WORD OF MOUTH: In Flight, Jubilee Theatre celebrates the African-American oral tradition. The story of a father and son dealing with the sudden sale of their wife/mother from an 1858 Georgia plantation comes directly from slave folktales. But if this all sounds very depressing, it’s not. “Jubilee has delivered both weeping and joy simultaneously for the best kind of drama,” is how M. Lance Lusk sums up his Front Row review. “This beautifully crafted script is by Charlayne Woodard, author of Pretty Fire, which was so well presented by Jubilee last season,” Punch Shaw writes on dfw.com. “It is a consistently charming blend of storytelling, rhythm and poetry that, despite the main themes, is not without its moments of humor.” Catch Flight through Oct. 21.

END OF AN ERA: Jerry Russell, who founded Stage West more than 30 years ago, has announced that he’s stepping down from his position of producing director. “It’s time for me to change my involvement to more of an acting, directing and consulting position and leave the daily financial stresses to another generation,” Russell wrote in a letter to patrons. More at dfw.com.

GET ME REWRITE: If you’ve seen The Addams Family on Broadway, don’t let that keep you from seeing the touring version, which Dallas Summer Musicals opens tonight. That’s because the show has undergone significant changes in hitting the road. “At this point, 30 percent of the show is different from the one seen in New York,” producer Stuart Oken tells dallasnews.com, where some of those changes are detailed.