Give It Up For Liz Mikel

Liz Mikel, a member of the Dallas Theater Center's resident ensemble and, from 2006 through '08, a co-star on Friday Night Lights, was among those who lost everything yesterday when the Holly Hills apartment complex near Greenville Avenue and Walnut Hill Lane caught fire. As she told KXAS-Channel 5, "Memories from Friday Night Lights, signatures, scripts that I had saved -- all of that, gone," she said. "But I am grateful to be here. I could be gone." She escaped with her daughter and 1-year-old grandson.

Mikel's one week away from the opening of the DTC's Give It Up!, described as on the Web site as a "sexy pop musical." Jacob Cigainero, the DTC's public relations director, sends word that all of the money from January 15's opening night at the Dee & Charles Wyly Theatre will go to Mikel; hence, the announcement today of a so-called Pay What You Can world-premiere, which "invites patrons to purchase tickets for any seat for any amount they are comfortable paying, with this particular production's Pay What You Can performance benefiting a local artist and DTC family member in her time of need."

Says artistic director Kevin Moriarty in the DTC's release, "DTC's Pay What You Can initiative gives anyone in our community the opportunity to see live theater for a price that's personally affordable to them, making great art available to virtually everyone regardless of their financial situation. In the same spirit of community, one of the ways we want to show our support and take care of one of our city's most vibrant artists and a DTC family member is by giving Liz the entire total of money from the Give It Up! Pay What You Can ticket sales to aid her in re-establishing a home and her life after such a profound loss."