The cast for the Dallas Theater Center’s production of “The Tempest” is so large it could fill a third of the Wyly Theatre’s 600 seats.

Five professional actors. Nothing unusual about that.

Add about 100 more regular folks. The DTC connected with them through the mother-baby classes, senior activities, or English or literacy classes they were enrolled in at community centers around Dallas and began offering them acting workshops last year.

Top it off with cameo appearances from local groups – about 100 more Dallasites – including:

• Rickie Rush’s Living Sound Choir from Inspiring Body of Christ Church
• Sam Lao
• Townview High School Big D Drumline
• Anita N. Martinez Ballet Folklorico
• Northlake Children’s Chorus
• Inner City All-Stars Brass Band
• Yaoyollohtli Aztec Dancers

The run is short – March 3-5.

And the performances are free.

All the hallmarks of a hot ticket. Season ticket holders will need to line up with friends and family of the 200 actors to grab their spots. So the first thing you’ll want to know is how to get seats.(Limit two per person)

A limited number will be available by phone, at 214.880.0202, beginning today. Or, beginning Feb. 24, at www.dallastheatercenter.org.

There will also be a mobile box office distributing tickets at the community centers that partnered with DTC for this project:

• Today: Jubilee Park and Community Center, 917 Bank St., 1-5 p.m.
• Feb. 1: Beckley Saner Recreation Center, 114 Hobson Ave, 10 a.m.-1 p.m.
• Feb. 8: Vickery Meadow Learning Center, 6329 Ridgecrest Rd., 4-7 p.m.
• Feb. 15: Bachman Lake Together Family Center, 9507 Overlake Dr., 11:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m.
• Feb. 23: Literacy Instruction for Texas, 3:30-6 p.m.

This is the first performance by Public Works Dallas, a new project from the DTC and Ignite/Arts Dallas at SMU Meadows School of the Arts. It’s modeled after Public Works, an initiative from The Public Theater in New York that gets regular city dwellers to become not just spectators but performers. Public Works Dallas is the first to replicate the program outside New York .

Art&Seek reporter Hady Mawajdeh has been following this project, visiting some of the acting classes, so you’ll hear more about it here as we near opening night.