Stage Notes: Review of ‘Measure for Measure;’ BATC reveals playwrights for banned book fest

Stage Notes is a weekly aggregate post about theater, classical music and stage news, events, reviews and other pertinent information. 

Stage Notes Calendar

Opening this week (barring any schedule changes due to weather):

Rover Dramawerks: The Shakespeare Conspiracy, today-Jan. 25. 

FWSO Pops: Sci-Fi Symphony, Friday and Saturday.

DSO Pops: Disco Fever: Friday-Sunday. 

Art Centre Theatre: Millie Monka and the Salmon Canary or…There’s Something Fishy Going On, Friday-Jan. 18. 

Dallas Chamber Symphony: Beethoven’s Symphony N°. 4, 7:30 p.m. Tuesday at Moody Performance Hall. 

Broadway Dallas: Come From Away, Tuesday-Jan. 19 at the Winspear, pictured.

Onstage now:

WaterTower Theatre: The Play That Goes Wrong, through Sunday, pictured.

Shakespeare Dallas: Measure for Measure, through Jan. 27 at Theatre Three.

Pocket Sandwich Theatre: Camp Death, through Feb. 15.

Bishop Arts Theatre Center announces the lineup for its annual banned books festival

In February, BATC will present The Stamped Project: Fourth Annual Banned Books Festival. The theater event will feature works by six local playwrights who created six plays that all stemmed from Dr. Ibram X. Kendi’s book Stamped from the Beginning. The plays look at history, race and identity with shows running Feb. 20-March 2.

Presenting original pieces for this year’s festival will be playwrights Straton Rushing, Camika Spencer, Aaron Zilbermann, Calvin Walker, Maryam Baig and Ashley H. White. The author will be in attendance for the March 1 matinee.

For more information and tickets, click here.

Stolen Shakespeare Guild unveils new season with some bonus big news

On Tuesday, SSG officially announced the opening of its new performance space not far from the Fort Worth Stockyards. Last year, Arts Center Fort Worth closed, but SSG was able to finish its season there last month with Georgiana and Kitty: Christmas at Pemberley. But it’s a new year with a new venue and a new season to boot.

SSG’s theater space is located at 3626 Decatue Ave. in Fort Worth. In the press release, the company stated, “As we prepare this facility for its debut, we have adjusted some dates in our current lineup and transitioned to a calendar-year schedule, now proudly labeling this as our 2025 Season.”

SSG’s 19th season includes:

April 11-May 4: Stolen Shakespeare Festival 2025: Twelfth Night. Follow the hilarious journey of mistaken identities, misplaced affections, and uproarious antics as Viola disguises herself as a man to navigate the whims of love in Illyria. Don’t miss this timeless tale filled with romance and humor. Directed by Jason and Lauren Morgan.

April 18-May 3: Stolen Shakespeare Festival 2025: Richard IIIl. Indulge in the gripping tale of power, betrayal, and ambition with Shakespeare’s “Richard III.” Follow the ruthless journey of Richard, Duke of Gloucester, as he schemes, manipulates, and murders his way to the throne of England. Directed by Jason and Lauren Morgan.

July 18-Aug. 3: Hairspray. It’s 1962 in Baltimore, and Tracy Turnblad’s dream to dance on the “Corny Collins Show” comes true, transforming her from a social outcast to a star. Tracy uses her newfound fame to promote integration while keeping her iconic hairstyle intact. Directed by Tatum Love.

Sept. 19-28: A Murder is Announced by Agatha Christie. An announcement in the local paper sets the stage for a murder in Miss Blacklock’s Victorian house. With unexpected twists and concealed identities, Miss Marple steps in to unravel the mystery. Directed by Jason and Lauren Morgan.

Oct. 10-26: My Fair Lady. Based on George Bernard Shaw’s Pygmalion, this beloved musical feature the timeless songs “I Could Have Danced All Night” and “On the Street Where You Live.” Directed by Libby Hawkins.

Dec. 5-21: A Christmas Carol. Charles Dickens’s timeless story of hope and redemption follows Ebenezer Scrooge as he learns the true meaning of Christmas through visits from three spirits. Adapted and directed by Jason and Lauren Morgan.

SSG offers three passes for its season including its Opening Night Pass, Season Pass and Add-on Pass for season ticket holders. All are on sale now here. Individual tickets will go on sale Feb. 1.

Review: A strong cast rescues Shakespeare Dallas’ tangled Measure for Measure

For the first time since the pandemic, Shakespeare Dallas opened a winter production on Wednesday evening. But this wasn’t any Shakes in the park kinda deal and thankfully with these cold temps. SD opened Shakespeare’s Measure for Measure inside at Theatre Three.

Also, Thursday night’s show has been canceled due to weather.

M4M is one of the Bard’s trickier shows. Sometimes considered a comedy, the drama was volatile and heavy in this production with lighter moments dotting the second half more. The play has also been considered one of Shakes’ problem plays or perhaps what we now refer to as a dramedy. In this production, there was a hefty mix of dark storytelling with a dash of humor.

So, for anyone expecting a full-on Shakespearean comedy — don’t.

A somewhat convoluted play, the focus here is on the puritanical Angelo who was left to run the city as Duke Vincentio departs only to remain as a disguised friar for some Undercover Boss work. In his first big act, Angelo sentences Claudio for sleeping with a woman to death but then falls for his sister Isabella, a novice nun, who begs Angelo to stay the execution. These three are surrounded by a number of characters on either Angelo’s or Isabella’s side.

The tangling of these characters often muddled the story as new names were mentioned or quick changes brought in a new role. A multitude of characters aren’t new to Shakespeare shows, but the pace of the first act felt a bit rushed that it was often hard to inventory each role outside of the principals. The pace settled deep into the first act which then led into a more relaxed second act on this opening night.

Carson Wright and Mikaela Baker played the battling leads Angelo and Isabella and emitted a dynamic chemistry. As the power hungry tyrant, Wright was convincingly vicious and cold. And his angry interactions with Baker’s Isabella were just shy of uncomfortable. Baker was equally strong as the determined and clever Isabella. The character was a progressive and willful one and Baker brought a powerful grace to the role.

As the Duke and the disguised friar, Ethan Norris was steadfast in his delivery contrasted by Omar Padilla’s scene-chewing colorful performance as Lucio. Brandon Whitlock brought an animated fey hue to the pimp character, Pompey completed by some fabulous sparkly red shoes and collared neck. Nicole Berastequi served up some glam camp with some Effie Trinket and Chappell Roan realness as brothel owner Mistress Overdone.

Impressive performances by Doak Rapp as Claudio; T.A. Taylor as Barnardine; Caitlin Chapa as a heartbreaking Mariana; and Adrian Godinez most notably as the stern Escalus all helped the show rise above its narrative. DirectorJenni Stewart had much to navigate with the story and the characters and overall, her work succeeded as Measure for Measure found its groove.

The show runs through Jan. 26.

–Rich Lopez

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