Hot Tickets

Conjoined twins, wrestlers and the Addams Family: 6 must-see shows in Dallastheater

We may be heading into the final stretch of 2012, but there are still plenty of plays packed into the remaining months to satisfy our theater cravings. Mark your calendar for these six can’t-miss shows, which represent the best of local theater through December.

Side Show, Pfamily Arts
September 27-October 6
There have been stranger concepts for a musical than conjoined twins, but few have managed to reach the emotional depth of this 1997 cult show. Based on the true story of Violet and Daisy Hilton, sisters joined at the hip who went from traveling circus freaks to Depression-era superstars, the show offers an appealing mix of exoticism and grounded sentiment. Director William Park was a member of the original Broadway workshop, so his deep understanding of the show should translate well with this production. Lyricist/librettist Bill Russell is also expected to drop by, perhaps to gather ideas before his revised version of the musical debuts in California and Washington, D.C., in 2014.

An Iliad, Undermain Theatre
September 29-October 27
You might know Denis O’Hare as True Blood’s vampire king Russell or as disfigured murderer Larry Harvey from the first season of American Horror Story, but did you also know he’s a writer? He co-authored with Lisa Peterson this one-man retelling of Homer’s famous poem, which gets its regional premiere under the direction of Katherine Owens. The press release promises a “radical new vision,” but I’m most curious about seeing the Trojan War wind its way around Undermain’s pillared basement performance space.

The Addams Family, Dallas Summer Musicals
October 2-21
 Hearing Lurch sing may not be on your bucket list, but seeing Douglas Sills as Gomez and Sara Gettelfinger as Morticia should be. The role of the mustachioed, macabre Casanova is right in Sills’ wheelhouse: He’s a Broadway vet known for expertly tiptoeing the line between ridiculous farce and suave leading man. Gettelfinger, hysterical as a kooky Okie in Broadway’s Dirty Rotten Scoundrels and heartbreaking as mad socialite Little Edie in the world premiere production of Grey Gardens, should bring a sexy authority to Morticia’s skin-tight gown. And I bet Thing does a fabulous jazz hand.

The Elaborate Entrance of Chad Deity, Dallas Theater Center
October 19-November 25
A Pulitzer Prize finalist, rave reviews from practically every major media outlet, and it’s a play about … professional wrestling? The WWE lampoon seems to be the hot new property in regional theater, and playwright Kristoffer Diaz has been commissioned by DTC artistic director Kevin Moriarty to write two more plays for the company. The Wyly will also be transformed into a wrestling area, and if the inventive staging from previous shows (The Wiz, Cabaret) is any indication, this means something incredible.

The Beauty Queen of Leenane, Kitchen Dog Theater
November 9-December 8
Dallas is no stranger to the works of Martin McDonagh. His dark plays The Pillowman and The Lieutenant of Inishmore each have been staged locally within the past five years, and this isn’t the first Beauty Queen to come our way either. But the claustrophobic, tense, sometimes horrifying black comedy about a seriously unhealthy mother-daughter relationship set in the mountains of Galway, Ireland, is one that I’m ready to revisit. And I’m excited to see the stamp director and KDT member Cameron Cobb puts on this version.

A Christmas Carol, Dallas Theater Center
November 25-December 24
 The yearly tradition is about to undergo a major shakeup. After this season, the Christmas classic will bid adieu to the Kalita Humphreys Theater and take up residence in the Wyly; it’s also the last year the company will use the current production adapted by Richard Hellesen and directed by Joel Ferrell. If you’re yearning for one last festive hit of nostalgia, catch this show before DTC reinvents it all over again next year.

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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