Theater
Jubilee Theatre returns to Bass Performance Hall with the locally produced Dreamgirls. Photo courtesy of Jubilee Theatre
Dreamgirls
Jubilee Theatre/Performing Arts
Fort Worth Bass Performance Hall, 525 Commerce St., Fort Worth, 817-212-4280, basshall.com
Rounding out its 41st season, Jubilee Theatre presents this unforgettable behind-the-scenes look at all the loose seams in show business. Dreamgirls plays out to a soulful score of rhythm and blues, and the full plate of high-octane vocals is served with sides of heartache, love and rejection. The Broadway hit features local talent and design to give it a little Texas flair, including the collaborative direction of Jubilee’s D. Wambui Richardson and Steven A. Taylor. Aug. 11-14
Between Riverside and Crazy
Stage West
821/823 W. Vickery Blvd., Fort Worth, 817-784-9378, stagewest.org
This Pulitzer Prize-winning dark comedy is as relevant today as it was when it opened off-Broadway in 2014. The play follows ex-cop and widower Walter “Pops” Washington and his son, an ex-con. The pair are facing eviction from their rent-controlled apartment on New York City’s Riverside Drive, where they bunk with other interesting characters, including a recovering addict. Accidentally shot by a fellow cop, Walter is pursuing a discrimination case against the department. TV and stage veteran Tyrees Allen stars in the role of Pops. Aug. 18-Sept. 11
August Wilson’s Fences
Circle Theatre
Sundance Square, 230 W. 4th St., Fort Worth, 817-877-3040, circletheatre.com
The award-winning playwright’s cycle of 10 plays exploring a decade of African American history includes Fences, which debuted in 1985. The funny, poignant, sometimes brutal and widely acclaimed story explores the emotional “fences” Troy Maxson builds between himself and his family. A skilled baseball player who, as a Black man, was denied the opportunity to play in the big leagues, Maxson became a hardworking garbageman. Strapped by responsibility, he provides for his family as he strives to make peace with his past, present and future — an effort documented in Wilson’s evocative and poetic dialogue. Through Sept. 24
When We Were Very Young
Hip Pocket Theatre
1950 Silver Creek Road, Fort Worth, 817-246-9775, hippocket.org
Lake and Lorca Simons, talented daughters of HPT founders Johnny and Diane Simons, are in the spotlight as they direct back-to-back productions at the al fresco theater. Lake, along with musical director John Dyer, adapts A.A. Milne’s book of poetry (Christopher Robin and Winnie-the-Pooh first made their appearances in the book) for the stage with a mix of puppetry, music and dance. Aug. 5-21
Illustration courtesy of Hip Pocket Theatre
Savage/Love
Lorca directs the Sam Shepard and Joseph Chaikin play, made up of poems, music and monologues, that explores the multifaceted emotions inspired by falling in love. This one is for mature audiences only. Aug. 26-Sept. 11