Aw, Nuts

It's lights out for Texas Ballet Theater's Nutcracker this year

No big battle scene this year.

Photo courtesy of Texas Ballet Theater

The holidays just won't look the same this year without a trip to the Land of Sweets and a dancing nutcracker doll come to life.

Texas Ballet Theater has canceled its annual production of The Nutcracker, scheduled for November 27-December 6, 2020, at the Winspear Opera House in Dallas and December 11-27, 2020, at Bass Performance Hall in Fort Worth.

The decision to cancel what was supposed to be the first production of the 2020-21 season was made when organizational leaders deemed it "impossible to effectively prepare for and perform the production with social distancing and other safety measures in place."

The nonprofit ballet company also noted that when dancers return from their regularly scheduled summer break on August 24, TBT would follow COVID-19 prevention protocols that would prevent dancers from partnering or dancing within six feet of each other.

Obviously, adhering to those regulations means that the company is unable to safely rehearse The Nutcracker, as well as its popular, one-night-only companion production of The Nutty Nutcracker. For the first time ever, Dallas was scheduled to also receive a performance of the company's irreverent, pop culture-filled take on the holiday classic.

There's also the matter of audiences and social distancing. The guidelines would dramatically reduce the number of patrons who can enjoy Dallas-Fort Worth's biggest production of Tchaikovsky's classic. Due to the magnitude of sets, costumes, and special effects, the company cannot recoup the expenses of its largest production of the season without its regular audiences.

"Bringing The Nutcracker to life requires large numbers of dancers, crew, and staff to be in close proximity with each other as early as September, which causes serious concerns amid our public health landscape," says TBT executive director Vanessa Logan. "We will still connect with our community this holiday season, just in a different way."

Despite canceling the ballet, which is choreographed by artistic director Ben Stevenson, the company says it will continue to employ its dancers and will develop new programs to engage audiences during the holiday season.

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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