Stepping Down

Dallas Arts District director Lily Cabatu Weiss to retire after 9 years

Lily Cabatu Weiss

Photo by Brian Guilliaux

Veteran arts executive Lily Cabatu Weiss, who has led the Dallas Arts District since 2016, announced she will step down from her role as executive director on January 30, 2026, marking the end of a nearly decade-long tenure that transformed the nation’s largest urban cultural district.

In a statement, Weiss — a former dancer, educator, and arts advocate — says that leading the district has been a career highlight.

“To be able to spend so much time supporting and promoting our city’s artists, this district, its premier arts and cultural institutions, parks, commercial and retail interests, historic churches, residents, an award-winning high school, and all of the neighborhood stakeholders — being this community’s champion has been a blessing and an honor,” Weiss says.

During her nine years at the helm, Weiss guided the Dallas Arts District through major milestones and challenges. She helped elevate it as a premier tourism destination, was a contributor to the 2018 Dallas Cultural Plan, and oversaw creation of the Connect Master Plan — the district’s first comprehensive plan in nearly 40 years — which included infrastructure improvements such as currently ongoing sidewalk replacements and public art installations.

She also enhanced the district’s branding and created the popular Signature Block Party Series, a set of free, family-friendly events featuring regional and international artists that now draw more than 50,000 visitors.

Weiss led the community through the financial difficulties of the COVID-19 pandemic and celebrated national recognition when USA Today readers ranked the Dallas Arts District the No. 1 arts district in the United States in both 2024 and 2025.

“Lily Weiss has led the Dallas Arts District through transformational change over the past nine years,” says Jill Magnuson, Dallas Arts District board chair. “By rolling up her sleeves and deeply engaging the neighborhood’s many diverse interests, we’ve been able to weather crises, enjoy dynamic growth and position the district for success in the future.”

Beyond her local leadership, Weiss has been an active advocate for the arts at city, state, and national levels.

She serves on the steering committee for the Dallas Area Cultural Advocacy Coalition, helping secure and expand City of Dallas funding for the arts and arts bond programs. At the state level, she serves on the board of Texans for the Arts, where she has pushed for increased funding for the Texas Commission on the Arts, including Cultural District Grants that benefit smaller resident organizations.

Weiss has represented the Dallas Arts District globally through the Global Cultural District Network, of which Dallas is a founding member.

Her career in the district began in 1978, when she joined the faculty of Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts, eventually becoming chair of its dance department and artistic director. She retired from teaching in 2016 to lead the Dallas Arts District organization.

Looking ahead, Magnuson will step in as interim executive director on January 30, 2026, after concluding her term as board chair. AT&T Performing Arts Center president and CEO Warren Tranquada will become the new board chair on November 1 and will oversee the search for Weiss’s permanent successor early next year.

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