A Time to Dance
Saturday, April 11, 2026 at 7:00 pm
Sunday, April 12, 2026 at 4:00 pm
A One Woman Show of Resilience and Transformation
“I wasn’t the first preacher’s wife to run away. There had been three more. One met a man on the internet. Another went into a life of drinking; she posted pictures on Facebook. And the third was Mary Anne. One Sunday morning Mary Anne was singing in the choir of her husband’s church. She walked down from the choir loft, through the middle aisle, out the back door, and nobody heard from her again. I made my own escape seven years ago." - Detra Denise
Arts on the Lake is proud to host a new production bringing Detra Denise to the Center.
Ms. Denise is a New York-based performer and storyteller with over 20 acclaimed shows in New York City. She’s best known for her deeply personal work, rooted in her “Humans of New York” journey, where she bravely shared her life’s trials and triumphs.
With this performance, Denise debuts her newest one-woman play, A Time to Dance, a lyrical exploration of resilience, transformation, and the power of stepping into one’s own rhythm. With each performance, Detra invites audiences to see life anew—daring them to dance through their own challenges.
Assisting Ms. Denise in this production are Marie Wall as Director and Anna Holbrook as Assistant Director,
Marie Wall is an actress, director, and playwright based in New York’s Hudson Valley. This marks her second time directing Detra Denise in a musical play. Ms. Wall has worked as an actor in New York City for many years, appearing in numerous acclaimed productions. Her original play, Something Unknown, was featured in the Strawberry One Act Festival, where it received the Best New Original Play Award.
Anna Holbrook's career covers, stage, television, and films. Her most recent NY stage appearances are: Measure of Doubt, Daniels Husband, Miss America’s Ugly daughter. Regional stage: Moon Over Buffalo (Won Best Professional Play, CT 2025) Recent TV: Elsbeth, L&O SVU, L&O, Blue Bloods, The Blacklist, Bull, Homeland, Harlem, The Equalizer, Sister Swap (Hallmark). Film: Seasons: Four Love Stories, Brake, The Boy in the Cabinet Beneath the Sink (festivals). Anna spent many years as Sharlene Frame on Another World for which she earned a Daytime Emmy.
Ms. Detra has established a GoFundMe Campaign to help defray the costs of this production. She also provides a passionate statement about what this play portrays and its possible future. Well worth reading. Please contribute as you can.