That’s what Mark Lowry wonders on Theater Jones, and he makes some solid points. While Dallas has produced some nationally respected playwrights (Octavio Solis and Regina Taylor), and is home to theaters, notably the Undermain, Kitchen Dog, and Dallas Theater Center, that often host world premiers by emerging and established authors alike, much the work written by local playwrights is produced by organizations with the specific mission of staging work by local talent or in the context of new works festivals.

But 2012 will see a large number works by local playwrights produced by a broad range of companies:

Full productions of new works by local writers at professional, established stages like Kitchen Dog, Stage West, Echo Theatre and Dallas Children’s Theater. It’s also happening at theaters that have gained a high level of local respect in less than a decade, such as Second Thought Theatre and Upstart Productions; as well as at relative newcomers like Triple J Productions, DVA Productions and Nouveau 47 Theatre. The universities and community theaters are in the game, too.

Lowry wonders: Will these playwrights have the same kind of impact on Dallas’ theater reputation as local authors had on places like Chicago, Minneapolis, and Philadelphia? We will see.

For now, here are some of the names to watch: Jon Christie, Jonathan Norton, Kevin Kautzman, Matthew Posey, Allison Moore, Steven Walters, Isabella Russell-Ides, Larry Herold, Eric Steele, Bretton B. Holmes, Matt Lyle, Matthew J. Edwards, Jennifer Porter Kennard, Vicki Caroline Cheatwood, and Thomas Riccio.

Image: Promo photo for Jon Chrsitie’s Superhero at Triple J Productions