Dallas Theater Center

Founded in 1959, Dallas Theater Center is the largest producing theater in North Texas, producing a seven-subscription season of contemporary plays, musicals, new work, and classics that speak to Texas audiences. Its mission is to engage, entertain, and inspire its diverse community by creating experiences that stimulate new ways of thinking and living. The company does this by consistently producing plays, educational programs, and other initiatives that are of the highest quality and reach the broadest possible constituency. Located in the heart of Dallas’ Arts District, in the AT&T Performing Arts Center’s Dee and Charles Wyly Theatre, it aims to serve as Dallas’ town square, a place where people of all ages, backgrounds, and income levels come together and engage in dialogue inspired by its productions. Its signature education programs bring over 5,000 students annually from Dallas’ most economically disadvantaged schools to free evening performances of its mainstage productions and 8,000 annually to student matinees that introduce young people to the magic of live theater. 

As part of Shakespeare for a New Generation, Dallas Theater presented student matinees of King Lear directed by Artistic Director Kevin Moriarty. In addition, the company provided, the company provided pre-performance workshops, study guides, post-performance discussions, professional development for teachers, and bus transportation. A total of 12 performances and 32 educational activities benefitted more than 2,000 middle- and high-school students from 49 schools located in Texas.

While Dallas Theater Center and Trinity Repertory Company have a long personal and institutional history together, this production was the first collaboration between them. It was very rewarding for the Dallas Theater Center’s younger company (only four years old) to experience being enmeshed with a company that has a long artistic history. Similarly, the Trinity actors were inspired by the fresh energy of the Dallas actors and performing with different scene partners and for new audiences.