cleaVage

cleaVage opens at Theatre Three on Thursday, October 15, and runs through November 1. It's a musical comedy that traces the history of silicone gel breast implants, starting in Houston in 1962 with two surgeons whose invention changes the worlds of beauty and medicine in ways they couldn't have predicted. The story is told through humor and candid conversation about women's health, body image, and survival, and it runs parallel to the journey of Dee Dee, a trans woman whose own path toward top surgery mirrors the history. The show is based on true events and people, and the only real name it keeps is that of Esmeralda, the stray dog at the heart of the story.

Texas Monthly called it "Hamilton with breasts," and it's a larger-than-life production. It premiered last year before Women Rock, a breast cancer survivors group in Denton, where it left much of the audience in tears. Staged during Breast Cancer Awareness Month, the production partners with the Tuman Breast Cancer Foundation and Sharsheret, two North Texas nonprofits that support women and families affected by breast and ovarian cancer.

Behind the show is Dallas plastic surgeon Dr. Ron Friedman, who conceived it and wrote the music, lyrics, and book, with Laura Goodenow co-writing the book. Rebecca Lowrey directs and music directs, and Lee Walter stars as Dee Dee. The show runs about two hours with an intermission and is rated PG-13.

Performances are Thursday and Friday from 7:30 to 9:30 PM, Saturday from 7:30 to 9:30 PM, and Sunday from 2:30 to 4:30 PM. The preview performance is Thursday, October 15, from 7:30 to 9:30 PM. Tickets are $40 regular, $37 for seniors, and $20 for the preview performance on October 15; groups of 20 or more save 20%. You can find the show at Theatre Three, 2688 Laclede Street, Suite 120, in Uptown Dallas—the Quad, at the corner of Routh and Howell Streets.