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    Don't Be a Scrooge

    Dallas Theater Center's A Christmal Carol works new holiday magic

    Alex Bentley
    Dec 4, 2014 | 2:59 pm

    If you’re looking for an enduring local holiday tradition, Dallas Theater Center’s annual presentation of A Christmas Carol may trump them all. DTC has put on one version or another of the Christmas classic every year since 1984 — a run few other local events can claim.

    It’s not hard to see why they’ve stuck with the classic year after year: The story of Ebenezer Scrooge (once again played by Chamblee Ferguson after a hiatus last year) rediscovering his heart and the true meaning of Christmas is irresistible, and one of the most widely adapted and reimagined plots the world has seen.

    Chamblee Ferguson is a pleasure to watch. He intuitively knows just how much to push in every scene, and he elevates his co-stars because of it.

    DTC almost never fails to wow with its reconfigurations of Wyly Theatre, and even though the set is essentially the same as it was when the Wyly hosted A Christmas Carol for the first time last year, the detail of it is still impressive.

    DTC’s version of Carol transforms Scrooge from a moneylender to overseer of a coal factory, and the set reflects the industrial nature of that job, with ovens and pipes everywhere. But set designer Beowulf Boritt hides clever touches all over the place, including Scrooge’s bed rising from underneath the stage, an overhead track to allow for occasional flying characters and hidden lights that turn the Wyly into a wonderland at the appropriate moments.

    Child actors are used liberally throughout, including as two of the pivotal three ghosts that visit Scrooge. However, it’s the use of Scrooge’s own mother (Sabina Zuniga Varela) as the Ghost of Christmas Past that is the most effective change from the book. Her guiding Scrooge through his not-so-pleasant history lends extra emotion to the scenes, as he is not only seeing the error of his ways, but also disappointing his mom.

    Because most of Carol up until the end is a downer, DTC and director Lee Trull spice things up in the middle, during the Ghost of Christmas Past section. Although there is Christmas music sprinkled throughout the play, a visit to Scrooge’s old boss Fezziwig stands out, as the party he holds calls to mind a Mumford & Sons concert. It’s a toe-tapping folk rock interlude that also happens to serve as a nice setup for future interactions.

    If there’s one qualm with this relatively short version, which only runs 90 minutes, it’s that Scrooge seems a bit too willing to be nice after years of being miserable. True, the change is no surprise, but a more gradual transition would have been nice.

    But Ferguson, as always, is a pleasure to watch. He intuitively knows just how much to push in every scene, and he elevates his co-stars because of it. DTC regulars like Varela, Daniel Duque-Estrada and Julie Johnson are as strong as ever, while newcomers like Morgan Lauré, John M. Flores and Cameron Cobb make great first impressions.

    After 30 years, it’s no surprise that Dallas Theater Center knows how to stage a great rendition of A Christmas Carol. It’s the fact that they’re always willing to try new things and not be bound to Dickens’ text that makes seeing the play again worth the trip.

    Chamblee Ferguson in Dallas Theater Center's A Christmas Carol.

    Chamblee Ferguson in Dallas Theater Center's A Christmas Carol
      
    Photo by Karen Almond
    Chamblee Ferguson in Dallas Theater Center's A Christmas Carol.
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    Elon News

    Dallas bookstore and publisher gets federal arts funding axed

    Luciana Gomez
    May 7, 2025 | 12:17 pm
    Deep Vellum stack of books
    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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