Dallas Children's Theater

Dallas Children’s Theater (DCT) is a professional theater organization based in Dallas, Texas, that focuses on producing theater for youth and families. DCT reaches an audience of 250,000 youth annually with its 9 main stage productions, national touring company, and education programs. In 2004, TIME magazine named Dallas Children's Theater one of the Top 5 theaters in the country performing for youth.[1]

Description

Robyn Flatt and Dennis Vincent founded Dallas Children's Theater, a 501(c) 3 non-profit organization, in 1984. Since its opening, DCT has become the largest not-for-profit family theater in the Southwest, operating on an annual budget of more than $3 million.[2] DCT’s 11 annual productions are staged in the Rosewood Center for Family Arts. The Rosewood Center also houses DCT’s youth programming, including its theater academy and education programs such as “Curtains Up on Reading.”

DCT’s staff works to increase the body of theater for youth. The DCT artistic staff has written, adapted, and/or staged more than 40 world premier plays and musicals since its opening in 1984 (titles listed in “Production History.”) In addition to new works, DCT’s repertoire also includes well-known literary works, histories, biographies, fables, and other familiar stories.

Dallas Children’s Theater has been recognized by both TIME (magazine) and American Theater Magazines as one of the leading professional theaters in the United States.[3] The theater is supported and endorsed by the National Endowment for the Arts, the Texas Commission on the Arts,[4] the Hearst Foundation, and the Kresge Foundation.

DCT is affiliated with the Actors’ Equity Association, the Theater Communication Group, ASSITEJ International (Theater for Young Audiences/USA), and the American Alliance for Theater and Education (AATE).

Dallas Children's Theater offers educational and enrichment programs for children and teens in the Dallas Community. Programs include an annual national touring production that visits more than 50 cities every year; a student matinee performance series that allows underprivileged children and school programs to attend theatre performances at a reduced rate; an arts-in-education program entitled "Curtains Up on Reading;" academy classes for kids and teens; after school programs; and programs created for teens.

To engage young people in transformational theatrical experiences, Dallas Children's Theater provides a professional season of diverse, quality productions for youth and families, year-round education and outreach programs, and a national touring company that travels to over 52 cities and 26 states each year.

Dallas Children's Theater enriches the lives of over 250,000 children and families annually.

Executive Artistic Director Robyn Flatt

Robyn Flatt has served as the Executive Artistic Director of Dallas Children’s Theater since she co-founded the organization in 1984. In November 2008, she established the Baker Idea Institute, which holds annual symposia to address creativity and artistic expression in education.

Mrs. Flatt earned a Master of Fine Arts degree from Baylor University. She served as a member of the Resident Professional Company of the Dallas Theater Center for twenty years before founding Dallas Children’s Theater.

Flatt has served on the boards of the American Alliance for Theatre Education and the USA branch of the International Association of Theatre for Children and Young People (ASSITEJ/USA). She has received many honors and awards, including induction into the College of Fellows of American Theatre in 2007.

DCT Programs

DCT on Tour is Dallas Children's Theater's annual touring production, which travels to more than 50 U.S. cities every year. DCT's first touring production premiered in 1996. Recent touring productions include "Mufaro's Beautiful Daughters" and "Most Valuable Player." In 2009, DCT was designated as an NEA (National Endowment for the Arts) American Masterpieces Touring Artist for that year.

DCT's Student Matinee Performance Series provides discounted tickets for students who attend weekday morning performances of the theater's main stage productions. DCT provides online study guides for each production so that teachers may integrate their students' field trip experience with what they are learning in the classroom.

The DCT Academy for Theater Arts provides year-round theater classes and workshops for children and teens. DCT's four artists-in-residence as well as additional theater professionals teach the classes.

Curtains Up on Reading is an initiative to integrate the arts into academic curricula in Dallas area schools. DCT artists-in-residence travel to local elementary and middle schools and teach hands-on, interdisciplinary units in an attempt to increase students' understanding of academic subjects. Curtains Up on Reading currently reaches 25 campuses in the Dallas area.

Kathy Burks Theater of Puppetry Arts

Founded in 1973, the Kathy Burks Theater of Puppetry Arts has been affiliated with DCT since 1996. The theater stages two original puppet plays per year on the DCT stage and uses all styles of puppetry, including traditional bridge and cabaret marionettes, hand puppets, shadow puppets, and Black Theatre rod puppets. Kathy Burks’ puppets are often featured in other DCT mainstage productions.

The Kathy Burks Theater of Puppetry Arts stores its collection of over 1,000 puppets, both new and antique, at DCT’s Rosewood Center for Family Arts.

Venues

DCT productions began running at El Centro Community College in 1984, and continued to do so continuously until 2003. In 1987, with the support of The Rosewood Corporation and the Meadows Foundation, they moved their administrative offices and some performances to the Crescent Theater in Dallas.

In 2003 DCT moved from the Crescent Theater into the 58,000 sq. ft. Rosewood Center for Family Arts with the Baker Theater (seats 400) and Studio Theater (seats 150), five classrooms, community gathering room and space for costume, scenic, shops and storage.

Awards and recognition

Production history

1984-1985

1985-1986

1986-1987

1987-1988

1988-1989

1989-1990

1990-1991

1991-1992

1992-1993

1993-1994

1994-1995

1995-1996

1996-1997

1997-1998

1998-1999

1999-2000

2000-2001

2001-2002

2002-2003

2003-2004

2004-2005

2005-2006

2006-2007

2007-2008

2008-2009

2009-2010

2010-2011

2011-2012

2012-2013

References

  1. ↑ TIME magazine, Volume 164, Number 20
  2. ↑ ASSITEJ “Spotlight” (http://www.assitej-usa.org/Spotlight/dct/)
  3. ↑ American Theater Magazine, http://www.tcg.org/publications/at/2000/swan.cfm
  4. ↑ 2. TCA year to date list of grants for fiscal year 2010 (September 1, 2009 to August 31, 2010) http://www.arts.state.tx.us/cities/09/show.asp

Sources

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