Applause--The Chinese Lady, September 9-October 16, 2022

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DESIGNER THIS ISSUE: Brenda Elliott

Janice Sinden, President & CEO Jamie Clements, Vice DevelopmentPresident, Chris Coleman, Artistic Director, Theatre Company John Ekeberg, Executive Director, Broadway & Cabaret Lydia Garcia, Executive Director, Equity & Organization Culture

You did come back, and we are so grateful. June 30 marked the end of our ﬁscal year, and we hit 96% of our revenue goal. Despite 56 cancelled performances, more than 569,000 tickets were sold to 23 productions. While we have not returned to pre-COVID attendance levels, our sales remain above the national average. Additionally, you enabled us to complete our $17 million capital campaign and exceed our fundraising goals so that we can return to previous engagement levels.

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All of this support allows us to look forward. Our Theatre Company’s 2022/23 season kicks oﬀ with The Chinese Lady Our next Broadway season will be announced during Hadestown Oﬀ-Center is launching its most ambitious project to date — Theater of the Mind. And Theatre for Young Audiences returns in late October after a year-long hiatus with a reimagined LITTLE RED, a new musical for PreK-third grade.

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And we are eager to do that.

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HONORARY TRUSTEES

Pretty

IN THIS ISSUE

Last fall, we enthusiastically announced “we are back,” but not without a bit of trepidation. Will audiences return? Will we cancel? Will we stay resilient amid uncertainty?

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

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More than 35 years ago, citizens wanted to ensure that the arts and culture sectors remained accessible. They passed the SCFD, a one-tenth of 1% sales tax that generates $60 million to beneﬁt more than 300 organizations in our seven-county. Essential in a good year. Critical in a pandemic.

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McKinsey & Company, a national management consulting ﬁrm, predicts that it could take more than ﬁve years for the performing arts to return to 2019-levels. They must not know our region.

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Your presence, gifts and loyalty are an inspiration to us. We’re so glad you’re here.

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BY EMMA HUNT

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In 1990, Pretty Woman subverted all cultural norms by becoming the year’s second most popular movie (behind Ghost, another romantic film). It was highly unusual for female-centric movies to top the charts at the time. In fact, Pretty Woman is still one of the highest grossing romantic comedy films of all time. Even more unusual was that the film’s star, Julia Roberts, was not yet a household name – though her role in Pretty Woman earned her a Golden Globe and an Oscar nomination.

And to this day, Pretty Woman is an incredibly recognizable film. Think of Richard Gere closing the jewelry box on Julia Roberts’ fingers and her infectious laughter. Your mind can conjure the image immediately, whether you saw the movie ten years ago or last week. Pretty Woman is the sort of movie that feels ingrained in our DNA. It isn’t just a movie; it’s a cultural touchstone for the 80’s and 90’s, for cinema, and for an entire film genre.

WOMANPRETTY

The romantic plot remains traditional, but Vivian is no pushover. She is quick to speak up, she dictates how she wants to be treated, and she is openly defiant of social convention. Vivian offers audiences a glimpse into personal and romantic fulfillment, which she achieves through her own ambition. “She embodies the strength that we all love to see in a woman,” said Wagner.

Paula Wagner, the musical’s lead producer, said one of the greatest developments was through music. “There is something very intimate about when you sing a song, and it stops time. It allows the characters to express themselves more deeply and communicate to an audience their inner lives.” The music in Pretty Woman: The Musical, written by Grammy® winner Bryan Adams and Jim Vallance, allows audiences to dig deeper into Vivian’s inner thoughts and wants. “She sings a song called ‘I Can’t Go Back,’ and there’s a line where she says, ‘it’s me who’s in control,’” explained Wagner.

If you’re a movie fanatic, you’ve likely confessed to a friend that Pretty Woman is a “guilty pleasure.” But why be ashamed to admit it? The attitude in our society toward romantic comedies, a genre typically associated with women, implies they shouldn’t be taken seriously. The implication is that only superﬁcial women would waste their time on such frivolity; smart, mature women watch documentaries and Tarantino ﬁlms.

“Vivian knows who she is, what she deserves, and she won’t settle for less.”

What you might not know is Pretty Woman helped pioneer a new era of ﬁlm: the “romcom.” The genre was inspired by comedies from the 1930s and 40s in which movie stars such as Katharine Hepburn and Joan Crawford shined as spunky, driven heroines. With a nod to its predecessors, Pretty Woman centered around a feisty female character, which showcased her wit and independence. The ﬁlm established the “modern-day fairytale,” which set the foundation for decades of romcoms to come.

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As time has passed, critics have examined the film through a more modern lens, and that’s where Broadway stepped in. Pretty Woman: The Musical rose to the occasion and brought a fresh, “musicalized” version of this fairytale to the stage. Largely based on the film, the musical’s development was spearheaded by the film’s director, Garry Marshall. The creative team had the freedom to develop the story in a more contemporary light.

— PAULA WAGNER, LEAD PRODUCER

PRETTY WOMAN: THE MUSICAL

While it’s easy to watch the production and be captivated by Vivian, it’s important to recognize the changes audiences can also see in Edward, her love interest. Edward changes Vivian’s situation, but it’s Vivian’s spark that drew him to her in the ﬁrst place and changes him for the better.

“GET READY” BECAUSE THE TEMPTATIONS ARE ON THE WAY

Edward has money, success, and confidence, but he’s trapped in a prison of his own making. “He is not in control of his life; he is a puppet controlled by his money and greed,” said Wagner. The transactional “romance” between himself and Vivian suits him fine. It isn’t until Vivian’s charm breaks down his walls that they learn and grow together. “Both of these people take a journey in which they find their own authentic selves,” explained Wagner. “And in finding their own authenticity, they find each other. They find true love.”

AUG 2 – 14 • BUELL THEATRE ASL Interpreted, Audio Described and Open Captioned performance: Aug 14 at 2pm

Whether you’re new to Motown or grew up listening to The Temptations, this musical will have you tapping your toes from its ﬁrst song. The New York Times wrote, “Pretty close to perfection.”

Ain’t Too Proud –The Life and Times of The Temptations

We need women’s voices. They are strong, they are reﬂective of our culture, and they should be heard.

Denver audiences will celebrate the Grammy-winning score and Tony-winning moves of Ain’t Too Proud – The Life and Times of the Temptations when it comes to town Oct 25 – Nov 6. From the streets of Detroit to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, the Motown vocal group rose to the top with an incredible 42 Top Ten Hits. Ain’t Too Proud tells the story of brotherhood and betrayal as the group’s personal and political conﬂicts threatened to tear them apart during a decade of civil unrest in America.Nominated for 12 Tony ® Awards and the winner of the 2019 Tony Award for Best Choreography, this unforgettable musical features some of The Temptations’ biggest hits, including “My Girl,” “Get Ready,” “Papa Was a Rolling Stone,” and so many more.

Although there have been some changes and developments to the production, audiences will still see the iconic movie moments. “You walk a fine line, bringing such a famous film to the stage,” said Wagner. “All of the things that the audience wants and expects are there, but we needed to go further, to deepen and broaden it. If you love the film, you’ll love the musical.” Theatregoers will be thrilled to hear the famous one-liners, to see the memorable costumes, and be swept up in the romantic scenes. From its romcom roots through its contemporary development, there is no question that this production deserves to be taken seriously. “This story has a depth to it, even though it’s a story meant to bring people joy,” expressed Wagner. “We all want to sit and watch a show that will make us happy. We all want to ride off into the sunset.”

Pretty Woman: The Musical is a powerhouse, female-centric production; a tale of redemption, hope, and aspiration. “We need women’s voices. They are strong, they are reﬂective of our culture, and they should be heard,” said Wagner. “I like the idea that we can make them heard through beautiful, uplifting fairytales like Pretty Woman: The Musical.”

COMING UP FROM BROADWAY

Ain’t Too Proud was written by threetime Obie Award winner Dominique Morisseau, directed by two-time Tony Award winner Des McAnuﬀ (Jersey Boys), and features the Tony ®-winning choreography of Sergio Trujillo (Jersey Boys, On Your Feet! ).

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& Debi Tepper June Travis Tina JudiRosalindWallsWardWolfTo join Directors Society, please contact Marc Ravenhill mravenhill@dcpa.org | 303.572.4594 The Chinese Lady Sep 16, 2022 Directed by Seema Sueko Much Ado About Nothing Oct 7, Directed2022byChris Coleman Laughs in Spanish Feb 3, Directed2023byLisa Portes Hotter Than Egypt Feb 17, Directed2023byChris Coleman The Color Purple Apr 7, Directed2023byTimothy Douglas The 39 Steps Apr 21, 2023 Directed by Meredith McDonough

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But that local reference was not in the original script. Seema Sueko, director of The Chinese Lady, worked with Suh to add the reference to the Denver anti-Chinese riot. She feels part of the play’s mission is to make sure such incidents — like Afong Moy herself — aren’t forgotten and covered over by the mists of time.

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10 APPLAUSE • AUG – OCT 2022 • 303.893.4100 • DENVERCENTER.ORGACONVERSATION

BY GIL ASAKAWA

But 15 years before the gold rush in 1834, one young Chinese woman came to America not to make money for herself or her family, but for the two white men who brought her. Afong Moy, who was just 14 at the time, was put on display as “The Chinese Lady” with supposedly Chinese props and costumes and “performed” several times a day for paying audiences. She was apparently from a wealthy family because her feet were broken by binding, a sign of high social status. She was the ﬁrst Chinese woman anyone in America had ever seen in person, a curiosity like in a carnival sideshow. Her appearances were accompanied by Atung, an English-speaking Chinese man who served as interpreter for the audience.

“Lloyd’s real goal was that he wants people to add Afong Moy to their understanding of America,” Sueko says.

Sueko, who is half-Japanese and half-Pakistani and was raised in Hawaii, is familiar with Denver and the Denver Center for the Performing Arts. She directed the 2018 DCPA Theatre Company production of Vietgone, WITH SEEMA SUEKO, DIRECTOR OF CHINESETHELADY

Afong Moy’s story was mostly forgotten, until playwright Lloyd Suh premiered his play, The Chinese Lady, in 2018. Now, theatre audiences in Denver can learn about Afong Moy through Suh’s two-person script, featuring Afong Moy and Atung.

The story of immigrants to the United States is often hazy in history. We learn about Columbus and later, the pilgrims, but not so much about other arrivals to our shores (or the African slaves, or the Indigenous Peoples who were already here). Immigration from China to America began in earnest in 1849, when gold was discovered in San Francisco, and waves of Chinese sailed to California with dreams of the riches they’d ﬁnd in “Gold Mountain,” their name for the country. Alas, their dreams went mostly unrealized as they faced racial animosity.

Although newspaper articles and advertisements for Afong Moy ceased in 1850, Suh added to her story by having her speak to audiences as if she were on exhibit into her old age, noting that many anti-Chinese attacks were committed against immigrants who came after her. She notes the October 31, 1880 racist riot that burned down Denver’s thriving Chinatown in what is today LoDo.

“At the end of the day, if people walk out knowing this name Afong Moy, knowing she was here, and that Asian Americans have been here, you know, for centuries, that is his goal. But as he acknowledges, there’s very little in the historical record of any perspective that she held (about her situation). So he readily acknowledges in the script, ‘this is not my voice. This is not my clothes.’ This is not any of that. He hopes that she felt she was a cultural ambassador of some sort.”

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Sueko ﬁrst heard of Suh’s play when a woman she directed in Vietgone was cast as Afong Moy. Early this year, the DCPA reached out to her and asked if she’d be interested in directing The Chinese Lady in Denver. “Of course, you know, the answer was ‘yes.’ Right away,” sheThesays.challenge of directing The Chinese Lady, she adds, is that because it’s a two-person play, she had to ﬁnd actors who were able to carry the dramatic and comedic elements of the script and have a strong relationship. Atung, the intrepeter/caretaker/servant has a complex relationship with Afong Moy. And since Afong Moy tells her story and the larger story of Chinese in America into the 20th century, it’s an epicSuekostory.says she’s inspired by that epic story, and Suh’s telling of it.

— SEEMA SUEKO, DIRECTOR LADY

We pay our respects to Elders past, present, and future, and to all those who have stewarded the land and water forMaygenerations.thisacknowledgment express

We invite our audiences to join the DCPA as we honor our Elders for the care of the land on which we perform with an oﬃcial land acknowledgement. These words are shared at company meetings, ﬁrst rehearsals, public forums and in the pages of Applause to recognize and respect Indigenous Peoples, their traditional territories and the care they have shown to all who reside here.

Lloyd [Suh]’s real goal was that he wants people to add Afong Moy to their understanding of America. At the end of the day, if people walk out knowing…she was here, and that Asian Americans have been here, you know, for centuries, that is his goal.

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ASL Interpreted and Audio Described performance: Oct 2 at 1:30pm.

Sueko has been learning more about Afong Moy to prepare for directing the play. She cites a book she’s currently reading, The Chinese Lady: Afong Moy in Early America by Nancy E. Davis, which she recommends for its thoroughness. “This came out in 2019, right around when Lloyd’s play ﬁrst came out. She has done incredible research in piecing together the historical record, based on newspaper clippings of the time, based on diaries of what people who gazed upon her wrote, based on what else was going on.”

Gil Asakawa lives in Denver and is a nationally known journalist, editor, author, speaker, and blogger focusing on Japanese and Asian American issues.

THE CHINESE

“Maybe what I like to hold on to is her resilience,” Sueko says, “and also this hope, even though it gets reframed, even as her awareness of things grows. She still hopes for building bridges. In the end, she still thinks of herself as an ambassador.”

a powerful story about the Vietnamese refugee experience in the U.S. after the Viet Nam War. She lives in the Washington, DC area, and acknowledges that history is incomplete everywhere. She notes that although the area around northern Virginia and D.C. have many historical markers about the Civil War, there isn’t any memorial to the Asians who fought on both side of the conﬂict.

the DCPA’s commitment to grow and deepen its relationships with the vibrant Indigenous communities who continue to thrive and uphold their sacred relation to this land.

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The book, like the play, puts Afong Moy in the context of her times. The play’s audiences won’t just get a proﬁle of a young woman put into an unthinkable situation; they’ll get an introduction to the experiences and spirit of all Asian Americans.

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

YOUR 2022/23 THEATRE COMPANY SEASON SHOWS: THE CHINESE LADY SEP 9 – OCT 16, 2022 MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING SEP 30 – NOV 6, 2022 LAUGHS IN SPANISH JAN 27 – MAR 12, 2023 HOTTER THAN EGYPT FEB 10 – MAR 12, 2023 THE COLOR PURPLE MAR 31 – MAY 7, 2023 THE 39 STEPS APR 14 – JUN 18, 2023 ADDED ATTRACTIONS: THEATER OF THE MIND AUG 31 – DEC 18, 2022 LITTLE RED –A NEW MUSICAL! OCT 28 – DEC 18, 2022 CAMP CHRISTMAS NOV 17 – DEC 24, 2022 A CHRISTMAS CAROL NOV 18 – DEC 24, 2022 COLORADO NEW PLAY SUMMIT FEB 24 – 25, 2023 PERSPECTIVESFRESHTALESTIMELESS& inHancockMatthewandAlexanderColeSydney RoomUpperTheIn VisComAdamsbyPhoto• This season, we’re giving the people what they want: timeless classics, laugh-out-loud comedies, and the industry’s hottest plays direct from New York City. SUBSCRIBE & SAVE! denvercenter.org/theatrecompany 303.893.6030 ADDITIONAL SUPPORT SEASON SPONSOR

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Embracing music’s ability to trigger a spectrum of emotions, Mitchell wrote Hadestown to encompass healing powers, inviting audiences on a sacred pilgrimage to Hell and back. The musical’s more distinct lines, like “To the world we dream about, and the one we live in now,” and “If no one takes too much, there will always be enough,” oﬀer hope to many in the present moment. “To me, those ﬁrst lines are a reminder that even in hard times, there’s beauty and bravery and cause for celebration. There’s beauty in the struggle for a better world even if we can’t yet see the result,” Mitchell explains. “Orpheus is a hero not because he succeeds—but because he tries!”

The fact that Hadestown feels so relevant may seem surprising, considering that its composition started more than a decade ago. Mitchell conceived “Wait for Me,” a ﬁery declaration song at the center of the score, several years before Hadestown saw a Broadway stage, early in her singer-songwriter career. “I was driving from one tip gig to another when the melody of ‘Wait for Me’ dropped out of the sky,” says Mitchell, who wrote Hadestown’s book, music, and lyrics. “It came with some long-lost lyrics that seemed to describe the Orpheus & Eurydice myth, which had been a favorite of mine as a kid.”

Could Hadestown writer and composer, Anaïs Mitchell have subconsciously predicted key elements of the world’s most devastating global crisis? The show’s world is one of suﬀering. Power and wealth reign supreme; the poor go hungry; seasons are unstable, and love is lost. In the real world, COVID-19 wreaks havoc, systematic racism forces persistent protest, border security fuels contentious debate, unemployment skyrockets, and climate change happens in real time. These challenges engulf our world beyond the theater as much as they do the musical’s dark side, sparking the show’s revolutionary score.

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14 APPLAUSE • AUG – OCT 2022 • 303.893.4100 • DENVERCENTER.ORG

Like his Classical predecessor, Mitchell’s Orpheus can change the world through music. Viral videos of hopeful Italians singing from their balconies during COVID-19 quarantine show that Orpheus’s ethos thrives throughout

the globe. “I think what inspired me most about retelling that story was the idea of pitting young, creative, optimistic Orpheus against an underworld where ‘the rules are the rules,’” Mitchell says. “At ﬁrst it was the idea of Orpheus, who believes if he could just write something beautiful enough, he could move the heart of stone. He could change the way the world is.”

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Orpheus oﬀers a glimpse at humanity’s fullest power by following through on his conviction for goodness and beauty. “Orpheus was by far the hardest character for me to write, in part because he’s more ‘pure’ than any other character,” Mitchell explains. “Hades, Persephone, and even Hermes and Eurydice have a sort of jaded quality, a world-weariness that is much easier to grasp and to

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Mitchell’s concern has proven prescient. When the World Health Organization declared the coronavirus outbreak a pandemic, leaders around the globe ordered citizens to remain locked within the walls of their homes while also shutting down borders to immigration and travel. During mandated stay-at-home orders, the world watched in horror for 8 minutes and 46 seconds the murder of George Floyd, another un-armed Black killed at the hands of police. Floyd’s unjustiﬁed death by those paid to protect and serve, sparked a universal outcry of “Black Lives Matter,” and “Enough is Enough.”

ASL Interpreted, Audio Described and Open Captioned performance: Sep 11 at 1:30pm

As its characters quite literally travel the road to Hell, Hadestown encourages audiences to experience that which feels harsh and might seem inevitable but cautions against letting such a harrowing journey breed fear or despair. “Why We Build the Wall,” the show’s bombastic Act 1 finale sung by a domineering Hades, for example, highlights the exclusionary powers of borders. “I wrote that song in 2006, and it’s one of the few songs that I wrote very quickly, all in one sitting, almost before I understood what it meant,” says Mitchell. “I was imagining a climate in crisis, a world in which many places had become uninhabitable and there were large populations of migrants knocking at the gates of the places of relative wealth and security. And the thought that popped into my head was, ‘When that happens, who among us is not going to want to be behind some kind of wall?’ Leaders (like Hades in Hadestown) have found it effective to use the language of the wall because it speaks loudly to a scared citizenry. The next thought that crossed my mind was the way walling others out has the equal and unintended effect of walling ourselves in.”

This article reprinted courtesy of Hadestown.

write for. Orpheus is a dreamer, a genuine optimist, and that has been a challenge to discover and to express in writing. It’s hard to take an optimist seriously! For a long time, his optimism came across as overconﬁdence, which wasn’t in keeping with his sensitive soul.” Orpheus is the blueprint for optimism accelerating healing. His character urges audiences to look a little deeper for the good in the world, even if that search appears foolhardy.

— ANAÏS MITCHELL, WRITER AND COMPOSER Hadestown Erickson.CharlesTbyPhotosTour.AmericanNorth

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Hadestown oﬀers dogged hope in the face of seemingly endless gloom. As the pandemic rages and citizens of the world remain “walled in,” we have the same opportunity as Orpheus to focus on making the world a better place. He reminds us not to use material goods as the only source of satisfaction and happiness, but to look deeper for the music striking cords of love, humanity, equality, peace, and spirituality.

At ﬁrst it was the idea of Orpheus, who believes if he could just write something beautiful enough, he could move the heart of stone. He could change the way the world is.

16 APPLAUSE • MAR – MAY 2022 • 303.893.4100 • DENVERCENTER.ORG SEP 7 - 25, 2022AUG 30 - SEP 11, 2022 NOV 2 - 20, 2022 DEC 7, 2022-JAN 1, 2023 SUPPORTADDITIONAL SPONSORSEASON GET TICKETS AT denvercenter.org OCT 25 - NOV 6, 2022 DEC 20, 2022 - JAN 1, 2023 JAN 24 - FEB 5, 2023 FEB 21 - 26, 2023 MAY 31 - JUN 4, 2023 Our upcoming Broadway and Cabaret shows cater to the die-hard musical fans, drama aﬁcionados, and practical jokers in every family. Buy tickets for your must-see shows today to lock in the best possible seats and performance dates. DEC 10 & 11, 2022

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Co-world premiere presented at Barrington Stage (Julianne Boyd, Artistic Director; Branden Huldeen, Artistic Producer) Pittsfield, MA, July 2018

THE CHINESE LADY is presented by special arrangement with Dramatists Play Service, Inc., New York.”

SCENIC DESIGN BY Alan E. Muraoka

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

Developed with support of the Roe Green Award at Cleveland Play House.

DIRECTED BY Seema Sueko

CASTING BY Grady Soapes, CSA MANAGEMENTPRODUCTIONBY Matthew Campbell

DRAMATURGY BY Katherine Chou

Chris Coleman, Artistic Director Charles Varin, Managing Director

Commissioned by and co-world premiere presented by Ma-Yi Theater Company (Ralph B. Peña, Artistic Director) in New York City

LIGHTING DESIGN BY Charles R. MacLeod

LADYCHINESETHE

THE SINGLETON THEATRE • SEPT 9 – OCT 16, 2022

present BY LLOYD SUH

With Narea Kang, Sky Smith Stage Managers: Malia Stoner, Kristin Sutter

SOUND DESIGN BY André Pluess

VOICE DIALECTANDBY Eva Breneman

THE CHINESE LADY

COSTUME DESIGN BY Meghan Anderson Doyle

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(In order of appearance)

Atung..........................................................................................................................................................................................

Stage Manager

Discovers: Talent Showcase produced by ABC network’s casting team.

Malia Stoner Assistant Stage Manager

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

SKY SMITH

CAST

NYOff-Broadwayrecently(He/Him/His)(Atung)mostperformedinthepremiereof

Kristin Sutter Stage Management Apprentice Angela Salazar Intimacy Consultant Samantha Egle

Sky is a graduate of NYU Tisch School of the Arts and the Atlantic Theater Company. @sky.smi /

THE CHINESE LADY will be performed without an intermission.

PLAYWRIGHTesakiskysmith.com

LLOYD SUH is the author of The Chinese Lady, Charles Francis Chan Jr.’s Exotic Oriental Murder Mystery, American Hwangap, The Wong Kids in the Secret of the Space Chupacabra Go!, Jesus in India, and others, produced with Ma-Yi, Magic Theatre, EST, NAATCO, PlayCo, Denver Center, Milwaukee Rep, ArtsEmerson, Children’s Theatre Co, and more, including internationally at the Cultural Center of the Philippines and with PCPA in Seoul, Korea. He has received support from the NEA Arena Stage New Play Development program, Mellon Foundation, NYFA, NYSCA, Jerome, TCG, Dramatists Guild, and residencies including NYS&F and Ojai. He is an alum of Youngblood and the Soho Rep Writer/Director Lab and was a recipient of a 2016 Helen Merrill Award and the 2019 Herb Alpert Award in the Arts. From 2005-2010 he served as Artistic Director of Second Generation and Co-Director of the Ma-Yi Writers Lab and has served since 2011 as the Director of Artistic Programs at The Lark, and since 2015 as a member of the Dramatists Guild Council.

Afong Moy Narea Kang Sky Smith

The Lucky Star at 59E59 Theaters. Other theatre credits include: Twelfth Night, The Book of Will (Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival); Love’s Labour’s Lost (The Acting Company, Shakespeare Festival of St. Louis). Sky guest starred on “The Blacklist” (NBC) opposite James Spader, and was a performer in the prestigious ABC

SEEMA SUEKO (She/Her/Hers) is happy to return to Denver Center after directing Vietgone in 2018. Her current and upcoming projects include adapting Kiana Davenport’s novel Song of the Exile to a playscript, directing Silent Sky at Asolo Repertory Theatre (running January 19 – March 5, 2023), and organizing learning circles about Solidarity Economy for the theater community. Seema sits on Boards of Stage Directors and Choreographers Society (SDC) and its Foundation (SDCF) and is the 2022 recipient of the TCG Alan Schneider Director Award. For more information about Seema’s work visit

SETTING

EVA BRENEMAN (Voice and Dialect Coach). (She/Her/Hers). Regional credits include: As You Like It, Things I Know to Be True (Milwaukee Rep); seven seasons at American Players Theatre; R&J: A Theatre Lila Invention (Theatre Lila); Love’s Labour’s Lost (Actors Theatre of Louisville); Around the World In 80 Days (Centerstage/ Kansas City Repertory). Chicago credits include: Titanic (Court Theatre); The Last Match (Writers Theatre); Oslo (TimeLine Theatre); The Doppelganger (Steppenwolf); Mary Stuart (Chicago Shakespeare); Plantation! (Lookingglass Theatre), and Twilight Bowl (Goodman Theatre). National Tours: Mamma Mia!, The Woman in

DIRECTOR

ACTING COMPANY

CREATIVEwww.seemasueko.com.TEAM

WHO’S WHO

The United States, beginning in 1834

NAREA KANG (Afong Moy) (She/ Her/Hers) is thrilled to make her DCPA debut! Select regional credits include: And So That Happened... (5th Avenue Theatre); White Pearl (Studio Theatre); Caught (Intiman Theatre); The Hard Problem, A Christmas Carol, John (American Conservatory Theater); The Tempest (Livermore Shakespeare Festival). New York: Madonna col Bambino (Ars Nova); The Drinking Bird (New Ohio Theatre); Salty (Lyra Theater). TV/Film: “Law & Order: SVU,” “Betty,” Jules. Training: MFA, American Conservatory Theater. nareakang.com

LADYCHINESETHE

Currently production designer for “New Amsterdam” for NBC/Universal.

ANDRÉ PLUESS (Sound Designer). At the DCPA: Vietgone. Broadway: The Minutes (Cort/Studio 54); 33 Variations (Eugene O’Neill Theatre); I Am My Own Wife (Lyceum Theatre); Metamorphoses (Circle in the Square). Off-Broadway: The Clean House (Lincoln Center); Milk Like Sugar and BFE (Playwrights Horizons). Regional credits include multiple productions with the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Center Theatre Group, Arena Stage, Goodman, Steppenwolf, Chicago Shakespeare, Court Theatre, Berkeley Repertory, Williamstown Theatre Festival, La Jolla Playhouse, The Huntington, and South Coast Repertory. Based in Chicago, Andre is an ensemble member of Lookingglass Theatre Company.

GRADY SOAPES (Casting) (He/Him/ His) is the Director of Casting and Artistic Producer with the Denver Center for the Performing Arts. Selected casting credits include Rattlesnake Kate, Goodnight Moon, Indecent, A Doll’s House and A Doll’s House, Part 2 in repertory, Oklahoma!, Last Night and the Night Before, The Who’s Tommy, The Wild Party, A Christmas Carol, This Is Modern Art.

KATHERINE CHOU (Dramaturg). (She/ Her/Hers). Theatre credits include: The Chinese Lady, Non So Più Cosa Son, Three Women of Swatow (Artists at Play); In Search of Mrs. Pirandello (Montreal Fringe), and The Tashme Project (Montréal, arts interculturels). As a filmmaker, she has worked with directors Christopher Nolan, George Tillman, Jr., and Denise Di Novi on films including Dunkirk and The Hate U Give. Awards/Training: BA, L’Institut d’Études Politiques de Paris, BIFAN Fantastic Film School in South Korea, Imago Theatre’s ARTISTA Program in Montreal, Visual Communications’ Armed with a Camera Fellowship, Telling Our Stories presented by STARZ, The Wrap, and Women in Film.

MALIA STONER (Stage Manager) (She/Her/Hers). At the DCPA: Rattlesnake Kate, A Christmas Carol, A Doll’s House, The Santaland Diaries, New Play Summit ‘22 I Do! I Do!, Million Dollar Quartet (Arvada Center); Aubergine, Small Mouth Sounds, Around the World in 80 Days (TheatreWorks); Beehive the 60’s Musical (Lone Tree Arts Center); Lab 11: You Enjoy Myself (Local Theatre Company); Newsies, Man of La Mancha, Beauty and the Beast, Music Man, Slipper and the Rose, 42nd Street, Forever Plaid, A Wonderful Life, Evita and Kiss Me, Kate (Candlelight Dinner Playhouse); Gypsy, Addams Family, Aida, Godspell (Little Theatre of the Rockies); Coppelia (Colorado Ballet Academy); Nutcracker (Colorado Dance Theatre).

KRISTIN SUTTER (Assistant Stage Manager) (She/Her/Hers). At the DCPA: In the Upper Room National Tours: Something Rotten!, A Christmas Story: The Musical, and The Buddy Holly Story. International: Something Rotten! (Korea), The Buddy Holly Story (Canada). Other credits include: Bright Star, A Christmas Carol, Million Dollar Quartet, Elf (Arvada Center); The Christians (Riverside Theatre); Footloose, Ring of Fire, The Marvelous Wonderettes, …Spelling Bee (West Virginia Public Theatre); Caroline or Change, Band Geeks!, Lombardi, Avenue Q, Sweeney Todd (Human Race Theatre Company); Crazy for You, Bonnie & Clyde (Ocean Professional Theatre Company); Love Quirks (World Premiere, NYC); Grease (Eldorado Casino); Ring of Fire (Laguna Playhouse). Training: BFA, Wright State University.

Grady also works as a Casting Director for Sylvia Gregory Casting where he has cast commercials for Subaru, Fruit of the Loom and has been an associate on several TV, film and video games projects. Choreography credits include Goodnight Moon, Anna Karenina, As You Like It, Drag Machine, Lord of the Butterflies, DragON (Denver Center); Comedy of Errors (Colorado Shakespeare Festival); The Liar (Arvada Center); The Music Man (Perry-Mansfield) as well as Artist in Residence at Colorado State University in 2010. Grady is the producer of the Colorado New Play Summit and former producer of the Colorado New Play STAGEFestival.MANAGEMENT

Black. TV: “Betrayal,” “The Chicago Code,” “The Beast.” Eva is an Associate Artist at Timeline Theatre in Chicago.

LADYCHINESETHE

ALAN E. MURAOKA (Scenic Designer). Our Town by Ned Rorem, Oklahoma!, and Dead Man Walking by Jake Hagee (Central City Opera); The Invention of Morel by Steward Copeland (Chicago Opera Theater and Long Beach Opera); The Fall of the House of Usher by Phillip Glass, Orpheus and Euridice by Ricky Ian Gordon (Long Beach Opera); The Ghost of Versailles by John Corigliano, Figaro 90210, and Il Barbiere di Siviglia (Chautauqua Opera); Vincent in Brixton, Trying, and Edward Albee’s Who’s Afraid of Virgina Woolf? (The Old Globe Theater).

As You Like It, Sweat, Native Gardens, One Night in Miami, Appoggiatura, The Diary of Anne Frank, Lydia, The Merry Wives of Windsor, 1001, The 39 Steps, Gem of the Ocean, All My Sons, Death of a Salesman, Lord of the Flies For DCPA Cabaret: The Other Josh Cohen, The Improvised Shakespeare Company®, Xanadu, First Date, The Secret Comedy of Women (Denver and National Tour), The Last Five Years, Always…Patsy Cline. For DCPA Education: Corduroy, Goodnight Moon Mr. MacLeod has been a member of the Theatre Company since 1983. www.charlesmacleod.com

MATTHEW CAMPBELL (Production Manager). (He/Him/His). Matthew is incredibly grateful to be back at work supporting our outstanding production team and guest artists creating extraordinary theatre after so many difficult months away. He started at the DCPA in 2010 as a stage manager and in 2016 joined the production management team. Previously a stage manager at several local theatres and an Assistant Professor of Theater at Brooklyn College. Training: MFA, University of Iowa.

CHARLES R. MACLEOD (Lighting Designer). At the DCPA (300+ productions/40 seasons): Recent designs include: In the Upper Room,

MEGHAN ANDERSON DOYLE (Costume Designer). (She/Her/Hers). DCPA credits include: The Other Josh Cohen, Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, A Doll’s House and A Doll’s House, Part 2 (2020 Henry Award Outstanding Costume Design), Xanadu!, American Mariachi, The Wild Party, The Glass Menagerie, Sweet & Lucky, One Night in Miami, Appoggiatura, and nearly 20 other productions. Other Theatres: The Book of Will, Two Gentlemen of Verona (Colorado Shakespeare Festival); Stick Fly, The Moors, The Drowning Girls (Arvada Center); The Secretary, The Cake, The Brother/Sister Plays (Curious Theatre Company); The Catamounts; Local Theatre Company; Theatre Aspen; The Aurora Fox; National Theatre Conservatory Rep. Meghan holds an M.F.A. in Costume Design from the University of Florida. DoyleCostumeDesign.com

THEATRE LEADERSHIPCOMPANYTEAM

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

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

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

Costume Designer: Meghan Anderson Doyle

PLEASE BE ADVISED

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

Scenic Designer: Alan E. Muraoka

In 1988, Chris founded Actor’s Express in Atlanta (in the basement of an old church), a company that continues to be a cultural force in the Southeast today. He has directed at major theaters across the country, including Oregon Shakespeare Festival, the Alliance Theater, Dallas Theater Center, Baltimore Center Stage, Actors Theatre of Louisville, ACT/Seattle, the Asolo, Pittsburgh Public, 59E59, and New York Theater Workshop. He and his husband, actor/writer Rodney Hicks, live in Reunion with their 100 lb. English blockhead yellow lab and their 18 lb. terrier mix. Since moving to Colorado, he has hiked Dominguez Canyon, wandered at the Cliff Dwellings of Mesa Verde, explored a working mine in Creede, and rafted down the Arkansas River.

#TheatreCompany#TheChineseLady@denvercenter

Playwright: Lloyd Suh

The Director is a member of the STAGE DIRECTORS AND CHOREOGRAPHERS SOCIETY, a national theatrical labor union.

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

EVERY PLAY HAS A STORY Visit the DCPA NewsCenter for in-depth coverage of the Colorado arts scene, bonus content from your favorite shows, and local tips for your next adventure downtown — all from nationally recognized writers. LEARN denvercenter.org/news-centerMORE

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

CHRIS COLEMAN (Artistic Director) is passionate about the connection between stories and community. He joined the DCPA Theatre Company as Artistic Director in November of 2017 and has directed Rattlesnake Kate, Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night, A Doll’s House, Anna Karenina, and Oklahoma!. Previously, Chris served as Artistic Director for Portland Center Stage in Oregon for 18 years. Under his leadership, PCS renovated the city’s historic Armory into a new home, saw annual attendance nearly double, workshopped 52 new plays that went on to productions at over 100 theaters around the US and UK, and became a national leader in how theaters engage with their community.

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

Sound Designer: André Pluess

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

The Denver Center for the Performing Arts (DCPA) is one of the largest non-proﬁt theatre organizations in the nation, presenting Broadway tours and producing theatre, cabaret, musicals, and innovative immersive plays. In its 2019/20 season, the DCPA engaged with more than 672,000 visitors, generating a $131 million economic impact in ticket sales alone.

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

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

Lighting@mdoyle19Designer: Charles R. MacLeod

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

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.)

In addition to DCPA staff, the following crew worked on this production: Delaney Althauser, Andy Bruning, Chris Foehse, Katarina Kosmopoulos, Loren Martin, Nikki Mayer, Connor Robertson.

TAKING PHOTOS AT THE THEATRE

LADYCHINESETHE

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

Director: Seema Sueko @seema_sueko

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

On

Event sponsorships and tickets are currently available.

303.750.6060 PhaseOneLandscapes.com email@phaseonelandscapes.com incredible outdoor spaces for your home or business Creating unique outdoor living is our mission. Helping you realize your dreams …. Is our passion! Contact us today for your free consultation Buchanan Rec Center Fields 32003 Ellingwood Trail Evergreen, CO www.evergreenfineartsfestival.com80439 FINE ART Food, Live Music, Fun for the whole family Saturday and Sunday August 27 & 28, 2022 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.

in 24 people will get colorectal cancer. October 1, you can help change the odds

The Blue Hope Bash will feature cocktails, dinner, guest speakers, music, an auction, and interactive games of chance to support Changing the Odds for good.

ccalliance.org/bhbdenver

Please join the Colorectal Cancer Alliance at the Blue Hope Bash Denver.

BLUE HOPE BASH DENVER: Changing the Odds

Saturday, October 1, 2022

ccalliance.org/bhbdenver

Screen, Care, and Cure are the three pillars guiding the Alliance’s work and are instrumental in Changing the Odds to help put an end to colorectal cancer in our lifetime.

THE SEAWELL BALLROOM AT THE DENVER CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS

The DCPA Event Services team is here to partner with you for every aspect of your next big event! Create an experience for the record books with immaculate catering, dramatic lighting design, our theatre-quality A/V system, professional staffing — the works — all coordinated by one team under one roof.

DCPA Event Services

LEARN MORE DENVERCENTER.ORG/VENUE-RENTALS

A NEW IMMERSIVE EXPERIENCE Created by Academy, Grammy and Tony Award-winning artist DAVID BYRNE (American Utopia) & writer MALA GAONKAR AUG 31 - DEC 18 | YORK STREET YARDS | TICKETS ON SALE NOW Caution: the brain may wander. Side effects may include a distrust of your own senses, a disorientation of self, and a mild to severely good time. You may not be who you think you are. But we’re all in it together. LEARN MORE MORELEARN LEARN MORE MORELEARNThis project has been funded in part by a grant from the Colorado Tourism Office. Theater of the Mind is supported in part by Science Sandbox, an initiative of the Simons Foundation. Additional support from Scientific and Cultural Facilities District. O -Center THEATER OF THE MIND

EVENTS.SPECTACULAR SIMPLIFIED.

SHOPS, AND ENTE RJAl�MENT YENUES DENVERPAVILIONS.COM 40 SHOPS, RESTAURANTS AND ENTERTAINMENT VENUES DENVERPAVILIONS.COM J oin us for an evening celebrating our Veterans at the Denver Downtown Aquarium’s newly redone Nautilus Ballroom! Enjoy a VIP visit and photo opportunity with the Aquarium’s Animal Ambassadors, and tour the beautiful Aquarium Appetizersexhibits!inthefabulous Dive Lounge, full-course wine pairing dinner in the Nautilus ballroom, Amazing Silent Auction offerings, and enjoy the fun of our famous dessert auction! ALL PROCEEDS FROM THIS FUN EVENING GO TOWARDS SUPPORTING THE HEALING WARRIORS PROGRAM CLINICS IN FORT COLLINS, DENVER, COLORADO SPRINGS AND LONGMONT. Healing Warriors Program is a non-profit 501(c)(3) Tax Exempt Charitable Organization. Tax ID: 45-5093751 Registered VA vendor and Platinum Guidestar Charity. CCC# 1401 | CFC# 14114 www.HealingWarriorsProgram.org | 970-776-VETS (8387) Gala STAR SPANGLED SATURDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2022, 4:30 - 9:00 PM DENVER DOWNTOWN AQUARIUM BALLROOM 700 Water St., Denver, CO 80221 or go www.HealingWarriorsProgram.orgto

THEATER OF THE MIND

BY DR. NICOLE GARNEAU

22 APPLAUSE • AUG – OCT 2022 • 303.893.4100 • DENVERCENTER.ORG asks: If you are made of your MEMORIES, and those memories are MALLEABLE, then who are YOU?

Back to Theater of the Mind ’s starting point, you find that all those perceptions and preconceived notions are shed when see yourself differently. It is quite liberating really. Think about it, when else are you given permission, in fact encouraged, to let your fixed identity go and see the world anew? This is how you begin your journey, which leads me to the final aspect.

Andrew Scoville, the show’s director, feels the same way. He grinned when I shared this, and in excitement told me “I am a storyteller who loves science!” Scoville, in addition to loving science, loves a challenge. As the architect of the process that gives Theater of the Mind its framework, he knew it was going to be “a challenge in the most positive way.” In eﬀect, Scoville and the team set out to create a world of lived experiences, memories and self-reﬂection, in which the rest of us are then invited to play.

Next up, the team needed to set the stage, ﬁguratively and immediately, for the show’s entry point. Guests would need to be in the right frame of mind in order to get the most of the experience. This is because audience members become part of the narrative. I don’t want to give too much away, so all I can say is that the creative team has clever ways of centering audience members in the story and challenging their sense of identity. Neuroscience supports this move.

Here’s why: your memories are malleable, and greatly inﬂuenced by emotion and sensory perception. Both are key parts of your nervous system, sending clues to your brain about what is going on around you and how you should feel about it. But you can’t take in everything, you simply don’t have the short-term memory space. Your brain needs to be selective. All that incoming data is ﬁltered to capture only what is essential in that moment. The result?

This is how your mind creates the stories of you. This is perception.

Pattern recognition is the experience of similar events, over and over, such that your brain recognizes and reacts with increasing speed, creating an automatic behavior. Quick action in the face of a threat leads to survival in the traditional sense. Pattern recognition in the face of true danger is imperative. But I wonder how these automatic habits play out in your everyday life. Might you have some automatic behaviors that are rooted in fear, or shame, maybe guilt or conditioning? Theater of the Mind aims to quiet these automatic brain patterns. It creates a space where you are asked to free yourself from filtering pattern recognition through your personal lens. It offers playful and mind-blowing experiments in which to test this out, and in the end, it seeks to engage you with a new way of thinking. It allows you to explore what it means to experience yourself in the world without the same fixed perspective.

This brings us back to Byrne’s original question, “If you are made of your memories, and those memories are malleable, then who are you?” In my interview with Oﬀ-Center’s Executive Director & Curator, Charlie Miller, he put it another way, “If memory and identity are malleable, meaning nothing is ﬁxed, what else is possible?” A curious question I look forward to exploring.

AUG 31 – DEC 18 YORK STREET YARDS Accessible services available. Please check denvercenter.org/accessible for full details. T

A very malleable and often unreliable memory. In fact, layers upon layers of these memories, tied to emotions, tied to your senses. All dictating your every move, your views, thoughts and your very identity.

This is the question that multimedia artist, David Byrne (American Utopia, Talking Heads, Reasons to Be Cheerful, A History of the World in Dingbats) posed to me. Byrne has been asking this question for decades. In his early 20s he found himself fascinated with the work of neurophysiologist Warren McCulloch and thus began a journey that led him, 40 years later, to cowriter Mala Gaonkar, and their creation, Theater of the Mind Theater of the Mind is the newest, and arguably most ambitious, production of DCPA Oﬀ-Center. It doesn’t just explore the human brain; it allows YOU to explore YOUR brain through story and science. As a scientist who loves storytelling, it is like nothing I have ever seen or experienced.

It is immersive art on a most massive scale. It has inner technological workings that are beyond belief. If that weren’t courageous enough, the experience is built upon the fallacy of human perception. It is designed to unlock the cage of the mind. No small potatoes here. Theater of the Mind aims to play big. To do so, the creative team tackled three aspects unique only to this type ofTheproduction.ﬁrstwas the casting of unicorns, 14 of them to be exact. Not only are the actors in the production exceptional at their trade, but as Scoville relayed to me, “We didn’t just need actors, we needed conversationalists! People who could tell a story and conﬁdently put you at ease.” But that wasn’t all Scoville was looking for, he also needed them to facilitate actual experiments and navigate each group of 16 from beginning to end. No small task, but they did it.

THEATER OF THE MIND

The team needs your complete buy-in. You meet your Guide, a shade of sorts, who weaves you into the very center of their story. You will experience their memories as seen through the eyes of their death, as they attempt to square up truth in order to understand who they truly are. For this to work, you need a space that shakes up your pattern recognition, a key feature of perception.

Dr. Nicole Garneau is a geneticist and neuroscientist who speaks, consults and writes about the human experience in order to shatter the shame of mental health. Connect with Dr. Nicole Garneau at www.drnicolegarneau.com and @DocGarneau.

24 APPLAUSE • AUG – OCT 2022 • 303.893.4100 • DENVERCENTER.ORG

Since its opening, The Ramble continues to support the art community — commissioning muralists to paint exterior walls, partnering with the RiNo Art District to host traveling artists, repurposing a shipping container into a free, pop-up artist residency that allows them to create and sell their work and hosting the Invisible City Series each winter which features out-of-the box acts and artistic endeavors that allow guests to engage with some of the city’s most interesting creative communities.

The Ramble’s efforts to create a timeless structure that evoked both the nostalgia and permanence of the past with a modern interpretation were rewarded upon its opening in 2018 when it was named one of the world’s “Top 18 New Hotels” by Architectural Digest. Featuring a high level of masonry not often seen in new-build projects, local artists were commissioned to build furniture, create artwork showcased throughout and — most notably — design and build the grand, three-arched, mirrored bar that is the gemstone of the hotel’s lobby and operated by Death & Co, one of the most significant and influential bars to emerge from the current craft cocktail revival.

As such, our support of the Denver Center for the Performing Arts is both natural and sincere: Performance art continues to grow within our city and we are very keen to support it. Currently, The Ramble is collaborating with local theater company OddKnock, with guestroom packages that include access to their inaugural Denver immersive theater work, From on High, and later this year The Ramble will be a sponsor of Theater of the Mind, another immersive theater experience created by world-renowned musician David Byrne. The Ramble Hotel will oﬀer guests a one-of-a-kind, in-room experience as well as mind-bending food and drink journeys created in partnership with the show, local neuroscientists and Death & Co Denver.

L

Located just north of downtown Denver in the River North Art District, or RiNo, The Ramble Hotel is locally owned and operated. As the ﬁrst hotel to open in RiNo — a neighborhood that is home to a remarkable concentration of creative businesses such as art galleries, furniture makers, illustrators, painters, photographers, sculptors and more — the connection between the hotel and the art community is intrinsic, but also thoughtfully fostered by the hotel.

PROUD SPONSOR OF DCPA OFF-CENTER’S THEATER OF THE MIND

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Why Dancing is So Good

26 APPLAUSE • AUG – OCT 2022 • 303.893.4100 • DENVERCENTER.ORG

PROUD SEASON SPONSOR OF DCPA BROADWAY

Like with any exercise, dancing gets the blood and oxygen moving through the body, which can improve the condition of the heart and lungs. Building strength adds muscle tone, that in turn supports the bones, while giving the body more endurance and better range of motion. Stronger bones mean less risk of osteoporosis. And overall, dancing will improve coordination, agility and ﬂexibility.

BY LINNEA COVINGTON

Let’s not skip the mental benefits. Exercise has long been associated with increasing serotonin, that hormone that makes us feel happy. The Colorado Ballet and the Parkinson Association of the Rockies with support from the University of Colorado School of Medicine Physical Therapy Program, Rhythm and Grace: Dance for PD, uses dance to address such Parkinson’s-specific concerns as balance, flexibility, coordination, isolation and depression. “Overall, the health benefits are tremendous,” said Dr. Metzl.

You don’t have to be a professional ballerina or have studied dance since childhood in order to reap the beneﬁts of movement. Dancers come in all ages and sizes, the main point is to enjoy it and get your body moving. “Dance is an art form that is beneﬁcial from a very young age, to a professional level and even for senior citizens,” said Dr. Metzl. “I would strongly encourage anyone that enjoys watching dance toYouparticipate.”don’tneed a studio or class to start. Just throw on that track that makes your body want to move and start dancing.

Hadestown North American Tour. Photo by T Charles Erickson.

While dance is something we can both do and watch for pleasure, the movement goes beyond entertainment. It’s actually good for your body and “Dancingmind.isexcellent for your health, and it’s a wonderful example of an activity where art and sport meet,” said Dr. Joshua A. Metzl, MD, the head orthopedic physician for the Colorado Ballet, as well as an assistant team physician for the Denver Broncos, Colorado Rockies and Colorado Rapids. “Dance is a total body workout, including the cardiovascular and musculoskeletal systems, as well as the brain.”

DANCE FOR YOUR HEALTH

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Best part? You can dance just about anywhere. And for free-ﬂowing movement, no instruction is required.

While dancing is good for you and fun, it can cause injury. But don’t fear it, just prepare. “Most dance related injuries that present to my practice involve situations where a dancer has increased their volume too quickly without appropriate strength training or is simply dancing too frequently for what their body can tolerate,” advises Dr. Metzl, who also works for UCHealth Steadman Hawkins Clinic Denver. “My best advice would be to consistently and regularly maintain core strength and to decrease dance volume or seek medical advice if discomfort persists.”Andstretching, lots of stretching.

At the end of the night, Talia Liccardello, who won for her direction of Littleton’s Into the Woods summed it up: “It feels good. I want people to know theatre is hard work, but it is so worth it.”

BY JOHN MOORE

Winners were determined by a team of local adjudicators who considered musical productions from 41 Colorado high schools in 18 counties, most of which also took part in workshops facilitated by DCPA Teaching Artists.

Moore.JohnandMcLeod9CreativebyPhotos

CAMARADERIE OVER COMPETITION IN THE BOBBY GS

In all, about 3,500 students participated in this year’s program, and with nearly 32,000 participants since 2013.

Sara Sachs summed up the Bobby G Awards on May 26 when she accepted the Outstanding Scenic Design Award for Overland’s Sister Act

“The real Bobby G Award is the friends you make along the way,” Sachs said to a crowd of 2,000 at the Ellie Caulkins Opera House. The Bobby G Awards, which celebrate achievements in high school musical theatre, are essentially the Colorado state championships for thespians. John Ekeberg, Executive Director of DCPA Broadway, remarked on how energizing it was to resume the inperson awards: “We are in a world where we can use as much joy as possible.” And there was about as much joy as could ﬁt in the room that night.

Each year, the 10 nominated Outstanding Actors and Actresses prepare an original medley to perform at the ceremony before the winners are announced. This year’s honorees were Thomas Beeker (Harold Hill in The Music Man, Frederick High School) and Madison Manning (Deloris Van Cartier in Overland’s Sister Act).

The Bobby Gs emphasize camaraderie over competition. All ﬁve Outstanding Musical nominees were invited to perform songs from their productions. While Aurora’s Overland High School took the top prize with Sister Act, the nominees were Chaparral (9 to 5, the Musical ), Lakewood (Anastasia), Littleton (Into the Woods), and Palmer Ridge (Once Upon a Mattress).

A GRAND FINALE TO

KSL Capital Partners, LLC

Les

EstateJoanneDianaMellyKevinBetsyKeyJoeDeborahMarthaMarkLarkFrankRosemaryJanetGailC.RogerDaniyalMichaelL.AmberMarkTheRobertSusieKristinJonHelenHealthONEJenniferAlbertCariMartinRaymondJanDr.PatrickMarilouGreenGriegoHamillDoritHammerlingHammond&NicholeHanJ.&JulieS.HarringtonHarrisHattemHavercroft-Miller&GregMillerG.BonﬁlsFoundationSeay&RobinHepplerHindsHinkle&DianeHochstadtHonorableMichaelR.Homyak&KatharineHonnenHuman&LukeDeaversRoger&MeredithHutson/HRMResources,LLC&PattyImhoﬀInamullahJensenHoward&Dorsey*JohnsonJohnsonJohnsonJonassen&MartiJudsonKatchurKawakamiKelceKellyKelsoBankColoradoKiley&SteveKnox&DorotaKilstromKinnard&MikeKinsey&JohnKirbyofElizabethT.Kirkpatrick

Thank you to our Grander Opening capital campaign donors!

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William LaBahn

MarkStanJoFernJulieSammyMirandaJulieDavidChristinaGerardRickHassanLorraineTheMarisaNicoleAudreyEricMaryLyndeRollieMannyDickNigelDanielGregLindaBlairWilliamCarolineJJPPamPamSusanCasonEssieFedericoRickMarkJulieDr.ParkhurstC.LeeParmleyParsons&FrankNowell&JuliePawlakPederson&CindyPenaPerlmutter&RachelPierceFoxPinkowitz&TedPinkowitz&DonPiroPittockFamilyFoundationRapalyea&BethReid&KristinRichardsonRiegerRindone&KendyCusick-RindoneL.RitchieRobbinsRobinsonRodriguez&CarolinaLyonR.KelleyFamilyFoundationRosarioRossRothRothenberg&PeterRuethRybarSalahFoundationSalazar&SheilaSalem&ShellySapkin/EdgemarkLLC&DottieScarsellaSchneider&EvaSchoonmakerSchumakerSchwarckScoma&JamieScottSeltzer&MartinSemple&SarahSenaSexton&TheSextonFamilyFoundation

Rebecca Kuusinen

Kathleen Kurtz

The Denver Center for the Performing Arts is grateful for the generous support of our community. More than 350 individuals, companies and foundations contributed $17 million to create a world-class home for our world-class productions. Additionally, the residents of Denver invested $19 million through the Elevate Denver bond fund to ensure the future of theatre in our community.

Monica Knowles

ArtisChristopherSigit-SidhartaSilverman & Stephen Carmel

A GRANDER OPENING

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Xcel Energy understands that arts and cultural programing plays a pivotal role in shaping our communities. The arts create opportunities for education, expression, dialogue and shared experiences that lift people up and bring them together. That is why Xcel Energy donates thousands of dollars every year to organizations like the Denver Center for the Performing Arts that foster cultural expression and inclusion and build community strength and vitality.

PROUD SPONSOR OF NIGHT ALIVE

30 APPLAUSE • AUG – OCT 2022 • 303.893.4100 • DENVERCENTER.ORG

SATURDAY

X

Xcel Energy is also committed to delivering safe, reliable, low-cost, clean energy and is advancing the clean energy transition, with a vision of serving our customers net-zero energy by 2050. That’s across all the ways you use energy: heating, electricity, and transportation. From switching to energy-eﬃcient LED bulbs to making energy-saving decisions together, it’s the people in Colorado that’ll help advance this change. You. Us. Together.

Learn more at https://co.my.xcelenergy.com/s/community.

AND CAMP CHRISTMAS

BEING INVOLVED IN OUR COMMUNITIES KEEPS XCEL ENERGY CONNECTED.

Xcel Energy employee volunteers in partnership with 40 West Arts painted a ground mural in Lakewood, Colorado. The mural increased connectivity to a park and the local neighborhood.

together.andliftexperiencesanddialogueexpression,foropportunitiescreateeducation,sharedthatpeopleupbringthem —

ENERGY

The arts XCEL

BY BRITTANY GUTIERREZ

T Education & Community Engagement TODAYENROLLDENVERCENTER.ORGDCPAEDUCATIONADULT | TEEN | CHILD ALL SKILL LEVELS WELCOME Sponsored by AusendaGiorgiobyPhotos & Sharpen your skills with guidance from theatre professionals! A CELEBRATION OF COMMUNITY

“I am thrilled that the DCPA has formed a beautiful collaboration with our community partners to provide a space to come together and celebrate,” said DCPA Director of Community Engagement Jesús Quintana Martínez. “I believe in the saying, ‘La unión hace la fuerza’ or ‘strength through unity,’ and this event is a living example of what we can do when we come together. ¡Comunidad, Cultura y Fiesta! would not be possible without our vibrant Colorado community!”

VIEW MORE SERIOUS TRAINING SERIOUS FUN

The evening started with four local businesses providing food for the evening ranging from tacos to mangonada by Cabron Carbon, La Machaca, DGO Mexican Grill and La Bonita Neveria y Paleteria with DJing by Soldevila Music Project. The event did not stop there with multi-instrumentalist Miguel Soldevila performing for the audience to get the party started.

The Fiesta was a partnership between the Denver Center for the Performing Arts, Colorado Symphony and Denver Arts & Venues. The partnership also brought together fellow Denver Latiné community organizations — the Mexican Cultural Center and Museo de las Americas providing art displays and Colectiva curating the talent.

Following Soldevila, ArtistiCO took to the stage to perform beautiful folklorico dancing. ArtistiCO ended the Fiesta with a bang when they invited attendees to get on their feet and learn some salsa dancing. With the Fiesta energy high, attendees moved to the Wolf Theatre and stepped into the fantastical world of Quixote Nuevo where the crowd was joined by playwright Octavio Solis making it a night to remember. CULTURE

The community came together on June 9, under the glass rooftop of downtown’s Arts Complex to celebrate the Hispanic and Latiné community. The free ¡Comunidad, Cultura y Fiesta! kicked oﬀ a performance of DCPA Theatre Company’s Quixote Nuevo and brought nearly 400 attendees throughout the evening to experience delicious food, incredible dancing and engaging music.

NIGHTSATURDAYALIVE

Saturday Night Alive 2022 transported 500 guests to the glamour and glitz of the Moulin Rouge. Held on June 25, the DCPA’s 41st annual fundraiser raised over $830,000 for arts and education. Lynn & Kevin McDonald of the Genesee Mountain Foundation were honored with the Daniel L. Ritchie Spotlight Award for their outstanding philanthropic contributions to DCPA Education including Theater for Young Audiences.Thesoiree included an online luxury items featuring DCPA VIP Theatre experiences, travel packages all over the world courtesy of hotel partner the Westin Denver Downtown, a seated, three course dinner, and a memorable performance by Moulin Rouge!

A SPECTACULAR

The Musical

Since its inception, Saturday Night Alive has raised more than $22.5 million to support locally produced plays, onsite acting classes and in-school educational programs.

Genesee Mountain Foundation

TALK ABOUT SPECTACULAR!SPECTACULARA

The evening was led by Trustees Chairs Carolina & Manny Rodriguez, Corporate Chair Kyle Chism of Turner Construction, and Community Chairs Jackie & Jerome Davis.

32 APPLAUSE • AUG – OCT 2022 • 303.893.4100 • DENVERCENTER.ORG

Nets $30,000+ to Support Women in Theatre

More than $30,000 was raised to elevate the work of women playwrights and directors at the DCPA. Since the fund was established, proceeds have enabled the DCPA Theatre Company to produce 38 plays by women, commission 24 female playwrights and hire 37 female directors. Special thanks to event sponsors HealthONE, Moxxy Women, Adrienne Ruston Fitzgibbons, Kendra Scott, A Design Resource, Mariel and Serendipity Catering.

More than 450 beautifully bedecked guests adorned the Seawell Ballroom when the Denver Center for the Performing Arts’ Women with Hattitude luncheon returned! This 15th beneﬁt of the DCPA’s Women’s Voices Fund was chaired by Jennifer Dechtman with support from a 24-member host committee of Denver Center Alliance representatives.Thedayfeatured a social & networking hour; lunch by Serendipity Catering; musical performances by Sheryl McCallum, David Nehls and Angela Steiner, and the everpopular fashion show of the day’s most spectacular hats.

2022 SPONSORS PLATINUM SPONSORS Turner Construction Company U.S. Bank GOLD SPONSORS The Anschutz Foundation Brisa & Mark Carleton DorotaCIBC & Kevin MDC/RichmondKilstromAmerican Homes Foundation Mile High United Way Morgridge Family Foundation Salah XcelWestinFoundationDenverDowntownEnergyFoundation

Mark your calendar for our next Women with Hattitude on May 4, 2023.

John Hess Manager, Sales & Business

Michaele Davidson Treasury Accountant

Abel Becerra Technical Director

Evan Gendreau Associate Director

Ruben Cruz Network Engineer

Christopher Coleman Artistic Director

Megan Stewart Manager, Events

Jennifer Siemers Director, Accounting

David Saphier Teaching Artist & Manager, In-School Programming

Douglas Taylor+ Supervisor

Grady Soapes Artistic Producer & Director of Casting Production

Glen Lucero Director

Heidi Echtenkamp Supervisor Robin Appleton^, Amber Donner^, David La Beaux^, Lauren LaCasse, Lisa Parsons Wagner^ Dressers Jerome Horng, Marisa Sorce Wig Assistants

Brian Carter, Lizette Collazos Directors

Jana Mitchell Charge Scenic Artist Kristin Hamer MacFarlane, Melanie Rentschler Scenic Artists

Allison Watrous Executive Director

Donna Hendricks President & CEO Executive Assistant

Gretchen Hollrah COO

Danielle Freeman, Kassandra Lopez, Ella Mann Box Oﬃce Managers

Jane Williams CFO

Quentin Crump Manager, Security & Guest Relations

Kyle Greufe BI Developer

Charlie Miller Executive Director & Curator

Anna Cordova, Katy Gentry, Harper Hadley, Sage Hughes, Katie Liguori, Faith Markovetz TOTM ExperienceAttendants

Christina Adamoli*, D.J. Dennis*, Edmund Gurule*, Elias Lopez*, Hayley Solano*, Sam Stump* Counter/Show Leads Kirsten Anderson*, Scott Lix*, Brad Steinmeyer*, Greg Swan* Subscription Agents

Kirk Petersen Associate Director, Patron Relations

* Member, I.A.T.S.E. Local B-7 + Member, I.A.T.S.E. Local 7 ^ Member, I.A.T.S.E. Local 719

Merry Davis Financial Manager

Savanna SamanthaCampbell,Egle Event Managers

Bryan Faciane, Aaron McMullen, Leilani Lynch, Stacy Norwood, Valerie Schaefer, Elliott Shields Assistant Theatre Services Managers

Group Sales

Sabina Rivera Company Manager

Paul Johnson Payroll Specialist

Michael Morales

James Berman+, William Loving+, Stephen Mazzeno+, Kyle Moore+, Viktoria Padilla+, Matt Wagner+ Stagehands Joseph Price+ Assistant

Daniel Escobar Manager, Corporate Partnerships

Wardrobe

Emily Doherty Teaching Artist & Manager, Theatre for Young Audiences Programming

FACILITIES

Kristina Monge AccountsSpecialistPayable

Judy Briggs Front Desk

StageProductionManager

Charles MacLeod Director Lily Bradford Assistant Sound Design

Help Desk Analysts

Melissa Cashion Artistic Producer

Lisa Roebuck Vice President

Katie Spanos Associate Director, Subscriber Services

Charlotte Talbert Librarian

DCPA

Amanda Gomez Manager, Annual Fund Kaylie Groﬀ Coordinator

Tara Miller Manager, Event Operations

Katie Mount Manager, Email Marketing

Jacob Parker Manager, Data Applications&

Charles Varin Managing Director Paige Lindquist Assistant CompanyManager

Robin Lu Payne Director Meghan Markiewicz Supervisor Jamie Curl, Tory Fink, Georgina Kayes, Ashley Lawler Artisans Paint Shop

Lisa Prater Production COVIDOﬃSafetycer

Jesús Quintana Martínez Director, Community Engagement

Wisline Cledgett, Elliot Davis*, Jen Gray*, Claire Hayes, Chántel Healy*, Natalie Jaramillo*, Noah Jungferman*, Chris Leech, Michael Mathey*, Lane Randall*, Liz Sieroslawski*, Andrew Sullivan*, Dewey Tran Ticket Agents

Jane Deegan Administrator

Melissa Sumner Registrar & On Site Class Manager

Brenda Elliott, Paul Koob Senior Graphic Designers

Jason Begin+, Anna Hookana+ Core Stagehands

Kate Faust Coordinator

MadalaineAnthonyMcNally-Nakamura,Saavedra,WelchSecurity

Kinsey Scholl Operations Specialist

Marti Barthel, Corin Davidson, Rachel Ducat, Wendy Eastland, Stephanie Holmes, Anne Jude, Rick Mireles, Nick Nyquist, Katie An Siegel, Malia Stoner, Kristen ChristineSutter,Woods

Thomas Duﬃn Manager, Event Technology

Angie DevonSalazar,Weisnsch Stage ManagementApprentices

Megan Fevurly Manager, Grants & Reports

Julie Whelan Associate, Produced Programs

Costume Shop

Wigs

Theatre Services

Kyle Malone Director, Design

Calum Abeywickrema, Jodi Benavides, David Bright, Benjamin Koenig

MARKETING, SALES & PATRON MarketingSERVICES

Ann Marshall General Manager

EDUCATION COMMUNITY&ENGAGEMENT

Valerie Lingbloom GeneralAccountantLedger

Shane Hotle Audio Engineer

Alicia Bruce General Manager

Michael Kimbrough Manager, Engineering Brian McClain Manager, Custodial Casey Meschievitz Manager, Environmental Health & Safety

Brook Nichols Technical Director Brooke Wyatt Manager, Event Logistics

Maddie Young Coordinator

Justin Walvoord Teaching Artist & Manager, Shakespeare in the Parking Lot

Rachel Taylor Teaching Artist & Manager, Literary Engagement & Resiliency

Simone Gordon Program Manager

Staﬀ list current through July 11, 2022

Stuart Barr Technical Director

Brandon LeMarr SeniorAdministratorSystems

Artistic

TJ Forlenza Copywriter

Linda Eller Librarian

Janet Macleod Director/Design Associate Meghan Anderson Doyle Design Associate Catherine Gagnon First Hand Stephanie Cooper, Ingrid Ludeke, Carolyn Plemitscher Draper Costume Crafts

Erin Walker Senior Director

Stori Heleen-O’Foley Lighting, Team Lead

Billy Dutton AssociateOperationsDirector,

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

Emma Hunt CommunicationsCoordinator,&PR

Peggy Carey Associate ProductionManager

Lydia Garcia Executive Director, Equity & Organization Culture

Janice Sinden President & CEO

Janelle Vargas Manager, Web Content

Matthew Campbell Production Manager

Ashley Brown Business Manager

Emmy Cook BroadwayCoordinator,&Cabaret

Adam Busch Junior Systems Analyst

Brittany Gutierrez CommunicationsManager,

Dwight Barela, Mark Dill, Colton Ebersole, John Howard, Zak Merten Engineers

Linda Lang Project Manager

ACCOUNTING & FINANCE

Garner Galleria Theatre

Timothy McCracken Head of Acting

Jessica Bergin Associate Director

Nora Caley, Teresa Gould, Kaylyn Kriaski, Robin Lander, Myrisa Martin, Margaret Ohlander, Barbara Pooler, Wendy Quintana House Managers

Kevin Copenhaver Director Chris Campbell Assistant

Claire Graves Director, Produced Programs

Ticketing & Audience Services

Joseph Reecher Network & AdministratorSystems

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

Sara Brandenburg Director, Accounting Services

Jennifer Jeﬀrey Director, Financial Planning & Analysis

Elizabeth Schmit Executive Assistant & Community Engagement Manager

Whitney Staloch AssociateMajorDirector,Gifts

Lighting Design

Eric Moore Technical Director Albert “Stub” Allison, Robert L. Orzolek, Josh Prues Associate Technical Directors Tyler Clark, Amy Wynn Pastor, Kyle Scoggins Scenic Technicians Louis Fernandez III Lead Scenic Technician Brian “Marco” Markiewicz Lead Carpenter Prop Shop

Claudia Carson Teaching Artist & Manager, Playwriting & Bobby G Leslie Channell Director, Business Operations

Michael Ryan Leuthner Director, Digital Marketing

House Crew

Jeﬀ Hovorka Director, Sales & BroadwayMarketing,&Cabaret

Julie Schumaker Manager, Board Relations & COO Executive Assistant

DEVELOPMENT

Patrick Elkins-Zeglarski Director, Education & Curriculum Management

Stage Managers

Jamie Clements Vice President

Diana Ben-Kiki Supervisor

Scenic Design

Monica Robles Supervisor, Mailroom

John Ekeberg Executive Director

Roger Haak VIP Ticketing Manager

Specialists

Jennifer Lopez Director

Whitney Testa Executive Assistant, Marketing & Broadway

Heidi Bosk Associate Director, Press & Promotions, Broadway & Cabaret Soﬁa Contreras Graphic Designer

HUMAN RESOURCES

EVENT SERVICES

Marc Ravenhill Associate Director, Donor Relations

OFF-CENTER

Gabe

THEATRE AdministrationCOMPANY

Alexander Billman Supervisor Meagan Holdeman+, Timothy Schoeberl Technicians Stage Management

Vincent Bridgers Senior SystemTicketingAnalyst

Emily Lozow Manager, Broadway & Cabaret

Samuel Wood Teaching Artist & District Liaison

Sarah AllyssaMartinez,Welker

Scene Shop

Jeﬀ Giﬀord Director

Administration

34 APPLAUSE • AUG – OCT 2022 • 303.893.4100 • DCPADCPADENVERCENTER.ORGTEAMTEAM

Emily Kent Director, Insights & Strategy Lucas Kreitler Junior Graphic Designer

Lisa Orzolek Director Kevin NicholasNelson,Renaud Assistants

Suzanne Yoe Director, Content Communications&

Giorgio Ausenda Media Producer

David Mandlowitz, Ben Peitzer Video Engineers

Jon Collins Subscription Manager

Julie Brou Administrative Assistant/ Oﬃce Manager

BROADWAY & CABARET

Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue with Peter Oundjian Sep 16-18 Tribute To Stephen Sondheim with Mary-Mitchell Campbell Sep 23-24 Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons Oct 14-16 An Evening with Bernadette Peters and your Colorado Symphony Nov 12 2022/23 Season Tickets On Sale Now! Scan code to view all 2022/23 Season Events coloradosymphony.org | 303.623.7876 PROUDLY SUPPORTED BY

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