Philip Sneed promised major changes for the Colorado Shakespeare Festival, and he meant it.
The 54th summer season will be leaner and longer, with fewer plays with fewer actors over a more extended period of time. It will include a major collaboration with the largest theater in eastern Russia.
And the biggest news of all: It will be heard. The fest is finally conceding to the times, and the will of the majority of audiences, by putting body mics on all actors on its outdoor amphitheatre stage.
Sneed has never been one to rest on his laurels, or fret over his failures. Attendance has fallen in the last three years from 28,000 to 25,000 to 23,000, and he is responding:
• The season will be shortened from five plays to four, and the title being cut is a Shakespeare. “Romeo and Juliet” and “The Comedy of Errors” will be staged outdoors; inside will be an adaptation of Antoine de Saint-Exupery’s “The Little Prince” and Nikolai Gogol’s 19th-century Russian farce, “The Inspector General.”
• Last year, the fest offered five plays in six weeks. Next summer, it will be four plays in eight weeks. “I thought it was best to commit more resources to fewer projects so we don’t spread ourselves too thin,” Sneed said.
Last year, the vast majority of audiences saw only one fest offering, and Sneed thinks it’s because they were given too much in too little time.
• The acting company will be pared from 48 in 2008 to the low 20s. “Ironically, in 2008, we had our biggest company, our best attendance our best reviews — and our biggest financial loss,” Sneed said.
• No two plays will be performed at the same time. That will allow for significantly fewer actors and crew, and less labor costs.
• The new amplification system is made possible by an unspecified $60,000 grant (I’m guessing a rich patron who’s hard of hearing!). “We have heard from many of our patrons who, despite some improvements in recent years, have still had trouble hearing all of the actors, all of the time,” Sneed said.
• “The Inspector General” will be directed by Efim Zvenyatsky, artistic director of Vladivostok’s Maxim Gorky Theatre, with scenic and costume designs by Moscow designer Vladimir Koltunov. Selected performances will be bi-lingual, with some actors speaking English and others speaking Russian, and the cast will include actors from the Gorky Theatre.
It would not be happening if not for a $40,000 gift from the Jewish Community Endowment Fund in San Francisco, and $15,000 in additional grant support.
Despite this year’s troubles, Sneed expects the company to break even for 2010.
“We’ve done a lot of soul-searching, and now I really think we’re going to come out of this stronger,” Sneed said.
Briefly . . .
Denver’s Handsome Little Devils are performing their “Squirm Burpee Circus” in New York’s Victory Theater through today, and they got a nice write-up in The New York Times. “The actors playing the heroes can outjuggle, outdance and outbalance any of the energetic acts that used to drive ‘The Ed Sullivan Show’ in its heyday,” wrote Laurel Graeber. “If Sullivan were still on the air, these guys would probably have a permanent home.” The company includes Michael Huling, Dave Clay, Jason Knauf and Cole Schneider . . .
“Eleemosynary,” opening Friday, marks the final E-Project production before artistic director Ken Crow retires and turns the company — remonikered “The Edge” — over to Rick Yaconis. (303-232-0363) . . .
And finally . . . Talk about cutting it close. When the Carousel Dinner Playhouse decided to open its new digs at the Midtown Arts Center on Nov. 19, management warned customers that the whole night would be touch and go. Executive director Kurt Terrio did not get his final permits in hand until 3 p.m. — three hours before the doors opened to customers. “When I held that certificate of occupancy for the first time, I cried,” Terrio said with a laugh.
John Moore: 303-954-1056 or jmoore@denverpost.com
This week’s theater openings
Opening Wednesday, Dec. 1, through Jan. 2: Denver Center Attractions’ “Dixie’s Tupperware Party,” Galleria Theatre
Opening Wednesday, Dec. 1, through Dec. 23: Boulder Ensemble Theatre Company’s “The SantaLand Diaries”
Opening Thursday, Dec. 2, through Dec. 24: Denver Center Theatre Company’s “A Christmas Carol,” Stage Theatre
Opening Thursday, Dec. 2, through Dec. 24: Colorado Shakespeare Festival’s “A Christmas Carol” Boulder
Opening Thursday, Dec. 2, through Dec. 19: Su Teatro’s “A Colorado en Una Noche de Navidad” (“To Colorado on a Christmas Night”)
Opening Thursday, Dec. 2, through Dec. 30: Lake Dillon’s “My Way, the Music of Frank Sinatra,” (at Warren Station) Keystone
Friday and Saturday, Dec. 3-4: Buntport’s “Quixote”
Opening Friday, Dec. 3, through Dec. 18: Thunder River’s “A Tempest of the Mind” Carbondale
Opening Friday, Dec. 3, through Dec. 18: E-Project’s “Eleemosynary” Lakewood
This week’s theater closings
Today, Nov. 28: National touring production of “Shrek, The Musical,” at the Buell Theatre
Today, Nov. 28: Gravity Defied’s “[Title of Show],” at the Aurora Fox
Today, Nov. 28: Manitou Art Theatre’s “Art Dog” Colorado Springs
Saturday, Dec. 4: Curious Theatre’s “Astronomical Sunset”
Best bet: Aurora Fox’s “Red Ranger Came Calling”
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Remember “Bloom County” cartoonist Berkeley Breathed? He wrote a children’s book called “Red Ranger Came Calling, a Guaranteed True Christmas Story” that has been adapted into a musical for young audiences – and the Aurora Fox is only the second theater company in the country to stage it. The story is based on the true story of Breathed’s father, who, at age 9, insisted on being addressed as the “Red Ranger of Mars.” One Christmas during the Depression, the grumpy young boy meets a crotchety old man named Saunder Clös. Through their encounter, they manage to restore one another’s faith in the magic of Christmas. This production incorporates much of Breathed’s original artwork from his book. 7:30 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays; 2 p.m. Sundays and Dec. 11 and 18. Tickets $12-$24. 303-739-1970 or
Running Lines at the opening of the Midtown Arts Center
In this latest Denver Post Theater video podcast, Kurt Terrio, Marissa Walters and David Wohl give you a tour of the new Carousel Dinner Theatre on opening night at its new location at the Midtown Arts Center, 3750 S. Mason St. in Fort Collins. Recorded Nov. 19, 2010. Video by John Moore, The Denver Post. Running time: 7 minutes, 20 seconds.
To see more photos of opening night of the new Carousel Dinner Theatre at the Midtown Arts Complex in Fort Collins,
Most recent theater openings
“Angel of the Christmas Mine” Three trapped miners tell one another Christmas stories to pass the time while awaiting rescue. By Chris Sorensen. Followed by a Christmas olio. Through Dec. 31. Presented by the Thin Air Theatre Company at the Butte Theatre, 139 E. Bennett Ave., Cripple Creek, 719-235-8944 or
“The Case of the Cabaret Killer” This interactive dinner-theater comedy is a murder mystery set in a 1920s gangster speakeasy, where it’s up to the audience to solve a murder. Appropriate for all ages. Through Feb. 26. Adams Mystery Playhouse, 2406 Federal Blvd., 303-455-1848 or
“Have a Holly, Jolly Murder” An interactive mystery dinner presentation set at an annual Christmas pageant where someone dies, and the audience must determine whether it was murder. Activities include an audience-participation round of “Christmas Carol Pictionary.” Through Dec. 19. Saturdays only Broker Restaurant Mystery Dinner Theatre, 821 17th St. 303-292-5065, or
“Inspecting Carol” This backstage farce looks at a small theater company trying desperately to get its annual production of “A Christmas Carol” together. But everything is falling apart. By Daniel Sullivan of Wray. Through Dec. 18. Presented by Spotlight Theatre Company at the John Hand Theatre, 7653 E. First Place, 720-880-8727 or
“Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat” Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice’s effervescent musical retelling of Jacob and his 12 Old Testament sons. Through Dec. 19. Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center, 30 W. Dale St., 719-634-5583 or
“Kosher Lutherans” A seemingly perfect Jewish couple struggles to have a baby until a naïve young Iowa farm girl offers to let them adopt her out-of-wedlock child. But the girl doesn’t realize they’re Jewish. A comedy by William Missouri Downs. Through Dec. 26. Bas Bleu Theatre, 401 Pine St., Fort Collins, 970-498-8949 or
“Mostlie Leftover Turkeys” An irreverent mix of original songs and parodies in the style of Weird Al Yankovic. Through Dec. 17. Nonesuch Theater, 216 Pine St., Fort Collins, 970-224-0444 or
“P.S. Merry Christmas” Family comedy about a stress-driven wife, a klutzy husband, a boy-crazy daughter and a smarty-pants son at Christmas time. By Pat Cook. Through Dec. 12. Arvada Festival Playhouse, 5665 Olde Wadsworth Blvd., 303-422-4090 or
“Santa’s Big Red Sack” The otherwise late, lamented Rattlebrain Comedy Theatre pops up from the grave each Christmas to present their subversive collection of wicked holiday sketches, songs and commercial parodies, updated to include current events. Through Dec. 26. Avenue Theater, 417 E. 17th Ave., 303-321-5925 or
“Who Killed Santa?” A twisted mystery set in Santa’s living room, where all is not jolly between Frosty, Rudolph, Tiny Tim and other iconic characters. The audience determines who really did Santa in. Through Dec. 26. Dangerous Theatre, 2620 W. Second Ave., 720-233-4703 or
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.
