Editor's note: This story is part of an ongoing series for Arts Access examining the health and well-being of our North Texas arts economy.
Dallas Children鈥檚 Theater is laying off four employees, cutting two shows from its upcoming season and will pause its academy classes after this summer.
Samantha Turner, executive director of the Dallas Children鈥檚 Theater, said the changes are in response to 鈥渢he enormous financial challenges we鈥檙e experiencing.鈥�
鈥淲e found ourselves approaching a situation where cash was getting very tight as we approach the summer and into the early fall.鈥�
The four workers who were laid off include two administrative employees and two production team members. DCT has canceled two previously announced shows, The Musical Adventures of Flat Stanley and Jungalbook, and won鈥檛 have academy classes in the fall and spring.
Turner said DCT has not been impacted by recent National Endowment for the Arts funding cuts, but said economic volatility has affected donor commitments.
鈥�We have lots of interest among funders with a large campaign that we have right now, and they're enthusiastic about supporting. It's just making that commitment for the support is taking longer than we had hoped it would take,鈥� she said.
The theater company said it will continue its student matinee performances, which reach about 40,000 students a year, including half who come from Title 1 schools. DCT will also continue to offer its sensory-friendly performances and a neighborhood program offering free or pay-what-you-can performances to communities in Vickery Meadow.
鈥淲e put our resources forth in a way that we can continue to serve the community and as broad a scale as we can, aligning with the values that we have of having accessibility for those who are differently abled or those who may have financial limitations that are cultural barriers that keep them from coming to the theater,鈥� she said.
Turner said two more rounds of layoffs and furloughs are on the horizon. The first is expected in August when academy classes pause, followed by another in October.
Arts Access is an arts journalism collaboration powered by The Dallas Morning News and 四虎影院.
This community-funded journalism initiative is funded by the Better Together Fund, Carol & Don Glendenning, City of Dallas OAC, The University of Texas at Dallas, Communities Foundation of Texas, The Dallas Foundation, Eugene McDermott Foundation, James & Gayle Halperin Foundation, Jennifer & Peter Altabef and The Meadows Foundation. The News and 四虎影院 retain full editorial control of Arts Access鈥� journalism.
