Dallas — The 2017 season for Proper Hijinx Productions, hands down the best name for a new theater company in years, has been announced. The three plays will all be performed at the Studio Theatre at the Addison Theatre Center, unlike 2016, in which the PH productions were in various locations (including an upcoming one at Amphibian Stage Productions in Fort Worth).
Founder Stefany Cambra says Proper Hijinx will "maintain its commitment to contemporary works focusing on timely issues and relatable characters." Two of the three titles are regional premieres (Jeff Talbott's The Submission and Bathsheba Doran's Parents' Evening); the season begins with Keith Huff's A Steady Rain, which is best known for the 2009 Broadway production that featured Hugh Jackman and Daniel Craig.
Here's a breakdown of the season:
A Steady Rain
by Keith Huff
February 9-19, 2017
We will begin the season with A Steady Rain by Keith Huff, a two-hander drama focusing on the lives and stories of two police officers that have been friends for a lifetime. Tensions rise through differing opinions and personal tactics as the plot unfurls. "Though not the newest play of the season, it is one that I certainly see as timely", says artistic director Stefany Cambra. "Societal tensions are rising and it's no secret that focus is turned towards law enforcement as we examine our expectations of those who are expected to protect and serve. I love this script for giving us an examination of the person behind the badge". A Steady Rain will open the 2017 season, running from February 9- 19.
The Submission
by Jeff Talbott
May 25-June 4, 2017
Proper Hijinx will then turn their towards cultural division, race perceptions, and affirmative action with the regional premiere of The Submission by Jeff Talbott, winner of the 2011 Laurents/Hatcher Award. The plot centers around a playwright, Danny, who has finally written a meaningful, visceral play- but submits it for a play festival under the pen name of an African American woman, hoping the play will be better received if the adjudicators are unaware of his true identity as a young, white male. Enter Emilie, a black actress who Danny asks to pose as his alter ego for the festival. Cambra is excited to bring this play to Dallas from May 25-June 4, as it focuses on important contemporary issues from a unique perspective.
Parents' Evening
by Bathsheba Doran
September 21-October 1, 2017
The final show of the current 2017 season lineup for Proper Hijinx is Parent's Evening by Bathsheba Doran, another regional premiere. In this intimate two-person production, comedic yet poignant conversations between a husband and wife examine modern marriage and parenting as men and women are forced to find balance between work and home responsibilities. "I love this play. It was one of the first I chose for the 2017 season", Cambra shares. "Growing up, I saw my mom struggle to be an A+ career woman and mom. She did a wonderful job, and still does- but I remember seeing the pressure she was under and couldn't understand how she managed it all. This play tackles that subject in an engaging and relatable way." Parents' Evening will run from September 21-October 1.
For more information, visit www.properhijinx.com. 
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