Telluride Theatre with Town: BEAR IT!, Opera House, 9/6, FREE!

04 Sep Telluride Theatre with Town: BEAR IT!, Opera House, 9/6, FREE!

In association with the Town of Telluride’s Black Bear Awareness Week, Telluride Theatre presents “BEAR IT! – Bear Safety for the 21st Century.” Event takes place Friday, September 6, at the historic Sheridan Opera House, 8pm. Bar opens at 7pm; doors, 7:30pm.

FREE and open to the public. 21+ only. NOT suitable for children.

(A hat will be passed; $20 suggested donation.)

AFTERPARTY 10pm in the SHOW bar featuring DJ Kidpeace straight from LA.

Go here for more about Telluride Theatre.

The BEST show about Black Bear Awareness you will EVER see! (Really, probably the only one that exists.) A raucous, ridiculous, ADULT show filled with very important bear safety rules.

Conceived 14 years ago as a collaboration between Telluride Theatre and the Town of Telluride, every year the Town’s Black Bear Awareness Week endeavors to teach the community about our furry, intelligent neighbors and ways to stay safe in black bear country.

In 2009, Karen Guglielmone, Environmental & Engineering Division Manager for the Town, approached Telluride Theatre to write a play for the adult community, to educate and enlighten through pure entertainment.

This year,2024, marks Karen Guglielmone’s last year of work for Telluride. She is retiring, after 24.5 years. So, the show will be bigger, better, ON the Opera House stage and in celebration of all that Karen has done for our community.

A show AND a retirement party, what’s more Telluride than that?

“BEAR IT! is the best, most fun and educational opportunity about black bears anywhere in the state of Colorado!… A grand tradition intended to keep the bar crowd safe on their way home and the bears safe from human error. The goal has always been to provide a little useful information, a lot of laughs, and maybe a little blush.

BearIt!  Don’t be a douche!.

BEAR IT! has played to packed houses in 2009, 2010, 2013, 2014, 2017, 2018, 2022, 2023… and now its BACK for 2024! Each year’s rendition is a unique installment created in collaboration with the cast.

This year has a whole new cast of talented locals and will be hosted by Cat Lee Covert as Ranger Sherilyn Taylor Swift Jenkins-Bell-Jenkins-Lane.

Compiled, and written by Covert and Telluride Theatre’s Artistic Director, Sasha Cucciniello, in collaboration with the cast. Cucciniello says:

“BEAR IT! has always been one of my favorite traditions we have created. It is such a testament to our community and its excitement for theatre, bears and getting together to laugh at ourselves. This show brings home the messages of true bear safety, while entertaining audiences with Telluride Theatre’s unique brand of comedy and ridiculousness.

This year, as we said, we are creating a BIG A$$ BEAR SHOW in honor of Karen. We usually do this show in a small bar, but a HUGE thanks to The Sheridan Opera House for putting us on the main stage for this very special evening.

Come for fun!”

BEAR IT! Bear Safety for the 21st Century –  is part forest rangers, part revival, part musical, part BEARlesque… music, dance, comedy and so much more!

What happens at bear show, stays at bear show.

Telluride Theatre, more:

Telluride Theatre is committed to advancing the performing arts in the region through innovative productions, education programs and community involvement. We create theatre that lives in moments of truthful human connection, promotes joyful celebration and is an open dialogue, accessible to all audiences.

Learn more at telluridetheatre.org.