Two incredible theatrical events took place in 1861. In Paris, France, construction started on the Palais Garnier, destined to become perhaps the most famous and elegant opera house in the world and the magical setting for Gaston Leroux’s Gothic horror novel, The Phantom of the Opera. Meanwhile, 7,850 kilometers away on the high plains of […]
Winners Announced for DCPA’s 2026 Student Playwriting Competition
/in Press, Education, General, New Play Summit/by DCPA PressDenver Center for the Performing Arts (DCPA) Education and Community Engagement is happy to announce the winners of the 14th annual Middle School and High School Playwriting Competition. The Playwriting Competition is grounded in workshops hosted by DCPA Education Teaching Artists. These in-school workshops introduce students to the fundamentals of playwriting, bolster creative writing skills, and […]
Deliver the Punchline: Area Comedy Classes
/in Community Engagement, General/by Cynthia BarnesFor anyone who has ever wished they’d been voted “Class Clown,” — or class clowns who would like to be on the stage instead of in the audience — comedy classes may be just the thing to channel your inner Steve Martin or Wanda Sykes. Even without aspirations toward a career in stand-up and your […]
Faded Like a Dream: The Coincidental History of Theatre in Denver and The Phantom of the Opera
/in Broadway, General/by Rich GrantTwo incredible theatrical events took place in 1861. In Paris, France, construction started on the Palais Garnier, destined to become perhaps the most famous and elegant opera house in the world and the magical setting for Gaston Leroux’s Gothic horror novel, The Phantom of the Opera. Meanwhile, 7,850 kilometers away on the high plains of […]
The Risks and Rewards of New Play Development
/in Theatre Company, General, New Play Summit/by DCPA PressBy Chris Coleman, Denver Center Theatre Company Artistic Director Whether it’s Hamilton or Hamlet, every play started as a new work. Someone was excited by a story and brought together a group of collaborators to carve out a path toward opening night. It’s always a risky venture. Ask anyone in our industry and you’ll find that […]
Discussion Guide: Mark Twain Tonight!
/in Broadway, General/by DCPA PressIn Mark Twain Tonight!, we hear an oft-quoted section from Twain’s autobiography: “In my schoolboy days I had no aversion to slavery. I was not aware that there was anything wrong about it…local papers said nothing against it; the local pulpit taught us that God approved it, that it was a holy thing, […]
Discussion Guide: Cowboys and East Indians
/in Theatre Company, General/by Lisa BornsteinEnrich your experience at the Denver Center Theatre Company’s world premiere production, Cowboys and East Indians, by Nina McConigley and Matthew Spangler. Share these pre- and post-show discussion questions with your group and enjoy the show. Pre-Show Questions How does the place or culture we grew up in inform the way we see […]
Sourcing Saris for Cowboys and East Indians
/in Theatre Company, General/by Lisa BornsteinStaging the world premiere of Cowboys and East Indians required not only American and Western wear, but a great number of saris and other traditional Indian garments. Most saris sold in Colorado are for formal occasions, such as weddings, so Costume Design Associate Meghan Anderson Doyle looked to India, ordering saris and other traditional garments […]
A Short History of Indian Immigration to the U.S.
/in Theatre Company, General/by Lisa BornsteinThe main character and narrator, Lucky, is the daughter of immigrants from India who first moved to Toronto before settling in Casper, Wyoming, a town in which they found no connections to their culture of origin. Even today, Casper’s Indian community is just 0.073 percent of the city’s population. As of 2023, only 2 percent […]
Beyond the Script: Denver Public Library’s Guide to Cowboys and East Indians
/in Theatre Company, General/by Denver Public LibraryDenver Public Library resources to enhance your experience at Cowboys and East Indians READ Sour Heart by Jenny Zhang Similar to Cowboys and East Indians, readers are introduced to a collection of stories centered on the families of immigrants, like the overbearing mother that gives up her artistic aspirations to come to America and […]
Playwrights Nina McConigley and Matthew Spangler Discuss Cowboys and East Indians
/in Theatre Company, General, New Play Summit/by DCPA PressNow receiving its world premiere at the Denver Center Theatre Company, Cowboys and East Indians was developed in the DCPA’s Colorado New Play Summit. Co-adapters Nina McConigley and Matthew Spangler spoke about their play with the DCPA before their Summit reading in 2024. This interview has been edited for length and clarity. View the original […]