Dallas Theater Center Announces 2026-27 Season
Dallas Theater Center announced titles for the 2026-27 season, which is the inaugural season of incoming Enloe/Rose Artistic Director, Jaime Castañeda. This season marks a bold, renewed commitment to new work at Dallas Theater Center, and includes world premieres of Cold War thriller Reykjavik86 by Gabe McKinley, dark comedy musical Kill Local with book by Mat Smart and music and lyrics by Liza Anne, and a theatrical exploration of faith and family, The Making of a Saint by KJ Sanchez. These three world premieres will be joined by the regional premiere of The Monsters by Ngozi Anyanwu and a fifth production to be announced June 1. Additionally, DTC will present its annual holiday production of A Christmas Carol. Productions will take place at the Dee and Charles Wyly Theatre inside the AT&T Performing Arts Center and the Kalita Humphreys Theater. Subscriptions for the 2026-27 season are available now. To reserve the best seats at the best prices, subscriptions can be purchased online at DallasTheaterCenter.org or by calling the DTC Box Office at 214-522-8499.
“New work is the engine of the American Theater, and Dallas Theater Center will be a laboratory for artists who have something urgent and honest to express today,” said Enloe/Rose Artistic Director Jaime Castañeda. “Everything starts with the play and the story. I gravitate toward writers who are honest, writing about today and engaging with the present, even if they speak to a different time and era. These plays are about the now, and they are events for the stage that are in direct conversation with the audience. As I embark on my inaugural season at DTC, I am especially looking forward to expanding our DTC family with new artists while featuring local talent and our very own Brierley Resident Acting Company. At every show this season, our audiences will experience original, theatrical events that will inspire conversation.”
The full season will be presented as follows:
Reykjavik86 in the Dee & Charles Wyly Theatre (Sept 11-27, 2026)
The Monsters in the Wyly Studio Theatre (Oct 9-Nov 1, 2026)
A Christmas Carol in the Dee & Charles Wyly Theatre is not included in season tickets but will be available as an additional holiday production (Nov 27-Dec 27, 2026)
A To Be Announced production in the Kalita Humphreys Theater (Feb 5-21, 2027)
Kill Local in the Dee & Charles Wyly Theatre (March 26-April 11, 2027)
The Making of a Saint in the Wyly Studio Theatre (May 14-June 6, 2027)
With a lineup centered on original plays and musicals, DTC continues its longstanding tradition of launching works that resonate far beyond North Texas, offering audiences the rare opportunity to experience groundbreaking stories at their earliest stages. These productions are poised for continued life on stages across the country, reinforcing DTC’s role as both a creative home for artists and a national pipeline for new American theater. With the arrival of Castañeda, DTC enters a new era of artistic excellence and premiere theater produced in Dallas, for Dallas. Castañeda, who planned the 2026-27 season, will assume his full-time role as Enloe/Rose Artistic Director on July 1, 2026, and will direct two of the five plays in the season: Reykjavik86 and Kill Local. DTC’s Diane and Hal Brierley Resident Acting Company members will be featured throughout the 2025-26 season. Company members include: Christina Austin Lopez, Tiana Kaye Blair, Blake Hackler, Bob Hess, Liz Mikel, Alex Organ, Molly Searcy, Tiffany Solano, Sally Nysteun Vahle, Esteban Vilchez, Zachary J. Willis and Bri Woods. Bri Woods is the Linda and Bill Custard SMU Meadows Actor.
ABOUT THE 2026/2027 SEASON
Reykjavik86
World Premiere
By Gabe McKinley
Directed by Enloe/Rose Artistic Director Jaime Castañeda
September 11 - 27, 2026 at the Dee & Charles Wyly Theatre
Reykjavik86 is a gripping Cold War thriller that brings the 1986 nuclear summit between Ronald Reagan and Mikhail Gorbachev to life on stage. With the fate of humanity in the balance, two vastly different leaders search for common ground while wrestling ideology, history and the human cost of power. Reykjavik86 delves into diplomacy in a divisive world, revealing the enduring impact of choices made and not made.
The Monsters
Regional Premiere
By Ngozi Anyanwu
October 9 - November 1, 2026 at the Wyly Studio Theatre
Lil is a scrappy young fighter ready to enter the ring. After 16 years, she reconnects with her brother Big, an accomplished fighter in the local MMA scene. To earn her brother’s respect, Lil must master her stance, her strikes, and her stubborn streak. But can these two siblings mend their thorny past and find common ground in the ring they both love? Fresh from a critically acclaimed Off-Broadway run, The Monsters is a play with heart, humor and the fierce love only a sibling can give.
Kill Local
World Premiere
Book by Mat Smart
Music and Lyrics by Liza Anne
Music Produced by Kyle Ryan with Liza Anne
Based on the play Kill Local by Mat Smart
Directed by Enloe/Rose Artistic Director Jaime Castañeda
March 26 - April 11, 2027 at the Dee & Charles Wyly Theatre
Sheila and her sister, Abigail, work together for their mother’s small family business. Sheila used to love the job. Lately, she’s not so sure. But when you’re an assassin, being uninspired means getting sloppy, and getting sloppy means getting killed. With music by indie rock singer-songwriter Liza Anne, this world premiere musical blends dark comedy with killer songs about blood ties, revenge, and how hard it is to get unstuck.
The Making of a Saint
World Premiere
Written, Directed and Starring KJ Sanchez
May 14 - June 6, 2027 at the Wyly Studio Theatre
KJ is searching for something to believe in. Her brother is very spiritual. In fact, he is the official Petitioner of the Cause for the canonization of a Catholic saint— Sister Blandina Segale, who lived in the time we call the “Wild West.” Searching for a model for how to live a good life, investigative documentary writer/performer KJ Sanchez sets out to understand Sister Blandina’s extraordinary story. In this solo investigative performance based on interviews and research in Rome, KJ invites the audience into her search–exploring what it means to help others, and how a brother and sister might bridge the distance between faith and doubt.
ADDITIONAL PRODUCTIONS:
A Christmas Carol
Adapted by Kevin Moriarty
Directed by Alex Organ
Based on the novel by Charles Dickens
November 27 - December 27, 2026, at the Dee and Charles Wyly Theatre
Embark on a magical Christmas Eve adventure with Ebenezer Scrooge as three otherworldly spirits whisk him away on a breathtaking journey of hope and redemption. From the nostalgic warmth of Christmases past to the stark truths of the present and the ominous shadows of the future, Scrooge's journey is a spectacle of wonder. Prepare for dazzling visuals, enchanting melodies, and a heartwarming tale that celebrates the transformative power of the holiday spirit.
Dallas Theater Center’s season tickets include Reykjavik86, The Monsters, Kill Local, The Making of a Saint and the to be announced production. Prices start at $219 with subscription benefits including priority seating, priority access to single tickets with a 20% discount, and unlimited free exchanges. To reserve the best seats at the best prices, subscriptions can be purchased online at DallasTheaterCenter.org or by calling the Dallas Theater Center Box Office at 214-522-8499.