Dallas Theater Center Wins Its First Tony Award

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By Becky FogelJune 12, 2017 1:23 pm

The Standard’s news roundup gives you a quick hit of interesting, sometimes irreverent, and breaking news stories from all over the state.

At Sunday’s Tony Awards one of the big winners was the musical Dear Evan Hansen, nabbing wins for “Best Musical” and “Best Leading Actor in a Musical.”

Among the accolades and awards for Broadway productions was a winner from Texas.

The Dallas Theater Center won its first Tony award for regional theatre. The award recognizes artistic achievement that contributes to the growth of theatre in the United States.

“[The award] represents the City of Dallas and our belief that art has the power to positively impact our lives and lead to meaningful civic dialogue,” Kevin Moriarty, the Dallas Theater Center’s artistic director, told KERA’s “Think” ahead of the Tonys.

The Tony Awards Administrative Committee said the company has “made a significant mark on the Dallas community as well as the American theater at large.”




This summer, Gov. Greg Abbott wants lawmakers to tackle a slew of issues for Texas schools. Some items on his wish list could revive the biggest battles in Texas education, as Houston Public Media’s Laura Isensee reports.

The first thing on Abbott’s hefty education agenda might sound great to teachers: a pay increase of one thousand dollars.

“We must do better to attract and retain quality teachers in our classrooms. I want that process to begin now,” Abbott said when he announced the session last week.

But many teachers aren’t celebrating.

“A thousand dollars a person! What a wonderful idea if someone had suggested how to pay for that!” says Gary Godsey, executive director of the Association of Texas Public Educators. The group counts 100,000 members across the state.

That’s kind of how he and many teachers view Abbott’s education agenda for the special session. Their reactions range from skepticism on things like an overhaul of how Texas pays for public schools to fierce opposition, especially against using public tax dollars to subsidize private school tuition for certain students. 

“This is a political battle, this is not a battle about what’s right and best for the state of Texas in terms of public education. It’s about privatizing public education,” Godsey says.

In fact, two items on the wish list – vouchers and school finance – proved a showdown in the regular session.

State lawmakers head back to work on July 18 when the special session begins.




A white Fort Worth police officer has a hearing tomorrow to appeal his 10-day suspension for using excessive force in the arrest of a black woman and her daughters.

In December 2016, Officer William Martin wrestled Jacqueline Craig and one of her daughters to the ground in a video that went viral.

Craig had called police to report that a neighbor had choked her young son for littering.

Martin returned to work with the Fort Worth Police Department after serving the punishment he is now appealing.