Rediscovering the “Sunshine of the Spirit” in A Christmas Carol

Anthony Powell is the ghost of A Christmas Carol past, present and future. Powell, the new director of the DCPA Theatre Company’s seasonal favorite, has himself performed as an actor in five Denver Center holiday stagings going all the way back to 1992. He played Bob Cratchit three times, Old Joe once and finally, in […]

Hidden Objects in A Christmas Carol

In 1843, England was in an economic depression and yuletide cheer seemed to belong to a bygone era. Through the publication of A Christmas Carol, Charles Dickens intended to call out the social injustice of the period, but his little ghost story did more than that. Eager to recapture the holiday spirit, A Christmas Carol […]

Long-Time Supporter and Former DCPA Trustee Isabelle Clark Left a Lasting Mark on Colorado’s Theatre Community

Nearly 30 years ago, Kennith and Isabelle Clark moved to Colorado — he for work as an architect and she to embark on a cultural excursion that she never anticipated. A native of Scotland, Isabelle never imagined that Denver could boast a theatre scene that rivaled the West End, so she was more than surprised to […]

Understanding Shakespeare in Much Ado About Nothing

Modern audiences don’t have the benefit of footnotes when enjoying a Shakespeare play. When reading the text, footnotes are often necessary to comprehend the nuances of Elizabethan age humor, slang, and history. Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing is heralded as one of Shakespeare’s best comedies, containing copious amounts of wordplay and banter. Before attending a […]

Mouthwatering Mediterranean Food

Please note: Restaurant hours, locations, and menus are subject change, so please visit the restaurant website or call in advance of visiting. Dinner, like a good play, must embrace the various flavors of the region in which its set to transport appreciative guests far away. From the moment a tasty morsel hits your tastebuds, these […]

First Look: Much Ado About Nothing

A playful comedy layered with all the rich complexity that comes with Shakespeare’s work, Much Ado About Nothing is a snappy, surprisingly timely meditation on gossip, gender roles, and the follies of romance. Take a look at some of the production photos below.

Kirk Petersen: A Hard Act to Follow

For 41 years, Kirk Petersen’s driving passion at the Denver Center for the Performing Arts (DCPA) was accommodation. As Associate Director of Ticketing Services, he propelled the box office into an industry leader in providing customer service for every patron – and especially for those with special needs. He just never thought that in his […]

The Tragicomedy of Shakespeare’s Tragic Comedy: Much Ado About Nothing

While the names Thalia and Melpomene might mean nothing to you, you would certainly recognize their faces. Also known as Sock and Buskin, the iconic representation of theatre features two masks with familiar laughing and crying faces. Thalia is one of the nine Muses in Greek mythology, the patron of Comedy, represented with the laughing […]

Designing for a Villain: Don John in Much Ado About Nothing

If clothes make the man, does it stand to reason that costumes make the villain? That’s the question we posed to DCPA Costume Crafts Director Kevin Copenhaver, who has been tasked with designing 1930s-era costumes for Much Ado About Nothing. Not necessarily, was his answer. “I don’t think costumes make the hero or the villain. […]

A Sicilian-Inspired, Hand Painted Vest in Much Ado About Nothing

Director Chris Coleman will set his version of Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing in the Sicilian port town of Messina. A minor but integral character is Dogberry, the incompetent constable, who unwittingly (and comically) discovers a plot to thwart true love. When Costume Crafts Director Kevin Copenhaver took on the charge to design the show, […]