Uptown Players

Since our founding in 2001, Uptown Players has become a leading regional theater in Texas, providing a platform for exploring themes such as relationships, family, prejudice, and values. Uptown Players is the city's only LGBTQ+ focused professional theater and one of the largest in the nation. We play a vital role in making Dallas a more equitable, diverse, and connected community. With a rich 23-year history, our core mission is to celebrate tolerance, acceptance, and diversity. As LGBTQ+ rights face increasing challenges, the stories we bring to our stage have never been more important. Through our productions, Uptown Players strives to challenge all audiences - gay, straight and everyone in between - to embrace tolerance and appreciate our diverse and multicultural community. Representation helps individuals feel valued and seen. Our hope is that the themes of diversity, inclusion, and queer acceptance that resonate throughout our productions will encourage new ways of thinking. Patrons tell us that the conversation about the stories and messages of our productions continues for weeks after attending an Uptown production. That is a true indication of meaningful and impactful art.

We pride ourselves on achieving high-quality production values that match those of the touring professional companies. We have garnered critical acclaim, including over 25 Leon Rabin Awards from the Dallas Theatre League and more than 30 Theater Critics Forum Awards. Our productions have been recognized as the best in the region by Dallas Voice readers, D Magazine, and the Dallas Observer. We have been featured in D Magazine and on WFAA’s Daybreak and Good Morning Texas programs, CW-33’s Fun on the Run, and KXAS-TV’s Texas Today Show.

Our core mission revolves around providing the LGBTQ+ community with a platform to explore and celebrate its identity, fostering confidence, self-awareness, and pride. We are dedicated to offering a safe-haven where LGBTQ+ patrons and their allies can gather for fellowship, enlightenment, and entertainment through the performing arts. Our commitment to inclusivity extends beyond the LGBTQ+ community as evident by our diverse audience, comprised of nearly 50% heterosexual identifying individuals, who recognize the importance of the stories we tell in nurturing cultural equity across Dallas. The LGBTQ+ community and its allies is made up of many cultures, gender identities, and lifestyles. When you attend an Uptown Players production, you see this intersection of all races, gender identities, sexual orientation, and social status represented on our stage, in our front of house staff and in our audience. 

Uptown Players provides work to nearly 200 local artists, designers, directors, musicians, and technicians each season. It is extremely important to keep local artists working because theatre opportunity is what keeps local talent from moving to other cities.

Our Needs

Uptown Players is currently seeking funds to develop and produce its 2025-2026 season at the Kalita Humphreys Theater. It is also seeking funds to continue modernizing its stage lighting with new efficient LED stage lighting and intelligent (moving) lights and replace our aging wireless audio equipment.