Emma Messenger and DCPA Theatre Company favorite Sam Gregory (Scrooge in ‘A Christmas Carol’) are currently starring in the Arvada Center’s ‘All My Sons.’ Matt Gale Photography 2018.

Month-long Athena Project Festival turns March theatre spotlight to women in fields of theatre, music and dance

By John Moore
Senior Arts Journalist

The DCPA Theatre Company’s newly completed Colorado New Play Summit serves as something of a kickoff to a series of Colorado festivals celebrating new work for the American Theatre. Throughout March, the spotlight shifts to the 6th annual Athena Project Arts Festival, which has grown into a massive, citywide celebration of women’s voices in theatre, dance, music, comedy and fashion.

The festival’s signature program is its Plays In Progress series. Organizers have selected three promising scripts from among 150 submissions for development during the festival: The Buddha’s Wife by Mary Poindexter McLaughlin, Mama’s Eggnog by Angela Stern, and The Golden Hour by Elizabeth Nelson. Each script will get two public workshop readings between March 22 and March 31. In addition, Claire Caviglia’s The Inside Child will receive a table read on March 22, and Philana Omorotionmwan’s Strong Face will have a concert reading on March 29. Most theatre events will be held at the University of Denver.

Music highlights will include an open-mic night for female singers on March 8 at the Swallow Hill Music Hall; and a concert headlined by Megan Burtt and emerging artist Nina de Freitas on March 10. New this year is Cross Pollinations, in which artists from different disciplines are paired together to create a live, original work of art to be presented March 9. Dance events will be held March 17 and 18.

Tickets range from free to a $35 series pass that gets you into to all three plays, panel discussions and more. Full schedule and more information at AthenaProjectArts.org.

The Athena Festival, founded by Angela Astle, will be followed by Local Theater Company’s Local Lab new-play festival from April 20-22 in Boulder.

Here are a few more highlights for the coming month in Colorado theatre, followed by a comprehensive list of all your statewide theatregoing options for March. 

Ten intriguing titles for March:

All My Sons. It not only won the first-ever Best Play Tony Award, All My Sons may be Arthur Miller’s best play, period. This classic tale is based on the true story of an Ohio manufacturer who sold faulty parts to the U.S. military during World War II. Joe Keller, played by DCPA Theatre Company favorite Sam Gregory, is made to face the true cost of his business choices and their devastating impact on his family. This is the last opening of the Arvada Center’s second Black Box Theatre Company season. The big-name cast also includes Emma Messenger, Geoffrey Kent, Kate Gleason, Regina Fernandez, Abner Genece, Zachary Andrews, Jessica Austgen, Lance Rasmussen and youngsters Harrison Hauptman and August Reichert. Runs through May 3 in repertory with Sense and Sensibility and The Electric Baby at 6901 Wadsworth Blvd., 720-898-7200 or arvadacenter.org

Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar & Grill. Monday, March 5, promises to be an emotional night when Mary Louise Lee revisits her signature role as Billie Holiday in Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar & Grill at the Galleria Theatre. Lee’s performing career began in the Galleria (then called StageWest) when she appeared in Beehive at only 18 years old and still a senior at Thomas Jefferson High School. Lee first portrayed the jazz legend with a singular singing voice — and a lethal heroin habit — for Shadow Theatre in 2002. She returned to the role in January for this unique co-production with Vintage Theatre that now transfers to the Denver Center. This new production, directed by Betty Hart, will perform on Monday nights only through April 23. Denver Performing Arts Complex, 14th and Curtis streets, 303-893-4100 or denvercenter.org READ MORE

Wisdom from Everything. The latest provocative offering from Boulder’s Local Theater Company asks: What you would sacrifice to escape a war? Chicago playwright Mia McCullough‘s story presents a 19-year-old Syrian who finds herself educating girls in the largest refugee camp in the world — until an older Jordanian doctor offers her an education in exchange for marriage. The primo cast includes Amy Carle (known for her work on “Chicago MED” and for the Goodman and Steppenwolf theatres) and Mehry Eslaminia, who performed in the DCPA Theatre Company’s world-premiere play Appoggiatura. March 4-26 at The Dairy Center, 2590 Walnut St., Boulder, 720-379-4470 or localtheatercompany.org

The Intelligent Homosexual’s Guide to Capitalism and Socialism with a Key to the Scriptures. With his trademark mix of soaring intellect and searing emotion, legendary playwright Tony Kushner unfurls an epic tale of love, family, sex, money and politics — all set under the hard-earned roof of an Italian family in Brooklyn. When former longshoreman and Marxist union activist Gus decides to die, his kids come home with a raucous parade of lovers and spouses to find that even the house keeps secrets. Curious Theatre presents the regional premiere of Kushner’s 2009 opus with an all-star cast including the return of former DCPA Head of Acting Larry Hecht alongside Dee Covington, Karen Slack, Desirée Mee Jung, Kirkaldy Myers, Anne Oberbroeckling, Emily Paton Davies, Matthew Schneck, Luke Sorge and Brian Landis Folkins. March 17-April 14 at 1080 Acoma St., 303-623-0524 or curioustheatre.org

This is Modern Art. Idris Goodwin and Kevin Coval recount the true story of the biggest graffiti bomb in Chicago history. In less than 20 minutes, and in a snowstorm, a stealthy crew spray-painted a 50-foot graffiti piece along the exterior wall of the Art Institute of Chicago in 2010. The tagging began with the words “modern art” and ended with the phrase “made you look.” The work was sandblasted off the next day, but because the artists had chosen such a high-profile target, the consequences got serious. “They were putting out a challenge,” Goodwin said. “What is modern art? Who gets to decide who a real artist is? And where does art belong?” The all-local cast includes John Jurcheck, Brynn Tucker, Jake Mendes, Robert Lee Hardy, Chloe McLeod and Marco Robinson/ Presented by Off-Center from March 22-April 15 at the Jones Theatre in the Denver Performing Arts Complex, 14th and Curtis streets, 303-893-4100 or denvercenter.org READ MORE

Ugly Lies the Bone. When a newly discharged veteran returns to her native Florida hometown after a disabling third tour in Afghanistan, she discovers that readjusting can be painful and disorienting. Through virtual reality video-game therapy, Lindsey Ferrentino‘s brave and bracing drama, featuring Missy Moore, examines the restoration of one soldier’s life, relationships and self. Through March 18 at the Silverthorne Performing Arts Center, 460 Blue River Parkway, Silverthorne, 970-513-9386 or lakedillontheatre.org

Totally Awesome ’80s Ski Town, USA. It’s rare to see a fully staged, locally written and produced musical, and this silly new party tuner spoofs goofball ski movies of the ’80s and early ’90s. The story follows Billy Tanner, a hilariously tortured drifter who wanders into a seemingly quiet ski burg and gets mixed up in saving the town from a greedy oil tycoon while slaloming his way through house parties, Norse gods and strange foreign-exchange students. Writers Charlie Schmidt and Cory Wendling draw from films such as Ski Patrol, Better Off Dead, Hot Dog The Movie and even Footloose. Through March 31 at Breckenridge Backstage Theatre, 121 S. Ridge St. 970-453-0199 or backstagetheatre.org

Company. On his 35th birthday, perpetual bachelor Bobby contemplates his unmarried state. Through a series of comical outings with pals and an especially anxious wedding, his friends explain the pros and cons of marriage and relationships. Bobby is forced to examine his adamant retention of bachelorhood during these hilarious arrays of social interactions. The humor is sharp and the music is legendary, written by Stephen Sondheim. Presented by the Evergreen Chorale through March 11 at 27608 Fireweed Drive, Evergreen. 303-674-4002 or EvergreenChorale.org. A portion of ticket sales for the weekend of March 2-4 will benefit the Denver Actors Fund.

Fun Home: Third staging to open in Colorado Springs

Waiting for Obama. Heeding the call from Florida high-school students for a national day of dialogue, marches and protest, the Bas Bleu Theatre will present a community conversation on the prevalence of gun violence in America, followed by a reading of John Moore’s play Waiting for Obama about one Colorado family that, like so many others, is deeply divided by polarizing political beliefs. Waiting for Obama was praised at the 2016 New York International Fringe Festival as “a powerful and timely play that depicts the problem of gun violence in the United States in an emotional but often humorous light.” The cast will include Laurence Curry, Chris Kendall, Leslie O’Carroll, Drew Horwitz, Maggy Stacy, John Hauser and Jenna Moll Reyes. Panel at 6:30 p.m. Saturday, March 24, with the reading to follow at 7:30. p.m. Bas Bleu Theatre, 401 Pine St. in Fort Collins, CO 80524. Admission is free but donations to the Denver Actors Fund will be accepted. Reservations are strongly encouraged by calling 970-498-8949 or emailing basbleu@basbleu.org.

The River Bride. The northern Brazilian locals say the river dolphin found in the Amazon River can transform into human beings in search of their destined life mate. Surely you don’t believe that, but … what if it were true? In this folk tale set alongside the mightiest river in the world, Marisela Treviño Orta‘s heartrending storytelling blends love, grudges and transformation. Directed Hugo Jon Sayles. March 8-25 at the Su Teatro Performing Arts Center, 721 Santa Fe Drive, 303-296-0219 or suteatro.org

NOTE: At the start of each month, the DCPA NewsCenter offers an updated list of upcoming theatre openings, spotlighting work being presented on stages statewide. Companies are encouraged to submit listings and production photos at least two weeks in advance to the DCPA NewsCenter at jmoore@dcpa.org.

THIS MONTH’S THEATRE OPENINGS IN COLORADO:

March 1-31: Breckenridge Backstage Theatre’s Totally Awesome 80’s Ski Town USA
121 S. Ridge St. 970-453-0199 or backstagetheatre.org

March 2-May 3: Arvada Center’s All My Sons
Studio Theatre, 6901 Wadsworth Blvd., 720-898-7200 or arvadacenter.org

March 2-18: Lake Dillon Theatre Company’s Ugly Lies the Bone
At the Silverthorne Performing Arts Center, 460 Blue River Parkway, Silverthorne, 970-513-9386 or lakedillontheatre.org

March 2-11: Evergreen Chorale’s Company
At Center/Stage, 27608 Fireweed Drive, 303-674-4002 or evergreenchorale.org

March 3-31: Athena Project Arts Festival
Various locations, 303-219-0882 or athenaprojectfestival.org

March 2-11: Vintage Theatre’s Ring of Fire: The Music of Johnny Cash
1468 Dayton St., Aurora, 303-839-1361 or vintagetheatre.com

March 3-26: BDT Stage’s Always … Patsy Cline
5501 Arapahoe Ave., 303-449-6000 or bdtstage.com

March 4-24: Local Theatre Company’s Wisdom From Everything
The Carsen Theater at The Dairy Center, 2590 Walnut St., Boulder, 720-379-4470 or localtheatercompany.org

March 5-April 23: DCPA Cabaret’s Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar and Grill
Garner Galleria Theatre, Denver Performing Arts Complex, 14th and Curtis streets, 303-893-4100 or denvercenter.org READ MORE

March 8-25: Su Teatro’s The River Bride
721 Santa Fe Drive, 303-296-0219 or suteatro.org

March 8-25: Millibo Art Theatre’s The Blow Up
1626 S. Tejon St. Colorado Springs, 719-465-6321, themat.org

March 8-May 4: Denver Children’s Theatre’s Sleeping Beauty
Public performances 1 p.m. Sundays
Elaine Wolf Theatre at the Mizel Arts and Culture Center, 350 S. Dahlia St., 303-316-6360 www.maccjcc.org

March 9-April 1: Theatre Esprit Asia’s Coping With America
At ACAD Gallery, 1400 Dallas St., Aurora, 720-492-9479, or theatre-esprit-asia.org

March 9-24: Theatrix USA’s The Baptism
At Blanc, 3150 Walnut St., wellattended.com

March 16-April 8: Evergreen Players’ Love/Sick
At Center/Stage, 27608 Fireweed Drive, 303-674-4934 or evergreenplayers.org

March 16-25: Inspire Creative’s Laughter on the 23rd Floor
At the PACE Center, 20000 Pikes Peak Avenue, Parker, 303-805-6800 or inspirecreative.org

More Colorado theatre coverage on the DCPA NewsCenter

March 16-25: Longmont Theatre Company’s Leaving Iowa
513 Main St., Longmont, 303-772-5200 or longmonttheatre.org

March 17-April 14: Curious Theatre’s The Intelligent Homosexual’s Guide to Capitalism & Socialism with a Key to the Scriptures
1080 Acoma St., 303-623-0524 or curioustheatre.org

March 20-April 1: Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center at Colorado College’s Androcles and the Lion (children’s)
30 W. Dale St., Colorado Springs, 719-634-5581 or csfineartscenter.org

March 22-April 15: Off-Center’s This Is Modern Art
Jones Theatre, Denver Performing Arts Complex, 14th and Curtis streets, 303-893-4100 or denvercenter.org

March 22-25: Magic Moments’ In the Same Boat
Anschutz Family Theatre at Kent Denver School, 4000 East Quincy Ave, Englewood, 303-575-1005 or magicmomentsinc.org

March 23-April 8: Performance Now’s The Producers
Lakewood Cultural Center, 470 S. Allison Parkway, 303-987-7845 or performancenow.org

March 23-April 29: Miners Alley Playhouse’s The 39 Steps
1224 Washington St., Golden, 303-935-3044 or minersalley.com

March 23-May 26: Midtown Arts Center’s Ragtime
3750 S. Mason St, Fort Collins, (970) 225-2555 or midtownartscenter.com

March 29-April 22: Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center at Colorado College’s Fun Home
30 W. Dale St., Colorado Springs, 719-634-5581 or csfineartscenter.org
READ MORE

March 29-April 8: The Upstart Crow’s Playboy of the Western World

Dairy Center for the Arts, 2590 Walnut St., Boulder, 303-442-1415 or theupstartcrow.org

March 30-May 13: Vintage Theatre’s The Audience
1468 Dayton St., Aurora, 303-839-1361 or vintagetheatre.com

March 31-April 28: Lowry’s Spotlight Theatre’s The Diary of Anne Frank
John Hand Theatre, 7653 E. First Place, 720-880-8727 or thisisspotlight.com

March 31-April 28: OpenStage’s And Then There Were None
Lincoln Center, 417 W. Magnolia St., Fort Collins, 970-484-5237 or openstagetheatre.org

Naseem Etemad and Regis Jesuit High School graduate Mehry Eslaminia (DCPA Theatre Company’s ‘Appoggiatura’) in Local Theatre’s upcoming ‘Wisdom from Everything.’ Photo by Michael Ensminger.

CONTINUING CURRENT PRODUCTIONS:

Through March 3: Grapefruit Lab’s JANE/EYRE
The Bakery, 2132 Market St., eventbrite.com

Through March 3: Miners Alley Children’s Theatre’s The Pied Piper of Hamelin
1224 Washington St., Golden, 303-935-3044 or minersalley.com

Through March 4: Miners Alley Playhouse’s Fun Home
1224 Washington St., Golden, 303-935-3044 or minersalley.com READ MORE

Through March 4: Bas Bleu Theatre’s Waiting for the Parade
401 Pine St., Fort Collins, 970-498-8949 or basbleu.org

Through March 4: Springs Ensemble Theatre’s The Totalitarians
1903 E. Cache La Poudre St., Colorado Springs, 80909, 719-357-3080 or springsensembletheatre.org

Through March 4: Colorado Springs TheatreWorks’ Trouble in Tahiti
At the Ent Center for the Arts, 5225 N. Nevada Ave., Colorado Springs, 719-255-3232 or theatreworkscs.org

Through March 10: Coal Creek Theater of Louisville’s Becky Shaw
Louisville Center for the Arts, 801 Grant St., 303-665-0955 or cctlouisville.org

Through March 10: Thunder River Theatre Company’s The Price
67 Promenade, Carbondale, 970-963-8200 or thunderrivertheatre.com

Through March 11: Colorado Springs TheatreWorks’ Oklahoma
At the Ent Center for the Arts, 5225 N. Nevada Ave., Colorado Springs, 719-255-3232 or theatreworkscs.org

Through March 11: Vintage Theatre’s Sleuth (with Lowry’s Spotlight Theatre)
1468 Dayton St., Aurora, 303-839-1361 or vintagetheatre.com

Through March 17: Midtown Arts Center’s Fun Home
3750 S. Mason St, Fort Collins, (970) 225-2555 or midtownartscenter.com
READ MORE

Through March 17: Buntport Theater’s The Book Handlers
717 Lipan St., 720-946-1388 or buntport.com

Through March 17: Firehouse Theatre’s Gross Indecency: The Three Trials of Oscar Wilde
John Hand Theatre, 7653 E. 1st Place, 303-562-3232 or firehousetheatercompany.com  

Through March 18: DCPA Theatre Company’s The Great Leap
Ricketson Theatre, 14th and Curtis streets, 303-893-4100 or denvercenter.org READ MORE

Through March 18: Aurora Fox’s Real Women Have Curves
9900 E. Colfax Ave., Aurora, 303-739-1970 or aurorafox.org

Through March 25: Benchmark Theatre’s A Kid Like Jake
1560 Teller St., Lakewood, benchmarktheatre.com

Through March 25: Town Hall Arts Center’s Something’s Afoot
2450 W. Main St., Littleton, 303-794-2787 or townhallartscenter.org

Through March 25: Midtown Arts Center’s Always … Patsy Cline
3750 S. Mason St, Fort Collins, 970-225-2555 or midtownartscenter.com

Through March 26: Local Theater Company’s Wisdom from Everything
At The Dairy Center, 2590 Walnut St., Boulder, 720-379-4470 or localtheatercompany.org

Through April 22: DCPA Cabaret’s First Date
Garner Galleria Theatre, 14th and Curtis streets, 303-893-4100 or denvercenter.org READ MORE

Through April 1: National touring production of Hamilton
Buell Theatre, 14th and Curtis streets, 303-893-4100 or denvercenter.org

Through April 8: Jester’s Dinner Theatre’s Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat
224 Main St., Longmont, 303-682-9980 or jesterstheatre.com

Through April 8: The BiTSY Stage’s Jotunheim: A Legend of Thor and His Hammer
1137 S. Huron St., 720-328-5294 or bitsystage.com

Through April 15: Candlelight Dinner Playhouse’s Kiss Me Kate
4747 Marketplace Drive, Johnstown, 970-744-3747 or coloradocandlelight.com

Through May 4: Arvada Center’s The Electric Baby
6901 Wadsworth Blvd., 720-898-7200 or arvadacenter.org

Through May 6: Arvada Center’s Sense and Sensibility
Studio Theatre, 6901 Wadsworth Blvd., 720-898-7200 or arvadacenter.org

Through May 25: Arvada Center Children’s Theatre’s Seussical
6901 Wadsworth Blvd., 720-898-7200 or arvadacenter.org

Through Aug. 11: Iron Springs Chateau’s A Precious Bit of the West, or: She Was Simply a Delight!
444 Ruxton Ave., Manitou Springs, 719-685-5104 or ironspringschateau.com

ONGOING, MONTHLY or ONE-TIME PROGRAMMING:

ADAMS MYSTERY PLAYHOUSE

2406 Federal Blvd., Denver, 303-455-1848 or adamsmysteryplayhouse.com

ARVADA CENTER

6901 Wadsworth Blvd. 720-898-7200 or online: arvadacenter.org

AVENUE THEATER

417 E. 17th Ave., 303-321-5925 or avenuetheater.com READ MORE

 

AURORA FOX ARTS CENTER

• March 23-24: True West Award-winning performer Leonard E. Barrett Jr. is the featured artist this month in the Aurora Fox’s ongoing cabaret series in its studio theatre. Barrett will perform Unforgettable: The Songs of Nat King Cole, a tribute to Cole through story and song.

9900 E. Colfax Ave., Aurora, 303-739-1970 or aurora fox.org

BDT STAGE

• March 5-6: The Glenn Miller Orchestra

5501 Arapahoe Ave., 303-449-6000 or bdtstage.com

BUG THEATRE

• Thursday, March 15: The Emerging Filmmakers Project, showcasing Denver’s indie film scene on the third Thursday of every month.
• Monday, March 26: Freak Train: Open-mic variety show hosted by GerRee Hinshaw on the final Monday of every month

3654 Navajo St., 303-477-9984 or bugtheatre.info

BUNTPORT THEATER

• Wednesday, March 7: Magnets on the Fridge
  based, in part, on Richard Scarry’s children’s book Busy, Busy World
• Saturday, March 10: Siren Song: A Pirate Odyssey (Monthly theatre for young audiences at 1 and 3 p.m.)
• Tuesday, March 20: The Great Debate
  
• Wednesday, March 21: The Narrators

717 Lipan St., 720-946-1388 or buntport.com

DENVER ACTORS FUND

• Sunday, March 4: Watch the biggest night of the year for movies on the big screen with Denver7 at Alamo Drafthouse Denver. Arrive around 5 p.m. in BarFly for your own red carpet, paparazzi, and more before for food, drinks and fun for everyone i the theatre. Your ticket includes a glass of champagne (or sparkling cider) and a donation to the Denver Actors Fund. Choose your preferred seating

At Alamo Drafthouse Sloan’s Lake, 4255 W. Colfax Ave., drafthouse.com

• Sunday, March 11: Screening of the film The 39 Steps with live entertainment from Miners Alley Playhouse’s s upcoming comical stage adaptation of the Hitchcock classic. Entertainment 6:30 p.m.; film at 7. Choose your preferred seating

At Alamo Drafthouse Sloan’s Lake, 4255 W. Colfax Ave., drafthouse.com

• Saturday, March 24: Waiting for Obama. Community conversation on the prevalence of gun violence in America, followed by a reading of John Moore’s play about a Colorado family deeply divided by polarizing political beliefs. Panel at 6:30 p.m. with the reading to follow at 7:30. p.m. Admission is free but donations to the Denver Actors Fund will be accepted. 

At Bas Bleu Theatre, 401 Pine St., Fort Collins. Reservations are strongly encouraged by calling 970-498-8949 or emailing basbleu@basbleu.org

DENVER CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS

LOCAL THEATER COMPANY

THE SOURCE THEATRE COMPANY

• Every third Monday: Monday! Monday! Monday! Cabaret

At Su Teatro Performing Arts Center, 721 Santa Fe Drive, 720-238-1323 or thesourcedenver.org

STORIES ON STAGE

• Sunday, March 18: Wild Women. Stories on Stage has renowned actors bring stories to life by combining literature with theater. This month: Rhonda Lee Brown, Allison Watrous and Betty Hart perform stories by and about women – unconstrained, fun-loving and living large. 1:30 and 6:30 p.m.

At Su Teatro Performing Arts Center, 721 Santa Fe Drive, 
303-494-0523 or storiesonstage.org

(Program repeats on Saturday, March 24 at the Dairy Center in Boulder)