Dallas, Texas

When I read the list of speakers on the mayor’s panel, it was made of six women, including five artists and one critic. In terms of racial diversity, only one was African-American and another was from Iran. The rest were white speakers. Where was the Latina? Dallas is an astounding 42 percent Latino and the mayor is going to “Re-Imagine Art in Dallas” without including anyone to speak on our behalf?

Playwright Jonathan Norton interviews Theatre Three's Executive Producer-Director Jac Alder.

I ended up staying in Dallas more through a process of elimination rather than an initial zeal for the theater scene here. But I chose right, plain and simple. I’ve lived here for about five years, four of which I was a student at Southern Methodist University earning my BFA. In that time I’ve watched an entire arts district somehow rise out of the ground, multiple theater companies be born, and I’ve joined the ragtag team of young artists looking to see what this town has to offer.

I’ve been honored to carve out a career in Dallas over the last 30 years producing new and experimental work as the Founder and Artistic Director of Undermain Theatre. Over the past 3 decades I’ve seen Dallas evolve in some remarkable ways, developing into a vibrant home for the arts and culture in ways that I couldn’t have imagined when I was a young director just putting on some plays with my friends in a literal basement off of Main Street.

“You did what?” This is the question I’m asked by colleagues in the field when I tell them that I’ve recently moved to Dallas. So, here are the reasons why I moved, and why Dallas is such an exciting place to be when it comes to making theater.

In this installment of the Dallas Series, Jonathan Norton reflects on his experiences and hopes as a playwright living in Dallas.