Denver residents are lucky to be immersed in art, living in the cultural hub of the Rocky Mountain West. Walking downtown, you pass performing arts stages, music venues, art museums, historical sites, cultural organizations, and so much more.

Maggie Bofill in Laughs in Spanish, World Premiere. Photo by Jamie Kraus Photography

A rarity in cities in recent years is the growth and support of small, local theatres. However, the Denver metro area is not lacking whatsoever in local creativity. Audiences are still flocking to their nearby stages to see art being made – in some cases, world premiere productions.

At the Denver Center for the Performing Arts, the annual Colorado New Play Summit supports playwrights in developing new work. Traditionally, one or two of these plays are then selected for production as a world premiere on a DCPA stage the following season. But the Denver Center Theatre Company isn’t the only one supporting budding playwrights or taking chances on a new title.

Many theatres in the Denver metro area produce world premiere productions. The list below is not exhaustive, but a good place to start if you’re looking for something new.

Sydney Cole Alexander and Matthew Hancock in In the Upper Room, World Premiere. Photo by Adams VisCom.

And Toto too Theatre Company

This local company produces female-driven work, largely regional and world premieres. Support women artists at the annual Play Crawl, an opportunity to see several micro-plays in one evening. The 2024 season announcement will be coming soon!

Benchmark Theatre

Last summer, Benchmark developed and produced Stonewall, a moving piece about the 1960’s riots and LGBTQ+ history. Then, two more world premiere productions graced the stage: Jeremiah by Tami Canaday and FOMO: Formerly Mormon by Frankie Lee. Keep an eye out for the 2024 season announcement for more regional and world premieres.

Boulder Ensemble Theatre Company

BETC’s Writers Group’s new Café au Play will feature several new play readings (with the addition of coffee and pastries). This will take place on June 24, 2024 though a location is yet to be announced. Check back on the BETC website for more details in the coming months.

The cast of Rattlesnake Kate, World Premiere. Photo by andrewkellyphotography.com

Cherry Creek Theatre

After the successful world premiere of The Headliners in 2023, Cherry Creek Theatre is producing another world premiere production in 2024. The Heartbeat of the Sun by Melissa Lucero McCarl tells the hilarious story of octogenarian friends adjusting to life in a nursing home.

Curious Theatre Company

World premiere production Truth be Told by William Cameron just closed on the Curious Theatre stage. The rest of the productions in the 26^th season were regional premieres. The company’s 2024 season announcement is coming soon!

Su Teatro

Su Teatro is dedicated to producing Latiné art, especially new works. Several world premiere productions have taken the stage over the years, including Cuarenta y Ocho, which will return to the stage in March. Keep an eye out for the next season announcement for new original works.