Stage Notes: Dallas actor wins Del Shores Writers Search; BroadwayWorld.com's area award recipients

In a Facebook post earlier this Thursday afternoon, Circle Theatre’s Ashley White, who served as the company’s artistic director, announced her departure from the Fort Worth theater.

From White’s post:

Effective today I am no longer affiliated with Circle Theatre. I wish the staff, its productions, and its production teams nothing but the absolute best moving forward.

My entire life, I have dedicated myself to telling stories through this beautiful art form that not only spark imagination and conversation, but provide spaces in which artists can thrive. I have fought hard for it, and I have thrown my soul into it.

It appears in this season of life, I have lost my way in that endeavor.

I am reflecting upon this all very intently, and hope nothing but the best for DFW arts community and everyone within it.

As I navigate this very hard transition, and consider what a future in theater may or may not mean for me, I want to thank everyone for their support through the years. Each moment of creation has left an indelible mark on my soul and my journey.

Del Shores Foundation fourth annual Writers Search announces winners

Jameson L. Black (Photo: Jordan Fraker)

The Del Shores Foundation concluded its annual Writers Search which awards budding writers in categories of play, screenplay and web series/short. DSF’s Del Shores and Program Director Emerson Collins announced this year’s recipients who all recieved a cash prize along with their award. Among the trio of winners was one Dallas stage actor.

This year’s recipients included Eric Gustafson with Do You Take This…? for Best Short/Web Series with a $1,000 prize; Robbie Robertson with The Invalid for Best Screenplay with a $3,000 prize and the Best Play award went to Dallas actor and playwright Jameson L. Black for ANIMALS –or– We Just Want Love… with a cash prize of $3,000.

Black (they/he) is a Dallas-based actor and playwright who is a senior at SMU getting their B.F.A. in Acting, and who has an Associates Degree from Tyler Junior College.

“So we have a student winning Best Play,” Del Shores said in the announcement video posted on Monday. “I love it.”

Black told Shores and Collins that the inspiration for their work comes from growing up in a rural Texas.

They explained. “A lot of what influences that is how and where I grew up and the stigmas behind these kind of relationships.”

In the show, Matty and Dion are high school best friends in a small Texan town in 2008. Matty’s abusive home life keeps him at Dion’s family’s trailer-home, despite Dion’s mother expressing disdain for the boy. Dion’s status as the star pitcher for the baseball team makes him much more popular than Matty, who is known as the “gay outsider.” Despite this, they discover feelings for each other, but must keep their secret hidden. Dion and his mother, who suffers from addiction, struggle with the recent loss of his sister, Sadie, and his father in a car accident that has mysterious circumstances surrounding it.

“I write what I know and I know every bit of this play in some form or another,” Black said.

Black began their playwriting journey at Tyler Junior College. Today, while also a student at SMU, he works at Theatre Three.

As part of the contest, Black will get support in having the play produced.

Collins added, “One of our big things is that we have a play production grant of $10,000 that we give to theater partners of the Del Shores Foundation that will produce the world premiere of Jameson’s play. We can’t wait to do our part to help continue to support it.”

Watch Collins and Shores’ chat with Black and the other recipients below:

YouTube video

Auriga Productions to present the world premiere of The Last Testament of Rudolf Hess

Auriga Productions has announced its world premiere of playwright Dennis Richard’s The Last Testament of Rudolf Hess. The show will perform in both Dallas and Fort Worth. Directed by Auriga Artistic Director Bert Pigg, the story centers on Hess’ life in prison as a Nazi war criminal.

The DFW run is in Dallas February 19, 20, 21, and 22 and Fort Worth March 6, 8, 13 and 14.

Richard said of the play, “Known as Spandau’s Prisoner No 7, Hess was the last remaining Nazi war criminal and considered to be the most puzzling man of World War II. Since his death, conspiracy theories have abounded on many fronts, including such controversial topics as the motivations behind his unauthorized May 10, 1941 solo flight for peace, whether the man in Spandau prison was the real Rudolf Hess or an imposter, and whether Hess committed suicide or was murdered. I am honored to be working with Bert on the World Premiere of my play.”

The Dallas run is from Feb. 19-22 at Artstillery and Fort Worth performances will be March 6-14 at Artes de la Rosa Cultural Center for the Arts. Talkbacks will be held after each performance.

BroadwayWorld.com Regional Awards announced

Hopeful Theatre’s The Little Mermaid was named a BroadwayWorld.com regional award winner. (Courtesy photo)

The 2025 BroadwayWorld.com Regional Awards were announced in January. The awards honor area productions, touring shows and more which had their first performance between October 1, 2024 through September 30, 2025. This year the BroadwayWorld Regional Awards included more 100 cities across America, Canada, Central and South America, Europe and Asia making this its largest awards yet.

Here is the full list of the 2025 BroadwayWorld Dallas Award winners

Best New Play Or Musical
Amityville ’74 – Upright Theatre Co.

Best Performer In A Musical
Jojo Garcia – My Hero – CATS Playhouse

Best Performer In A Play
Kevin Forman – Twelve Angry Jurors – North Texas Performing Arts

Best Play
Twelve Angry Jurors – North Texas Performing Arts

Best Scenic Design Of A Play Or Musical
Chris Davis – A Talent for Murder – CATS Playhouse

Best Sound Design Of A Play Or Musical
Allan Branson – Cats – Casa Mañana Theatre

Best Supporting Performer In A Musical
Elyse Kuss – My Hero – CATS Playhouse

Best Supporting Performer In A Play
Ed Kless – Twelve Angry Jurors – North Texas Performing Arts

Best Theatre For Young Audiences Production
The Little Mermaid – The Hopeful Theatre Project

Favorite Local Theatre
North Texas Performing Arts

Best Cabaret/Concert/Solo Performance
Meagan Harris – Lux: A Solo Show – Manifesto Poetica

Best Choreography Of A Play Or Musical
Edward Funderburke – Something Rotten! – Lubbock Moonlight Musicals

Best Costume Design Of A Play Or Musical
DeZhané Jackson – Ain’t Misbehavin’ – Circle Theatre

Best Dance Production
Ain’t Misbehavin’ – Circle Theatre

Best Direction Of A Musical
Jake Morgan – Something Rotten! – Lubbock Moonlight Musicals

Best Direction Of A Play
Austin Keefer – Twelve Angry Jurors – North Texas Performing Arts

Best Ensemble
Big Fish – Texas Music Theatre Company

Best Lighting Design Of A Play Or Musical
Grace Harmon – Big Fish – Texas Music Theatre Company

Best Music Direction & Orchestra Performance
Rob Rogers – Something Rotten! – Lubbock Moonlight Musicals

Best Musical
Big Fish – Texas Music Theatre Company

Arts groups named among State Fair of Texas’ $654,000 award to South Dallas nonprofits

Photo courtesy State Fair of Texas

The State Fair of Texas announced this week that in 2025, 145 organizations serving the South Dallas/Fair Park area received more than $654,000 in program funding through community grants and sponsorships. Applicants were selected according to their alignment with the Fair’s focus on serving its neighboring zip codes.

“Our Community Giving Program continues to make a meaningful impact in the South Dallas Fair Park area, made possible from the support of our loyal fairgoers who attend our largest annual community program and fundraiser — the State Fair of Texas,” Mitchell Glieber, State Fair of Texas President said in Wednesday’s press release. “The success of our 24-day event allows us to support other nonprofit organizations in the region to contribute to the common goal of giving back to our fellow Texans through funding, programming, and other resources.”

The 145 recipients included area arts groups such as Beckles Dancing Company (Argo Nova Dance), Cara Mía Theatre Co., Dallas Symphony Orchestra and Teatro Dallas. See the full list here.

Nonprofits serving the South Dallas community can apply now for the Community Giving Program 2026 grant at BigTex.com/Grants. The deadline for 2026 grant applications is Sunday, March 15, at 5 p.m. CST.

–Rich Lopez

Stage Notes: Dallas actor wins Del Shores Writers Search; BroadwayWorld.com’s area award recipients

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