The Power of the Pause The best public speakers aren’t born. Confidence at the podium is built through preparation, practice, and purposeful coaching. When Delanie Baumgartner enrolled in one-on-one public speaking coaching through the Denver Center for the Performing Arts (DCPA), her goal was clear: become more confident speaking in front of groups. As a […]
The moment a community stops asking to belong and claims it Phamaly Theatre Company has been “cripping” the theatrical canon for nearly four decades, reimagining what theatre looks like and who it’s built for. About Phamaly From its inaugural show, Guys and Dolls in 1990, to last year’s Pippin in partnership with the Denver Center […]
Speaking outdoors or to a large group can be challenging, and not just because of the nerves. Without meaning to, speakers often push their voices to be heard, leading to strain, fatigue, and disconnection from the audience. According to Allison Watrous, Executive Director of Education and Community Engagement at the Denver Center for the Performing […]
Mindfulness can feel intimidating. But what if presence didn’t require stillness? What if you could use improvisation to return to yourself? For Denver Center for the Performing Arts teaching artist Heather Curran, improv and mindfulness are inseparable. “Improv is the practice of presence through play,” she says. “Mindfulness and meditation can be really daunting, but […]
This article was originally publihed in 2022 and updated in 2026. The Denver Center for the Performing Arts’ Education program offers a wide range of classes from introduction to acting, scene study, stage combat, and more. A unique part of the program is that teaching artists largely continue to work within the theatre community, […]
Are you a budding performer waiting for your breakout role? Do you feel a bit like Fanny Brice in Funny Girl, fiercely determined but constantly turned down? Don’t let that rain on your parade! Take these tips from Grady Soapes, Director of Casting with the Denver Center for the Performing Arts (DCPA), to help you […]
For Grady Soapes, choreography isn’t just eight counts and clever footwork — it’s a lifelong language. A language that only comes fully alive when it integrates with the designers, directors, musicians, and storytellers shaping a production. Long before he became the Denver Center for the Performing Arts’ (DCPA) Director of Casting and Associate Producer, he […]
What if learning math felt like rehearsing a dance? What if science came alive through movement and storytelling? At the Denver Center for the Performing Arts (DCPA), this isn’t hypothetical; it’s the foundation of Dramatic Learning, a program that integrates theatre into core subjects. For nearly 30 years, the DCPA has partnered with Colorado educators […]
Earlier this year, we shared an article highlighting the seasons of various local theatre companies, including Phamaly Theatre Company. In it, Phamaly’s Artistic Director, Ben Raanan, announced the theme for the disability-affirmative theatre company’s 36th season: “Find Your Light.” Raanan explained that disabled individuals are often pushed aside and forgotten. His goal this season […]
From the archives: this article was originally published on February 14, 2023 Acting has been around for centuries and over time evolved into different forms. One popular form is acting for the screen. While traditional theatre tells stories from start to finish, performing the same show each night for a different audience, film and television […]