Theater News
Dallas' Second Thought Theatre gets collaborative for 2026 season

Bull in a China Shop, now playing at Amphibian Stage in Fort Worth, will run in Dallas from April 1-18.
The 2026 season for Second Thought Theatre in Dallas will be relatively small - only three productions are scheduled - but it will be full of collaborations designed to build on relationships with theater companies from across Dallas-Fort Worth.
Second Thought will open their season with a production that just started at Amphibian Stage in Fort Worth, Bull in a China Shop by Bryna Turner.
Inspired by the real letters between Mary Woolley and Jeannette Marks spanning from 1899 to 1937, the story asks: what is revolution? What does it mean to be at odds with the world? How do we fulfill our potential? And how the hell do we grow old together? It’s a sharp, joyful play about chosen family and the way love becomes action.
The production, running at Amphibian Stage through March 1, will regroup for a month before starting its run at Second Thought, April 1-18.
“All of us at Second Thought have been fans of Amphibian Stage for years,” said Artistic Director Carson McCain in a statement. “Not only does our content align in mission and quality, but we align in the values of hospitality and artistry. Bull in a China Shop celebrates the queer joy that holds hands with the fight for the equality of women and the LGBTQ community.”
The second scheduled show, running September 16-October 3, will be Dance Nation by Clare Barron, on which Second Thought will collaborate with The University of Texas at Arlington.
A finalist for the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 2019, the play follows an adolescent dance troupe somewhere in middle America which is fighting for what will be the most important achievement of their entire lives - a national dance title.
A coming-of-age story centered around perfectionism, performance, and perception of self, the play is for anyone who’s wondered if they would have excelled on Dance Moms or buckled under the pressure to be on top of the pyramid.
The third and final show of season has not yet been announced, but it will involve a collaboration between Second Thought Theatre and Dallas’ Watering Hole Collective. It will run December 2-19.
The two companies say they have a shared belief in Dallas artists and Dallas audiences - and what’s possible when they build together.
“Both of our companies aren’t afraid of taking creative risks," said Co-Executive Directors Laura Salvie and Jenny Dang in a statement. "This collaboration is about pushing each other artistically and creating theatre that invites audiences in; not just to watch, but to think and feel together.”
In addition to the three productions, Second Thought is continuing their writers-in-development program, Thought Process. Celebrating its third year, it will welcome eight new playwrights, who will work together throughout the year to create innovative new works.
Season tickets, which are $75 for all three shows, are available online now at secondthoughttheatre.com. Individual tickets will go on sale at a later date.
