Applause -- I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter, September 27-November 3, 2024

APPLAUSE

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SIGHTLINE

BY JANICE SINDEN

WWelcome to the launch of our 2024/25 season!

For those joining us for KIMBERLY AKIMBO, you are in for a treat… and an exclusive first look at this national tour, which kicks o in Denver. We are delighted to have been selected to launch our fourteenth national tour thanks to the incredible enthusiasm of our local audience.

Across the galleria in the Helen Bonfils Theatre Complex is a three-show lineup that kicks o the Denver Center Theatre Company’s 45th season: Hamlet, directed by none other than our Artistic Director Chris Coleman; Avaaz, the hysterical story of an Iranian immigrant written and performed by her son, and I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter based on the acclaimed novel and soon-to-be movie.

Over in the Weeks Conservatory Theatre on October 18, we’re opening a charming production of Elephant & Piggie’s “We Are in a Play!” designed to introduce PreK through third graders to the joy of theatre.

Plus, if you’re out and about in the community, join us for two events. First, O -Center’s MONOPOLY LIFESIZED: Travel Edition makes its US premiere at Broadway Park® (Broadway & Alameda) and DCPA Education’s Shakespeare in the Parking Lot travels throughout the metro area with free abridged versions of Romeo and Juliet, Macbeth and A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Visit denvercenter.org/community for details.

Finally, starting this season, you will see a change in how we display ticket prices. Rather than adding fees as the final step of your purchase, you will see the total price up front. This is not a price increase; rather, this change aligns with Colorado’s new ticketing transparency law. The price you see on our website is the price you’ll pay — including the base ticket cost, all fees, and the city seat tax.

Whether you’re a loyal season subscriber or a first-time theatregoer, thanks for joining us for our 2024/25 season. We’re glad you’re here.

Vladimir Script

Warm regards,

Janice Sinden

Janice Sinden, President & CEO

HONORING OUR ELDERS

The Denver Center for the Performing Arts honors and acknowledges that it resides on the traditional and unceded territories of the Ute, Cheyenne, and Arapaho Peoples. We also recognize the 48 contemporary Indigenous Tribes and Nations who have historically called Colorado home.

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APPLAUSE

VOLUME XXXV • NUMBER 2 • SEP - NOV 2024

EDITOR: Suzanne Yoe

DESIGN DIRECTOR: Kyle Malone

DESIGNER: Brenda Elliott

CONTRIBUTING DESIGNERS: Paul Koob, Lucas Kreitler

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS: Misha Berson, Linnea Covington, Emma Holst, Marlowe Moore, Joanne Ostrow

Applause is published eight times a year by Denver Center for the Performing Arts in conjunction with The Publishing House, Westminster, CO. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission is prohibited. Call 303.893.4000 regarding editorial content.

Applause magazine is funded in part by IN THIS

I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter pg 10

Avaaz pg 14 Hamlet pg 18

KIMBERLY AKIMBO pg 22

FOR A COMPLETE LIST OF UPCOMING SHOWS:

Angie Flachman, Publisher For advertising 303.428.9529 or sales@pub-house.com coloradoartspubs.com

Denver Center for the Performing Arts is a non-profit organization that engages and inspires through the transformative power of live theatre.

BOARD OF TRUSTEES

Hassan Salem, Chair

Ruth Krebs, Vice Chair

David Jacques Farahi, Secretary/Treasurer

Nicole Ament

Dr. Patricia Baca

Brisa Carleton

Jerome Davis

Deb Kelly

Kevin Kilstrom

Lynn McDonald

Susan Fox Pinkowitz

Manny Rodriguez

Alan Salazar

Richard M. Sapkin

Martin Semple

William Dean Singleton

Robert Slosky

Tina Walls

Dr. Reginald L. Washington

Sylvia Young

HONORARY TRUSTEES

Navin Dimond

Margot Gilbert Frank

Jeannie Fuller

Robert C. Newman

Daniel L. Ritchie

Cleo Parker Robinson

HELEN G. BONFILS FOUNDATION BOARD OF TRUSTEES

Martin Semple, President

William Dean Singleton, Vice President

Dr. Reginald L. Washington, Secretar y/Treasurer

Nicole Ament

Marco D. Chayet

Kevin Kilstrom

Ruth Krebs

Susan Fox Pinkowitz

Hassan Salem

Robert Slosky

EXECUTIVE MANAGEMENT

Janice Sinden, President & CEO

Jamie Clements, Vice President, Development

Chris Coleman, Artistic Director, Theatre Company

John Ekeberg, Executive Director, Broadway & Cabaret

Lydia Garcia, Executive Director, Equity & Organization Culture

Angela Lakin, Vice President, Marketing & Sales

Glen Lucero, Vice President, Venue Operations

Laura Maresca, Chief People & Culture Officer

Charlie Miller, Executive Director & Curator, Off-Center

Lisa Roebuck, Vice President, Information Technology

Charles Varin, Managing Director, Theatre Company & Off-Center

Allison Watrous, Executive Director, Education & Community Engagement

Jane Williams, Chief Financial & Administrative Officer

LEGACY MONTH

HONORING OUR HISTORY AND THE LEGACIES THAT ENSURE OUR FUTURE

Every September, we celebrate Legacy Month at the DCPA. Our mission as a non-profit — to engage and inspire through the transformative power of live theatre — is made possible each generation thanks to the generosity of donors and the legacies of those who came before.

If you believe in the transformative power of live theatre, we invite you to make your legacy a part of ensuring our future. Connect with us, share your story, and make a legacy pledge to include the DCPA in your will, IRA, or retirement giving Scan the QR code below to learn more!

To connect with us about your DCPA legacy or to learn more about Legacy Month and the various opportunities and benefits of legacy giving, check out our website or reach out to Connor Carlin, Associate Director of Development, Major Gifts: ccarlin@dcpa.org | 303.446.4842 | denvercenter.org/legacy

Bobby G 2023, photo by McLeod9Creative

Leslie Alexander and Sophia Dotson in A Little Night Music

Photo by Amanda Tipton Photography

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A CONVERSATION BETWEEN FRIENDS

The Making of I AM NOT YOUR PERFECT MEXICAN DAUGHTER with Playwright

Isaac Gómez and Director Laura Acalá Baker

BY MARLOWE MOORE

WWhat’s going to happen at the Denver Center Theatre Company starting in September has been years in the making. Longtime friends and collaborators Isaac Gómez, playwright, and director Laura Alcalá Baker reunite for the first time since the pandemic for I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter, an adaptation of Erika L. Sánchez’s award-winning novel. For the first time, the play will take place in-the-round, giving audiences unprecedented access to the rich, inner world of Júlia, the main character who is painfully aware of how much she is not the perfect Mexican daughter. Isaac picked up Sánchez’s novel shortly after its publication in 2017. From the first words, they knew they were reading something crackling with life, transmitting a razor-sharp, inescapable truth: YOU ARE SEEN. Júlia struggles. She laughs. She dances. She grieves, she says the wrong things, she hurts. Júlia loves. She fails. She causes the most awkward public scene at the worst possible time. Her rage is real, her despair is real, her flawless sarcastic timing never fails to make the exact point no one else dares to confront. Isaac read the opening line in the bookstore, then immediately shut the book. “I couldn’t read it in public. The book was going to make me feel a lot of things I knew would touch on parts of me that I hadn’t experienced in literature before.”

Isaac was sitting in the tech rehearsal of their play La Ruta for Chicago’s Steppenwolf Theatre Company when they finished the book. “I was so blown away by it, and I thought ‘this would make an excellent play,’” Isaac says. They pitched the idea to Hallie Gordon at Steppenwolf, and she immediately bought in after reading the novel.

“I’ve told Erika that, from the opening line, there’s something about the way that this story is written that makes me feel very naked and vulnerable.”

“I identify as non-binary,” says Isaac, “but I was raised in a household of all brothers. And as the outspoken, surly rebel of my family who was very alternative and the daughter that my mom never had but always wanted — I, too, wasn’t the perfect Mexican daughter. Because I couldn’t be. For me, there was so much about Júlia’s story and her voice…when I talked with Erika about this, she was like, ‘the person most like Júlia is you’.”

Isaac adapted the novel, preserving the crackling energy and unflinching vulnerability, as they are known for in their work. “Finding my way to this story and adapting it for the stage remains one of the greatest honors of my career,” says Isaac. “This story just feels very close.”

The story grabbed Laura, too. “This play feels so raw,” says Laura. “I had to put it down multiple times while reading it. The vulnerability thing is really real. It feels like it is cutting so close to the vein — really fast, too. She shows all of her ugly. It’s so brutal, it’s so hard. And with a story like this, the playwright has to embody the narrator to pull the story and the audience along.”

“I find, inherent with all of Isaac’s work,” says Laura, “that we are speaking the same language. Isaac has this way of making people feel known. There’s something about an Isaac Gómez play

I find, inherent with all of Isaac’s work, that we are speaking the same language. Isaac has this way of making people feel known. There’s something about an Isaac Gómez play where I go “oh! I know these people! I know how it breathes, I know the heartbeat,” and that makes my work exciting.

— LAURA ALCALÁ BAKER,

DIRECTOR

where I go ‘oh! I know these people! I know how it breathes, I know the heartbeat,’ and that makes my work exciting.

“So, Isaac called recently and was like this [Mexican Daughter] is happening in Denver, and I put your name forward. You’re the one I want for it. There’s nothing like having a friend and a person you admire say you’re the one for this. It makes you feel chosen and seen. At this point, I have an understanding of their writing. Even as I read the first page, I was like ‘I know what this is, let’s go.’”

When we enter Júlia’s story at the start of I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter, a terrible thing has happened. From the moment the lights go up, we’re on this turbulent ride with Júlia, rolling up and down in her mind, her writing, her memories, as she tries to make sense out of a fatal accident that undoes her sense of reality. “The mental health piece of it is probably the most significant part of Júlia’s journey,” says Isaac. “This is the story of a young woman who desperately wants to feel seen, to feel heard, and whose dreams are bigger than anyone else’s.”

When Isaac and Laura reunited for this play, they knew the challenge of staging it in the round. “When you’re in the round, you’re on display all the time. Every single thing has to be so intentional, everything is on purpose,” says Laura. Inspired by the energy of Isaac’s script, she decided to create a version of this play, as she says, “that no one has ever seen before.” The openness of the theater-in-the-round lets her take I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter deeper into Júlia’s “mind palace,” so that the space itself becomes Júlia’s rich, complex, funny, and complicated inner world, with the textures of Chicago, Mexico, and her home life woven into it.

“I’m most excited to see Laura’s vision,” Isaac says. “She’s one of the most brilliant directors I’ve ever worked with. This is going to be a notyour-typical production of I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter.”

“I’m so glad to be back in the room with Isaac,” Laura says. “It’s going to be an incredible adventure, and we’re not letting the audience go.”

I AM NOT YOUR PERFECT

MEXICAN DAUGHTER

SEP 27 – NOV 3 • KILSTROM THEATRE

ASL Interpreted and Audio Described performance: Oct 13 at 1:30pm

Stay for a post-show discussion on select dates following our 7pm performances: Oct 10, 17 & 22

READ THE FULL ARTICLE

• All people are equal • Moments are shared • Differences are valued

• Discussion is encouraged

We respect that everyone experiences our stories differently.

AVAAZ: SUCCEEDING AGAINST ENORMOUS ODDS

BY MISHA BERSON

IIn a workshop on playwriting some years ago, Michael Shayan was instructed by the leader to put a hand over his heart, to feel the heartbeat of a character — and to “just listen.”

The voice he heard was one Shayan had known all his life. It was that of his remarkable Jewish-Iranian mother, Roya.

Writing about one’s mom is not an easy exercise — though many playwrights (and other scribes) have been moved to do it. And immigrant parents often have fascinating stories to tell.

Roya is one such colorful and extraordinary person. And her relationship with her son is both close and complex, as many parent-child kinships are. So that assignment eventually blossomed into the critically acclaimed new play, Avaaz, which comes to Denver Center Theatre Company this fall and marks the beginning of a national tour.

“It’s an honor to take Avaaz across the country, particularly at a time of overwhelming anti-immigrant sentiment,” says Shayan. “Avaaz offers a different narrative and grapples with complex truths in a fabulous, decadent party on stage.”

“Avaaz,” in Farsi and several other languages including Hindu and Urdu, means (aptly) “voice” or “song,” more specifically “a song as it is being sung.” And to portray her in this solo theater piece, Shayan adopts his mother’s unique voice, her love of Iranian culture, her bitter and sweet memories in her homeland and adopted country.

Avaaz proved to be not just a great vehicle for Shayan the actor-playwright (he has also worked as an Emmynominated screenwriter and television producer) but also an opportunity to learn more about the woman who raised him.

Avaaz was also a chance to meld his mother’s extravagant humor and joy with a serious exploration of the hardships Roya faced as a political refugee, the difficulties and rewards of raising her son after departing an abusive marriage, and the challenges of accepting Michael’s open homosexuality.

What first beguiled Denver Center Theatre Company Artistic Director Chris Coleman about Avaaz, however, was Shayan’s comic flair.

“I saw Avaaz in its world premiere at South Coast Repertory Theatre, and I had no idea what to expect,” recalls Coleman. “At first, I just thought it was hilarious. Michael has standup comedian skills, and was ridiculously funny.”

But as the show unspooled, continues Coleman, “I realized how political and poignant it is too. That was tucked so deftly inside the humor, you were happy to digest it.”

Coleman’s admiration for Avaaz and decision to share it with Denver theatergoers in DCTC’s 2024/25 season, spurred his own research into the history of ancient Persia and its modern equivalent, Iran. Though Denver has a relatively small Iranian community, he tapped into it via discussions with investor-philanthropist and Denver Center for the Performing Arts Board member David Jacques Farahi, whose Jewish family also hails from the country.

“Jews have been in Iran for several thousand years,” notes Coleman. “Actually, most of us in America know little about Iran, other than from current news headlines. We don’t know what it’s like to live there, how deep the intellectual and literary community is, how old the culture is, or the Jewish community’s place in the country’s history.”

Avaaz alludes to all of that, beginning with the spread of foods, flowers and cultural objects arrayed on an eye-popping set created by Tony Award-winning Broadway designer Beowulf Boritt, and with Roya’s flowing brocade robes, an Iranian-style garment designed by Emmy winner Joshua “Domino” Schwartz. The production is helmed and directed by the celebrated Tony Award-nominated director Moritz von Stuelpnagel (I Need That, Hand to God ).

A witty, elegant woman, Roya graciously invites the audience into this decorous environment to celebrate Nowruz with her. She explains that Nowruz is a traditional New Year’s holiday observed for centuries each spring (by Iranians, but also by people in Afghanistan, Kosovo, Kurdish Iraq and other nations). She’s prepared a larger-thanlife celebration that features music, dancing, storytelling, as well as symbolic foods laid out in a ritual arrangement called a haft-sin

As the play unfolds, Roya waits for her son to show up (they haven’t been on good terms recently, she confesses). She speaks of fleeing to the United States as a young adult and finding refuge in an area of Los Angeles where many Iranian expats have settled. And she jokes about the culture adjustments and culture clashes she encountered in her new country.

With little money, Roya and Michael shared a small L.A. apartment in Westwood. In the only bedroom, they slept on twin beds “so close we could feel each other breathe” and studied together as they each pursued their educational goals.

But that bond was tested once Michael grew up and came out as a gay man. Roya’s pride in his attending Harvard University and becoming a professional actor-writer, was tempered by her difficulty in fully accepting his queerness.

Shayan doesn’t glide over the difficulties in their relationship. But it is clear that, despite the tensions and differences, their fondness for one another remains. Avaaz offers a fresh, new perspective on mother-son dynamics that is both specific and deeply universal; it’s one we rarely see on stage.

At the performance of Avaaz he attended, Coleman got a look at the real-life Roya — a glamorous woman, Sheri Rabeie, who has a successful career as an engineer.

The play, says Coleman, “is a success story. It’s about somebody who against enormous odds comes to this country, and builds a life. It’s enormous fun, and we can learn from it. But it’s not a lecture. It’s a discovery.”

Denver Center Theatre Company presents the Olney Theatre Center production of AVAAZ

OCT 4 - NOV 17 • SINGLETON THEATRE

ASL Interpreted and Audio Described performance: Oct 20 at 1:30pm

Stay for a post-show discussion on select dates following our 7pm performances: Nov 6 & 13

WOMEN’S VOICES FUND

Join the DCPA in creating dedicated opportunities for female artists and leaders in theatre.

Established in 2005, the Women’s Voices Fund is an initiative designed to foster and elevate the work of women in the theatre. The fund helps create, develop, and support the voices of women – past, present, and future – and advances their work in the American theatre repertoire.

Become a Women’s Voices Fund member today and help support women in theatre! Help us give equal voices to women in theatre.

For more information please contact: Caitie Maxwell cmaxwell@dcpa.org 303.446.4840

(above) Samantha Steinmetz and Amelia Pedlow in Emma

(left) Minita Gandhi. Cowboys and East Indians, Colorado New Play Summit 2024. Photos by Jamie Kraus Photography

Revisiting HAMLET Through New Eyes

BY JOANNE OSTROW

Cby Kyle Malone

Chris Coleman never aspired to direct Hamlet

The Artistic Director of the Denver Center Theatre Company never saw himself in that role. He had played the title character onstage twice — senior year in college at Baylor University and again at Actor’s Express, a theater company he founded in Atlanta — and “literally never wanted to direct it because I couldn’t get those (productions) out of my head.”

But now, as director of the Denver Center Theatre Company’s season opener, Coleman said, “it’s like visiting an old friend, seeing it through new eyes.”

His understanding of the play has evolved as he has aged. He now sees it as “a play about growing into your destiny. What’s at stake politically in that kingdom is giant. I don’t know that I felt that or got that in earlier times.”

The setting Coleman has created for his Hamlet is inspired by Norse legends, referring back to the peak of the Viking period. “I told the costume designer everybody should look like they could go into battle within half an hour. We’re not trying to be literal about it, but that gives us permission to have the story make sense.”

Coleman is a self-described history nut, political junkie and lover of Shakespeare. Those interests all come together in directing this play — he sees parallels and historic relevance everywhere.

In the course of discussing Hamlet, he references a number of historic and contemporary world figures and cultural moments that echo for him. Elizabeth I (someone who was groomed for the throne from childhood,

unlike Hamlet), Barack Obama (a professorial leader and nuanced thinker who, like Hamlet, could be slow to act), Alexander the Great, Elizabethan theater and preChristianized Viking Scandinavia.

The history and politics combined with the incredible language, he said, “just feels so rich and fun to play with.”

Two of his undergrad professors first turned Coleman on to Shakespeare and he’s felt connected ever since.

“Every time I’ve worked on one (of his plays), I’ve learned a little bit more about how to decode the structure of the language.” Directing Hamlet has been “the most glorious pleasure in the world,” he said.

In Elizabethan times, Coleman said, the revenge story was the runaway hit of the day, akin to our actionadventure story. Audiences couldn’t get enough. What Shakespeare did that was revolutionary was allow the audience to see inside the mind of the hero in a way they hadn’t before.

“Shakespeare revealed consciousness before psychology was defined as a science,” Coleman said.

“It’s almost like Hamlet’s psyche is transparent to us. We get to see every internal twist and turn that he is struggling with.”

Rather than depict Prince Hamlet as depressed or inactive, as some literary critics suggest, Coleman prefers to believe “he’s heartbroken at the beginning of the play.” He feels deceived by his mother, Gertrude, who has married his uncle, Claudius, shockingly soon after the death of his father. Hamlet takes a long time testing

Illustration

whether the ghost encouraging him to avenge his father’s death is a benevolent spirit or, as he says, “a demon come to lure me into hell.”

“What I never considered as a young man,” Coleman said, “is, if Hamlet were a more intuitive politician, like Alexander the Great, who charged into battle when his father was stabbed in the middle of the court…” things would have gone differently. Imagining an alternative fictional history, Coleman wonders, for instance, what if Hamlet had met Fortinbras and his army at the border, where the Norwegian crown prince is waiting to regain territory his father lost?

“But that’s not who he is.” A different political mind could have pursued it, Coleman said, but not Hamlet.

Instead, “it takes Hamlet the whole play to become the man who is as ruthless as he needs to be to operate at this political level.”

In most productions, Hamlet is cast as a mature man. But Coleman believes the character is quite unformed. “I think he’s a kid, he’s in

Every time I’ve worked on one [of his plays], I’ve learned a little bit more about how to decode the structure of the language.… [Directing Hamlet has been] the most glorious pleasure in the world.

— CHRIS COLEMAN, DIRECTOR

college, completely unprepared to step onto the throne.”

Coleman cast actor Ty Fanning to play Hamlet, an accomplished actor who, Coleman is happy to say, can appear to be mid-20s. That suits the director’s idea of the prince as youthful, even immature.

The character is “very overwhelmed with his emotions at the top of the play. He’s got an amazing mind…he’d be a great professor. He can see every facet of a possible action. But that can be paralyzing. I think in some ways about Obama, such an inspiring speaker and person but if your thinking is that nuanced…it was tougher for him to get to a solution.”

Given his many insightful reflections on history and the relevance of Shakespeare’s play, does Coleman perhaps see parallels to a certain modern revenge-seeking politician in the play that is all about revenge?

“I would rather leave you room to see the correlations that you find,” he said. “Certainly there’s a lot to be thought about.”

Ultimately, how does a director approach such an iconic play, often cited as the greatest of all time?

“It’s like, how do you eat an elephant? A bite at a time,” he said. “You take it a piece at a time and pay attention to the story, that’s the exciting part, decoding the language enough to get to hear the truth of the story.”

HAMLET

SEP 13 - OCT 6 • WOLF THEATRE

ASL Interpreted, Audio Described and Open Captioned performance: Sep 22 at 1:30pm

Stay for a post-show discussion on select dates following our 7pm performances: Sep 24 & Oct 1

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A DYNAMIC DUO: KIMBERLY AKIMBO ’ S

JEANINE TESORI AND DAVID LINDSAY-ABAIRE

BY JOANNE OSTROW

KKimberly Akimbo is one of those magical musicals that makes you wonder, “how did they pull that off ?” An intimate, smart, deeply human musical that arrived on Broadway without a big star or a recognizable title, it nevertheless became the talk of the town by winning over audiences and critics alike and by making them rethink what a Broadway musical can be.

And while the story of Kimberly Akimbo may seem atypical for a Broadway musical, its combination of heart and humor has earned it five Tony Awards, including 2023’s award for Best Musical, with a score by Jeanine Tesori (Fun Home) and book and lyrics by David Lindsay-Abaire (Rabbit Hole).

The story concerns a New Jersey teenager who is about to turn 16 but who looks 70-something. Kimberly Levaco has a rare genetic condition that causes her to age rapidly.

The show is both laugh-out-loud funny and heart wrenchingly sad, a wise collision of humor and suffering with mortality at its core.

“That’s where David’s house is built,” Tesori said in a joint interview, “at the corner of Humor Street and Heartbreak Avenue.”

“It’s why Jeanine and I connect so much and collaborate,” Lindsay-Abaire said. “We have a similar sensibility. We both grew up in a very specific way, working-class, our family experienced a lot of pain and suffering. The way we mostly coped with that is through humor. And so it’s not something we try to do, it’s where we live.

“Our show is about living life to the fullest in whatever

time you have left.” he said. “It’s funny, it’s life-affirming, but it’s also about a teenage girl facing her own mortality and facing her first experience of first love and she has a deeply dysfunctional family, but everybody’s trying to be better. It says life is as funny as it is sad and at least for us, maybe most people, that’s the way they experience life. It’s complicated.”

Their shared worldview allows them to dig into the sad-funny themes with a punch. When asked how their personalities work together, Tesori just laughs. And laughs.

When she finally stops laughing, she says, “I think David is the most hilarious person I’ve ever met. He’s not about jokes, he’s about finding things very funny, and that life is heartbreaking and hilarious and his plays are a deep reflection of that…it’s like if Christopher Durang and Thornton Wilder had a baby…”

“I wish they did have a baby.”

“They did, and it’s you.”

They banter breezily. “Obviously, Jeanine and I share a sensibility and a very twisted sense of humor,” he said. “We are so similar in our tastes and also very different in the way we approach the craft of it sometimes. I am much more a control freak than Jeanine is, and I structure; Jeanine is very free-wheeling. She pokes at things and breaks things apart in a way that makes me uncomfortable.”

Only occasionally will she go too far, he said, and he’ll have to pull her back.

The play is about growing up and growing old, not necessarily in that order. But it’s more profound than that.

The Original Broadway Company of KIMBERLY AKIMBO photo by Joan Marcus.

“I really think it’s about the time of your life,” Tesori said, “I mean that both ways. People can have the time of their life even when your life is timed. I mean she knows—and don’t we all know—that life ends. I don’t think it’s fun to talk about and it can be seen as something that’s morbid, or it can be seen as an opportunity to look at the time that you have.”

It ’s about living in the moment.

Tesori references Thornton Wilder once again, paraphrasing a line from Our Town: “does anybody really know about life while they’re living it? “I think that’s why the play is so great,” Tesori said, “like, this play’s going to remind you to go outside and live differently.”

Our show is about living life to the fullest in whatever time you have left. It’s funny, it’s life-a rming, but it’s also about a teenage girl facing her own mortality and facing her first experience of first love…

— DAVID LINDSAY-ABAIRE, BOOK & LYRICS

Lindsay-Abaire recalls the time during previews when an older man was exiting the theater, looking angry. Lindsay-Abaire braced for negative feedback as he approached. “The man asked, ‘are you with the production?’ He said, ‘I just want you to know that tomorrow I’m going to live more fully because of this!’ He had tears in his eyes, he just walked out the door. I thought, ‘Good lord, that’s the nicest gift you could give to a writer.’ So, it worked for him that night. If people walk away with that, then we’ve done our job.”

Besides living at the intersection of tears and laughter, Kimberly Akimbo lives in the world of smart, small-scale tragicomedy while much of Broadway is given over to huge spectacles tied to superheroes or superstars. Is it a continual struggle?

“If you look at the history of Broadway,” Tesori said, “it came from operetta and vaudeville. It’s always going to be a dance between those things. One says ‘come here and leave life,’ one says ‘come here and look at life’.”

“There will always be those mega-hits based on movies audiences know the names of,” Lindsay-Abaire said, “and people will plunk down some money to see that and that’s fantastic. The good news is, there’s also room for Kimberly Akimbo to go into a little room and win the Tony Award. There are nine people in our show and we won Best Musical!”

So, what’s next for this team, the multi-Tony and Pulitzer Prizewinning playwright and lyricist, and the most prolific and honored female theatrical composer in history?

That’s under wraps for now. The good news is, “we’re working on something.”

SEP 22 - OCT 5 • BUELL THEATRE

ASL Interpreted, Audio Described and Open Captioned performance: Sep 29 at 2pm

COMING UP FROM BROADWAY

HAMILTON

Hamilton is returning to the Buell Theatre this fall. This epic saga following the rise of Founding Father Alexander Hamilton is based on Ron Chernow’s acclaimed biography and set to a score that blends hip-hop, jazz, R&B, and Broadway. Hamilton features book, music, and lyrics by Lin-Manuel Miranda, direction by Thomas Kail, choreography by Andy Blankenbuehler, and musical supervision and orchestrations by Alex Lacamoire.

Hamilton took the world by storm in 2015. Did you know these five fun facts about the revolutionary musical?

Hamilton began as a project by Lin-Manuel Miranda called The Hamilton Mixtape

Hamilton premiered Off-Broadway in February 2015, where its severalmonth engagement was consistently sold out. It wasn’t until August 2015 that the musical officially opened on Broadway at the Richard Rodgers Theatre.

The original Broadway cast recording for Hamilton debuted at 12 on the Billboard 200, making it the earliest entrance for a cast recording since 1963.

The first non-English version of Hamilton opened in Hamburg, with the production translated into German.

When the filmed stage production premiered, the film was one of the most-streamed films of 2020 and was named one of the best films of the year by the American Film Institute.

Don’t throw away your shot to see Hamilton in Denver from October 16 to November 24.

CompanyHAMILTON National Tour(c) Joan Marcus.

Chris Coleman, Artistic Director

Charles Varin, Managing Director

presents

I AM NOT YOUR PERFECT MEXICAN DAUGHTER

BY Isaac Gómez

BASED ON THE NOVEL BY

Erika L. Sánchez

With

Alex Alpharaoh, Nicole Betancourt, Daniel Clark, Tanya De León, Heather Lee Echeverría, Ian Kramer, María Victoria Martínez, Leslie Sophia Pérez, John Plumpis, Brandon Rivera, Isaiah Rosales, Rosa Isabella Salvatierra

SCENIC DESIGN BY Arnel Sancianco

DRAMATURGY BY Hannah Herrera Greenspan

Stage Managers: Corin Davidson, Rebecca RD Hamlin

COSTUME DESIGN BY Izumi Inaba

FIGHT DIRECTION AND INTIMACY CHOREOGRAPHY BY Maya Vinice Prentiss

LIGHTING DESIGN BY Lonnie Rafael Alcaraz

MOVEMENT BY Isaac Gómez

ORIGINAL MUSIC AND SOUND DESIGN BY Noel Nichols and UptownWorks

CASTING BY Grady Soapes, CSA and Bass/Valle Casting

DIRECTED BY Laura Alcalá Baker

PRODUCTION MANAGEMENT BY Peggy Carey

The video and/or audio recording of this performance by any means whatsoever is strictly prohibited.

I AM NOT YOUR PERFECT MEXICAN DAUGHTER was commissioned and received its world premiere presented at Steppenwolf Theatre Company, Chicago, IL; Anna D. Shapiro, Artistic Director, David Schmitz, Managing Director.

THE KILSTROM THEATRE • SEP 27 – NOV 3, 2024

SEASON SPONSORS

CAST

(In order of appearance)

Júlia Rosa Isabella Salvatierra

Olga Heather Lee Echeverría

Amá Nicole Betancourt

Lorena Leslie Sophia Pérez

Apá Alex Alpharaoh

Mr. Ingman John Plumpis

Juanga Brandon Rivera

Conner Daniel Clark

Olga/Amá Understudy Tanya De León

Conner/Mr. Ingman Understudy Ian Kramer

Júlia/Lorena Understudy María Victoria Martínez

Juanga/Apá Understudy Isaiah Rosales

SETTING

Present Day. Chicago, IL.

I AM NOT YOUR PERFECT MEXICAN DAUGHTER will be performed with a 15-minute intermission.

Assistant Director ........................................................................................................................................................ Maria Arreola

Voice and Dialect Consultant Robert Ramirez

Stage Manager Rebecca RD Hamlin

Assistant Stage Manager Corin Davidson

Stage Management Apprentice Miranda Vazquez

The Actors and Stage Managers employed in this production are members of Actors’ Equity Association, the Union of Professional Actors and Stage Managers of the United States.

WHO’S WHO

ACTING COMPANY

(In order of appearance)

ROSA ISABELLA

SALVATIERRA (Júlia) (She/Her) is thrilled to be making her DCPA debut!

Previous experience includes hosting the award-winning YouTube series “That’s the Spirit” and making guest appearances on “Orange is the New Black,” “Saturday Night Live,” “Sesame Street,” and more. Rosa is also a seasoned voiceover artist, having worked on numerous commercials and podcasts. Outside of acting, she is a professional mariachi singer who got her start on the singing show “La Voz Kids.” You can find her Mariachi page on Facebook “Rosita Fan Club” and follow her on Instagram @rosaisabellas.

HEATHER LEE ECHEVERRÍA (Olga) (She/Her) is the proud daughter of Mexican immigrants and was born and raised in Southern California. Professional credits include: Alma (Chance Theater); I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter (Greenway Court Theater); Measure for Measure, Twelfth Night, As You Like It, Julius Caesar (New Swan Shakespeare Festival); and All the Town’s A Stage: A Winona Story (The Great River Shakespeare Festival). Some of her academic credits include: The Sweetheart Deal, Romeo and Juliet, Rebecca Oaxaca Lays Down a Bunt, Plumas Negras and Silent Sky Training: BA and MFA, UC Irvine.

NICOLE BETANCOURT (Amá) (She/Ella) is a versatile bilingual actress and voiceover artist who has developed characters for film, theatre, web series and trained with the acclaimed Susan Batson. NY theatre: Las Borinqueñas (EST); Zoetrope (Abrons Arts Center); Witkacy’s Madman and the Nun (PREGONES); Storage Locker (IATI);

UBU ROI (IRT & INTAR); Red (HERE Arts Center); Waters of Friendship (La Tea); The Vagina Monologues (El Morocco); Rally Cry (PRTT). Winner of Outstanding Performance in a Leading Role (FuerzaFest). Film/TV: She Said (dir. Maria Schrader), “Orange is the New Black,” “Start Up,” “30 Rock.” Rep: Karen Riposo at KPA Talent. More info: NicoleBetancourt.com.

LESLIE SOPHIA

PÉREZ (Lorena) (She/Her). Theatre credits include: I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter (Steppenwolf and Seattle Rep Theatre) and A Home What Howls (Steppenwolf Theatre). TV credits include “Chicago PD,” Max TV pilot “Computer School.”

ALEX ALPHARAOH (Apá) (He/Him). Select Theatre Credits: WET: A DACAmented Journey (National Tour); Anna in the Tropics (A Noise Within); O-Dogg: An Angeleno Take on Othello (REDCAT/ OSF Quilsfest); Oedipus El Rey (Center Theatre Group); Lolo (Company of Angels); Always Running (Casa 0101); Short Eyes (LATC). Recent film/TV credits include: El Llano En Llamas (IMFFLA). Lolo (SCFF), “Ana La Serie” (Amazon/ Pantaya), “This Fool” (Hulu), Riley Parra (Tello Films), A Little Family Drama

JOHN PLUMPIS (Mr. Ingman). At the DCPA: Indecent National Tours: The Lion King, Laughter on the 23rd Floor, and Barrymore. A regular at leading theatres across the nation, including: Cincinnati Playhouse, Delaware REP, Yale Rep. Multiple appearances Off-Broadway, including the 2024 acclaimed revival of I Can Get It for You Wholesale (Classic Stage Company). 31 productions as actor or director for The Actors Company Theatre in NYC.

Recent TV: “Blue Bloods” and “Little America.” Guest teacher at over 50 colleges and universities. In July, he directed Stones in His Pockets at the Rogue Theatre Company in Ashland, OR.

BRANDON RIVERA (Juanga). DCPA Debut. Chicago: Sanctuary City (Steppenwolf Theatre Company); Rust (Goodman Theatre); Light Falls, The Leopard Play, Pomona, Zürich, Brilliant Adventures (Steep Theatre); Pinocchio (The House Theatre of Chicago); Akeelah and the Bee (Adventure Stage Chicago); Into the Beautiful North (16th Street Theater). Regional: Ironbound (Penobscot Theatre Company); No Child (Cape Fear Regional Theatre). Training: BFA, University of Illinois - Urbana, Champaign. Brandon is an ensemble member with Steep Theatre in Chicago.

DANIEL CLARK (Conner) is a graduate of Rutgers University where he received his BFA in Acting. He made his professional debut in the world premiere of A Distinct Society at TheatreWorks Silicon Valley. He has performed in readings and workshops for new work including Catch as Catch Can (Playwright’s Horizons), Hrdza and Circle Forward (The Gulfshore Playhouse), and Lottery Boy (The Tent Theatre).

TANYA DE LEÓN (Olga/Amá Understudy) (She/ Her). Favorite regional credits: Somewhere Over the Border (GEVA Theater/Syracuse Stage); FAME (GALA Hispanic Theatre/The Spark); Bull: a love story (Paramount Aurora) and In the Heights (Axelrod Performing Arts Center). TV: featured at NBC Upfronts with JLO. She thanks her family, partner, Josh, and agents for their love and support. IG: tanyaAdeleon.

IAN KRAMER

(Conner/Mr. Ingman Understudy) (He/ Him). Actor/director based in New York and thrilled to be a part of this team in Denver! Select Regional credits include: The Prince of Providence (Trinity Rep.); Baskerville and Alabama Story (Greenbrier Valley Theatre); Seminar (Falcon Theater); Every Christmas Story Ever Told…And Then Some (Theater at Monmouth); Romeo with National Players: Tour 64 (Olney Theatre Center), along with numerous Shakespeare productions at Kentucky Shakes, Texas Shakes, Kingsmen Shakes, and Orlando Shakes. Training: BFA, UCF; MFA, Brown. IG: @ickramer

MARÍA VICTORIA

MARTÍNEZ (Júlia/ Lorena Understudy) (She/They). Acting credits: Sanctuary City (Berkeley Rep in association with the Arena Stage); James and the Giant Peach (American Repertory Theater); Yolka at the Ivanovs (Moscow Art Theater). New York City credits: In the Time of the Butterflies (Repertorio Español); Agua Vida y Tierra (MITU580); Business Ideas (Clubbed Thumb); After Burn (NYC Fringe) and others. Film credits: Un Día de Mayo, CITYWIDE, and Harmony in Paradise María trained at the ART at Harvard University/MXAT.

ISAIAH ROSALES (Juanga/Apá Understudy) (He/ They). Regional credits: Little Shop of Horrors (San Antonio Broadway Theatre); Spring Awakening (Artists Repertory Theatre) and The Fantasticks (Metropolitan Performing Arts). Training: BFA Music Theatre, Illinois Wesleyan University.

PLAYWRIGHT

ISAAC GÓMEZ (Playwright/Adaptor/ Movement) (They/Them) is an awardwinning Chicago and Los Angeles based playwright and screenwriter originally from El Paso, Texas/Ciudad Juárez, Mexico. They identify as na’wi–the third gender marker of the Rarámuri, a Mexican Indigenous

community in northern Chihuahua, of which they’re a direct descendent. They’re currently under commission with LCT3, Steppenwolf Theater Company, South Coast Repertory, and Denver Center for the Performing Arts. Their plays have been produced and/or developed by Audible Theater, Center Theatre Group, Steppenwolf Theatre Company, Primary Stages, Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Goodman Theatre, the Alley Theatre, Seattle Rep, and many others. Their television credits include the Netflix Original Series “Narcos: Mexico,” the upcoming Apple TV+ Limited Series “The Last Thing He Told Me,” the second season of Paramount TV+’s “Joe Picket,” amongst others. They have sold pilots and features for development with MRC Entertainment, FX, Focus Features, among others. They strive to tell underrepresented stories across all mediums.

ERIKA L. SÁNCHEZ (Novel Author) (She/Her) is the daughter of Mexican immigrants. She is the author of Lessons on Expulsion, I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter and Crying in the Bathroom I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter will soon be a feature film directed by America Ferrera. She is the Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz Chair at DePaul University and lives in Chicago with her family. erikalsanchez.com, @erikalsanchez

DIRECTOR

LAURA ALCALÁ BAKER (She/They) is a Chicago-based director/new play developer. Laura developed and directed new works such as Isaac Gómez’s The Leopard Play, or sad songs for lost boys (Steep Theatre); The Way She Spoke (DCASE); a home what howls by Matthew Paul Olmos (Steppenwolf); Somewhere Over the Border by Brian Quijada (City Theatre/People’s Light); Omer Abbas Salem’s The Secretaries (First Floor) and RUST by Nancy García Loza (Goodman, New Stages). She also directed the audio drama BRAVA (Make Believe Association), available on all podcasting platforms. Select works: Anna in the Tropics (Remy Bumppo) and The Pillowman (The Gift Theatre). labdirecting.com

CREATIVE TEAM

LONNIE RAFAEL ALCARAZ (Lighting Designer) has designed for multiple regional theatres such as Oregon Shakespeare Festival,

Alabama Shakespeare Festival, South Coast Repertory, The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis, and DCPA. Recent productions include: The 40thAnniversary of Culture Clash in Southern CA, Anatomy of a Home and Interview of the Dead in Amsterdam. He is a Co-Associate Artistic Director/ Resident Lighting designer at the Great River Shakespeare Festival in Winona, MN. He is a member of the United Scenic Artists, Local 829/ International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees. His complete design portfolio can be found at lradesigns.com.

BASS/VALLE CASTING (Casting). New York: Broadway’s Gem of the Ocean. Off- Broadway: Radio Golf, Jitney. Public Theater’s: New Works Now, Minetta Lane, Women’s Project, La MaMa, Epic Theatre, Drama League, Jewish Repertory Theatre, Women in Film and Television. Regional: Hartford Stage, Mark Taper Forum, Arena Stage, Trinity Rep, Syracuse Stage, Huntington Theatre, Portland Center Stage, Dallas Theatre Co., Berkeley Rep, Playmaker’s Rep, Alliance Theatre, Virginia Stage, Geva, CenterStage, Long Wharf Theatre, Arizona Theatre Co. Film: Pushing Hands, Gravesend, First We Take Manhattan. Audition Coach at many of the nation’s top universities and actor training programs.

PEGGY CAREY (Production Manager) (She/Her) is the newest of the PM team, joining as Associate Production Manager in 2022. Before then, she worked at The Public Theater (New York, NY) as an Associate Production Manager where she managed readings, developments, and events, and hired stage management teams. Additionally, she helped to originate the Ithaca Fringe Festival as Production Director and has also worked at Actor’s Workshop of Ithaca, Eugene O’Neill Theater Center, Sie Film Center, and the Kitchen Theatre and studied in both London and the National Theatre Institute.

HANNAH HERRERA GREENSPAN (Dramaturg) (She/Her) is a Los Angeles-based dramaturg and writer. Most notable dramaturgy credits include the world premieres of Laced (About Face Theatre), Our Dear Dead Drug Lord (Latinx Theatre Commons Carnival), Frida (Childsplay Theatre), and Lower Depth Theatre’s Cycle of Poverty Commission Theatre. Hannah is a graduate of The Theatre School

at DePaul University and a former reporter at the Chicago Tribune and recipient of a Beck Award.

IZUMI INABA (Costume Designer) (She/Her) is thrilled to be working with DCPA for the first time. Recent credits: Constellations (American Players Theatre); The Full Monty (Paramount Theatre); Noises Off (Steppenwolf Theatre Company). OffBroadway: How to Defend Yourself (New York Theatre Workshop). Selected Regional: Pride and Prejudice (Long Wharf Theatre); Dishwasher Dreams (Writers Theatre, Merrimack Repertory, The Old Globe, Hartford Stage); The Royale (Kansas City Rep); An American Dream (Lyric Unlimited, Kentucky Opera). Tour: Million Dollar Quartet Christmas (Evan Bernardin Productions). Izumi is a member of United Scenic Artists Local USA829 and represented by Gersh.

NOEL NICHOLS and UPTOWNWORKS (Original Music and Sound Designer) (They/She). Select Designs: Avaaz (South Coast Repertory, Olney Theatre Center, DCPA); tiny father (Geffen Playhouse); i love you so much I could die (New York Theatre Workshop); Uncle Vanya (Associate Sound Design, Lincoln Center); the ripple, the wave that carried me home (Berkeley Rep/ Goodman); Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar and Grill (Baltimore Center Stage); Problems Between Sisters (Studio Theatre, DC); Today is My Birthday (Yale Repertory Theatre); Mojada (Indianapolis Shakespeare Company). MFA in Sound Design from Yale School of Drama. Faculty in Sound Design at the University of Southern California. NoelNicholsDesign.com

MAYA VINICE PRENTISS (Fight Director and Intimacy Choreographer) is an SAFD Certified Actor-Combatant, Fight Choreographer and Dialect Coach. She has been seen in over 13 plays at seven different theatres in Chicago and regionally. Fight Choreography credits: Steppenwolf Theatre, Goodman Theatre, Chicago Shakespeare Theatre, Timeline Theatre, Babes with Blades Theatre Co., Definition Theatre, Raven Theatre, Remy Bumppo, The Story Theatre, The Impostors Theatre. Intimacy direction credits: Steppenwolf Theatre, Goodman Theatre, Raven Theatre, Remy Bumppo, Pegasus Theatre. Education: BA, Spelman College; MFA, UIUC. Awards: Jeff Award- Best Fight Choreography, Best Ensemble.

ARNEL SANCIANCO (Scenic Designer) (He/Him) is an awardwinning set designer with a nationally recognized portfolio. He is a graduate of Northwestern University where he received his MFA in stage design. He’s currently the Head of Scenic Design at UC Berkeley. His credits include productions at The Kennedy Center, The Muny, The Huntington, La Jolla Playhouse, The Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Repertory Theatre of St. Louis, Woolly Mammoth, Goodman Theatre, Steppenwolf, Writers Theatre, Arizona Theatre Company, Court Theatre, American Players Theatre, Milwaukee Rep. For an in-depth look at his work visit ArnelDesigns.com.

GRADY SOAPES, CSA (Casting) (He/ Him) is the Director of Casting and Artistic Producer with the Denver Center for the Performing Arts. Grady has cast over 40 DCPA productions including Rattlesnake Kate, Theater of the Mind, The Chinese Lady, The Who’s Tommy, and The Wild Party. Choreography credits include A Christmas Carol, Twelfth Night, Goodnight Moon, Anna Karenina, As You Like It, Drag Machine, Lord of the Butterflies, DragON (Denver Center); Into the Woods, The Liar (Arvada Center); Comedy of Errors (Colorado Shakespeare Festival). Grady also works as a Casting Director for Sylvia Gregory Casting where he has cast multiple commercials, TV, film and video game projects.

STAGE MANAGEMENT

CORIN DAVIDSON (Assistant Stage Manager) (She/Her). Over 15 productions at the DCPA including: Where Did We Sit on the Bus?, Rubicon, The Color Purple, Theater of the Mind, Choir Boy, Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, Wildfire, twenty50, Indecent, Corduroy, The Who’s Tommy, The Secret Garden, Sweeney Todd, Lookingglass Alice. At DCPA Cabaret: An Act of God. Other Theatres: Colorado Shakespeare Festival, Seven Devils Playwrights Conference, Milwaukee Chamber Theatre, Skylight Music Theatre, Renaissance Theatre Works, Milwaukee Repertory Theatre. Training: BFA Stage Management, University of Wisconsin at Milwaukee. REBECCA RD HAMLIN (Stage Manager) is thrilled to be making her DCPA debut. Becky has worked at various theatres including the Alley Theatre, Resident Ensemble Players, Asolo Repertory Theatre, Gulfshore

Playhouse, Virginia Theatre Festival and is a proud member of Actors’ Equity Association. Thank you to Nick Custer for all the love and support!

THEATRE COMPANY LEADERSHIP TEAM

CHRIS COLEMAN (Artistic Director) is passionate about the connection between stories and community. He joined the DCPA Theatre Company as Artistic Director in November of 2017 and has directed Hamlet, Rubicon, A Little Night Music, Hotter Than Egypt, Much Ado About Nothing, Rattlesnake Kate, Twelfth Night, A Doll’s House, Anna Karenina, and Oklahoma! Previously, Chris served as Artistic Director for Portland Center Stage in Oregon for 18 years. Under his leadership, PCS renovated the city’s historic Armory into a new home, saw annual attendance nearly double, workshopped 52 new plays that went on to productions at over 100 theaters around the US and UK, and became a national leader in how theaters engage with their community.

In 1988, Chris founded Actor’s Express in Atlanta (in the basement of an old church), a company that continues to be a cultural force in the Southeast today. He has directed at major theaters across the country, including Oregon Shakespeare Festival, the Alliance Theater, Dallas Theater Center, Baltimore Center Stage, Actors Theatre of Louisville, ACT/Seattle, the Asolo, Pittsburgh Public, 59E59, and New York Theater Workshop. He and his husband, actor/ writer Rodney Hicks, live in Reunion with their 18 lb. terrier mix. Since moving to Colorado, he has hiked Dominguez Canyon, wandered the Cliff Dwellings of Mesa Verde, explored a working mine in Creede, and rafted down the Arkansas River.

CHARLES VARIN (Managing Director) and his team are responsible for the administrative, financial, and business operations for Theatre Company and Off-Center productions and other artistic initiatives. Since joining the Theatre Company in 2006, he has played a major role in executing the artistic vision of the organization and facilitating the production of shows such as Theater of the Mind, Sweet & Lucky, The Unsinkable Molly Brown, Sense & Sensibility the Musical, The 12, Sweeney Todd with DeVotchKa and many more. Charles is passionate about artistic innovation and firmly believes in DCPA’s long-standing

commitment to new plays and new voices.

In addition to DCPA staff, the following crew worked on this production: Andy Bruening,

Nikki Mayer.

The Director and Fight Director are members of the STAGE DIRECTORS AND CHOREOGRAPHERS SOCIETY, a national theatrical labor union.

The actors and stage managers employed in this production are members of Actors’ Equity Association, the union of professional actors and stage managers in the United States.

Backstage and Ticket Services Employees are represented by the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees, Moving Picture Technicians, Artists and Allied Crafts of the United States and Canada. (or I.A.T.S.E.)

The scenic, costume, lighting and sound designers in LORT Theatres are represented by United Scenic Artists, Local USA-829 of the IATSE.

PLEASE BE ADVISED

• LATECOMERS and those exiting the theatre are seated at predetermined breaks in designated areas.

• CHILDREN 4+ are welcome in our theatres and must be ticketed.

• ASSISTIVE LISTENING DEVICES, LARGE PRINT PROGRAMS & BOOSTER SEATS are available in most theatres. Ask an usher to direct you.

• BRAILLE PROGRAMS are available with 2 weeks’ notice to accessibility@dcpa.org

TAKING PHOTOS AT THE THEATRE

We welcome you to take photos in the theatre before and after the performance. If you post on social media, please credit, and tag the DCPA and the design team:

@denvercenter

#DCPATheatreCompany

#IAmNotYourPerfectMexicanDaughter

Playwright: Isaac Gómez @isaactheiconic

Director: Laura Alcalá Baker @labakesy @labdirecting

Scenic Designer: Arnel Sancianco @arneldesigns

Costume Designer: Izumi Inaba

Lighting Designer: Lonnie Rafael Alcaraz @lra_designs_image

Sound Designer: Noel Nichols @noelevision Fight Direction and Intimacy Choreographer: Maya Vinice Prentiss @mayaddiction

Dramaturg: Hannah Herrera Greenspan @proudchismosa

Casting: Grady Soapes, CSA @grayzvander and Bass/Valle Casting

Photos and the video and/or audio recording during any part of the performance by any means whatsoever are strictly prohibited

We Fund Culture.

The Denver Center for the Performing Arts (DCPA) is one of the largest non-profit theatre organizations in the nation, presenting Broadway tours and producing theatre, cabaret, musicals, and immersive productions. In its 2022/23 season, the DCPA engaged with nearly 865,000 visitors, generating a $205.6 million economic impact.

The Theatre Company is grateful for the funds provided by the Scientific and Cultural Facilities District. Special thanks also to grants from the Helen G. Bonfils Foundation; and contributions from corporations, foundations and individuals. The Theatre Company is a division of the Denver Center for the Performing Arts, a non-profit organization serving the public through the performing arts.

The Theatre Company operates under an agreement between the League of Resident Theatres (LORT) and Actors’ Equity Association, the Union of Professional Actors and Stage Managers in the United States; and the Stage Directors and Choreographers Society. The Theatre Company also operates under an agreement with Denver Theatrical Stage Employees Union, Local No. 7 of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees, Moving Picture Technicians, Artists and Allied Crafts of the United States and Canada.

The Theatre Company is constituent of Theatre Communications Group (TCG), the national organization for not-for-profit resident theatre companies.

The costumes, wigs, lighting, props, furniture,scenic construction, scenic painting, sound and special effects used in connection with this production were constructed and coordinated by the Theatre Company’s Production Staff.

Katarina Kosmopoulos, Kyle Lawrence, Loren Martin,

BUILT IN DENVER SHARED WITH THE WORLD

Want to see a real impact from investing in the arts?

Become a production or season sponsor and watch the inspiration unfold!

SPOTLIGHT SPONSOR - $10,000+

Sponsor a show of your choice and get access to exclusive Opening Night festivities, meet-and-greets with the cast and crew, recognition in Applause magazine, and more sponsor perks!

PREMIERE SPONSOR - $25,000+

Get everything included in a Spotlight Sponsorship, plus behind-the-scenes tours, access to rehearsals, and invitations to a sponsor dinner with the show’s Director and Managing Director.

HONORARY PRESENTING SPONSOR - $50,000+

Get everything included in a premiere sponsorship, plus a guided tour of the DCPA costume, prop, or scene design workshop. You’ll also get a two complimentary Directors Society memberships, private meet-and-greets with the creative team, and a private luncheon with the company’s Artistic Director.

HONORARY SEASON SPONSOR - $100,000+

Sponsor the entire season and experience theatre like never before! The DCPA will build a customized theatre experience for you and your guests. And you’ll get unprecedented access to every step of the play’s development, from first rehearsal to final product. Almost anything is possible!

GET INVOLVED

(Top photo) Amanda Robles, Jennifer Paredes, Natalie Camunas, Crissy Guerrero and Heather Velazquez in American Mariachi (Inset photo) Rakeem Lawrence and Mercedes Perez in Goodnight Moon

A Christmas Carol

By Charles Dickens

Adapted by Richard Hellesen Music by David de Berry

Directed by Anthony Powell

OCT 18 – DEC 22 A fun-filled musical based on Mo Willems’ beloved children’s books

Get ready for a fun-filled musical experience, leaping from the pages of Mo Willems’ award-winning, best-selling children’s books, that will leave you doing the “Flippy Floppy Floory” dance all night long! Gerald and Piggie take to the stage in a rollicking adventure brought to you by DCPA’s Theatre for Young Audiences program, which is tailored to Pre-K through 3rd grade audiences but welcomes all ages.

$20 CHILDREN* | $25 ADULTS*

Weekday Student Matinees available! Contact Group Sales at 303.446.4829 for more information.

Elephant & Piggie’s “We Are in a Play!”

Book and Lyrics by Mo Willems

Music by Deborah Wicks La Puma

Based on the Elephant & Piggie books by Mo Willems

Directed by Allison Watrous

THE MAKING OF SHAKESPEARE IN THE PARKING LOT

TBY LINNEA COVINGTON

The idea for Shakespeare in the Parking Lot came from teachers who wanted to bring to life the Bard’s beautiful plays to help students truly understand why the works have been so important for centuries.

“It is meant as a dramatic text and meant to be performed rather than reading it like a novel,” said Allison Watrous, Executive Director of DCPA Education & Community Engagement.

In 2015 Watrous had a wild idea to start having performances in public spaces, namely, parking lots. After all, she said, creativity isn’t bound to brick-and-mortar locations.

“Now it happens everywhere, and we bring it to schools directly so more students can enjoy it this way,” she said, adding each performance is an abridged rendition of either Romeo and Juliet, A Midsummer Night’s Dream or Macbeth.

“I just wanted to say thank you again for this wonderful opportunity, the kids loved it and were talking about it all day,” a Denver Public School middle school teacher wrote to the DCPA.

“This was once again the experience of a lifetime for many of our kids and you have inspired a new kind of love for Shakespeare in your viewers.”

Directed by Watrous, the show travels to other venues too, from libraries to recreation centers to parks and more. Through the generosity of donors, the plays are provided free to the community. Plus, the funds provided the means to buy a prop truck, which gets pulled by a bigger truck to each location. The actors crawl all over it, popping inside, balancing on the roof, and using it as a dramatic backdrop.

The troupe is made up of eight players who do all the roles, often gender-bending the way the original actors in William Shakespeare’s day did. Between in-school and community performances, they often perform six days a week each fall and spring. But already the actors, some who have been a part of the event since the beginning, are ready for next season.

Shakespeare in the Parking Lot returns this fall with free performances every Saturday September 7 through October 12. For locations, visit denvercenter.org/community-events

IN THE COMMUNITY

Join us for FREE public performances of SHAKESPEARE IN THE PARKING LOT

Abridged versions of some of the Bard’s most beloved plays performed in and around a pick up truck “set”

Performances take place throughout the community on Saturdays from Sep 7 – Oct 12.

LEARN MORE

Photo by McLeod9Creative

Photo by McLeod9 Creative

MAKE YOUR SEASON BRIGHTER HOLIDAY PARTIES AT DCPA

Throw a party to remember at the Denver Center for the Performing Arts, complete with hassle-free event planning plus optional theatre entertainment! Pair your room rental with group tickets to any of the DCPA’s holiday productions for the ultimate show of appreciation for your clients or employees!

Working with our in-house Event Services team with its decades of theatrical experience, you can select from the spectacular Seawell Ballroom or intimate Directors Room plus your choice of:

• Eight caterers

• Customized bar package from Sodexo Live!

• Dramatic lighting design and Broadway-caliber sound

Ask about our holiday package when you book today denvercenter.org/venue-rentals/holiday

Shakespeare in the Parking Lot is a unique way to bring the arts into the community and allow more people to experience the health benefits that the arts can provide.

— MANNY RODRIGUEZ, UCHEALTH’S CHIEF MARKETING AND CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE OFFICER

PROUD SPONSOR OF DCPA BROADWAY

A SPOONFUL OF SHAKESPEARE TO CURE ALL AILS

BY LINNEA COVINGTON

J

Just as the great Bard had patrons to help produce what would become iconic plays at the Globe Theatre, so does the DCPA’s annual Shakespeare in the Parking Lot. One of the major supporters is UCHealth, which understands the importance of theater, art, and music for the human condition.

“UCHealth is pleased to partner with the DCPA,” said Manny Rodriguez, UCHealth’s Chief Marketing and Customer Experience Officer. “Shakespeare in the Parking Lot is a unique way to bring the arts into the community and allow more people to experience the health benefits that the arts can provide.”

The community is exactly who the program benefits. After all, the gist of Shakespeare in the Parking Lot is to bring theatre to schools and community centers. It does this thanks to donors who not only support the event, but helped pay for the prop truck that acts as a home, wall, destination, secluded alcove and more during the live performances.

Shakespeare in the Parking Lot typically runs for six weeks in early fall (this year it’s running September 7-October 12) and late spring (April through mid-May). It features eight actors playing all the roles. Each performance showcases an abridged version of either Romeo and Juliet, A Midsummer Night’s Dream or Macbeth. The actors gender bend and work so hard that, by the end of the six-week run, they have done more than 30 shows.

It’s a lot of effort to put on the shows, and production costs are steep. This is where UCHealth comes in. Its contribution largely helps cover the costs, making community performances entirely free and school engagements affordable. The later part allows students not only to enjoy the magic of Shakespeare through live performance, but also provides in-class workshops that take a dive deep into how the plays’ themes still resonate today.

“UCHealth is committed to sharing the health benefits of the arts with our youngest community members,” said Rodriguez. “By creating a fund to cover the cost of tickets, classes or workshops, we hope to inspire the next generation of artists and fans.”

Shakespeare in the Parking Lot began in 2015. Allison Watrous, Executive Director of DCPA Education & Community Engagement, not only directs the event, but also built the program too. The idea, she said, was to open up theatre to unconventional places and allow creativity to thrive outside the traditional stage. That, and she wanted to help teachers bring to life the vibrancy of the Bard’s great works, something that’s much better understood live than by reading quietly at home.

The best part is seeing these plays come alive for people in their very own neighborhood, which couldn’t happen without the generous support of loyal patrons of the arts.

PROUD SPONSOR OF DCPA EDUCATION’S BOOK STARS

communities where we live and work, and, with funding from PNC

PPNC aims to strengthen and enrich the lives of our neighbors in the Foundation, we are pleased to once again support the Denver Center for the Performing Arts (DCPA) in this season’s Book Stars program. Since 2004, PNC Grow Up Great, our $500 million, bilingual early childhood education initiative, has helped prepare children from birth to age 5 for success in school and life by supporting programs, resources and experiences that plant the seeds for a lifetime of opportunities. DCPA Book Stars likewise supports early childhood educators to enhance early literacy in pre-K by working with Title I schools throughout metro Denver.

This innovative program encourages children to become characters and solve problems through creative play and theater-based learning, with teaching artists building relationships with students and teachers over time. By offering Book Stars to schools at no cost, in English and Spanish, we can increase accessibility and help eliminate achievement

schools throughout metro Denver. gaps before they start.

By focusing our support on high-quality early childhood education, we aim to positively impact school readiness, setting children on a path for success. We’re proud to help DCPA continue to grow this program and build more relationships with teachers, students, and

Thank you for your continued support for the arts, and enjoy the

“

families in our region. show!

PNC is firmly committed to early education in Colorado. Investing and advocating for high-quality early education is a logical extension of our commitment as a national main street bank to supporting our communities, and Book Stars is a unique and creative way to develop critical literacy skills in our youngest learners.

— RYAN BEISER, REGIONAL PRESIDENT FOR PNC BANK IN COLORADO “

The Aegon Transamerica Foundation is proud to support the DCPA and the brilliant programs and events it brings to life. From Broadway tours to immersive experiences to educational programs for kids, DCPA is an integral part of Denver’s thriving artistic community — and it’s a big part of what makes our city so special.

— MELISSA SMITH, CHAIR OF THE AEGON TRANSAMERICA FOUNDATION’S DENVER ADVISORY COMMITTEE

PROUD SPONSOR OF DCPA EDUCATION’S HIGH SCHOOL/MIDDLE SCHOOL PLAYWRITING COMPETITION

TTransamerica employees are dedicated to helping people live their best lives, whether it’s saving and investing for the future or protecting themselves and their loved ones. They bring expertise, creativity and heart to everything they do — and to the communities where they live and work.

Transamerica’s private, nonprofit foundation is proud to do its part in helping to create a brighter and more secure future for people in our community by supporting programs that enhance their opportunities and capabilities while broadening social networks, interactions and aspirations. Through our charitable giving and employee volunteer efforts, we contribute to a wide range of worthy causes in Denver, including the Denver Center for the Performing Arts (DCPA).

We believe our longtime support of the DCPA — one of the nation’s largest nonprofit theatre organizations — helps to enliven our community and bring new perspectives that can enable Denverites see the world through another’s eyes.

The Aegon Transamerica Foundation looks forward to supporting another great year of DCPA programming. We are proud to play a role helping DCPA make theatre accessible to all.

Transamerica employees help serve meals at Denver Children’s Home.

Transamerica employees help prepare “Bags of Fun” for children fighting long-term or life-threatening conditions.

Transamerica employees help build homes for families in need with Habitat for Humanity.

THANK YOU

The Denver Center for the Performing Arts gratefully acknowledges the generous support of the following donors of $250+ between July 1, 2023 and June 30, 2024.

+ Includes in-kind support

* Deceased

EXTRAORDINARY GIVING

Scientific and Cultural

Facilities District

CHAIRMAN’S CIRCLE PLATINUM

($100,000+)

Chevron Corp.

Genesee Mountain Foundation

Jeanne Hind*

The Morgridge Family Foundation

Robert & Judi Newman

The Shubert Foundation

UCHealth

U.S. Bank

CHAIRMAN’S CIRCLE GOLD

($50,000-$99,999)

Bolin Family

Denver Arts & Venues

Madie Gustafson

Pioneer Fund/Lewis E. Myers, Jr. Scholarship Fund

Janice Sinden

CHAIRMAN’S CIRCLE SILVER

($25,000-$49,999)

Ameristar Casino Resort Spa

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Tom & Mary Bagley

Anonymous

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CIBC Private Wealth

Management

Keith & Kathie Finger

Betsy Kiley & Steve Knox

Dorota & Kevin Kilstrom

Ruth Krebs & Peter Mannetti

MDC/Richmond American

Homes Foundation

Everett Schneider & Robert Phifer

Eva Schoonmaker

Jo & Martin Semple

Mark Sexton and the Sexton

Family Foundation

Bob & Carole Slosky

June Travis

Ken & Debra Tuchman

Tim White Families

Walter Wilson

Xcel Energy Foundation

David Young, MD & Sylvia Young

CHAIRMAN’S CIRCLE BRONZE

($15,000-$24,999)

Antero Resources

Jim & Kristin Bender

The Buell Foundation

Daniels Family Charitable Trust

DaVita Inc.

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Patrick Hamill

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Scott & Kim Lewis

Steve & Gayle Mooney

Ralph & Trish Nagel

PNC Bank

The Ponzio Family

Dean Singleton

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Thomas and Beatrice Taplin

Fund

Jerry & Debi Tepper

Transamerica

TTEC

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Anonymous

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CU Denver

Jerome & Jackie Davis

Navin Dimond

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Polsinelli

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Katy Simpson

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801 Fish

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Margaret DesCombes

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Rick Fantini

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Donald Cameron &

Marie Harrison

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Barbara Kelley

John & Joanne Kirby

William LaBahn

John Lee

LeRoux Bistro

Diane MacRossie

Gerald & Carole Makela

Brian & Debra McCallin

Paul & Jodell Mizoue

Cara Nakata

Nancy & Paul Oberman

Pay Pal Giving Fund

Pam & Don Piro

Patricia Robinson

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The Sam and Beth Coyle

Family Charitable Fund

Frieda Sands

Betsy Schutte

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Dorothea Simmons

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Kure

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Thomas Ullrich

University of Colorado-Denver

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Shell Oil Matching Gifts

Program

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Anonymous

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Break-Away Tours

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THANK YOU TO OUR DONORS

LeeAnn Cast

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Comcast NBCUniversal

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Craig Connelly

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Gertrude Grant

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Hudak on Hollywood

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Eula Hoff

Karen S. Hoffman

V M Holers

Hunt Holsomback

Mary Homan

DeOnna Hotz

Jen Howver

H. L. Hoyt

Hsiu-Tseng Huang

Elsa Hughes

Lucinda Hundley

Erin Hunkele

Kathryn Hunsaker

Mai-Lan Huynh

Michele Irwin

Katie Jablonski

Amy Jackson

Sue Jackson

Meryl Jacobs

Susan January

Scott & Martha Jentz

Josh Jerden

Flora Jewell-Stern

Erin Jewett

Jackie Jimmerson

Luke Jobman

Alice Johnson & Richard

Goblirsch

Burke Johnson

Larry Johnson

Lauren Johnson

Pam Johnson

Stephanie Johnson

Kim Jones

Nancy Jones

Myhra Jose

Jeff Joseph

Marlene Joy

Kristine Kadash

Jana Kantorowicz

Brad Kaplan

Devin & Marianne Karns

Diana Kasson

Tara Keefer

Karl Keller

Aaron Kelter

Kendra Scott Jewelry

Dr. Gwen Kerby

Michael Kern

Vanecia Kerr

Emily Kettlewell

Summer Kidder

Cole Kilstrom

Dan King

Rebekah King

Mary Kinsala & Beth Bogner

Brian & Emily Kirby

Tom Kirkpatrick

Gary Kleiman

Roberta & Mel Klein

Geoffrey Klingsporn

Joan Knab

Sara Knight

Susan & John Knill

Kurt Knoernschild

Margaret & David Knowlton

Roxanne Kochevar

Lucas Kreitler

David Krell

Jessica Kropuenske

Jo Ann Kruglet

Diane Kruse

Don Ku

Barbara & Kenneth Laff

Carmen Lamar

Monique Lanphear

Steven Larson

J. Scott Lasater

Cindy Laudadio-hill

Sean Lawton

Prof. Richard S. Leaman

Megan Ledin

Robin Lee

William Lee

William Lee

Michael Lehmann

Ayelet Lehtman

Wendy Leidal

Dr. Beth Leon

Suzanne Lesage

Carla Leverman

Catherine Levisay

Jill Levy

Leah Lewelling

Thomas Lewis

Catherine Lindsey

Ferdinand Liotta

Heather Lipp

Ann Little

Britt Little

Tom & Susan Littman

Alan Loeb

Kenneth Logan

Jean Lombardi

Lori Long

Paula Lopez

Vincent Love

Emily Loyd

Joyce & Gary Lozow

Amanda Luellen

John Lynass

Sonia Maaliki

John Mabee

Jedeane MacDonald Cone

Carol MacDougall

Zachary Madison

Eliza Madsen

Rene Malden

Michael Mallett

Lorraine Manfredi

Kilby Mann

Dr. Adrienne Mann

Dottie Marchant

Shirley Marlow

David Marshall

Sharla Marshall

Kendra Maruyama

Jami Maselli

Sue Masica

James Matera

William Mathews & Joy

Godesiabois

Donna Mattson

Daniel Maxey

Catherine Maxwell

Erin Mayer

Dj McArthur

Brock McCarty

Danielle McCormick

Molly McCray-Finke

Joe McCullough

Kristin McDonald

Victoria McDonald

Angelique McMillan

Jeff McSchooler

Kyle Mead

Harold & Betty Meadows

Terri Medved

Adele Meron

Kathlene Meskimen

Janice Michael

Michele Middlesworth

Mile High United Way

Bobbi Lou Miller

James & Claudia Miller

Libbie Miller

Robert Miller

Amy Mitchell

Karen Modlin

Whitney Moehle

Kalliopi Monoyios

Kelly Monroe

Jerrod Montoya

Jennifer Morgan

Kristin Morgan

Mami Morita

Andrew Morley

Lizabeth Morrill

Michael J. & Mary Moynihan

Mark Mulligan

Becky & Joe Munoz

Jesse Nadelman

Roweena Naidoo

Robert Nasuti

Mindy Naumer

Sally Neher

Don & Linda Neuman

Jennifer Newman

Hoang Nguyen

Brent Nienaber

Jenny Nikaido

Nike Matching Gifts

Sarah Obregon

Terrence O’Connor

Laurie Odell

Mitchell ODell

Michael Ogborn

Andrew Ogrady

Paul O’Leary

Nicole Orfanakis

Elizabeth A. Orr

James Ott

Kathleen Oviatt

Holly Owen

Robin & Stuart Pack

William Palmer

Christine Pancoast

Kim Hansen

Shannon Parry

Julie Parsons & Frank Nowell

Linda Patterson

Rosalind Patterson

Tiffany Patterson

Judi Paul

Deb Paulman

Jennifer Payne

Alexandra Peek

Neyla Pekarek

Lissa Pelle

Carol Penner

Maria Rosa Perez

Lisa Pesnichak

Daniel Peterman

Alveta Petersen

Katie Peterson

Martha Petrie

Brian Phelps

Che Pimentel

Paula L. Pinkley

Timothy Pinniw

Robert Pletcher

Beth Plott

Mahes Prasad

Annie Pratt

Jolene Quigley

Frank Quintieri

Adrian Ramirez

Carole Ramsay

Lillian Ramseur

Sara Randel

Steven Rang

Nikki Raschbacher

John Rassman

William Ray

Mary Ann Raynor

Danise Rea

Jane Reed

Adele Reester

Sharon Regier

Thomas Reimann

Nicole Reinan

Amanda Reish

Jason Reynolds

Lance Reynoso

Mary Carol Riaski

Hannah Richards

Alfred Richter

Kathryn Ricks

Mary Riddell

Norm Ridder

Ashley Rieck

Tracy Ritter

Amy Roberts

Deborah Roberts

Ron & Merilee Robertson

Linda Robinson

Patricia Rocha

Renee Rodgers

Dr. Yvonne Rollins

Susan Rona

Jane E Rosenbaum

Richard Roth

Toby Rumans

Sharon Rusnak

Kristin Russell

Larisa Russo

Paul Ryan

Rafael Salinas

J. Lee Sammons

Theodore & Deborah

Sandquist

Stuart Sanks

Tom Satter

Philip Schecter

Sharon Schneider

Theresa Schock

Kerri Schoen

Bill Schoonmaker

John Schroder

Scot Schultz

Sherilee Selby

Karmen Serbinski

Tiffany Shane

Amy Shane

Dr. Barbara Shannon-Banister & Guardie Banister, St.

Rita Sharma

Rebecca Shay

Christopher Shea

Laura Sheldon

Aaron Sheppard

Timothy Sheppard

Todd Sheridan

Yumiko Shinoda

John Showers

Kathleen Siddall

Risa Silverman

Artis Silverman & Stephen

Carmel

Sean Ross

Adam Sinnard

Ben Slabach

Pamela Sletten

Lynn Slouka

Dan Smith

Marilyn Smith

Marlis Smith

Michael Smith

Michael Smith

Tammy Koehler Smith

Timothy Smith

Gwenivere Snyder

Ann & Tim Sorrells

Cheryl Sparks

Kellie Sponberg

Kathryn Spuhler

Shawntel Staab

Michele Stark-Hailpern

Maria Stein

Susan Stein

Lisa Stephens

Sarah Sterkel

Dr. Robert & Renate Sterrett

Amanda Stevens

Jeffrey Stevens

Camille Stewart

Tanya Stork

Mark Stotik

Arthur & Stephanie

Strasburger

Judith Strasen

Elizabeth Stroomer

Peter Stroup

Anne Stuller

Maria Suehnholz

Sadie Sullivan

Jeanne Surbrugg

Kathleen Swanson

Bret Taber

Pam Taddonio

Emily M. Tarleton

Linda D. Tarpeh-Doe

Dr. Susan Taylor

Eric Theil

Carla Thomas

Nathaniel Thomas

Laiken Thompson

Shelley Thompson

Wayne Thorsted

Catherine Tidd

Lou Toth

Danny Trujillo

Laura Murphy

Klasina VanderWerf & Tom

Thomas

Visa, Inc.

Kimberly Wachtel

Carolyn Wagers

Patricia Wagner

Clint Waldron

Dona Wallace

Robert Warden

Carolyn Keith

Mary Watson

Rebecca Weber

Chris Weible

Bev Weiler

Mark Weindling

Steven Weisberg

Nancy Welch

Wells Fargo Matching Gifts

Division

Jessica Welser

Erik Werner

Mary Werth

Kenneth West

Paula Whaley

Kristen Wheeler

Alan White

Doda White

Shawna-Gay White

Tammy White

Marj Wiedeman

Jared Wiedmeyer

Timothy Wieland

Cathy Williams

Kevin Wilson

Jacqueline Winn

Eileen Wood

Mary Ellen Wood

Susan Wood

Joshua Wooden

Phyllis Woodman

Meredith Woodrow

Janice Woodward

Elizabeth Worstell

Meredith Yamnitz

Christel Yehle

David Young

Dr. Adel Younoszai

Jennifer Zinn

Terry Zinsli

Ralph Zupancic

GIFTS IN KIND

801 Fish

Bonneville Denver

CBS Colorado

Colorado Public Radio

The Corner Office/The Curtis Hotel

Delta Airlines

Denver Post Community

Denver Zoological Foundation

Denver7/KMGH (ABC)

El Semanario - The Weekly Issue

Event Rents

David Jacques Farahi

The Four Seasons and EDGE Restaurant and Bar

The Infinite Monkey Theorem, Inc.

Jay’s Valet

Kareen & James Kimsey

KUSA/Channel 9 News

Mariel

Sarah Millett

Monarch Casino & Resort, Inc.

The Publishing House

Carlos Ramirez

range Restaurant / Renaissance Denver

Downtown

Jason Shader Smith

The Slate

Total Wine & More

Trinchero Family Estates

UCHealth

Urban Spectrum

Welch Equipment

SPECIAL THANKS

DENVER LANGUAGE SCHOOL

PROUD SPONSOR OF DCPA EDUCATION

DDenver Language School (DLS) is the only K-8 public school in Denver offering Spanish and Mandarin immersion. This distinctive characteristic not only sets the school apart, but also shows DLS’s commitment to providing students with a diverse and globallyoriented education.

Being the sole K-8 immersion public school in Spanish and Mandarin in Denver allows Denver Language School to offer students a truly immersive language experience from an early age. Research has consistently shown the cognitive and academic benefits of bilingualism, such as enhanced problem-solving skills, improved cognitive flexibility, and a deeper understanding of different cultures. Denver Language School’s emphasis on language immersion not only enriches the educational journey of its students, but also equips them with practical skills that are highly relevant in today’s modern society.

Beyond the academic benefits, the school’s focus on language immersion serves a larger societal purpose. In a world where understanding and appreciating different cultures is crucial, bilingual education fosters cultural empathy and open-mindedness. Students at Denver Language School not only become proficient in two languages, but also gain insights into the traditions, histories, and perspectives of the teaching staff who hail from a wide-array of Spanish and Mandarin speaking backgrounds.

The partnership between Denver Language School and the Denver Center for the Performing Arts (DCPA) adds another layer of enrichment to the educational experience. The performing arts play a vital role in fostering creativity, self-expression, and cultural awareness. By supporting DCPA, the school provides students with opportunities to engage in high-quality cultural experiences, including theatrical performances and artistic expressions that complement their language education.

Denver Language School’s status as the only K-8 public immersion school in Spanish and Mandarin in Denver holds significance in promoting bilingualism, cultural understanding, and global awareness. Like language, theatre opens your eyes to the world. Supporting the Denver Center for the Performing Arts further enriches the educational journey by exposing students to the world of performing arts and opening their eyes to new perspectives through the arts, aligning with the school’s holistic approach to preparing students for a diverse and interconnected world.

DCPA

Janice Sinden President & CEO

Donna Hendricks Executive Assistant, President & CEO

Julie Schumaker Manager, Board Relations

ACCOUNTING & FINANCE

Jane Williams CFAO

Sara Brandenburg Director, Accounting Services

Jennifer Je rey Director, Financial Planning & Analysis

Kristina Monge Associate Accountant

Annie Self Accountant III

Jennifer Siemers Director, Accounting

Audrey Smith Associate Manager, Accounting

BROADWAY & CABARET

John Ekeberg Executive Director

Administration

Ashley Brown Business Manager

Alicia Bruce General Manager

Lisa Prater Operations Manager

Garner Galleria Theatre

Abel Becerra Technical Director

Jason Begin+,

Anna Hookana+ Core Stagehands

DEVELOPMENT

Jamie Clements Vice President

Connor Carlin Associate Director, Major & Planned Gifts

Sarah Darlene Grants & Reports Manager

Caroline Eppers Manager, Corporate Partnerships

Kara Erickson-Stiemke Coordinator

Emily Kettlewell Associate Director, Annual Giving

Caitie Maxwell Senior Director, Major Gifts

Marc Ravenhill Associate Director, Donor Relations

Megan Stewart Associate Director, Special Events

EDUCATION & COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

Allison Watrous Executive Director

Stuart Barr Technical Director

Leslie Channell Director, Business Operations

Lyndsay Corbett Teaching Artist & Manager, Bobby G

Maria Corral Director, Community Engagement

Heather Curran Teaching Artist & Manager, Playwriting

Elliot Davis Evening Registrar & O ce Coordinator

Rachel Ducat Executive Assistant & Business Manager

Rya Dyes Registrar & On-Site Class Manager

Gavin Juckette Teaching Artist & Manager, TYA Engagement & Music

Timothy McCracken Head of Acting

Rick Mireles Manager, Community Engagement

David Saphier Teaching Artist & Manager, In-School Programming

Charlotte Talbert Librarian

Rachel Taylor Teaching Artist & Manager, Literary Engagement & Resiliency

Justin WalvoordTeaching Artist & Manager, Shakespeare in the Parking Lot

Samuel Wood Director, Education & Curriculum Development

EVENT SERVICES

Samantha Egle, Cody Gocio Senior Sales & Event Managers

Stori Heleen-O’Foley Event Technical Manager

Shane Hotle Audio Engineer

David Mandlowitz Video Engineer

DCPA TEAM

Natalia Marroquin, Phil Rohrbach Sales & Event Managers

Tara Miller Event Sales & Operations Director

Brook Nichols Event Technical Director

Kate Olsen Event Sales Coordinator

Benjamin Peitzer Event Technical Lead

Michael Harris, Alex Taylor Lighting Designers

Brooke Wyatt Event Logistics Manager

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

Lisa Roebuck Vice President For security purposes, the IT team has been omitted.

MARKETING & SALES

Angela Lakin Vice President

Whitney Testa Executive Assistant, Marketing & Broadway

Marketing

Heidi Bosk Associate Director, Press & Promotions, Broadway & Cabaret

Erin Bunyard Senior Digital Strategist

Sofia Contreras, Lucas Kreitler Graphic Designers

Brenda Elliott, Paul Koob Senior Graphic Designers

Harper Anne Finch Manager, Social Marketing

TJ Forlenza Copywriter

Michael Garcia Manager, Web Content

Claire Graves Director, Produced Programs

Brittany Gutierrez Associate Director, Communications

Linda Horan Project Manager

Je Hovorka Director, Sales & Marketing, Broadway & Cabaret

Emma Holst Communications & Content Associate

Emily Kent Director, Insights & Strategy

Kelsie Korinek Coordinator, Broadway & Cabaret

Michael Ryan Leuthner Director, Digital Marketing

Emily Lozow Associate Director, Sales & Marketing, Broadway & Cabaret

Kyle Malone Director, Design

Dan McNulty Marketing Analyst

Todd Metcalf Media Producer

Hannah Selwyn Manager, Email Marketing

Julie Whelan Manager, Produced Programs

Mikayla Woods Coordinator, Produced Programs

Suzanne Yoe Director, Content & Communications

Ticketing & Audience Services

Jennifer Lopez Director

Jessica Alverson, Siri Barrier*, Tamika Cox*, Mekenzie Dalton*, Zeah Edmonds*,

Lauren Estes*, Luke Fish*, Jen Gray*,

Noa Halpern*, Phi Johnson-Grimes*, Noah Jungferman*, Holly Stigen*, Andrew Sullivan*, Alfonso Vazquez*, Robert Warner* Ticket Agents

Kirsten Anderson*, Scott Lix*, Liz Sieroslawski*,

Greg Swan* Subscription Agents

Jon Collins Manager, Subscription

Katie Davis Manager, VIP Ticketing

D.J. Dennis*, Edmund Gurule*, Alison Orthel*, Lane Randall*,

Hayley Solano*,

Sam Stump* Counter/Show Leads

Billy Dutton Associate Director, Operations

Danielle Freeman Manager, Customer Service

Claire Hayes, Ella Mann, Robert McCowan Managers, Box O ce

Chris Leech Coordinator, VIP Ticketing

Katie Spanos Associate Director, Subscriber Services

Group Sales

Jessica Bergin Associate Director

BK Kamin Manager, Audience Development

Elias Lopez Coordinator

Maddie Young Associate, Education & Group Sales

OFF-CENTER

Charlie Miller Executive Director & Curator

Courtney Ozaki Creative Producer

Mike Pingel Operations Manager

OPERATIONS

Sarah Arzberger Administrator

Vincent Bridgers Manager

Adam Busch Analyst

Aaron Chavez Lead

Ruben Cruz, Jordan Latouche Engineers

Simone Gordon Associate Director

Kyle Greufe Senior Analyst

Maria Herwagen Junior Analyst

Brandon LeMarr Manager

Sam Nolte, Tara Perticone Analysts

Joseph Reecher Senior Engineer

Cordelia Taylor Coordinator

PEOPLE & CULTURE

Laura Maresca CPCO

Equity & Organization Culture

Seán Kroll Coordinator

Human Resources

Brian Carter Senior Business Partner

Andrew Guilder HR & Recruiting Specialist

Michaela Johnson Interim Mailroom Assistant

Paul Johnson Payroll & Compliance Manager

Jocelyn Martinez Business Partner

Kinsey Scholl Operations Manager

THEATRE COMPANY

Administration

Charles Varin Managing Director

Emily Diaz Business Admin./ Asst. Company Manager

Alex Koszewski Company Manager

Ann Marshall General Manager

Artistic

Chris Coleman Artistic Director

Jessica Eckenrod Artistic Associate

Grady Soapes Artistic Producer & Casting Director

Leean Kim Torske Director, Literary Programs

Costume Crafts

Kevin Copenhaver Director

Chris Campbell Assistant

Costume Shop

Janet Macleod Director/Design Associate

Meghan Anderson Doyle Design Associate

Stephanie Cooper, Amoreena Knabb, Ingrid Ludeke, Carolyn Plemitscher Draper

House Crew

Douglas Taylor+ Supervisor

Connor Baker+ Production Electrician

James Berman+, Forest Fowler+,

Dave Mazzeno+,

Kyle Moore+, Matt Wagner+ Stagehands

Joseph Price+ Kelley Reznik+ Assistants

Piper Stormes+ Lead Electrician

Lighting Design

Charles MacLeod Director

Lily Bradford Assistant

Paint Shop

Kristin Hamer MacFarlane Charge Scenic Artist

Melanie Rentschler, Sasha Seaman Scenic Artists

Production

Je Gi ord Director

Julie Brou

Prop Shop

Meghan Markiewicz Supervisor

Sara Pugh Associate Supervisor

Bennet Goldberg, Georgina Kayes, Ashley Lawler Artisans

Andrew McGlothen Prop Carpenter

Scene Shop

Eric Moore Technical Director

Albert “Stub” Allison, Robert L. Orzolek, Josh Prues Associate Technical Directors

Jeremy Altho , Tyler D. Clark, Amy Wynn Pastor, Kyle Scoggins Scenic Technicians

Louis Fernandez III Lead Scenic Technician

Brian “Marco” Markiewicz Lead Carpenter

Scenic Design

Lisa Orzolek Director

Kevin Nelson, Nicholas Renaud Assistants

Sound Design & Technology

Alex Billman Supervisor

Meagan Holdeman+, Timothy Schoeberl+,

Dimitri Soto+ Technicians

Elena Martin Associate

Stage Management

Liz Campbell, Corin Davidson, Harper Hadley, Rebecca Hamlin, Sage Hughes, Anne Jude, Kristen Mun, Nick Nyquist,

Malia Stoner Stage Managers

Anna Cordova, Sam Forrest, Megan Franco, Miranda Vasquez, Ayana Yokie Apprentices

Rain Young Associate

Wardrobe

Heidi Echtenkamp Supervisor

Robin Appleton^, Amber Krimbel^, Lauren LaCasse^, Lisa Parsons Wagner^, Nicole Watts^, Kami Williams^ Dressers

Wigs

Diana Ben-Kiki Supervisor

Abby Schmidt^, Marisa Sorce^ Wig Assistants

VENUE OPERATIONS

Glen Lucero Vice President

Merry Davis Financial Manager

Jane Deegan Administrator

Facilities

Craig Smith Director

Dwight Barela, Mark Dill, Bryan Faciane, John Howard Engineers

Steven Bilbao, Abraham Cervantes, Lindsey Cervantes, Carmen Molina, Judith Primero Molina, Juan Loya Molina Custodians

Michael Kimbrough Manager, Engineering

Brian McClain Manager, Custodial

Patron Experience

Evan Gendreau Associate Director

Elliot Shields Manager

Kaylyn Kriaski, Leilani Lynch, Aaron McMullen, Stacy Norwood, Valerie Schaefer Assistant Managers

Nora Caley, Amy Howard, Robin Lander, Myrisa Martin, Selin Ozcelik, Barbara Pooler, Wendy Quintana House Managers

Safety & Security

Quentin Crump Director

Timothy Allen, Jodi Benavides Lead Security O cers

Calum Abeywickrema, Mayte Armendariz, Samara Attridge, David Bright, Jaron Van Horne, Manuel Amaya-Loera, Isabella Samaniego, Marcus Sanders, Tori Witherspoon Security Specialists

Judy Briggs Front Desk

Administrative Assistant/ O ce Manager

Matthew Campbell Production Manager

Peggy Carey Associate Production Manager

Chris Thile with the Colorado Symphony

Disney in Concert: Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas

Rachmaninoff Piano Concerto No. 2 with Simon Trpceski

Béla Fleck Plays Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue