Our Mission
Big Heart Theater empowers teens and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities to create and perform one-of-a-kind theatrical experiences for themselves and their communities — forever redefining disabilities as possibilities.
We nurture a culture of celebration, belonging, and unlimited possibility.
Differences are not just accepted but embraced.
We are a place where prejudices, fears, and barriers dissolve.
We center the voices of our actors so they can stretch their creativity and share their unique stories and voices with the wider world.
Big Heart Theater is a sanctuary of warmth and acceptance, where every creative heart finds a welcome home.
Big Heart Theater’s Pineapple Island rehearsal
About Big Heart Theater
Big Heart Theater, a non-profit company founded in 2024, was inspired by the work of the Spotlight Theater program, which is a part of the Disability Ministry at Highland Park United Methodist Church. Big Heart Theater founder and director Lisa Schmidt co-founded Spotlight in 2010. She continues to direct the program, which works exclusively with teens and adults who have intellectual and developmental disabilities. Since its inception, Spotlight has served more than 16,000 participants and audience members.
About Lisa Schmidt, Founder & Executive Director
Lisa holds a BFA in theater from Southern Methodist University and an MA in Special Education, Challenging Behaviors, Southeastern Oklahoma State University.
During her professional theater career she performed locally, nationally, and internationally, including as a decade-long company member of Dallas’ Undermain Theater. Her achievements as an actor and director have earned her a national ARTS award (Arts Recognition and Talent Search) as well as several “best of the year” awards from the Dallas Theater Critics Forum.
In the 1990s Lisa developed and presented interactive arts programming through Young Audiences of North Texas for thousands of students in socio-economically deprived neighborhoods and schools. In recognition of this work, she was named a national “Employee of the Year” among thousands of teaching artists across the U.S.
As an employee of Big Thought, she developed Creative Solutions, an empathy-based art and theater program for youth serving probation. Created in partnership with the Dallas County Juvenile Justice system, the program was designed to improve youth outcomes and reduce recidivism. To date, Creative Solutions has served more than 20,000 young people and was awarded a national “Coming Up Taller” award presented by First Lady Laura Bush at the White House in 2007.
Lisa’s work with Spotlight was recognized with a national Opening Hearts and Minds award. She was also chosen as the Honorary Chair for the North Texas gala of Best Buddies International, an advocacy organization that promotes social opportunities for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
A full-length documentary about her work, Into the Spotlight, is currently winning awards at film festivals here and abroad.