Dallas Theater Center

The Dallas Theater Center is a major regional theater in Dallas, Texas (United States). It produces classic, contemporary and new plays. The theater was based in the Kalita Humphreys Theater, a building designed by famous American architect Frank Lloyd Wright, from 1959 to 2009. In 2009 it moved to the Dee and Charles Wyly Theatre at the AT&T Performing Arts Center in the Dallas Arts District.

History

Founded in 1959, Dallas Theater Center (DTC) was one of the first regional theaters in the United States and was marked by the building of the Kalita Humphreys Theater, designed by the legendary Frank Lloyd Wright. Dallas Theater Center was founded primarily as an educational institution under the leadership of Paul Baker, who envisioned DTC as a conservatory with a well-rounded resident company of writers, directors, designers, and actors. During Baker’s tenure, DTC became one of the nation’s leading producers of experimental interpretations of classics and world premieres, with 35 plays premiering on the Kalita Humphreys Theater stage during his time, including The Latent Heterosexual, Shadow of an Eagle, Blood Money, and Preston Jones’ A Texas Trilogy.

In 1982 as Baker transitioned out of the Theater Center, Mary Sue Jones, his longtime creative partner, served as Interim Artistic Director. The sole female to hold this position, Jones took the reins for one year to lead DTC in the search for Baker’s replacement.

With the arrival of Adrian Hall in 1983, Dallas Theater Center was transformed into a fully professional theater with a resident company of actors. During this time DTC built the Arts District Theater, a dynamic, flexible space in downtown Dallas designed by scenic designer Eugene Lee (the space was closed in 2005 in preparation for construction of the Wyly Theatre). With access to three separate performance spaces (the basement of the Kalita Humphreys was also used as a theater), Hall produced an eclectic array of work ranging from classics to world premieres, such as his adaptation of Robert Penn Warren’s All the King’s Men. During Hall’s tenure, DTC also began its annual production of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol.

Adrian Hall’s tenure at DTC was followed by the leadership of Ken Bryant, who tragically died in 1990 before completing his first full season as Artistic Director. Although he was Artistic Director for less than a year, Bryant’s contributions had informed the artistic life of DTC since 1984, when he joined the staff as a stage manager.

Following a series of guest director Richard Hamburger joined Dallas Theater Center as Artistic Director in 1992. Hamburger’s 15-year tenure saw some of DTC’s most provocative and important productions to date, as well as the introduction of The Big D Festival of the Unexpected and the new works series FRESH INK/Forward Motion. Under Hamburger’s leadership, DTC’s educational outreach flagship program Project Discovery celebrated its 20th consecutive season in 2006-2007. More than 200,000 middle and high school students from across North Texas have attended mainstage productions at Dallas Theater Center through this outstanding program. Hamburger was named DTC's first Artistic Director Emeritus in 2007.

In September 2007, Kevin Moriarty joined Dallas Theater Center as the organization’s sixth Artistic Director. Since then, DTC has seen significant growth and change, including the move into the Dee and Charles Wyly Theatre in the AT&T Performing Arts Center in the fall of 2009; the creation of the Diane and Hal Brierley Resident Acting Company; an extensive series of new play productions, workshops and commissions; an expanded commitment to producing musicals, including the launch of summer musical theater programming; community collaborations with North Texas Food Bank, Dallas Holocaust Museum, Dallas Museum of Art, Sixth Floor Museum, and most of the region's theater companies; national collaborations with Public Theater and Playwrights Horizons in New York, Goodman Theatre in Chicago and Alley Theatre in Houston; educational partnerships with Booker T. Washington High School for the Visual and Performing Arts, South Oak Cliff High School and SMU Meadows School of the Arts; and the launch of Public Works Dallas.

DTC continues to grow in stature as one of the most exciting regional theaters in the country, while remaining fully responsive to the time and place in which we live; to the issues that shape our lives and thoughts; and to people who populate our diverse community.

For close to 60 years, Dallas Theater Center’s innovative, dynamic programming has made a significant mark on the Dallas community as well as the American theater at large. From classic scripts to new plays, from epic to intimate, DTC continues its tradition of excellent theater well into the 21st century.

Productions

1959–1960

1960–1961

1961–1962

1962–1963

1963–1964

1964–1965

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1965–1966

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1966–1967

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1967–1968

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1968–1969

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1969–1970

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MAGIC TURTLE

THE JANUS PLAYERS

1970–1971

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MAGIC TURTLE

THE JANUS PLAYERS

1971–1972

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MAGIC TURTLE

THE JANUS PLAYERS

1972–1973

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MAGIC TURTLE

THE JANUS PLAYERS

1973–1974

DOWN CENTER STAGE

MAGIC TURTLE

THE JANUS PLAYERS

1974–1975

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MAGIC TURTLE

1975–1976

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MAGIC TURTLE

1976–1977

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MAGIC TURTLE

1977–1978

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MAGIC TURTLE

1978–1979

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MAGIC TURTLE

1979–1980

DOWN CENTER STAGE

THE EUGENE MCKINNEY NEW PLAY READING SERIES

1980–1981

1981–1982

DOWN CENTER STAGE

THE EUGENE MCKINNEY NEW PLAY READING SERIES

1982–1983

DOWN CENTER STAGE

1983–1984

1984–1985

1985–1986

1986–1987

1987–1988

1988–1989

1989–1990

1990–1991

1991–1992

1992–1993

THE BIG D FESTIVAL OF THE UNEXPECTED

1993–1994

THE BIG D FESTIVAL OF THE UNEXPECTED

1994–1995

THE BIG D FESTIVAL OF THE UNEXPECTED

1995–1996

THE BIG D FESTIVAL OF THE UNEXPECTED

1996–1997

THE BIG D FESTIVAL OF THE UNEXPECTED

1997–1998

1998–1999

1999–2000

THE BIG D FESTIVAL OF THE UNEXPECTED

2000–2001

2001–2002

2002–2003

2003–2004

FRESH INK: NEW PLAYS AT THE DALLAS THEATER CENTER

TOURING PRODUCTION

2004–2005

FRESH INK: NEW PLAYS AT THE DALLAS THEATER CENTER

TOURING PRODUCTION

2005–2006

FRESH INK: NEW PLAYS AT THE DALLAS THEATER CENTER

FRESH INK/FORWARD MOTION

2006-2007

FRESH INK/FORWARD MOTION

2007–2008

2008–2009

2009–2010

2010-2011

2011-2012

2012-2013

2013-2014

External links

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