In Sunset Boulevard, former silent-film star Norma Desmond says: “I’m ready for my close-up.” But exactly what does it take to get ready for your close-up, your audition or your first big role?

The Denver Center for the Performing Arts offers a variety of educational programs from classes on acting, voiceover, and movement to in-school programs including playwriting and musical theatre. Here are some recent DCPA Education students who have stepped into the spotlight.

JAKE BRASCH
In January, Jake Brasch will see his first play, The Reservoir, produced as a three-city co-production. Brasch got his start in DCPA Education’s acting classes both as a student and later as a teacher’s assistant, appeared in A Christmas Carol, graduated from Denver School for the Arts and Tisch School of the Arts (NY), and is pursuing his Master’s at Julliard.

ANDY DUS
Long-time DCPA Education acting student Andy Dus “graduated” to acting in local theatre productions with Cherry Creek Theatre and Curious New Voices before heading to the big screen in All Men are Wicked. He’s just been cast in his yet-to-be-announced second film.

ABIGAIL BROOKS LEHRER
Abigail Brooks Lehrer received the DCPA’s 2018 Bobby G High School Musical Theatre Award for Outstanding Actress. After high school, she attended The Institute for American Musical Theatre and made a name for herself as a performer on TikTok, then by securing a spot on the 20th season of “American Idol.”

RYAN OMAR STACK
Ryan Omar Stack moved to Denver in 2010 to pursue a career in business, but needed a creative outlet. He took the DCPA’s adult acting classes for two years before appearing with Benchmark Theatre, Arvada Center, Colorado Shakespeare Festival, Local Theater Company, and the Denver Center Theatre Company.

VARIOUS
A full roster of DCPA Education acting students joined DCPA Head of Acting, Tim McCracken, in the SAG film short Burning the Old Man (Danny Mann, Lisa Collins, and Jenny Eaves) and the 2023 film Publish or Perish (Mia Park).

By The Numbers: DCPA Education in Fiscal Year 2023
Education has been an integral part of the DCPA since its inception. From on-site acting classes to in-school workshops and residencies, DCPA Education instills a life-long love of theatre in students of all ages. In the 2022/23 season, DCPA Education reached:

125,770
Total Students

9,275
Student Scholarships

8,171
Student Ticket Discounts

499
Unique Schools Served

119
Student Matinee Performances

2,547
Classes & Workshops