Teatro Dallas, celebrating 27 years 1985-2012, announces its 15th International Festival and Workshop. Shows run February 10th through February 212, 2012 with performances on Friday and Saturday 10 & 11 at 8:15 p.m. and Sunday 12 at 3:00 p.m. Tickets $15- $20 for opening night with a reception and $15 the rest of the run.  Tickets can be purchased at www.teatrodallas.org or call 214-689-6492.

Costa Rica, Friday 10th “First Woman on the Moon”

Elia Arce and her work “First Woman on the Moon” leads us through a series of places both physical and emotional, from the dark, lush jungles of her Costa Rican roots to the barren, lunar landscape of her adopted desert home. ”First Woman on the Moon explores identity and feminism. Audiences: Adolescents and adults.

Colombia and Japan, Saturday 11th, “Trace of Purple Sadness”

Ximena Garnica and Seige Moriya will present “Purple Sadness,” a bicultural collaboration; from Colombian and Japan. The artists have created a multilayered sensorial experiences designed to sharpen the senses both for the artists who have and continue to engage in this creative process, and for the audience who’ll experience butoh dance a unique and seldom seen style of work. The transformation of a given space becomes a key element for this piece; the body-at times dancer, actor or object-and the space -at times body, environment or object are the base of “Purple Sadness”. The artists approach to movement is rooted in Butoh dance.

Texas, Sunday 12th, “La Angry Xicana?!”

Adelina Anthony, an artist from San Antonio, TX living in California, hers piece “La Angry Xicana?!” will address with biting and Tex-Mex humor, the absurdities and prejudices gay people encounter in their every day life.  Adult audiences.

In addition, a workshop for local artists is available free of charge thanks to the auspices of the National Performance Network.

Ms Elia Arce will conduct:

Photo-Video Performance and the Redefining of the Self

A one- week intensive workshop where Ms Arce and the participants will look at the work created during the workshop, and discuss some of the contemporary artists that have used autobiographical and cultural identification, as their basis for creating their own piece, addressing social experiences that will them redefine themselves. We will meet for 2 hours each day from Monday January 30^th to Friday the 3^rd of February. Students will create their own photo or video performance and screen their final works on Friday February 3rd.

Photo by Melyssah Jade

The title My Tidy List of Terrors may mislead some to expect a play full of whimsical worry à la Shel Silverstein. Nothing could be further from the show on stage at the South Dallas Cultural Center.

Local playwright Jonathan Norton settles the pain and paranoia caused by the Atlanta Child Murders on the characters and audience alike. Inside his pressure-cooking fish bowl, a simple coming of age tale takes on epic proportions.

Director Cora Cardona mixes in ritual dance, mask and projections seamlessly. The result of this recipient of the 2010 Diaspora Performing Arts Commission is a story that commands reflection and respect.

From the summer of 1979 to the spring of 1981, some 30 people from Atlanta were abducted and killed. Most were children and adolescents and all were African-American.

In the middle of this terror, Vara (Nadine Marissa) is trying to raise her son, Ishmael (Joshua Darius Jackson). Fortunately, the affluent family that she has cooked for has agreed to let her move in temporarily. This sets the stage for intra-racial tensions caused by socio-economic divisions and differing styles of parenting.

Charles (Douglas Carter) and Gabby (JuNene K) have a son, too. Stevie (Timothy Owens II) is 9, where Vara’s son is 14. Put them under the same roof and the clashes begin.

To complicate matters more everyone comes to the table with their own baggage. Charles is a pastor who has lost his flock. Gabby mourns the loss of her role as the preacher’s wife. Ishmael is tormented by being 14 and not baptized yet. But the biggest burden belongs to Vara. She blames herself for the disappearance of her cousin Reva’s (Renee Miche’al) child to the snatcher.

Photo by Melyssah Jade

Norton writes the play like a game of solitaire leisurely combining the characters, confident in the Atlanta Child Murders’ backdrop to tie it all together. The result is a pretzel of plotlines peppered with some powerful scenes.

Nadine Marissa plays Vara as the archetypal single mother trying to do what is right.  Her authentic nobility stands in contrast to the assumed superiority of affluent employer, Gabby.  Junene K creates a Gabby bent on belittling Vara. Their relationship evolves as they work out the difference in their stations.

Likewise former Pastor Charles and Ishmael work on his evolution to manhood and pursuit of salvation. Douglas Carter and Joshua Darius Jackson establish a relationship with such a strong father/son dynamic their discussion of baptism is not only believable but also real and immediate.

The best work of the show is when Ishmael finally gets Vara to talk to Cousin Reva. Renee Miche’al and Nadine Marissa, in their climactic reconciliation, show how the paralysis of grief and guilt can begin to ebb.

The play ends with resolve but not resolution. It seems to say that making it through is about making do. The murders aren’t solved but the relationships are sound again. And that’s what’s important. After all, burdens bared are burdens shared. 

Dallas Native and Sundance Film Festival participant Terence Nance

On January 21st a local filmmaker will present his art on one of the world’s biggest stages.  Terence Nance will screen An Oversimplification of Her Beauty at the Egyptian Theatre in Park City, Utah as many proud supporters cheer him on from Dallas.

Nance was born in the historic Thomas and Hall African American community, raised in North Dallas and attended JJ Pearce High School in the Richardson ISD.

As a member of  St. Luke “Community” United Methodist Church in East Dallas, he sang in the choir, danced and participated in the African Rites of Passage Program for boys. While in high school he worked for the Gap in NorthPark, California Pizza Kitchen and Southern Fried Marketing.

Terence has played music in Deep Ellum; performed in theatre in South Dallas and received cultural enrichment in the arts at the Black Academy of Arts and Letters, the African American Museum in Fair Park, the South Dallas Cultural Center, Visions in Black Art Gallery, Booker T. Washington HSPVA, and  the Dallas Museum of Arts.

With arresting insight, vulnerability, and a delightful sense of humor, Dallas filmmaker Terence Nance’s explosively creative debut feature, An Oversimplification of Her Beauty, documents the relationship between Terence and a lovely young woman (Namik Minter) as it teeters on the divide between platonic and romantic.

Utilizing a tapestry of live action and various styles of animation, Terence explores the fantasies,emotions, and memories that race through his mind during a singular moment in time.

Terence received his undergraduate degree from Northeastern University in Boston, Mass., made his first film while studying at Cape Town University in South Africa and received his M,FA. from the New York University in 2007.

In Dallas his films have been shown at Black Cinematheque Dallas as part of the annual Short and Sweet Film Festival.

“We are very proud of Terence. Our organization has been a steadfast supporter of young independent filmmakers by screening/promoting their work and helping to raise funds,” states Marilyn Clark, Founder/Curator for Black Cinematheque Dallas.

“An early supporter of his career, in 2005 we screened his student film Emotions; 2007 African Booty Scratcher”, 2009 No Ward, and in 2010 How Would You Feel” and in 2011“Blitz the Ambassador.  Our Board of Directors will most definitely host a Dallas screening of An Oversimplification of Her Beauty in Dallas after Terence and crew return from their second scheduled screening in Amsterdam,” explains Ms. Clark

A delegation of family and friends will travel to Park City, Utah for the screening of An Oversimplification of Her Beauty.

For over 10 years, The South Dallas Cultural Center has been working with young Black playwrights and performance artists in Dallas to support the creation of original works that speak substantively and profoundly to the Black experience.

One such writer will see his work fully staged in January following an 18 month theater workshop for the production “My Tidy List of Terrors”

Jonathan Norton is a promising and inspiring light on the theatrical horizon, someone well worth watching in the coming years. My Tidy List of Terrors has already gotten critical notice this year, having gained Semi-Finalist status for acceptance in the Eugene O’Neill Playwriting Conference in Connecticut and an invitation to receive a professional reading and further critique as a part of the Texas Black and Latino

Playwrights Conference at Texas State University. The story is a coming of age drama set within the backdrop of The Atlanta Child Murders.  My Tidy List of Terrors originated from an idea Jonathan had to write a play inspired by the art of the renowned Saar women, Betye, Alison and Lezley.

Their exploration of memory, ancestors and family history served as the foundation upon which Jonathan began to build his tale of a horrific event in the history of America that is still today, an unsolved mystery.

What is so impressive about this new work is how carefully crafted the dialogue is and the meticulous development of the characters. Jonathan has the artistic courage to step outside of his comfort zone to embrace the seriousness of this tragedy and to flesh out the characters he puts on the stage so as not to create easy stereotypes of the “ghetto dweller” or the “bougie socialite”! Instead he delves into issues of humanity and how easily it can be compromised when fear and ignorance drive one’s actions.

My Tidy List of Terrors premieres Thursday, January 18 and runs through January 21^st. It concludes Thursday, January 25^th until January 28th . Tickets will be $15 and $10 for students and Seniors.

Other events at the SDCC include the theatrical production of Seven Spools of Thread, on December 31^st. This Soul Children’s Theater play will be presented in honor of Kwanzaa. There will be a reception and vendor expo following the performance. Showtime is at 7pm and it’s absolutely free.

Also, in the gallery, art lovers are invited to check out 2 photographic collections:  “Gatherings” by Dallas artist Charley Mitcherson and “Blueberry Sky”, by Chicago native Sakin Hill. Both exhibits are free and open to the public until January 21^st.

Come one come all to the South Dallas Cultural Center.  The SDCC is a program of the City of Dallas Office of Cultural Affairs and located at 3400 S. Fitzhugh Avenue Dallas TX 75210. For more info or to schedule a tour Tues-Fri 1pm-9pm, Sat 9pm-5pm, call 214-939-2787, log onto www.dallasculture.org/SDCulturalCenter or like us on Facebook.

Tis The Season to be Cultural!

The South Dallas Cultural center wraps up its 25th year of serving the arts community with a big red bow. It’s been a year to remember with many old friends revisiting and many new faces experiencing the Center for the very first time. There is something for everyone at the SDCC and you are invited to partake. Tis the season to be cultural and embrace the holiday spirit with literature, art and theater.

On Saturday, December 17th Author Sonya J. Bowser will introduce her latest book ”The Adventures of Zolie” and its little heroine, Zolie. The theme is “ anti-bullying” and young readers will have an opportunity meet Zolie while they learn the do’s and dont’s involved in a confrontation.There will be lots of fun activities, special games and prizes. Ms. Bowser will have her book and ”Miss Chit Chat” Zi on hand for a book signing. The entire event starts at 10am and is absolutely free. Youth organizations are encouraged to attend.

Also on Saturday, December 17th art lovers are invited to the Gallery opening for “Gatherings” a collection of photographic works by Dallas artist Charley Mitcherson. This exhibition includes images that capture a diversity of unique social gatherings. An artist talk about the inspiration for this wonderful body of work will begin at 5pm. The emerging artist gallery will house the exhibit entitled “Blueberry Sky”. The photographs document the richness of African American everyday life by Chicago native Sakin Hill. Both exhibits are free and open to the public until January 21st.

On New Year’s Eve The South Dallas Cultural Center will present the perfect celebration for the entire family. The theatrical production of ”Seven Spools of Thread” will be performed by the Soul Children’s Theater in honor of Kwanzaa!  This play was adapted from a folktale by Angela Shelf Medearis and will introduce children to the 7 principles of Kwanzaa. There will be a reception and vendor expo after the performance.  Showtime is at 7:00pm and thanks to the contributions of CHASE Bank in partnership with Big Thought/Thriving Minds the admission is absolutely free.

So now that we have filled your social calendars, grab your family, friends, and coworkers and enjoy the best cultural experience in the city. ”It’s been a great year and the South Dallas Cultural Center would like to thank all its patrons and supporters for making our 25th year one to remember! If 2012 is half as exciting as 2011, we welcome it with open arms.” Vicki Meek, Manager of the SDCC .

The South Dallas Cultural Center is a program of the City of Dallas Office of Cultural Affairs and located at 3400 S. Fitzhugh AvenueDallas TX 75210. For more information, to register for weekend clasdes or to schedule a tour Tues-Fri 1pm-9pm, Sat 9pm – 5pm, call 214-939-2787, log onto dallasculture.org/SDCulturalCenter/ or like us on facebook.

Unique, original, and one-of-a-kind aren’t words normally associated with art hanging in hotels across the United States. Many guests have grown accustomed to seeing the same pieces repeated throughout rooms and hallways, lobbies and restaurants.

And for developer Jack Matthews, the monotony grew to be too much.

So when his company, Matthews Southwest, was brought on to build the Omni Dallas Hotel, a fresh take on art was a primary focus.

“I’ve spent too many days traveling for business in hotels,” he said. “Same picture, same thing, it gets monotonous. You get the feeling that it’s nothing special.”

The hotel, which is built adjacent to the Dallas Convention Center, opened its doors on Nov. 11.

Each of the 1,001 rooms at the Omni have around seven pieces of art, which equates to a whopping 7,000 original works done by more than 150 local artists.

The process of searching for artists from around North Texas and gathering pieces was not an easy task.

Jeremy McKane, of McKane Consulting, took on the responsibility of overseeing a large team to seek out the perfect art for the hotel.

One artist who was chosen to participate in the art initiative at the Omni was Luke Sanchez, a sophomore studio art student at Southern Methodist University.

He worked in collaboration with McKane and his team to create five large paintings for the hotel.

“All the paintings focus on Dallas landmarks, and since SMU is close to my heart, several depict Dallas Hall,” said Sanchez.

The greatest reward, according to McKane, was not filling the Omni with beautiful art, but truly impacting the lives of the artists.

McKane is incorporating a database system so that when a guest finds a piece they love, they can access the name of the artist and contact them directly to purchase a similar piece.

“Now we are talking about something that just keeps giving back to the arts community here in Dallas,” said McKane. “I think the process will continue to affect the community in ways we never imaged.”

So not only are the artists earning a one-time commission from the Omni, they can also broaden their client base and gain the benefits of having exposure in the hotel.

The database will be located in the gift shop in the Omni, aptly called “Collections.”

Among the usual personal necessities and trinkets, the gift shop sells homegrown products unique to Texas, like chocolate crafted into various shapes, books devoted to the history of cowboy boots, products by local soap companies, and handmade purses.

For guests looking for instant art gratification, there are a few pieces of art available for purchase in Collections, like architectural photography by Linda Wilson and abstract paintings by Willis Davis.

Matthews said that a good deal of the art around the Omni was created in a working conversation between the artists and the hotel during a two-year-long-process.

“We looked at what the artists have done in the past, and of course encouraged Dallas themes, buildings, entertainment,” said Matthews. “It was a delicate balance because we wanted to be true to what the artists’ wanted.”

They also made it a priority to feature mostly unknown artists, to give them an opportunity to grow their business.

According to Matthews, only around 25 to 30 percent of the art budget was spent on well-known artists.

Although the Omni Dallas has only been open for a few weeks, guests are already noticing that there is something different.

“We have a photo of Big Tex in our bathroom,” said Shalonda Shoat, who was celebrating a birthday weekend at the hotel. “There is also a beautiful one of the Majestic. They did a great job of blending the old and the new Dallas.”

Shoat was also fond of the dessert salsa made by a Texas-based company called Dread Head Chef that was for sale in the gift shop.

Jennifer Mask, who was visiting from McAllen, Texas, immediately picked up on the art due to her artist mother.

“My mom wanted me to make sure I checked out all the art and reported back to her,” said Mask, who had just checked in with her husband. “I can’t wait to see all the art in my room.”

Matthews hopes that the Omni Dallas won’t be the only hotel to incorporate the surrounding art community.

“We had a lot of people that said it could not be done. But now, I think we’ve raised the bar for other hotels,” said Matthews.

Shelby Foster is a junior at Southern Methodist University, where she is studying journalism, art history, and fashion media. She is currently the style editor for SMU’s newspaper, The Daily Campus.

Feature Photo Image by Jeremy McKane

The South Dallas Cultural Center (SDCC) will be occupied by art lovers near and far during the month of November.  Coming off the heels of wining the 2011 Peacemaking Organization of the Year award the SDCC is in high gear.

This month will prove why an award for their work in empowering and inspiring the African American community to cultivate a more diverse and vibrant world through the arts was granted. The artistic cultivation continues with a host of activities for the entire family to indulge in including a dance festival, a gallery opening, weekend performance arts classes and a jazz concert.

Make plans to visit the center as the SDCC and the Arga Nova Dance Company present the 11th annual South Dallas Dance Festival on November 11th-13th. This year’s theme is Forging Ahead! The festival will consist of performances from all genres, a master class with Lela Bell, a praise dance showcase, a dance film screening, the dancer of the year award and a reception. The showtimes are 8:00 pm on Friday & Saturday and 3:00 pm on Sunday for the praise dance showcase. The general admission price is $10 and $5 for seniors, students, Star System members and the Dance Council of North Texas. For more information call 214-886-2321.

The South Dallas Cultural Center has kicked off a new music series, the South Dallas Jams. This series serves as a fundraiser for the SDCC. The feature group on November 17th at 7pm will be, Stage Band South. This performance will be a tribute to the legendary Count Basie.

Various musicians will play the music that The Count has made popular. Count Basie was a member of Omega Psi Phi and several fraternity brothers will perform with the band in his honor as well as celebrate the 100th Omega Psi Phi Anniversary.

The series finale will be a treat with a tribute to women of Jazz featuring the Jazz Divas of Dallas on Sunday, December 4th at 5pm. This event will allow music lovers a chance to enjoy a great night out for a worthy cause. The proceeds donated from each performance will benefit The Virtual Sound Lab recording studio located inside the SDCC.

In addition to the live music there are 2 new exhibits in the galleries. ”Inspired by Van Gogh & Nature”, new works by PJ Johnson that showcases uniquely crafted fabric creations and ”Conjuring Family”, a sensitively rendered mixed media fiber and handmade paper works by Dallas artist Alisa Banks. This exhibition includes beautifully crafted artist books, art quilts, and paper collages that address issues around family and identity.

So now that we have filled your social calendars, grab your friends, co-workers and lovers and partake in the best cultural experience in the city. The South Dallas Cultural Center is a program of the City of Dallas Office of Cultural Affairs and located at 3400 S. Fitzhugh Avenue Dallas TX 75210. For more info or to schedule a tour Tues-Fri 1pm-9pm, Sat 9pm-5pm, call 214-939-2787, log ontowww.dallasculture.org/SDCulturalCenter/ or like us on facebook.