On Friday, May 2, 2025, Dallas Theater Center’s annual fundraising event will take place at Fashion Industry Gallery (F.I.G.) in the Dallas Arts District. Themed TAKE A BOW, the highly anticipated fête marks the 41st year for the annual Centerstage gala. Hamilton A Sneed is returning as this year's Event Chair and will oversee the cabaret-jazz-inspired evening of multimedia and fine dining which includes a champagne cocktail reception highlighting the Public Works education and community engagement programs, followed by a seated dinner and program honoring Joel Ferrell, the 2025 Linda and Bill Custard Award honoree, along with a vibrant live auction & paddle raise. The night will end with musical performances by the Diane & Hal Brierley Resident Acting Company and celebrated members of the theater community. 

Tickets to the Gala are currently on sale. Can't make the event or need a more affordable option to support DTC's cause? The CENTERSTAGE 41 Luxury Raffle is now open! Enter for a chance to win:

• A $5,000 gift card sponsored by Susser Bank.
• A trip for two to New York including tickets to see The Great Gatsby – A New Musical on Broadway, an experience at the Museum of Broadway, a taping of "Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen!," plus hotel accommodations provided by The Muse New York and M Social Hotel.
• $1,000 to spend at NorthPark Center plus complimentary valet parking throughout the year with your NorthPark VIP valet card, and a House of Creed fragrance experience including four fragrances and a 10-person private masterclass. 
• Access and experiences to 12 top Dallas arts and culture destinations, including Dallas Theater Center, AT&T Performing Arts Center, The Perot Museum of Nature and Science, Meadows Museum at SMU, and more.

Tickets are $50, with savings on multi-ticket packages. Enter now to support the arts and you could win big.

Proceeds benefit Dallas Theater Center’s Public Works Department, which engages people of all ages through year-round classes, performances, community events, and ambitious works of participatory theater. Public Works partners with schools, community organizations, and local government to make the arts accessible and inclusive across Dallas.

Murder on Oak Street

South Side Mystery, #1

by

I.M. Foster

At a possibly intimidating 500 pages in length, Murder on Oak Street proves to be an absorbing and entertaining historical mystery story that is not to be overlooked.

Murder on Oak Street is the first book in author I.M. Foster’s historical South Side Mystery series, and despite its healthy length of a smidge over 500 pages, it was an intriguing, entertaining, and absorbing reading experience. After being left at the altar, Dr. Daniel O’Halleran, one of New York City’s busy coroner’s physicians, decides a change of scenery is in order and takes a job in the small Long Island community of Patchogue, assisting the local coroner. Rather than peace and quiet, Danny is thrust back into investigating a cold case murder – the very case with which he started his career in NYC two years earlier and felt never received the attention it deserved. 

Danny is a charming, engaging character with a hidden childhood secret. Adopted by the wealthy Adams family, he grew up in comfort and luxury but with a burning desire to get justice for the victims he investigates. 

The plot progresses steadily as O’Halleran settles into his first job in New York City, eventually making the move to Patchogue on Long Island. The author’s writing and storytelling abilities drew me into the story immediately with vivid characterizations and descriptions of the early 1900s time period and I was hooked until the final page. There were a lot of twists and turns and plenty of suspects to rule out on the way to the story’s conclusion, keeping me on my toes and definitely on the edge of my seat for the duration. 

I recommend MURDER ON OAK STREET to historical mystery readers. 

I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving an Advanced Review Copy from the author through Great Escapes Virtual Book Tours.

In celebration of National Volunteer Month, Park Place Dealerships Members rolled up their sleeves and made a huge difference across North Texas. As part of the company’s Annual Week of Service, employees stepped away from their regular roles to support 14 local nonprofits through hands-on volunteer projects, creating meaningful impact in the communities they serve.

“Giving back is an integral part of our mission at Park Place Dealerships,” said Kara Connor, Experiential Marketing Manager at Park Place Dealerships. “Our Week of Service is a special time for our team to step into the community and make a real difference. It’s our way of saying thank you to the communities that have supported us for so many years.”

The nonprofits supported and projects completed by Park Place members included:

Association for Independent Living (Dallas): Volunteers painted apartments for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities transitioning into independent living, helping create a clean, cohesive, and dignified space.

Best Buddies: At Park Place’s Porsche Dealership, volunteers helped wrap t-shirts, make walk route posters, and stuffed swag bags to prepare for Best Buddies’ Friendship Walk, which benefits people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

Big Hearts Day Habilitation Center (Mansfield): Volunteers enhanced the nonprofit’s outdoor space by laying turf, staining fences, and donating items like picnic benches and mobile planters to improve the environment for adults with disabilities.

BridgeBuilders (Dallas):  In South Dallas, a local basketball court and adjacent parking lot were transformed with new paint and stenciling, creating a vibrant, welcoming community space.

Center for Vision Health (Dallas): Volunteers completed a brand-new sensory garden designed for patients of all ages, including those with visual impairments or sensory sensitivities, providing a peaceful and therapeutic outdoor experience.

Children First (Grand Prairie): Team members beautified the organization’s grounds by cleaning up landscaping, adding mulch, and refreshing outdoor furniture to create a safe and welcoming space for children recovering from trauma.

Community Garden Kitchen (McKinney): Volunteers helped with landscape clean-up, including adding new mulch to the front area and back patio counseling space, cleaning outdoor furniture, and potting plants to enhance the outdoor counseling area.

Community Healthcare of Texas (Grapevine): Park Place members assembled care packages with essential items to support families during hospice or palliative care, helping ease practical burdens and allowing them to focus on their loved ones.

Evergreen Life Services (Fort Worth): Volunteers helped organize and clean the nonprofit’s art studio, a creative space for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities to express themselves through art.

Frisco Humane Society: Volunteers organized supplies and event areas, streamlining operations to better serve animals in the metroplex that need shelter and medical care.

House of Shine (Grapevine): Volunteers helped preserve the Parr Rock Art Trail, a tribute to individuals affected by COVID-19, by cleaning and resealing community-painted rocks to ensure their stories continue to shine.

Little Hearts: At Park Place’s Lexus Plano Dealership, volunteers assembled 200 “hope packages” for families affected by childhood cancer. Each package included comforting items for parents and siblings during a difficult time.

Our Daily Bread (Denton): Volunteers built a brick walkway in the nonprofit’s garden, enhancing the space while supporting their mission to serve individuals experiencing homelessness.

V’s Heart (Murphy): Park Place members assisted with sorting and managing donations of clothing and food, helping this community-focused nonprofit streamline its distribution efforts.

Park Place Dealerships was founded in 1987 and has been engaged in the community through its support of the arts, medical research, children’s advocacy, and education. Park Place employs more than 1,400 members and operates nine full-service dealerships representing luxury brands including Lexus, Mercedes-Benz, Porsche, Volvo, Land Rover, Acura, and Sprinter Vans. Park Place BodyWerks Collision Centers in Fort Worth, Dallas, and Plano and the Park Place Auto Auction, round out the company’s offerings. For more information, visit parkplace.com. 

Relentless

Kate Preacher Thriller, #1

by

Michael Maloof

A fantastic debut for this thrilling new series featuring former CIA analyst Kate Preacher!

Relentless is the first book in author Michael Maloof’s thrilling new series featuring former CIA analyst Kate Preacher, and what a debut it is! With its honorable and sympathetic protagonist and breathtaking plot, this book needs to be on the top of every thriller lover’s wish list! 

The main character is Kate Preacher, a former CIA analyst who left the business when a mission went horribly wrong. As a result of the mission, though, she met her husband and the love of her life, Jake Church, a retired SEAL and now owner of an elite executive protection firm. Kate now uses her vast technological skills to support litigation at a downtown Richmond, Virginia, law firm. At times, those skills satisfyingly end up helping the little guy but, for the most part, assist in protecting the assets or reputation of the firm’s wealthy, high-profile clients who have something to hide. Lately, she’s been second-guessing her career choice and what her future holds, but a deadly terrorist attack in Paris ultimately takes the decision out of her hands. Kate is a dynamic character, going from crippling grief to fully harnessing every skill and tactic in her repertoire to follow up on what Jake was secretly investigating and tracking down those responsible for the Parisian café bloodbath. She’s smart and determined and swallows her pride in calling on all her old connections for favors, even those she swore she’d never deal with again. I quite literally ached for what Kate had experienced in her past and for all she was going through in the present. 

The story opens tragically and violently, establishing an atmosphere of dark, brooding menace always lurking in the background. The resulting sorrow is interrupted by adrenaline-fueled action sequences that had me gasping, and scenes of military honors, traditions, and ceremonies had me trying to hold back tears. The plot thickens with unexpected twists and turns and high-tech shenanigans. Still, with both Kate’s and Jake’s backgrounds, an amazing array of creative and envy-inducing technological and tactical hardware is available to Kate for her to fight back. The story was mesmerizing, and I didn’t want to put the book down. My only regret is that there isn’t a prequel detailing the Syrian mission. 

I recommend RELENTLESS to readers who enjoy thrillers with international connections, technological creativity, and capable, strong female protagonists. 

I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving an Advanced Review Copy from Reedsy Discovery.

At least one in seven children in the United States have experienced some form of abuse or neglect in the past year, and an estimated 1,840 children have died from child abuse or neglect. To recognize April as Child Abuse Prevention Month, EMPOWER, a nonprofit child welfare collaborative, is highlighting several ways to detect, prevent, and spread awareness about child abuse.

Four ways to help prevent child abuse are: 

• Support prevention programs in your community. 

• Intervention often occurs after abuse is reported. Greater investments are needed in programs that are proven to stop abuse before it has occurred, like counseling and home visits. 

• Learn to identify signs of abuse.

• Unexplained injuries are not the only signs of abuse. Other signs include depression, anxiety, fear of specific adults, difficulty trusting others or making friends, sudden changes in eating or sleeping patterns, inappropriate sexual behavior, poor hygiene, secrecy, and hostility. 

• Invest in kids. 

• Encourage leaders in your community to be supportive of children and families. This includes asking employers to provide family-friendly work environments and asking lawmakers to support legislations to better protect children. 

• Wear blue for awareness.

• Spread awareness for child abuse prevention by wearing blue. This is a simple act that anyone can do to help promote prevention and education.

“As a community, we must confront the harsh reality of child abuse,” says Senior Vice President of EMPOWER Randy Neff. “Our organization is committed to raising awareness and encouraging preventative measures to protect our children. We also hope that programs like the Preparation for Adult Living (PAL) program help older youth in the foster care system distinguish between healthy and toxic relationships and empower them to succeed in adulthood.”

To find local volunteer opportunities in Dallas, please visit https://www.dallascasa.org/about-dallas-casa/. For volunteer opportunities outside of Dallas, please visit https://texascasa.org/how-to-help/. To report suspected child abuse or neglect, please call 1-800-252-5400.