The mission of the Dallas Theatre League (DTL) is to unite, strengthen and promote the theatre community in the Greater Dallas Area, working on behalf of our conviction that the performing arts are an essential public good, critical to a healthy and truly democratic society, and invaluable as a source of personal enrichment and growth.

The Dallas Area is one of the largest theatre centers in the country. The region boasts more emerging theatre companies per capita than almost any other metropolitan area in the U.S., is home to one of the country’s oldest LORT Level Theatres, and the country’s second oldest summer Shakespeare Festival. Some 200 new plays are premiered here each year, some going on to wider success. DTL was founded in 1994 to serve and celebrate this vital artistic community.

DTL's present membership ranges from multi-million dollar organizations to grassroots community groups; from individuals, including actors, directors, designers, playwrights, technicians and theatre patrons, to universities and theatre industry professional services.

DTL's most prominent programs include our Web site containing one of the most comprehensive theatre listings available for the area, numerous educational and development programs for emerging theatre companies and local theatre artists, and advocacy for the theatre community on the local, state and national level. DTL is also the primary sponsor of the annual Leon Rabin Awards, an event celebrating the diversity and excellence of live theatre in Dallas.