If Mark Danielson has his way, Trinidad will soon be known as more than the sex-change capital. He thinks he can turn the Southern Colorado Repertory Company into a nationally recognized theater company on par with the Guthrie Theatre in Minneapolis.
He’s not joking – it’s right there on his vision statement.
“We really think that we can be integral in transforming the history of our community by lodging a year-round theater company in the heart of downtown,” Danielson said.
The SCRT, located 200 miles south of Denver, was founded in 2002 by artistic director Fred Vaugeois. Trinidad State Junior College sponsored the group for two years but pulled the financial plug in January 2005. Danielson, a prominent local businessman, took that as an opportunity to give the theater its own identity as an independent, professional company.
“I saw the first two seasons, and it was like the Gillette commercial – I liked it so much, I bought the company,” he said.
Now in its fourth season, the SCRT still performs in the college’s Massari Performing Arts Center, but Danielson hopes to turn a downtown historic building into a new permanent home for the company. The current annual operating budget is $145,000, which would have to increase at least tenfold for him to realize his goals.
But he’s not all talk. His company has been recruited from all over the country, including Michael Swickard of Daytona Beach, Fla., who in April won the Kennedy Center’s Irene Ryan scholarship. Denver audiences will recognize busy Daniel Langhoff of Next Stage’s award-winning “Assassins.”
Most impressive, these actors are all getting paid – an average of $3,500-$5,000 for a short summer rep season that this year includes “The 1940s Radio Hour,” “I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change” and “Rumors,” through Aug. 19.
Trinidad is experiencing a boom that includes the rehabilitation of I-25, a city tourism marketing campaign and the massive new Cougar Canyon development anchored by a Jack Nicklaus-designed golf course.
None of which matters unless the theater is good. Danielson says it already is. “Listen, I’m a businessman. I hate bad theater,” he said. “I don’t get all warm and wonderful watching community theater. It drives me nuts. I believe we are on par right now with the Creede Repertory Theatre, and that this is the best cast we’ve ever had.”
For info, call 719-846-4765.
Stage smoking responses
The possibility discussed here that the smoking ban might yet extend to live performances drew a gamut of responses. If the law was enacted to protect the health of all citizens from secondhand smoke, including actors and audiences, some believe it prudent to ban all smoking on stages.
But actor Bil Rodgers believes there are some characters for which smoking is intrinsic and should not be altered by the state. “For example, any play with FDR as a character,” he said. “The most commonly recognized props for an actor to use to play him are his pincenez eyeglasses and cigarette holder with cigarette. I would think there might be a freedom of expression issue in that case, as in flag burning.”
An alternative is a device called “puffers” – fake cigarettes filled with talcum powder with tips designed to look like they’re burning. The actor puts the puffer in his mouth and blows out rather than in.
Murder-mystery venue
Marne Wills-Cuellar, who has hosted the “Death for Dinner Mysteries” at the Lumber Baron Mansion in northwest Denver for 10 years, is expanding into a defunct mortuary at West 24th Avenue and Federal Boulevard.
“We plan to cut the ribbon Oct. 31, but we might be open earlier than that,” said Wills-Cuellar, whose new space will include swinging bookcases, spying portraits and cracked mirrors (303-462-3400).
Briefly …
Buntport Theater presents a “Magnets on the Fridge” retrospective at 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday looking back at the biweekly sitcom’s five years and 66 episodes (720-946-1388)…
The new Crossroads Theatre in Five Points, which was to launch in May, will now open Oct. 19. The theater sits on the ground floor of The Point Project residential development at 2550 Washington St. The first production is still Denver playwright Hugo Jon Sayles’ “The Sisters Sweetwater” (303-322-0929).
Theater critic John Moore can be reached at 303-820-1056 or jmoore@denverpost.com.
This week’s theater openings
THU-AUG. 19 | Theatre Aspen’s “Dinner with Friends” | ASPEN
THU-AUG. 20 | Backstage’s “Search for Signs of Intelligent Life in the Universe” | BRECKENRIDGE
FRI-JULY 30 | Westcliffe Players’ “The Foreigner” | WESTCLIFFE
FRI-AUG. 12 | Spotlight’s “Moon Over Buffalo” (at E-vent Center) | LAKEWOOD
This week’s theater closings
TODAY | Little Theatre of the Rockies’ “The Drawer Boy” | GREELEY
SAT | Bas Bleu’s “Life x 3” | FORT COLLINS
SAT | A Theatre Group’s “Dirty Work at the Crossroads” | SILVERTON
JULY 22 | Greenshoe’s “An Evening With the Incorrigibles” | GRAND JUNCTION
JULY 23 | Denver Center Attractions’ “Bombay Dreams” (at the Buell)
JULY 23 | Playwright’s “Party of 1”
JULY 23 | Front Range Music Theatre’s “Anything Goes” | FORT COLLINS
JULY 23 | Festival Playhouse’s “The Female Odd Couple” | ARVADA
JULY 23 | Little Theatre of the Rockies’ “Over the Tavern” | GREELEY
