LAKEWOOD —From the outside, the Edge Theater may look bare bones, but the theater company has slowly gained a reputation — and respect — for offering gritty, risky performances not typically seen in established theater companies.
After relocating two years ago the Edge Theater has garnered a handful of regional awards while drawing larger audiences, especially residents from within Lakewood, who historically shied away from theater.
has really bumped up their game as far as doing quality performances that are not afraid to push the envelope and challenge people,” said Warren Sherrill, who’s currently guest directing “Jerusalem.” “And they’re doing it for the right reasons, and that’s as art as opposed to just selling tickets.”
“Jerusalem,” Sherrill said, is about redemption, change and mythical events as the plot follows a seemingly hopeless dope peddler and drug addict deemed crazy by his small town.
Edge Theater executive and artistic director Rick Yaconis said it never crossed his mind to run his own theater company when he was a performer. But when the previous owner decided to call it quits in 2010 and disband the E Project, “on a crazy whim, I decided to take it over,” he recalled.
Yaconis and his wife, Patty, renamed the company the Edge Theater and didn’t hold back in living up to the moniker.
First-year performances at the 50-seat venue included a raped woman who turns on her attacker; a hit man and the depressed woman he’s supposed to kill forcing each other to reevaluate their lives; and the occasional comedy, both dark and lighthearted.
“We’re called the Edge Theater, so we don’t want to do stuff that’s already been done too much,” Yaconis said. “We want to bring new material to the area … that other theaters might have fear of doing because it’s such a big risk.”
The theater company quickly outgrew the 2,000-square-foot space at 9797 W. Colfax Ave. that Yaconis and his wife had decided was a money pit.
Working out a deal with the 40 West Art District, Yaconis converted a back room into a 3,000-square-foot theater that can hold roughly 100 people and has flexible seating that can be rearranged from show to show, with audience members sitting inches from the stage.
“They bring an entertainment vibrancy to our community, and when we heard they were shutting down, we knew we had to do something,” said 40 West chairman Bill Marino. “A shared facility turned out to be the best solution; they’re wonderful partners and have been a tremendous asset.”
Out of eight performance runs this year, six will be regional premieres and one will be a world premier, a trend that has further helped differentiate the Edge in a crowded and vibrant regional theater scene.
“Our ticket sales have gone up from $14,000 four years ago to $97,000 last year,” Yaconis said. “That was really small potatoes before, but now we’re really a viable theater contender in the Denver metro area.”
Colorado Guild Theater president Gloria Shanstrom is a member of the organization that nominates theater companies for the Henry Awards, of which Edge has been appearing on the finalist list with increasing frequency. Last year, the company won Outstanding Season for a Theater Company.
“Establishing a new theater company and keeping it alive for five seasons is an extremely difficult thing to do,” Shanstrom said. “Especially when competing against much larger, more powerful companies for the hot titles.”
Austin Briggs: 303-954-1729, abriggs@denverpost.com or twitter.com/abriggs
