[click "Play" to listen to Tracy Shaffer's conversation with Michele Lowe] by Tracy Shaffer Denver Center Theatre Company is a staunch supporter of new plays, most...
by Tracy Shaffer
It's that time of year again! Writers and artists, actors, directors, agents and theatre buffs from around the country will descend on Denver next week for the Colorado New Play Summit. Denver Center Theatre hosts it's sixth annual playwright lovefest, February 10-12, with staged readings of new works by commissioned playwrights and scripts submitted for inclusion. This year marks the return of two "rock star" writers, Octavio Solis and Michele Lowe, along with Lisa Loomer, Samuel D Hunter, Lloyd Suh and a commissioned piece by Denver's award-winning Buntport Theatre. The white hot Octavio Solis, who brought us the glorious "Lydia" in 2008, brings the much anticipated script, Cecilia Marie, to town for a staged reading and the equally scorching Michelle Lowe has her "Map of Heaven" on the Denver Center boards for its world premiere production. Ms. Lowe won the 2010 Francesca Primus Prize for her previous Denver debut, 2009's Inana.
Telluride Inside... and Out goes out on a limb with a prediction: the five-star Wilkinson Public Library should attract its biggest audience ever for the upcoming installment of the Telluride Film Festival Cinematheque's "Films of the Great Depression." The momentous event takes place Monday, February 7, 5:30 p.m. for pre-SHOW snacks.
Telluriders are no exception: Americans love anti-heros to death. Indiana Jones, Dirty Harry, Michael Corleone, Tony Soprano, select members of the cast of "Broadway Empire," Bill the Vampire in "True Blood," Dexter of Showtime fame, and the countless no-counts who inhabit the world of reality TV are just a few examples.
Whoever said "You can't have it all," never met Telluride local Amy Boebel, who is into building things – a family (she is the mother of two successful young adults) and businesses (see below) – sometimes from building materials (ditto).
Amy's resume suggests her appetite for challenging situations began well before Telluride and rock and ice-climbing, twin passions. Successful careers in the for-profit and not-for-profit sectors range widely from managing director of The Maryland Ballet to founding partner, MarketTech, software to facilitate trading commodities. Amy is now board chair of the Telluride Council for the Arts and Humanities, the non-profit which founded and hosts the town's monthly First Thursday Art Walk, when Telluride's art venues and stores stay open late until 8 p.m. to strut their stuff.
This Thursday, February 3, the Stronghouse Studios , 283 South Fir, features a show of Boebel's latest work, "Lost For Words," a collection of female icons, sculpted out of lath and wire, tulle, nails and tarp, covered in paper, maps, words, and phrases. The event is part of Art Walk and includes an artist's reception with chocolate and champagne from 5 - 8 p.m.
It's getting to be a habit with Telluride locals – and that's a good thing. We are talking about the Telluride Council for the Arts and Humanities' First Thursday Art Walk, a stroll about town that showcases our fine arts scene. Galleries and other arts venues, located in and around Colorado Avenue (Main Street), plus retail stores, stay open late until 8 p.m.
New to Art Walk 2011, many local restaurants offer Art Walk Specials, including The Cosmopolitan, La Cocina de Luz, La Marmotte, The Llama, The New Sheridan Chop House, and Pescado.
Free Art Walk brochures, available at any participating venue (and our hotels and coffee shops), offer a self-guided map of the participating establishments which include:
The Nugget Theatre in beatiful downtown Telluride has two movies on the bill for the week of Friday, February 4 through Thursday, February 10, 2011.
"True Grit" (PG13) plays solo through Sunday. Nominated for a fistfull of Oscars, "True Grit" is a re-make of the John Wayne classic, starring Jeff Bridges in the role of Rooster Cogburn.
Joining the program from Monday through Thursday, it's "The Dilemna", (PG13), a buddy-flick about secrets: What do you do when you think your best bud's wife is foolin' around, but telling him may bust your important presentation and maybe sink your joint automobile design company?
See the Nugget website for trailers and reviews, and below for movietimes.
Artist Bruce Gomez has a Denver primary address, but his second home is Telluride, where the pastelist was among the very first artists Will and Hilary Thompson signed for their stable when they opened the brand new Telluride Gallery of Fine Art on...
This long weekend, Friday – Monday, February 4 – February 7, 6 p.m.,Telluride's Sheridan Arts Foundation's Young People's Theater company presents an encore performance of the 1930s period masterpiece, "Anything Goes."
With this her latest production of the Cole Porter hit, director Jen Julia is clearly playing a game of "Can You Top (Hat) This?"
Back in 2002, Jen's original adaptation of the Broadway musical hit was, well, "a Picasso painting, a Bendel's bonnet, a Shakespeare sonnet, Mickey Mouse." The best. It too featured an abundantly talented group of 30 local teens, 9th – 12th graders, singing, dancing and jiving. And yet, of the 2011 incarnation of "Anything Goes," Jen exclaims:
Telluride's Palm Theatre venue for Ailey II, Thursday, February 3
“The entire company looks terrific. Clearly, the future is theirs.” The New York Times
In Telluride, if I say "Revelation," you say, "Bowl." It's all about high-alpine powder surrounded by 13,000-foot+ peaks. Mostly right – just not this time. This time "Revelations" refers to a peak dance experience, a jubilant, soul-stirring suite that is easily one of the most uplifting ballets in the modern dance repertoire.
"Revelations" is a tribute to the cultural heritage of African Americans and to the genius of a man named Alvin Ailey, Jr. (1931 – 1989). Ailey, an African American modern dancer, teacher and choreographer, founded the world-famous Alvin Ailey Dance Theater, one of our country's boldest and most exciting troupes.
Announcing: 2011 Winter Puppet Program for San Miguel County Elementary Schools:
Paddy the Paleontologist with his library
The Watershed Education Program Puppet Theater of the Telluride Institute is entering its 4th season with exciting new additions to its repertoire. We have been rehearsing, working on our stage, and making some new puppets such as "Paddy the Paleontologist" who tells the story of the dinosaur bones recently discovered on Norwood Hill. The puppeteers include Ashley Boling, Sally Davis, Jeb Berrier, Laurie Lundquist, and Colin Sullivan. Buff Hooper has been working behind the scenes with Sally and Laurie on props and puppets. We will be performing up and down the watershed in various schools and libraries with the goal of educating and entertaining. It will be lots of fun!
The basic concepts of watershed awareness are introduced in simple ways that form a foundation for childrens’ later participation in our Watershed Education Program (WEP). The real stars of these shows are the animals and insects of the watershed. When you come to a show you are likely to meet a bear, a coyote, a beaver, a cricket, an eagle, and even a mosquito! All of these wild creatures have a point of view; we can learn a lot by listening to them interact. The dynamics of our watershed are rich and complex. It is good to hear about this place from the horse's mouth… and the dog's bark and the cricket's chirp…!
Our fun filled puppet shows for the 2011 season include :
