Go Beneath the Surface

Dallas' Undermain Theatre comes full circle with new season

Bruce DuBose and Paul Semrad in An Iliad at Undermain Theatre in Dallas

Bruce DuBose and Paul Semrad are returning for An Iliad.

Photo courtesy of Undermain Theatre

Undermain Theatre is finding inspiration in its past, present, and future for the 2018-19 season, which includes two world premieres, a rarely seen classic, the return of a new works festival, and a celebratory reboot of a recent gem from the Undermain repertoire.

Its 35th season begins with the latest from Len Jenkin, a longtime Undermain collaborator whose last show there was 2016's Jonah. How is it That We Live or Shakey Jake + Alice traces the lives of two lovers through the years, from the first kiss to the last goodbye and everything in between. The world premiere will be directed by Undermain artistic director Katherine Owens, and if you just can't wait until September to see the fully staged version, a reading is part of this year's Whither Goest Thou America: A Festival of New American Play Readings. The show runs September 13-October 7, 2018.

Following in the classic footsteps of Three Sisters and Long Day's Journey Into Night, Undermain now turns to Henrik Ibsen for his rarely seen drama The Lady From the Sea. The Dallas premiere, directed by Undermain company member Blake Hackler, continues Ibsen's exploration of the imbalances of marriage and a woman's need for freedom. Ellida, a lighthouse-keeper's daughter, is trapped on an island in her marriage and longs for the sea. Her duty to convention takes second place to an otherworldly awareness of more mystical bonds challenging her wedding vows. The show runs November 8-December 2, 2018.

Bruce DuBose's one-man marathon in Lisa Peterson and Denis O’Hare's An Iliad made my list of the most unforgettable moments of 2012. Missed it? Here's another chance. Undermain is remounting the modern-day retelling of Homer's classic, and bringing back DuBose and musician Paul Semrad to do it. The setting: an empty theater. The time: now. A lone figure comes onstage to recount the ancient tale of the Trojan War in a captivating theatrical experience. It runs February 7-March 3, 2019.

Matthew Paul Olmos' trilogy exploring the U.S. Mexico drug wars, so go the ghosts of méxico, gets its final installment in 2019 as the centerpiece of next season's new works festival. A young Méxican couple visiting the U.S. get caught up in the web of the drug trade between the two countries, changing their lives forever. It runs April 12-May 5, 2019.

The remainder of the Whither Goest Thou America festival runs from April 10-May 2, 2019, with readings performed every Wednesday and Thursday at 7:30 pm. Titles will be announced during in the season, with ticket priority going to Undermain season pass-holders.

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Season Announcement

Kitchen Dog Theater unleashes immersive 2025 season in new Dallas space

Kitchen Dog Theater presents Safe at Home

Photo by Jordan Fraker

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Seven years after announcing it had purchased a building in the Design District, Kitchen Dog Theater is finally ready to move into its new home.

The third and final production of its 2025 season — the theater company's 34th — will take place all around the new "Doghouse." The other two productions will follow the immersive format at non-traditional performance spaces that was established last season.

With three fully produced events that each run the gambit from captivating and gutsy to heartfelt and hilarious, the monthly New Works Festival Staged Readings Series returns, as does the 23rd annual PUP Fest, nurturing high school talent from all over DFW.

First up is the area premiere of Will Eno's Wakey, Wakey, directed by KDT's artistic director Tina Parker and starring KDT co-artistic director Christopher Carlos.

"Is it now? I thought I had more time." These first words in Will Eno's play are spoken by Guy, a man who knows, like all of us on some level, that he is about to die. The play questions why we are here and the journeys that everyone takes to eventually get to the same place. Performances will take place at Expo Park, 840 Exposition Avenue, and run February 7-23, 2025.

Production No. 2 is full of mystery: The title and performance location will be announced soon and run in March/April 2025.

The Happiness Gymby Ken Weitzman closes out the season in August 2025 (exact dates TBA).

This regional premiere is a joyous, experiential event based on the science of well-being. Participants take part in a curated theatrical experience meant to boost their sense of happiness, joy, and feelings of connection. This one-of-a-kind project will be the soft opening to Kitchen Dog’s new theater and will take place all over the entire facility, giving patrons unparalleled access to KDT’s new home.

From March to July 2025, the 26th annual 2025 New Works Festival will showcase four-to-five staged readings of the newest and most exciting local and regional playwrights working in contemporary theater today. Each reading will feature some of DFW's most accomplished actors and directors and will take place at different venues across DFW.

For its 23rd annual event, PUP Fest will feature six staged readings of jury-selected plays written by DFW high school students, featuring student actors directed by area professional directors. PUP Fest is the culminating event of Dallas Playwriting Arts Collective (D-PAC), a partnership with Dallas ISD and Junior Players. Performance location is TBA, but the event will happen June 7, 2025.

For more information, visit kitchendogtheater.org or call 214-953-1055.

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