As we all know, happiness isn’t happiness without a violin-playing goat.
Friday
But is that particular picture on view as part of the Dallas Museum of Art’s Chagall: Beyond Color exhibit? Perhaps. Devoted Notting Hill fan that I am, I’d be pretty excited for this exhibit (not included in your free general admission, unfortunately) to officially open on Sunday. But I think just about everything he’s done is beautiful, so my excitement was pretty much a done deal since I realized the La Piscine-organized exhibit was stopping here. The only other location is, well, France. Anyway, I don’t want to tell you how to feel, and Chagall makes me feel all swirly and thoughtful. But I do say that you should check this out, because not only are we looking at paintings, sculpture, and ceramics, but also a rare display of costumes he designed for the 1942 production of the ballet Aleko.
Tonight happens to be the museum’s first Late Night since going to free admission, and it is pitched as a Chagall celebration even if you can’t traipse through the exhibit yet. So, no more long lines to buy tickets to get in, but perhaps bigger crowds, at an event that was always really packed anyway. I’m not entirely sure, but we’ll all find out together. If things get too nuts at the DMA, you can always pop over to the Crow Collection, where they’re hosting their Crow Collection After Dark activities and celebrating the Year of the Snake.
Saturday
In case you didn’t get quite enough romance yesterday, the Pantageleize Theater Company, a fun little out-of-the-way space in Fort Worth, offers you a late valentine in the form of three Chekhov one-acts: The Marriage Proposal, The Wedding Reception, and The Brute. The first thing that comes to mind when I think about Chekhov is a gun, not necessarily squishy love stuff, but that just goes to show you that everyone’s got surprises inside. Layers, worlds, depending on whether you take your wisdom from Shrek or Neil Gaiman. Besides, our favorite moody Russian dramatist went more for barbed situational comedy and prickly, quick dialogue, anyway.
In the Arts District, it’s closing weekend for King Lear, the Dallas Theater Center’s co-production with Trinity Repertory Company in Rhode Island. DTC artistic director Kevin Moriarty directs, while Trinity Rep’s Brian McEleney plays the role of the mad king who devises a contest among his three daughters for his affection. Obviously, this idea backfires. FrontRow’s Lance Lusk reviews the show here, and I’ll be honest. Lusk did not much care for Moriarty’s interpretation, that of an aging monarch whose mind has slipped long before he pits his daughters against each other. I’ll be honest again. I have some personal, family experience with dementia. I wasn’t so offended. I was, however, sitting near quite a few high school and/or young college students, and the constant tittering was inappropriate. I think it’s worth seeing for yourself.
Sunday
For those of us coming a tad late to The Master party, the Texas Theatre screens the Oscar-nominated film (for the script and supporting actor and actress) this weekend, and Sunday is your last chance to jump on the train. Or boat, if you will. Our Peter Simek, critic extraordinaire, called it “relentless fascinating” but also “enigmatic and opaque.” So maybe you’ll have to do some thinking. Not so awful.
Finally, don’t forget that it’s the official opening of the Beyond Color Chagall exhibit at the DMA. Full circle.
For more to do this weekend, go here.
