Opening weekend for 12 theater productions including a world premiere (Feb. 20-22)

by Shawn Parikh

This weekend is quite a big one for theater openings and has something for everyone, from Shakespeare to farce to children's shows and more. Try and see a few while you have the time:

• Hello Human Female, presented by Audacity Theatre Lab. Set in motion when an online dating service connects Tamela, a guileless 37 year old virgin looking for love, with Dr. Gorn, an evil scientist with ambitions of world domination. Things don't go according to Dr. Gorn's dastardly plan when Tamela falls instantly in love with his henchman, Blork, a simple, misshapen creation of the evil scientist's. When Tamela takes Blork home to Mother, Blork is quickly sent away on what ultimately becomes a journey of self-discovery. The play follows Blork on his trek, with Tamela hot on his trail. Hello Human Female is an odd and whimsical tale with the message that being full of love and kindness can make up for all of our apparent shortcomings. Call 469-236-2726 for tickets ($10-15).
• Orinoco!, presented by Teatro Dallas. This show is a revealing surreal comedy about Mimi and Fifí, two showgirls with aspirations of being great cabaret stars. The play takes place on a ship drifting along Venezuela’s Orinoco River on its way to an oil field. The girls have been hired to “perform” upon reaching their destination and think that this time they will make their dreams come true. In the cabin of this ship, a man rests while recuperating after throwing the crew of the ship into the river. But why? Purchase tickets ($15-18) online or by calling 214-689-6492.
• Rumors, presented by Pocket Sandwich Theatre. As the guests are about to arrive for a tenth wedding anniversary party, the husband (who happens to be the Deputy Mayor of New York) has just shot himself, and his wife is nowhere in sight. A story must be devised for The Press (with the politically correct “spin” attached, of course). As the confusions and miscommunications mount, the evening spins off into classic farcical hilarity. Call 214-821-1860 for tickets ($10-18).
• Gulf View Drive, presented by Echo Theatre - The Nibroc Trilogy. Gulf View Drive is set in Florida in 1952 where May and Raleigh are living a post-war dream of career success and home ownership. Tensions rise as Raleigh’s mother and pregnant sister arrive, joining May’s mother in an open-ended visit with the young couple. Third part in the regional premiere of The Nibroc Trilogy, an award-winning three-play cycle that follows May and Raleigh from their first meeting in the 1940s, through the second World War and into the Eisenhower era. Click here for a complete trilogy schedule. Festival passes are $40 and single performance tickets are $15. Purchase tickets online.
• Don’t Dress for Dinner, presented by Mesquite Community Theatre. Bernard is planning a weekend with his mistress at a quaint country farm house. He has hired a gourmet cook, is packing his wife Jacqueline off to her mother's, and has invited his best friend, Robert, to provide an alibi. It is foolproof. What could possibly go wrong? Well….suppose Robert doesn't know why he has been invited? Suppose unbeknownst to Bernard, Robert and Jacqueline are secret lovers? Suppose the cook is mistaken for the mistress and the mistress for the cook and then suppose that the mistress CAN’T COOK! Mix well these ingredients and you have the recipe for an evening of pratfalls, mistaken identity and hilarious confusion... an evening where anything goes but nothing goes right! For reservations ($8-12), call 972-216-8126.
• The Tragedy of Romeo & Juliet, presented by Stolen Shakespeare Guild. Despite their families' mutual hatred, Romeo and Juliet fall in love and marry, and when circumstances force them apart, they kill themselves to be united in death. Purchase tickets ($6-15) online.
• Company, presented by Music Theatre of Denton. The first to tell a story using a series of episodes in place of a linear plot. Five couples and their mutual bachelor friend, Robert, sing their way through various stages of commitment. From the bachelor's perspective, committing to another person is tempting but terrifying. Together, they resolve that even imperfect relationships are an important part of "Being Alive." Sondheim's music stays with you even after you leave the theatre. His songs offer beautiful melodies that tear at your composure and clever lyrics that are often poignant and always insightful. Winner of 7 Tony Awards, including Best Musical. Call 940-382-1915 for tickets ($10-18).
• CAPTIVE, presented by Dallas Dinner Table – Captive tells the story of nine strangers held hostage in a room for 20 hours. They are left with no instructions, no code of conduct, nothing . . . except for the baggage they brought into the room with them. All they have to react to is each other.
• Miss Nelson Is Missing!, presented by Casa Mañana's Children's Playhouse. The students in room 207 just won’t follow the rules and are not being respectful to their teacher, Miss Nelson. One morning, Miss Nelson is mysteriously missing from school, which makes her students believe they have succeeded in driving her away. Their celebration quickly ends when the substitute teacher, the mean and scary Miss Viola Swamp, descends upon the classroom. You’ll love what happens next in this new musical based upon the popular children’s books by Harry Allard and James Marshall. Purchase tickets ($15-17) online or by calling 817-332-2272.
• Oliver, presented by The J Players. Charles Dicken's characters are brought to life on the Zale stage in this touching tale of an orphan boy who runs away from the orphanage and tries to pick a pocket or two for Fagin, but gets caught! As Fagin tries to save him, all Oliver wants to do is go to his uncle, and live a good life.
• Terra Nova, presented by Theatre Wesleyan. Written by Ted Talley. Directed by Jeanne Everton. A play that chronicles the journey of Captain Scott an explorer who leads his party on a race to the South Pole. Refusing the use of sled dogs as unsporting, Scott and his team struggle to drag their heavy gear across a frozen wasteland. 817-531-5867 for reservations ($4-8).
• The Glass Menagerie, presented by Texas Woman's, for this weekend only. Set in Williams typical Southern environment, this drama unfolds through the perspective of a young man, Tom Wingfield (portrayed by Tristan Decker of Fort Worth). The story develops by way of his recollections of his controlling mother, Amanda Wingfield (Taylor Reed of Seattle, Wash.) and his sickly sister, Laura Wingfield (Brittany Fowler of Decatur). The plot is driven by Tom's aggravations with his mother¹s insistent search to find Laura a suitor. Things come to a boiling point when Tom brings home a co-worker, Jim O'Conner, (Daniel Pucul of Sherman). Call 940-898-2020 for reservations ($5-10).