The 10,000-square-foot former Presidio Tile in Dallas’ North Design District is going through a major transformation. By the end of 2018/early 2019, it will be the new “permanent” home of Kitchen Dog Theater complete with a 140-seat performance space, offices and a rehearsal space.
Over the past 26 years, KDT has had a variety of home bases including McKinney Avenue Contemporary aka “The Mac” (1994-2015), The Green Zone (2015-2016) and Trinity River Arts Center (TRAC) for the current season.
According to KDT Co-Artistic Director Tina Parker, “Theater companies like ours around the country are challenged by the whims of the local real estate market, so we are extremely grateful to be able to put down permanent roots in our hometown. This development gives us the financial and emotional security to continue our artist-driven mission — to provide a place where questions of justice, morality and human freedom can be explored — for many more years to come.”
Ah, but such an undertaking takes more than good intentions. In this case, it takes $3M and the KDT group has undertaken a capital campaign to achieve that goal.
Capital Campaign KDT Founding Company Member Sally Nysteun-Vahle, longtime KDT Board Member/former Board Chair Paul Barnes and Board Chair Jerry Neisel have just revealed that the purchase of the property was made thanks to $975,000 from The Real Estate Council Community Fund, The Communities Foundation of Texas, The Harold Simmons Foundation and private donors.
They also announced that they have arranged to have The Embrey Family Foundation President/Philanthropic Visionary Lauren Embrey and philanthropist Susan Albritton to serve as honorary co-chairs.
According to KDT Managing Director Tim Johnson, “We are delighted to have these two wonderful community leaders as honor chairs. They join our campaign chairs and a committee of dedicated supporters, all working to help ensure that Kitchen Dog continues to present theater that provokes, challenges and amazes our audience for another 26 years.”
In the meantime, KDT will hold its 2017-2017 season at The Trinity River Arts Center on Stemmons Freeway.