Dallas Children's Theater has named Emily Ernst as Artistic Director, and Arts Consulting Group (ACG) extends its congratulations on her leadership appointment. She began her tenure on March 3, 2025.
Co-founded by Robyn Flatt in 1984, Dallas Children's Theater serves over 95,000 young people and their families annually with professional productions and a robust arts-in-education program. As the only professional theater in North Texas focused exclusively on children and families, DCT fosters understanding across generations and cultures, nurturing an early love for literature, art, and the performing arts.
Ernst, who co-founded Dallas’s Fair Assembly ensemble, will lead artistic programming, development of new work, educational offerings, production, and staffing. In addition to Fair Assembly, Ernst’s work in the Dallas artistic community includes Junior Players where she was a core part of its youth-focused Shakespeare program for incarcerated girls, as well as roles with Cara Mía Theatre Company, Teatro Dallas, and Cry Havoc Theater Company. She also supported fundraising efforts for the arts at TACA (The Arts Community Alliance). Outside of Texas, Ernst was an Associate to the Artistic & Managing Director at Theater for a New Audience in New York, led educational programming for Lincoln Community Playhouse in Nebraska, and most recently served as Associate Artistic Director for River & Rail Theatre Company in Tennessee.
“I’m honored to join DCT, which has long been a cornerstone of creativity and storytelling in our community,” said Ernst. “The impact this theater has on young audiences to spark imagination, build confidence, and foster a lifelong love for the arts is immeasurable. I look forward to collaborating with the incredible team to honor DCT's legacy and to bring new, inspiring productions to our stage and into our community. We will work to ensure that children of all ages in Dallas, and their families, encounter the transformative magic of live theater.”
ACG is the leading provider of hands-on interim management, executive search, revenue enhancement, strategic planning & community engagement, and facilities & program planning and research services for the arts and culture industry. ACG consultants are located in communities across the United States and Canada to best serve the needs of our clients. ACG team members have decades of combined senior leadership experience in every artistic and cultural discipline and area of functional management expertise.