What to See in Dallas Theater This Fall

This fourth-wall breaking play is about a father and son’s relationship, which becomes even more complicated when each finds a new romantic partner: the elder man with a woman he meets online, his son with another young man.

so go the ghosts of mexico, part one | Sept. 14-Oct. 8 | Undermain Theatre

This tense drama, inspired by true events, follows a 22-year-old Mexican woman as she signs up to replace a murdered police chief. The nightmare subject matter of border violence and a drug war with no end in sight makes the play, the first of a planned three-part cycle, an intense experience and a particularly relevant one for Texas audiences.

Rent | Sept. 20-Oct. 2 | Winspear Opera House

This touring production of the enduringly popular musical marks the 20th anniversary of the show’s debut on Broadway. The musical’s so ingrained in the popular consciousness, it feels familiar even to first-timers, but it’s just as enchanting whether you’ve seen it once or a dozen times.

[d-embed][/d-embed]

The Tempest | Sept. 21-Oct. 1 | Samuell-Grand Amphitheatre

After its run at the Samuell-Grand Amphitheatre, Shakespeare Dallas’ fall production of the Bard’s shipwrecked classic will continue at Addison Circle Park, from Oct. 6-16. Now, the weather is actually ideal for outdoor theater.

Bella: An American Tall Tale | Sept. 22-Oct. 22 | Wyly Theatre

The Dallas Theater Center is producing this world premiere, a musical comedy and a Western that subverts the genre’s historical focus on white male protagonists: our hero is instead a young black woman on a westward adventure on the 19th century frontier. Bella is written by Kirsten Child, who local audiences may remember as the scribe of DTC’s 2013 Peter Pan musical Fly, and directed by Robert O’Hara, a name that should be familiar to anyone who saw Stage West’s production of the risque Bootycandy, which runs through Sept. 11

Crystal City 1969 | Sept. 24-Oct. 16 | Latino Cultural Center

This politically charged play, co-written and directed by Cara Mia Theatre Co. artistic director David Lozano, made a splash with its premiere about six years ago. It remains as timely as ever, particularly during a presidential election that’s seen an unprecedented level of divisive language over immigration. Based on a true story, Crystal City 1969 follows a group of Latino students who stage a walkout from their high school to protest policies suppressing the expression of Mexican culture.

Ann | Oct. 6-Nov. 6 | Stage West

The definitive Ann Richards play is a one-woman show about the feisty Texas governor, a deeply-researched and sympathetic portrait of the late politician.

[d-embed][/d-embed]

Ring of Fire: The Music of Johnny Cash | Oct. 7-30 | WaterTower Theatre

The musical — with songs by guess-who — details the plenty-dramatic life of the man in black.

Wild, Wicked, Wyrd | October | Bryant Hall at Kalita Humphreys Theater campus

The Drama Club made a triumphant return from a long hiatus with its much raved-about adaptation of the Faust myth last year. The troupe is back with more inspired spins on legends with “a collection of fairytales, myth and folklore adapted for the stage.” The show will run in rep with The Incident, a one-man-show with Terry Vandivort.