Here are the 14 must-see shows in Dallas-Fort Worth theater for September

That headline might say 14 shows, but there are so many more. That's because it's festival time in DFW — and we don't just mean Oktoberfest and the like. Festivals are happening onstage too this month, covering new work, international offerings, and so much more. Plus, the State Fair show is back!

In order of start date, here are 14 local shows to watch this month:

The Importance of Being Earnest
Stage West, September 5-22
So, there are these two rich and eligible English bachelors. Both are pretending to be a man named Ernest, because they are trying to woo these two ladies who have decided they are all about that name. But when their romantic schemes collide, the whole charade unravels in a whirlwind of wacky surprises and dazzling wit from Oscar Wilde.

Athena
Undermain Theatre, September 5-29
Mary Wallace and Athena are brave, seventeen, and fencers training for the Junior Olympics. They practice together, they compete against each other, they spend their lives together. They wish they were friends.

Fort Worth International Fringe Festival
Theatre Network of Texas, Inc. and Arts Fort Worth, September 6-8
Sample a variety of acts ranging from rarely produced theater to dance, storytelling, poetry, and more. Fifteen different programs will be performed multiple times over three days. For a full schedule of events, go to the festival website.

Big Love
Hip Pocket Theatre, September 6-29
Based on the Greek play The Suppliants by Aeschylus, Big Love is a perfect match for Hip Pocket: lyrical, sexy, beautiful, bloody, hilarious, and untamed. Written by Charles Mee and directed by Emily Scott Banks, it follows multiple brides who flee to a manor in Italy to avoid marrying their cousins and instead find sisterhood, independence, true love — and murder.

Million Dollar Quartet
Casa Mañana, September 7-15
This is the true story of the famed recording session that brought together Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Carl Perkins. Travel back to 1956 and the early days of rock ‘n’ roll with smash-hit songs including "Hound Dog," "Great Balls of Fire," "Blue Suede Shoes," "I Walk the Line," and more.

SheDFW Theater Festival
SheDFW Arts, September 10-15
This inaugural festival spotlights three new full-length plays and one original musical, all written by women, trans, and non-binary writers. The titles are For Bo by Ayvaunn Penn, The Martyr by Leo Rodriguez, Under the Jello Mold by Jennie Fahn, and Olivia O, The Musical with book and lyrics by Jessica Carmona and Diane Currie Sam, and music and lyrics by Gil Yaron and Angela Ortiz.

Julius Caesar
Shakespeare Dallas, September 11-October 13
Pack a picnic and sit out under the stars while you watch Shakespeare's nail-biter of a political play. Concerned that Julius Caesar poses a threat to democracy, revolutionaries take the violent decision to murder him. As the world spins out of control, chaos and superstition lead to civil war.

Jet Fuel
Bishop Arts Theatre Center, September 12-22
Amy Evans' groundbreaking new play embarks on an unforgettable journey through the world of elite sports. Inspired by the extraordinary tale of Olympic sprinter Caster Semenya, the production casts a spotlight on the intricate intersections of gender, race identity, and the quest for fairness in the realm of athletics.

The Secret Keepers
Echo Theatre, September 12-28
Erin Malone Turner's Southern gothic, coming-of-age play centers on a group of high-school seniors during their last semester at a run-down boarding school. Nightmares plague the unspoken leader of the group, shadowy figures come and go, skeletons tumble out of their closets, and one of the teens goes missing.

Company
Broadway at the Center, September 25-29
It’s Bobbie’s 35th birthday party, and all her friends keep asking, “Why isn’t she married? Why can’t she find the right man, and isn’t it time to settle down and start a family?” As Bobbie searches for answers in this Stephen Sondheim and George Furth musical, she discovers why being single, being married, and being alive in the 21st-century could drive a person crazy.

Cirque du Soleil: Songblazers
Music Hall at Fair Park, September 25-October 20
The State Fair show is back. This new theatrical experience pays tribute to the legendary and modern trailblazers of country music, charting the journey of two main characters as they forge their own path to country recognition. Per usual with Cirque du Soleil shows, audiences will also witness acrobatics, aerial acts, and displays of strength.

Latinidades Festival & Symposium
Cara Mía Theatre, September 26-October 13
Now in its fifth year, Dallas’ largest international Latino theater festival is expanding from three productions to 11, including live theater, dance, music and poetry to celebrate diverse Latin American voices. Productions hail from Dallas, San Francisco, Miami, Barcelona, Mexico City, Bogotá, and San Juan.

See Me
OutLoud Dallas, September 27-October 5
The world premiere of this immersive theatrical experience was inspired by the stories of young people from across North Texas, and is bringing their voices to life using cutting-edge technology, projections, and holograms. Exploring how existing in a hyper-connected world impacts the human condition, this show at the Eisemann Center offers a poignant dialogue between technology and the arts.

Grace For President
Dallas Children's Theater, September 28-October 20
Adapted from Kelly DiPucchio's book, this family-friendly musical centers on Grace Campbell, who discovers one day in class that there has never been a female president. "Where are the girls?" she asks, as her teacher rolls out a poster of all U.S. presidents. Frustrated by the lack of female faces in the White House, Grace decides she wants to be president and inspires a school election.