Season Announcement

Kitchen Dog Theater spans Dallas to ancient Rome in 2021-22 season

Gary: A Sequel to Titus Andronicus on Broadway

Nathan Lane starred in the Broadway production of Gary: A Sequel to Titus Andronicus.

Photo by Julieta Cervantes

Two world premieres and a celebration of previous New Works stand-outs highlight Kitchen Dog Theater's 2021-22 season, which will be staged at the Trinity River Arts Center.

First up is a show that was originally scheduled for last season but, well, coronavirus and all. It's the world premiere of Good Latimer by Angela Hanks, a Brooklyn-based playwright who was raised in Dallas. Directed by KDT co-artistic director Christopher Carlos, the play follows Dallasites Ravinia and Good as they reach a crossroad in their 35-year relationship.

Ravinia has had a sudden epiphany: she is no longer in love with Good. And Good? Far from accepting his fate, he is determined to win her back, even if it means overcoming a sky that rains armadillos, a rare North Texas earthquake, and Dallas' maddeningly ever-evolving landscape. It runs October 7-24, 2021.

Next up is the regional premiere of a recent Broadway hit: Gary: A Sequel to Titus Andronicus by Taylor Mac. KDT artistic company member Tim Johnson directs the comedy, which is set just after the blood-soaked conclusion of William Shakespeare’s first — and goriest — tragedy.

During the fall of the Roman Empire, the years of bloody battle are over. The civil war has ended. The country has been stolen by madmen, and there are casualties everywhere. And two very lowly servants are charged with cleaning up the bodies. It’s the year 400 AD, but it feels like the end of the world. It runs February 17-March 6, 2022.

For its 24th annual New Works Festival, Kitchen Dog has made a killer "mix tape" of festivals past, complete with commissions, staged readings of the hottest new plays around, and the 21st anniversary of DPAC PUP Fest. The events include:

2022 NWF Mainstage world premiere of High Five, directed by KDT co-artistic director Tina Parker. This evening of five short plays that will each shine a spotlight on one of the five senses: taste, touch, vision, hearing, and smell. It runs June 9-26, 2022.

The 2022 NWF Staged Reading Series will take place in June 2022, featuring exciting new plays selected from four of the past NWF top-ranked playwrights from DFW and beyond. In addition, the Staged Reading Series will include a commissioned new play by a Kitchen Dog Theater artistic company member.

The DPAC PUP (Playwrights Under Progress) Fest is also in June 2022, showcasing six staged readings of jury-selected plays by DFW high school students with student actors and professional directors. PUP Fest is the culminating event of Dallas Playwriting Arts Collective (D-PAC), a partnership with Junior Players and Dallas ISD.

A KDT season subscription is $60 for adults and $45 for students/seniors (65-plus). This includes three mainstage productions and all the annual New Works Festival events. Visit kitchendogtheater.org or call 214-953-1055 to purchase.

KDT will also offer a streaming option for all three mainstage performances, for those who are uncomfortable returning to in-person events.

theater

A Familiar Face

Dallas Theater Center names Jaime Castañeda as new artistic director

Photo courtesy of Dallas Theater Center

Jaime Castañeda is the Tony-winning theater's new artistic director.

The Tony Award-winning Dallas Theater Center has found its next artistic director: Jaime Castañeda, who has a long history with both DTC and North Texas, will become the regional theater's sixth artistic director beginning July 2026. The 2026-27 season will be the first chosen by him.

Jonathan Norton, DTC’s resident playwright, is currently serving as interim artistic director and will continue to lead the remainder of the 2025-26 season, which culminates in the world premiere of his play Malcolm X and Redd Foxx Washing Dishes at Jimmy’s Chicken Shack in Harlem in May.

“DTC is committed to artistic excellence and community engagement, and we believe Jaime’s experience, creativity, bold vision, and proven leadership, coupled with his dedication to innovation, will guide DTC into an exciting new chapter in the life of the theater," says board chair Lynn Pride Richardson in a release.

In 2012, Castañeda directed DTC’s production of The Elaborate Entrance of Chad Deity by Kristoffer Diaz. But he began his career more than 20 years ago in Dallas-Fort Worth by founding Firestarter Productions while still attending Texas Christian University. In addition to directing at DTC, other local theater credits include Kitchen Dog Theater, Amphibian Stage, and Circle Theatre. Castañeda is a recipient of the Princess Grace Award, the Drama League Directing Fellowship, and holds a BFA from Texas Christian University and an MFA in Directing from University of Texas at Austin.

Most recently, Castañeda directed at such leading theaters across the country as American Conservatory Theater, South Coast Repertory, Huntington Theatre Company, and La Jolla Playhouse, where he previously served as associate artistic director from 2014-2018. He was also artistic associate at Off-Broadway's Atlantic Theater Company from 2009-2014.

"Jaime brings a bold, visceral artistic vision, a deep commitment to new voices, and a collaborative leadership style that inspires artists and audiences alike,” says DTC executive director Kevin Moriarty. “With his Texas roots and national experience, I am thrilled to welcome him home as DTC’s new Enloe/Rose artistic director. I have known and admired his work since 2007, when he was already one of the most exciting emerging directors in North Texas, and I later saw him create unforgettable work for DTC on the Wyly stage and at leading theaters nationwide.”

As artistic director, Castañeda will lead the theater’s artistic vision, direct and produce plays and musicals, oversee DTC’s Diane and Hal Brierley Resident Acting Company, and partner with Moriarty, the staff, and the board of trustees to advance DTC’s mission, vision, and values.

Castañeda joins a distinguished line of artistic leadership at Dallas Theater Center, including founding artistic director Paul Baker, Adrian Hall, Ken Bryant, Richard Hamburger, and Moriarty, who served as artistic director from 2007-2022.

“We are extremely pleased with a successful national search that brings Jaime to Dallas Theater Center,” says DTC board member Chris Luna. “His energy is contagious and he understands Texas and Dallas. We look forward to collaborating with Jaime as he continues his innovative approach to regional theater.”

Castañeda was selected for the role following a national search led by Management Consultants for the Arts. The search committee was co-chaired by Luna and Richardson, and included Moriarty, Norton, Jennifer Altabef, Diane Brierley, Lauren Embrey, Sam Holland (Dean, SMU Meadows School of the Arts), Sharron Hunt, Randy Kender, Julie Kosnik, Deborah McMurray, Sam Megally, Liz Mikel (DTC Brierley Resident Acting Company member), Andy Smith, Lily Weiss (executive director, Dallas Arts District) and Donna Wilhelm.

“Growing up in Texas, Dallas Theater Center was one of the first places where I saw what professional theater and excellence looked like,” Castañeda says. “I’m thrilled to come back and build on the history of artists and leaders who have been a part of this organization. I’m eager to join Kevin, the board, and our staff to create lasting theatrical experiences for our audiences.”

Dallas Theater Center's current production of A Christmas Carol runs through December 27 at the Wyly Theatre.

dallas theater center jaime castañeda kevin moriarty theater