Most theaters are continuing to be cautious this month, offering a bevy of streaming options and even the return of a drive-in experience. But there is an outdoor festival if you feel the need to experience the glorious spring weather.
Here are nine local shows to watch this month:
Discover Runway Dreams
Junior Players, April 7-9
Produced in partnership with the Crow Museum of Asian Art and featuring eco-friendly and sustainable fashion from three local designers, this live experience encourages attendees to explore conversations of change as 19 young models walk the runway. The show takes place at 1108 Quaker St. in Dallas.
Love & Kindness in a Time of Quarantine
Theatre Three, streaming April 7-18
This compilation of songs and monologues about life during the coronavirus pandemic has been curated and directed by Regina Taylor, with new work from local artists. Each performance will be available for 24 hours, starting at 6 pm. Each ticket buyer is limited to one viewing of the performance.
Whither Goest Thou America: A Festival of New Plays
Undermain Theatre, streaming April 7-May 2
Watch virtual streams of David Rabe's new solo piece, adapted from his short story, Suffocation Theory (April 7-25), and virtual readings of three new plays: Second Hand Conversations with Irene by Teresa Marrero (April 14-18), Bright Boys by Blake Hackler (April 21-25), and Feeding on Light by Lenora Champagne (April 28-May 2).
Ghosts in the Kitchen: Supernova Leftovers
Ochre House Theatre, streaming April 8-18
The avant garde Deep Ellum troupe has created a new series of storytelling through virtual theater, as written and told by core company members Carla Parker, Justin Locklear, Kevin Grammer, and Matthew Posey, filmed and directed by Josh Jordan, and with music by Locklear and Sarah Rubio-Rogerson. Next up is Supernova Leftovers, written and performed by Parker, which takes viewers down the rabbit hole of wonder, denial, and self discovery.
Mlima's Tale
Bishop Arts Theatre Center, streaming April 12-May 8
Two-time Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Lynn Nottage tells the provocative story of Mlima, a majestic elephant trapped in the clandestine international ivory market. Beginning in a game park in Kenya and traveling around the world to a billionaire's penthouse in the West, the play tracks the trajectory of Mlima's tusks through real-life consequences of animal poaching.
Always ... Patsy Cline
Casa Mañana, April 15-25
Based on the true story of the country legend's friendship with her most devoted fan, Louise Seger, this show chronicles the two women's lives until Patsy’s untimely death. The production boasts many favorite Patsy Cline songs, including "Anytime,""Walkin' After Midnight," "She's Got You," and "Crazy," and stars country singer Jolie Holliday as Cline.
¡Soltar!
Cara Mía Theatre Co. and Teatro Dallas, April 17 and 24
The first co-production in the two companies' history, ¡Soltar! is an interactive pageant and procession marking the spring equinox and a period of hope after 12 months of the pandemic. Observing safety precautions, this outdoor arts experience features an eclectic array of Mexican masks, mojigangas (large puppets), dance, and theater with costumes provided for audience members to actively participate in the festivities.
Overbooked
Prism Movement Theater, April 23-24
This drive-in workshop of Yvonne Johnson's show is at the Latino Cultural Center, utilizing the same format developed by Prism in June 2020 (audiences listening to the music of the show in their cars). A routine trip to her overbooked hair salon becomes more than she bargains for when a young Black woman with a painful past falls asleep under a new state-of-the-art hair steamer, sending her 500 years into the future. Experiencing this new world where only people of color exist, she will have to decide if this is where she truly belongs or return home to people who still need her.
The Other Felix
Echo Theatre, streaming through April 30
The regional premiere of Reina Hardy's darkly comic scene noir has you hit the road with private detective Marlow Sharpe and her reluctant client Felix Bettelman. On the trail of the other Felix, they lose track of their selves in this play on film for two actors.
New works from local artists comprise Love & Kindness in a Time of Quarantine at Theatre Three.
Miranda Lambert, right, with rodeo queens onstage at the 45th Cowgirl Hall of Fame Induction Luncheon at Dickies Arena. Photo by Ashley Gongora 