The mission of Hip Pocket Theatre is to inspire, educate, and challenge our community through experimental, interdisciplinary theatre.

We seek to redefine the possibilities of theater and enrich every life we touch through artistic expression. 

Hip Pocket Theatre has been a vital part of the performing arts in Texas since 1976, when founders Johnny Simons, Diane Simons, and Douglas Balentine first staged their interdisciplinary plays under the stars in Fort Worth. Since its founding, the theater has grown its global reach and capacity for genre-defying programming, while staying true to the bold, playful, and magical.

Hip Pocket incorporates dance, mime, music, masks, and puppetry to create a universal language that can tell stories at once childlike and urgent. The scripts, the stage, and the performers at Hip Pocket build on a lexicon unique to its pioneering roots, and each performance is an homage to what it means to create a space for theater.

Hip Pocket honors the new vision of each artistic generation as an unfolding of time. Johnny and Diane’s daughters, Lorca and Lake, now carry the theater’s vision forward with their new directorship. They embody Hip Pocket's evolving vocabulary of storytelling and movement, and as veteran creators for its stage, look to expand its legacy of original, boundary-bending works. As Lorca and Lake bring with them lifelong careers and experience in the arts, they conscientiously seek to prioritize the theater's accessibility, inclusivity, and international reach.

Hip Pocket Theatre, as both experimental playhouse and environmental visual installation, has a long-standing outreach program comprising community based events and enriching healing arts programming. It is dedicated now, as always, to bringing guest artists from around the globe and throughout Fort Worth to collaborate on projects each season.

Hip Pocket Theatre acknowledges first that the land on which our theatre resides once belonged to native American tribes - Tonkawa, Hassinai Caddo, Wichita, Comanche-affiliated Kiowas - and we thank the First Nations for their teachings about and stewardship of the land. Hip Pocket Theatre is and always has been committed to giving a voice to artists of all races, ethnicities, and creeds. Because of this, we are committed to ensuring that we provide opportunities for everyone to learn, create, express themselves, and tell their stories. Hip Pocket Theatre strives to provide a place where all are welcomed, included, and provided equitable opportunities to experiment with their own artistic style and vision.

Lake Simons, Co- Artistic Director

Lorca Simons, Co- Artistic Director

Johnny Simons, Consulting Artistic Director

Gianina Lambert, Managing Director

Peggy Bott Kirby, Director of Finance and Development

Ryan Riley, Grounds Manager

Lauren Riley, Social Media Manager

Board of Directors:

Holly Nelson Ellman, President

Tracy Stearns Bush, Vice President

Jesse Borries, Secretary

Jequari Moore, Treasurer

Aaron Butler

Lauren Ivy Chiong

Betsy Cummings

Debbie Dacus

Nikki Deshea Smith

Marian Eastman

Yvonne Duque- Guerrero

Paul Hamilton

Thad Isbell

John Key

John Leach

Quentin McGown

Barbara Wooten Meece

Brian Pierce

Maria Solano

Leslie Zvitt

Artistic Advisory Board:

Bruce Balentine

Barbara Busackino

Andy Corren

Alex Cowan

Ellen Mahoney Crouse

Tom Crouse

Scott Ferree

Peter Fodera

Deborah Freed

Loli Kantor

Dr. John P. Murphy

Basil Twist

Greg Vore

Joe Waller

Ms. Linda Whittington

We love our volunteers! Come out and join in! Be part of the action and lend a hand! For more info on how you can volunteer and lend a hand call us or email us.

817-246-9775

hpt@hippocket.org

Throughout our season we welcome volunteers! If you have experience with box office, as an usher, or would like to help us in any way- we can likely use your help! Contact us at the above number or email us.

GET INVOLVED! BE HIP!