Julian Harris squatted at the top of the wooden steps at Hip Pocket Theatre as he waited for his cue to jump on the outdoor stage.
He and several other North Texas stage actors were in the second week of rehearsals for “The Three Cuckolds.” The raunchy, physical comedy follows three male neighbors as they try to cheat with each other’s wives. Meanwhile, a mischievous trickster fuels chaos.
As the day turned toward evening, the scene opened: The trickster fools one of the husbands, an older man, into pulling what he believes is a baby from the ground.
The sun slowly set behind the actors. Mosquitoes swarmed around the open fields. The actors tugged and tugged on a rope until Harris popped onto the stage — but not as an infant.
“Which of you had the strength to pull the Devil out of hell?” the actor bellowed.
Director Christina Cranshaw let out a smile before pausing the rehearsal — the actors had given the energy she needed to see.
In a matter of days, the play will debut for Fort Worth audiences, setting the tone for Hip Pocket’s 50th season.
If you go:
What: “The Three Cuckolds”
When: 9 p.m. June 12-14, 19-21, 26-28
Where: Hip Pocket Theatre, 1950 Silver Creek Road, Fort Worth
Admission: $17-$28; recommended for mature audiences
In anticipation of the milestone show, the cast practiced the same act for the next hour, perfecting intricate details — from line delivery to body movements.
There’s buzz surrounding these rehearsals, Cranshaw said. “The Three Cuckolds” was the first production to hit the theater’s stage in 1976.
From left: Paul Heyduck, who plays old man Zanni, and Julian Harris rehearse the scene where the Devil’s arm is pulled from the ground in “The Three Cuckolds” on May 27, 2026, in Fort Worth. (Maria Crane | Fort Worth Report/CatchLight Local/Report for America)
Artistic director Lorca Simons, the daughter of two of the theater’s founding members, described the season opener as “really kick-ass.” The show transports audiences to the moment that spawned decades of imaginative works.
“Hip Pocket is a really unusual reality,” she said. “It is so rustic. It is so homemade, and it’s not anything you would find anywhere else on the planet — or Fort Worth.”
Creativity grows in nature
In the 1970s, Fort Worth was home to the Cultural District’s Casa Mañana Theatre, which focused on children’s programming and Broadway productions, and the nearby W.E. Scott Theatre at the now-closed Fort Worth Community Arts Center.
Hip Pocket was founded in the summer of 1976 by husband and wife Johnny and Diane Simons, and friend Douglas Balentine. The troupe was established as an alternative to what Johnny viewed as “traditional” and “conservative” performing arts theater in Fort Worth.
From left: Hip Pocket founders Douglas Balentine and Johnny Simons. (Courtesy | Hip Pocket Theatre)
The Simons and Balentine spent years directing, writing and designing costumes at Casa Mañana, all the while growing creatively dissatisfied. Theaters were putting on quality productions, Johnny said, but there wasn’t a space for anything innovative.
“You can only do ‘The Sound of Music’ so many times before you turn into a Nazi,” he said with a smirk. Johnny, now 86, spends most of his days in his far west Fort Worth home and seldom grants in-person interviews.
The trio left Casa Mañana and began writing and creating costumes for their first joint production, “The Three Cuckolds.” Their name recognition and the promise of experimental art drew actors and crews eager for something new, Johnny recalled.
One important question remained: Where would the troupe perform?
Actors perform outdoors for Hip Pocket Theatre. The exact date of the photo is unknown. (Courtesy | Hip Pocket Theatre)
Tony Medlin directs a stage adaptation of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” by William Shakespeare in 2003. (Loli Kantor | Hip Pocket Theatre)
George’s Back Door Restaurant at 9524 Highway 80 in west Fort Worth came to the rescue after the Simons met business owner George Stephens, who desperately wanted outdoor entertainment for his customers.
With a small amphitheater made from wooden pallets and a couple of picnic benches, Hip Pocket was born — its name a reference to the $100 the founders pulled together for the first show, Johnny said.
“The Three Cuckolds” opened July 1976 and continued weekly performances Fridays and Saturdays through September, according to Fort Worth Star-Telegram archives. Newspaper writer Leonard Eureka described the inaugural play as raunchy, ribald, vulgar, clever and fun, and “one of the most agreeable entertainments in town right now.”
Each performance saw a packed crowd, Johnny recalled. Despite not having a clear memory of exact attendance numbers, he did remember a pair of older women coming to a performance and quickly leaving.
“They were decked out in their best clothes,” he said with a chuckle. “We had a few people come to the conclusion they didn’t belong. For the most part, they were all good sports.”
Hip Pocket company at the original Highway 80 location in the 1970s. (John Carlisle | Hip Pocket Theatre)
In those early years, the theater was viewed by outsiders as a hippie joint, Johnny said, since the ensemble presented almost as “a commune” — a reflection of the time’s counterculture. Balentine played guitar as actors sat around in a circle. Adults drank occasional bottles of beer in the morning. The Simons’ daughters Lake and Lorca ran through surrounding green space alongside other kids.
Crews navigated small budgets by illuminating the stage with lights made from tomato cans. Silk fabrics were manipulated to create the illusion of natural elements, like water, moving across the stage. A sheep barn was used for dressing rooms. Large-scale puppets were created from cardboard, contact paper and hoses.
“It wasn’t just kids fooling around in the wild. We were doing pretty professional work,” said James Maynard, 70, who spent years designing sets and built hundreds of puppets for Hip Pocket.
The troupe raised the curtains at the spot on Highway 80 for the first three years before relocating to Oak Acres, a west Fort Worth outdoor venue. That location served as Hip Pocket’s home for nearly 25 years before it was relocated to the current site on Silver Creek Road in 2003 — a pocket of civilization amid a sea of tall grass.
New leaders carry dim light
Long gone are the days of tomato can lighting and pallet stages. A professional console now controls illumination of Hip Pocket’s large-scale wooden venue, which sits roughly 100 people.
Fabrics still flow onstage from time to time, and handmade costumes and masks continue to bring productions to life.
The entrance to Hip Pocket Theatre in far west Fort Worth. The venue is built completely from wooden planks. (Maria Crane | Fort Worth Report/CatchLight Local/Report for America)
Actors warm up before rehearsing for the first production of Hip Pocket Theatre’s 50th season of shows on May 27, 2026, in far west Fort Worth. (Maria Crane | Fort Worth Report/CatchLight Local/Report for America)
Johnny retired from Hip Pocket in 2021, passing the baton to his daughters Lake and Lorca — a succession planned since childhood, he said.
The 2026 season continues with four plays throughout the summer before concluding in the fall. Johnny will make his directorial return in October, per his children’s request, with the stage adaptation of the science fiction film “Mega Python vs. Gatoroid.”
Even though Johnny appreciates the opportunity for this comeback, a strong sense of melancholy comes over him anytime he thinks about the theater’s 50-year mark. So many friends who built the troupe have passed, he said, leaving him as the only founder alive to see the milestone.
Balentine was found dead in the Davis Mountains of West Texas in December 2008. Diane Simons died at 80 in January 2025 following a lengthy illness.
“It saddens me very much to go out to Hip Pocket,” Johnny said. “I sense the presence of my friends swirling around the atmosphere around my head. I can’t keep from weeping when I’m there, but that’s just part of age.”
Hip Pocket Theatre founder Johnny Simons sits on the porch of his west Fort Worth home on May 13, 2026. (David Moreno | Fort Worth Report)
When he does make his way onto the boards under the stars, the founder feels a sense of pride for how his children and the theater’s leadership have evolved the space. The “wildness” from the early years doesn’t exist anymore, he said, but it was bound to disappear as Hip Pocket evolved into a professional company.
Now, the next generation of leaders face their own challenges.
Hip Pocket has struggled with low attendance — something other performing arts venues in Fort Worth have also worked to address. But in a problem unique to the outdoor venue, blazing summer heat caused some Hip Pocket performances to cancel or relocate indoors.
Other issues have been less clear. Last September, the theater left patrons and actors with unanswered questions after shelving its production of Mary Shelley’s “Frankenstein” days after the assassination of conservative podcaster Charlie Kirk. The production’s timing was “inappropriate and could lead to unintended further trauma,” the board of directors said at the time. They haven’t provided further explanation.
Following the 50th season’s conclusion, the Simons sisters plan to focus on mapping out a strategic plan that ensures long-term sustainability.
First priority is getting the theater on a stronger financial footing, Lake said.
“There was this moment where everything got squished a bit,” she said. “Now we have so many ideas. We have so much more growth that we need to do and we must do.”
Actors find safety amid the trees
Every time the crew meets to rehearse “The Three Cuckolds,” Harris and his girlfriend Madi Duren — who plays the mischievous trickster — drive an hour from Dallas to the theater.
The couple was introduced to Hip Pocket through Cranshaw and were drawn to audition. The commute is a pain, he said, but performing on the stage is worth it.
“You’re gonna be sweaty and there’s gonna be bugs everywhere,” Harris said. “But you accept that that’s part of life and keep the scene rolling. I haven’t seen anything this incredibly unique.”
The sun sets as actors rehearse at Hip Pocket Theatre on May 27, 2026, in Fort Worth. (Maria Crane | Fort Worth Report/CatchLight Local/Report for America)
Christina Cranshaw directs actors during rehearsals for “The Three Cuckolds” at Hip Pocket Theatre on May 27, 2026, in Fort Worth. (Maria Crane | Fort Worth Report/CatchLight Local/Report for America)
Actors shared laughs in between lines during the recent rehearsal. They spoke about recent triumphs and challenges in their personal lives. They shared words of encouragement following the emotional exchanges.
Cicadas buzzed to applaud the actors’ performances. The moon shone a spotlight on the outdoor theater by the time everyone needed to head home.
As crew members packed up their belongings, coyotes howled in the distance for an encore — it appeared that sense of wildness wasn’t gone after all.
David Moreno is the arts and culture reporter for the Fort Worth Report. Contact him at david.moreno@fortworthreport.org or @davidmreports.
The Fort Worth Report’s arts and culture coverage is supported in part by the Meta Alice Keith Bratten Foundation and the Virginia Hobbs Charitable Trust. At the Report, news decisions are made independently of our board members and financial supporters. Read more about our editorial independence policy here.
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