Junior Players

1955 – Junior Players was founded by a group of Highland Park moms. Junior Players presents traditional children’s theater productions for children by children.

1987 – The first Discover Summer Theater Camps are held at six locations

1989 – Junior Players’ primary focus changed to provide free after school and summer arts enrichment programs accessible to all children and teens in the North Texas area.

1990 - Junior Players launches its Discover Shakespeare program which combines the best of North Texas high-school acting talent with the professional skills of the DFW’s production talent in a teen production of Shakespeare presented in free performances at Samuell-Grand Park. This program started the strong collaboration with Dallas Shakespeare.

1995 - Junior Players collaborated with KERA TV 13 in 1995 to create Peacemaker, a docudrama on violence and its effect on youth.

2002 - Junior Players' production of As You Like It was cited as one of the Top 10 Family Plays of the year by Nancy Churnin of the Dallas Morning News.

2003 - Junior Players received the Arts Basic Award from the Texas Commission on the Arts, and a Special Award from the Dallas-Fort Worth Theater Critics Forum for "imaginatively staged and diversely cast plays, programs that encourage young artists (including PUP Fest, a playwriting program co-produced with Kitchen Dog Theater) and free performances and lessons to children and teens throughout the area."

2005 – Junior Players celebrates our 50th anniversary and are officially recognized in a proclamation from the city of Dallas. Morgan Fairchild was the honorary guest alumnus.

2006 – Junior Players was named a semi-finalist by the President’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities for the ‘Coming Up Taller’ award.

2013 – Junior Players launched its Building Connections through the Real World  in 5 DISD middle schools and  its Life Skills programs in 9 DISD middle schools.

2015 – Junior Players celebrates its 60th anniversary

• Junior Players produced the critically acclaimed In The Heights musical at the Dallas City Performance Hall. This marks the first time Junior Players has performed in a Dallas Arts District facility.

• Junior Players also produced Junior Players Presents: The Transformation Project, our first ever dance production in the Dee and Charles Wyly Theatre  and marks the second time in a Dallas Arts District facility.