Telluride Rep celebrates 20th anniversary at Ah Haa Saturday nite

08 Mar Telluride Rep celebrates 20th anniversary at Ah Haa Saturday nite

[click "Play" to hear Susan's rap with Suzan Beraza and Dylan Brooks]

The Telluride Repertory Theatre celebrates its 20+ anniversary in style. The non-profit is throwing with a gala dinner party on Saturday, March 12, 7 – 10 p.m., at the Ah Haa School for the Arts. The event includes a champagne reception, a four-course dinner prepared by Mountain Top Catering and a wine pairing featuring the Durango Wine Experience. The entertainment, "The Best of the REP Musical Revue," includes performances by former REP stars, among them, REP co-founders Suzan Beraza and Angela Watkins.

The history of the Telluride Repertory Theatre Company dates back to when co-founder Suzan Beraza,  now of "Bag It" fame, found a brochure about a ski resort in a box canyon with a little theater. The ambitious young actress with a yen to ski sent a resume and an 8 X 10 glossy, waited and heard nothing. Suzan was none too concerned about the dead silence: life is oh so hectic on the boards. It was not until she arrived in town that Suzan discovered the dirty little secret behind Telluride's "theatre": The Nugget was a film house. Bummer. Acting was all Suzan knew how to do.

Fast forward through the odd jobs. Suzan, her former husband Bunzy Bunworth hooked up with Angela and the threesome bonded over the fact they shared the same passions and dreams about the theatre. Winter 1990, the snow forgot to fall. In a variation of the old lemons-into-lemonade story, on a trip to New York to escape the doldrums, the threesome conceived of the Telluride REP. Stature of Liberty shots sealed the deal. (The drink involves shot of Zambuca and setting your fingers on fire.)

There was no going back.

Going forward, the Telluride REP went on to present high-quality community theatre, Shakespeare to Broadway blockbuster musicals. Its ACTions Tour, now in its 18th year, brings theatre to schools throughout the Southwest, including Telluride. Its readings are a low-budget way to introduce theatre tot he uninitiated and give more to enthusiasts, while providing an opportunity to for never-evers to act with the safety net of a script.
 
Money raised at the REP's 20th anniversary party should help the company mount its musical, (July) its free Shakespeare in the Park (August), continue readings at the Telluride Gallery of Fine Art and conduct the ACTions Tour.

To learn more, click the"play" button and listen to a brief interview with Suzan Beraza and REP board president Dylan Brooks.