DALLAS: Dallas Children’s Theater (DCT) has announced that Nancy Schaeffer has been promoted from education director and associate artistic director to the company’s artistic director, beginning Dec. 1. Robyn Flatt, previously the DCT’s executive artistic director, will continue on with the company under the new title executive director/founder. In addition to her new duties as artistic director, Schaeffer will continue to lead the education department while the company searches for her successor.
“There is no doubt in my mind that Nancy Schaeffer, who has developed so many of DCT’s very successful educational programs, and who has tirelessly contributed to our growth and recognition as a national leader in theatre for youth, has earned formal elevation to the role of artistic director,” said Flatt in a statement.
Schaeffer’s work with DCT dates back to the company’s origins in 1984, where she was an actor as well as an administrator for early iterations of the company’s theatre classes. Since then, DCT’s school of theatre has grown to serve up to 4,000 students per year and now includes a musical theatre conservatory and Blue Pegasus Players classes for children with sensory sensitivities. Schaeffer is also responsible for pivoting DCT’s academy programs to virtual experiences during the pandemic.
“I love Dallas Children’s Theater,” said Schaeffer in a statement, “and I love to create plays and programming for the young people and families of our community. I am so honored to be a part of an organization that highly values our most important citizens—our children. What a joy to be able to work with such an amazing and dedicated group of artists and creators. Robyn Flatt has planted so many seeds of love and connection that will continue to grow and thrive for years to come. Thanks to her investment and care, our children and teens are will be able to take advantage of live theatre at their DCT home for years to come.”
Nancy Schaeffer has directed numerous DCT productions including Schoolhouse Rock Live!; Disney’s Beauty and the Beast; Ella Enchanted: The Musical; Magic Tree House’s Holiday Musical: A Ghost Tale for Mr. Dickens; Goosebumps the Musical: Phantom of the Auditorium; Junie B. Jones Is Not a Crook; Teen Brain: The Musical; Skippyjon Jones; Rapunzel! Rapunzel! A Very Hairy Fairy Tale; Go, Dog. Go!; Dr. Seuss’s The Cat in the Hat; Pinkalicious, The Musical; How I Became a Pirate; dont u luv me?; Madeline’s Christmas; EAT (It’s Not About Food); Goodnight Moon; The Secret Life of Girls; and 12 productions of The Best Christmas Pageant Ever. Schaeffer also directed DCT’s highly successful touring production of The Stinky Cheeseman and Other Fair(l)y (Stoopid) Tales which toured the U.S. and then traveled to Shanghai, China, playing at the 2006 Shanghai International Children’s Culture and Arts Expo. Schaeffer has directed for the Dallas Opera and Shared Stories for the Sixth Floor Museum. Her credits also include the Christmas Celebration for the Dallas Symphony Orchestra.
