Power With Words

Innovative Dallas film project engages locals to bring JFK's Unspoken Speech to life

To commemorate the 50th anniversary of President John F. Kennedy’s death, Cliff Simms and Peter Wood are enlisting Dallas citizens to help them complete a seven-part film series focusing on Kennedy’s Unspoken Speech, which was to be delivered at the Dallas Trade Mart on November 22, 1963.

The two Brits were initially drawn to the Unspoken Speech when Wood’s colleague told him about the 500 hand-made books that Stanley Marcus commissioned of the speech. It piqued Wood’s interest in typography and lettering, but the JFK angle also resonated with him.

“I remember standing in class in Scotland when I heard Kennedy had been killed,” he says. “Being brought up a Catholic, even though he was American, we were immensely proud of him.”

Project co-founders Cliff Simms and Peter Wood want people around the world to recognize how the people of Dallas remembered JFK 50 years later.

The Unspoken Speech stuck with Wood. By 2007, he was in Dallas as a creative director, but it wasn’t until a talk with Simms in April 2012, after a meeting at their firm, Resident Alien, that the project began to take shape.

The original idea was to give citizens a card with one word from the speech on it, to spell out the more than 2,500 words. They quickly realized that would result in a 40-minute video. Instead, Simms and Wood took seven passages from the speech that they felt were still relevant in today’s world.

The first video, Words Alone, which the pair directed, features 85 Dallas citizens doing a pared-down version of Wood’s original vision. The second short, Only An America, features Dallas civil rights activist Clarence Broadnax delivering lines from the speech regarding equal rights.

“A lot of the speech is of the period, and some of it isn’t relevant,” Simms says. “But there are parts that, when extracted, are still very powerful statements.”

In addition to issues of civil rights, the Unspoken Speech touches on military involvement abroad; promoting a healthy, singular Union; and Texas’ contributions to American innovation. The pair says that the films are designed to incorporate North Texas citizens to help memorialize JFK in a permanent way that can be seen outside of Dallas. They believe the city’s commemoration of the 50th anniversary misses the mark.

“The city’s commemoration doesn’t feature people from Dallas,” Simms says. “The choir isn’t from Dallas, the people speaking aren’t from Dallas. It’s a little interesting and kind of disappointing that the city has elected to import the commemoration and doesn’t feel comfortable utilizing talent within city confines.

“Considering they’re trying to push the Arts District and the opera house, it’s kind of a little shameful, to be honest, to not use them for a commemoration to a worldwide event and the most significant event in the city’s history. If you want to flip it, New York City or London wouldn’t do that. If you aspire to be on that level, you have to walk the walk.”

The pair intends to have the films, which have been directed by area talent such as Tom Hussey and Stewart Cohen, finished in time to premiere at a gallery somewhere in Dallas on November 22, to show Dallas people breathing life into the speech they were robbed of 50 years ago.

The next filming takes place Saturday, September 7, at Union Coffee near SMU, from 9 am to 5 pm. The film, Dissident Voices, is part of a partnership with Texas Woman’s University photographers to create a book featuring Kennedy’s words. Simms and Wood invite anyone interested in the project to stop by and spend five minutes being filmed reading the book.

Above all, Simms and Wood want people around the world to recognize how the people of Dallas remembered JFK 50 years later.

“The flyover and tolling of the bells and the plaque in the ground are all good and well if you’re here,” Simms says. “But if you’re not here to see what Dallas did to commemorate the momentous event, that won’t be left on the 23rd. Our hope is that a day, a week, a month after, people will find these films and know what Dallas did to remember.”

JFK's Unspoken Speech was to be given at the Dallas Trade Mart on the day of his assassination, November 22, 1963.

JFK, The University of Texas at Arlington Library

Photo courtesy of Fort Worth Star-Telegram Collection, Special Collections, The University of Texas at Arlington Library

JFK's Unspoken Speech was to be given at the Dallas Trade Mart on the day of his assassination, November 22, 1963.

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Weekend Event Planner

These are the 17 best things to do in Dallas this weekend

Photo courtesy of NBC

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It's another big weekend of things to do in and around Dallas, but instead of one big event headlining, there will be an array of events offering a similar level of fun. Choices include five concerts, one a festival-style benefit; six theater productions; three comedians, including a big late-night host, a festival, a dance production, and the final days of a notable art exhibition.

Photo courtesy of NBC

Seth Meyers will perform at the Music Hall at Fair Park on October 23.

Below are the best ways to spend your free time this weekend. For more options, check out our calendar for an even longer list of the city's best events.

Thursday, October 22

Dallas Symphony Orchestra presents "Rachmaninoff & Schubert"
"Rachmaninoff & Schubert," conducted by Fabio Luisi and featuring pianist Lise de la Salle, will include Hovhaness' Symphony No. 2, “Mysterious Mountain,” Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto No. 1 in F-sharp minor, and Schubert's Symphony No. 8 in B minor, “Unfinished.” There will be three performances through Saturday at Meyerson Symphony Center.

Dan + Shay in concert
Since their debut album in 2014, country duo Dan + Shay have consistently topped the charts with both albums and singles. Their first five albums made it to the top 10 on the Billboard Country chart, and they have had many top 10 hits, including the recent "Say So" off of their new album, Young. They'll play at Dos Equis Pavilion, joined by Tyler Hubbard and Josh Ross.

UT Arlington Department of Theatre and Dance presents Into the Woods
Into the Woods is a musical by Stephen Sondheim that intertwines the plots of several Brothers Grimm fairy tales, exploring the consequences of the characters' wishes and quests. The production takes place on the MainStage Theatre in the Fine Arts Building on the UT Arlington campus and will have four performances through Sunday.

AT&T Performing Arts Center presents Lucy Darling: As You Wish
As You Wish is a new touring solo show featuring award-winning performer Carisa Hendrix as she stars as charming socialite and cocktail enthusiast Lucy Darling, continuing her vivacious vagabond voyages with her razor-sharp wit, unquestionable advice, and inconceivable magic. There will be five performances through Sunday at Wyly Theatre.

The Firehouse Theatre presents Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
Sweeney Todd, an unjustly exiled barber, returns to 19th century London, seeking vengeance against the lecherous judge who framed him and ravaged his young wife. The road to revenge leads Todd to Mrs. Lovett, a resourceful proprietress of a failing pie shop, above which he opens a new barber practice. Mrs. Lovett's luck sharply shifts when Todd's thirst for blood inspires the integration of an ingredient into her meat pies that has the people of London lining up ... and the carnage has only just begun. The production, which started on October 15, runs through November 1 at The Firehouse Theatre in Farmers Branch.

Friday, October 23

City of Grand Prairie presents Main Street Fest
The City of Grand Prairie Parks, Arts & Recreation Department's annual Main Street Fest includes live music, carnival rides & games, arts & crafts, food & beverage gardens, an array of entertainment at the Kidzone, and more. Headline performers will include The Commodores, Sammy Kershaw, and Keith Nieto. The festival takes place through Sunday on Main Street in Grand Prairie.

Charlie Berens: The Lost & Found Tour
Charlie Berens is a comedian, author, journalist, musician, and content creator. In 2017, Berens began hosting his weekly comedic online news show, the Manitowoc Minute. Since then, he has been creating Midwest-inspired sketch comedy videos that connect to a worldwide social media audience of over 10 million. Berens has also written a New York Times bestseller, The Midwest Survival Guide, and hosts the Cripescast podcast and co-hosts the Bellied Up podcast with “Myles The You Betcha Guy.” He'll perform at Majestic Theatre.

Sundown Collaborative Theatre presents Witches (a devised piece)
Drawing from centuries of witch folklore and the lived experiences of women and gender-diverse people today, the devised work Witches explores the ways people have been feared, controlled, judged, and punished for stepping outside the boundaries placed around them. Through horror, ritual, movement, video, shadow, sound, visual effects, and original text, Witches moves between the world of folklore and the world we recognize now. The production runs through November 1 at the Theatre Denton Annex in the Golden Triangle Mall.

Soul Rep Theatre Company presents Spunk
Adapted from the beloved stories of Zora Neale Hurston, Spunk is an electrifying theatrical experience infused with the rhythms of blues, gospel, and jazz. Through three captivating tales, the production celebrates love, folklore, resilience, and the enduring spirit of community. The production runs through November 1 in Bryant Hall, located in the Kalita Humphreys Theater complex.

Theatre Arlington presents The Great American Trailer Park Musical
There’s a new tenant at Armadillo Acres and she’s wreaking havoc all over Florida’s most exclusive trailer park. When Pippi, the stripper on the run, comes between the Dr. Phil-loving, agoraphobic Jeannie and her tollbooth collector husband, the storms begin to brew. The musical, featuring music and lyrics by David Nehls with a book by Betsy Kelso, runs through November 8 at Theatre Arlington.

WaterTower Theatre presents BWY X NTX: Songs For A New World
Songs for a New World is the first musical by composer-lyricist Jason Robert Brown. The contemporary song cycle weaves characters and history together, illuminating the timelessness of self-discovery. With a rousing score that blends pop, gospel, and jazz, featuring tight harmonies and daring vocals, Songs for a New World transports audiences from the deck of a Spanish sailing ship bound for a new land to the ledge of a New York penthouse. The production runs through November 1 at Addison Performing Arts Centre.

Ballet North Texas presents Changeling
Changeling, a haunting new ballet by Sam Jones, features striking contemporary movement and atmospheric theatricality. The work explores the fragile space between identity and illusion, where what is hidden begins to surface and nothing is quite as it seems. Presented as part of Ballet North Texas’s fall mixed repertory program, Changeling invites audiences into an eerie, elegant, and deeply human world of mystery, tension, and transformation. There will be performances on Friday and Saturday at Moody Performance Hall.

Music Hall at Fair Park presents Seth Meyers
Seth Meyers, host of Late Night with Seth Meyers and former cast member of Saturday Night Live, comes to Dallas for a night of stand-up comedy. Meyers has released two comedy specials, Lobby Baby in 2019 and Dad Man Walking in 2024. He also hosts two podcasts: The Lonely Island and Seth Meyers Podcast and Family Trips with the Meyers Brothers. He'll perform at the Music Hall at Fair Park.

Saturday, October 24

Nasher Sculpture Center presents "Roy Lichtenstein in the Studio" closing day
Saturday will be the final day to view "Roy Lichtenstein in the Studio" at Nasher Sculpture Center. Works relating to three sculptures from the Raymond and Patsy Nasher Collection - Head with Blue Shadow, Peace through Chemistry, and Double Glass - are accompanied by a selection from the Foundation's gift of more than two dozen drawings and maquettes associated with Lichtenstein’s Brushstroke sculptures.

National Life Group Do Good Fest
Do Good Fest is an annual benefit concert supporting childhood hunger relief and youth mental health. The outdoor concert at Levitt Pavilion in Arlington will feature performances by headliner Barenaked Ladies, singer-songwriter Lisa Loeb, and the original band members of Nine Stories, Tim Bright, Jonathan Feinberg, and Joe Quigley. Proceeds will benefit Tarrant Area Food Bank’s Ready to Learn initiative.

Iron & Wine in concert
Iron & Wine, aka Samuel Beam, is a singer-songwriter who has been wowing folk rock fans for almost 25 years. Debuting in 2002, he got his first big break when his cover of "Such Great Heights" appeared on the Garden State soundtrack in 2004. That exposure led him to some high-charting albums, including Kiss Each Other Clean in 2011, which went to No. 2 on the Billboard 200. He'll play at Majestic Theatre in support of his new album, Hen's Teeth.

Sunday, October 25

AT&T Performing Arts Center presents The Billy Joel Legacy
The Billy Joel Legacy: Celebrating the Piano Man is a celebration of the legendary singer-songwriter’s greatest hits, and the story of the man behind the melodies. The concert experience takes the audience on a journey through Joel’s career, from his humble beginnings to becoming one of the greatest songwriters and performers of all time. Through faithful recreation of the original music, visuals, and storytelling, the audience will discover how Joel's music has shaped generations and why his legacy endures. The concert takes place at Majestic Theatre.

music concerts symphony theater comedy festivals dance exhibitions-visual-arts event-planner