Beginning February 25, Dallas Theater Center presents Where We Stand, an immersive theatrical experience that places moral choice directly in the hands of its audience. Running through March 22 at Bryant Hall on the Kalita Humphreys Theater campus, the production marks the third offering of DTC’s 2025–2026 season and is produced in association with Stage West Theatre.
Written by acclaimed playwright Donnetta Lavinia Grays, Where We Stand unfolds as a town hall gathering rather than a conventional play. The premise is deceptively simple: a neighbor, desperate and out of options, has made a dangerous bargain. From there, the audience is asked to decide the outcome: Mercy or justice. Each performance hinges on that choice, transforming theatergoers from passive observers into active participants shaping the fate of the story, and the moral direction of the community it reflects.
At the center of the work is Broadway actor and longtime Dallas fixture Liz Mikel, who anchors the production as a lone storyteller. Through music, rhythm, and call-and-response, Mikel conjures an entire world, blending fable with communal ritual. The result is a shared experience that feels as much like a civic gathering as a performance, where listening becomes as important as speaking.
The production is directed by Akin Babatunde, whose approach emphasizes presence, participation, and the collective energy of the room. Scenic design by Bob Lavallee, costumes by Hope Cox, lighting by Bryan Stevenson, and sound by Claudia Jenkins Martinez work together to support the production’s stripped-back, immersive format. The show runs 70 minutes with no intermission, reinforcing its sense of urgency and focus.
For interim artistic director Jonathan Norton, Where We Stand represents a shift in how theater functions within a city. “Where We Stand is not a play,” Norton has said. “It is a communal experience.” That ethos carries through the entire production, including DTC’s Stay Late post-show conversations, led by Mikel, which invite audiences to continue the dialogue after the final choice has been made.
Presented at Bryant Hall, part of the historic Kalita Humphreys Theater campus, Where We Stand aligns with Dallas Theater Center’s broader mission to spark conversation and illuminate diverse experiences through performance. Suitable for audiences ages twelve and up, the production asks viewers to consider not just what decision they would make but what it means to make that decision together.