Dallas Childrens Theater Inc

Programs: Dct's theater production season offers up to 12 plays for family audiences on a wide array of topics and themes, from favorite classics to works based on popular children's literature to relevant, edgy teen issues. Dct offers musicals, dramas, puppet theater, and everything in between to delight and inspire all ages. Dct annually reaches an average of over 90,000 persons through this offering; most significant are student matinee performances whereby student sponsors (districts or ptas) receive discounted tickets and free study guides are available online for curriculum-related activities. Dct also offers free or deeply discounted tickets to low-income children and families, and for title 1 schools. Productions adapted for children with sensory needs are now a part of the season as well. Dct continues its community engagement efforts through dct showtime, a initiative that takes elements of dct's professional plays out into the neighborhoods. Professional actors and teaching artists go into libraries, schools and other community venues as a way of both introducing the concept of theater to some audiences and creating a deeper connection between dct and others. Presentations include full performances, hands-on workshops, early script reading, play focus groups and much more. Recent visits include townview magnet center, harllee elementary school and 30 libraries.

dct's educational programs include the dct academy which offers year-round classes to more than 2,100 children, ages 3-18. Classes are offered in beginning to advanced theater arts and taught by degreed theater professionals with focus on the development of imagination, communication skills, collaborative problem-solving, and performance techniques. Dct has also added especially dedicated sensory-friendly classes to fall, spring and summer sessions. Additionally, after school drama classes are created and administered by dct to benefit youth through after-school satellite theater arts programs. The curtains up on reading program is an in-school and summer program integrating drama, literature, language arts, social studies and history. Dct artists-in-residence collaborate with educators in dallas area elementary schools to incorporate the arts into the core curriculum. Dct's anti-bullying collaboration with the campaign for kindness and dallas isd brings a professional performance of "tacky box" to 10+ disd schools to encourage students to use kind words and put "tacky" words in a box so they can eliminate them from their vocabularies.

dct on tour is a professional touring company performing annually for a diverse audience comprised of 110,000 to 150,000 students and families in 61 to 72 cities throughout the us and canada. Known for presenting full-scale theatrical productions to every region, dct's tour provides exceptional, compelling theater to all young people, especially in under-served rural and inner-city communities. In 2006, the tour traveled to china, representing the usa at the shanghai international children's culture & arts expo. The touring company has performed at numerous prestigious theaters including the jfk center for the performing arts in washington, dc and the tribeca performing arts center in new york city. The national endowment for the arts has designated dct on tour as an american masterpiece touring artist.