Yellow Rose: The Legend of Emily West, will be presented in a staged reading at Kurth Hall in the Sammons Center on August 5, 2018 at 6 p.m. The City of Dallas recently awarded a development grant to playwright Sarah Lawrence, a Richardson-based writer, and her musical collaborators Paul Gandolfi and Terry Langfitt to help ready the show for production. David Lozano, Executive Artistic Director of Cara Mia Theatre, has signed on to direct the project, which features a large cast of talented Dallas-area actors.

“This is a perfect musical for Dallas audiences,” says Lawrence, “as it weaves together the unique and rich confluence of cultures—Mexican, African-American, and white settlers—that made Texas the colorful and diverse place it is today.” The story, set on the eve of the Texas Revolution in 1836, features heroic young Emily West (who inspired the song The Yellow Rose of Texas), who sacrifices her own freedom so that Texas can win its independence from Mexico. Emily finds herself caught up in a dangerous love triangle between the charismatic Santa Anna, President of Mexico and leader of their army, and Levi Gates, a noble dock foreman.

Lawrence has had plays produced across the country, from the Kennedy Center to the historic Soho Playhouse in New York, among others. Her upcoming productions include Bibo & Bertie, a play about the last year in the life of Albert Einstein at the Richardson Theatre Centre in October/November 2018, and Duende, a play about the passion and artistry of flamenco, to premiere in Tampa, Florida in February, 2019.

The reading is free and open to the public. Audience members will be encouraged to provide feedback at the end of the show, along with the actors and creative team. For more information, visit https://www.facebook.com/YellowRoseMusical/. Sammons Center is located at 3630 Harry Hines Blvd, Dallas, TX 75219.