Celebrating one of its most successful seasons to date in 2008, Curious Theatre Company has been the recipient of The Mayor’s Award for Excellence in the Arts, named ‘Best Theater Company’ by 5280 Magazine, received eight Denver Post Ovation Awards, including ‘Best Year for a Company’ and succeeded in the purchase and partial renovation of its long-time home at 1080 Acoma in Denver. “It’s a great challenge to build on the success of a season as wonderful as the one we are now finishing, and constructing a subsequent season that is as exciting — if not more exciting — than 2008/09. I’m confident that this line-up of shows accomplishes precisely that, and I am eager to share them all with our Denver audiences!” says Chip Walton, Curious’ Producing Artistic Director “What strikes me about our 2009/10 Season, is how each of these plays—in remarkably different ways—explore our shifting perceptions of identity, both of ourselves, and collectively as a nation. Together, they explore our hopes, fears and dreams—and how those all make us exactly who we are—in poignant and unforgettable ways. This season represents the best and most exciting new work in American theatre.”
See what's in store after the jump.
Season 12 at Curious Theatre Company
YANKEE TAVERN
By Steven Dietz
Directed by Chip Walton
September 12-October 24, 2009
*A National New Play Network World Premiere
From Denver native Steven Dietz, comes a new play filled with mystery, conspiracy and thrills. Set in a crumbling tavern in New York City, a young man is saddled with questions about his father’s best friend, their mysterious past, and a stranger who knows much more than he should. In an instant, outlandish hypotheses become dangerous realities as surprising revelations continue to emerge in this eye-opening look at our government and the theories behind the events that have shaped our country.
Steven Dietz is the acclaimed playwright of Curious’ FICTION and INVENTING VAN GOGH. YANKEE TAVERN was featured this past December as part of the National New Play Network’s (NNPN) National Showcase of New Plays and comes to Curious as a part of the NNPN Continued Life Project. He teaches at playwriting and screenwriting at the University of Texas at Austin.
AMERIVILLE
Written and Created by UNIVERSES
Directed by Chay Yew
November 14-December 5, 2009
*Regional Premiere
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 New Orleans. A theatrical tour-de-force premiering at the Humana Festival of New Plays in March 2009 (directed by Chay Yew), UNIVERSES returns to Curious Theatre in November 2009 with this exciting new work.
UNIVERSES is an ensemble of multi-disciplined writers and performers who fuse poetry, theater, rhythm and politics to create moving, challenging and entertaining theatrical works, breaking the bounds of traditional theater to create their own brand. The ensemble staged a hugely successful workshop presentation of AMERIVILLE at Curious during the National Performing Arts Convention this past summer (2008). Steven Sapp and Mildred Ruiz were commissioned in Season 8 for THE WAR ANTHOLOGY and again in Season 10 to co-write Curious’ THE DENVER PROJECT.
HOME BY DARK
By Terry Dodd
Directed by Jaime Horton
January 9-February 6, 2010
*World Premiere
Curious Theatre Company presents the World Premiere of HOME BY DARK by Denver based playwright, Terry Dodd. 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 truly heartwarming story about the risks of love, secrets, and compassion. Presented in Association with Denver Center Attractions.
Curious is thrilled to welcome long time Denver audience favorite, Jamie Horton, back to its ranks in Season 12. At Curious he directed FICTION in Season 8, and starred in TRUMBO in Season 7. Curious is also excited to partner with Denver Center Attractions, who has held the option on this new play, and with Randy Weeks in particular, who has been centrally involved in the development of this project. Playwright Terry Dodd has been a central figure in Denver theatre for many years, both as a playwright and a director, and he has an extensive local and national theatrical resume.
OPUS
By Michael Hollinger
Director TBA
February 20-April 3, 2010
*Regional Premiere
In a world where characters are instruments and scenes are movements, a world-class, high-strung, string quartet prepares 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.
OPUS first premiered at Arden Theatre Company, City Theatre Company, and Bloomsburg Theatre Ensemble (2006). Optioned for a Broadway production last year, that option expired this past December, and it is likely to be one of the most produced plays in American theatre this coming season. Michael Hollinger received a Bachelor of Music in viola performance from Oberlin Conservatory and a Master of Arts in theatre from Villanova University, where he is now an assistant professor of theatre.
UP
By Bridget Carpenter
Directed by Chip Walton
April 24-May 29, 2010
*Regional Premiere
“People search their whole lives to find one thing they’re good at…to find the one thing that makes them special.” Meet Walter Griffin, who, on the best day of his life, built a flying lawn chair that managed to carry him 16,000 feet in the air. He’s never quite come down from his 15 minutes of fame, and he’s spent the last 16 years trying to invent new ways to fly while his wife keeps the family afloat. UP is a quirky, bittersweet tale about escaping the boundaries of the everyday and how we dream ourselves into a future.
Nationally, UP is sure to be one of the hottest plays of the coming season for theatres around the country. UP was commissioned by Perseverance Theatre in 2002 and premiered there in 2003. Currently scheduled productions include: Oregon Shakespeare Festival and Steppenwolf. Bridget Carpenter was a guest playwright for Curious New Voices during its first year.
