Leadership changes, season announcements and more – plus an interview with National Bohemians playwright Luke Sorge and Miners Alley’s Len Matheo

In this episode of the OnStage Colorado Podcast, hosts Alex Miller and Toni Tresca take a look at some of the big A&E news in Colorado — starting with the move of the Sundance Film Festival from Utah to Boulder (sorry Cincinnati!). We also track some leadership changes in Colorado Springs at the Fine Arts Center and Theatreworks and Aurora’s Vintage Theatre.

Also in the news, a new season announcement from Denver’ Curious Theatre, which will include:

  • Eureka Day by Jonathan Spector (September)
  • Job by Max Wolf Friedlich (November) – Regional premiere
  • Bad Books by Sharon Rothstein (January-February) – Rolling world premiere
  • Another Kind of Silence by LM Feldman – Bilingual in English and American Sign Language
  • Furlough’s Paradise by A.K. Payne – Regional premiere

We also have a lineup announcement for this year’s Local Lab new play festival in Boulder, which will feature Stephen J. Burge’s autobiographical solo piece Bat Shit, Corey Alston’s Bedtime Story for Black Boys on the Moon and Amy Tophs’ dark comedy BloodSuckingLeech.

Plus Steamboat Springs’ Colorado New Play Festival (June 13-14) will feature:

  • Creature Feature by Noah Diaz, presented by New York’s Roundabout Theater Company
  • Dawn by Thuyet Thi Pham, from Everyman Theatre in Baltimore
  • Vienna Vienna Vienna by Carly Perloff, presented by Six Point Theater (St. Paul)
  • Muse of Fire by Lauren Gunderson, from Northlight Theater, Skokie, IL

Later in the episode, Alex talks with Luke Sorge, whose new play National Bohemians is now up at Miners Alley Performing Arts Center in Golden. Joining in the conversation is MAP Artistic Director Len Matheo, who plays Thom in the dark comedy.

Len also announced some of MAP’s upcoming season:

  • Ring of Fire – An eight-week summer run
  • Stephen Sondheim’s Assassins with music direction by David Nehls
  • The regional premiere of Jeff Daniels’ Diva Royale
  • A new, yet-to-be-named production in repertory with It’s a Wonderful Life: The Radio Play around the holidays.

Other News

  • Wheat Ridge Theater Company may be returning under a new name after closing last year due to financial issues. They’re hosting an announcement party on April 26 at Denver’s Bravo Cafe.
  • A new mural called Catalyst by Jan Hathworth celebrating unsung heroes in Denver’s art world is now installed on the southern wall of the Buell Theatre for the next two years.
  • The Aurora Fox Arts Center will be getting new seats in the fall, following other improvements including the recently renovated neon sign and HVAC system upgrades.

We also run down our usual Top 10 list of Colorado Headliners — shows you may want to keep an eye out for. Here are our picks for shows to watch for in the coming weeks, in no particular order:

  • The Clean House at Bas Bleu in Fort Collins, April4-6: A reader’s theatre production about a career-oriented doctor who hires a Brazilian maid too depressed to clean because she dreams of being a comedian.
  • Perfect Arrangement at Firehouse Theater Company (April 4-May 9): Set in the 1950s, this play follows two gay State Department employees who’ve married each other’s partners as cover while being tasked with identifying “sexual deviants” in their ranks.
  • Baskerville: A Sherlock Holmes Mystery at Lone Tree Arts Center (April 3-13): Directed by Matt Zambrano and featuring Gareth Saxe as Holmes and Cameron Davis as Watson.
  • Above My Pay Grade at What If Theater, Lakewood (Fridays and Saturdays in April): A comedy about workplace dynamics and the people who get you through the workday.
  • Ragtime and Early Jazz Festival in Durango (April 3-6): Four days of concerts, silent movies, seminars and jam sessions at the Durango Art Center and Historic Strater Hotel.
  • Swan Lake at Parker PACE Center (April 2): Featuring dancers from the Ukrainian National Opera and Ballet Theater.
  • Motus Playback Theater at Boulder Dairy Center (April 5): An improv theater experience where audience members share stories that are enacted on the spot.
  • Boulder Ballet Red Ball Annual Benefit at Corrida in Boulder (April 3): Includes rooftop  dance performances and culinary delights.
  • Stories on Stage: Maybe You Should Stop Talking at Su Teatro, Denver (April 6): Featuring Jessica Robblee, Kristina Fountaine and Geoffrey Kent.
  • Stoned Twelfth Night, Bowls with the Bard: 12th Night at The Coffee Joint in Denver (April 3-14): A queer take on Shakespeare’s classic that allows audience members to partake in cannabis consumption alongside the performers.

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