Podcast: Colorado’s immersive theatre scene at a crossroads

As Off-Center retreats, new players like DIRT, Audacious Immersive and Odd Knock bet big on permanent venues and original work – plus an interview with Audacious founder Ren Manley.

In this episode of the OnStage Colorado Podcast, hosts Alex Miller and Toni Tresca dive deep into Colorado’s booming immersive theatre scene in 2026 — exploring who’s building permanent venues, who’s pulling back and whether the state’s reputation as an immersive hotspot can survive the Denver Center’s Off-Center winding down its original programming.

Alex also reports back from Mexico City, where traveling mariachi bands and a guy with a falcon hopped aboard his canal boat in Xochimilco — proving that immersive performance is truly everywhere.

Later in the episode, Alex sits down with Ren Manley, founding artistic director of Audacious Immersive, who’s celebrating 10 years of scrappy, sense-driven theatre and launching a new year-round venue inside a progressive Baptist church in Denver — complete with mythological creatures, weekly RPG nights and magical mocktails.

Chapter summary

OnStage Colorado Podcast — March 3, 2026

Recent shows catchup — Alex was in Mexico City for a family baby shower and describes the colorful canal boats of Xochimilco with their traveling performers and mariachi bands. Toni saw Wonder Bound’s new world premiere collaboration with the Colorado Jazz Repertory Orchestra — a roaring twenties dance piece she found highly accessible and elaborately produced. She also reviewed The Runner Stumbles from Elemental Theater Company, which suffered from pacing issues due to slow set changes and uneven emotional transitions from the leads.

News: Arvada Center CEO — Noelle DeLage, currently Chief Communications and Philanthropy Officer at the Denver Zoo, has been named the next president and CEO of the Arvada Center, effective July 1. She brings strong fundraising credentials, including helping execute an $82 million capital campaign and building a single-day event that raises $1 million annually.

News: Colorado film commissioner lawsuit — Former state film commissioner Donald Zuckerman announced he intends to sue Colorado over wrongful termination. He claims his firing was retaliation and that executive director Eve Lieberman wanted to take credit for landing Sundance. He’s seeking a “hard apology” and legal fee reimbursement rather than damages.

News: Sundance 2027 venues — The festival announced official Boulder venues for January 21-31, 2027, including the Dairy, Boulder Theater, Boulder High School, Mackey Auditorium, Muenzinger Auditorium and several others — all within city limits as promised.

Main topic: Colorado’s immersive theater scene in 2026 — An in-depth discussion covering the state of immersive work locally. Key points include the Denver Center’s Off-Center winding down its in-house immersive development after the disappointing Sweet and Lucky reprise; DIRT (Denver Immersive Repertory Theater) opening in early May at 15th and Blake with a $1.6 million budget and their show Midnight’s Dream; Odd Knock Productions and new company Fictive collaborating on Cryptic, opening March 27 in RiNo; and updates on Immersive Denver’s networking efforts, Elevate Immersive and The Catamounts. The discussion explores whether smaller, scrappier companies may be better positioned for sustainability than large institutional or heavily capitalized ventures.

Interview: Ren Manley, Audacious Immersive — Founder and artistic director Ren Manley discusses Audacious’s 10th anniversary and their new year-round venue in the former coffee shop space at First Baptist Church of Denver. The inaugural theme is the Van Helsing Society — framed as a mythological creature research and conservation organization. Programming includes weekly RPG one-shots, lore drop nights with puppeteers, folklore story times for kids, a Celtic Festival with a Wolfwalkers screening, and a monster murder mystery in April. Ren describes the company’s evolution from a $1,000 startup to a venue-based operation, their collaborative model, and their goal of creating an accessible “themed third space.”

Upcoming on the site — New reviews of Decadent Desires at Wonderbound and Elemental’s The Runner Stumbles, plus Judith Sears’ review of I Remember Mama. Coming soon: Top Girls at Theatre Company of Lafayette, A Midsummer Night’s Dream at Colorado Ballet, Ride the Cyclone from City Theatre Company and Fully Committed at Theatre SilCo.