Dallas Musical THE PENUMBRA To Premiere In Free Public Workshop This August

A team of Dallas-based artists will present a free public workshop of the new musical The Penumbra on August 20 and 21, 2025 at 7:30 p.m. at the Bath House Cultural Center.

The show, written by composer/lyricist Ian Ferguson and librettist Lauren LeBlanc, will feature a blend of student and professional performers from across the region. Admission is free and open to the public.

Before even hitting the stage, The Penumbra has already earned critical acclaim, having received the 2025 Donald Fowler Theatre Arts Memorial Fund grant, awarded annually to an innovative work of theatre by a Dallas-Fort Worth artist. The selection is made by a peer committee in honor of the late designer and arts advocate Donald Fowler.

Based on LeBlanc’s unpublished young adult novel, The Penumbra tells a supernatural tale of grief, identity, and fear, weaving together the story of a teenage girl from a struggling family, a town haunted by child disappearances, and an ancient folktale of love and destruction. Patron Magazine called it “specific and sharp… where monsters might be real and even the grownups are afraid.”

The workshop is helmed by a top-tier Dallas creative team. Sasha Maya Ada Davis will direct, Cody Dry will serve as music director and conductor, and Leah Mazur and Jenny Dang will handle design and stage management, respectively. The cast includes Denise Lee, Jeremy Landon Hays, Finlay Stevenson, Aubrey Ferguson, Sydnie Roy, and a range of youth performers from Dallas and Collin counties.