By Edmond Ortiz
February is a busy month for local fans of live theater. From a high school musical and a children’s play about taco-loving dragons to community theater offerings and adaptations of major productions, there is something for everyone this month across the San Antonio-area.
Overtime Theater
Overtime Theater is offering performances of “Acts of Murder,” two one-act comedy thrillers set in 1948. Each story is unrelated to one another, except for two familiar faces. Show times are 8 p.m. Fri. and Sat. through Feb. 20, and 2 p.m. Feb. 21. Tickets: $20 adults; discounts available for seniors, students, military, educators and San Antonio Theatre Coalition members. 4335 Vance Jackson Road, Suites 103-104.
Wonder Theatre
Wonder Theatre is hosting performances of “My Fair Lady,” based on Lerner and Loewe’s classic musical adaptation of George Bernard Shaw’s play “Pygmalion. Here, a Cockney flower girl, Eliza Doolittle, is transformed into a lady by phonetics professor Henry Higgins as part of a bet. Show times are 7:30 p.m. Fri. and Sat. and 3 p.m. Sun. through March 1. Tickets: $35 adults; $30 seniors, military and first responders; $20 children and students; $22 educators. Wonderland of the Americas Mall, 4522 Fredericksburg Road, Balcones Heights
San Pedro Playhouse
San Pedro Playhouse is hosting performances of “Dreamgirls,” based on the Tony Award-winning musical and book about The Dreams, a young Black female singing trio whose members must navigate their journey toward fame. Show times are 7:30 p.m. Thu.-Sat., and 2 p.m. Sun. through March 8. Tickets range $33-$53. 800 W. Ashby Place.
Tobin Center for the Performing Arts
The Tobin Center’s 100A Productions will present Tennessee Williams’ “The Glass Menagerie,” a play that explores the complexities of memory, family, and unspoken dreams. The drama follows dreamer Tom, his fragile sister Laura, and their overbearing mother Amanda as they struggle with poverty, illusion, and the harsh realities of life in their cramped home.
Unlike major touring shows that come through San Antonio, this production of “The Glass Menagerie” is a homegrown effort with an all-local professional cast and creative team that have developed this play from the ground up.
“Every member of this cast and crew is homegrown talent, and that shared roots system brings a unique, collective heartbeat to the rehearsal room,” Rick Frederick, the Tobin Center’s creative and resident relations director, said in a statement. “By utilizing the talented artists we have right here in San Antonio, we’re able to craft a version of The Glass Menagerie that feels deeply personal and authentically our own.”
Show times are 8 p.m. Feb. 11-15 and 19-21; and 2 p.m. Feb. 14, 15 and 22. Tickets start at $35. Tobin’s Carlos Alvarez Studio Theatre, 100 Auditorium Circle.
Trinity University
Trinity University theatre and human communication students will perform “The Bus Stop,” which revolves around a group of people awaiting a bus that never arrives. Originally set in China, the play focuses on the characters’ interactions and personal revelations. Show times are 8 p.m. Feb. 20, 21, 27 and 28; and 2:30 p.m. Feb. 22; and 7 p.m. Feb. 25 and 26. Admission is free. Trinity University Stieren Theatre, 1 Trinity Place.
Antonian College Preparatory High School
Antonian theatre students will perform “Footloose: The Musical,” based on the movie. A young man and his mother relocate from Chicago to a conservative small town where his use of dance and music to express himself becomes an inspiration to many locals. Show times are 7 p.m. Feb. 20, 21, 27 and 28, and 2 p.m. Feb. 21. Tickets range $12-$25. Antonian Hernandez Auditorium, 6425 West Ave., Castle Hills
University of the Incarnate Word
UIW theatre students will perform the play “Mary’s Wedding.” The drama follows Mary and Charlie, two young people who meet by chance one night in Canada. A storm forces them to find shelter and, together, Mary and Charlie discover they are soulmates. But it’s 1914, and the arrival of the first world war will tear them apart and force the young star-crossed lovers to fight to survive and hold onto faith and hope. Show times are 7:30 p.m. Feb. 20-22 and 26-28, and 2 p.m. Feb. 22. Tickets: $12 adults; discounts available for seniors, students, military and first responders. UIW Coates Theatre, 4301 Broadway St.
Magik Theatre
While its home venue at Beethoven Hall is undergoing renovations, Magik Theatre is offering performances of children’s productions at different sites around town. The next production is the beloved play “Dragons Love Tacos.” The humorous tale is about a boy and his dog who, as taco party hosts, learn the hard way that dragons are not fans of spicy salsa.
Director Angie Hernandez said the production combines larger-than-life dragons, special effects and lots of energy. “I want the audience to feel like they’re part of the controlled chaos of this dragon taco party. Through all our movement and choreography, one thing is clear: partying with dragons is never boring,” she said in a statement. Show times are 2 p.m. Feb. 28 and 3 p.m. March 1. Tickets start at $43; discounts available for seniors, first responders, military, educators, college students and children. Jo Long Theatre at the Carver Community Cultural Center, 226 N. Hackberry St.
Additionally, Magik Theatre is offering touring performances of “Red Riding Hood” at various sites and organizations around the San Antonio area now through July 1. A public performance of “Red Riding Hood” will be held during an “All the Love, All the Magik” fundraiser noon-5 p.m. Feb. 14 at Cherrity Bar, 302 Montana St. While parents enjoy a romantic meal, children will be entertained by music, face painting, performances and more, plus drawings and other surprises. Ten percent of sales proceeds go toward scholarships for Magik’s popular summer day camps.
