You're Hired

Dallas Children's Theater hires artistic director after national search

Emily Ernst.

Photo courtesy of Dallas Children's Theater

There's a new artistic director at Dallas Children's Theater: Emily Ernst, who will officially step into the role March 3, 2025.

Ernst's hiring comes after a nationwide search in which DCT partnered with Arts Consulting Group, an executive search firm specializing in the performing arts. The theater reports that the opportunity attracted more than 100 candidates from across the U.S. and internationally, who met with the search committee, board, and staff members during the course of several interviews.

She will lead artistic programming (including the as-yet-announced 2025-26 season), development of new work, educational initiatives, production, and staffing alongside associate artistic director Artie Olaisen, who is winding down a nearly 40-year career at DCT.

“We are thrilled to welcome Emily Ernst as our next artistic leader,” says DCT board president Leah Mora in a release. “We are especially delighted that she has deep connections to the Dallas artistic community in addition to her experience creating theater both nationally and across the globe.”

A graduate of Southern Methodist University’s Meadows School of the Arts, Ernst brings more than 13 years of experience in nonprofit arts leadership. Ernst is a co-founder Dallas theater group Fair Assembly and was a core part of Junior Players' youth-focused Shakespeare program for incarcerated girls, along with leadership roles at Cara Mía Theatre Company, Teatro Dallas, and Cry Havoc Theater Company.

Outside of Texas, Ernst was managing director at Theater for a New Audience in New York, led educational programming for Lincoln Community Playhouse in Nebraska, and most recently served as associate artistic director for River & Rail Theatre Company in Tennessee.

“Emily Ernst will be a phenomenal addition to our team at DCT,” says executive director Samantha Turner. “The search committee was so impressed by her skill for storytelling, deep commitment to arts education, and innovative vision. Emily’s ability to ignite passion and excitement in those around her makes her the perfect person to guide DCT’s artistic vision as we enter this exciting new era.”

Co-founded by Robyn Flatt in 1984, Dallas Children's Theater serves over 95,000 young people and their families annually with professional productions and a robust arts-in-education program. The only professional theater in North Texas focused exclusively on children and families, DCT's offerings also encompass student matinees that serve nearly 40,000 each season, the DCT Academy, and community programming that includes sensory-friendly performances.

“I’m honored to join DCT, which has long been a cornerstone of creativity and storytelling in our community,” says Ernst. “The impact this theater has on young audiences to spark imagination, build confidence, and foster a lifelong love for the arts is immeasurable. I look forward to collaborating with the incredible team to honor DCT's legacy and to bring new, inspiring productions to our stage and into our community. We will work to ensure that children of all ages in Dallas — and their families — encounter the transformative magic of live theater.”

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Books News

Poets Books brings tomes and typewriters to Dallas' Deep Ellum

Poets Books

A unique bookstore is opening in Dallas' Deep Ellum: Called Poets Books, it's an independent bookshop with an accompanying writers' studio that will open at 2649 Main St. #160, in the space previously occupied by Archer Paper Goods, which closed in late 2024.

Set to open in mid-February, it's a second location of Poets Books, a bookstore-writer studio that author Marco Cavazos opened in Bishop Arts in 2019.

"I was looking to take control over my writing away from traditional publishing models, in a space that would work as a studio for other writers as well, and where I could sell my books," Cavazos says.

Poets Books specializes in unconventional literature, including poetry, novels, non-fiction, philosophy, essays, classic books, and rare genres such as modern Japanese fiction.

The new space in Deep Ellum is almost double the size, which will allow for a larger variety of titles. But it will continue the spirit of the original store, with bookshelves all around, chairs and tables for readers and writers, and typewriters for visitors to create their own work.

"Ultimately, the neighborhood will dictate what we carry. It will end up having a different vibe for that reason," Cavazos says.

The shop will host events such as poetry “share and critique” workshops, book readings, and signings with local authors. The space has an entrance on Main Street and another one around the corner on the alley, where there will also be a patio that it shares with neighboring vendors such as Merit Coffee and Van Leeuwen Ice Cream, featuring typewriters for the occasional writers that walk by.

The store will open every day at 10 am, until 8 pm on weekdays and 9 pm on Friday and Saturday to start, though these hours might be adjusted for the later crowd in the future.

Archer Paper Goods was a darling stationery and gift shop that opened in the space in 2018 and survived a surprising six years, since half that time was during the pandemic. It closed at the end of 2024, along with its sibling next-door, Proper Wax. Their Georgia-based parent company still operates Read Shop on Knox/Henderson, which opened in mid-2024 and is thriving thanks to its combination of bookstore and coffee shop.

While it seems like people read less and less these days, and that technology and free snackable videos have taken over, there is still an audience for books.

"From my experience there’s a big chunk of people that are burned out with screens and are looking to skip technology with something physical and real," Cavazos says. He cites poetry and short stories as examples of the type of daily consumption people add to their routines, which promotes daily reading.

“People have a natural curiosity that they cannot satisfy with 10-second videos," he says.

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