FIT Rises

Beloved Dallas indie theater festival revived with new Uptown backers

"Plant Mom" was a popular show during FIT's virtual year.

Photo courtesy of Very Good Dance Theatre

After a pandemic-related hiatus, including one virtual year, Dallas’ favorite summer theater festival will make its triumphant return this August.

The Festival of Independent Theatres (FIT) was founded in 1998 in an effort to aid local theater companies without a permanent performance space. Previously held at the Bath House Cultural Center, this year’s festival will be hosted by Theatre Three and run August 1-17, 2024.

Through material and administrative support, the festival promotes artistic risk and creativity by alleviating the financial burden faced by independent artists. Many of the festival’s biggest hits have gone on to new lives as films, on tours, and on the main stages of several local theater companies.

Now entering its 62nd season, Theatre Three describes its mission as "striking a balance between the innovative and the classic, with inventive design and exciting opportunities for artists, in addition to being an incubator for new works by local talent."

The Quadrangle-based theater in Uptown has announced an open call for submissions from all Dallas-area artists, with a deadline of April 1, 2024. Late submissions will not be considered.

Theater companies and individual performing artists with ties to the Dallas area and project ideas between 30 minutes and two hours are encouraged to apply. All styles and genres of performance art (including but not limited to dance, improv, comedy, mime, movement, music, and clown) are encouraged. Performers and organizations representing all races, backgrounds, genders, and gender expressions are encouraged to submit and will be considered.

The complete call for submissions can be accessed here, with more information about FIT found here.

Scheduling and ticketing information will be provided at a later date. Contact fitfestdallas@gmail.com for more information.

theater

Season Announcement

Kitchen Dog Theater unleashes immersive 2025 season in new Dallas space

Kitchen Dog Theater presents Safe at Home

Photo by Jordan Fraker

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Seven years after announcing it had purchased a building in the Design District, Kitchen Dog Theater is finally ready to move into its new home.

The third and final production of its 2025 season — the theater company's 34th — will take place all around the new "Doghouse." The other two productions will follow the immersive format at non-traditional performance spaces that was established last season.

With three fully produced events that each run the gambit from captivating and gutsy to heartfelt and hilarious, the monthly New Works Festival Staged Readings Series returns, as does the 23rd annual PUP Fest, nurturing high school talent from all over DFW.

First up is the area premiere of Will Eno's Wakey, Wakey, directed by KDT's artistic director Tina Parker and starring KDT co-artistic director Christopher Carlos.

"Is it now? I thought I had more time." These first words in Will Eno's play are spoken by Guy, a man who knows, like all of us on some level, that he is about to die. The play questions why we are here and the journeys that everyone takes to eventually get to the same place. Performances will take place at Expo Park, 840 Exposition Avenue, and run February 7-23, 2025.

Production No. 2 is full of mystery: The title and performance location will be announced soon and run in March/April 2025.

The Happiness Gymby Ken Weitzman closes out the season in August 2025 (exact dates TBA).

This regional premiere is a joyous, experiential event based on the science of well-being. Participants take part in a curated theatrical experience meant to boost their sense of happiness, joy, and feelings of connection. This one-of-a-kind project will be the soft opening to Kitchen Dog’s new theater and will take place all over the entire facility, giving patrons unparalleled access to KDT’s new home.

From March to July 2025, the 26th annual 2025 New Works Festival will showcase four-to-five staged readings of the newest and most exciting local and regional playwrights working in contemporary theater today. Each reading will feature some of DFW's most accomplished actors and directors and will take place at different venues across DFW.

For its 23rd annual event, PUP Fest will feature six staged readings of jury-selected plays written by DFW high school students, featuring student actors directed by area professional directors. PUP Fest is the culminating event of Dallas Playwriting Arts Collective (D-PAC), a partnership with Dallas ISD and Junior Players. Performance location is TBA, but the event will happen June 7, 2025.

For more information, visit kitchendogtheater.org or call 214-953-1055.

kitchen dog theater theater