Sizzling Summer Theater

Banana man and shady dames headline summer theater in Dallas

June may as well be renamed "theater month" in Dallas, because it seems like every company in town is opening a show in the next 30 days. Luckily for audiences, that means plenty of amazing theater to choose from. Below are 10 exciting picks, plus two bonus events just because we like you.

4.48 Psychosis, Davis Street Collective
May 31-June 7
It's a heavy way to head into summer, but controversial British playwright Sarah Kane's final work also offers the chance for a unique experience with each production — there are no specific characters, stage directions or narrative.

The newly formed Davis Street Collective, a group of artists located in the Bishop Arts District, is courageously mounting this play, the first in what will be a series of works performed in the extremely intimate David Foundry space. The production promises to be "compelling" and "immersive," and given that the play deals with Kane's eventually fatal depression, that's an intriguing — albeit apprehensive — hook.

One: Man. Show, Kitchen Dog Theater
May 29-June 15
I honestly don't know why anyone hasn’t tried this before: There's no better way to get an audience to pay attention than to put your leading player in a banana suit.

Tim Johnson, the guy who's manly enough to don the costume, wrote and stars in this (mostly) solo cabaret that's both a world premiere and part of Kitchen Dog's annual New Works Festival. He's joined by Martha Harms, one of Dallas' busiest actresses, who was just seen at Kitchen Dog as a maniacally upbeat pharm exec in RX.

The Civil War, Artisan Center Theater
May 31-July 13
As of press time, the first four performances of this Frank Wildhorn-penned musical are sold out. It's a sweeping, gut-wrenching glance at the four years in American history when brother fought brother, and Wildhorn's typically grandiose musical style feels oddly appropriate for this subject matter.

Real letters, diaries and other writings of the time provide the basis for characters and lyrics, giving the show a hauntingly authentic touch.

Black Tie, WaterTower Theatre
June 3-23
Stan Graner is one of those Dallas actors who consistently contributes incredible work practically everywhere, yet he never seems to get the recognition he deserves. Following up small but strong roles in The Grapes of Wrath and August: Osage County, Graner is returning to WaterTower as patriarch Curtis in Black Tie.

Playing the father of the groom who's caught between maintaining old traditions and building new ones, Graner seems poised to deliver yet another strong turn. Hopefully this time that also means more credit.

Sister Act, Dallas Summer Musicals
June 4-16
Considering its theme is about finding your voice through song, it was only a matter of time before someone put Sister Act onstage. Whoopi Goldberg, who created lounge-singer-on-the-run Dolores Van Cartier on film, is one of the musical's lead producers, and she even donned Mother Superior's habit for a bit during the show's London run.

If you miss the show on its trip through Dallas, it's also stopping at Bass Performance Hall in Fort Worth later in the month.

Daffodil Girls, Inspired by David Mamet's Glengarry Glen Ross, Fun House Theatre and Film
June 5-8
From the mouths of babes … The signature cadence known as "Mamet speak" is translated to a cast of young girls ranging in age from 7 to 14. They are the Daffodil Girls, adorable scamps who lie, cheat, and steal in order to sell the most baked goods. This homage to the original play and iconic movie was such a hit earlier in May that Fun House is bringing it back for four performances only. No cookies for you if you can’t close the deal on this one.

The Taming of the Shrew and Julius Caesar, Trinity Shakespeare Festival
June 13-30
Now entering its fifth anniversary season, Trinity Shakes seems to be getting better and better with each year. Last year’s production of The Merry Wives of Windsor broke box office records and received critical love letters, and this summer’s repertory lineup looks just as promising.

Jenny Ledel and Alex Organ, husband and wife who have recently been burning up the local stages, show up in both productions, while perennial TSF favorites Trisha Miller and Chuck Huber spar wittily in The Taming of the Shrew.

City of Angels, Theatre Three
June 13-July 13
As an homage to 1940s film noir, City of Angels is dark, sexy and oozes vintage appeal. As a musical, it’s just plan cool to watch.

Two plots play out simultaneously: A writer tries to turn his book into a screenplay while we see that prospective film’s narrative come to life. The creative kicker is that the “real” world happens in color while the “reel” world appears in black and white.

It’s a murder mystery, a behind-the-scenes Hollywood comedy, a hard-boiled detective tale and a technical feat all in one.

The Music Man, Lyric Stage
June 14-23
Broadway has a long history of basing shows around adorable cheats and scamps, and The Music Man is no exception. Watching Harold Hill roll into the quaintest small town ever and willingly deceive children is somehow charming when set to Meredith Wilson’s sweet score, here conducted by the outstanding Jay Dias and Lyric’s customary full orchestra.

With Cheryl Denson directing and Ann Nieman providing choreography, here’s hoping this production follows in the footsteps of Lyric’s previous classic Americana hits like Oklahoma!and Gypsy.

Songs for a New World, Uptown Players
June 21-July 7
Jason Robert Brown’s sort-of song cycle is neither a revue nor a plotted show; it’s more like a mash-up of songs that explore the theme of transition.

Uptown Players has already proven its excellence with concert-like shows such as its annual Broadway Our Way, and having a cast that includes such top-notch local talent as John Campione (part of the universally strong Putting It Together at WaterTower Theatre) and Walter Lee and Feleceia Benton (who were behind some of the best performances of Smokey Joe’s Café, also at WaterTower) just ups the ante.

Bonus No. 1
This House, National Theatre Live
May 30-June 19
Political dramas are always compelling, but British political dramas seem to possess a extra layer of sophistication and exoticism. Maybe it’s the storied history of the United Kingdom’s government — or the upper-crust accents.

Either way, this sold-out production of James Graham’s acclaimed play peels back the curtain at 1974 Westminster, a time when Parliament was in complete upheaval. The live-filmed version is playing at the Angelika in both Dallas and Plano, as well as the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth, courtesy of Amphibian Productions.

Bonus No. 2
Festival of Independent Theatres
May 31-June 22
Besides acting as a launching pad for local playwrights, actors, directors and designers, FIT allows Dallas audiences a low-pressure way to explore new works by pairing two one-act plays together in what’s dubbed a “terrific two-fer.”

This year, eight new shows are on the docket, among them one about a time-traveling robot and dinosaur (from Audacity Theatre Lab), the festival’s first-ever dance performance (courtesy of Rhythmic Souls), and a solo show by local monologist extraordinaire John Michael Colgin exploring the personal ramifications of life in the share-all digital world.

What you looking at? Tim Johnson stars in One: Man. Show as part of Kitchen Dog Theater's New Works Festival.

Tim Johnson in "One: Man. Show" at Kitchen Dog Theater

Photo courtesy of Kitchen Dog Theater

What you looking at? Tim Johnson stars in One: Man. Show as part of Kitchen Dog Theater's New Works Festival.

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Coffee News

Black Sheep Coffee from the U.K. comes to U.S. with debut in Dallas

Black Sheep Coffee

Black Sheep Coffee, coming from the U.K.

A coffee shop from the U.K. with celebrity ties is opening its first U.S. location in Dallas. Called Black Sheep Coffee, it's a growing chain based in London with a renegade stance: to champion the robusta coffee bean, one overlooked by most coffee snobs.

Black Sheep was founded in London in 2013 by friends Gabriel Shohet and Eirik Holth, who loved coffee and wanted to start their own business. They've built it into a chain with 60-plus locations including cafés and take-out shops across England, Scotland, Wales, France, and the Philippines.

The Dallas shop will open at 6240 E. Mockingbird Ln., in a shopping center in the Lakewood neighborhood. Shohet says it'll open in late spring.

Dallas came onto their radar after they formed a partnership for the U.S. expansion with Kristaps Porzingis, a professional basketball player who was playing for the Dallas Mavericks. He's since been traded to the Washington Wizards, but Shohet says Dallas still seemed like the perfect place to launch.

"I love Texas, it's a great state and a lot of people are moving there," Shohet says. "There's so much growth and Dallas has a good vibe. Kristaps became a good friend and ended up investing. He moved to Washington but we'd gotten this great location on Mockingbird and we're building a local team."

They'll make Dallas their headquarters, with a plan to open another half dozen locations, plus franchise opportunities as well (email franchising@leavetheherdbehind.com).

One of the non-coffee drinks at Black Sheep Coffee is a peanut-butter hot chocolate.Black Sheep Coffee

Shohet and Holth built the company brick by brick, starting out doing pop-ups before moving into brick-and-mortar locations. Their goal is to break the wall between specialty coffee and the mass market.

"We've always been about the coffee," he says. "We source the beans from plantations in southern India, Papua New Guinea, Brazil. We get the best beans in the world: specialty-grade, shade-grown, and hand-picked."

"But our premise was also, How can we bring great quality coffee to the mass market, by providing the best coffee but not making people feel like they're disturbing the coffee sacks?" he says. "Our baristas know their coffee, but if you just want to get your drink quickly and want caramel syrup, then go for it. We make it inclusive."

Their most radical act is their use exclusively of the robusta bean, whose stronger, less delicate flavor profile has seen it relegated to uses such as instant coffee and pre-ground cans, while arabica has been the bean favored by the discerning coffee crowd. But some roasters have begun to reject the narrative that robusta is inferior to arabica.

"We're the only coffee company in the world to focus 100 percent on specialty robusta," he says. "Everybody is always touting arabica, but if you can find a great robusta that’s not commercial grade, you have a cool product."

Robusta has twice the amount of caffeine, and he says the growers they work with are more enviro-friendly, requiring less water with more cherries per bush.

"Robusta is thicker and richer, and has an amazing crema when you brew it as espresso," he says. "It's also less acidic, so it's easier to digest on an empty stomach and has more body. It might have less flavor notes than arabica, but that extra body punches through the milk. Robusta is a great bean for drinks made with milk. It's unfair that it has a bad reputation."

Their championing of a bean that others forsake goes with their entire ethos. They also eschew plastic.

"When everybody’s doing something, we do something different," he says. "That’s what our slogan is about: 'Leave the herd behind.'"

In addition to coffee, their shops have exotic lattes, smoothies, and a signature peanut-butter hot chocolate. They do a small selection of food including bagels, "toasties," and Norwegian waffles, a signature.

"But we don't want to be a restaurant — we'll offer the pastries and items that go with coffee, but we just want to focus on making the best coffee."

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