The ninth El Paso Community Foundation Jewel Box Series at the Philanthropy Theatre will begin with the fiery flamenco music and dance of Sangre Gitana and end with a dance-infused play called The Mad Flower.
Eight shows by seven performing arts groups make up the 2024-2025 season, which will be staged on Sunday afternoons from October 2024 through May 2025 in the Philanthropy Theatre in the Plaza Theatre Performing Arts Centre.
The season begins at 2:30 pm Sunday, October 13 with what promises to be a colorful performance of flamenco music and dance by El Paso’s popular Sangre Gitana.
General admission tickets are $15, on sale at the Plaza Theatre Box Office (no service fees) and Ticketmaster.com (with service fees). Note: The venue allows only clear bags and no longer accepts cash.
The season includes two shows by Star on the Mountain Theatrical Productions — the interactive murder mystery This Murder Was Staged (November 10) and topical drama Stop Kiss (February 9). Playwright Félix Arenas returns with Requiem for Rosa Elena’s Dream on April 13.
New to the Jewel Box are piano bar veteran Alissa Musto, who headlines the request-oriented Piano Ma’am Sing-Along on January 12, and contemporary classical composer Daniel Villasenor (Frontera Bugalú), who performs original solo piano compositions on December 8.
The SOMOS Performance Group, founded by mother-daughter Beth Leffler and Josey Pickett, performs the Peter Pan prequel Peter and the Starcatcher on March 9. Mad Flower Productions, founded by high school theater educators Talia Leilani Davila and Noelle Mullenix, closes the series with The Mad Flower, an original play with dance, on May 11.
The Jewel Box Series was created in partnership with El Paso Live in 2014 to host local performing artists and groups in that jewel box of a venue, the Philanthropy Theatre in the Plaza Theatre Performing Arts Centre.
Sangre Gitana/ Sangre Gitana- 2:30 pm October 13, 2024 The colorful El Paso group blends fiery rhythms with passionate flamenco dance.
This Murder Was Staged/ Star on the Mountain Theatrical Productions- 2:30 pm November 10, 2024 An interactive murder mystery in which everyone, including the audience, is a suspect.
Pianist — Daniel Villasenor/ Daniel Villasenor- 2:30 pm December 8, 2024 The Frontera Bugalú keyboardist goes solo with original music inspired by dreams.
Piano Ma’am Sing-Along/ Alissa Musto- 2:30 pm January 12, 2025 Request your favorite songs and sing along with this former Miss America finalist.
Stop Kiss/ Star on the Mountain Theatrical Productions- 2:30 pm February 9, 2025 Diana Son’s topical drama about the consequences of a first kiss.
Peter and the Starcatcher/ SOMOS Performance Group- 2:30 pm March 9, 2025 The Tony Award-winning play tells the backstory of Peter Pan, Tinker Bell and Hook.
Requiem for Rosa Elena’s Dream/ Félix Arenas- 2:30 pm April 13, 2025 A new, original play about how life takes its toll on Rosa Elena’s family in El Paso.
The Mad Flower/ Mad Flower Productions- 2:30 pm May 11, 2025 Three women meet in a dance class and learn about love, loss, and life.