The Elyria School that has been home to Denver’s only Chicano theater company for 21 years will become a community center and residential resource for female military veterans transitioning back to civilian life.
Su Teatro, which bought the building at 4725 High St. in 1989 for $142,000 and is now selling it for $435,000, has just moved into the Denver Civic Theatre at 721 Santa Fe Drive.
The new Odyssey Family Residences will include 32 units for female veterans and their children. Their stays will last for up to two years.
To encourage neighborhood interaction, the center’s satellite health clinic, meeting space and Wi-Fi cyber cafe will be made available to all neighbors. It will also offer after-school programs, and English and citizenship classes.
“But the biggest asset to the neighborhood,” artistic director Anthony J. Garcia said, “will be the women themselves.
“It is estimated that 15 percent of the military returning from Iraq and Afghanistan will be women,” he said. “They are like the Adelitas, who fought in the Mexican Revolution, returning from the battlefield. Some are wounded, but they are coming home to heal and get stronger so that they can continue to contribute to our country.
“These are the first generation of women to see extensive combat, and as they heal, we all will get stronger,” added Garcia, who will remain in his Elyria home of 28 years. “Hopefully, they will fall in love with this quiet little neighborhood, the same as we have.”
A neighborhood meeting takes place at 6 p.m. Monday for questions and concerns. Call 720-394-0972.
Shadow owner: “Life is good”
As troubled as things have been at Shadow Theatre, the only man holding the sword of Damocles over it is property owner Doug Adams. And he says, emphatically: “Everything is hunky-dory.”
Despite a chain of increasingly dire e-mails that went out last week, “They’re going to stay in business,” Adams promised. He’s owed more than $60,000 in back rent, he hasn’t been paid in almost a year and, he says point-blank: “It’s not an issue. We are not locking the doors.”
After recent meetings that have included Shadow board members, the city of Aurora and the East End Arts District, Adams said, “Everyone is behind them. Life is good.”
Shadow was built in 2008, in part with a $250,000, fully forgivable loan from the city of Aurora. The terms: Shadow must bring 12,000 people a year into an arts district that has languished. It must offer programming at least 40 weekends a year. If Shadow meets those terms for seven years, the principal and interest will be forgiven.
If not, Adams is required to bring in another arts group — any arts group — that will.
Shadow hasn’t come close to meeting those terms.
No matter, said Adams.
“The city wants arts programming that is going to bring people into the area, and as long as that happens, they’re happy,” Adams said. “But everyone understands that two things happened. One, the economy tanked. Two, (founder) Jeffrey Nickelson died. Everyone realizes it’s going to take some time.
“We’re moving forward.”
Shadow’s new season will honor Nickelson
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Shadow’s 14th season was introduced Saturday as a metaphor for rebirth.
It starts Sept. 19 with “Innocent Thoughts,” the play that launched the company in 1997. That will be followed by previous Shadow hits “In Search of Eckstine” (opening Jan. 6, 2011) and “Sweet Corner Symphony” (April 7).
The season will be titled “Sankofa” in honor of Nickelson, who died in September. “Sankofa means going back to the past to learn in the present,” said his daughter, ShaShauna Staton.
Another fundraising gathering takes place from 5 to 8 p.m. Tuesday at Jazz @ Jack’s in the Denver Pavilions. Call 720-857-8000.
Pictured above: Matt Cohen, left, and Jeffrey Nickelson in the widely hailed debut production for the Shadow Theatre Company in 1997.
To read more about Saturday’s season announcement,
Briefly…
On Thursday, Curious Theatre hosts “Student Assembly” — a night for high-school students to gather for dinner and mingle with theater professionals from a variety of area companies and disciplines. It starts at 6 p.m., followed by a performance of “Opus” and a talkback with the cast and playwright, Michael Hollinger. $15. Reservations: 303-623-0524. . . .
And finally: It may have been an anomaly, but I just attended three straight days of plays that were filled to capacity: Vintage’s “The Goodbye People,” “Dearly Departed” at the Aurora Fox,” and Spotlight’s “And Then There Were None.” Positive signs.
John Moore: 303-954-1056 or jmoore@denverpost.com
Most recent theater openings
“Mama Hated Diesels” A rambunctious musical portrait of America’s long-distance truckers, drawn from actual interviews that are mingled with the midnight jukebox sounds of a truck-stop cafe. A Denver Center world premiere. Through May 9. Presented by the Denver Center Theatre Company at the Stage Theatre, Denver Performing Arts Complex, 14th and Curtis streets, 303-893-4100 or and here’s
“Rounding Third” Comedy about two badly matched Little League baseball coaches who want their sons’ teams to win but for different reasons. An acerbic and touching journey through the bumpy terrain of fatherhood and baseball. Through April 11. Presented by Butte Theatre at the Butte Opera House, 139 E. Bennett Ave., Cripple Creek, 719-689-3247 or
– Compiled by John Moore
This week’s theater openings
Opening Thursday, April 1, through May 1: Denver Center Theatre Company’s “Othello,” at the Space Theatre
Opening Thursday, April 1, through April 17: Boulder Ensemble Theatre Company’s “The Clean House,” at the Dairy Center
Opening Thursday, April 1, through April 29: Black Box Burlesque’s “Girls in Space 2010: A Burlesque Oddity!” at Benders Tavern (Thursdays only)
Opening Friday, April 2, through April 25: Town Hall Arts Center’s “Altar Boyz” Littleton
Opening Friday, April 2, through May 9: 73rd Avenue Theatre’s “The Imaginary Invalid”
Opening Friday, April 2, through April 24: Dangerous Theatre’s “Rusty Pipe”
Opening Friday, April 2, through April 18: Theatre ‘D Art’s “Between Time and Timbuktu” Colorado Springs
Opening Friday, April 2, through April 24: Planet X Players’ “Captain Swift and the Invasion from Dimension X,” at the Bug Theatre
Opening Saturday, April 3, through May 9: Bas Bleu’s “She Stoops to Conquer” Fort Collins
Opening Saturday, April 3, through Saturday-May 3: OpenStage’s “Is He Dead?” Fort Collins
This week’s theater closings
Today, March 28: Dangerous Theatre’s “A Time to Go Walking”
Saturday, April 3: Vintage Theatre’s “The Goodbye People”
Saturday, April 3: California Actors Theatre’s “Play On” Longmont
Saturday, April 3: Jester’s Dinner Theatre’s “Aida” Longmont
Saturday, April 3: Vintage Theatre’s “Sister Mary Ignatius Explains It All for You” (late nights and Sundays)
Saturday, April 3: Evergreen Players’ “The Complete Works of Shakespeare (Abridged)”
Saturday, April 3: Longmont Theatre Company’s “Over the River and Through the Woods”
Sunday, April 4: Denver Center Attractions’ “Mary Poppins,” at the Buell Theatre
Sunday, April 4: Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center’s “All My Sons”
Complete theater listings
Go to our complete list of in Colorado, including summaries, run dates, addresses, phones and links to every company’s home page. Or check out our listings or
The Running Lines blog
Catch up on John Moore’s roundup of theater news and dialogue:
