Arvada Center announces relaunch of theatre season in 2021

The Arvada Center for the Arts and Humanities today announced a relaunch of their theatre season with a new 2021 starting date and new titles that allow for flexibility in how the productions are staged.

Originally slated to begin in September 2020, the previously-announced theatre season included seven titles made up of three musical theatre productions and four plays. The relaunched season is now abbreviated to include four total titles – two musicals and two plays. The starting date of this relaunched season has been moved to February of 2021.

“This decision was not made lightly,” says Arvada Center President and CEO, Philip Sneed. “With the ever-changing nature of government guidelines and the safety of our patrons and artists as our priority, we feel that this is the most responsible move we can make.”

While this revised season is currently planned to seat audiences at full capacity, the Arvada Center is prepared to make any distancing adjustments based on new government guidance. With a phased reopening approach, the Arvada Center currently requires all visitors for education and gallery programs to check their temperature via self-service kiosk and to wear a mask while in the building. In addition, new disinfecting equipment has been utilized for soft surfaces and hand sanitizing stations are installed.

“We want audiences to feel like they are coming home,” says Lynne Collins, Artistic Director of Plays. “We are certainly excited to return to work with actors, stage managers, and designers but we also want to make sure that everyone is kept as safe as possible.”

Through this revised season, the Arvada Center maintains its commitment to producing theatre of the highest quality. “We want to keep up the same level that we are known for,” says Rod A. Lansberry, Producing Artistic Director of Musical Theatre. “These particular shows allow us to maintain that level.”

The season begins in the Black Box Theatre in February 2021 with a remount of the production that never received its full opening in 2020 – Small Mouth Sounds by Bess Wohl. Set in a silent Zen retreat, this heartfelt, funny, and poignant play tells a story of connection, primarily without the use of dialogue. The Black Box Theatre in 2021 will see the return of many actors from the 2020 season, allowing for closure and a return to a meaningful story about human nature.

The Black Box Theatre continues with a classic comedy, Noël Coward’s Private Lives. Working in the repertory model, this play will feature many of the same actors as Small Mouth Sounds. This classic romantic comedy about a divorced couple who reconnect with each other (while) on their honeymoons with their new spouses shines with Noël Coward’s classic wit.