Pegasus News Theater 2008: Ballsiest productions in Dallas-Fort Worth

by Shawn Parikh

In case you have missed this little-known fact: the Dallas-Fort Worth theatre scene is one of the richest and most diverse in the country. Time and time again during my "Theater Spotlight of the Week" articles, directors mention how DFW has such a vibrant theatre community comparable to any in the nation. With over 100 theater companies presenting productions from McKinney to Azle, from experimental performance art, to classic dramas, to Shakespeare, to children's shows, to the plethora of Christmas Carols, there is truly something for everyone.

What makes our scene even better is the risk-taking involved and how companies strive to provide something memorable each time. Sure we get some overdone shows, but that pales in comparison to the world premieres, regional premieres, and burdensome classics that have been performed on our local stages.

So as my roundup, instead of picking favorites, I think it is more interesting to see which productions were gutsy and provocative enough to be performed in our metroplex, which in turn resulted in major successes. Who was ballsy?:

10) Mary's Wedding, presented by Rover Dramawerks. The resident theater company of Plano had the guts to stage this regional premiere, which actually took some time to get the rights for. But in the end, Rover was even able to get award-winning playwright Stephen Massicotte to come see the production. With a ton of monologues, the story was told through letters, giving this strong two-person cast of Julie Reinagel and Matt Savins a whole new perspective on memorization. And in the hands of director Lisa Devine, the love story was deeply moving. Go Plano!

Close Runner-Up: One Shot, One Kill, presented by Collin Theatre Center. Another regional premiere in Plano, presented by this reputable college drama program, and they also got the playwright to come view the production. In fact, all shows were sold-out.

9) Dante: Inferno, presented by Mark-Brian Sonna Productions. It takes some guts to stage any literary masterpiece, let alone presenting the world premiere of this classic 14th-century epic poem. Actors were forced to transform from beasts, to devils, to sinners, to towers of flesh. Plus, director/choreographer and founder of the company, Mark-Brian Sonna, even made an appearance as Satan. With the theater company providing a whole season aimed at new work, this by far was the ballsiest.

Close Runners-Up: The many stage adaptations of classics that invaded our community. The Giver, presented by Dallas Children's Theater, a re-telling of the sci-fi book by Lois Lowry. 1984, presented by Frisco Community Theatre, the regional premiere of Orwell's classic, also significant since the theater company had to postpone its season due to lack of a venue. The Lord of the Flies, presented by PublicWorks Theatre Company, performed by all youth actors and set in a post-Katrina New Orleans.

8) La Cage Aux Folles, presented by ONSTAGE in Bedford. Usually a musical of this size would be performed by one of the bigger theater companies (i.e. Lyric and Casa Manana). But a small community theater out in Bedford took on the task of a show that has several obstacles, as stated by John Garcia's review: expensive costumes and wigs, lavish sets, 2 central gay characters, and "eleven men who must know how to dance, tap, can-can, do the splits, sing, act, and look like real, bonafide gorgeous showgirls." And even with the small budget and restrictions, the theater company still gets a big "E" for Effort.

Close Runners-Up: When the small community theaters decide to put on a huge musical, there's no going around how much time and effort goes into it. Nine, presented by Irving Community Theater. It takes some courage to perform a dramatic musical, with tons of subtext and complexity. Nothing typical about that in DFW. The Music Man, presented by McKinney Summer Musicals. Confirmed the theater company's return after 14 years in 2007 was well-liked and huge productions could be maintained out in the 'burbs.

7) Doubt, A Parable, presented by WaterTower Theatre. The area premiere of this Pulitzer-Prize winning drama was given to this prestigious Addison theater company. But the task here was to handle the subject matter of child abuse and The Church in such a way that DFW patrons would not be offended. Plus with the major, Oscar-buzzworthy film starring Meryl Streep and Philip Seymour Hoffman releasing this month, the buzz was already magnified for the staging.

Close Runners-Up: Period dramas that can be still be handled with such care to hold our attention. The Good Negro presented by Dallas Theater Center, marking the first world premiere under new Artistic Director Kevin Moriarty for this strong piece on the civil rights movement. A Streetcar Named Desire, presented by Contemporary Theatre of Dallas, contained such stellar performances in this Tennessee Williams classic that the run had to be extended.

6) The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, presented by UTD. When UTD stages a production, it is definitely out of the ordinary, especially for being a university drama program. With the bizarre premise of adapting the 1920 German Expressionistic film, Director/Creator Thomas Riccio took it a step further to generate performance immersion where the audience was "able to move freely through the environment, standing or sitting next to characters, understanding the story and creating their own unique perspective from multiple narrative sources." Now that's some audacity.

Close Runner-Up: The Merchant of Venice, presented by UNT and Shakespeare Dallas, only because it was the first venture for Shakespeare Dallas to Denton. Also, it's good to see a professional and reputable theater company collaborating with another university that isn't SMU.

5) Richard III, presented by Kitchen Dog Theater. Talk about a switcharoo: We have reputable, award-winning director, René Moreno, starring in the title role, and we have reputable, award-winning actor, Ian Leson, directing the new adaptation about the "self-proclaimed villain." With the modernization of this tragedy and the small but amazing cast playing multiple characters, the production showed how Kitchen Dog can even make Shakespeare edgy.

Close Runners-Up: All of the productions in the Kitchen Dog year since they provide nothing but new, quality work. Whether it's the area premiere of The Goat, or Who is Sylvia? about a man having an affair with a 4-legged animal or the darkly beautiful production of The Pillowman about murdering children, the company never stops disturbingly impressing.

4) Freakshow, presented by Core Performance Manufactory. I am sure you expected that a show about a legless and armless sideshow act would make the ballsy list. With the strong performance by lead actress Morgana Shaw using just her torso and face, it shows what exemplary female talent we have in our theatre community. Core even got the playwright to attend, and they have never even hosted an out-of-town playwright.

Close Runner-Up: American Cassandra: Déjà vu, presented by Echo Theatre. Also confirmed our amazing female talent pool here in DFW. By performing a political show centered around women in an election year, they definitely had some balls. Well, so to speak.

3) A Very Merry Unauthorized Children’s Scientology Pageant, presented by Circle Theatre. After seeing a rock musical about the new religious empire, who isn't scared now of Tom Cruise and the Travoltas of coming to DFW homes and jumping on our couches? Good thing the entire production was performed by all youth actors from ages 9-14, who probably have yet to realize how much they offended Xenu.

Close Runners-Up: Shows that have a cast of minors that push the boundaries. Project Youth, presented by Flower Mound Performing Arts Theatre. A world premiere musical drama performed by all kids aged 5-18 about a post-apocalyptic, environmentally-weak Earth. A Midsummer Night’s Dream, presented by Junior Players, that took on this Shakespearean comedy and made it into a huge Bollywood production, where Puck was even recast as Krishna.

2) The Facts of Life: The Lost Episode, presented by Uptown Players. Basing an entire show on an iconic 80s sitcom is already a task at hand, but then to have all the girls be played by guys in drag makes it even better. The company took another risk by performing at a new space, The Rose Room at Station 4, and shows kept selling out. You knew DFW longed for Mrs. Garrett when the production had to keep being extended.

Close Runner-Up: Look What’s Happened to Pixie DeCosta, presented by Theatre Three, a world premiere created by Dallas' very own Bruce Coleman. This time, one man plays two sisters in the 1930s.

1) Topdog/Underdog, presented by Upstart Productions. You have to give it to them. The newest theater company in town churned out a very critically-acclaimed production of this bold piece of theatre. And the two actors pretty much directed the show themselves. From all this success, their next mainstage production, This Is Our Youth, is even being directed by the one-and-only René Moreno. That's quite a feat for just having been founded.

Close Runner-Up: A Clockwork Orange, presented by Sundown Collaborative Theatre. Another new theater company founded in 2008 decided to put on a very courageous show, AND they are homed in Denton.

So there it is. And 2009 already has some ballsy shows lined up: One in 3, presented by Project X, about abortion. Psychos Never Dream, presented by Kitchen Dog Theater & Project X, about Idaho murders and ex-hippies. The new theater company, Enter Stage Left, will be making its debut with Closer. And of course, The 2009 Out of the Loop Fringe Festival at Addison Theatre Center will continuously present new, edgy work for 10 days.

• Staff
• Verified User
• Anonymous