Colorado's 1st Asian American Theatre Company, Theatre Esprit Asia (TEA), Announces Inaugural Season at Vintage Theatre in Aurora

In the summer of 2012, while celebrating the success of Vintage Theater's production of "The Joy Luck Club," cast mates Tria Xiong and Maria Cheng sparked an idea for a new venture. After a glass of wine [or two], they realized with utter certainty, the need for an Asian American company in Colorado's theater climate, and thus, like all great wine-induced ideas, Theatre Esprit Asia (TEA) was born.

Maria Cheng says, "Theatre Esprit Asia (TEA) is an idea overdue to happen. The national Asian American theatre movement has been for years waiting and wanting a presence in the Rocky Mountains region. Well, finally we are here, due to phenomenal grass roots support from Colorado's Asian American theatre artists and enthusiasts. The response has been humbling and TEA aims to fulfill the expectations of bringing passionate, truthful and humorous narratives on the contemporary human condition, inspired by the wisdom of the Asian cultures."

Tria Xiong proudly states, “Part of TEA’s mission is to present original voices as well as produce plays by established playwrights. Our first season features critically acclaimed plays that draw from the great traditions of China, Japan and Korea. In our second season, to fulfill the latter part of our mission, we will produce David Henry Hwang’s Pulitzer prize winning drama "M. Butterfly," Lisa Loomer’s poignant "The Waiting Room" and Phillip Gotanda’s "Yohen."

Cherry Creek Theatre presents Doubt: A Parable

Winner of the 2005 Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award, Doubt is a gripping story of suspicion cast on a priest's behavior. In this brilliant and powerful drama, set in 1964, Sister Aloysius, a Bronx school principal, takes matters into her own hands when she suspects the young Father Flynn of improper relations with one of the male students.

Cherry Creek Theatre presents "Doubt: A Parable" March 8 through 31 at the Shaver-Ramsey Showroom, 2414 East 3rd Ave. Performances are Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 6:30 p.m. Single tickets are $28; $25 for seniors/students; $23 for groups of 10 or more.  303-800-6578 or online at www.cherrycreektheatre.org.

Firehouse Theater presents Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde

A new and shocking version of Robert Louis Stevenson's classic tale of depravity, lust, love and horror. On the fog-bound streets of Victorian-era London, Henry Jekyll's experiments with exotic powders and tinctures have brought forth his other self-Edward Hyde, a sensualist and villain free to commit the sins Jekyll is too civilized to comprehend. When Hyde meets a woman who stirs his interest, Jekyll fears for her life and decides to end his experiments. But Hyde has other ideas, and so the two sides battle each other in a deadly game of cat-and-mouse to determine who shall be the master and who his slave.

Firehouse Theater presents the regional premiere of “Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde” running October 5 through November 3 at the John Hand Theater/Colorado Free University, 7653 East First Place, Denver, CO.  Performances are Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, October 15 and 29 at 6:30 p.m. Tickets are $20 Adult; $18 for Students, Seniors, and Military and are available by calling 303-562-3232. For more information go to www.firehousetheatercompany.com.

I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change extended through October 14

Due to popular demand, Denver Center Attractions announces an additional extension of I LOVE YOU, YOU’RE PERFECT, NOW CHANGE to feature a new summer schedule and prices. For performances July 3 – September 1 all tickets to the Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday matinee performances are $24. The summer performance schedule begins July 17. Tickets are now on sale through October 14 at www.denvercenter.org or by calling 303.893.4100. 

Click here to check out the MileHighGayGuy review of I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change by Philip Doyle.

Auditions: Dirty Rotten Scoundrels at The Arvada Center

The Arvada Center will hold auditions for the musical, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels at the Arvada Center, 6901 Wadsworth Blvd., June 28 and 29; and in New York City, July 9 -11.

Dirty Rotten Scoundrels will be directed by Arvada Center Artistic Producer Rod A. Lansberry, with musical direction by David Nehls and choreography by Kitty Skillman Hilsabeck.

Denver auditions are June 28 and 29, from 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m., by appointment only. Call the Arvada Center at 720-898-7200 to schedule a time. Actors must be 18 years & older to audition.

Wojcik/Seay Casting will coordinate the New York City auditions, June 9-11. To be considered for a New York audition, mail a hard copy of your headshot and résumé and indicate the role you are interested in (if known) to the following address:

Wojcik/Seay Casting
Attn. Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, Arvada CO production
247 West 38th Street 10th Floor
New York, NY 10018
NO CALLS PLEASE – qualified actors will be contacted to schedule an audition

Experienced performers with strong acting and singing abilities are needed. Dance and/or strong movement are required.  See the character breakdown (below) for specifics on available roles. Actors should prepare 16-32 bars from a song appropriate to the style of show. Please bring sheet music; an accompanist will be provided. Recorded music or a cappella audition will eliminate casting consideration. A current headshot and résumé are required. Equity members must have a current equity ID card.

This is an Equity LORT B production, non-equity actors will be considered. Individuals of all ethnic and cultural backgrounds including a wide range of physiques are needed and encouraged to audition for all roles.

Rehearsals for Dirty Rotten Scoundrels begin on August 21, 2012. The show opens on September 11 and runs through October 14. Performances are Tuesday through Saturday evenings with matinees on Wednesdays, Saturdays, and Sundays for a total of eight shows per week.

Character breakdowns after the jump.

The Oscar Wilde Experience comes to the Byers-Evans House

The world premiere of “The Oscar Wilde Experience” comes to the Byers-Evans House June 1- 23. Performances are Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. with an Industry night at 7:30 p.m. on Monday, June 11 at The Byers-Evans House Museum, 1310 Bannock Street, Denver. Tickets are $16 and available by calling 303-620-4933.

Adapted by Maggie Stillman, The Oscar Wilde Experience weaves its tale through his short stories, novellas, and poems. Selections include "The Nightingale and the Rose," "The Happy Prince," and "The Canterville Ghost." These stories are often overlooked through the fame of Wilde’s plays and his novel “The Picture of Dorian Gray.”

The cast, under the direction of Wade Wood, includes Bevin Antea, Terry Herron, Sarah Mac, Brandon Palmer, Mike Pearl, Melissa Pear, Maggie Stillman and Joey Wishnia.

The show takes place in the library of the historic Byers-Evans House Museum, amid the Evans family’s furnishings. The room serves as the stage and creates the atmosphere appropriate to the historic nature of the readings. The museum has always supported local theatre by serving as a venue for various small companies. All ticket proceeds help support museum programs, operations and education.

Theater Review: Forever Plaid

By Philip Doyle

There is a reason why Forever Plaid has been resurrected numerous times since its off-Broadway debut twenty-two years ago.  It’s a charming musical review.   The four male characters possess quirky yet endearing characteristics. The songs are catchy (and nostalgic for people of a certain age).  It can go from lighthearted camp and then become hauntingly and even eerily touching.  For the most part, Forever Plaid presented by the Spotlight Theater Company and the Firehouse Theatre Company succeeds in delivering a fun, toe-tapping musical experience.

Forever Plaid is an homage to male quartet groups of the 1950’s.  The action starts when four men descend to the stage and explain that they are The Plaid.  They have returned to the world after their untimely demise some forty years ago.  It seems that the car they were driving to a gig was t-boned by a bus of Catholic schoolgirls.  So, they have returned, “like Lazarus,” to our earthly plane to put on the show they never had the chance to give.

The songs range from lighthearted beat-bopping rhythms of  “Crazy ‘Bout, Ya Baby” and “Heart and Soul” to the romantic crooning of standards like “Love is a Many-Splendored Thing”. 

Under the Musical Direction of Timothy Kennedy, the numbers are solid in harmonious delivery.  He also plays the part of Francis, a high-spirited motivator of the Plaid. 

Paul Jaquith is energetic and fearless as Sparky.  Ken Paul portrays Smudge, the bass behind the song “Sixteen Tons”.  At the tenor end of the Plaid’s vocal spectrum is Adam Shelton as Jinx.  Shelton is as appealing for his melodic stylings as he is likable for his playful naiveté.

Each member of the Plaid has a delightful and earnest breeziness.  The heights of this musical review lie within the bond of its four characters.  After all, they have experienced life and death together.  They are a tight-knit cadre and this show finds its momentum when the Plaid bro-code is celebrated in song. 

Director Pat Payne has done a very fine job of staging this production that the nearly packed house seemed to love.  Trent Hines playing the piano upstage gives his own performance that endeared him to the audience. 

This collaboration by the Firehouse Theatre Company and Spotlight Theatre Company caught me by surprise.  As I walked into the theater I was a bit shocked by all the people in the audience.  People know a good thing when they see it, and I have a hunch they will be back for more.

Forever Plaid plays through May 13th at The John Hand Theater.

(Editor's Note: Forever Plaid is now a movie available online.)

Theater Review: CHESS

By Susan Hennessey

If you missed CHESS at the Arvada Center, fear not, you can still catch it at its new home, the Lone Tree Arts Center.  You won’t miss it – it’s big, big, big!  CHESS, written by Benny Andersson and Bjorn Ulvaeus with lyrics by Tim Rice, allows no time for the viewer to get complacent.  As soon as you’ve been seated, there is an immediate onslaught of songs that quickly establish the story, which is set during the Cold War and played out via a National Chess Match in Merano, Italy between the Soviet champion Anatoly Sergievsky and US champion, Frederick Trumper. 

The game of chess acts as a powerful allegory between these powerhouses throughout the play. CHESS is directed with clever staging by Rod Lansberry, suggesting The Arbiter has his hands on the game at all times. (SPOILER) The Soviets clearly have the upper hand in this one, not only in their inevitable win at the chess match, but also in the music that was written for them, which favors the angst and passion of the Soviets, namely the character of Anatoly, who is masterfully played by Tally Sessions. (END SPOILER) In Act I his “Where I Want to Be” holds the audience captive.  “Anthem” the final number in Act I is so riveting, you’re glad that there’s an intermission.

There aren’t many productions of CHESS still being offered 30 years after it was first written. Mostly because it’s a difficult musical to do well.  In this version, there are 23 songs in Act I and 18 in Act II - and this music is demanding.  With such a challenging musical, it seems that a director has two options - to pick either a clear story with less music, or go for all of the music that was added over several productions over the course of several years with the result being a convoluted outcome.  For the size of stage available at the Lone Tree Arts Center, less would have been preferred as it would have allowed the story to unfold while still retaining the musical numbers the audiences long to hear. 

Act II opens with crowd favorite “One Night in Bangkok," with flashy costumes and lots of skin.  Very fun!  This Act also features solos by Anatoly’s wife Svetlana, played by Megan Van De Hey.  She fights for Anatoly in “You and I” and keeps the audience spellbound.  Passion reigns in this two and half hour piece, and love allows the natural course of things to settle, but like any game, someone will lose.  Who?

The Arvada Center production of CHESS, A MUSICAL is at the Lone Tree Arts Center plays through April 29. For dates and times visit LoneTreeArtsCenter.org. 

(Editor's Note: Video of One Night in Bangkok is the classic Murray Head version from the 1980s)

Theater Review: The Busy World is Hushed

By Philip Doyle

Ignite Theatre kicks off its ambitious 2012 season with The Busy World Is Hushed. It is the only non-musical in a line up that includes The Great American Trailer Park Musical, Spring Awakening, Sweeney Todd, and Next to Normal. A deceptively modest season entry, The Busy World Hushed has more than enough provocative power to set the rest of the Ignite Theatre’s season ablaze.

The more you think about The Busy World Is Hushed, the more complex it becomes. On its surface it is a play about faith, family, and discovering life’s purpose. Its depths contain questions that confront our accepted beliefs of love, suffering, the frailty of existence, and our grandiose assumptions of life.

Playwright Keith Bunin has created a world that brings a widowed Episcopal minister Hannah (Mari Geasair), her doubting and wayward son Thomas (Tim McGrath), and a handsome, witty writer Brandt (Chris Silberman).

Brandt has been hired by Hannah to ghostwrite a new translation of a gospel. In the process Brant begins to coalesce Hannah’s random notes and thoughts into a book. He is also a gay man, and a dutiful son. Silberman's portrayal of Brandt is smart in purpose, and desirable in human frailty.

Hannah’s son Thomas never knew his father and has become somewhat of a journeyman. He prefers to wander through life on a quest to discover his self, and connect with his father’s spirit. Even in his youth he frustrated his mother by playing a game of “get lost," in which he would disappear to discover his ability to be self reliant. Tim McGrath plays Brandt with a perfect sense of laissez faire curiosity, and a dash of sexy rebel. This part could have easily come off as anti-establishment hippie, but McGrath gives us a very real person.

Hannah is a conflicted mother. She places her faith in God’s grand plan, yet struggles with translating her spirituality into real life. She has a disdain for the stained glass windows in her office because they are conveniently simple portrayals of the struggles of human existence. All of her books are stacked vertically, because she hopes desperately for the day her son will build bookshelves. Hannah is easily this play’s most complex character and Mari Geasair plays her with convincing honesty.

Director Bernie Cardell provides a view of the world that will have you asking the right questions. The audience is provoked by situation and not by preaching or boisterous lectures. It is my favorite part of live theatre: A seductive perception that incites you to think.

I greatly appreciate how a gay love affair between the two male characters is handled with a respectful, objective, sense of realness. It could have been a trite plot device about homosexuality conflicting with Christianity, but this play transcends all that.

At one point Brandt says that he is, “Looking for God, and all I see are the empty spaces where he is suppose to be.“ The Busy World Is Hushed never presumes to give the answers, and you will leave asking some powerful questions.

The Busy World Is Hushed - A Play By Keith Bunin; Directed By Bernie Cardell, Starring Mari Geasair, Chris Silberman and Tim McGrath. Plays March 23rd - April 15th - Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30p Sundays at 6:00p. For tickets or more information click here.

Things to do in Denver when you're gay: The Busy World is Hushed

The Busy World is Hushed, playing at Ignite Theatre through April 15, is a play by Keith Bunin, directed by Bernie Cardell, and starring Mari Geasair, Chris Silberman and Tim McGrath.

Asking the question "How do you reconcile love, faith and family?", the play offers a night of intrigue, romance, conflict and searching for home. A Episcopalian Bible Scholar, her estranged son and the writer hired to help her finish her manuscript face unexpected consequences when old family secrets are revealed and new choices must be made.

Theater Review: Confessions of a Mormon Boy

By Philip Doyle

Confessions of a Mormon Boy is Steven Fales’ autobiographical one-man play that is a triumphant revelation in honesty and personal pride.  It is a story that is written and performed by a man who has journeyed through an array of challenges and arrives at his destination, on the stage before a grateful audience.

Fales’ experiences are at times funny, occasionally heartbreaking, and brutally candid.  A confession of a gay man’s longing for acceptance in and eventual excommunication from the Mormon Church.  He shares a life that includes marriage, fatherhood, and divorce.  He later engages in a show-and-tell about having been an escort in New York City, and painfully recounts the trappings of recreational drug fueled sex. 

Often times, one-person autobiographic plays come off as being self-indulgent … but not this time. 

This is a well constructed account that reveals a man who is loving, smart and driven.  Fales doesn’t wallow in a constant mea culpa of trials and tribulations.  Rather, through this shameless confession, he adorns himself with the powers of self-recognition.  In my world, Steven Fales is a super hero in the gay justice league.

Let’s face it, it takes some serious cojones to write and perform a play about your own life. From beginning to end, Mr. Fales has an ability to present his material with a confidence that isn’t the least bit presumptuous. Personally, I admire that kind of assertive charm. 

Steven Fales’ has taken the proverbial lemons of life, and now sells a very thirst quenching lemonade.  I strongly urge you to go have a taste.

Confessions of a Mormon Boy is sure to bring a smile to your face.

Confessions of a Mormon Boy plays at Denver's Dangerous Theatre
Saturday, March 31st at 2:00pm and 7:30pm
Sunday, April 1st at 2:00pm
For tickets visit: http://dangeroustheatre.ticketleap.com/mormon-boy.

Theater Review: Extra! Extra! Great Wall of China Torn Down!

By Philip Doyle

As I sat down in my cozy seat in the Ricketson Theatre, shortly before the house lights dimmed, I grabbed my iPhone to turn it off.  I see a “news notification” on the home screen.  “Yikes!” I say to myself.  Thinking it was important I read the headline: “Teabow Says He’s Taking It One Day At A Time.”  I turn my phone off wondering who in the world thought that was important news?
**********************************************************************************

Back in late 1899, a period of time when Denver was slowly evolving into a more modern city, some news reporters decided to fabricate their own news.  They met at the Oxford Hotel, had a few drinks, and came up with one doozy of a headline:  "OLD WALL MUST GO!  The Great Wall of China" is being torn down.

Thus begins Great Wall Story, a play that is based upon actual events.  Set in time just prior to the turn of the twentieth century, this production mirrors current day news hype and media scandals.  It begs the question, “What is news?”

Written by Lloyd Suh, Great Wall Story is set in old Denver.  Scenes are presented with projected pictures of what our city used to look like.  The Capital building.  Union Station.  An old saloon.  As a Denverite, I recognized some locations, and sometimes the projections were ghosts of places that no longer stand.

Great Wall Story is at its best when it didn’t pander to my personal nostalgic connections to the city.  This play shines when its century old events mirror our current headlines.  For example, a character describes a time when his father shot and killed a man he had perceived as a potential threat.  Sound familiar?

Finding themselves at a loss of reportable events, three newspaper writers devise a plan to spice up a slow news day.  Mike Hartman plays news writer John King, a man of a certain age who enjoys a stiff drink and a good story.  Jacob Knoll is newsman Al Stevens, a co-conspirator of the Great Wall hoax.  Christopher Kelly portrays Jack Tournay, who discovers that his son Charles (Gabe Koskinen-Sansone) is whittling away at his father’s fraudulent news reporting.

The idea that The Great Wall is being demolished is significant enough to gain attention, and since China is such a distant and closed off place, the story is difficult for others to verify.  The concocted news eventually travels to Chicago and New York, where it comes to the attention of Joseph Pulitzer, a news magnate of his day, (played with great charm and wit by John Hutton).

Amongst the competitive company of publishing moguls like William Randolph Hearst; Joseph Pulitzer wastes little time sending some of his people to Denver, including Harriet Sparrow to investigate.  Merritt Janson, who is a formidable and charismatic actor, plays Harriet Sparrow.  Janson is the only woman in this show, and she really grabs the bull by the horns with great confidence while maintaining her womanly ways.  She is the strength behind this “one-woman show”.

Actor Larry Paulsen provides this production with a joyful momentum.  He takes on six different roles in Great Wall Story, and he does each part in an independent and amiable fashion.  My favorite moment was when Paulsen declares, “There ain’t no clear way to mark the past from the future!”  It is a moment that invokes an existential question of life’s journey from generation to generation.

Great Wall Story would be great fun for proud Denver natives.  My mother, for example would adore every second of it.  But for me, if not for the competence of its charismatic cast, this play would become fodder for school field trips to a Denver history lesson.  

I suggest that Great Wall Story is at its best when it provokes questions of time, place, and events.  The idea that, we mark our lives from event to event, and that reading the news places markers in the slippery slope of our lives.

Great Wall Story plays through April 22nd at The Ricketson Theatre, Denver Center for the Performing Arts. For tickets or more information visit www.denvercenter.org/buy-tickets/shows/greatwall/home.aspx.

Things to do in Denver when you're gay: The Busy World Is Hushed

Ignite Theatre will present the Regional Premiere of Keith Bunin’s The Busy World is Hushed (directed by Bernie Cardell) from March 23 through April 15, 2012 in the Aurora Fox Studio Theatre.

Mari

 A skillful mix of comedy and drama, The Busy World is Hushed  is a regional premier of an exciting new gay drama by Keith Bunin.

 It examines the contradictions we find in our faith, our families and ourselves and how we all search for a way to love each other and create a safe home, despite diverging ideologies.

 Never preachy and claiming no answer to the age-old challenge of reconciling a benevolent god with human suffering, this show encompasses an engaging mix of human interest, religious debate, and complex relationships.

Tim

 We meet a widowed Episcopal minister (Mari Geasair) in the process of translating a long-lost gospel,  her long-absent gay son (Tim McGrath) who returns in an effort to understand the circumstances of his father’s death, and the man who may be able to heal the breach between them (Chris Silberman).

The play takes an unexpected turn and veers away from the expected "gay vs. god" themes into more a more convoluted landscape, exploring the risks we are willing and unwilling to take for the people we love.  

Chris

 The Busy World Is Hushed (the title drawn from an Episcopal prayer) is  also about the intricacies of love and dogma-- what one believes, and why we need to believe what we do. It also tackles issues of sexuality, love, loss, predestination vs. free will, and why religion, faith and the human heart can’t always be reconciled.

 “Rooting through the intricate tangle of motivations that undergird personal faith, Bunin offers an empathetic and fair-minded view of religion: not as some derisory opiate of the people but as morphine for someone in possibly mortal pain." —Time Out NY.

The Busy World Is Hushed plays Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30pm; Sundays at 6pm.

Theater Review: Six Degrees of Separation

By Susan Hennessey
 

How fortunate is Denver that the Vintage Theatre is not going away? It is simply moving to its new location on Colfax and Dayton, just five miles from its current home on 17th Avenue.

Their swan song in this tidy and intimate space is the deliciously delightful “Six Degrees of Separation” by John Guare and directed by the visionary Len Matheo. The script is spicy with racial tension, class discrimination, with a dash of humor. The audience is immediately pulled into the story by the underlying tension between the main couple, Flan and Ouisa Kittredge, skillfully portrayed by Josh Hartwell and Lisa DeCaro. A flashy, Upper East Side New York couple busy racing to the top in their perfect clothes, living in their perfect homes and with perfect appearances, which include the perfect Ivy League schools for their perfect children, they’re so impressed with themselves, what they live for is just one more opportunity to best themselves.

What they are not is genuine. They collect and broker genuine art for a living, a subtle juxtaposition. The piece of art by Wassily Kandinsky in the Kittridge’s home is a centerpiece in their living room which is celebrated for featuring a painting on either side of the canvas. The Kittridges change the painting around from time to time, an excellent detail into the lives of its owners.

The most pathetic vacancy in their lives is relationships, especially true and meaningful relationships with their own children. The insensitivity to this reality is the perfect void that can be quickly filled by a Paul, (Theo Wilson) a visitor posing as a friend of their children’s from school. Paul quickly navigates his way into their insecure world. The exchanges in this opening scene are suffocating on this intimate stage suggesting a knowingness, but each character is carefully strutting their colors to look the most stunning to this stranger.

However, there is a most surprising connection between Paul and a central character as they discover a part of themselves that can give; they are each in need, and recognize a desire to help the other. It’s a tragic discovery, but this scene is staged cleverly as if each character occupies a frame of a comic overlapping with the other in a different location in the city. The audience sees a yearning that is real and you want this to work. It’s new to both characters; they are connected. Against all odds. An unlikely connection, which may result in honesty.

It’s a treat to have such an outstanding cast, each vibrantly portraying their individuality in this complex and competitive world. Each character is fully themselves as they interact with each other, but alone, they are being stripped of their confidence, the victim of their own undoing.

The outstanding cast includes Theo Wilson (Paul), Josh Hartwell (Flan), Lisa DeCaro (Ouisa), Cindy Laudadio Hill (Kitty), Charles Wingerter (Larkin), Sonia Justl (Elizabeth), Stephen Swofford (Rick), David Blumenstock (Dr. Fein), Matt Sheahan (Geoffrey), Jose Zuniga (Trent), Joe LaFollette (Woody), Caitlin Tomlinson (Tess), Zachary Page (Ben), Loren Cogswell (Doug), Erik Siegling (The Hustler), Addison Parker (Doorman/Policeman) and Rich Beall as the Detective.

Performances are Fridays and Saturdays through April 1 at 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 2:30 p.m. Tickets are $25 ($20 advance) on Fridays and Saturdays; $21 ($18 advance) on Sundays. Tickets are available by calling 303-839-1361 or online at www.vintagetheatre.com at Vintage Theatre, 2119 E 17th Ave, Denver, CO 80206.

Confessions of a Mormon Boy comes to Denver's Dangerous Theatre

An absolute hit in cities across the US as well as London’s West End and the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, 'Confessions of a Mormon Boy' has toured extensively all over the country and internationally. 

And Steven Fales has finally found his way to Denver to perform his controversial, critically acclaimed, award-winning off-Broadway hit. What better venue than at Denver’sDangerous Theatre?

This 90-minute solo play recounts how Steven went from being the perfect Mormon boy in Utah to a high-priced call boy in New York City and how he managed to find a middle ground. 

This provocative and inspiring true story takes the audience from his Mormon mission to Portugal and temple marriage, through reparative therapy, excommunication, divorce, prostitution and crystal meth addiction as he struggles to reclaim his self, his two children, and his ‘Donny Osmond smile.’ 

Says Fales, “This is my contribution to help end spiritual abuse and religious violence in churches, mosques, and synagogues.”

Confessions of a Mormon Boy

Written and performed by Steven Fales

Based on original direction by Tony Award Winner Jack Hofsiss

ONLY *5* Performances

March 29^th – April 1^st

Thursday, Friday & Saturday @ 7:30

Saturday & Sunday @ 2:00

Tickets:

$30 for evening performances

$25 for matinee performances

$5.00 discount available for students, seniors, military and members of the Colorado Theater Guild.

Online ticket purchase: http://dangeroustheatre.ticketleap.com/mormon-boy/

Theater Review: And Things That Go Bump in the Night

By Susan Hennessey

As the lights go down, three individuals enter with placards which hide each of their iconic white masks with its individual maddened expression. The placards are turned, revealing Equinox Theatre Company’s inaugural play for their 2012 Season, “And Things that Go Bump in the Night.” The masks are removed, but the madness in their characters remain.

On the set of what is seemingly a living room, you are introduced to a brother, Sigfried (played by Brandon Palmer) and a sister, Lakme (played by Rebecca Morphis), who have just come home from the festivities in the street before their nightly curfew. You learn that the family has dressed their cellar as a more inviting place to pass each evening as they wait for their apocalyptic end that is inevitable. The family is living as nocturnal animals settling in a nightly routine of antics and unpredictable ad hoc performances by their mother, Ruby. The children greatly desire her attention, but she needs quite a bit for herself, so they’ll have to wait. Sarah MacMillan as Ruby has her hands full with this whimsical character and gives a passionate performance. 

This black comedy by Terrence McNally has thrown this cast of characters in these tight quarters to expose the rawness of human nature. It’s a challenging script even today, 50 years after its debut in 1964. Act II offers some answers to the madness of Act I with the introduction of this evening’s nightly visitor lured by the children, and it is then that the audience gets to find out whether or not they have judged these characters correctly. The stranger, Clarence, sure-handedly played by Zak Wziontka, expresses the same questions the audience had earlier, but ultimately, the answers do not get settled, and at the end of the play, things are much more doomful than once perceived.
Or are they?




“And Things That Go Bump in the Night" plays through March 17. Performance dates are Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 PM. With a pay-what-you-can Industry Night on March 8th. Tickets are $15 and are available online at www.EquinoxTheatreDenver.com. Performances will be at The Bug Theatre – 3654 Navajo Street in Denver. Reservations are accepted at 720-984-0781. This show is recommended for mature audiences.

Theater Review: Black Stockings

By Philip Doyle

I have a confession to make.  

There is a strong possibility that I’m in love … with Denver's Dangerous Theatre company.  I just got home after seeing my first show produced by them and I’m smitten.  It might be a long-term thing, or maybe just a hot one-night stand.  All I know is that my heart is filled with love for the work that the Dangerous Theatre is trying to do.   

For me it’s the stuff from which dreams are made. 

The Dangerous Theatre allows attention to be paid to original works, and plays that are new to Denver audiences. Because of the high cost of theatre production, their focus is not on technical spectacle.  It’s not about breathtaking sets and laser light shows. It’s not about the gloss - it’s about substance.  The Dangerous Theatre puts emphasis on script, and the actor-to-audience relationship. 

Black Stockings is Peter McGarry's comedy/drama featuring Trish and Donna, two bawdy female prostitutes from Manchester, England.  These seductively dressed ladies engage the audience in a friendly chat and a warning to expect plenty of expletives.  They ask if anyone is familiar with Bertolt Brecht (playwright) and Kurt Weill (music composer), creator of The Threepenny Opera.  (Note:  It is not important to be familiar with Brechtian themes to enjoy this show. But the mention of Bertolt Brecht had my inner-theatre geek champing at the bit. Trish and Donna are quick to justify the importance of the services they provide.  In their view prostitutes are pacifists who alleviate men from aggression.  Jokes are made, “Better laid than never!”  Sex toys are used as fun props.  Donna makes light of Trish’s complaints of the physical aches and pains that come with the profession. 

Then the play begins to challenge the audience with questions of what constitutes morality.  Trish shares her experiences that can only be judged as unbearably horrific.  She exposes the darkest side of human nature, parlaying cruelty upon cruelty into a brilliant didactic monologue. 

Brittany Lacour plays Trish.  There is no way to adequately express my sincerest praise for her performance. But I’ll try. Lacour is utterly captivating.  She possesses a commanding emotional intensity.  As Trish, she grabs you, straps you in, and shares her experience with you.  Let me put it this way, there is an anatomically correct sex doll standing up stage (I mean really, there is), and when Lacour was rocking my world with her performance, I forgot the doll was even there!  I hope that convinces you.  I mean honestly … Brittany Lacour is a phenom.

And Winnie Wenglewick is as bold and smart an asset to the play as Donna as she is in her role as director.  She should be commended for her brave contribution of this great theatre work that would otherwise go unrecognized. 

I hope my love affair with the Dangerous Theatre continues.  I can appreciate stripping the shiny commercial spectacle out of the theatre equation to expose the heart of the art form. 

Black Stockings plays at The Dangerous Theatre March 2 and 3 at 7pm.Tickets are $20.

Theater Review: Southern Baptist Sissies

By Philip Doyle

My fellow brothers and sisters… before I commence, give me the opportunity to drag my old soapbox out of the closet…  Allow me the opportunity to regale you with some high praise for two of our community’s essential institutions:

First, let us praise ELEMENT, Denver’s Gay Men’s Wellness Initiative.  The efforts of the good people of ELEMENT strengthen our community by inspiring all of us to lead healthy lives.  Through programs that include The Mile High Meth Project, Boyfriend University and the Volunteer Outreach Touch Team, they have empowered us with the tools to grow as a community and to love ourselves. 

Second, there has been a resurrection of gay theatre in Denver.  Guided by the divine hand of Steven Tangedal, we can all look to a future that celebrates our artistic diversity by the Theatre Out Denver production company. 

Let us raise our hands to your computer screen and recognize their love.  It is time to rise up and embrace their noble efforts and show our support for this worthy cause.  For goodness sake, go bare witness to Southern Baptist Sissies.

Southern Baptist Sissies written by Del Shores explores the emerging sexual awareness of four gay young men living in the zealous center of the Bible belt. Fans of Del Shores may remember his play “Sordid Lives” that was followed by a LOGO television series of the same name.  

The young men in Southern Baptist Sissies follow a path of inspired comedy and heart breaking sorrow.  The play is presented within two diametrically opposed settings of a Baptist church and the local gay bar, one representing religious structure and the other sexual freedom.  We watch the characters journeying both worlds, searching for love and acceptance.

The conflicted and inevitable journeys of the four male leads are presented with a respectful emotional conviction under Steven Tangedal’s competent direction.

James O’Hagan-Murphy, Brock Benson, Preston Lee Britton, and Stefin Woolever, are perfectly cast as the plays four conflicted and likable heroes.  O’Hagan-Murphy never misses a beat and provides the momentum of the show.  Stefin Woolever, delivers a character with a beautifully honest innocence that impressed me.

Todd Black as the preacher approaches his character with a subdued realness, a wise choice for a character that could otherwise be an overbearing caricature.  Linda Suttle portrays a misguided and conflicted parent.

David Ballew and Samara Bridwell provide a welcome laugh as drunken gay bar pals.  They are exaggerated, boisterous and catty cliché’s that we all can relate to. 

Did I mention the hot strippers? Oh yes, there are cameos by Cisco Yocisco and Bobby Lindsay from Boylesque. 

So, my brothers, my sisters … as I step down off my soapbox let me remind you of this:  There are times in our lives, especially during the election year, when we are confronted with judgmental deprecating righteousness.  So, it is time to rise above!  Testify!  Love yourselves and each other.  

 Show your support and go see Southern Baptist Sissies!  Amen.

Southern Baptist Sissies is presented by ELEMENT and Theatre Out Denver. All proceeds will benefit The Denver ELEMENT that provides HIV education, prevention and outreach efforts to Denver's gay/bi male community.

Southern Baptists Sissies plays Friday and Saturday evenings between Feb. 24 – Mar. 24 at 8pm at Crossroads Theater, 2590 Washington at Welton in Five Points. For tickets visit http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/218171.

Theater Review: I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change

MileHighGayGuy's Way Gay Reviewer Takes on a Way Straight Show
By Philip Doyle

Before I begin, I would like to provide the following disclaimer: It should not come as a surprise to anyone that I am WAY gay. This is a review of a musical that happens to feature universal themes of straight relationships. It is a lighthearted cabaret musical that has appeal for everyone from the WAY gay, to the WAY straight. So chillax ... read what I have to say ... and if you’re feeling it, go and enjoy yourself.



I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change attempts to present the satirical and brutally honest quirks of the heterosexual mating ritual. The dreams and desires of the characters are relatable to all aspects of the interpersonal social gamut.

The book and lyrics written by Joe DiPietro are clever and cute if occasionally predictable. It is an amusing musical journey that explores dating, sex, marriage, and parenthood.

Some of the musical numbers, including “Always a Bridesmaid” are sharp-witted gems that build to a triumphant conclusion. “Why? Cause I’m a Guy” touts men filled with testosterone driven goofiness. “I Will Be Loved Tonight” is a beautiful and optimistic ballad that pops up contrary to other songs that border on tongue and cheek deprecation.

Each member of the cast of Love, Perfect, Change possesses a range of comedic and vocal talent. Daniel Langhoff is at his best when he immerses himself in character. Shannan Steele shines when she embraces a calm honest realness.

Robert Michael Sanders is great fun to watch. He has an amiable presence that is a rare delight. Lauren Shealy is also a unique and joyful talent, brimming with energy and the likeability of a young Mary Tyler Moore.

There are times when this production struggles to maintain a fresh approach, as each musical vignette repeatedly comes and goes. The short episodic nature of the song-to-song, lights up-to-lights down structure becomes a bit of a challenge to the audience’s patience.

At its best I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change celebrates the playful uniqueness of its cast.


I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change runs through June 24th at the Garner Galleria Theatre.
Tickets are available at www.denvercenter.org or by calling 303-893-4100.