John Jurcheck, left, recently of Off-Center’s ‘This is Modern Art,’ and Karen Slack in Curious Theatre’s ‘Your Best One.’ Photo by Michael Ensminger.

As Remote Denver sends adventurers on a detour, The Catamounts are bussing audiences into Boulder wilderness

By John Moore
Senior Arts Journalist

Normally this monthly space is reserved for 10 intriguing upcoming Colorado theatre titles outside of the Denver Center. But this month, the DCPA is hosting several innovative projects you may not have heard much about yet. So first, here is a quick rundown before launching into 10 recommended shows to watch around the state. (These are in addition to ongoing productions of the Theatre Company’s Native Gardens [closing May 6] and The Who’s Tommy [closing May 27]).

• Remote Denver. The most exotic adventure yet from Off-Center isn’t even a theatre experience so much as an unprecedented way to experience hidden parts of the Mile High City. Join a group of 50 people swarming the streets on a guided audio tour. You’re not just audience members — you’re actors and spectators, observers and observed, individuals and hordes, all at the same time. May 22 through July 1. Starts each evening at Lincoln Park on the corner of 13th Avenue and Mariposa Street and moves on from there. 303-893-4100 or denvercenter.org
• For the Love of George. Audiences are about to meet Cupid’s misfiring brother, George, in this rare opportunity to witness the first public performances of what is being called “a developmental staged reading” of an evolving new comedy. It’s written by Barbara Gehring and Linda Klein of Girls Only, along with Ray Roderick (director of I Love You, You’re Perfect Now Change), and James Hindman (pictured right). Zeus has banished George to Earth, where he must learn the true nature of love in all its joy, pain, messiness and inevitability. Four performances only in the Conservatory Theatre in the Robert and Judi Newman Center for Theatre Education. READ MORE
• Virginia Woolf’s Orlando. DCPA Education’s adult students are presenting their Master Class Movement Project directed by Steven Cole Hughes. Virginia Woolf‘s feminist classic is a high-spirited romp inspired by the tumultuous family history of Woolf’s lover and close friend, the aristocratic poet and novelist Vita Sackville-West. Orlando describes the adventures of a poet who changes sex from man to woman and lives for centuries, meeting the key figures of English literary history. Performances 7:30 p.m. Thursday through Saturday, May 10-12. Tickets are free, but please RSVP to education@dcpa.org to ensure seating.
• Human Error. The DCPA Theatre Company’s season-ending, world-premiere comedy is its first offering ever staged in the intimate Garner Galleria Theatre. It’s about what happens when you put two completely opposite young couples together with only one thing in common: A bumbling fertility doctor who has mistakenly implanted a fertilized embryo from one woman into the uterus of the other. May 18-June 24. READ MORE
• School of Rock. Based on the hit Jack Black film, School of Rock follows Dewey Finn, a wannabe rock star who turns a class of straight-A students into grade-A rockers. This national touring production feature new songs from Andrew Lloyd Webber, and Broadway’s first-ever live kids rock band. May 29-June 10 at the Buell Theatre.

For more info on any of those Denver Center shows, call 303-893-4100 or go to denvercenter.org. And now … onto the rest of the state!

Rausch. Boulder’s The Catamounts and Denver’s Control Group Productions are joining forces on this outdoor immersive theatre experience in which the audience is cast as adventurers on a journey into the literal woods, where they will join 10 performers exploring the mystery, myth and power of the wilderness. Rausch’s title is derived from German philosophy, describing the intoxication and loss of self we feel in the face of the power of nature. The story is adapted from the Greek myth of Persephone. Each performance  begins in the Wild Woods Brewery parking lot, where 48 audience members will be ushered onto a bus and tasked with a mission. Upon arrival, they will be divided into small groups and led into the woods, where the story will unfold. The adventure will culminate in a community banquet. This new effort grew out of the work The Catamounts Artistic Director Amanda Berg Wilson and Control Group Artistic Director Patrick Mueller put in on Off-Center’s immersive spectacle Sweet & Lucky for the Denver Center. Performances May 26-June 17. Start location: 5460 Conestoga Court, Boulder, 720-468-0487 or thecatamounts.org

Your Best One. Curious Theatre’s trilogy about the Hoffmans continues as the family battles over health insurance, child custody, inheritance and superfoods. Playwright and Chicago Med writer Meridith Friedman channels the wit, and wisdom of her real-life family as they grapple with universal challenges we all face. Featuring Eric Sandvold, Randy Moore, John Jurcheck, Karen Slack and Colin Covert. Directed by Dee Covington. May 5-June 16 at 1080 Acoma St., 303-623-0524 or curioustheatre.org 

Ain’t Misbehavin’. Town Hall Arts Center closes its 36th season with this musical homage to Fats Waller. Not quite a biography, this 1978 Tony Award-winning Best Musical is more of an infectious musical revue. Directed by Bob Wells and Donna Kolpan Debreceni and featuring a live band including Jon-Paul Frappier, Larry Ziehl, Rob Olds, Scott Alan Smith and Bob Rebholz. The cast features Randy Chalmers, Krisangela Washington, Leonard Barrett Jr., Rajdulari Music and Denver First Lady Mary Louise Lee, who recently carried a sold-out run of Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar and Grill at the Vintage and Galleria theatres. Runs May 18 through June 17 at 2450 W. Main St., Littleton, 303-794-2787 or townhallartscenter.com

The Life & Times of Ol’ Alfred. The Source Theatre brings back its tale of an African-American family through the eyes of a patriarch. Jon Ian Sayles presents the story of his great-great-great-grandfather, Alfred, as told through anecdotes passed down over the years. The story recalls a time when the power of the family was paramount, and its history was the basis of building communities and nations. May 24-June 9 at the Su Teatro Performing Arts Center, 721 Santa Fe Drive, 720-238-1323 or thesourcedenver.org READ MORE

The North Plan. After a ruthless faction seizes power in Washington, a bureaucrat for the State Department runs off with the new regime’s top-secret enemies list, hoping to leak it. When captured in the Ozarks, his only hope is in the people around him. The revolution starts now. This dark comedy by Jason Wells is presented by Springs Ensemble Theatre and directed by Matt Radcliffe. Starring Emory John Collinson and featuring E. Amber Singleton, Desiree Meyers, Erick Groskopf, Sean Verdu and Justin Anderson. Through May 20 at 1903 E. Cache La Poudre St., Colorado Springs, 719-357-3080 or springsensembletheatre.org

Siren Song. Buntport Theater’s popular and venerable Saturday afternoon comedy series for young pirates and their parents comes to an end May 13 with performances at 1 and 3 p.m. Siren Song, inspired by Homer’s The Odyssey, is the brilliant inspiration of Jessica Robblee and Mitch Slevc, who have created more than 150 original shows for young audiences over the past 12 years. The final episode will be based on three audience-suggested songs: “Space Oddity” by David Bowie, “Michael in the Bathroom” from the Musical Be More Chill, and “Rainbow Connection.” The cast will include Emily Van Fleet, Drew Horwitz, Nate Jones, Erik Edborg, Jack Wefso and David Rynhart of Chimney Choir. 717 Lipan St., 720-946-1388 or buntport.com

Death of a Salesman. After a remarkable eight-year run, The Edge Theatre Company goes into retirement with this farewell staging of Arthur Miller’s classic, voted the second most-important American play ever written in a Denver Post poll. Starring Kevin Hart and Patty Ionoff as Willy and Linda Loman; John Hauser and Antonio Amadeo as Happy and Biff. Also featuring Verl Hite, Josh Levy, John Wittbrodt, Matt Maxwell, Zach Tait, Linda Brown, Danielle Rankin, Lindsay Krausa and Emily Gomes. May 17 through June 3 at 1560 Teller St., Lakewood, 303-232-0363 or theedgetheater.com


District Merchants. Aaron Posner takes The Merchant of Venice from its Shakespearean setting to post-Civil War Washington, D.C., with hints at life in America today. In the complex and contradictory worlds of  blacks, whites, Jews and Christians, money changes hands with dangerously high stakes, philanthropic acts mask blatant opportunism and would-be lovers hide — and then uncover — their differences. District Merchants is a remarkable tale of money, merchandise and mercy. Presented by Miners Alley Playhouse. The cast includes Cris Davenport, Chris Kendall, Amy Elizabeth Gray, Sinjin Jones, Sean Michael Cummings, Candace Joice, Kristina Lorice Fountaine and Isaiah Kelley. Directed by Len Matheo. May 18 through June 24 at 1224 Washington St. in Golden, 303-935-3044 or minersalley.com

Stories on Stage. For 17 years, Stories on Stage has paired renowned actors with great literature to bring stories to life each month while nurturing empathy and understanding. This month’s season finale features actors Steven Cole Hughes (pictured right), Rhianna DeVries and Heather Hughes performing stories designed for the armchair adventurer in all of us. Showtimes 1:30 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. at Su Teatro Performing Arts Center, 721 Santa Fe Drive,  303-494-0523 or storiesonstage.org.

Carmen. Cleo Parker Robinson’s fresh update of Bizet’s Carmen is set to a bossa nova, and includes live vocals by Denver’s Erica Papillon-Posey. Robinson’s Spring Dance Concert will also feature new work from legendary choreographer Donald McKayle (“Uprooted: Pero Resplantado”) and Viviana Basanta (“La Mulata de Cordoba”). The concert coincides with a photo exhibit commemorating the 125th anniversary of the Mexican Consulate in Denver. Through May 16 at 119 Park Avenue West, 303-295-1759 or cleoparkerdance.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:

May 3-11: DCPA Cabaret’s For the Love of George
Conservatory Theatre, 14th and Curtis streets, 303-893-4100 or denvercenter.org READ MORE

May 3-20: Springs Ensemble Theatre’s The North Plan
1903 E. Cache La Poudre St., Colorado Springs, 719-357-3080 or springsensembletheatre.org

May 4-20: Lakewood Theatre Company’s Gypsy
513 Main St., Longmont, 303-772-5200 or longmonttheatre.org

May 4-19: Coal Creek Theater of Louisville’s Incorruptible
Louisville Center for the Arts, 801 Grant St., 303-665-0955 or cctlouisville.org

May 4-16: Cleo Parker Robinson Dance Ensemble’s Carmen
Cleo Parker Robinson Theatre, 119 Park Avenue West, 303-295-1759 or cleoparkerdance.org

May 4-11: Platter Valley Players’ Ring of Fire: The Johnny Cash Musical
Brighton Cultural Center, 300 Strong St., Brighton, 303-227-3053 or plattevalleyplayers.org

May 4-12: StageDoor Theatre’s Once Upon a Mattress
27357 Conifer Road, Conifer, 303-886-2819, 800-838-3006 or stagedoortheatre.org

May 5-June 16: Curious Theatre Company’s Your Best One
1080 Acoma St., 303-623-0524 or curioustheatre.org 

May 5-20: Millibo Art Theatre’s Incredible Circus Millibo
1626 S. Tejon St. Colorado Springs, 719-465-6321 or themat.org

May 5: Theatrix USA’s Stand Still & Look Stupid
206 East St., Salida. Tickets available at Box of Bubbles, 719-539-7443, or Book Haven, 719-539-9629, theatrixusa.org

May 11-June 2: Theater Company of Lafayette’s 5 Lesbians Eating a Quiche
Mary Miller Theater, 300 E. Simpson, 720-209-2154 or tclstage.org

May 12-June 9: Firehouse Theatre’s Superior Donuts

John Hand Theatre, 7653 E. 1st Place, 303-562-3232 or firehousetheatercompany.com 
(Pictured at right: Rashad Holland and Tom Borrillo)

May 17-June 3: The Edge Theatre Company’s Death of a Salesman
1560 Teller St., Lakewood, 303-232-0363 or theedgetheater.com

May 17-June 18: Town Hall Arts Center’s Ain’t Misbehavin’
2450 W. Main St., Littleton, 303-794-2787 or townhallartscenter.com

May 18-June 24: Miners Alley Playhouse’s District Merchants
1224 Washington St., Golden, 303-935-3044 or minersalley.com

May 18-June 2: Funky Little Theatre Company’s Harvey
2109 Templeton Gap Road, Colorado Springs, 719-425-9509 or funkylittletheater.org

May 18-June 17: The BiTSY Stage’s A Hymn to the Goddess: An Egyptian Tale
1137 S. Huron St. Denver, CO 8022, 720-328-5294 or bitsystage.com
(Admission is always free)

May 22-July 1: Off-Center’s Remote Denver
Starts at Lincoln Park on the corner of 13th Avenue and Mariposa Street and moves through the streets of Denver, 303-893-4100 or denvercenter.org

May 26-June 17: The Catamounts and Control Group Productions’ Rausch
Start location 5460 Conestoga Court, Boulder, 720-468-0487 or thecatamounts.org

May 24-June 9: The Source Theatre Company’s The Life & Times of Ol’ Alfred
At Su Teatro Performing Arts Center, 721 Santa Fe Drive, 720-238-1323 or thesourcedenver.org

May 24-June 17: Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center at Colorado College’s Dirty Rotten Scoundrels
30 W. Dale St., Colorado Springs, 719-634-5581 or csfineartscenter.org

May 24-June 3: Upstart Crow’s Dear Brutus
Dairy Center for the Arts, 2590 Walnut St., Boulder, 303-442-1415 or tickets.thedairy.org

May 25-June 24: DCPA Theatre Company’s Human Error
Garner Galleria Theatre, 14th and Curtis streets, 303-893-4100 or denvercenter.org READ MORE

More Colorado theatre coverage on the DCPA NewsCenter

May 25-Aug. 9: Creede Repertory Theatre’s Barefoot in the Park
124 Main St., Creede, 81130, 719-658-2540 or creederep.org

May 25-June 16: Equinox Theatre Company Little Shop of Horrors
At the Bug Theatre, 3654 Navajo St., 720-984-0781 or equinoxtheatredenver.com

May 29-June 10: National touring production of School of Rock, Buell Theatre
Buell Theatre, 14th and Curtis streets, 303-893-4100 or denvercenter.org

May 30-July 8: Vintage Theatre’s Agnes of God
1468 Dayton St., Aurora, 303-839-1361 or vintagetheatre.com

CONTINUING CURRENT PRODUCTIONS:

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

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

Through 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

Through May 5: The Edge Theatre Company’s Glengarry Glen Ross
1560 Teller St., Lakewood, 303-232-0363 or theedgetheater.com

Through May 5: And Toto too Theatre Company’s The Way Station and The South Star
At The Commons on Champa, 1245 Champa St., 720-583-3975 or andtototoo.org

Through May 6: Arvada Center’s Sunday in the Park with George
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 6: Bas Bleu’s Dirt! A Terra Nova Expedition
401 Pine St., Fort Collins, 970-498-8949 or basbleu.org

Through May 6: Boulder Ensemble Theatre Company’s Going to a Place Where You Already Are
Dairy Center for the Arts, 2590 Walnut St., Boulder, 303-440-7826 or boulderensembletheatre.org

Through May 6: DCPA Theatre Company’s Native Gardens
Space Theatre, 14th and Curtis streets, 303-893-4100 or denvercenter.org READ MORE

Through May 13: Aurora Fox’s Passing Strange
9900 E. Colfax Ave., Aurora, 303-739-1970 or aurorafox.org

Through May 13: TheatreWorks’ Amadeus
At the Ent Center for the Arts, 5225 N. Nevada Ave., Colorado Springs, 719-255-3232 or theatreworkscs.org

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

Through May 20: BDT Stage’s Always … Patsy Cline
5501 Arapahoe Ave., 303-449-6000 or bdtstage.com

Through May 20: Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center at Colorado College’s Fully Committed
30 W. Dale St., Colorado Springs, 719-634-5581 or csfineartscenter.org

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

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

Through May 27: DCPA Theatre Company’s The Who’s Tommy
Stage Theatre, 14th and Curtis streets, 303-893-4100 or denvercenter.org READ MORE

Through May 27: Vintage Theatre’s Bullets Over Broadway
1468 Dayton St., Aurora, 303-839-1361 or vintagetheatre.com
(Pictured at right: Damon Guerrasio, Adrianne Hampton and Bernie Cardell.)

Through June 17: Candlelight Dinner Playhouse’s Man of La Mancha
4747 Marketplace Drive, Johnstown, 970-744-3747 or coloradocandlelight.com

Through July 8: Jester’s Dinner Theatre’s Annie
224 Main St., Longmont, 303-682-9980 or jesterstheatre.com

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

• Monday, May 21: Author Temple Grandin speaks as about her new book Calling All Minds: How to Think and Create Like an Inventor.

  6901 Wadsworth Blvd., 720-898-7200 or arvadacenter.org

AURORA FOX

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

AVENUE THEATER

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

BUG THEATRE

• Thursday, May 17: The Emerging Filmmakers Project, showcasing Denver’s indie film scene on the third Thursday of every month.
• Monday, May 28: 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

• Saturday, May 13: Siren Song: A Pirate Odyssey (Monthly theatre for young audiences at 1 and 3 p.m. Series finale.)
• Tuesday, May 15: The Great Debate
  
• Wednesday, May 16: The Narrators
• Wednesday, June 6: Magnets on the Fridge
  

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

COLORADO CHORALE

• 4 p.m., Saturday, May 6: Concertfeaturing a quintessential program of Monsignor Don Lorenzo Perosi.The Chorale will perform the Missa Benedicamus Domino, a Magnificat, and several other
  pieces highlighting the diversity of his repertoire.
  

Augustana Lutheran Church, 5000 E. Alameda Ave., 800-414-2251 or coloradochorale.org

THE DINNER DETECTIVE

• Interactive murder mystery comedy dinner theatre held most Saturday evenings in Denver and Fort Collins

Embassy Suites Denver Downtown, 1420 Stout St.
Hilton Fort Collins, 425 W. Prospect Road
866-496-0535 or www.thedinnerdetective.com.  

EVERGREEN CHORALE

• Friday and Saturday, May 12-13: Mozart Requiem, featuring four solo voices with the Evergreen Chorale and Evergreen Chamber Orchestra, on

7:30 p.m., Saturday, May 12, at Central Presbyterian Church, 1660 Sherman St, Denver 4:30 p.m. Sunday, May 13, at Rockland Community Church, 17 S. Mt. Vernon Country Club Road, Golden, 303-674-4002 or evergreenchorale.org

JOY COLLECTIVE

• 7 p.m., Saturday, May 5: The 6th annual Listen To Your Mother: Boulder is an acclaimed series of live readings that takes place in cities around the country to celebrate Mother’s Day. Local writers share their stories of motherhood.

At Unity of Boulder, 2855 Folsom Ave., Boulder, brownpapertickets.com

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, May 6: Thrilling Tales. Stories on Stage has renowned actors bring stories to life by combining literature with theater. This month: Steven Cole Hughes, Rhianna DeVries and Heather Hughes perform stories designed for the armchair adventurer in all of us.

1:30 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. at Su Teatro Performing Arts Center, 721 Santa Fe Drive, 
303-494-0523 or storiesonstage.org