A transvestite, an Oscar nominee, a football team, a mother who kills her kids and some Jane Austen. Dallas Theater Center's 2014-'15 season has all of those, plus Scrooge and a play about a book club called, what else, The Book Club Play. No big family-oriented show, however, unless that's how you think of Medea.
Here's the lineup for the nine-production season, as announced today by DTC Artistic Director Kevin Moriarty:
The Rocky Horror Show, September 11-October 29 at the Wyly Theatre. The 40-year-old musical comedy by Richard O'Brien opens the DTC season, directed and choreographed by company member Joel Ferrell. Like Ferrell's production of Cabaret a few seasons back, this one will rearrange the Wyly's audience section to bring actors closer to patrons, so count on lots of interaction with the cast of sweet alien Transvylvanians.
Driving Miss Daisy, October 16-November 16 at Kalita Humphreys Theater. Actress June Squibb was a Best Supporting Actress Oscar nominee this year for Nebraska and she'll play the title role in Alfred Uhry's two-hander for DTC, directed by Joel Ferrell. Company member Hassan El-Amin will play her driver, Hoke. Squibb was last on the Wyly stage in DTC's production of Horton Foote's Dividing the Estate.
A Christmas Carol, November 25-December 27 at the Wyly. Kevin Moriarty's politically-charged adaptation of the Dickens classic will be back for a second go-round, this time directed by Lee Trull, choreographed by Jeremy Dumont. Company member Chamblee Ferguson returns as Ebenezer Scrooge.
The Book Club Play, January 1-February 1 at Kalita. Arena Stage playwright-in-residence Karen Zacarias' four-character comedy about books and readers sounds like God of Carnage with more literary jokes or maybe The Breakfast Club with grown-ups. Manners are frayed when a newcomer invades a snooty book club. Directed by Meredith McDonough.
Stagger Lee, January 21-February 15 at the Wyly. World premiere of a new musical with book and lyrics by SMU/DTC playwright-in-residence Will Power, with music by Power and Justin Ellington. Source material is the century-old folk song about a flashy pimp. The musical, says the press materials, "spans the 20th century, tracing mythical characters in their quest to achieve the American Dream." Music has been inspired by Janis Joplin, R&B and hip-hop. Directed by Patricia McGregor.
The School for Wives and Medea (in rotating rep), February 20-March 29 at Kalita on the main stage and "Down Center Stage" downstairs. A Molière comedy upstairs, a tragedy by Euripides downstairs (in a small space that hasn't been used in 30 years). Both plays will use the same group of actors. Each, says director Moriarty, deals with the struggle for power by women in a male-dominated society. In both, the women win, but at very different costs. Each play will run a brisk 90 minutes. Company member Sally Nystuen Vahle will star as Medea.
Colossal, April 2-May 3 at the Wyly. The balconies will disappear, the Wyly floor leveled and covered in Astroturf for this epic-sized new play-with-dancing by Andrew Hinderaker about players on the UT-Austin Longhorn football team. When one suffers a catastrophic spinal injury, he has to learn how to deal with life off the gridiron. Twist: His father's a professional dancer. Moriarty will direct, with choreography by modern dance master Bruce Wood. Watch for full-contact smash-ups among the 13 actors playing Longhorns. There'll also be a drumline. This play was the winner of the Kennedy Center's Jean Kennedy Smith Playwriting Award.
Sense and Sensibility, April 23-May 24 at Kalita. The 1811 Jane Austen classic about a family of daughters trying to marry well and happily in late 18th century England. Directed by Sarah Rasmussen.
Season subscriptions at Dallas Theater Center are on sale now at DallasTheaterCenter.org or by calling 214-880-0202.