Theater Critic Picks
These are the 10 can't-miss shows in Dallas-Fort Worth theater for September
The theater calendar is getting busier as the weather (finally) cools down — in fact, fall is the perfect time to bring a picnic to Samuell-Grand Amphitheatre for Shakespeare Dallas' final production of the year.
In order of start date, here are 10 local shows to watch this month:
Big Scary Animals
Theatre Three, September 1-25
An older white couple from the country moves to the city to be closer to their granddaughter and unknowingly settles in the gay neighborhood. What begins as polite dinner conversation with their gay, multi-ethnic neighbors careens out of control in this updated version of the Matt Lyle's play, presented at Theatre Too in 2017.
Lonesome Blues
Undermain Theatre, September 1-18
This is the true story of the legendary bluesman Blind Lemon Jefferson: born blind, but ultimately able to express his deepest emotions through music. Discovered on a street corner in Deep Ellum in 1925, Jefferson made more than 80 records over the next four years, becoming one the most prolific and influential performers of his generation and propelling the growth of rhythm and blues, soul, doo-wop, rap, and hip-hop.
Cat on a Hot Tin Roof
The Classics Theatre Project, September 2-11
With a romanticism rooted in reality, the story unfolds on a night in the Mississippi Delta as the Pollitt family gathers to celebrate the birthday of its aging and ailing patriarch, Big Daddy. His two sons vie for an inheritance with former football hero, Brick, also contending with his wife’s, Maggie-the-Cat’s, unbridled sexuality and the nature of his own, in a relationship burdened by repressed love.
Fences
Circle Theatre, September 2-24
Troy Maxson, a former star baseball player, is excluded as a black man from the major leagues during his prime in this classic play by August Wilson. Troy’s bitterness takes its toll on his relationships with his wife, who reevaluates their marriage when Troy comes home with a baby he fathered with another woman, and his son, who now wants his own chance to become a football star.
Ain’t Too Proud: The Life and Times of The Temptations
Broadway Dallas, September 6-18
This Broadway musical follows The Temptations’ extraordinary journey from the streets of Detroit to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. With their signature dance moves and silky-smooth harmonies, they rose to the top of the charts, creating 42 top 10 hits, with 14 reaching No. 1.
The Bridges of Madison County
WaterTower Theatre, September 7-11
Francesca Johnson, a beautiful Italian woman who married an American soldier to flee war-ravaged Italy, looks forward to a rare four days alone on her Iowa farm when her family heads to the 1965 State Fair. When ruggedly handsome National Geographic photographer Robert Kincaid pulls into her driveway seeking directions, what happens in those four days may very well alter the course of Francesca's life.
St. Ella
Ochre House Theatre, September 7-24
St. Ella takes a satirical look at the iconic women found in 20th-century plays and explores their roles as oppressed women and the brutish men who ruled over them. The dark comedy is filled with song, dance, new vaudevillian techniques, and exposes the woman’s "world that is dying within her."
Hamlet
Shakespeare Dallas, September 7-October 15
Known as one of Shakespeare’s most beloved plays, Shakespeare Dallas’ interpretation of Hamlet features an all-woman cast (led by Jenny Ledel) and is directed by celebrated local actress and director Christie Vela.
Clue
Dallas Theater Center, September 8-25
Based on the iconic 1985 Paramount movie, which was inspired by the classic Hasbro board game, Clue is a hilarious farce-meets-murder mystery. The tale begins at a remote mansion, where six mysterious guests assemble for an unusual dinner party where murder and blackmail are on the menu. When their host turns up dead, they all become suspects.
Disney's Winnie the Pooh
Irving Arts Center, September 16-18
Featuring the Sherman Brothers' classic Grammy Award-winning music with further songs by A.A. Milne, this fresh stage adaptation is told with life-sized puppetry through the eyes of the characters we all know and love in a new story from the Hundred Acre Wood.
