Dallas Children's Theater > Support DCT

How's My Money Used?

Your money goes to enrich and educate the lives of 250,000 children and families annually!

Created in 1984 as a response to the growing need for professional entertainment for children and families, DCT has grown to include vital, groundbreaking educational programs as well as an 11-play professional season and a national tour. DCT is ranked among the top 5 theaters for children in the country according to TIME Magazine.

Because ticket sales cover only half our costs, DCT relies on your contributions to help produce a professional season of eleven plays. Revenue for Arts-In-Education programming pays for even less - about a fourth of these educational expenses; therefore, educational initiatives at DCT exist ONLY through the support of generous individuals, corporations and foundations:
Student Matinee Performance Series annually reaches more than 50,000 students with weekday performances of DCT mainstage productions. Discounted student tickets cover only a quarter of our costs to produce live, professional theater specifically for children. On-line study guides enhance arts-in-educational experiences. Teacher use these free tools to link the student’s theater experience with curriculum-related activities. No child is ever turned away for lack of means to pay. DCT further discounts tickets to $3.50 for low-income “at-risk” children and families and Title I schools. Additionally, 1,500 tickets are given away each school year.
Curtains Up On Reading Residency is an in-school program integrating drama, literature, language arts, social studies, and history. DCT artists-in-residence collaborate with educators in DISD elementary schools (over 2,500 students) to incorporate the arts into core curriculum. Interdisciplinary units are designed and taught using a hands-on approach to enhance students’ understanding of the material, build enthusiasm for learning, and develop self-confidence. This approach is particularly effective in working with low-performing youth impeded by language barriers and learning difficulties. The Curtains Up On Reading curriculum book is available to schools throughout the country.
After-School Drama Clubs benefit “at-risk” youth through 61 after-school satellite arts programs created and administered by DCT. Students learn the creative process, teamwork, and communication skills in an arts educational format taught by professional theater artists. A semester’s work culminates in the creation and performance of a play based on the group’s shared life experiences.
DCT Academy for Theater Arts offers year-round classes to more than 1,800 young people, ages 3-18. Each class runs for 12 weeks with 200-300 students each session, 16-17 classes each session. Classes are offered in everything from beginning to advanced theater arts and taught by degreed theater professionals with focus on the development of imagination, communication skills, collaborative problem-solving, and performance techniques. “Showbiz Summer” offers over 30 summer classes to some 1,000+ children. “The Teen Conservatory” is very popular with older children. Scholarships are available.
DCT On Tour is DCT’s professional touring production, which travels throughout the U.S. performing for approximately 100,000 students in some 50+ cities from coast-to-coast. The tour has performed at such prestigious theaters as the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C. and the Luther Burbank Center for the Arts in Santa Rosa, California.
Mayor’s Summer Reading Program is operated in partnership with the Dallas and Garland Public Libraries. DCT encourages reading while building the theater audiences of tomorrow in this unique program offering free theater tickets to students who complete required hours of reading during the summer, bringing books to life onstage.