During a time when cowboy culture is more than just a trend but a movement, one of the greatest classic Westerns of the last century – Shane – finds new life as it makes its Texas debut Jan. 31 at the Kalita Humphreys Theater (3636 Turtle Creek Blvd, Dallas, 75204). Presented by Dallas Theater Center, the western drama – which runs through Feb. 16 – tells the story of Shane, a mysterious ex-gunfighter with a dangerous past who finds kinship with a family and helps protect their farm in 1889 Wyoming.

Written by acclaimed Mexican American playwright Karen Zacarias – whose heritage played into her inspiration for the play – Shane is based on the 1949 novel by Jack Schaefer that was adapted for the screen in 1953. The play gets reimagined with a new perspective that stems from Zacarias’ personal interpretation of the novel she first read as a young girl. Their story sheds light on the allure, mythos, and values of the Wild West – a chapter in history that still has many tales to tell.

"I read the book Shane when I was in elementary school; I 'd just moved here from Mexico,” said Zacarias. “The story captured my imagination immediately. I identified with the characters and their search for a future home in this vast country. This adaptation of Shane is a testament to the historically real, complicated, and diverse nature of the American West – and the roots that we all share."

Recognizing that one of three cowboys who settled the American West were men and women of color – African American, Native American, or of Mexican descent – Zacarias brings an exciting new dimension to the story. She envisioned Shane as a descendant of enslaved people with the central characters, the Starrett family, as Latino.

Shane is directed by Blake Robison (Osborn Family Producing Artistic Director, Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park), who has deep ties to the play. A long-time friend who has collaborated extensively with Zacarias, Robison not only urged her to write the play but he went on to direct the world debut.

“Shane celebrates and enriches the Western genre by bringing cultural authenticity to the story's characters,” said Robison. “It's 1889 Wyoming, and it looks like the real West. Plus, it's got all the classic elements – a mysterious hero, a greedy villain, a bar brawl, a tense final shootout. This stage version of Shane makes the western relevant again.”

The play’s themes include explorations of masculinity, the struggle for power and wealth, the role of violence the service of justice and the cost to the person called upon to use violence for the greater good.

Set in 1889, Shane, an enigmatic stranger, rides into the heart of Wyoming’s cattle country. He is instantly idolized by the young Bob Starrett, whose settler parents welcome him into their home and put him to work on their farm, where Shane discovers the family he never had. Meanwhile, hostility grows between the ruthless rancher Fletcher and the settlers starting their farms. When Fletcher plans to squeeze them out, Shane’s dangerous ways resurface as he fights to save the Starretts from ruin.

The cast of Shane includes: Nathan M. Ramsey (Shane), Blake Hackler (Joe Starrett), Bob Hess (Luke Fletcher), Tiffany Solano (Marian Starrett), Esteban Vilchez (Older Bob/Bobby Starrett), Zachary J. Willis (Chris Johnson), Jim Jorgensen (Ernie Wright and Stark Wilson), Stephanie Lauren Delgado (Winona Stephens), John Plumpis (Jake Ledyard and Sam Grafton), Logan Rhys Hallwas (Ensemble) and Victor Marcinkiewicz (Ensemble).

Dallas Theater Center has presented several of Zacarias’ plays in past years – Native Garden and The Book Club Play – receiving rave reviews from audiences who appreciate her ability to create compelling stories that feature nuanced, three-dimensional characters. The relationship with Zacarias reinforces Dallas Theater Center’s artistic mission to bring original works to North Texas audiences.

“Shane is one of the greatest and most loved classic Westerns,” said Kevin Moriarty, executive director of the Dallas Theater Center. "We are thrilled to bring it to life on stage in this Texas premiere and to welcome playwright Karen Zacarias back to Dallas Theater Center. Karen brings to each of her plays a wonderful theatricality, fast-paced storytelling, and complex characters. Audiences are going to love both the thrills and the emotional nuance of this production – brilliantly directed by Karen’s long-time collaborator Blake Robison – that features members of DTC’s Diane and Hal Brierley Resident Acting Company performing alongside a dynamic cast of actors from North Texas and across the country.”

Recommended for ages 11 and up, Shane contains cowboys, gun violence, and saloon showdowns. The show is 90 minutes with no intermission. After each performance, the audience will be invited to participate in “Stay Late,” a brief post-show conversation between the audience and actors from the production.

During its run, as part of its education and community outreach efforts, Dallas Theater Center will host more than 500 Dallas ISD students through its Project Discovery program, providing them with tickets, transportation, pre-show workshops and post-show talkbacks.

Additionally, on Feb. 1, DTC’s “Saturday Session” will be co-taught by Zacarias and DTC’s Interim Artistic Director, Jonathan Norton. Offered year-round on the first Saturday of every month from 10 a.m.-noon, “Saturday Sessions” are an opportunity for adults to participate in a two-hour Master Workshop focused on a different topic each month, taught by professional artists. Zacarias’ workshop, titled “Art Imitates Life: Writing from Experiences,” is available for purchase for $25 on DTC’s website.

Tickets for Shane start at $40 and are on sale now. Free parking is available surrounding the Kalita Humphreys Theater. For details, showtimes and to purchase tickets, please go to dallastheatercenter.org.

ABOUT DALLAS THEATER CENTER. Dallas Theater Center was founded in 1959 as one of the first regional theaters in the United States, located at the legendary Frank Lloyd Wright’s Kalita Humphreys Theater. Under the inaugural leadership of Paul Baker, Dallas Theater Center became one of the nation’s leading producers of experimental interpretations of classics and world premieres. Over the years, our innovative, dynamic programming has made a significant mark on the Dallas community as well as the American theater at large. From classic scripts to new plays, from epic to intimate, we strive to continue our tradition of providing a next-level experience to theater lovers worldwide.

Flick Fest, the primary fundraising event for the Highland Park Literary Festival (HP LitFest), will feature acclaimed screenwriter and two-time Academy Award nominee, David Magee. It will be held Thursday, January 30, 2025, at 7 p.m. at the Angelica Theater in Mockingbird Station. Flick Fest will offer a showing and discussion of movies from which David has written screenplays, including “Life of Pi,” “Mary Poppins Returns” and “Finding Neverland.” Donations of $35 or more include the movie screening, discussion, a beverage and popcorn. Doors will open at 6 p.m. Visit https://hplitfest.com/flick-fest/ for reservations and additional detail.

Now celebrating its 30th year, HP LitFest is a premier literary event dedicated to inspiring and engaging students and the greater Dallas community through the power of language in its many forms. Founded in 1995 by Highland Park High School (HPHS) faculty and parents, HP LitFest has grown into a highly anticipated two-day festival featuring enriching programming for students and the community alike. This year’s highlight is a keynote community event on February 20, 2025, featuring Mark Sullivan, New York Times bestselling author of Beneath a Scarlet Sky and former investigative reporter. The event will be held at the HPHS Auditorium, with doors opening at 6:30 p.m. and the program starting at 7 p.m. Admission is free and open to the public. For more information, visit https://hplitfest.com/.

North Dallas diners have a new favorite destination for sophisticated sips and shareable bites. Palate, a charming and intimate venue where the comfort of connection and the delight of shared experiences shine, is now open at 17390 Preston Road, Suite 246, in Dallas.

Owners Tom Burt and Christopher White felt like all the pieces fell into place when they decided to create a wine bar and bistro adjacent to Lekka Retail Concepts, their popular gift and home décor store. After relocating to Preston Trails shopping center in 2023, they collaborated with the landlord on the vision for the space.  A store customer, Roger Pavlovich, agreed to partner with them on the design and buildout.  Most importantly, two separate store customers introduced them to their executive chef, Eddie Ledesma-Porter, and general manager, Zach Zielke. It was as if it were meant to be.

But it took more than a series of chance happenings to create Palate. It took intentionality and attention to detail to create this beautiful jewel box of a restaurant. While neither Burt nor White had a background in restaurants, they knew what they wanted Palate to be. As residents of the North Dallas neighborhood where the restaurant is located, they wanted to create a place with a sense of community.

“We wanted a place where we could not only bring our friends, but a place where everyone could make new friends,” explained Burt.

White’s background includes decades with America’s top retailers, including Macy’s, Saks Fifth Avenue and JCPenney. Burt’s career has been in human resources, most recently with Children’s Health.

When the pair acquired Lekka Retail Concepts in 2018, they purposefully found ways to partner with the local arts community, and that artistic inspiration is a clear part of the Palate vision as well. The restaurant’s name references both a culinary palate as well as an artistic palette. The restaurant walls are literally a gallery of local art, all of it for sale. Eclectic hand-blown glass chandeliers bring light and energy to the space. A collection of Ginkgo trees create a sense of space above a wishing well-inspired space for wine corks, collected to preserve memories created while at Palate.

Finding Chef Eddie Ledesma-Porter was a real catalyst for the project. A CIA graduate and certified sommelier, Ledesma-Porter brought an impressive culinary history and a shared vision for the space. Previous experiences at Ritz-Carlton and Cameron Mitchell Restaurants (Ocean Prime) gave him an appreciation for gracious hospitality and fine dining. However, the casual intimacy of Palate allowed the chef to create a menu that celebrates flavor while engaging diners in a more social surrounding.

“Food is meant to be shared,” Ledesma-Porter said. “Seeing Tom and Christopher’s vision for Palate, it was clear that we needed to create a menu designed to create a sense of community brought together by great food.”

While the restaurant offers a complete menu of craft cocktails, the team wanted to celebrate the role that wine can play in a culinary experience.

“For us, wine became the canvas, and food became the paint,” Burt said, echoing the premise behind the restaurant’s name.

Palate’s shareables menu runs the gamut from Mediterranean-inspired dishes like rustico meatballs, Tuscan hummus and patatas bravas to wine country staples such as duck confit sliders, citrus-marinated olives and whipped goat cheese. A curated collection of flatbreads brings big flavors, including a homemade sausage and sage and a pork al pastor with a warming ancho tomato sauce, caramelized onion and lime crema.

An ample array of salads and soups provides the perfect lunch menu. Favorites include a signature house salad with caramel spiced walnuts, goat cheese, tart apple and a Champagne vinaigrette, and a Sirtaki Greek salad, named for the acclaimed dance of that region. Soups include a Southwestern-inspired chicken tomatillo and a creamy vegan cauliflower cashew soup. A collection of handhelds rounds out the entrees.

The restaurant offers a rotating menu of desserts, including the Palate cookie box, a selection of three different house-made baked treats designed to be taken home or eaten in the restaurant.

“So often at the end of the meal, you’re not prepared to have a dessert,” noted White. “However, once you arrive at home, it’s nice to have that little nibble to end the day perfectly.”

The menu offers real meal options for those who are gluten-sensitive, vegetarian or vegan.

Ledesma-Porter is particularly proud of the range and diversity of the wine selection on Palate’s menu. His favorites include a Pierre Sparr Cremant carefully made with whole cluster fermentation and Argyle’s Bloom House Pinot Noir. The restaurant even offers an acclaimed Châteauneuf-du-Pape at under $100 per bottle.

“Every bottle of wine tells a story, and food should also tell a story,” Ledesma-Porter said. “We want to craft it with some love and take our time to make sure that it is delicious and right.”

Palate is open from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Wednesdays and Thursdays, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, and from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sundays. The restaurant is closed Mondays and Tuesdays. Reservations can be made at PalatebyLRC.com.

Palate by LRC

17390 Preston Rd., Suite 246, Dallas, TX 75252

(972) 863-8182

PalatebyLRC.com