Regional VP:

Haley Nelson

Information about events and activities:

LMDA Third Coast Region Facebook Group

States Represented:

Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas

Greetings from the “Third Coast”!  Our region, which includes Texas, Oklahoma, and Arkansas, at one time was called “Homestead” because LMDA has “Southwest” and “Southeast” regional groups. There are several geographic realities that we face as a region, given our vast size.  Houston, Dallas and Austin are the major theatrical centers in the Third Coast Region.  There are many, many theatres in each!  Below you will find some websites that will assist you in familiarizing yourself with performing arts entities across the three-state region.  The two major South Coast Regional LORT houses are the Alley Theatre in Houston and the Dallas Theater Center. Other well-known entities are Austin’s Rude Mechs, Zach Theatre, Salvage Vanguard, Austin Playhouse, Scriptworks (playwrights), Hyde Park Theatre, and Frontera Festival; the DFW Metroplex’s Kitchen Dog Theater, Water Tower Theatre, Shakespeare Dallas, Dallas Summer Musicals, Teatro Dallas, Theatre Three, Cara Mia Theatre, Dallas Children’s Theater, African American Repertory Theatre, and Fort Worth’s Casa Mañana and Jubilee Theatres.  The Houston scene includes some 60 performing venues and groups, including organizations as historic as A.D. Players, Houston Grand Opera, Houston Ballet, and Theatre under the Stars.

Austin (the region’s only conference site in LMDA’s history, in 2005), is well known not only for its experimental theatre groups but also for its vibrant music scene and the annual SXSW (South by Southwest) Music, Film, and Emerging Technologies Festival.  Austin is also the leader in bringing the film industry to the “third coast.”

Both Dallas and Houston have major downtown theatre districts.  Houston’s theatre district includes 17 city blocks and performance venues with nearly 13,000 seats concentrated in that area.  The Dallas arts district, at 68 acres and 19 contiguous blocks, claims to be the largest contiguous urban arts district in the nation.  We encourage you to visit the following websites to see what’s on the boards and who is making theatre. 

http://www.artshound.com/  (Houston Arts Alliance)
http://www.visithoustontexas.com/things-to-do/performing-arts/
http://www.nowplayingaustin.com/ (Austin Cultural Arts Division & Austin Cultural Alliance)
http://www.visitdallas.com/things-to-do/arts-and-culture/
http://sanantoniotourist.com/theatre/

Oklahoma’s major cities are Tulsa (home of the University of Tulsa), Oklahoma City (Oklahoma City University), and Norman (Oklahoma University).  Oklahoma State University is located in Stillwater.

http://www.visitokc.com/things-to-do/museums-art/performing-arts/

Arkansas’ major cities are Little Rock, Ft. Smith, and Fayetteville (home of University of Arkansas).

http://www.arkansas.com/things-to-do/arts/performing-arts/

Third Coast region is home to a very large number of highly active college and university theatre programs.  Included among the MANY institutions that create opportunities for students and teaching artists:

Arkansas State University, Baylor University, Incarnate Word University, San Antonio, Oklahoma City University, Oklahoma State University, Oklahoma University (OU), Sam Houston State University, Southern Arkansas University, Southern Methodist University (SMU), Southwestern University, St. Edwards University, Steven F. Austin State University, Texas A&M University, Texas A&M, Corpus Christi
Texas Christian University (TCU), Texas State University, Texas Tech University, The University of Texas at Austin, Trinity University, San Antonio, University of Arkansas, University of Houston, University of Tulsa

Theatre is a hugely popular program in Texas high schools.  In fact, the University Interscholastic League (UIL), housed at The University of Texas at Austin, runs a statewide one-act play competition of great magnitude.  It is adjudicated mainly by Texas university theatre faculty.  (For information about becoming certified to adjudicate for pay, go to http://www.tetatx.com/home/about-teta.)

 As noted on the UIL website:

The League's One-Act Play Contest, founded in 1927, is the largest high school play production contest or play festival in the world. More than 14,000 Texas high school students in more than 1,000 plays participate in 300 plus contests, which take place from the beginning of March through the three-day, 40-production State Meet One-Act Play Contest.

Please visit the LMDA Third Coast Region Facebook page to learn more about ongoing activities for our members.