Dallas Theater Center Announces WAITRESS And More For 2024-2025 Season

Dallas Theater Center has announced titles for the 2024-2025 season, including Dracula: A Comedy of Terrors, a fang-tastic comedy full of clever wordplay and quick-change antics; Shane, the Wild West story of heroism and family; Primary Trust, a story of friendship, healing and small chances; Waitress, serving satisfaction, one slice at a time; and Joseph and The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, a reimagined biblical story for audiences of all ages. A Christmas Carol will return and dazzle as a holiday add-on.

“Our 2024-2025 season will surprise and delight North Texas audiences all season long,” said Executive Director Kevin Moriarty. “Filled with musicals, comedies and heart-warming dramas, this is a season with something for everyone. In our increasingly isolated world, theater provides a rare opportunity for people of all backgrounds and experiences to come together in person to experience the variety and depth of the human experience, often surprising us with how much we have in common as fellow travelers through the journey of life. I'm eager to welcome everyone in Dallas to join us throughout the season to be surprised and moved by the many shared emotions that live theater can inspire.”

The full season will be presented as follows: in the Kalita Humphreys Theater, Dracula: A Comedy of Terrors (Oct. 11 - Nov. 3, 2024); in the Kalita Humphreys Theater, Shane (Jan. 31 - Feb. 23, 2025); in Bryant Hall at the Kalita Humphreys Theater, Primary Trust (Feb. 27 - March 16, 2025); in the Potter Rose Performance Hall at the Wyly Theatre, Waitress (March 29 - April 27); and in the Potter Rose Performance Hall at the Wyly Theatre, Joseph And The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (June 13 - July 20, 2025). A Christmas Carol (Nov. 29 - Dec. 28) in the Potter Rose Performance Hall is not included in season tickets, but will be available as a holiday add-on. All dates, titles and venues are subject to change. 

Also beginning in the 2024-2025 season, Dallas Theater Center is thrilled to announce and welcome Esteban Vilchez as the newest Diane and Hal Brierley Resident Acting Company member. Returning this upcoming season in prominent roles, both onstage and off, are fellow Brierley Resident Acting Company members Tiana Kaye Blair, Blake Hackler, Bob Hess, Christina Austin Lopez, Liz Mikel, Alex Organ, Molly Searcy, Tiffany Solano, Sally Nystuen Vahle and Zachary J. Willis. 

“With our new season, DTC will be expanding our Diane and Hal Brierley Resident Acting Company,” explained Moriarty. “We are thrilled that Esteban Vilchez is joining our company. Audiences have seen Esteban in previous productions at DTC, including A Christmas Carol, Native Gardens and Into the Woods, and in leading roles at many theaters throughout North Texas. His acting and singing skills, as well as his creativity and collaboration, will enrich DTC's artistry for years to come.”

“Hal and I are delighted to see Esteban join the Brierley Resident Acting Company, having enjoyed his previous work onstage at DTC, “said Diane Brierley. “Since the launch of The Acting Company, we have been proud to support DTC's commitment to resident artists, which has raised the artistry of the theater and contributed to DTC's local impact and national acclaim.”

In 2009, with the generous support of Diane and Hal Brierley, Moriarty reinstated Dallas Theater Center's resident acting company. His intent was to develop and nurture professional actors within the North Texas community and enable them to make Dallas their artistic home. At the same time, he sought to enhance Dallas Theater Center's artistic profile and create ongoing collaborative relationships. The Diane and Hal Brierley Resident Acting Company has since become a signature component of Dallas Theater Center's presence in the Dallas Arts District.

Written by Gordon Greenberg and Steve Rosen, Dracula: A Comedy of Terrors is a fang-tastic comedy filled with anything-goes pop culture references. When you take Bram Stoker's legendary story and put it in a blender with Mel Brooks, Monty Python and The 39 Steps you'll get a contemporary, fast-paced and irreverent production that will have audiences of all ages (and blood types) screaming with laughter. When her sister Mina falls ill with a mysterious disease of the blood, Lucy Westfeldt and her fiancé, Jonathan Harker, enlist the help of famed vampire hunter Doctor Jean Van Helsing. Their hunt for the elusive and seductive Count Dracula abounds with clever wordplay and quick-change antics. Featuring Brierley Resident Acting Company members Blake Hackler as director, Tiffany Solano as assistant director and Sally Nystuen Vahle, Bob Hess, Molly Searcy and Esteban Vilchez in the cast.

One of the greatest Westerns of all time finds new life on the stage in Shane, based on the classic novel by Jack Schaefer. Acclaimed playwright Karen Zacarías brings an exciting, fresh perspective to an extraordinary American genre that follows Shane, a mysterious ex-gunfighter and a man with a dangerous past. Yet, the Starrett family finds kinship with him and Shane helps protect their Wyoming farm. Their story sheds new light on the allure, mythos and values of the Wild West — a chapter in history that still has many tales to tell. Featuring Brierley Resident Acting Company members Bob Hess, Sally Nysteun Vahle, Liz Mikel, Christina Austin Lopez, Zachary J. Willis and Esteban Vilchez in the cast. 

The Dallas premiere of Primary Trust, in association with Stage West, is a touching story of new beginnings, old friends and finding the courage to see the world for the first time. The award-winning drama has been hailed by New York theater critics as one of the best plays of the year and follows the story of Kenneth, who lives in a small town in upstate New York. For 15 years his life has been the same: by day, he works at a bookstore, in the evening, he drinks mai tais with his friend Bert. When the bookstore shuts down, Kenneth is forced out of his comfort zone to face a world he has long avoided — with transformative and heart-warming results. Featuring Brierley Resident Acting Company member Tiana Kaye Blair in the cast. 

Serving satisfaction, one slice at a time is Waitress, produced in collaboration with Lyric Theatre in Oklahoma City, and featuring music and lyrics by Grammy Award winner Sara Bareilles. In the beloved musical, Jenna, a waitress and expert pie maker, is stuck in a small town and a loveless marriage. Faced with an unexpected pregnancy, Jenna fears she may have to abandon the dream of opening her own pie shop…until a baking contest in a nearby county and the town's handsome new doctor offer her a tempting recipe for happiness. Waitress is an uplifting and inspiring musical celebrating friendship, motherhood  and the magic of a well-made pie. Featuring Brierley Resident Acting Company members Tiffany Solano, Liz Mikel, Bob Hess, Christina Austin Lopez, Zachary J. Willis and Esteban Vilchez in the cast. 

In Joseph and The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, audiences will delight in a reimagined Biblical story for all ages. The classic Broadway musical by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice, based on the Bible's Book of Genesis, tells the journey of Joseph, son of Jacob, his twelve brothers and his coat of many colors. Filled with catchy songs and dances, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat is one of the most enduring shows of all time. Featuring Brierley Resident Acting Company members Tiffany Solano, Liz Mikel, Blake Hackler, Christina Austin Lopez, Bob Hess, Zachary J. Willis and Esteban Vilchez in the cast. 

As a holiday add-on, A Christmas Carol returns to the Wyly Theatre in a delightfully reimagined take of Charles Dickens' enduring classic. Written by Dickens and adapted by Moriarty, three spirits have come to visit the miserly Ebenezer Scrooge and take him on a fantastic journey through Christmases past, present and future that annually delights audiences across North Texas. Brimming with joyful songs, magical spirits and holiday cheer, Dallas Theater Center's A Christmas Carol is a family favorite that embodies the spirit of Christmas. Featuring Brierley Resident Acting Company members Alex Organ as director, Christina Austin Lopez as associate choreographer and Bob Hess, Sally Nystuen Vahle, Liz Mikel, Christina Austin Lopez, Zachary J. Willis and Esteban Vilchez in the cast. 

Tickets

Dallas Theater Center's season tickets include Dracula: A Comedy of Terrors, Shane, Primary Trust, Waitress and Joseph and The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. Prices start at $200 with subscription benefits including priority seating, priority access to single tickets with a 20% discount, free exchanges and discounted parking. To reserve the best seats at the best prices, subscriptions can be purchased online at DallasTheaterCenter.org or by calling the Dallas Theater Center Box Office at 214-522-8499.

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