Longtime theatregoers may have noticed a growing trend in the industry of late — multi-theatre co-productions. But what exactly are they? And are they here to stay?

On its face, a co-production is exactly what it sounds like. It’s a show that takes the stage as part of a partnership between two or more theatres, where each theatre splits the cost of the physical “stuff” that makes up the play (props, costumes, sets, etc.) and contributes to the creative aspects of the show. The play then goes on something like a mini-tour to all of the theatres involved — usually regional theatres — and each organization pockets their own revenue. Simple, right?

Peter Schneider and Peter Van Wagner in The Reservoir. Photo by Jamie Kraus Photography.

According to Chris Coleman, the Denver Center Theatre Company’s Artistic Director, there’s a lot more to a co-production than cost-saving measures and a truck full of stuff. In his opinion, co-productions are an essential part of the theatre ecosystem in that they help theatres do more than they ever could on their own.

“All of August Wilson’s play were developed through co-productions. Back in the day, a play would start at Seattle Rep and then go to Yale Rep and then it would go to Broadway. Or it would start in Seattle and then go to Huntington. Part of that was to share expenses and part of that was so the writer had the chance to keep working on it in front of multiple audiences in different cities,” he says.

That kind of early exposure is critical to a new play’s success. It’s the kind of exposure that led to the world premiere of The Reservoir, now playing in the Singleton Theatre through March 9.

Somewhere in the crowd at the 2023 Colorado New Play Summit, the literary manager for the Geffen Playhouse in Los Angeles was watching as the script was read aloud to a live audience for the first time. She was impressed by the play’s potential. Shortly thereafter, the Geffen’s associate artistic director reached out to Coleman to ask about a co-production of The Reservoir and a partnership formed between Denver and L.A. Like any new partnership, Coleman says the relationship between the DCTC and the Geffen presented challenges as well as opportunities.

“Co-productions work most easily when the physical theatre is similar and the contracts (aka runs) are the same. Neither of these are true with the Geffen and the DCTC. We’re going from a 200-seat proscenium to a 500-seat proscenium and their contract is smaller than ours.”

Undeterred, the creative teams at the DCTC and the Geffen Playhouse got to work on a world-premiere co-production of The Reservoir — Denver-born playwright Jake Brasch’s professional debut.

“We ultimately decided it would be great for the play. And it would be great for Jake for the work to be seen in Los Angeles,” Coleman says.

Production on The Reservoir was well underway when Chris got another call, this time from his colleagues at the Alliance Theatre in Atlanta. Alliance’s head of new play programs read the script, fell in love, and decided to reach out regarding a co-production. As it turned out, the dates for the show’s Geffen run were far enough away to squeeze in a run at the Alliance during the spring of 2025.

PreviousNext

123456

Thus, a rare three-theatre co-production (of not only a world premiere play but a playwright’s debut…unheard of!) was born. When The Reservoir concludes its run in Denver, the set, costumes, and props will be shipped off to the east coast, with the show’s creative team (including director Shelley Butler) and much of the original cast in tow. From March 29 to May 4, the show will play at the Alliance Theatre in Atlanta. Then, this summer, the show will head back across the country to the Geffen Playhouse in L.A. for the final leg of the co-production.

All three theatres are obviously taking a gamble staging a world premiere play by an up-and-coming playwright. But the deeper risks involved in a co-production aren’t so easy to see because they exist behind the scenes. There’s the risk that, with so many creative voices vying for input on a play, one might water down its artistic quality. It’s a classic case of “too many cooks in the kitchen.”

In bringing a co-production to life, all parties involved need to collaborate so that the play works in each of their physical spaces. For The Reservoir, two additional crew members were added to the show to account for on-stage automation that the DCTC enjoys but the Alliance does not. Each theatre group also needs to have a say in casting. Because the DCTC owns its own housing, it can afford to recruit actors from around the country. Most other theatres, especially in larger markets like L.A., have no such luxury.

“It’s just harder, logistically,” Coleman says. “Everyone’s values and resources are in tension.” Staging a co-production is certainly difficult, even risky, but is it the future of theatre? The answer is “kind of.” In the post-COVID era, regional theatres are struggling to budget for full seasons. Some are even shortening their lineups. This makes the financial benefits of co-productions too compelling to ignore. “Most other regional theatres are doing one or two per year, and we’re always collaborating and talking,” Coleman says. “With a co-production, you get to share work with multiple communities and give a play some exposure. It’s powerful. So I think they’ll continue to be part of the equation moving forward.”

DENVER CENTER THEATRE COMPANY CO-PRODUCTIONS
(pictured in the slideshow above)

1997-98               Nine Armenians (with The Mark Taper Forum)
1997-98               A Touch of the Poet (with Arena Stage)
1997-98               Elliot Ness in Cleveland (with Denver Center Attractions)
1999-00               The Laramie Project (with Tectonic Theater Project)
2000-01               Tantalus (with Royal Shakespeare Company)
2007-08               White Christmas (with Denver Center Attractions)
2010-11               Traces (with Denver Center Attractions)
2012-13               White Christmas (with DCPA Broadway)
2015-16               Lookingglass Alice (with Lookingglass Theatre)
2024-25               The Reservoir (with Alliance Theater and Geffen Playhouse)