Applause Magazine, Jan. 10 - Feb. 22, 2014 by The Publishing House

T H E

VOLUME XXV

D E N V E R

C E N T E R

F O R

P E R F O R M I N G

A R T S

THE LEGEND OF GEORGIA McBRIDE

NUMBER 5

JANUARY – FEBRUARY 2014

Illustration by Kyle Malone

T H E

ALSO PLAYING…

EVITA BLACK ODYSSEY HAMLET MAMMA MIA! n

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LETTER FROM THE PRODUCING ARTISTIC DIRECTOR INDEX

G Kent Thompson

Greetings! Winter brings to our stages a Shakespearean tragedy, two favorite musicals (Mamma Mia! and Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Evita) and full productions of two brand new plays, along with the Colorado New Play Summit, our ninth annual festival of readings of new works. First up is the Denver Center Theatre Company production of the world premiere of The Legend of Georgia McBride by Matthew Lopez. A young Elvis impersonator with a pregnant wife is replaced by a drag queen show, and discovers he has a lot to learn about show business and himself. Georgia McBride is filled with music, bawdy humor and lots of heart and was the hit of last February’s New Play Summit. The next world premiere is black odyssey by Marcus Gardley—a wild, imaginative, magical adventure with music, hip hop, humor, epic drama and poetry all blended together to give a contemporary Kent Thompson African-American spin to Homer’s Producing Artistic Director Denver Center Theatre Company Odyssey.

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NUMBER 5

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JANUARY – FEBRUARY 2014

Applause is published eight times a year by The Denver Center for the Performing Arts in conjunction with The Publishing House. 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

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The Denver Center for the Performing Arts 1101 13th St., Denver, CO 80204 303.893.4000 • denvercenter.org

The Denver Center for the Performing Arts is a not-for-profit organization serving the public through the performing arts. BOARD OF TRUSTEES Daniel L. Ritchie, Chairman and CEO Donald R. Seawell, Chairman Emeritus Randy Weeks, President William Dean Singleton, Secretary/Treasurer W. Leo Kiely III, First Vice Chair Robert Slosky, Second Vice Chair Dr. Patricia Baca Joy S. Burns Isabelle Clark Navin Dimond Margot Gilbert Frank Thomas W. Honig Mary Pat Link Trish Nagel Robert C. Newman Richard M. Sapkin Martin Semple Jim Steinberg Peter Swinburn Ken Tuchman Tina Walls

This world premiere comedy by Matthew Lopez reminds us that love, laughter and heart can show up in the most unpredictable places. by Sylvie Drake

MAMMA MIA!

EVITA

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Editor: Sylvie Drake Associate Editor: Suzanne Yoe Designers: Kim Conner, Brenda Elliott, Kyle Malone

With music, inventiveness and, yes, humor, playwright Marcus Gardley tracks the trials of an African American Ulysses returning from the war in Afghanistan. by Doug Langworthy

APPLAUSE

VOLUME XXV

BLACK ODYSSEY

THE LEGEND OF GEORGIA MCBRIDE

Who knew that ABBA spelled song, dance, fun and (ever)lasting success?

The third Theatre Company production is Hamlet, set in pre-World War I Denmark. In Shakespeare’s psychological masterpiece, Hamlet must find his way through grief, anger, ghostly spirits, treachery, revenge, murder and madness as he seeks redemption. ebruary 7-9 brings the Colorado New Play Summit to our stages. In addition to the premieres of Georgia McBride and black odyssey, we’re featuring five readings by some of America’s most exciting playwrights, including Eric Schmiedl and his adaptation of Benediction by Kent Haruf. For Haruf, Benediction completes his award-winning trilogy of novels set on the Eastern Plains of Colorado. For me, it completes a remarkable journey in the theatre—from Plainsong (2008) to Eventide (2010) to Benediction (2014). Please join us in experiencing the thrill of the New Play Summit, when leading theatre professionals from across the U.S., playwrights, and theatregoers come together for a high energy weekend to watch new American plays being created. In fact, join us for everything. n

Inspiration, smart choices and a chunk of luck went into the making of one of Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice’s most enduring collaborations. by Sylvie Drake

Lester L. Ward Dr. Reginald L. Washington Judi Wolf Sylvia Young _______________________ Carolyn Foster, Executive Assistant to Daniel L. Ritchie Kim Schouten, Executive Assistant to Daniel L. Ritchie HONORARY MEMBERS Jeannie Fuller Glenn R. Jones M. Ann Padilla Cleo Parker Robinson HELEN G. BONFILS FOUNDATION BOARD OF TRUSTEES Lester L. Ward, President Martin Semple, Vice President Judi Wolf, Sec’y/Treasurer Donald R. Seawell, President Emeritus

HAMLET

W. Leo Kiely III Daniel L. Ritchie William Dean Singleton Robert Slosky Jim Steinberg Dr. Reginald L. Washington SENIOR MANAGEMENT STAFF Randy Weeks, President and Executive Director, Denver Center Attractions Kent Thompson, Producing Artistic Director, Denver Center Theatre Company Dorothy Denny, Executive Vice President Vicky Miles, Chief Financial Officer Jennifer Nealson, Chief Marketing Officer Clay Courter, Director of Facilities Management

Of all of Shakespeare’s plays, this one is the most puzzling, lauded and imperfect. So why are its tragic events so mesmerizing? by Dan Sullivan

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COMING ATTRACTIONS

World Premiere The Legend of Georgia McBride Now – Feb 23 Ricketson Theatre Evita Jan 15 – 26 Buell Theatre Girls Only Jan 16 – March 9 Garner Galleria Theatre World Premiere black odyssey Jan 17 – Feb 16 Space Theatre Hamlet Jan 24 – Feb 23 Stage Theatre

Alton Brown Live! Feb 3 Ellie Caulkins Opera House Colorado New Play Summit Feb 7 – 9 Helen Bonfils Theatre Complex Million Dollar Quartet Feb 25 – March 9 Buell Theatre Chicago March 18 – 23 Buell Theatre Shadowlands March 28 – April 27 Space Theatre

Animal Crackers April 4 – May 11 Stage Theatre Celtic Woman April 19 Buell Theatre Rock of Ages April 25 – 27 Buell Theatre once May 6 – 18 Buell Theatre American Idiot May 23 – 25 Buell Theatre ALL SHOWS ON SALE NOW!

Mamma Mia! Jan 28 – Feb 2 Buell Theatre

303.893.4100

TTY: 303.893.9582 • denvercenter.org AUDIO-DESCRIPTION, ASL INTERPRETATION AND OPEN CAPTIONING AVAILABLE AT SELECT PERFORMANCES; CHECK DATES/TIMES WHEN ORDERING.

Performances at The Denver Center are made possible in part through the generous support of:

Denver Center Theatre Company 2013/14 Season Sponsors

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Costume Collection Judi Wolf’s

Hamlet

idely regarded as one of the greatest plays ever written, the Denver Center Theatre Company production of Hamlet takes place just before the outbreak of World War I — and costume designer Beth Novak, brings to life the brooding atmosphere of this remarkable play through a mix of Edwardian and contemporary styles. Presenting a fusion of periods and styles creates a playground of opportunities to develop the characters and create unexpected visuals. While most of the action of this production will take place in a vaguely czarist, military setting, the costumes also will include modern pieces from the 20s to present. At the time, the women of the Russian court were objectified. When we first see them their dress is quite lavish. Novak took contemporary sheaths and added Fortuni pleated accessories and jewels so that the pieces look ornate and impractical. Hamlet, who finds himself on an extreme emotional rollercoaster, will be every bit the young man who just left the University, looking a bit rumpled and wearing a traditional pea coat. Today’s style of men’s suits lends itself to a very Edwardian sensibility with clean lines and narrow pant legs that will blur the line between modern and period dress. Or is it the other way around? Is it that today’s gauntlooking young Lotharios, sporting deliberate five o’clock shadows and a languid, melancholy mood are deliberately seeking to look every bit like, well… Hamlet? n

VIP Tour: Edinburgh Festivals You are cordially invited to join Chairman Daniel L. Ritchie…

for a VIP Tour of the Edinburgh Festivals next August 13-19, 2014. The tour includes superior accommodations at The George Hotel and tickets to the Edinburgh International and Fringe festivals. One of the highlights of the trip will be the renowned royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo which features music, dance and precision movement displayed with massed pipes and drums, the bands of Her Majesty’s Royal Marines, cultural troupes, singers and the poignant refrain of the Lone Piper against the stunning backdrop of the Edinburgh Castle. An optional tour of London’s West End, featuring deluxe Leicester Square hotel accommodations and tickets to four shows of your choice, may be added on August 19-24. A more detailed day-by-day itinerary and costs are available by visiting www.denvercenter.org/travel or by calling 303.446.4811. 6

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Beth Novak Hamlet costume designer

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Tamara Kaida: Desert Paint, 1987

THE ENCORE SOCIETY

The giving doesn’t only get better, it gets stronger and more satisfying

“We have experienced the excitement of attending theatre with our grandchildren, sometimes after they have read the book from which the play was adapted. It is an amazing way to learn why theatre must be a part of the growth and development of young minds.” — Carole and Bob Slosky

The Encore Society consists of members who have thoughtfully named the Denver Center as a beneficiary in their will or other estate plans. If you would like to learn more about The Encore Society and giving options, please visit www.denvercenter.org/encore or contact David Zupancic at 303.446.4811 or davidz@dcpa.org.

CAROLE BOB SLOSKY

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FRONT ROW: (L-R) BOB & CAROLE SLOSKY, ADAM SLOSKY ~ BACK ROW: (L-R) CAMRYN SLOSKY, RACHAEL SLOSKY

ore than 30 years ago Carole and Bob Slosky were introducing friends and colleagues to a newly created Denver Center for the Performing Arts (DCPA). Today they are still introducing theatre to friends— from a new generation. They met at Washington University in St. Louis—the first “blind date” for both of them. And the last. Bob was from Pueblo, Carole from Springfield, Illinois. After Bob graduated from law school at CU, Denver became their home. Together they raised two sons and are the proud grandparents of four children. The arts have always been a part of their journey, although Bob and Carole can’t quite put their finger on when and how that happened. From theatre at the original Elitch’s, to music, to art galleries and museums across the Southwest and the globe, they thrive on the experience and the friendships they have found along the way. Bob has served as a DCPA trustee for more than 25 years and Carole is a founding member of the Women’s Voices Fund. They were founding members of the Directors Society in the early 1980s and have helped this donor group grow to more than 200 people. In 2006 they had the foresight to provide startup funds for the Marquee Club, a similar group focused on young professionals. As part of the Producing Partner group supporting the Colorado New Play Summit, they enjoy the challenge of seeing works go from script to stage. Most recently, Bob and Carole have turned their attention to the future of theatre and the

next generation of audiences: “With the aging of audiences the need is paramount to compete for the attention of, not only today’s young people, but also the next generation. We are competing against the enormous attraction of unbelievable technology, never-ending sporting events, and so many other opportunities for people to spend their time and resources. “We can only compete by exposing future audiences to the joy and challenge of live theatre. We have experienced the excitement of attending theatre with our grandchildren, sometimes after they have read the book from which the play was adapted. It is an amazing way to learn why theatre must be a part of the growth and development of young minds.” s Bob and Carole thought about their giving, the creation of a fund that would survive them became an appealing possibility. Even more appealing was the idea that they could start to put money in the fund in their lifetime, encourage family members to participate, and leave a substantial sum as a bequest to ensure the future of the fund for a long time to come. “It doesn’t appear that arts education will ever escape the need for support from the private sector… it’s a need that is not going away. It is very important to us that we can identify how funds will be used, and that they will provide an opportunity for some unknown kids to have a hell of a good time!” The Robert and Carole Slosky Fund for Arts in Education will do just that. n

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THE LEGEND OF GEORGIA McBRIDE

W H EN

Le Mon s BECOME

e d a n o M e L

e Georgia McBrid of d en eg L e h T ’s Matthew Lopez rt can show up ea h d n a r te h g u love, la s reminds us that redictable place in the most unp

ILLUSTRATION BY KYLE MALONE

DRAKE B Y S Y LV I E

end of …Ultimately, The Leg ot a comedy Georgia McBride is n ay people or g , le p o e p g ra d t u o b a t everyone. u o b a ’s It . le p o e p t h straig ut love… o b a ’s It l. a iv rv u s t u o It’s ab 10

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When playwright Matthew Lopez was growing up in Panama City, Florida—not exactly the epicenter of the modern world—he had a couple of strikes against him right out of the gate. As he put it in a recent interview, “it was not the best place to be gay and, for me, not the best place to be gay and Puerto Rican.” Got it. But for writers, every kind of writer, the wallops life dishes out have a funny way of turning into fodder—rich stuff that simply begs to be mined. “I started going to the gay bars in Panama City around the age of 16 or 17,” Lopez said, “long before I was legally allowed to go in. The downtown had started to die; there was no reason to go to downtown. But this bar stayed open—for 40 years—and was long the only gay bar in town. If you wanted to get a drink within a 15-mile radius you had to go to The Fiesta. So it became a very welcoming place for everybody. And therein lies the beauty of the place. This is their turf and they love it. I had never been in a place that was

Matthew Lopez

Playwright

so accepting of who I am. I was able to be safe and be myself, and I was taken under the wing of the drag queens there.” hat was the initial inspiration for The Legend of Georgia McBride. Yet what actually convinced Lopez to write this comedy that takes place in a bar that’s a lot like the old Fiesta, was a second-hand account of an artist’s experiment. “I heard about a woman whose straight boyfriend was dabbling in drag as an art form,” he explained, “a performance art project. They were putting together this persona for him. There was Tammy Wynette, Dolly Parton. All of these things together became Georgia McBride.” And that was the hook. Georgia McBride is about Casey, a heterosexual Elvis impersonator, who loses his job at a rinky-dink small town bar just as his beloved wife informs him that she’s pregnant with their first child. What’s a fella to do? Well, a set of unfore-

Mike Donahue

Director

reading (as well as staged another uncommon play, Grace, or The Art of Climbing), was invited to come back and direct the full production. “Casey is a big, openhearted guy who means well and just never quite fully grew up,” he said. “He wanted to be an actor after high school football died away. He’s got a woman in his life that he’s head over heels in love with. He lives for her and lives for being an artist. “We get to be with Casey as he learns to grow up, as he finds a way to take care of his family, finds his true artistic voice, creates a persona he can fully inhabit and starts to elevate the work in the club. “There are two love stories in the play,” he emphasized. “There is the relationship between Casey and his wife, but also the relationship that develops between Casey and Tracy [his drag-queen mentor] that is so openhearted and rich.”

Costumes, of course, can’t help but be central to this show and costume designer Dane Laffrey has pulled from a broad swath of ideas, saying “The personas of these queens are very much things we wanted to develop with the actor.” And so he did. “It’s just meant to be fun.” Not to be outdone, set designer Donyale Werle has reserved a few surprises of her own. “We’ve come up with a space that is extremely mundane & highly theatrical at the same time,” she offered enigmatically. “Everything occurs on stage and backstage. There are tricks built in, but when you walk into the theatre it’s like you’re walking into The Ricketson as it normally is…but not really. We are very interested in exploring the illusion of backstage. Most importantly, this is a space that allows the multitude of the characters’ individual personas to shine.” The music? All pre-existing, canned music from America’s rich songbook and more, out of which a score was created. “This play is basically a book musical,” said Donahue,

Donyale Werle

Set designer

“even though they’re lip-synching.” he production also benefits from something entirely novel. Charlie Miller and Emily Tarquin, the curators of Off-Center, the Theatre Company’s brashest experiment with new theatre, were charged with curating Georgia McBride. They took what was happening on stage and figured out a way to extend the experience beyond—into the lobby. The goal was to broaden the experience, extend the enjoyment without, let’s say, inflicting it. The intent is to gently coax the audience into an immersive environment that is entirely safe. Since this issue of Applause went to press before our curators had the chance to fully develop their plan—and since the idea itself is so new—you’ll have to determine for yourself how well they’ve succeeded. For all of the fun that this imaginative and unlikely confluence of talent delivers, it’s important to keep in mind that, ultimately,

The Legend of Georgia McBride is not a comedy about drag people, gay people or straight people. It’s about everyone. It’s about survival. It’s about love—a love story filled with dramatic opportunity: The novelty, the music, the crazy, colorful costumes, the glitz (sometimes the shabby glitz?), the loyalties, the growth and maturation of not one but almost every character in it. It’s a chance to stretch minds, accentuate the positive, warm the heart, reach out with humor, acceptance and kindness. Especially kindness. opez wrote this play, he said, in part as a reaction to the hate and violence that have become so ubiquitous and prevalent in the society. “I wanted to emphasize that,” he said, “find the kindness we need.” Did he succeed? Did we? That, too, will be for you to decide. n

Dane Laffrey

THE LEGEND OF GEORGIA McBRIDE

seen circumstances provides the improbable answer, and a recalcitrant Casey stumbles into a way to survive, make the money he needs for his ballooning family, even help his former employer out of a jam and, as he soon discovers, he finds he can excel at something that he had never, not even in his wildest hallucinations, ever expected to be doing: become a straight drag queen. eorgia McBride received a reading at the 2013 Colorado New Play Summit and audiences gulped it up. So delicious! They were charmed and entertained by this offbeat, sassy, funny, highly eccentric comedy. But the main reason for the play’s appeal is its very big heart. This is a comedy with the rare ability to make you laugh a lot while you also gleefully empathize with just about everything that happens in it—and everyone it happens to. It had to be really easy for Producing Artistic Director Kent Thompson and his team to decide to give it a slot in the regular season. Mike Donahue, who directed last year’s

Costume designer

Jan 10 – Feb 23 • Ricketson Theatre Producing Partners: John & Jeannie Fuller, John Strohm & Mary Pat Link Sponsored by The Steinberg Charitable Trust This play is a recipient of an Edgerton Foundation New American Play Award ASL interpreted & Audio Described • Feb 2, 1:30pm Perspective on the play: Jan 10, 6pm, Jones Theatre* *Attend a FREE moderated discussion about the play with DCTC’s creative team. All are welcome.

Tickets: 303.893.4100 Toll-free: 800.641.1222 • TTY: 303.893.9582 Groups (10+): 303.446.4829 • denvercenter.org 303.893.4100

A P P L A US E

The Denver Center Theatre Company’s new play program is one of the top five in the nation. Plays as diverse as Love, Janis, Quilters, Inana, Plainsong, Lydia, The Whale and so many more have had their start in Denver and gone on to be produced in theatres across the country. The development of new plays and musicals involves risk and risk is always expensive. Our New Play Development Fund enables us to commission the most talented playwrights and to host the Colorado New Play Summit every year.

(L-R) VICTORIA ADAMS-ZISCHKE, KATHLEEN M. BRADY, LINDA MUGLESTON, KARA LINDSAY. PHOTO BY TERRY SHAPIRO.

Quilters

Grace, or The Art of Climbing JULIE JESNECK. PHOTO BY JENNIFER M. KOSKINEN

Sense & Sensibility The Musical

We hope that you will consider making a donation to the New Play Development Fund. We appreciate any contribution that you can make. JEREMIAH JAMES, MARY MICHAEL PATTERSON. PHOTO BY JENNIFER M. KOSKINEN

NEW PLAY DEVELOPMENT FUND

W E A R E P R O U D T O P L AY A R O L E In furthering American theatre, but… We can’t do it without you!

“NAME A SEAT” IN THE RICKETSON THEATRE In Honor of Ty Jurras from family & friends

Commemorate an occasion or honor a loved one when you name a seat for $1,000. Your gift is 100% tax deductible and it supports new plays. Quarterly or monthly payments are available. Here are a few examples:

“Theatre, Ty and I were a tight threesome from the time I met him, fell in love with him and married him. What better way to honor his memory and our 40 years together than by making sure we’d be sitting together at the theatre forever?” ~ Sylvie Drake Jurras, Editor, Applause Sylvie Drake Jurras …because I love sitting beside you

Danny Showers Entertainment

“As a musician and patron of the theatre, I am always looking for ways to support the arts. By putting my company’s name on seat plaques, I am reaching a target audience of people who hopefully love the theatre as much as I do. It’s a great marketing opportunity.” ~ Danny Showers, Danny Showers Entertainment

“Meredith and I were married last May and we were moved when we learned that a seat had been named in honor of this occasion. We love coming to the theatre, so this certainly was a unique way to celebrate our marriage.” ~ L. Roger Hutson

THREE EASY WAYS TO DONATE: BY MAIL: 1101 13th Street, Denver, CO 80204 ~ Attention: Development ONLINE: denvercenter.org/donate BY PHONE: 303.446.4802

In Celebration of L. Roger & Meredith Hutson 13-May-13

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A legend in football. A legend in life.

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MAMMA MIA!

Mamma Mia! Who knew that success was spelled ABBA?

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this way. Usually, someone has a story to tell and someone else (or the same person) creates the songs to punctuate and illustrate that story. Taking a bunch of songs previously conceived as singles, and finding a unifying thread that cobbles them together into a musical, was as heretical as it sounds. Assuming it could be done at all, who could have imagined that it would turn into this huge, everlasting hit, with a proliferation of ongoing productions around the world over many, many years? It’s enough to give Waterloo a good name. Mamma Mia! received the sort of welcome on that first night in London that it has sustained ever since. Theatregoers appear to be ecstatic— reliving memories or discovering ABBA for the first time. But on that spring evening in London, Mamma Mia! was an unknown quantity. “We really had no idea how it was going to be received,” reflected producer Judy Craymer, whose initial concept it had been to use existing ABBA songs to construct an original musical. “The audience went wild,” she told a reporter. People “were literally out of their seats and singing and dancing in the aisles—and they still are. Every night.” oon they were doing so all over the globe. The reason is simple: Mamma Mia! is an entertainment phenomenon that hits you at gut level. More than 30 million people in the known world have fallen in love with the characters, the story, the music. Book writer Catherine Johnson’s tale unfolds on a Greek island. (How many people will visit a Greek island any other way?) On the eve of her wedding, a clever daughter, eager to know the identity of the father her mother has refused (or been unable) to divulge, manipulates three men from her mother’s past into returning to the island where they last saw her 20 years before. Phyllida Lloyd, Mamma Mia!’s original director, says she was offered the job only after “some wonderful person” (who must be very, very, very sorry now) dropped out. More than a year of workshops followed with book writer Johnson, ABBA’s Ulvaeus and Andersson, choreographer Anthony van Laast and designer Mark Thompson. A life-changing anecdote Lloyd likes to tell is that, if the show is such a hit today, it is thanks to the relative of a company member who sent an unsolicited letter telling her how to fix a problem she had been struggling to identify. This gentleman explained that the show’s first two scenes were, in his words, “the wrong way around.”

“I handed the letter to Anthony van Laast,” Lloyd said. “We looked at each other and knew we had to change it. The new opening was immediately right. It makes it clear that this is a domestic, intimate show. The moral of the story for me was ‘Don’t ever be too proud to take advice.’ ” ltimately, however, the success of Mamma Mia! rests in equal measure with all of its creators, whose tenacity and imagination persevered. In the process of personalizing a familiar repertoire of ABBA songs, they focused on a fresh approach that held on to the music’s pop integrity while advancing an affectionate and appealing story. And the show just keeps touring along. To quote Lloyd, as she coyly assured the actors in that original London cast: “Mamma Mia! is the musical Benny and Bjorn wrote years ago. They just decided to release the songs first.” n

Part of the information contained in this article is courtesy of the Mamma Mia! web site and related materials.

n Saturday April 6, 1974, in the English coastal town of Brighton, a group known only in their native Sweden won the Eurovision Song Contest with a song entitled “Waterloo.” For Napoleon, Waterloo was trouble. For this upstart singing group it was the start of something bigger than they could have anticipated. So begins the improbable saga of ABBA. The phenomenal success of the decade-long association of Agnetha Faltskog, Benny Andersson, Björn Ulvaeus and Anni-Frid Lyngstad (the initials of their first names were to form the name ABBA) is of mythical proportions. Over the next eight years, they would achieve countless hit singles, platinum albums, sell-out concert tours and even a movie. The group’s domination of the European charts was uncontested. Only the Rolling Stones, Elvis and the Beatles achieved longer runs of Top 10 singles. Across the Atlantic, the hits continued: ten ABBA songs made it to the Top 20 in the U.S., with “Waterloo,” “Take a Chance On Me” and “The Winner Takes It All” making it to the Top 10. “Dancing Queen,” the superhit at the heart of the musical Mamma Mia!, placed ABBA center stage at Number One. At last count, ABBA had sold more than 350 million records worldwide. Europe and North America were not alone in experiencing ABBAmania. There were consecutive Number One singles and/or albums in Australia, more records set—and broken— in New Zealand, Mexico, Japan, Zimbabwe (Zimbabwe?) where the group scored 13 Top 10 singles and no fewer than eight consecutive Number One albums. And by 1982… It was all over. Plans for another new album were abandoned and the album The Singles—The First Ten Years, released in its place. et despite the fact that ABBA ceased to record or tour, the music refused to die. ABBA’s innumerable hits are as popular today as they were when first released. The movies Muriel’s Wedding (1995) and Priscilla, Queen of The Desert (1994), as well as the delicious musical based on that movie, all feature ABBA music, amassing whole new generations of fans. It was on March 23, 1999 that Mamma Mia!—a show constructed from 22 of ABBA’s most memorable songs—was put in front of a paying audience in London’s West End. Let’s be clear: musicals are not supposed to be created

Jan 28 – Feb 2 • Buell Theatre Sponsored by AARP ASL interpreted, Audio Described and Open Captioned performance • Feb 1, 2pm

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BLACK ODYSSEY

what’s past is present With his play black odyssey, Marcus Gardley has chosen an abiding Greek myth to enlighten us on the modern tribulations of an African American Ulysses BY DOUGLAS LANGWORTHY

Every element of Marcus Gardley’s plays are infused with his poetic voice. Be it his titles (the road weeps, the well runs dry), his heightened language or his stage directions (He guides the cane to a star. It burns like a comet), there is no mistaking the poet in the playwright. Gardley started his career writing poetry and has expanded his poetic style through his dramatic writing. In fact, all of his favorite playwrights are also poets. So what is a director supposed to do with a stage direction like the example given above? Marcus says he doesn’t mean these stage directions to be taken literally (phew), but are meant to express the emotional weight of a moment. The creative team is encouraged to interpret them with creativity and originality. “Theatre is collaborative,” Gardley states. “I want my stage directions to speak to the nature of making something together.” In black odyssey, the playwright focuses his imaginative powers on a mash-up of Greek myth and African American history. Applause recently caught up with Gardley to talk recipes, mythology and journeys of self-discovery.

What attracted you to Homer’s The Odyssey? I grew up reading a lot of books and had a particular fascination with the Greeks because I like adventure stories, history and myths. I like stories that wrestle with the notion of why we are here and why nature can be both terrifying and utterly beautiful. What drew me to The Odyssey in particular is the idea of the endless journey and being lost. I could not get rid of the image of soldiers returning home after war and embracing their children for the first time. I think the story of The Odyssey is universal. People can experience an internal odyssey as well, and I wanted to explore that. 16

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You’ve described your writing process as creating a dish from a recipe. Can you describe what ingredients went into this play? The ingredients for this play are: the original text, spirituals, hymns and melodies from West Africa, the culture and language of contemporary Harlem, African American history and African American folklore. When you mix the ingredients together my hope is that you feel the full tapestry of who we are as Americans and also taste the rich essence of history in both its tragic and celebratory moments. I also hope that the end result will give people hope for the future.

What are the different styles of music you use in the story? Every major style of American music. The play is also a journey through American music history. I want audiences to feel the full musical breadth of our country. Does music play a central role in your other plays? Music plays a pivotal role in all of my plays. I find music to be a great soundscape for the worlds I write about. It sets mood, it is great for transitions and sometimes can be the most profound way to get to the heart of expressing something that dialogue just cannot.

BLACK ODYSSEY

“No man can know himself if he doesn’t know his history. This could be familial history, cultural history, even national history. All of these histories are a part of who we are.” — Marcus Gardley, playwright

Does African American culture have its own mythology?

Why is water such an important motif in the play?

For me, myths are sacred stories. So yes, African Americans have many sacred stories. African American history is shaped by stories that are passed down from generation to generation. These stories record the life of one time—and change to embrace another. I think sacred stories and the adaptation of these stories remind us that the great lessons of life are still being learned, that even though we are evolving, improving, moving bodily into the future, we still have so much to gain from the past.

Water is a silent character in the play. It is nature that moves the characters forward and allows them to crash into one another. Water is a symbol of fate.

In your play, Ulysses confronts his own lineage as an African American man. Is this something we all must do— discover where we came from—in order to discover who we are? I think that the journey into our past is vital for understanding who we are. It’s not just about learning one’s genealogy, although that is important. It is also necessary to learn about one’s cultural past. I find that a lot of African American history is still not taught in our schools. I wanted to give audiences a more thorough journey into that history. I wanted to celebrate and honor my culture with this play. What is Ulysses trying to find besides his home? Is there a larger significance to his journey? Ulysses is trying to find himself. That is his real journey. His pre-war existence was very hard and his life on active duty is equally hard. He has become lost—and given up on humanity. He must find his history and, to this end, himself. No man can know himself if he doesn’t know his history. This could be familial history, cultural history, even national history. All of these histories are a part of who we are. When we accept, learn from and celebrate who we are then we can move forward.

The gods in the play comport themselves at times like grown-ups and at times like children. Was this playful quality something you found in your reading of Greek mythology? Yes, indeed! The best thing about the gods in Greek mythology is their human characteristics. If they truly were infallible, the stories would not be half as interesting. Moreover, it is their struggle to be godly that inspires us. What I find most prominent in Greek mythology is that the gods are easily offended. I wanted the gods in this play to be more driven by principle and the need to protect their children. In this way, the gods are ancestors. They are a part of us. Perhaps, the better parts of us. Yet and still, they err, and they are most fascinated by our humanity. What happens when a god descends into the human world? Then godly laws are broken. For this to happen, there must be a great need among the mortals. When a god descends, a wrong must be made right and a god will risk her/his immortality to dwell among us. This is because gods sympathize more viscerally when they are among us—they lose their godliness. They relate and gain a deeper sense of compassion—they cannot help it. Gods are meant to judge, not sympathize—this is how they lose their power. It’s their ability to manipulate us that makes them powerful. When they are among us, our humanity is so strong that they become the manipulated. Only the bravest of gods come down to dwell among us.

The play is often so funny. Why was it so important for you to inject humor into the play? Humor helps audiences feel the full weight of tragedy. I don’t necessarily think that humor is required in a tragedy, but I think it can be useful to set up tragic elements. We laugh and cry with the same muscle. Most of my plays exercise this muscle. I am interested in using humor so that the muscle is already stretched. Then when tragedy arises, we are allowed to feel, to compare how delighted and how sorrowful life can be. Are you excited to be presenting your play in the round? Yes. It will give audiences a sense of the earth’s globe, the world. It will also allow them the freedom to see others while watching the play, which I always find intriguing. It makes the action feel Greek—it is in an arena. There are spectators who are a part of the live action. It feels Olympic. n Douglas Langworthy is the Literary Manager of the Denver Center Theatre Company

Jan 17 – Feb 16 • Space Theatre Producing Partners: Allison & Jim Shetter, Tina Walls, Jim Steinberg & Lori Watson ASL interpreted & Audio Described • Feb 16, 1:30pm Perspective on the play: Jan 17, 6pm, Jones Theatre* *Attend a FREE moderated discussion about the play with DCTC’s creative team. All are welcome.

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olson Coors is proud to play its part in bringing us all together for this performance. For more than 350 years, Molson Coors Brewing Company has delighted the world’s beer drinkers while investing in local communities. Molson Coors’ Rocky Mountain heritage began in 1873 just up Clear Creek in Golden, Colorado. Today, we rank as a top-five global brewer, with business units in the US, Canada, the UK, Central Europe and Asia. From our founding families and executive leaders, to our brewers and sales teams, Molson Coors people share a deep passion for our brands and for the communities where we live and work. From the beginning, brewing and building brands the right way has gone well beyond the high quality of our products. At Molson Coors, we’re committed to environmental sustainability, alcohol responsibility and treating each other with dignity and respect. Not only do we hold ourselves up to aggressive targets for growth and profitability, but also for our environmental and social performance. Our people consistently rate us above high performing company norms, and we are recognized as a great place to work. In 2012 and 2013, Molson Coors was recognized as Global Beverage Sector Leader on the prestigious Dow Jones Sustainability Index (DJSI), based on an independent evaluation of our business practices and results. While our heritage companies in the US, Canada, UK and Central Europe have now grown into one enterprise with an expanding global reach, our roots and character remain local. Molson Coors is made up of dozens of local breweries and offices where employees and iconic brands are woven into the fabric of the community. That is why in our headquarters city of Denver, we support leadership development in our educational and business institutions, assist those in need through United Way and its agencies, as well as work with water users to preserve and protect our Clear Creek Watershed. And that’s why we support The Denver Center for the Performing Arts, this world class venue that connects us through the magic of music and theatre. As we come together to share in the thrill of today’s performance, let’s celebrate the strength of this Denver community and our diverse and vibrant culture. Cheers! n

Denver Center Theatre Company Resident Professional Theatre • Kent Thompson, Producing Artistic Director

Matthew Lopez

With Ben Huber*, Matt McGrath*, Nick Mills*, Jamie Ann Romero* SET DESIGN BY Donyale Werle

COSTUME DESIGN BY Dane Laffrey

ORIGINAL MUSIC AND ARRANGEMENTS BY Jill BC Du Boff VOICE AND DIALECT COACHING BY Kathryn G. Maes Ph.D

DRAMATURGY BY Alex Barron

MUSICAL STAGING BY Will Taylor

DIRECTOR OF PRODUCTION Jeff Gifford

LIGHTING DESIGN BY Don Darnutzer

CASTING BY Elissa Myers Casting/ Paul Fouquet, CSA

STAGE MANAGER A. Phoebe Sacks*

DIRECTED BY

Mike Donahue PRODUCING PARTNERS John & Jeannie Fuller John Strohm & Mary Pat Link SPONSORED BY Originally commissioned by The Old Globe, San Diego, California, Louis Spisto, Executive Producer. This play is a recipient of an Edgerton Foundation New American Plays Award. Developed in the Colorado New Play Summit by the Denver Center Theatre Company, Kent Thompson, Producing Artistic Director. On The Legend of Georgia McBride the Denver Center Theatre Company’s Production Staff is responsible for costumes, wigs, lighting, props, furniture, scenic construction, scenic painting, sound and special effects. The video and/or audio recording of this performance by any means whatsoever are strictly prohibited.

THE RICKETSON THEATRE • JANUARY 10 – FEBRUARY 23, 2014 2013/14 Season Partners

CAST Casey/Miss Georgia McBride . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . BEN HUBER* Jo/Eddie . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . JAMIE ANN ROMERO* Miss Tracy Mills/Beau . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . MATT MCGRATH* Miss Rexy/Jason . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . NICK MILLS* Place & Time: Panama City, FL, Present. The Legend Of Georgia McBride will be performed without an intermission.

Production Stage Manager . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . CHRISTOPHER C. EWING* Stage Manager . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A. PHOEBE SACKS* Assistant Director . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . JOSHUA CHASE GOLD Production Assistant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . D. LYNN REILAND Production Intern . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . PEARL KERBER

*Members of Actorsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Equity Association, the Union of Professional Actors and Stage Managers in the United States.

executive staff KENT THOMPSON (Producing Artistic Director) is in his ninth season as Producing Artistic Director of the Denver Center Theatre Company. In Denver he directed productions of Just Like Us, Other Desert Cities, Irving Berlin’s White Christmas, The Taming of the Shrew, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Plainsong, Eventide, Amadeus, The Liar and Measure for Measure, among others. Two of Kent’s major accomplishments since moving to Denver have been the Colorado New Play Summit, a premier national festival for new American plays, and the establishment of the Women’s Voices Fund, an endowment that supports the development of new plays by women. Prior to moving to Denver he was Producing Artistic Director of the Alabama Shakespeare Festival for 16 years. In 1991 Kent created the Southern Writers’ Project (SWP), designed to commission and develop new plays that presented 16 world premieres during his tenure. He served for eight years on the Board of Directors for Theatre Communications Group (TCG) and as its president for three years. He has served on peer review panels for the NEA (also chair), TCG, The Pew Charitable Trusts, The Fulbright Scholars Program, The Wallace Funds, The Doris Duke Foundation and The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, among others. BRUCE K. SEVY (Associate Artistic Director and Director of New Play Development) has directed such memorable Denver Center productions as When We Are Married, Heartbreak House, Mariela in the Desert, The Voysey Inheritance, A Prayer for Owen Meany, Doubt, All My Sons, Master Class, Mrs.

Warren’s Profession, A Christmas Carol, Cat On a Hot Tin Roof, The Little Foxes, Molly Sweeney, Amy’s View, Valley Song, Pierre, Dinner With Friends, and The Cripple of Inishmaan. As Director of New Play Development, he oversees both the artistic and practical components of DCTC’s successful Colorado New Play Summit, including commissions from outstanding American playwrights. He has directed for Arizona Theatre Company, Cleveland Play House, Lark Play Development Center, Kansas City Repertory Theatre, Virginia Stage Company, Alabama Shakespeare Festival, Northlight Theatre, San Jose Repertory Theatre, Eugene O’Neill Theater Center, Pioneer Theatre Company, A Contemporary Theatre, Seattle Repertory Theatre, Empty Space and Intiman Theatre in Seattle, the Kimo Theatre in Albuquerque, and Utah Shakespearean Festival. His popular production of 2 Pianos, 4 Hands has been seen at more than 20 theatres nationally, including DCTC’s successful 2003 production. CHARLES VARIN (Managing Director) and his team are responsible for administrative, financial and business operations related to producing DCTC’s season of productions and other artistic and educational initiatives. Prior to DCTC Charles was General Manager for Geva Theatre Center in Rochester, NY and also has worked at Glimmerglass Opera, Asolo Repertory Theatre and Florida Studio Theatre. Charles serves on the board of the Mile High Freedom Band and plays tuba with the organization. JEFF GIFFORD (Director of Production) oversees everything you see on stage except the actors and is thrilled to be joining the Denver

Center Theatre Company, leading such a fine group of artisans. Prior to DCTC, Jeff was the Production Manager at the Dallas Theater Center and South Coast Repertory in Costa Mesa, CA. Guiding world premieres to their first opening night is especially gratifying and Jeff has worked on more than 35 of them. Among his favorites are Dinner with Friends, The Violet Hour, The Beard of Avon, Mr. Marmalade, and the new musical FLY. Jeff holds an MFA from California Institute of the Arts.

Artistic staff ALEX BARRON (Dramaturg). At the Denver Center: The Legend of Georgia McBride (Colorado New Play Summit 2013). Other Theatres: New plays at NY Stage and Film, The O’Neill, Lark Play Development Center, Williamstown, Public Theater. Literary Manager, The Playwrights Realm; Associate Director, SPACE on Ryder Farm; Program Associate, Sundance Institute Theater Program; Producer, Naked Radio, Naked Angels. Training: BA, Drew University. JILL BC DU BOFF (Original Music and Arranger). At the Denver Center: Debut. Broadway: Picnic, Wit, Other Desert Cities, Good People, The Constant Wife, The Good Body, Bill Maher: Victory... Off-Broadway: Lincoln Center, MTC, Atlantic, Vineyard, MCC, Playwrights Horizons, The Public, Second Stage, NYTW, WP, New Georges, Flea, Cherry Lane, Signature, Clubbed Thumb (Affiliate Artist), Penguin Rep. Regional: Bay Street, ATL, La Jolla, Cincinnati Playhouse, Westport Playhouse, Berkeley Rep, Portland Stage, Long Wharf, The Alley, NYS&F, Humana, Williamstown, ATF. Radio: Studio 360, Naked Radio, RadioLab. Nominations: Drama Desk, Henry Hewes. Awards:

Ruth Morley Design Award, Obie for Sustained Excellence, Lilly Award. Adjunct Professor at Sarah Lawrence College. Love to Adam.

The Unthinkable Pinks with playwright Ayla Harrison.

KATHRYN G. MAES Ph.D (Voice and Dialect Coach). At the Denver MIKE DONAHUE (Director). At the Center: Jackie & Me, The Most Deserving, Just Like Us, Death of Denver Center: Grace, or The Art of Climbing. Other Theatres: Upcoming: a Salesman, When We Are Married, Jen Silverman’s The Hunters (Cherry Fences, The Three Musketeers, Lane Mentors Project, Lynn Nottage, Heartbreak House, Great Wall Story. Other Theatres: Royal Shakespeare mentor); Assassins (PlayMakers); Company, Royal National Theatre Uncle Vanya (Weston). Recent (Arthur Miller’s American Clock). Productions: Jen Silverman’s Special/Training: Voice and Dialect Phoebe in Winter (Clubbed Thumb), Coach for numerous professional Ethan Lipton’s Red-Handed Otter theatre companies in the United (Playwrights Realm), Moscow, States, Head of Voice at the Denver Cheryomushki (Chicago Opera Center Theatre Company and the Theatre), Henry IV & V, A Number National Theatre Conservatory (PlayMakers Rep). Readings/ 1989 to 1992. Ph.D. in Theatre Arts, workshops: Soho Rep, NYTW, University of Pittsburgh; Advanced MCC, Williamstown, O’Neill, Diploma in Voice Studies, Central Clubbed Thumb, The Lark, Ars School of Speech and Drama, Nova, Chautauqua, TheatreWorks, London, England. Studio 42. Fellowships/Awards: Fulbright to Berlin, Drama League WILL TAYLOR (Musical Staging). Fall Fellowship, Sagal Fellowship At the Denver Center: Debut. (Williamstown); alum, Soho Rep Other Theatres: Choreography Writer/Director Lab; Artistic credits: Restoration Comedy (The Director, Yale Summer Cabaret Flea Theater, NYC); Dani Girl (2007 & 2008). Training: Graduate, (Exit Pursued By A Bear, NYC); Harvard and Yale School of Drama. Chicago area: A Chorus Line (also www.mikemdonahue.com directed), Oklahoma!, Guys and JOSHUA CHASE GOLD (Assistant Dolls. Developed and directed Director). At the Denver Center: The Hopeless Romantic Comedy (The PIT), Heathcliff’s Back (Martha’s Three Musketeers. Other Theatres: Vineyard), and Heathcliff & Wanda’s Orlando Repertory Theatre, Aurora Fox Arts Center, 13th Street Repertory LIVE Holiday Telethon Spectacular (Don’t Tell Mama). As a performer, Company, Horse Trade Theatre Broadway: A Chorus Line, La Cage Company, UCF Conservatory Aux Folles, The Producers, 42nd Theatre, Counting Squares Theatre (Founder, Artistic Director), Fordham Street. Tour: Kristin Chenoweth World Concert Tour. Regional: University, St. John’s University, Harmony (The Alliance Theater Stevens College. Special/Awards: 2008 New York Independent Theatre and The Ahmanson Theater upcoming). Film: Sex and the City Person of the Year Award, SDC Fellow, Phil Killian Directing Fellow 2. TV: “The Good Wife,” “Dancing With The Stars,” “Wallflowers.” Finalist, Sir John Gielgud Directing Training: Carnegie Mellon. Fellow Finalist, Lincoln Center www.willtaylorsite.com Directors Lab, Dramatist Guild’s Director/ Dramatist Exchange. Joshua is currently developing

ELISSA MYERS CASTING, Paul Fouquet, CSA just completed casting for PBS movie Souls on Fire to air in 2013. Previously cast seven Broadway shows, including Tonynominated Having Our Say and 25 Off-Broadway shows. Additionally, three “Movies of the Week” (with Tyne Daly, Claire Danes, Christopher Reeve, Ed Asner and Daniel J. Travanti), five pilots and two PBS specials by Wendy Wasserstein and Terrance McNally (with Bernadette Peters, Nathan Lane, Blythe Danner, Spike Lee and Paul Sorvino), the Peabody Award-winning miniseries “Liberty” as well as the Emmy Award-winning mini-series “Benjamin Franklin,” and “John & Abigail Adams.” Also cast miniseries “God In America,” “The People v. Leo Frank,” “Dolley Madison” and “Louisa May Alcott.” Some regional casting includes Denver Center, Geva Theatre, Cleveland Play House, Alabama Shakespeare Festival, Magic Theatre. The office has received 13 nominations and has won three Artios Awards for “Outstanding Achievement in Casting.”

DESIGNERS DON DARNUTZER (Lighting Designer). At the Denver Center: Just Like Us, When We Are Married, Heartbreak House, Mariela in the Desert, Fences, Mama Hated Diesels, Eventide, Quilters, Richard III, The Trip to Bountiful, Plainsong, Dracula, You Can’t Take It With You, A Funny Thing…Forum, A Christmas Carol, and 40 others. Broadway: It Ain’t Nothin’ But The Blues. OffBroadway: Hank Williams: Lost Highway, The Immigrant, Almost Heaven: John Denver’s America. Lighting designs for: Portland Opera, Guthrie Theatre, Arizona Theatre Company, Seattle Repertory Theatre, American

Conservatory Theatre, Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Actors Theatre of Louisville, The Alley Theater, Geva Theatre, Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. DANE LAFFREY (Costume Designer). At the Denver Center: Grace, or The Art of Climbing. Other Theatres: Off-Broadway / NYC: set and/or costume design for Lincoln Center Theatre, Roundabout Theatre Company, Second Stage Theatre, The Vineyard, Soho Rep., Transport Group, MCC Theatre, Red Bull Theatre, The Joyce Theatre, Rattlestick, Primary Stages, The Play Company, Clubbed Thumb, and others. Regional: Huntington Theatre Company, Dallas Theatre Center, The Old Globe, New York Stage & Film, Asolo Rep., Yale Opera, Two River Theatre, Chautauqua Theatre Company, Signature Theatre, The Ringling International Festival, Theatreworks Palo Alto and others. International: Oslo, Osaka, Tokyo and Sydney. Awards: Nominations for three American Theatre Wing Henry Hewes Design Awards, the Drama Desk Award and a Sydney Theatre Award. Mr. Laffrey is a founder and the lead design editor of Chance magazine.

York Theater Workshop. Awards: Tony, Obie, Lucille Lortel and Hewes Design Award. Co-chair of the Pre/ Post Production Committee for the Broadway Green Alliance. Donyale speaks internationally on sustainable design practices for theater.

PLAYWRIGHT MATTHEW LOPEZ (Playwright). Plays: The Whipping Man (Luna Stage, world premiere; Manhattan Theatre Club, NY premiere; over 30 productions nationwide), Somewhere (Old Globe, world premiere; TheatreWorks Palo Alto; Hartford Stage, spring 2014), The Sentinels (Headlong Theatre, London), Reverberation, Zoey’s Perfect Wedding. Affiliations: New York Theatre Workshop usual suspect, Hartford Stage AETNA New Voices Fellow, Old Globe artist in residence, Ars Nova Play Group. Awards: John Gassner New Play Award for The Whipping Man. Commissions: Roundabout Theatre Company, Hartford Stage, Manhattan Theatre Club, South Coast Rep. TV/Film: “The Newsroom” (staff writer); currently adapting Javier Marias’ Your Face Tomorrow trilogy for Brad Pitt’s Plan B Entertainment.

King Hedley II, The Lonesome West, Dinner With Friends. Training: BA in Technical Theatre from the University of Northern Colorado.

ACTING COMPANY BEN HUBER* (Casey/Miss Georgia McBride). At the Denver Center: Debut. Other Theatres: Midsummer Night’s Dream (New York Shakespeare Festival/Public Theater), Perfect Harmony (Clurman Theater, NYC), Sextet (New York Theater Workshop), Zoe Kazan’s Absalom (Actor’s Theater of Louisville/Humana Festival), Between Us Chickens (South Coast Rep), The Importance of Being Earnest (Baltimore Centerstage), Eurydice (The Wilma, Philadelphia), Or (The Magic Theater, SF), Glass Menagerie (Seattle Rep), Peer Gynt (San Francisco Symphony, with Michael Tilson Thomas). Original Work: Ben and David (www. benanddavid.com). Training: MFA, Graduate Acting Program, NYU/ Tisch.

MATT MCGRATH* (Miss Tracy Mills/ DONYALE WERLE (Set Designer). Stage management Beau). At the Denver At the Denver Center: Debut. Other Center: Colorado Theatres: Broadway: Peter & the New Play Summit. A. PHOEBE SACKS* (Stage Starcatcher (2012 Tony Award), Broadway: Cabaret, Manager). At the Denver Center: (11 Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson (2011 seasons) World Premieres: Sense A Streetcar Named Tony nomination). Off-Broadway Desire. Off Broadway: Hedwig and & Sensibility The Musical; Ed, and Regional: Somewhere (Hartford the Angry Inch, A Fair Country. Downloaded; Great Wall Story; The Stage-upcoming), The Explorer’s Regional: His Girl Friday, The Whale; Map of Heaven; Eventide; Club (Manhattan Theater Club), Normal Heart, The Black Rider, Sunsets and Margaritas; Inana; Broke-ology (Lincoln Center), The Distant Fires. TV/Film: “L&O: CI,” Almost Heaven; The Immigrant; North Pool (Vineyard), BARE (New “It’s Only Rock & Roll,” “Frasier,” Pierre; 1933. Other productions World Stages), Allegiance and Rocky include: Death of a Salesman, Fences, “Member of the Wedding,” “Cruel Horror (Old Globe), Taming of the Doubt,” Film: Ex-Girlfriends, Full American Night: The Ballad of Juan Shrew (Theater for a New Audience), José, Ruined, The 39 Steps, Mariela Grown Men, Boys Don’t Cry, The Once on this Island (Papermill Notorious Bettie Page, The in the Desert, Well, Glengarry Glen Playhouse), Jollyship the Whizbang Anniversary Party, The Broken Ross, Gee’s Bend, Lobby Hero, (Ars Nova), Public Theater, New Hearts Club. Awards: Helpmann Visiting Mr. Green, Copenhagen,

Award, Drama Desk and Emmy nominations, LA Weekly Award; Recipient of the Bienecke Fellowship from the Yale School of Drama; Honorary Masters from The American Conservatory Theatre. NICK MILLS* (Miss Rexy/Jason). At the Denver Center: Debut. OffBroadway: The Unavoidable Disappearance of Tom Durnin (Roundabout, u/s), The Steadfast (Slant Theatre Project). Other Theatres: Lombardi (Cleveland Playhouse/Arizona Theatre Co.), Back Back Back (The Old Globe), Baby Talk (Ars Nova). TV/Film: “Law and Order: SVU,” “Person of Interest.” Training: MFA, NYU Graduate Acting. BFA, University of Evansville. www.nickmosesmills.com

JAMIE ANN ROMERO* (Jo/ Eddie). At the Denver Center: Romeo & Juliet, Sunsets and Margaritas, The Three Musketeers. Other Theatres: A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Noises Off, Romeo & Juliet, Hamlet (Colorado Shakespeare Festival); Sylvia, Lost Highway (Lone Tree Arts Center); The Seagull, Boeing Boeing, You Can’t Take It With You (Theatreworks Colorado Springs); The Clean House (Boulder Ensemble Theatre Company); Twelfth Night (Arvada Center). Awards/Training: Denver Post Ovation Award (Ophelia, Hamlet, Colorado Shakespeare Festival), Best of Westword Award (Juliet, Romeo & Juliet, Colorado Shakespeare Festival). Training: BA in Theatre from the University of Northern Colorado.

T H E

G A Y E S T

Oscar p a r ty

e v e r

A Benefit to Benefit Off-Center

March 2 • Hamburger Mary’s • Tickets $35 ($20 is tax deductible) Rainbow Carpet 5pm / Shut up, Ellen’s Talking 6:30pm

Tickets include a red carpet entrance, two drinks, appetizers, pre-show gown judging and live performances by the cast of Cult Following and some of Denver’s favorite Queens. Of course, the awards presentation will be OFF - CENTER streaming live and we will rudely shush anyone who speaks over Ellen.

THE GAYEST OSCAR PARTY EVER promises to be more fabulous than a unicorn covered in glitter… in a rainbow boa… singing Streisand.

www.denverOFFcenter.org For more information: 303.893.4100

Sponsored by

Denver Center theatre company Staff

KENT THOMPSON PRODUCING ARTISTIC DIRECTOR

EXECUTIVE Kent Thompson, Producing Artistic Director Bruce K. Sevy, Associate Artistic Director Charles Varin, Managing Director Jeff Gifford, Director of Production

Casting: Bruce K. Sevy, Emily Tarquin New York Casting: Elyssa Myers Casting/Paul Fouquet, CSA

Acting Company: Kristen Adele, Colin Alexander, Leslie Alexander, Noah Anderson, Richard Azurdia, New Play Development: Mary Bacon, Leonard E. Barrett Jr., Cynthia Bruce K. Sevy, Bastidas, Anthony Bianco, Craig Bockhorn, Director of New Play Development Benjamin Bonenfant, Michael Bouchard, Douglas Langworthy, Jason Bowen, Kathleen M. Brady, NadjaLiterary Manager/Dramaturg Monet Brown, Courtney Capek, Gabriella Chad Henry, Literary Associate Cavallero, Shamika Cotton, Stephanie Cozart, Emily Tarquin, Artistic Associate/ Jeff Cribbs, Jenn Miller Cribbs, Laurence New Play Coordinator Curry, Aaron M. Davidson, Aubrey Deeker, Sylvie Drake, Advisor Cleavant Derricks, Diana Dresser, Adrian Kevin Fulton, Intern Egolf, Connor Nguyen Erickson, Shawn Fagan, Liza Fernandez, Michael Fitzpatrick, Commissioned Playwrights: Eugene Fleming, Michael Gaessler, Tanner Marcus Gardley, Idris Goodwin, Kirsten Gardner, Adriana Gaviria, Kate Gleason, Fidel Greenidge, Theresa Rebeck, Tanya Saracho, Gomez, Sam Gregory, Douglas Harmsen, Robert Schenkkan, Eric Schmiedl, James Still, Edwin Harris, Mike Hartman, Judith Hawking, Catherine Trieschmann, Karen Zacarías John Patrick Hayden, Peter Simon Hilton, Sequoiah Hippolyte, Rebecca Hirota, Ben Directors: Huber, Steven Cole Hughes, John Hutton, Shelley Butler, Mike Donahue, Anthony Isaiah Johnson, John M. Jurcheck, Michael Powell, Bruce K. Sevy, Kent Thompson, Keyloun, Lauren Klein, Jacob H Knoll, Stephen Weitz, Chay Yew Charlie Korman, Gabriel Koskinen-Sansone, Assistant Directors: Kyra Lindsay, Cajardo Rameer Lindsey, Bryce Russell Alexander, Joshua Chase Gold, Ruth Livier, Rodney Lizcano, Eric Lockley, Jose Mercado, Alan Osburn, Dan Schultz, Kevin Lowry, Amy Luna, Miguel Martiman, Emily Tarquin Alma Martinez, Kathleen McCall, Timothy McCracken, Matt McGrath, M. Scott McLean, Dramaturgs: Leigh Nichols Miller, Nick Mills, Amelia Alex Barron, Abigail Gonda, Allison Horsley, Modesitt, Sam Modesitt, Gabriel MoralesDouglas Langworthy, Tanya Palmer, David Gonzalez, Tricia Moreland, Leslie O’Carroll, Saphier James O’Hagan-Murphy, Jeremy Palmer, Yunuen Pardo, Mackenzie Paulsen, Jeanne Music Director: Paulsen, Jonathan Earl Peck, Amelia Pedlow, Gregg Coffin Mercedes Perez, Philip Pleasants, Casey Predovic, Brenda Pressley, Max Raabe, Jeffrey Composers: Roark, Jada Roberts, Jamie Ann Romero, Gary Grundei, Jill BC Du Boff, Deborah Christine Rowan, Thomas Russo, Erik Wicks La Puma, Jaret Landon Sandvold, Michael Santo, Meredith Sczekan,

ARTISTIC

Brian Shea, Lauren Shealy, Felix Solis, Kim Staunton, SuCh, Tony Todd, Jake Walker, Justin Walvoord, William Oliver Watkins, Allison Watrous, Christopher Wells, Ryan Wuestewald, Gabra Zackman Designers Scenic Designers: David M. Barber, Myung Hee Cho, Lisa Orzolek, Kevin Rigdon, Robert N. Schmidt, Vicki Smith, Donyale Werle Costume Designers: Kevin Copenhaver, Meghan Anderson Doyle, Dane Laffrey, David Kay Mickelsen, Elizabeth Novak, Leah Piehl Lighting Designers: Don Darnutzer, York Kennedy, Charles R. MacLeod, Jane Spencer Sound Designers: Craig Breitenbach, Jason Ducat, Tyler Nelson Projection Designer: Charlie I. Miller Coaches: Laurence Curry (Movement), Gabriella Cavallero (Dialect), Robert Davidson (Movement), Kathryn G. Maes Ph.D. (Vocal), Geoffrey Kent (Fight), Christine Rowan (Movement), Will Taylor (Movement)

PRODUCTION Jeff Gifford, Director of Production Rick Noble, Assistant Production Manager Robert L. Orzolek, Interim Technical Director Christopher C. Ewing, Production Stage Manager Julie Brou, Production and Artistic Office Manager Scenic Design Lisa M. Orzolek, Director of Scenic Design Scenic Design Assistants: Lindsey Mayer, Nicholas Renaud

Denver Center theatre company Staff

PLEASE BE ADVISED

Lighting Design Charles R. MacLeod, Director of Lighting Lighting Design Assistant: Lily Bradford Multimedia: Charlie I. Miller, Resident Multimedia Specialist Topher Blair, Multimedia Assistant/Operator

Drapers: Stephanie Cooper, Carolyn Plemitscher, Louise Powers, Jackie Scott, Jane Nelson-Rudd First Hand: Cathie Gagnon, Belinda Haaland Tailor: Sheila P. Morris Stitchers: Kelly Jones, Teresia Larsen, Zoe Pielsticker, Wanda Price, Jenny Milne, Barb Shively

Sound Design John E. Pryor, Director of Sound Sound Designers: Craig Breitenbach, Jason Ducat, Tyler Nelson

Costume Crafts Kevin Copenhaver, Costume Crafts Director Costume Crafts Artisans: Judy Craigo, Karen King

Stage Management Christopher C. Ewing, Production Stage Manager Stage Managers: Rachel Ducat, Kurt Van Raden, Lyle Raper, A. Phoebe Sacks Assistant Stage Managers: Paul Behrhorst, Matthew Campbell Production Assistant: D. Lynn Reiland Stage Management Interns: Becky Fryberger, Davis Henshaw, Pearl Kerber, Kristen Littlepage, Sara E. Sachs

Wigs Diana Ben-Kiki, Wig Master

Scene Shop Josh Prues, Assistant Technical Director Lead Technicians: Albert “Stub” Allison, Louis Fernandez III Scenic Technicians: Mike Hamer, Justin Hicks, Brian “Marco” Markiewicz, Keli Sequoia, Ross Wick Prop Shop Robin Lu Payne, Properties Director Eileen Garcia, Assistant Properties Director Roo Huigen, Lead Props Artisan Props Artisans: Jamie Stewart Curl, Charles Dallas, David Hoth, Katie Webster Paint Shop Jana L. Mitchell, Charge Scenic Artist Melanie Rentschler, Lead Scenic Artist Brian Proud, Scenic Artist Paint Intern: Darcey James Costume Shop Janet S. MacLeod, Costume Director Costume Design Associate: Meghan Anderson Doyle Costume Design Assistant: Katherine Nowacki

House Crew Doug Taylor*, Supervising Stagehand Stagehands: Mariah Becerra*, Jennifer Guethlein*, Andrew Hamer, Stephen D. Mazzeno*, Miles Stasica*, Matt Wagner*, Jim Berman* (*IATSE Local 7 Stagehands) Wardrobe Brenda Lawson, Director Wig Assistants: Jocelen Barnett, Maria Y. Davis, Lisa Rokicki Dressers: Robin Appleton, Amber Donner, Amoreena Kissel, Kelly Jones, Tim Nelson, Alan Richards, Brooke Vlasich, Lisa Parsons

ADMINISTRATION Charles Varin, Managing Director Ryan Meisheid, Associate Managing Director Alyssa Stock, Company Manager Allison Taylor, Assistant Company Manager Cassie Brown, Business Administrator Diana Buirski, TCG Management Fellow

MARKETING Brianna Firestone, Director of Marketing Alexandra Griesmer, PR & Promotions Manager Jane McDonald, Marketing Coordinator

LATECOMERS are seated at designated breaks. PHOTOS & VIDEO RECORDING are prohibited. TURN OFF cell phones and alarm watches. CHILDREN UNDER 4 are not admitted. COUGH DROPS are available at Patrons Services.

The Directors and Choreographers are members of the Stage Directors and Choreographers Society, an independent national labor union. The actors and stage managers employed in these productions 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.) Scenic, Costume, Lighting and Sound designers in LORT theatres are represented by United Scenic Artists Local USA-829, IATSE

Member of the Colorado Theatre Guild

The Denver Center Theatre Company is grateful for the funds provided by the Scientific and Cultural Facilities District. Special thanks also to grants from Arts & Venues Denver; the Helen G. Bonfils Foundation; and contributions from corporations, foundations and individuals. The Denver Center Theatre Company is a division of The Denver Center for the Performing Arts, a not-for-profit organization serving the public through the performing arts. The DCTC 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 DCTC 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 Denver Center Theatre Company is a constituent of Theatre Communications Group (TCG), the national organization for the American theatre.

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The road to Evita was paved with patience, politics, perseverance and, when it came to making choices, a good deal of luck

B Y S Y LV I E D R A K E

EVITA

ART

of the

the

Of the musicals that they created together, the collaboration of Andrew LuPone who snagged the part on Broadway. (She later complained Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice has fashioned some highly enduring, bitterly and publicly that her experience with Evita was one of the most money-making shows. Jesus Christ Superstar, Joseph and the Amazing painful and difficult of her career; true or not, it made no difference to Technicolor Dreamcoat and Evita shine undiminished among them. the show’s success and it enhanced Lupone’s own developing career.) Almost everyone thinks of Evita, now in The Buell, as chiefly Lloyd ice had established the character of Che as the narrator and naviWebber’s creation, but in fact it was Rice who brought the kernel of the gator of the story, but in a stroke of pure dramatic license, Prince idea to his colleague—and Lloyd Webber who rejected it. insisted on modeling the character after Che Guevara. The real Rice developed the original fascination with Eva Perón after allegedly Guevara, an Argentine by birth, had no historical connection to Eva hearing a portion of a radio show about her that sparked his interest. Perón, and that emphasis was later minimized. He couldn’t let go of it; he remembered the image of Eva Perón from In a 1978 interview with this writer, Prince had loftily described Evita his boyhood stamp collection. He decided to do the research, even as “about the smallness of individuals against this enormous political traveled to Buenos Aires in pursuit of more information and knowledge. canvas. Che Guevara and Eva Perón are mythic characters. She was He found it, with some welcome assistance sleazy, yet emerges much larger than life. from Argentine film director Carlos Pasini It’s myth vs. reality. The arena dwarfs the Hansen who had produced a film about Perón people, but put them in front of a microtitled Queen of Hearts that Rice eventually phone and they become just as large, just as saw—as many as 20 times by his own count. unreal.” He even named his first daughter after the The Los Angeles Times review of the Argentine first lady. pre-Broadway try-out in that city, described “I was hooked,” he concedes. But Lloyd Evita as “not flawless, but possessed of Webber wasn’t—yet. He was busy pursuing three vital ingredients: tremendous scope, a remarkable score and the directorial genius a collaboration with playwright Alan Ayckof [Harold] Prince. There is a dark flash and bourn on a musical version of Jeeves, based vulgarity to its tone, protagonists who reflect on the legendary P.G. Wodehouse butler. It essence rather than externals and the preswas only after that project was completed ence of Che Guevara as a sardonic goad… and met with disappointing public reception Evita’s only bit of absolute fiction, but that is that he began to think of Rice’s proposal. Favorably this time. all it takes to free the work from the strait— Harold Prince, original director jacket of reality.” In 1976, score and script in hand, Rice and This permission to take liberties, explore Lloyd Webber approached director Harold Prince to stage their new musical Evita. and experiment, is what makes theatre thrive as art. Allowed to roam the infinite reaches of the imagination, theatre Prince (who later went on to direct Lloyd Webber’s most popular and profitable musical, The Phantom of the Opera) famously stated that a can zero in on truths that are more startling and accurate than strict musical that started with a funeral had to be interesting. But he also reality can provide. It is what myths are all about, including the myths born—as in the case of Evita—from political fact and a fair amount of told the composer and book-writer that, while he’d like to stage it, he could take on no new commitments for two years. Undeterred, the guys fiction. As a musical Evita is, indeed, “Brechtian, uncomfortable and subtly tainted by the garnishes of hypocrisy,” but it is on the mark when agreed to wait and used the time to refine the show. Following a pattern it comes to delivering the essence of theatrical invention and releasing it set with Jesus Christ Superstar, they proceeded to record Evita as a concept album with actress/singer Julie Covington in the title role. as a tool for illuminating human nature. n he album sold very well. Altogether, sales even exceeded those of Jesus Christ Superstar. That heightened interest in the promised musical. Thanks to its captivating music (even if the lyrics never made much sense), its signature song, “Don’t Cry for me Argentina” hit Number One on the British singles chart. While it didn’t quite set the U.S. on fire, such names as Karen Carpenter, Olivia Newton-John and Petula Clark all recorded their own versions of it. Rehearsals finally got underway in 1978 and the show opened at Jan 15 – 26 • Buell Theatre London’s Prince Edward Theatre on June 21 to mixed but mostly good reviews. The music was haunting, the mystique of Eva Perón was still Sponsored by The Westin Denver Downtown and HealthONE very much alive (she had died of cancer in 1952, at the young age of 33), ASL interpreted, Audio Described & Open Captioned • Jan 26, 2pm there was an aura of sexy romance and adventure around the Guevara character as well. By the time it closed in London 3,176 performances Tickets: 303.893.4100 later, the show had blossomed into a major hit. Toll-free: 800.641.1222 • TTY: 303.893.9582 It made a star of Elaine Page, who played Evita after Covington had turned down the role—and it did the same across the pond for Patti Groups (10+): 303.446.4829 • denvercenter.org

“She was sleazy, yet emerges much larger than life. It’s myth vs. reality. The arena dwarfs the people, but put them in front of a microphone and they become just as large, just as unreal.”

APPLAUSE

d e n v er center. or g

ART PARTNERS

THE WESTIN DENVER DOWNTOWN HOTEL Sharing Denver’s Wealth With Others

“Donating leftovers shows a respect for food,” states The Westin’s Executive Chef Jean-Luc Voegele. “As a chef and as a gardener, I know that a bruised tomato or apple may not be usable in the hotel kitchen, but it still has nutritional value.” The Westin’s gift to We Don’t Waste provides unused food to agencies such as Allied Jewish Apartments, Denver Inner City Parish, Denver Rescue Mission, Denver’s Road Home, Father Woody’s Haven of Hope, Holy Ghost Church, Jewish Family Service of Colorado, the Samaritan House and The Gathering Place, to list just a few. Last but certainly not least, did you ever wonder what happens to that scrap of soap or half used shampoo you left in the hotel shower? The Westin Denver Downtown was the first Denver area Starwood hotel to commit to Clean the World, a program that collects partially used toiletries for donation to third world countries. Since the beginning of the partnership, The Westin has contributed more than 28,000 bars of soap to the needy. When planning your next event, remember The Westin Denver Downtown, located on the 16th Street Pedestrian Mall at 1672 Lawrence Street, and see www.westindenverdowntown.com for the guaranteed best rates. n —Submitted by Susan Stiff

“Donating leftovers shows a respect for food. As a chef and as a gardener, I know that a bruised tomato or apple may not be usable in the hotel kitchen, but it still has nutritional value.” — Jean-Luc Voegele, Executive, The Westin Downtown Denver

Proud sponsor of Evita and Saturday Night Alive

PHOTO BY EMILY LOZOW

PHOTO BY CHAMPASTREETPRODUCTIONS.COM

he Westin Denver Downtown Hotel is well known for its contribution to Denver’s performing and visual arts community. The hotel is a multi-year sponsor of Saturday Night Alive, the signature fundraiser for The Denver Center for the Performing Arts (DCPA). It provides gift certificates from sister properties in such locations as Venice, Vienna and Vietnam for the mega-auction event that raises well over $600,000 for youth arts education and outreach. The Westin also is the hotel sponsor for Evita at the DCPA and partners with the Denver Art Museum on packaging with blockbuster exhibits such as Passport to Paris, as well as partnering with Colorado Ballet, Central City Opera and Opera Colorado on weekend packages and promotions. The hotel also is becoming a popular destination in the meetings industry for its commitment to sustainability. The Westin Denver Downtown was the first in the city to implement on-site composting in partnership with the Tabor Center Office Tower and restaurant complex. It contributes unused banquet food to We Don’t Waste, a local organization that collects leftover food from events, caterers, restaurants and other major food providers and distributes it to charitable agencies serving Denver’s disadvantaged populations.

Denise and Ray Bellucci at The Westin Denver Downtown’s sponsored Saturday Night Alive Patron Party

Westin Denver Downtown’s Director of Housekeeping Kyle Spencer, Director of Human Resources Cammie Ellis with housekeepers Norma Chavez, Betty Ventura and Jocelyn DuPuis collecting soap for Clean the World.

303.893.4100

A P P L A US E

ART PARTNERS

AARP

Staying Young As We Get Older

“W

PHOTO BY JLUJAN

e are looking to make a difference in communities across the state, to respond to Coloradans’ journey as they age, and to create easy access to fun and meaningful opportunities,” said Morie Smile, AARP Colorado’s State Director. At 50, Smile is leading AARP’s staff of eight in ensuring that AARP becomes a part of the fabric of the community. Recently, Angela Cortez, AARP’s Communication Associate State Director, had the opportunity to sit down with Smile and talk about today’s AARP.

“We know that entertainment and promoting cultural offerings are important to the well-being of our members.” — Morie Smile, Colorado State Director, AARP

Proud sponsor of Mamma Mia! and select Kids’ Nights on Broadway

APPLAUSE

d e n ver center. or g

Isn’t AARP for retirees? While AARP’s membership starts at 50, much of our work impacts people of all ages. For example, if you look on our website, www.aarp.org, you’ll see a great deal of resources for employees and job seekers. Colorado is a young state, and approximately half of our membership is under 65, which in this day and age means they are still working. The R and P stand for Real Possibilities, and that is what we hope to give all of our members: the chance to pursue their dreams.

Doesn’t AARP provide discounts? Absolutely! In addition to a huge menu of national offerings, Colorado has reached out to cultural partners such as The Denver Center for the Performing Arts to offer discounts to our members. Members who purchased tickets for Mamma Mia! received a substantial discount thanks to their membership. We also are providing deep discounts for black odyssey, Hamlet, Animal Crackers, Shadowlands and two other blockbuster shows yet to be announced. And we are encouraging our members and their friends to participate in Second Act at the Denver Center Theatre Academy. The Second Act Sample is a series of one-time educational events designed to spur theatrical curiosity in older theatregoers. In addition, we have relationships with the Denver Art Museum, Foothills Art Center, the Denver and Grand Junction Botanic Gardens just to name a few. We know that entertainment and promoting cultural offerings are important to the well-being of our members. n

Your comments are aspirational, what impact can AARP have on my life? The 50+ population is very diverse and incorporates different wants, needs and desires. For people looking at their “what’s next,” we have introduced Life Reimagined, which is a webbased program that helps participants realize their strongest skill sets and gives some tangible next steps in realizing their goals. Many of us are caregivers, often for a parent and a child. We are focusing heavily on providing resources to assist these caregiving providers. AARP also has an extremely effective and knowledgeable advocacy cadre. We have been able to save consumers millions of dollars over the years just in utility costs.

AARP staff a nd family pa rticipate ann ually in the Denver P ride Parade.

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HAMLET

I N V I TAT ION

Of all of Shakespeareâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s plays, none is more lauded or lends itself to more interpretations than Hamlet, an imperfect play. So why does this magic work? BY DAN SULLIVAN

APPLAUSE

d e n ver center. or g

ILLUSTRATION BY KYLE MALONE

Haunting

Season by season the theories keep coming and none of them proves out. Yet the experts continue to insist that it’s Shakespeare’s greatest play—everyone but T.S. Eliot who called it “an artistic failure.” Having reviewed a hundred or so Hamlets, I’m with the majority. I’ve never seen one that I didn’t get something out of, something that reminded me, for better or worse, of me. That includes the boring productions, of which there have been several, and one disaster: a San Francisco staging featuring, at the very end of her career, Dame Judith Anderson. Not as Gertrude, but as Hamlet. This sounds like a hallucination and it played like one, but I could show you the program. I also have been blown away by the play. About five years ago the Royal National Theatre of Great Britain brought it to Tucson. The performance brought the audience, including me, to its feet, but not right away.

What draws us to this story? Why is it constantly being revived, adapted, parodied, misquoted? What in Hamlet’s uncertain journey reminds us of our own episodic lives? For nearly a minute—A long time in the theatre—we just sat there in silence, absorbing the awful logic of that last scene. All those stupid deaths (“casual slaughters,” as Horatio calls them), because one thing suddenly led to another. Yes, we thought. That’s how badly things work out sometimes, even with good intentions. It can come down to that… Then we stood up. But the mountain had already been scaled. The silence was the prize. n preparing his Denver production, Thompson has tried to curb the temptation of every Shakespearean director to make this the absolute, ultimate, gamechanging last word on the play. Rather than “The” Hamlet, he’s aiming for “A” Hamlet: alive, human, comprehensive, not an assault on anybody else’s interpretation. Not that he doesn’t have his own ideas about the play. He described it at a production meeting as “a haunting.” Can you elaborate on that?

“W

ell, obviously there’s a ghost in the play. And there’s something troubling in the air. Bad omens, as when Caesar was murdered. But in prying open my reaction to the story, I’d say that for two-thirds of it Hamlet seems preoccupied with memories of his childhood. “There’s an element of hero-worship for his father. Not that he was being raised to be that kind of soldier king. They—probably Gertrude—sent him to Wittenberg to become the philosopher king. But now some part of him is bent on punishment, on revenge.” What about his disappearance in the middle of the story, that strange business about his being captured by pirates? “It’s the pirates who save him! At a certain point in Shakespeare, psychology goes out the window and a fairy-tale device comes in. I think that when Hamlet is delivered back to Elsinore he’s accepted his fate, whatever it is, and knows what he’s got to do.” Which is why Thompson struggles with that graveyard scene. It’s very late in the play, Hamlet has shed his juvenile angst, he can even see himself as a kind of divine agent. Why does he start scuffling like a teenage hood in a 50s movie? “Maybe he’s surprised at his own behavior,” I said. “Or maybe he’s just realized how much he really did love Ophelia,” Thompson replied. And the debate goes on… n

HAMLET

Forget “To be or not to be.” As Producing Artistic Director Kent Thompson’s cast started rehearsing Hamlet for the Denver Center Theatre Company, they faced a more pressing question: “What’s going on here?” For American and British theatre folk, Hamlet is the Big One, the Everest that’s got to be scaled “because it’s there.” And scaling it once doesn’t mean you’ve conquered it— only that you survived the climb. Having staged Shakespeare’s übertragedy at the Alabama Shakespeare Festival some years back, Thompson has a working knowledge of the terrain, but he’s still scouting for handholds. (It’s a maiden climb for his Hamlet, Aubrey Deeker.) here’s something strange about this play. If Macbeth has a curse on it, as theatre people like to believe, Hamlet seems to carry the stamp of heaven, even in its imperfections, which are many. A well-made play it is not. The plot is pinned together like a muslin costume; the time sequences don’t jibe, the characterizations are inconsistent. Is Horatio a regular at Elsinore (Act I, Scene One) or did he just show up (Act I, Scene Two)? Why didn’t the person who provides Gertrude a close-up account of Ophelia’s drowning jump in and rescue the poor girl? As for Ophelia’s sad little funeral, it’s all very well for her hotheaded brother Laertes to leap into her grave to show his grief, but would Prince Hamlet really follow suit? It may be in the text, but in which version of the play? (There are at least three.) Again, does Hamlet lament his “too, too solid flesh” or his “too, too sullied flesh?” Thompson and his company will work out such issues by themselves. But his basic question (“What’s going on here?”) goes deeper and has been debated almost since Hamlet opened at the Globe Theatre—a date we don’t have (1603 maybe?). What draws us to this story? Why is it constantly being revived, adapted, parodied, misquoted? What in Hamlet’s uncertain journey reminds us of our own episodic lives? To begin with, what’s the theme? Macbeth is about ambition. Othello is about jealousy. Hamlet’s problem is—what? Depression? Not being able to make up his mind? Wanting to go to bed with his mother? Maybe he’s secretly glad that Claudius killed his father. Maybe he’s in love with Horatio. Maybe he doesn’t want to take the controls of a fascist state. (Taking a cue from “Denmark’s a prison,” two recent revivals were set in high-tech penitentiaries with digital alarm systems and HD screens. Great design, but it didn’t deepen the story.)

Dan Sullivan reviewed theatre for the Los Angeles Times, The New York Times and the Minneapolis Tribune. He now teaches at the University of Minnesota Journalism School.

Jan 24 – Feb 23 • Stage Theatre Producing Partners: Sheri & Lee Archer, Katy Atkinson, Isabelle Clark, Alan & Katie Fox, Diana & Mike Kinsey Sponsored by the National Endowment for the Arts/ Arts Midwest ASL interpreted & Audio Described • Feb 23, 1:30pm Perspective on the play: Jan 24, 6pm, Jones Theatre* *Attend a FREE moderated discussion about the play with DCTC’s creative team. All are welcome.

Tickets: 303.893.4100 Toll-free: 800.641.1222 • TTY: 303.893.9582 Groups (10+): 303.446.4829 • denvercenter.org 303.893.4100

A P P L A US E

EDUCATION

I M PAC T CRE TIVIT Y

Thank You, NEA!

LENNE KLINGAMAN, CHARLES PASTERNAK PHOTO BY JENNIFER M KOSKINEN

uilding the next generation of theatre audiences is an important part of The Denver Center’s mission. We are pleased to report that the Denver Center Theatre Company received its fifth National Endowment for the Arts Shakespeare for a New Generation grant to support a significant educational component with this season’s Hamlet. A dollar-fordollar matching grant, NEA funding is combined with a mix of donations from the corporate, foundation and private sectors to make this program possible. Eight high schools in the metro area have been selected to participate: Alameda, Hinkley, Emily Griffith, John F. Kennedy, Justice High School, Rangeview, South and Thomas Jefferson.

In addition, two rural community high schools will participate as well: Prairie View and Brighton. Just over 800 students and teachers are involved in this project which includes teacher training, a series of pre- and post-play activities for students (to help them connect more significantly with the play), in-depth online study guides and, of course, tickets for all participants to attend a special Student Matinee of Hamlet in The Stage Theatre. n

“Hamlet is caught between suspicion of his mother and of his uncle and grief over his father’s death. Many students will understand the pain, grief, confusion of losing a parent or the sudden collapse of a marriage.”

JOHN G. PRESTON, KATHLEEN MCCALL PHOTO BY TERRY SHAPIRO

Special thanks to the following donors who helped us achieve our NEA match and who made additional gifts to make this project possible: The Anschutz Foundation The Belay Fund Colorado Creative Industries The Denver Foundation Alan and Katie Fox Allan and Margot Frank IMA Financial Group Impact Creativity/National Corporate Theatre Fund 26

APPLAUSE

Walter and Gene Koelbel Rev. Trust Robert and Judi Newman Walter S. Rosenberry, III Charitable Trust Ruth S. Silver Target June Travis U.S. Bank Xcel Energy Foundation

d e n ver center. or g

Impact Creativity is an urgent call to action to save theatre education programs in 19 of our largest cities. Impact Creativity brings together theatres, arts education experts and individuals to help over 500,000 children and youth, most of them disadvantaged, succeed through the arts by sustaining the theatre arts education programs threatened by today’s fiscal climate. For more information on how “theatre education changes lives,” please visit: www.impactcreativity.org ($250,000 or more) The James S. and Lynne P. Turley Ernst & Young Fund for Impact Creativity Clear Channel Outdoor* CMT/ABC*

– Kent Thompson, Producing Artistic Director, Denver Center Theatre Company

The NEA has supported Shakespeare for a New Generation for the past four years, most recently featuring DCTC’s Romeo & Juliet (above) and The Taming of the Shrew (right) during the 2010/11 Season.

CURRENT CONTRIBUTORS List Complete August 2013

($100,000 or more) The Hearst Foundations ($50,000 or more) AOL* ($10,000 or more) Christopher Campbell/ Palace Production Center* Lisa Orberg Frank and Bonnie Orlowski The Ralph and Luci Schey Foundation The Schloss Family Foundation Southwest Airlines* James S. Turley John Thomopoulos Wells Fargo ($5,000 or more) Steven and Joy Bunson Paula Dominick Christ Economos Mariska Hargitay* Ogilvy & Mather* The Maurer Family Foundation ($1,000 or more) Nick Adamo Mitchell J. Auslander Ryan Dudley Bruce R. Ewing Jessica Farr Steve & Donna Gartner Glen Gillen Peter Hermann Janet and Howard Kagan John Major Jonathan Maurer and Gretchen Shugart George S. Smith, Jr. Florence Miller Memorial Fund Theodore Nixon Carol Ostrow RBC Wealth Management Isabelle Winkles *Includes In-kind support

A RT I S T I C D I R E C T O R

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2014

FEBRUARY 7–9

: READINGS INCLUDE APPOGGIATURA By James Still

By Eric Schmiedl Based upon the novel by Kent Haruf

THE COMPARABLES By Laura Schellhardt

VICTORY JONES AND THE INCREDIBLE ONE WOMAN BAND

denvercenter.org/summit • 303.893.6030 Producing Partners: Joy S. Burns, Leo & Susan Kiely, Daniel L. Ritchie, Bob & Carole Slosky, Steinberg Charitable Trust

the second break beat play By Idris Goodwin

ZENITH

By Kirsten Greenidge

Yunuen Pardo, Adriana Gaviria, Ruth Livier, Sabina Zuniga Varela• Photo by Kyle Malone

BENEDICTION

DENVER CENTER THEATRE COMPANY

Denver Center Theatre Company presents the 9th Annual

Animal Crackers Book by George S. Kaufman & Morrie Ryskind Music & Lyrics by Bert Kalmar & Harry Ruby Adapted by Henry Wishcamper Original Orchestrations by Doug Peck

ILLUSTRATION BY KYLE MALONE

Zinging one-liners and slapstick brilliance fill this interactive and boisterous musical comedy from the genius Marx Brothers.

APRIL 4 – MAY 11 • STAGE THEATRE Sponsored by:

Season Partners:

Producing Partners:

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A P P L A US E

North American Tour Cast. Photo by Paul Natkin.

NORTH AMERICAN TOUR CAST. PHOTO BY PAUL NATKIN.

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ING TRUE STORY INSPIRED BY THE ELECTRIFY

M ILLION D OLLAR Q UARTET L IVE . COM

Toll-free: 800.641.1222 TTY: 303.893.9582 Groups: 303.446.4829

Feb 25 – March 9 Buell Theatre Great balls of fire! This electrifying musical is inspired by the true story of the one and only time rock’n’roll icons Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis and Carl Perkins came together for one of the greatest jam sessions of all time. This Tony® award-winning Broadway show features your favorite timeless hits. Rock’n’roll’s best kept secret... revealed! ASL interpreted, Audio Described and Open Captioned performance March 9 @ 2pm.

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This is the stunning musical that will not die—not after a hobbled start in 1975, not after a 20-year waiting period, and certainly not after the resounding success of its 1996 revival and 2002 Oscar-winning film. It joyfully returns to Denver for the fifth time.

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NEXT UP

Looking ahead…

Tickets: 303.893.4100

ASL interpreted, Audio Described and Open Captioned performance March 22 @ 2pm.

Shadowlands March 28 – April 27 Space Theatre

ILLUSTRATION BY KYLE MALONE

Professor/author C.S. Lewis was a bachelor into middle age, when friendship with an American fan, Joy Davidman, ignited a deep and unexpected romance. But a diagnosis of cancer for Joy brings on a crisis of faith for Lewis, straining his lifelong dedication to Christian theology. This true story reminds us that great loss does not exist without great love. ASL interpreted and Audio Described performance April 27 @ 1:30pm

APPLAUSE

d e nver center. or g

Spark a dialogue today by participating in our free CONNECT program. Designed to enhance your theatre experience, the CONNECT program offers a variety of opportunities, including moderated discussions with the cast and creative staff, educational resources, tours, and other special events. For more information visit www.denvercenter.org/CONNECT

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— Bruce Alexander, Vectra Bank Colorado President and CEO

“We are honored to partner with organizations that give so generously to enable communities to flourish,” he continues. “We are privileged to be part of DCPA whose caliber is undeniable, from the performances it showcases to the experiences it delivers, to its educational outreach.” As part of Zions Bancorporation, Vectra, with 41 locations throughout the state, has the personal feel of community banks, and the reach and resources of larger institutions. Its bankers focus on all stages of life and cycles of a business, with a proactive approach to help advance clients’ financial goals. Whether the customer is the manager of a growing Colorado company, an individual consumer or someone looking for support in wealth management planning, all will find at Vectra Bank an innovative banking organization eager to surpass their expectations. n For information on Vectra Bank Colorado, visit www.vectrabank.com.

A proud sponsor of the Denver Center Attractions season PRESIDENT AND CEO BRUCE ALEXANDER

“O

ur economy thrives on the generation of ideas, not just the manufacturing of goods and products,” says Vectra Bank Colorado President and CEO Bruce Alexander. “Learning to think both critically and creatively about solutions enables us to successfully navigate an increasingly complex world.” Established in 1988, Vectra has maintained its commitment to efforts and organizations that advance communities through revitalization, economic development, affordable housing—and the arts—around the state. Vectra employees volunteer for and support numerous arts institutions throughout Colorado as part of Vectra’s mission to support community, innovation and discussion. “One of Vectra’s goals is to be an active listener and observer of business and economic trends, and to share that information with our clients, so they can anticipate and plan for the future,” says Alexander. “Not only do arts provide those critical experiences that can open minds and hearts to an entirely different way of thinking, but they are part of our economy and a key component of why Colorado continues to be a great place to live and do business.

APPLAUSE

d e nver center. or g

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APPLAUSE

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