The residents of the small town of Bethel are facing a quiet but devastating crisis: their beloved park has been sold out from under them, unraveling not just a place, but a shared sense of belonging. In nine interconnected vignettes, sixteen locals confront the ripple effects of loss of jobs, homes, relationships, and certainty while discovering unexpected moments of love, courage, humor, and forgiveness. Over the course of a single day, as the park magically moves through all four seasons, lives intersect and transform.

From a weary security guard desperate to get home to her children, to a young mayor overwhelmed by responsibility, to a nostalgic fisherman who can’t seem to catch anything anymore, each character stumbles, adapts, and finds their footing again. Bethel Park Falls is ultimately a story about resilience and about the irreplaceable role shared spaces play in holding communities together.

These themes lie at the very heart of the Kimbell building’s mission. Like the park at the center of the play, the Kimbell exists as a gathering place where stories, cultures, and generations intersect where loss can be acknowledged, creativity can flourish, and connection can be rebuilt. By hosting Bethel Park Falls, the Kimbell reinforces its commitment to preserving spaces that foster empathy, dialogue, and collective renewal. The play becomes more than a performance; it becomes a reflection of the Kimbell itself a living room for the community, where people come together to remember who they are, and who they can become, together.