Jaime Castañeda has been appointed Dallas Theater Center’s new artistic director.
He will officially start in the role in July 2026. Interim artistic director Jonathan Norton, who is also DTC’s resident playwright, will finish out the 2025-26 season. Kevin Moriarty was DTC’s previous artistic director. He ended his 15-year tenure in 2022 to become the theater’s executive director.
Castañeda said he’s excited to champion new works and artists at DTC.
“I love digging backward and reading the canon but I also want to support the next generation of artists,” he said. “Since the pandemic, I think that's been the next challenge is how do we support this next wave of artists coming out. I hope Dallas can be a home for a bunch of new artists that maybe haven't been to Dallas before.”
Since 2018, Castañeda has been freelance directing. He has directed at the American Conservatory Theater, South Coast Repertory, Huntington Theatre Company and La Jolla Playhouse, where he was the associate artistic director. He also worked off-Broadway as the artistic associate at the Atlantic Theater Company.
Castañeda is not a stranger to Texas and the Dallas Theater Center. He started his career in North Texas more than 20 years ago as the founder of Firestarter Productions. In 2012, Castañeda directed DTC’s production of The Elaborate Entrance of Chad Deity by Kristoffer Diaz. He has also directed at Kitchen Dog Theatre, Amphibian Stage and Circle Theatre.
Moriarty, executive director of DTC, said he’s excited about the combination of Castañeda’s national experience in New York and L.A. and his deep connection to Texas.
“He understands both where theater is headed and also where our community is and how to bring those two things into a dynamic conversation,” he said.
Moriarty also said he looks forward to Castañeda setting a “vision that is visceral and intellectually rigorous,” as well as inclusive of the local arts community.
“He's got the perfect leadership skills and personality to be able to re-enter the community and build authentic relationships with artists, with donors, with audience members at a time when I think all of us locally and nationally are really looking to be inspired by what the future of theater can be. So it's a really glorious moment for us,” he said.
Castañeda said stepping into the new role is “a bit of a homecoming.”
“I'm thrilled about being back in Texas,” he said. “I was born and raised in San Antonio, but I kind of say I professionally grew up in the D-FW area.”
Castañeda, who lives in L.A., plans to relocate to North Texas in the new year.
He attended Texas Christian University for his BFA and the University of Texas at Austin for his MFA in directing. Castañeda is a recipient of the Princess Grace Award and the Drama League Directing Fellowship. Previously, he directed world premiere plays such as Seize the King by Will Power and The Canadians by Adam Bock. Castañeda has also directed short films that have screened at the LA Shorts International Film Festival, New York Latino Film Festival and Film Independent’s First Look.
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