Bas Bleu

Bas Bleu Theatre Company is a 99-seat intimate theater in Fort Collins’ River District presenting thought-provoking contemporary and classical plays in a salon-style setting. Founded in 1992 by Artistic Director Wendy Ishii, the nonprofit company operates year-round with five full theatrical productions annually, plus readers’ theater, musical concerts and special events.

The company began in 1994 as a 49-seat venue and relocated in 2004 to the historic Giddings Building, completing a $1.5 million renovation to create the current theater and Gallery Bleu art space featuring local and regional visual artists. Bas Bleu owns its venue, allowing flexibility for artistic programming and community use.

The theater has garnered over 100 awards including Colorado Theatre Guild’s Outstanding Regional Theatre, Henry Awards and American Association for Community Theatre National Festival Awards. Productions of Samuel Beckett’s plays are included in the Beckett Archives in Reading, UK, and the company has performed internationally in Canada, the UK, Israel, Australia and South Africa. Bas Bleu was the only American company invited to the Beckett Festival in Enniskillen, Northern Ireland.

In addition to mainstage productions, Bas Bleu hosts the Comedy Brewers Improv Troupe and offers free rental space to community members for productions, clubs and meetings through a partnership with the Downtown Development Authority. The theater played a pioneering role in revitalizing Fort Collins’ River District, helping establish what is now known as the Beet Street arts corridor.