Oh, that Kevin Moriarty. The new director of the Dallas Theater Center kicks off his inaugural season with the rock opera Tommy, gets rave reviews and then decides he wants to spark meaningful dialogue with plays that speak directly to us through compelling stories. With DTC's latest offering, The Good Negro, Moriarty might just get what he's hoping for. Tracey Scott Wilson's play, set in 1960s Birmingham, Alabama, revolves around a trio of civil rights leaders and depicts their struggles for the bigger cause in parallel with the strain on their personal lives. But Wilson says it's not just about her characters' stories, "Something always seemed to be missing from the history books we read; it seemed there were noble Negroes and bad white people, there was a march, and somehow we got our rights. I wanted to show the full humanity and the complexity of the movement leadership and of those around them as well." So yeah, I think Moriarty will get his wish. The Good Negro runs through November 9 at the Kalita Humphreys Theater, 3636 Turtle Creek Boulevard. For tickets, call 214-522-8499 or visit dallastheatercenter.org.
Fridays, Saturdays, 8 p.m.; Sun., Oct. 19, 2 & 7:30 p.m.; Tuesdays-Thursdays, 7:30 p.m.; Sat., Oct. 25, 2 p.m.; Sun., Oct. 26, 2 & 7:30 p.m.; Sat., Nov. 1, 2 p.m.; Sun., Nov. 2, 2 p.m.; Sat., Nov. 8, 2 p.m.; Sun., Nov. 9, 2 p.m. Starts: Oct. 17. Continues through Nov. 9, 2008