Public Works Dallas' Film A LITTLE LESS LONELY Will Be Available Next Week

Dallas Theater Center's (DTC) city-wide community engagement program, Public Works Dallas, will release a collaborative film project titled A Little Less Lonely on August 10. It will be available on the DTC website and will be free to view.

A Little Less Lonely is a filmed version of an original theatrical production, directed by Tatyana-Marie Carolo. It was created and performed by sixty community members of all ages who came together online from neighborhoods throughout Dallas during the spring and summer. The participants explored acting, dancing and playwriting with professional artists from Dallas Theater Center, including Jonathan Norton, DTC's playwright-in-residence, ultimately resulting in an original production featuring elements of fantasy, music and joy.

The film takes the place of Dallas Theater Center''s annual Public Works Dallas summer pageant production, which brings 200+ community members together to perform a large-scale musical theater production at the Dee and Charles Wyly Theatre. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Dallas Theater Center, SMU Meadows School of the Arts and Ignite/Arts Dallas, and the Drama League, joined with their community partners, Bachman Lake Together, City of Dallas Park & Recreation Department and Jubilee Park & Community Center, to instead create a filmed production.

"Dallas Theater Center's Department of Public Works brings to life DTC's belief that theater is the birthright of everyone in a democracy," said Kevin Moriarty, Enloe/Rose Artistic Director. "Each summer, participants who range in age from grade school students to senior citizens come together to engage in a production that demonstrates the power of collaboration, the joy of acting, singing and dancing, and the strength of our community when we come together for shared experiences. Though the pandemic prevented us from producing our annual indoor musical this summer, our community created an original filmed piece instead. As such, A Little Less Lonely is both a celebration of the artistry that lives within everyone and a sign of our community's resilience in the face of adversity."

A Little Less Lonely starts in a virtual Zoom world, which so many have become familiar with during the pandemic. It then magically transitions into a fantastical dream world that embodies the community's hopes for the post-pandemic future. The production combines scenes filmed on Zoom from each participants' homes with fantasy scenes that were filmed outdoors on location at Bachman Lake Together, Janie C. Turner Recreation Center, and Jubilee Park & Community Center. The story focuses on the experiences of three distinct age groups - Little One, Middle Ones, and Prime - with each shooting location providing the perspective of a different age group.

Tatyana-Marie Carlo, recipient of the Drama League's national Public Works Fellowship, began directing the production from her home in Rhode Island, and then came to Dallas for filming and technical rehearsals with the cast. The community actors rehearsed virtually for most of the summer, then came together at the end of July for outdoor filming sessions at the community partner sites. Masks and social distancing were designed to fit within the fantasy world of the story. The production is bilingual, with Spanish and English spoken throughout the show.

"I am so proud of what the creative and production teams and our performers accomplished," said Maria Calderon, Public Works Dallas Coordinator. "This project celebrates that we really are better together, and even if we speak different languages, we are able to do great things."

The production, which features a few special cameos for fans of DTC, not only brought members of the community together, it has also made families and friendships stronger. Several family members, including cast members Dionne Davis and her mother, worked together on the production. Davis kept a blog throughout the production so people could see the production from her perspective.

"Community is a feeling too. Eight weeks on Zoom preceded tech rehearsal and filming in the park on campus at Janie. C. Turner Recreation Center. Performers, volunteers, and production crews moved in concert with young men playing basketball, cheerleading campers, families walking their dogs and children enjoying bursts of water on two hot summer days. It was exhausting, but the absolute best feeling," said Dionne Davis, A Little Less Lonely.

A Little Less Lonely will be available to watch for free on YouTube and Vimeo through Dallas Theater Center''s website on August 10. To learn more about DTC's year-round Public Works Dallas programming or A LIttle Less Lonely visit https://www.dallastheatercenter.org/show/public-works-dallas-a-little-less-lonely/.

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