Things to do in Denver when you're gay: Free Tuesdays at Curious Theatre Company

Curious Theatre Company - 5280 Magazine 2011 Top of the Town Editor's Choice for Best Theatre Company  - offers up some fun and free activities on Tuesdays this January including:

LIFE AND WAR IN AFGHANISTAN on Tuesday, January 10, 2012 at 6 p.m. at MAD Beans & Wine Café. Join Curious Theatre Company and MAD Beans & Wine Café for this one-night exhibit of Master Sergeant Terry J. Best's photographs of life and war in Afghanistan. Enjoy a wide selection of wines while Master Sergeant Best discusses the stories behind the images.

And on Tuesday, January 31, 2012 at 6 p.m., they've got VOICES FROM THE FRONT LINES at the Denver Public Library. Curious Theatre Company partners with Stories on Stage and Lighthouse Writers Workshop to present stories written by Iraq veterans. Selections from Stories on Stage's Veteran Affairs will be performed by Timothy McCracken and Curious Theatre Company member Mare Trevathan; followed by readings from Lighthouse Writers Workshop, performed by Curious Theatre Company actors.

Things To do In Denver When You're Gay: OUT @ Curious with Chris Parente

Channel 2's feature reporter Chris Parente (pictured left) returns as host for the 3rd annual “OUT @ Curious” - a celebration of GLBT community in Denver presented in partnership with One Colorado on Wednesday, February 2 at 6pm.

“OUT @ Curious” features a pre-show open bar and hor d’ouevres reception backstage at Curious Theatre Company, followed by Annie Baker’s acclaimed new comedy, 'Circle Mirror Transformation'.

Called "absorbing, unblinking and sharply funny" by The New York Times, the play follows a group of five misfit strangers learning about life, romance and hula hoops in an adult Creative Drama class in Shirley, Vermont. Named one of the top ten plays of 2009 by The New York Times, Time Out New York, and The New Yorker, the show was enormously popular with audiences, as well as critics.

The ensemble cast- comprised entirely of new-comers to the Curious stage- includes Denver all-stars Mark Rubald, Barbra Andrews, Bob Buckley, Erica Sarzin-Borrillo and newcomer Meredith Young.

Following the show, a VIP party will be held backstage with Parente and the cast.

Tickets: $40/$50 includes the pre-show reception and performance. $100 includes premium seating, pre-show reception and the VIP post-show party. The event is a fundraiser for Curious Theatre Company, with a portion of proceeds benefiting One Colorado. Buy at www.curioustheatre.org or 303-623-0524.

Curious Theatre Company awarded $25,000 "Think It" grant

Curious Theatre Company is one of just three theatres in the nation to be awarded the MetLife Foundation and Theatre Communications Group (TCG) “A-ha! Program: Think It” grant, which encourages theatres to think creatively.

Curious received $25,000 to research and develop a new model for reinventing the resident artistic company model for the 21st century American theatre, by re-centering artists within producing organizations.

“To a large degree, economics killed the dream of the 20th Century resident theatre movement,” says Curious Founding Artistic Director Chip Walton. “Keeping artists at the center of organizations is vital to the entire field, but to do so we have to discover a new model.”

A core team of six Company members (Curious founders Walton and Dee Covington; acclaimed director Christy Montour-Larson; and noted performers John Jurcheck, Karen Slack and Mare Trevathan) will receive a monthly stipend in order to do cool theatre stuff.

“Over the years, Curious' Artistic Company has developed a high tolerance-- even an appetite-- for change,” says Trevathan. “Without this grant, however, we wouldn't be able to allocate the necessary time for thoughtful planning and research of such a big idea.”

TCG's Executive Director Teresa Eyring notes, “In light of these uncertain economic times-- when many arts organizations are wary of taking risks or seeking to create work through unproven methods-- the A-ha! Program is a beacon to draw our member theatres to experimentation. This program allows them to strive for new ways of thinking and development and testing new models, without having to shoulder all the financial responsibility.”

The other two Think It Grant recipients are Pillsbury House Theatre in Minneapolis and Center Theatre Group in Los Angeles.

Dead Man's Cell Phone

Curious Theatre Company kicks off its 13th Season on September 11 with Sarah Ruhl’s DEAD MAN’S CELL PHONE, directed by Dee Covington. The cast features Paragon Theatre ensemble member Emily Paton Davies, Denver veteran actor Kathryn Gray, and includes William Hahn, C. Kelly Leo and newcomers (to the Curious stage) Scott Bellot and Trina Magness. Designers include Curious favorites such as Brian Freeland, Michael Duran and Shannon McKinney.

This unusual and lyrical comedy from playwright Sarah Ruhl (EURYDICE, THE CLEAN HOUSE) follows the story of one woman's loopy odyssey into the lives of others after inheriting the cell phone of a total stranger. Clinging to her ideas of responsibility, love, and the need to connect with others, DEAD MAN'S CELL PHONE is an enticing story about the smallest and most trivial things in life...and how they can be charged with meaning.

Auditions for Curious Theatre Company

Curious Theatre Company is now accepting headshots and resumes for its 13th Season, 2010/1011. Auditions are Tuesday, April 6 from 4-7 p.m. and Wednesday, April 7 from 4-7 p.m.

For more information email Kate Roselle at artistic@curioustheatre.org or visit www.ColoradoTheatreGuild.org.

Curious Theatre presents Opus

In a world where characters are instruments and scenes are movements, a world-class, high-strung string quartet struggles to prepare for their highest-profile performance ever. As musical ambitions collide with personal dynamics, their rehearsal room becomes a pressure cooker and their world begins to fall apart. Passions rise, personalities clash, and the players are forced to confront the ephemeral nature of their life's work.

March 13 through April 24 Curious Theatre Company will present 'Opus' by musician-turned-playwright, Michael Hollinger, and directed by Chip Walton.

Curious New Voices present Interludes

On Feb. 21, Curious Theatre Company is pleased to present 'Interludes', an evening of short plays created by Colorado Academy/Curious New Voices playwrights as ‘companion pieces’ to Curious Theatre Company's regional premiere of Michael Hollinger's 'Opus'.

Curious New Voices is Curious Theatre Company’s award-winning teen playwriting program for teenagers ages 15-21, the ‘companion pieces’ explore the theme of our mainstage production, and are one of three main components to the Curious New Voices program.

Things to do in Denver when you're gay: OUT at Curious

* click to embiggen and read all about the OUT at Curious event tonight featuring drinks and snacks and a performance of Colorado playwright Terry Dodd's gay-themed 'Home By Dark' followed by a talkback with the cast.

Things to do in Denver when you're gay: Home By Dark Coming Out Panel Series

Curious Theatre Company is hosting a panel discussion on coming out every week during the run of Denver playwright Terry Dodd's 'Home By Dark'.

This week's theme is Religion and Homosexuality and will take place Sunday, January 17 after the performance.

Get tickets and more information here.

Curious Theatre Company: Home By Dark

On a snowy morning in 1986, a father makes a surprise visit to his son in Boulder, Colorado to confront him about a secret and reveal one of his own. A compelling story of a young man and his father grappling to turn their fear of the truth into acceptance, 'Home by Dark' is a heartwarming story about the risks of love, secrets, and compassion.

Curious Theatre Company is pleased to present the world premiere of 'Home by Dark' by Denver-based playwright, Terry Dodd, directed by long-time Denver favorite, Jamie Horton, and presented in association with Randy Weeks and Denver Center Attractions.

“'Home by Dark' is a reunion, of sorts, and a collaboration of people that have known each other for years and years,” says director, Jamie Horton, “I’ve know Terry (Dodd) since we were in the Playwright’s Unit at the Denver Center together, and I’ve worked extensively with Randy Weeks and Chip Walton. One of the things that really captivates me about this journey is these professional and personal associations that are coming back together for a play called 'Home by Dark', and I’m very pleased to be part of the collaboration.”

Curious Theatre has five good reasons you shouldn't miss Ameriville

Click to embiggen and read.

Curious Theatre presents Ameriville

Curious Theatre Company is thrilled to bring the Bronx based ensemble, UNIVERSES, to Denver for a limited engagement run of their latest work, 'Ameriville'. A true theatrical force, 'Ameriville' premiered at the Humana Festival of New Plays in March 2009, directed by Chay Yew. In an explosive fusion of poetic storytelling and the infectious rhythms of jazz, Gospel, and hip-hop, UNIVERSES puts the state of the Union under a microscope – race, poverty, politics, history, and government – examining our country through the lens of Hurricane Katrina and the city of New Orleans.

“I am more than excited at the opportunity to bring this incredible group of artists to Curious, and better yet - to Denver,” says Curious’ Artistic Director, Chip Walton. “It’s like nothing you’ve seen in the area, they truly represent some of the most innovative and progressive artists in the country.”

Too Much Light Makes the Baby Go Blind at Curious Theatre Company

In 1988, Greg Allen set out to create the show “that would run forever”. As no two shows are ever the same, audiences are promised a unique experience each night, bringing return customers and an unprecedented level of success. What has been established is a new and specific theatrical form.

Inspired by the Italian Futurists, Dada and Surrealism, 'Too Much Light Makes the Baby Go Blind' incorporates honesty, realism and political and social savvy in a rapid fire, explosive format where the audience decides the course of the evening. This “ever-changing attempt to perform 30 plays in 60 minutes” challenges the writer/actor/directors to create new material each week. The aesthetic, comprised of scripted plays, audience interaction and randomness, is uniquely “Neo”. Actors present themselves, tackling current political and social topics using the full gamut of emotion while breaking down the fourth wall. Each play is independent of the next, resulting in a roller-coaster experience of intellectual and emotional highs and lows that not even the actors can anticipate. Not to be confused with sketch comedy or improvisation, all plays are scripted and rehearsed with a few items left to chance.

'Too Much Light ...' opens at the Curious Theatre Company on September 26.

Check out a sample at the Neo-Futurists Neo-Podcast.

Curious New Voices

Now in its 6th year, the Curious New Voices Summer Playwrighting Intensive takes place at Curious Theatre Company from July 6 – July 31, 2009, with a public Performance Festival July 31-August 2, 2009. An engaging four-week playwriting intensive, the program provides emerging playwrights, ages 15-21, the opportunity work with a team of instructors as well as nationally renowned playwrights, to cultivate a short play, produced in a three-day staged reading festival featuring professional actors and directors.

Led by Curious Theatre Artistic Company Member, Dee Covington, the program is focused on providing young writers the opportunity to use their voices to define the next generation of American theatre. The Curious New Voice program is unique in that it is focused in equal parts on both the development of new plays and the playwrights own skill set as well as in leading the emerging playwrights through the process of working with professional actors and directors in the production of their own work.

Over the course of the month, three nationally recognized playwrights participate in daylong master classes, offering the students the opportunity to learn from the leading voices in American theatre in an intimate setting. Past playwrights include: Elaine Romero, Bridget Carpenter, Steven Sapp, Suzan-Lori Parks, Paula Vogel, Quiara Alegria Hudes, Dan Dietz, and Jordan Harrison.

More after the jump.


2009 Guest Playwrights:

· Eisa Davis

Eisa Davis was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in Drama for her play BULRUSHER. Other plays include: THE HISTORY OF LIGHT, PAPER ARMOR, UMKOVU, SIX MINUTES, WARRIORS DON’T CRY, and HIP HOP ANASI. She is a resident playwright at New Dramatists.


Adam Bock

Adam Bock is a Canadian playwright currently living in the United States. He is an artistic associate of the Shotgun Players in San Francisco. He won a 2006 Obie award for his play THE THUGS. During the 2007-2008 New York theatrical season, two plays by Bock were produced Off Broadway: THE RECEPTIONIST at Manhattan Theatre Club and THE DRUNKEN CITY, originally commissioned by the Kitchen Theatre Company in Ithaca, New York, at Playwrights Horizons. Bock was nominated for two 2007-2008 Outer Critics Circle Awards. Both THE RECEPTIONIST and THE DRUNKEN CITY were nominated for Outstanding Off-Broadway Play.

Allison Moore

Allison Moore is a displaced Texan living in Minneapolis, where she is a Core Member of The Playwrights' Center. Her plays include HAZARD COUNTY, EIGHTEEN, URGENT FURY, THE STRANGE MISADVENTURES OF PATTY, COWTOWN, and AMERICAM KLEPTO. Her work has been developed or read at the O'Neill Playwrights Conference, Williamstown Theatre Festival, InterAct Theatre, and Manhattan Theatre Club; and produced at the Cherry Lane Alternative, Kitchen Dog Theatre, Actor's Express, Actors Theatre of Louisville, and The Playwrights' Center, among others. Ms. Moore has received two Jerome Fellowships, a McKnight Advancement Grant, and the Iowa Arts Fellowship. She is a graduate of Southern Methodist University, and received her MFA from the Iowa Playwrights Workshop.

The 2009 Curious New Voices Festival Performances are Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, July 31, August 1 and 2, at 7:00p.m., at Curious Theatre Company, 1080 Acoma, Denver. Tickets: No admission charge, suggested donation at the door, reservations not required. For more information visit www.curioustheatre.org or call the Box Office at 303.623.0524.



Cheap Dates: Flyin' West

Times are hard, go on cheap dates like the free read reading of 'Flyin' West' by Pearl Cleage on Thursday, May 28 at 7 p.m. hosted by Curious Theatre Company and Jeffrey Campbell.

Mother's Day deals at Curious Theatre

The hilarious and charming story of a Cuban mother and her half-Jewish daughter on an impromptu road trip, 26 MILES is the perfect performance to enjoy with your mom so bring her to any Friday or Sunday performance of 26 MILES during the month of May and save 20 percent on tickets.

Just type in the codeword: MOM (in ALL CAPS) online in the Discount Code box at www.curioustheatre.org or by phone at 303-623-0524.

26 Miles at Curious Theatre

After an eight-year estrangement, a vivacious Cuban mother reunites with her lonely, half-Jewish teenage daughter on an impromptu cross-country road trip. Starting in Philadelphia and ending in Yellowstone's Hayden Valley, their hilarious and charming journey provokes them to finally voice the tension of different cultural identities and resentments harbored about their ailed relationship. As they unpack their individual baggage about being "outsiders," they discover a commonality they never knew they had.

26 MILES is a National New Play Network Continued Life Project. The result of this program is a “rolling world premiere” through which the playwright develops a new work with at least three different creative teams, for three different communities of patrons, ensuring the resulting play is of the highest possible quality. And, with a minimum of three productions in a single year, the play attains the momentum it needs to join the repertoire of frequently produced new American works. 26 MILES premiered in March, 2009, at Alliance Theatre (Atlanta, GA). After the second production at Curious, the play moves to New Theatre (Coral Gables, FL) for it’s third production under the Continued Life Project. Playwright, Quiara Alegría Hudes, recently rose to national recognition with the musical IN THE HEIGHTS, for which she wrote the book. IN THE HEIGHTS won the 2008 Tony Award for Best Musical.

26 MILES runs May 9-June 20, 2009 at Curious Theatre Company, 1080 Acoma in Denver. Dates and Times: Thursdays-Saturdays at 8:00p.m. Sundays at 2:00p.m. NO Show Sunday, March 10, Thursday, May 28 or Saturday, June 13. Tickets: Thursday-Saturdays $34/Sundays $27, prices include handling fees. 2 for 1 EVERY Thursday/$18 with fees (not valid on preview). Previews: May 7 and 8, 2009, 8:00p.m./$18. Tickets available through the Box Office at 303.623.0524 or online at www.curioustheatre.org.

'Eurydice' opens

'Eurydice' opens this weekend at Curious Theatre.

A fantastical twist on the Orpheus myth, 'Eurydice' follows the story of his wife, lost on their wedding night.
After falling to her death, Eurydice finds herself in the Underworld; but the dead speak another language, and with the help of her father, she must re-learn her human tongue to remember the world, and husband, she left behind.


A visually stunning, whimsical story, our characters move through a world of talking stones, raining elevators, letters sent through the earth via worms, and rooms made out of string.

Called "devastatingly lovely" by the New York Times, Ruhl's sexy and imaginative world is drop-dead captivating.

'Denver Stories' at Curious Theatre

Save the date!

'Denver Stories' is Curious Theatre Company’s largest fundraising event of the year, and offers a unique glimpse into the lives of some of Denver’s most intriguing personalities, while highlighting one of Denver’s cultural gems, Curious Theatre Company. The fourth annual Denver Stories will take place on Wednesday, May 20, beginning at 6 p.m. at Curious Theatre Company, 1080 Acoma St in Denver.

This year’s 'Denver Stories' lauds one of the most exciting lineups of local celebrities in the event’s history. The evening features four original plays, written by local artists and inspired by our guest celebrities, based on their contributions, experiences, and achievements in the Denver community. The performances are co-authored by the celebrities themselves, and performed by members of Curious’ Artistic Company of professional artists.

“There is really nothing quite like 'Denver Stories' in town. It brings the stories of well known Denver personalities and community leaders to life in a way that most of us do not know from their public personas,” says Dean Prina, co-chair of the event for a fourth year running. Curious Board Vice President Rick Acosta joins Prina as co-chair. Serving with them on the Denver Stories Committee are Eron Johnson, Rhonda Knop, Vanessa Marck, Kristin Stork and David Tenenbaum. Local actor and entertainer, Paul Borrillo, will preside as the Master of Ceremonies. Occasions by Sandy will host the pre-show cocktail hour and post-show party.

See the list of 2009 participating celebrities after the jump.


• Governor Bill and First Lady Jeannie Ritter, State of Colorado. Originally high school sweethearts, Bill and Jeannie Ritter have been working to better Denver and the state of Colorado for over two decades. Both spent time in Africa before committing to civil and social service, Jeannie through the Peace Corps and together running a food distribution and nutrition center in Zambia. Soon after their return, Bill was appointed Denver’s District Attorney, a post he held until January 2005. In 2006, he became our first Colorado-born Governor in over 35 years, quickly establishing Colorado as a leader on energy innovation, business development and the growth of a new energy economy. Jeannie works in the DPS and is an advocate for mental health issues.

• Sandy Tenenbaum, caterer, founder of Occasions by Sandy. The grande dame of local caterers started Occasions by Sandy 39 years ago and never looked back. Her culinary and special events savvy have been recognized in National Catering Magazine, Denver Women’s Magazine and Colorado Homes and Lifestyles, as well as earning her two international and national awards for Event Opening for the National Tour of Sunset. Her most coveted honor, besides her four kids and fifteen grandchildren, was the 2002 Woman of Distinction Award from the Girl Scouts of Colorado.

• Reggie Rivers is a former NFL running back who played six seasons with the Denver Broncos (1991-1996). Reggie is the “Weekend Sports Anchor” on Denver’s Channel 4 (CBS) and co-hosts its Countdown to Kickoff show. Reggie is a featured guest commentator on “Court TV,” and is a columnist for Pro Football Weekly. Reggie has received numerous community service awards that recognize his commitment of “giving back” to the community.

• Lannie Garrett, singer/actress, owner of Lannie’s Clocktower Cabaret. This redhead changes her feathers easily, from the glamorous, sequined chanteuse fronting her 10 piece big band, "Any Swing Goes," to her hilarious country spoof, The Patsy DeCline Show. Lannie has headlined at prestigious Boettcher Concert Hall and Red Rocks Amphitheater with the Colorado Symphony Orchestra. She has also worked with a diverse group of national entertainers such as Bill Cosby, B.B. King and Jay Leno.





'Eurydice' at Curious Theatre

A fantastical twist on the Orpheus myth, 'Eurydice' follows the story of his wife, lost on their wedding night. After falling to her death, Eurydice finds herself in the Underworld; but the dead speak another language, and with the help of her father, she must re-learn her human tongue to remember the world and husband she left behind. A visually stunning, whimsical story, our characters move through a world of talking stones, raining elevators, letters sent through the earth via worms, and rooms made out of string. Ruhl’s sexy and imaginative wonderland is drop-dead captivating.

Curious is thrilled to collaborate with Ballet Nouveau Colorado’s Artistic Director, Garrett Ammon, for the production of 'Eurydice'. “Personally, one of the most exciting things about the project is the collaboration with Garrett. Not only does he bring an exciting, added physical dimension to the show through his choreography and movement work, but also, his contributions to the overall aesthetic and vision for the show have been tremendous. It has been a wonderful partnership, and one that will greatly enrich the finished product of 'Eurydice'.” Says Curious’ Artistic Director, Chip Walton.

'Eurydice' runs March 7-April 18, 2009 at Curious Theatre Company, 1080 Acoma in Denver. Tickets available through the Box Office at 303-623-0524 or online at www.curioustheatre.org.