Theater Critic Picks

These are the 13 must-see shows in Dallas-Fort Worth theater for May

Hamilton is back, this time at the Winspear Opera House.

Photo by Joan Marcus

Much like how May is kind of an in-between month, weather-wise, this month's theater lineup is just as split. Many productions look to the past — like the founding of America, the Civil Rights movement, and even the fall of the Persian Empire — while others are all about the dystopian future that might be ahead of us.

In order of start date, here are 13 local shows to watch this month:

Patti & Theo
Ochre House Theatre, through May 18
In this new dark comedy with music that's written and directed by artistic director Matthew Posey, Patti and Theo are struggling artists in Brooklyn, New York. They are big boozers, and time will tell if the Drinking Religion outlives them. Audiences can come wade into the wild and boozy waters of Patti and Theo’s nightmarish world, and bear witness to the unraveling of their lives as they try one last time to love each other.

The Persians
Undermain Theatre, May 2-26
The Persians concentrates on the demise of the Persian empire, lamented by the Persian queen Atossa, by the folly of her son Xerxes which caused the empire’s downfall. The play also includes the appearance of the ghost of Xerxes’ father, Darius, who declaims the ruin of his once-great empire.

Misery
Theatre Three, May 2-June 2
Romance novelist Paul Sheldon is rescued from a car crash by his “number one fan,” Annie Wilkes, and wakes up captive in her secluded home. While being forced to re-write his latest book at the favor of his captor, Paul realizes that he’s writing as if his life depends on it… and it does.

Fannie: The Music and Life of Fannie Lou Hamer
Bishop Arts Theatre Center, May 2-18
Dallas Theater Center's Brierley Resident Acting Company member Liz Mikel returns to Dallas after a year performing on Broadway to play the legendary 1960s civil rights activist Fannie Lou Hamer in this regional premiere, a co-production with DTC. From her humble origins as the daughter of a Mississippi sharecropper to co-founding the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party and demanding recognition at the National Democratic Convention, hers is a story of justice that will not be denied.

Broadway Our Way
Uptown Players, May 2-5
This annual fundraiser showcases the versatility and artistry of Uptown Players' ensemble. With a fresh and contemporary twist, the cast breathes new life into show tunes, infusing them with their own unique interpretations, vocal styles, and personal flair. Familiar and not-so-familiar songs are reimagined, transcending boundaries and inviting audiences to see them in a fresh and exciting way.

Hamilton
Broadway Dallas, May 8-June 9
Hamilton is the story of America then, told by America now. Featuring a score that blends hip-hop, jazz, R&B, and Broadway, Hamilton has taken the story of American founding father Alexander Hamilton and created a revolutionary moment in theater: a musical that has had a profound impact on culture, politics, and education. This is your chance to see the musical at the Winspear Opera House.

Beyond the Yellow Wallpaper
Echo Theatre, May 9-25
This new historical drama delves into the extraordinary life of feminist author and social reformer Charlotte Perkins Gilman. Known to many for her short story The Yellow Wallpaper, Charlotte’s work explores the realities of womanhood at the turn of the 20th century.

The Kinsey Sicks: Deep Inside Tonight
Uptown Players, May 10
This hilarious musical newscast-run-amok showcases America’s Favorite Dragapella® Beautyshop Quartet taking over the airwaves. The quartet, with their unapologetically biased coverage from the campaign trail, probes today’s hottest issues and scintillating scandals, all in glorious four-part harmony. Celebrating their 30 years of delighting audiences globally, The Kinsey Sicks promise an evening filled with shocking shtick, witty parodies, and outrageous hijinx.

Chicago
Broadway at the Bass, May 10-12
Chicago has everything that makes Broadway great: a universal tale of fame, fortune, and all that jazz; one show-stopping song after another; and the most astonishing dancing you’ve ever seen.

Hamlet
Auriga Productions, May 10-17
One of Shakespeare's most revered tragedies, Hamlet unfolds against the backdrop of royal intrigue, familial betrayal, and existential introspection. Prince Hamlet, grappling with the sudden death of his father and the hasty remarriage of his mother, begins a journey of retribution that plunges the Danish court into chaos.

Simply the Best: A Tribute to the Greatest Artists of Our Time
Uptown Players, May 11-12
The two-act cabaret show features local talents Peter DiCesare, Denise Lee, Bethany Lorentzen, Trey Tolleson, and Lee Walter celebrating the world’s most legendary musical icons together in concert. Backed by a six-piece on-stage band under the musical direction of Gary Adler, the performance will include hits from music icons who have had a major impact on the LGBTQ+ community, such as Celine Dion, Whitney Houston, Bette Midler, Barbara Streisand, Tina Turner, Cher, and Elton John.

Cloud Tectonics
Teatro Dallas, May 17-June 1
José Rivera's apocalyptic tale comes to life onstage: In the midst of a storm, a lone motorist encounters a pregnant hitchhiker, setting the stage for a mesmerizing tale of love and mystery. As the motorist offers shelter, he unwittingly invites the hitchhiker into his home, where her presence captivates him and his brother, who is home unexpectedly from military duty.

A Twisty Intergalactic Spectacle
Hip Pocket Theatre, May 17-June 2
Something spacey is coming this way from the great mind of internationally acclaimed puppetry artist Basil Twist, who returns to Hip Pocket for a one-of-a-kind, intergalactic, Twist-ian experience.

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RIP, Irma

Dallas actress and 'Soul Food' star Irma P. Hall passes away at 91

Courtesy photo

Irma P. Hall

Dallas actress and longtime resident Irma P. Hall, best known for playing Big Mama Jo in the 1997 film Soul Food, died Tuesday, November 10, surrounded by loved ones, according to an announcement from her family. She was 91.

Hall built a nearly five-decade career in film, television, and theater, earning an NAACP Image Award for Soul Food and a Jury Prize at the 2004 Cannes Film Festival for her performance in The Ladykillers.

"Her commanding presence and remarkable ability to bring depth and authenticity to every character made her one of Hollywood's most respected and recognizable character actresses and a cultural icon," her family says in a statement.

Before becoming a familiar face on movie screens, Hall spent more than 20 years teaching English and foreign languages in Dallas public schools. She maintained her ties to her native Texas throughout her Hollywood career.

Born Irma Dolores Player on June 3, 1935, in Beaumont, Hall grew up in Chicago before returning to Texas to attend Texas College in Tyler. Her path to acting began unexpectedly when actor and director Raymond St. Jacques discovered her talent during a poetry reading in Dallas, her family says.

She made her film debut in Book of Numbers in 1973, launching a second career that would take her from Dallas stages to Tinseltown sets.

Hall became widely recognized for her portrayal of Big Mama Jo in Soul Food, the 1997 film about a close-knit family whose Sunday dinners bring generations together. She starred alongside stars Vanessa Williams, Vivica A. Fox, Nia Long, and Michael Beach.

"One of the most iconic mother roles in film history, "A Song for Mama" by Boyz II Men was written and produced by Kenneth 'Babyface' Edmonds, specifically centering on Irma P. Hall's character in Soul Food," the family statement says. "Decades after its original release, this song is still one of the most popular and enduring Mother's Day anthems of all time."

Hall's other credits included A Family Thing (1996), Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil (1997), Beloved (1998), Patch Adams (1998), The Ladykillers (2004), Collateral (2004), and Tyler Perry's Meet the Browns (2008). She also reprised her role as Mama Joe in the television series based on the film.

Hall's performance in Soul Food earned her an NAACP Image Award for outstanding supporting actress in a motion picture. In 2004, she shared a Jury Prize at Cannes for The Ladykillers, in which she starred opposite Tom Hanks. She also received honors from the Chicago and Kansas City film critics associations for A Family Thing and was inducted into the Texas Film Hall of Fame.

Courtesy photo

Irma P. Hall stayed connected to the Dallas arts and theater community throughout her life.

Hall remained connected to Dallas and its arts community her whole life, her family says. She co-founded the Dallas Minority Repertory Theatre in 1973. Her contributions are also remembered through the Irma P. Hall Black Theatre Awards, known as The Irmas, an annual celebration of performing and technical theater talent across Dallas-Fort Worth, founded in 2015.

Education remained another lifelong passion. Hall received an honorary doctorate in Fine Arts and Education from Texas College in recognition of her work in the arts and education. At Inspiring Body of Christ Church in Dallas, where she was a longtime member and cherished Church Mother, she regularly visited the church's University of Dreams school to read to children and share her love of storytelling. She also participated in the church's theater ministry.

“Today, we celebrate the extraordinary life of a woman whose faith, wisdom and love touched so many," senior pastor Rickie G. Rush says in a statement. "Our beloved Church Mother, Irma P. Hall, has taken her final bow on the stage of life and stepped into eternity.”

Hall is survived by her only daughter, Irma Hall Crayton, who remembered her mother's influence as both an educator and a mentor.

“She started as a teacher in the classroom but ended up being a teacher to the world,” Crayton says. “My mom used to always say, ‘To the world you may be one person, but to one person you may be the world.’ And she was just that to many people.”

Funeral services and memorial arrangements will be announced at a later date.

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