Amon Carter is coming to Dallas.

For more than half a century, one fact of North Texas life was widely understood:

Amon G. Carter Sr. belonged firmly on the Fort Worth side of the Trinity River. Put another way, he was not especially fond of Dallas. Which makes the following announcement all the more remarkable:

The award-winning one-man playAMON! The Ultimate Texan will make its long-awaited Dallas debutwith three performances only on June 27–28, 2026, at the Winspear Opera House’s Hamon Hall—bringing the larger-than-life Texan directly into rival territory.

Meet Dave Lieber, award winning journalist and creator of Amon! The Ultimate Texan, his first play. Known for his “Watchdog” column at The Dallas Morning News, Lieber blends investigative reporting with storytelling that drives real impact.

A national award winner and founder of WatchdogNation.com, he is dedicated to exposing corruption, helping consumers, and making a difference both on the page and in the community.

Our play was featured in The Dallas Morning News, Arlington Today, WBAP, KSKY, KRLD, NBC5, Society Life, Fort Worth Business Press, TheaterJones.com, Fort Worth Weekly, Fort Worth magazine, Dallas Observer, Fort Worth Star-Telegram and The Columnist.

NEW SHOWS in Grapevine! As the playwright, I suggest that the negativity that Fort Worth historically and hysterically felt and, in some quarters still feels for Dallas is the root cause of our theatrical success. Much to my surprise, the DFW rivalry turns out to be funny. The biggest laughs in this play of a hundred-plus laughs come at Dallas’ expense. The meaner the comment, the louder the laughter. No wonder this play has never been performed in Dallas. Amon Carter hated Dallas.

At a fundraiser for TCU Library's Special Collections, Dave Lieber, the playwright behind the hit play AMON! The Ultimate Texan addressed a high-powered audience, hoping to honor the hard-working librarians who helped him write the play and the companion book. These librarians maintain the vast Amon Carter collection, and Lieber had spent months poring over its 444 boxes of materials to research his work.

The good news is we get to make local history this weekend when the award-winning AMON! becomes the first adult play to hit the stage at The Texas Theater in Waxahachie since it was lovingly restored.

Meet Kelvin Dilks, one of North Texas’ finest teachers and now an amazing actor who thrills audiences with his strong performance as Mr. Fort Worth in AMON! The Ultimate Texan.

The play about Amon Carter – Mr. Fort Worth – comes to The Texas Theater in Waxahachie for four special shows in early 2024. Still, not in Dallas!

Take the WBAP trivia quiz I gave top WBAP radio personalities at the station’s official 100th birthday party..

It was Thanksgiving Day 1925, and Amon was roaming the football sidelines cheering for Texas A&M against University of Texas.

When Amon got close to the impeached former Gov. Pa Ferguson, with his wife, Ma, who was governor at the time (long story), Amon let it rip. He shouted loud enough for them to hear:

HURRAH FOR A&M! HURRAH FOR DAN MOODY!

For this he was ejected.

Why in the world would this Texas newspaper publisher be delivering his paper in the damn middle of the night?

Playwright Dave Lieber tells Fort Worth magazine: "It was important that everything be accurate; the words spoken are as close to the words as possibly they could be," he says. "I really didn't take any poetic license and add, enhance, increase, or fabricate, like I could have done in theater, because theater allows you, but I wanted it to be as real as real could be."

The dazzling new $21 million Coppell Arts Center is the place for the Dallas County debut of AMON! The Ultimate Texan, winner of Best New Play by a Local Playwright in D/FW theater.

In 1953, Amon pushed for an expensive bond election that would have raised taxes but also built sidewalks, streets and other city infrastructure. Amon’s newspaper endorsed the proposal, too. But when it went down to defeat by Fort Worthians who didn’t want higher taxes, Amon became enraged.

Fort Worth media mogul Amon Carter collected celebrity friends the way people back then collected stamps or coins. One of his most famous visitors was Gary Cooper in 1940.

Amon Carter’s favorite paperboy lasted 53 years on the job. Like Amon, he knew movie stars and presidents.

He loved Amon Carter so much he named his son Amon Carter. But the way the father died and the son took over is quite amazing.

The portrayal of Amon Carter in the movie 12 Mighty Orphans should have emphasized his own background as an orphan.

What do audience members say about AMON! The Ultimate Texan?
”A masterpiece.” “Laughs and tears.” “A hit!”

Interview with AMON! playwright Dave Lieber about the return of the play for its Dallas County debut in July 2021.