Season Announcement

Dallas theater company welcomes home local artists for digital 2020 season

Veteran Children is Ian Ferguson, Aubrey Ferguson, and Drew Wall.

Photo by Jordan Fraker

The third season for Imprint Theatreworks was built around the theme "home," and that's taken on an extra meaning as COVID-19 has shut many theater companies down for 2020.

Now, "home" means an abbreviated digital season that focuses on local artists and collaboration, presented as a mixture of online and outdoor performances.

"2020. Whew, that says it all, doesn't it?" says artistic director Ashley H. White. "As we round the corner toward the last quarter of the year, we wanted to find ways to focus on uniting, engaging, and celebrating the incredible artists in DFW who have all been grounded during this pandemic.

"As we looked forward, we also looked back, to the original goals of our third season (in hindsight, the title 'home' hits a little close to a nerve now), which aimed to explore what it means to belong, to be seen, heard, and loved by a family — whether blood or chosen. While doors are shuttered and the entire world is seeking solace and pivoting into this new, mostly virtual normal, we realized we can still reach for that goal."

It starts with Raise You Up, an Online Revue and Celebration directed by White and music directed by Vonda K. Bowling. More than 25 local artists will celebrate theater on August 29, 2020, and outline what Imprint has planned for the rest of the year. Tickets are available now.

Next is The Impact of The Gadget on Civilization, a play by Mark Oristano that's also directed by White. Oristano, a local playwright, actor, and broadcasting veteran, questions morality and humanity through an immersive look inside Einstein's experiences surrounding the creation of the atom bomb. The piece will be filmed and presented online as a hybrid stage and film project, running September 17-26, 2020. Tickets will be available soon.

Last but certainly not least is The Tree - An American Rock Musical. This collaboration was written by Michael Federico, Jonathan Norton, Lauren LeBlanc, Cameron Casey, Alle Mims, and Franky Gonzalez, with original music by Veteran Children (Ian Ferguson, Aubrey Ferguson, and Drew Wall) and featuring movement by Danielle Georgiou. The Fergusons music direct, with Tiana Kaye Blair directing.

The Tree aims to be an immersive journey across time and emotion, re-examining the "gift" of knowledge and the nature of good and evil through an innovative and haunting musical narrative. These 10 creators will partner to weave a collective experience that shines a light on human nature and what connects us all, blending an immersive visual experience across both digital and creative outdoor settings. It will run October 29-November 14, 2020, and tickets will be available soon.

"In seeking an avenue for engaging in this new style of storytelling and seeing how many artists are currently without platforms, we shifted our focus to providing opportunities to DFW artists," says White. "As such, we are pleased to be producing two brand-new works, a timely and powerful play, and a collaborative new musical, both of which will bend the constructs of storytelling as we look into ways to bridge the gap between stage and online programming.

"No matter who you are or where you are in your personal journey, you have a home. You will be seen. You will be heard. Welcome home.”

music theater

Ballet news

Texas Ballet Theater executive director leaving for new gig in Northeast

Photo courtesy of Texas Ballet Theater

Vanessa Logan joined Texas Ballet Theater in 2016.

Vanessa Logan, who has served as Texas Ballet Theater executive director since 2016, is leaving TBT for a new role in the Northeast, the company says. Her final day with TBT will be June 30, 2025.

The move will allow Logan to be closer to her family, the organization says. Her new position has not yet been announced.

"While we will greatly miss Vanessa and her leadership at TBT, we support her decision to do what is best for her and her family and wish her well in her new pursuit," says TBT board of governors chair Anne T. Bass in a May 19 release. "Throughout her tenure at TBT, Vanessa has demonstrated the highest level of professionalism. It has been a delight to have worked closely with Vanessa over the last nine years, and I am most grateful for her unstinting efforts that have advanced TBT in so many respects."

Logan joined North Texas' largest ballet company before the 2016-17 season; she previously had worked at the American Repertory Ballet in New Jersey and Boston Ballet.

"Being part of TBT has been an immensely enriching and transformative experience. Partnering with Artistic Director Tim O’Keefe, working alongside such talented artists, and collaborating with a dedicated administrative and school staff has been a true privilege," Logan says in the release. "I am also deeply grateful for the unwavering support of our committed Board Chair and the Board of Governors, whose vision and leadership have been instrumental. Contributing to productions that bring beauty and artistry to our audiences and nurturing ballet education for countless children in Dallas-Fort Worth has been incredibly rewarding."

During her tenure with TBT, Logan helped the company navigate through the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic of 2020 followed by a catastrophic winter storm of 2021; she helped smooth the transition of artistic director from Ben Stevenson to Tim O'Keefe in 2023; and she oversaw new school facilities in Richardson and Dallas. TBT has also begun a 65,000-square-foot renovation of its Fort Worth facility to support future growth.

"Vanessa’s support and partnership during the transition was phenomenal. I cannot imagine another leader better equipped to guide TBT seamlessly through such a transformational change," O’Keefe says. "Her steadfastness instilled confidence and built trust with staff, students and subscribers as she ensured that we held true to TBT’s mission of honoring classical ballet while embracing a new chapter of artistic evolution."

TBT’s Board of Governors will immediately start searching for Logan’s successor and will quickly name an interim executive director to oversee operations until a permanent leader is in place, they say.

Texas Ballet Theater, which is a resident company of both Winspear Opera House in Dallas and Bass Performance Hall in Fort Worth, just closed its 2024-25 season with O'Keefe's all-new staging of the beloved ballet Giselle.

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