“We are equally thrilled to welcome Olivia to DTC’s Brierley Resident Acting Company,” Moriarty added. “Olivia is a recent graduate of the MFA acting program at SMU Meadows School of the Arts, which has an ongoing collaboration with DTC. She was last seen on our stage as Belle in the 2021 production of A Christmas Carol. Olivia is an acclaimed actor whose work I’ve enjoyed seeing at theaters throughout North Texas. She is able to move effortlessly from comedy to tragedy, is a skilled singer, and will be a wonderful addition to our company of resident actors. I can’t wait for audiences to see her portrayal of Miss Scarlet next month in our season opening production of Clue.”

Previous Dallas credits of de Guzman’s include Avenue Q at Stage West, Office Hour at Circle Theatre, King Liz at Amphibian Stage Productions and Doom McCoy at Ochre House Theatre.

The upcoming 2022-2023 season begins with Clue Sept. 8-25 at the Dee and Charles Wyly Theatre. Tickets are available here.

Stage West offers ticket deal for new season

As a way to celebrate its upcoming season, Stage West is offering a buy one/get one ticket special for two of any of its five upcoming productions beginning in October. The offer opens noon Friday through 5 p.m. Aug. 26. The offer can either be spread across two shows or up to four tickets for one show. Click here for ticket sales.

Season announcements

Theatre Arlington marks 50 years in its new season

In a Facebook Live today, TA’s executive producter Steven D. Morris announced the slate of shows for its 2023 season. He listed off a whopping nine productions for the calendar year with a diverse lineup that features musicals, dramas and even puppets. Click here for more information and udpates.

Here is Theatre Arlington’s 50th season of shows:

Feb. 10-March 5: Gypsy.

March 31-April 16: Noises Off.

May 5-21: On Golden Pond.

June 16-July 2: Fly By Night.

July 21-Aug. 6: Superior Donuts.

Aug. 25-Sept. 10: Avenue Q.

Oct. 6-15: American Son (pending rights)

Nov. 3-12: Chitty Chitty Bang Bang Jr.

Dec. 1-17: A Christmas Carol: The Radio Show starring BJ Cleveland.

Cara Mia announces 2022-23 season The Voices of Cara Mía Theatre

For its upcoming season which opens next month, the theater company stated that it will spotlight international, national and local Latinx artists and activists. The first three productions will play as part of Cara Mia’s Latinidades Theatre Festival which runs in total from Sept. 23-Oct. 9. Three more shows will follow for its full season.

For more information, cick here. Cara Mia’s upcoming 2022-23 season includes (from the theater):

Sept. 23 and 24: Latinidades Theatre Festival: Pachuquísmo. This show portrays the female experiences of the 1940’s Zoot Suit Riot era through tap dance, Mexican zapateado, live jazz music, traditional Son Jarocho (from Veracruz, Mexico), and video. With a nine-person, all-female cast donning full zoot suits, the performance challenges gender roles and pulls the narrative of the Zoot Suit Riots out of the male-centered context. A multi-disciplinary show, Pachuquísmo explores history, culture, and rhythm through the lens of the Mexican-American pachucas that American society tried to eradicate.

Sept. 29-Oct. 2: Latinidades Theatre Festival: On the Eve of Abolition. A multimedia performance, On the Eve of Abolition, is set in the year 2047 in the transnational liberated territories of what used to be known as the US and Mexico, after a movement of abolitionists have created the conditions to end the prison-industrial complex.

Oct. 7-9: Latinidades Theatre Festival: ¡Estar Guars! In a loving homage to live comedy, original videos, and visual spectacle, ¡Estar Guars! recreates the classic sci-fi rebellion as a modern-day Resistencia, complete with Galactic Walls, space chanclas, migrant moisture farmers, fearless princesas, mystical abuelas and the targeting of Sanctuary Planetas by an evil empire determined to MAGGA (Make A Galaxy Great Again).

Nov. 26-Dec. 18: Crystal City 1969. Inspired by a little-known event in Texas history, Crystal City 1969 is based on the true story of Mexican-American students in south Texas who walked out of their school and into civil rights history. Crystal City became an example of American Democracy at its best.

Feb. 18-March 12: To DIE:GO in Leaves. This “purely, intoxicatingly theatrical” production inspired by Kahlo’s paintings and biography. The result is a journey through the lifetime of Mexico’s most famous painter and a worldwide icon. To DIE:GO in Leaves, by Frida Kahlo is a play that tells a story as much through movement and imagery as dialogue. Performances in English and Spanish will be performed in repertory.

April 15-May 30: Origenes/Origins. This play tells the story of a teenager sent by her family to live with her father in the United States. This is a story of building a new home and identity in a new country while remembering your origins. Featuring masks, movement and original music by Peruvian composer Fabricio, Orígenes/Origins is performed in Spanish with English supertitles.

Auditions Board

Beckles Dancing Company will hold an audition on Saturday at 2 p.m. at the South Dallas Cultural Center, 3400 S. Fitzhugh Ave. The company is looking for professional-caliber dancers for its upcoming season as well as students who are ready to grow into that level. For more information, click here or call 214-886-2321.

Opening this week: