Buntport Theater’s New Rehearsal Space is Open For Business

Denver theatre troupe discusses its ongoing capital campaign, plans for a new show in May and (possibly) being neighbors with the Broncos

Over the last 25 years, most days at Buntport Theater have been spent discussing strange new plays, oddball props and whatever surreal premise the ensemble is cooking up next. Lately, though, the group has found itself discussing square footage, real estate deals and the potential ripple effects of a new stadium a few blocks away.

It isn’t exactly the material for one of its quirky comedies, although the five-person ensemble, Brian Colonna, Hannah Duggan, Erik Edborg, Erin Rollman and SamAnTha Schmitz, would probably find a way.

The Denver collective is in the midst of a $2.65 million capital campaign to buy its longtime home at 717 Lipan St., expanding from the one-third of the warehouse it has occupied since 2001 into the full 10,000-square-foot building. Along the way, the company has opened a new rehearsal and workshop space for artists across the city, continued producing original theatre and begun paying attention to a looming new neighbor: the proposed Denver Broncos stadium.

“We’ve opened a new accessible rehearsal space, we’re in the middle of a capital campaign, we’re renovating a building, we’re writing a new show and now we’re suddenly going to meetings about a possible Broncos stadium down the street,” Rollman said. “It’s one of those moments where you stop and think: how did all of this happen at once?”

The Buntport ensemble poses together in their newly opened rehearsal space. | Photo: Toni Tresca

How Buntport suddenly got bigger

The new rehearsal space came about faster than anyone expected. Last spring, a “for sale or lease” sign appeared outside the warehouse that Buntport has called home since 2001. For years, the ensemble had quietly wondered if it would ever be possible to buy the building, but the prospect had always seemed distant.

Then, overnight, the tenant who had been renting the space next to Buntport “left in the middle of the night,” Rollman said. “Since he was actively losing money with this space being empty, our landlord’s hand was forced and he listed the building.”

While Buntport had hoped to continue renting, it soon became clear that clients were interested in purchasing the entire building. Then an offer from a developer came in. Because the company’s lease included a right of first refusal, the ensemble suddenly had a narrow window to decide whether it could match the bid. That moment set the current capital campaign in motion.

“It happened incredibly fast,” Rollman said. “We’d talked about buying our side of the building before, but it didn’t seem possible until all of a sudden it was.”

Storage space inside Buntport Theater’s new space. | Photo: Toni Tresca

The company worked with a longtime supporter to purchase the property and create a lease-to-own arrangement while Buntport raises the funds to fully take ownership. The capital campaign — which aims to raise $2.65 million to cover the purchase, renovations and associated costs — launched publicly last fall. Early donations pushed the effort past the halfway mark, and the company now estimates it has secured roughly 55% of its goal.

Still, the campaign has entered the less glamorous middle stretch. “We do feel a little nervous that we’re kind of plateauing at the moment,” Rollman said. “Which is, I think, not unusual. You get the biggest punch at the beginning and at the end.”

The ensemble emphasized that owning the building is both emotionally satisfying and financially necessary. According to Rollman, Buntport’s space costs have historically accounted for approximately 28% of its annual budget. Once the campaign is completed and the nonprofit fully owns the building, the company believes that figure will drop to 18% to 20%, freeing up more funds for artists and maintenance.

As it continues to raise funds, Buntport has been able to expand into the rest of the warehouse thanks to the new ownership structure, which has freed up thousands of square feet of space previously used for industrial food storage. Transforming it into an arts space required significant work. The area was filled with commercial refrigerators and walk-in freezers when the ensemble first stepped inside.

“We hired people to rip those out,” Edborg said. “That was one thing we knew we were not going to attempt ourselves.”

After clearing the equipment, the group spent weeks cleaning and renovating the space so it could safely host artists. The newly expanded footprint is already changing how the company works. What was once filled with industrial refrigeration equipment has been transformed into a rehearsal room, craft and sewing area and storage zones.

“Everything that used to live in this room was crammed into a space about a third this size,” Rollman said while showing off the newly organized sewing area. “You couldn’t find anything because everything was stacked on top of everything else.”

Just as importantly, the rehearsal room has already become a resource for other artists. Boulder Ensemble Theatre Company was among the first groups to use the space, and others, including Batala Colorado, Menace Theatre Company, King Penny Radio Show and Flying Solo Presents, have also rehearsed there.

BETC is currently utilizing Buntport Theater’s new rehearsal space. | Photo: Toni Tresca

“It makes me happy knowing that even when I’m at home watching TV, there’s theatre happening in here,” Colonna said. “Sometimes in the rehearsal room, sometimes on the main stage. There’s just a lot of creativity happening.”

Affordable rehearsal space has become increasingly scarce in Denver, and Buntport has intentionally kept its rental rates low: $50 a day to use the rehearsal room and the same price for the theatre.

“We know that’s not the most business-minded decision,” Rollman said. “But it’s a community-minded decision. Producing work is already expensive enough.”

The company hopes the expanded space will eventually support even more artists. Plans include installing sprung flooring to allow dancers and circus performers to safely rehearse, as well as providing storage access and short-term housing for visiting artists in the company’s house across the street from the theatre.

A kitchenette in Buntport’s expanded building. | Photo: Toni Tresca

A very Buntport-ian new show

Even as the ensemble organizes tools, sorts props and writes grant applications, it is still doing what Buntport has done for more than two decades: making new plays. The new show, This Is the Day ’91, opens May 22 and runs through June 14. Like most Buntport productions, the premise is gleefully ridiculous: a group of adults attempts to reclaim a Guinness World Record they broke as teenagers in 1991 — catching small stuffed animals while blindfolded.

“They think the best way to do it is by recreating the exact conditions of when they first did it,” Rollman said. “So they’re back in a 1991 bedroom, trying to make it happen again.”

The record itself is real: catching small stuffed animals while blindfolded. Rollman said the ensemble plans to attempt the feat live during every performance.

“It’s conceivable that we could break the record during the show,” she said. “Not likely, but conceivable.”

Props, costumes and set pieces from previous Buntport productions fill the company’s expanded space. | Photo: Toni Tresca

New neighbor on the horizon

While the company focuses on renovating its building and preparing its next show, another change may soon reshape the neighborhood. The proposed Denver Broncos stadium at Burnham Yard would sit just a few blocks from Buntport’s building.

Although the project is still in the planning stages, the ensemble has begun attending community meetings to understand how the development might affect the area.

“There are a lot of questions right now,” Rollman said. “What happens to parking? What happens during construction? How does it impact the people who actually live here?”

For a company that relies heavily on street parking for audiences, those questions are more than theoretical. Colonna has already begun imagining the scheduling complications.

“What happens when the Broncos have a Sunday game and we have a Sunday matinee?” he said.

Rollman’s response came quickly.

“I think we probably don’t have a Sunday matinee if the Broncos have a game.”

The Buntport crew prepares for a “school photo,” as Erik Edborg joked. | Photo: Toni Tresca

Of course, the ensemble couldn’t resist joking about the situation.

“The real problem is it creates this keeping up with the Joneses thing,” Colonna said. “Like, if they have a retractable roof, we have to have a retractable roof.”

“And if Taylor Swift plays there,” Edborg adds, “we’ve got to have Taylor Swift.”

But beneath the jokes lies a genuine effort to secure the company’s future. After 25 years of creating original theatre in Denver, Buntport is trying to ensure that the next generation of artists will have somewhere to make work, too.

“We’ve always tried to keep this place open to other people,” Rollman said. “Owning the building just lets us keep doing that and hopefully do more of it.”