The Best Things To Do In Dallas, March 9-15

Wednesday, March 9

Spring Break at the Perot Museum of Nature and Science
Learning can actually be fun. Yes, even during spring break. And yes, we realize how old we sound right now. But seriously, hear us out. We remember spring break could be a huge bore because we didn’t have anything to do. And then PBS would save us. For the next couple of weeks, the Perot Museum of Nature and Science (2201 N. Field St.) will be open weekdays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. with STEM adventures to dazzle bored brains. Wednesday, March 9, is a can’t-miss with Space Adventures on Level 4. Reserve tickets now and check out the rest of the STEM-y schedule online.

Dallas Opera presents Flight at the Winspear
Last week, we highlighted a musical set in an airport; this week, we’ve got an opera as the Dallas Opera presents Flight. It’s based on a true story of passengers bonding as they wait out a storm and discovering a refugee who has been stuck in the airport for entirely too long. The story inspired the Steven Spielberg/Tom Hanks film The Terminal, but now you can see it live and in song at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, March 9, at Winspear Opera House (2403 Flora St.). Tickets start at $15, available online.

Thursday, March 10

Crayola Experience at Reunion Tower
All the colors in the pack are at your disposal at the Crayola Experience from 2 to 4 p.m. Thursday, March 10, at the GeO-Deck of Reunion Tower (300 Reunion Blvd. East). Kids can participate in all sorts of coloring activities, but the coolest one is becoming a character on their own coloring page. Through the photo booth-like magic, artists can smile one minute and then color themselves in the next. This activity is included with the price of general admission. Tickets are available online, so reserve now before they sell out.

Do No Harm at Wyly Theatre
The title of Soul Rep’s latest play is clearly a reference to certain translations of the Hippocratic Oath taken by doctors: Do No Harm. Historically, however, certain communities have been given far too many reasons not to trust the medical community. Take J. Marion Sims, for example: He’s known as the “father of modern gynecology,” but how he got there is via sickening experiments on Black slave women without anesthesia. Do No Harm presents the stories of Anarcha, Betsey and Lucy, victims of Sims' horrendous experiments. These are stories of pain to be sure, but also, Soul Rep assures, sisterhood and survival. The play opens 8 p.m. Thursday, March 10, at the Wyly Theatre (2400 Flora St.) and has additional performances through March 19. Tickets are available online.

DMA Arts & Letters Live: Viet Thanh Nguyen at Dallas Museum of Art
Avid readers likely still think about Viet Thanh Nguyen’s Pulitzer Prize-winning 2015 novel The Sympathizer. The historical novel/thriller that followed a double agent was bold, weird, upsetting and, at times, oddly funny. The Sympathizer character continues his story in Nguyen’s latest, The Committed. He’s in Paris, dealing drugs, fascinated by customers who make him think and tied to more than his product. Nguyen comes to the Dallas Museum of Art (1717 N. Harwood St.) 7:30 p.m. Thursday, March 10, for a conversation with Tammy Nguyen Lee, Dallas Renaissance woman and founder of Against the Grain Productions supporting Asian artists, culture and community. Non-member tickets are $35 (in person) and $12 (virtual), available online.

Friday, March 11

Something Rotten! at Granville Arts Center
It would totally suck to be in theater and have to compete with William Shakespeare for popularity. That’s essentially the issue for Nick and Nigel Bottom in Something Rotten! Garland Civic Theatre opens its production 7:30 p.m. Friday, March 11, at Granville Arts Center (300 N. 5th St., Garland). The show runs through March 27. General admission tickets are $20, available online.

An Evening with Renée Elise Goldsberry at the Meyerson
Attention, Hamilton fans! Your lady Angelica Schuyler is giving you three shots to enjoy her vocal prowess. Well, technically Renée Elise Goldsberry is coming, but we know how you Hamilton folks get excited. She’s taking the stage 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 2:30 p.m. Sunday as part of the DSO’s Pop Series. She’ll perform hits from Hamilton, Rent and The Lion King, as well as some pop and soul classics. Tickets start at $38, available online.

Margaret Cho at the Addison Improv
It’s hard to remember a time without Margaret Cho. She might not always be standing up on a stage making our sides hurt, but she’s popped up on big and little screens, danced a little bit and used her voice to help those who weren’t being heard. She’s quite the badass. We first met Cho through her jokes, though, so we’re pleased to say she’s gracing the Addison Improv (4980 Belt Line Road, Addison) for four shows this week. Pick your time slot, but book online fast: 7:30 or 9:45 p.m. Friday, March 11, or 7 or 9:30 p.m. Saturday, March 12.

Saturday, March 12

Artist reception with Sedrick Huckaby at Talley Dunn Gallery
Once you see even one bit of Sedrick Huckaby’s art, you won’t soon forget it. The painter combines commentary, beauty, passion, identity, legacy and varied techniques to create pieces that haunt viewers. The distinguished and award-winning Fort Worth native has recently been working with spouse and fellow artist Letitia Huckaby to turn his grandmother’s former home into art, but functioning art: a gallery, performing arts space and community center called Kinfolk House. You can see his work there, but he celebrates his inaugural exhibition, Goin’ Up Yonder, at Talley Dunn Gallery (5020 Tracy St.) on show through April 23. The gallery hosts an open house noon to 5 p.m. Saturday, March 12, with a reception for the artist to follow from 5 to 7 p.m. Visit the Huckabys and Talley Dunn online.

Dallas Mavs St. Patrick’s Day Parade
It’s back! Thank your Dallas Mavericks for bringing back the sorta-family-friendly-but-not-really St. Patrick’s Day Parade and Festival. The iconically strange combo of Mardi Gras floats meet the luck of the Irish starts at 11 a.m. at Blackwell Street and ends at SMU Boulevard. by 2 p.m. It’s free to attend, but be kind to open businesses on the route and buy a drink or two to stay hydrated. The official concert at Energy Square (4925 Greenville Ave.) starts at 10 a.m. and features the Toadies, 40 Acre Mule and Jake Quillin, plus a slew of food trucks and bars. Tickets are $24-$60, available online.

Sunday, March 13

Spirit Lodge: Mississippian Art from Spiro opens at Dallas Museum of Art
More than 1,000 years ago, the Mississippian peoples were known for the large mounds they constructed from the earth. The Spiro mounds comprised one of the most important centers of these peoples, and it was located in what is now Oklahoma. Sunday, March 13, The Dallas Museum of Art opens Spirit Lodge: Mississippian Art from Spiro, which runs through Aug. 7 and features almost 200 works including carvings, sculptures, dishes, beads and more by the Mississippian peoples as well as their descendants. See this exhibition, created from collections across the U.S., for free in the DMA’s Hoffman Galleries. Book your visit online.
Whither Goest Thou America: A Festival of New American Play Readings at The Undermain Theatre
Ever the writer’s support, the Undermain Theatre (3200 Main St.) hosts its fourth series of new play readings. Whither Goest Thou America: Festival of New American Play Readings features Spaced Out by Erin Malone Turner 7:30 p.m. Saturday, March 12, and 2 p.m. Sunday, March 13. Each week during the festival, a different playwright offers a new work meant to “examine the American experience.” This week’s sci-fi drama explores families, miscommunication and grief via escapism. The Sunday showing offers American Sign Language interpretation. On-demand streaming will be available the following week. Tickets are $15, available online.

Monday, March 14

Angela Davis: In Conversation (virtual event)
For more than 50 years, Angela Davis has been an icon of activism. Feminism, Black liberation, human rights, prison abolition, anti-capitalism, LGTBQI+ issues: She’s been an icon of resistance, action and optimism. The Toronto Public Library hosts Angela Davis: In Conversation with Black Lives Matter Canada co-founder Sandy Hudson 6 p.m. Monday, March 14. Register online to attend the live, virtual event for free.