Theater Critic Picks

These are the 10 can't-miss shows in Dallas-Fort Worth theater for May

By May, most theater seasons are winding down and it's the company's chance to give their audiences one last jolt before heading in the fresh direction of a new season. Right now, that means timely topics that speak to our nation's current state, along with a little escapism.

Here are the 10 shows to see, in order by start date:

Trevor
Kitchen Dog Theater, May 4-14
With the area premiere of Nick Jones' play, KDT is on the move once again (the company is hoping to move into its new permanent home in 2018). This time, the Dogs are performing on the ninth floor of the Wyly Theatre, and it may be the first time that venue has had a "chimpanzee" in residence. Max Hartman plays the title character, a former child-star chimp, with Lisa Hassler as his owner, who swears he would never do anyone harm on purpose. An impressive cast rounds out the production, which is directed by Tina Parker.

The Aliens
Stage West, May 4-June 4
Annie Baker's Obie-winning play had a wave of popularity in Dallas in 2013, but it'll be nice to see Joey Folsom return to the guitar-strumming role of Jasper four years later here in Fort Worth. Even nicer will be seeing how he handles the role of slacker KJ — beginning the second weekend of the run, Folsom and Jake Buchanan will trade off roles. Parker Gray will continue to play the straight-laced coffee shop employee Evan.

Holy Bone
Dead White Zombies, May 4-27
After eight months of development, DWZ is ready to present its "multi-venue performance initiation." You might recall that in fall 2016, characters and situations written by Thomas Riccio began popping up at more than 40 public spaces across Dallas (think NorthPark Center, Trader Joe's, Starbucks, and the like). Now, with each Holy Bone performance, 56 people — six departing from Tacos Mariachi every 10 minutes — will experience the culmination of this immersive and ever-changing artistic experiment, guided and "mis-guided" by Holy Bone operatives along the streets.

Titanic
Uptown Players, May 5-7
Each year, Uptown Players partners with the Turtle Creek Chorale for a musical in concert, and this year it's Maury Yeston and Peter Stone's take on the infamous tragedy of the Titanic. The massive cast of singers performs at Dallas City Performance Hall for one weekend only, so if this show is your jam, you'd better get your tickets.

A Man of No Importance
Brick Road Theatre, May 5-13
B.J. Cleveland stars as bus driver Alfie Byrne, who, in 1964 Dublin, attempts to find an artistic and emotional outlet for the secrets he's been keeping by staging a production of Oscar Wilde's Salome in the local church hall. With a score by Stephen Flaherty and Lynn Ahrens, and a script by Terrence McNally, this under-the-radar musical is bolstered by a cast of local luminaries.

Into The Woods
AT&T Performing Arts Center, May 16-28
Fiasco Theater wowed New York with its stripped-down version of Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine's musical, which puts familiar fairytale figures together on a dark journey. The cast uses basic props and costume pieces to assume their roles, and the labyrinthine woods are represented by a forest of ropes that appear to be exploding out of an onstage piano.

Inherit the Wind
Dallas Theater Center, May 16-June 18
DTC and director Kevin Moriarty put a further timely twist on this play about the "Scopes Monkey Trial" by utilizing gender-neutral casting and modern dress. For example, Akin Babatunde plays the role of Mrs. Sarah Brady, while Liz Mikel is Matthew Harrison Brady. Though it premiered in the 1950s, the play and its exploration about what happens when facts and beliefs collide feels as if it could have been written yesterday.

Circus 1903 — The Golden Age of Circus
Dallas Summer Musicals, May 23-June 4
The Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus announced it would shut down for good in May, but this theatrical event humanely fills the circus void. Puppetry brings elephants back into the ring (or in this case, Music Hall at Fair Park), along with a huge cast from all around the world performing traditional circus acts: strong men, contortionists, acrobats, musicians, high wire, and more.

The Birds
Theatre Three, May 25-June 18
The last show of Theatre Too's season is Conor McPherson's adaptation of Daphne du Maurier's short story about two people trapped in an isolated house while masses of birds relentlessly attack the outside. You're probably more familiar with Alfred Hitchcock's film version, but the tiny underground space of Theatre Too is sure to bring the story's claustrophobia and fear to life.

The Submission
Proper Hijinx Productions, May 25-June 4
Jeff Talbott's play deals with cultural division, race perceptions, and affirmative action — again, timely. But there's a twist here: A young, white, male playwright submits his work to a festival under the pen name of an African American woman, then hires a black actress to pose as his alter ego during the festival. This regional premiere will be performed in the studio space at Addison Theatre Center.

Dallas Summer Musicals is bringing in the tour of Circus 1903.

Photo by Jose Leon Photography

Dallas Summer Musicals is bringing in the tour of Circus 1903.

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Elon News

Dallas bookstore and publisher gets federal arts funding axed

Deep Vellum

Stack of books at Deep Vellum

A Dallas arts organization got its budget chopped by the federal government: Deep Vellum, the bookstore and publisher at 3000 Commerce St., lost a National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) grant due to federal government budget cuts.

According to owner Will Evans, the award, which is granted annually, has been terminated as of May 31. The bookstore had received $20,000 for the past six years.

Deep Ellum started as a publisher in 2013 and opened their bookstore in Deep Ellum in 2015. Since then, they have become a center for literature lovers. Evans is a translator whose mission has been to translate the world’s best novels into English for American audiences.

Evans was notified on May 2 via an email that was reportedly sent to grant recipients nationwide. The note read:

"The NEA is updating its grantmaking policy priorities to focus funding on projects that reflect the nation's rich artistic heritage and creativity as prioritized by the President. Consequently, we are terminating awards that fall outside these new priorities."

The new priorities included projects that elevate the Nation's HBCUs and Hispanic Serving Institutions, celebrate the 250th anniversary of American independence, foster AI competency, empower houses of worship to serve communities, assist with disaster recovery, foster skilled trade jobs, make America healthy again, support military and veterans, support Tribal communities, make the District of Columbia safe and beautiful, and support the economic development of Asian American communities.

The Grants and Public Affairs departments at NEA did not respond to a request for comment. On Monday May 5, the Literary Staff was laid off, and the agency is facing possible elimination entirely, as part of the 2026 Discretionary Budget Request presented to Congress on May 2.

This year's grant to Deep Vellum was earmarked to fund the translation, publishing, and marketing costs of four books:

Carapace Dancer by Natalia Toledo, translated from Zapotec, published trilingually with Spanish and English translations alongside the original, translated by Clare Sullivan
Juvenilia by Hera Lindsay Bird of New Zealand, making her US debut, illustrated by Dallas artist Gino Dal Cin
Schattenfroh by Michael Lentz, translated from the German by Max Lawton, a 1001-page masterpiece and English-language debut
The Ruins by Ye Hui, translated from Chinese by Dong Li, the English-language debut from one of China's most distinguished and independent poets

The National Endowment for the Arts is an independent federal agency established by Congress in 1965 as a funder of the arts and arts education in communities nationwide anxd a catalyst of public and private support for the arts with the goal of advancing opportunities for arts participation and practice, according to their website.

In their last stats document updated in November 2024, their FY’24 budget was outlined as $207M (representing 0.03 percent of the total federal budget), with 80 percent of their budget supporting grants and awards to organizations and individuals across the country. They typically offer over 2,000 grants each year.

"It’s been a strange few days for us, and for countless other nonprofit publishers, magazines, and arts organizations," Evans said.

Despite the cut, Deep Vellum plans to continue to promote literacy through unique books translated to the English language.

“This is not going to imperil our future but it’s something we need to consider as we move forward. These books are extraordinary, and they add so much for readers and culture. We just need to find additional revenue to fund them," Evans said.

Evans was first to reveal the funding cut but a number of organizations across Dallas and Texas have seen similar cuts including Ballet North Texas, Flamenco Fever, Dallas Theater Center, and Bishop Arts Theatre Center, as well as a number of groups in Austin.

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