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BRINDLEWOOD – Written by Ryan Glaser; Directed by Andy Seracuse.  Produced by Third Side Theatre Company (Presented at The People’s Building, 9995 East Colfax, Aurora) through September 13.  Tickets available at ThePeoplesBuilding.com. 

I saw a delightful little fairy tale tonight – a sort of combination of Alice in Wonderland and Little Red Riding Hood.  But with music and whimsy and puppets.  Oh, my, what puppets!  Designed and created by Kellie Fox, these creatures are active, a little scary, a lot funny, and are used to provide guidance to Elara, the little girl lost in the woods.  We have a trio of black birds that fly overhead, a giant owl (a magnificent creature) whose very size is intimidating, a quartet of forest animals that dance, and a forgetful weeping willow, among others. They all have something to add to Elara’s journey.  Ms. Fox’s work uses a variety of movement mechanisms, all manipulated by the five actors. Quite amazing to watch how they each move.  It becomes easy to forget that the animals are not just moving themselves. 

The story is slight but meaningful as a young girl, Elera (played by Alex Seracuse) wanders into the forbidden territory of the woods, despite having been warned by her mother (LeAnn Ritter) to not go past a certain point.  Mother seems to know that she will not follow this advice and gives her instructions on how to get back home after the inevitable trip into the woods. Elara also has a younger sister (Kayla Curneen) and a stepfather (?) (Brian Dowling).  The fifth member of the acting troupe is Jeremiah Martinez.

There is a sort of metaphysical aspect to the story – a hint of a young girl’s journey into the unknown territory of adolescence, but it’s not hammered into a “don’t miss this” message.  The story seems to be a framework on which to hang the music and the whimsy of the puppets. 

The music and the story were both designed by Ryan Glaser, the playwright and composer.  The music is, at times, ethereal and other worldly. At other times, there is a folk quality to the melodies. Then it will break into a little dance number with the fox leading the fun.  The excellent five-piece band provides the foley sound effects (the very subtle campfire burning was fun) as well as a well-balanced background for Elara’s journey.   

This was one of the most effective uses of the (sometimes) overwhelming stage area provided by the People’s Building.  The audience is on two sides of the playing area, which creates an easy intimacy.  Both the house from early scenes and the forest are clearly defined by columns that rise into the sky.  The demands of the script are cleverly met by three or four designed pieces that become the enhancement for the forest and the comfort of the house.  The acoustics are sometimes problematic in the People’s Building, but Sound Designer Russ Kirby solved the problems by gently micing his actors and balancing the live music, the voices and animal sounds on all sides.  Very subtle lighting changes from the sunshine of the house to the dark quality of the forest were expertly manipulated by Alex Homa, the Light Designer. The Third Side Company is do-it-yourself theatre; everything you see and hear during the course of the performance is created jointly by the company. 

This was an evening appropriate for young and old alike.  It’s a short run, so don’t let it slip by.  Come for the puppets – stay for the story.  David Bowie would have loved this show – so will you. 

A WOW factor of 8.75!! 

ON THE ROAD TO CREEDE – Four shows in three days . . . 

The Village of Creede houses one of the most honored professional summer theatre programs in the nation.  Granted it is a drive from Denver – easily four hours – but through some of the most scenic parts of Colorado.  The valley that greets you at Monarch Pass which leads to Fairplay.  Poncha Pass south of Salida that runs west of the Sand Dunes glistening in the sun.  The 17 miles between South Fork and Creede.  You will not regret this drive. 

The Village itself is nestled in the “V” between two guardian mountains that provide shade far into the morning and early in the evening.  A home to under 300 people year-round but providing a welcome landing place for thousands of tourists and theatre lovers in the summer.  Savvy visitors know to make their housing and theatre reservations as soon as the season calendar is up and running. 

There are restaurants in historic buildings, rowdy bars that cater to music lovers, boutique shops, and sporting goods stores for all sports. There are hiking trails that take you to old mining sites and a town that mostly rolls up its streets early in the evening, providing nighttime tranquility. 

But the real reason to be there is for the theatre.  Managed by theatre professionals from all over the country who treasure the available positions for crafts people and actors as summer workers.  A core company forms quickly with people who have worked every summer for years.  A few have even chosen to become year-around residents. 

The season running from early June to mid-September usually includes a couple of musicals, a couple of comedies, late night improv, and shows for kids.  These are peppered with pre-show “preludes” that implement your understanding of what you will see on stage, backstage tours, the opportunity to watch the changeover from one set to another, and post-show talkbacks with the actors and others who have worked on the show you just saw.  A full experience for both the seasoned and novice theatregoer. 

Our weekend in Creede yielded four plays in three days.  The first was WORKING, an homage to working people based on the book by Chicago columnist Studs Terkel.  Originally written in 1977 with music by Stephen Schwartz, the show has been updated several times to include new workers and songs, including two in 2009 by Lin-Manual Miranda.  It celebrates the workday of laborers in songs like “Just a Housewife” and “Brother Truckers.”  Creede went one step further, interviewing people from Creede and integrating monologues about local workers.  

The second show was FULLY COMMITTED, an incredible one-man show whose title embodies not only the character in the play, but the actor involved.  Graham Ward plays a harried reservationist at a ritzy restaurant in New York that has more demanding customers than tables available.  He plays not only the one answering the phone, but the people calling in, the restaurant staff, personal calls by family and friends and others.  Nearly 40 difference characters in total.  A tour de force performance in which the audience never loses track of who he is talking to and why. 

The third was MORIARITY, a Sherlock-Watson spoof by Ken Ludwig which has two actors in the lead roles and three more who portray 24 additional characters among them.  Ludwig pushes the tale of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle hero to comic heights utilizing quick changes, wigs, vocal dynamics, even puppets to tell his story.  We watched Sherlock fall in love, confront his mortal enemy and once again solve the mystery.  A good time was had by all. 

The fourth show was that ode to tweener angst, THE 25TH ANNUAL PUTNAM COUNTY SPELLING BEE, full of precocious students, each with their own personal obstacle to overcome.  Absent parents, too-present parents, personality quirks, awakening sexual awareness, and on and on.  All within the framework of a do-or-die spelling bee.  Led by a former winner (it seems like the high point of her life) and a school administrator, there is even a “comfort counselor” to assist the kids through losing.  Always funny, this production shone with music and humor. 

Note that the shows run until the middle of September, so you still have time to catch a show or two.  While it was warm this summer, it will be cool by now.  In this day and age when stay-cations and keeping close to home makes sense, two or three days in Creede would be a blessing.

The whole weekend warrants a WOW factor of 9.5!!

TICK TICK BOOM – Written by Jonathan Larson; Directed by Lexie Lazear.  Jointly produced by Arts Hub and Shifted Lens Theatre Company (presented at Arts Hub, 420 Courtney Way, Lafayette) through August 30.  Tickets available at 303-229-1127 or ArtsHub.org. 

You’ve all seen the movie where the star of the show has some unexpected delay or accident, and the understudy or some person from the chorus steps up, takes on the role, and supplants the star.  It didn’t quite happen that way in this show in Lafayette.  But almost.  On a whim, someone who had only performed in high school shows 15 years earlier decided he would audition with no expectations of actually winning a role.  However, he proved himself to be an able singer and dancer and walked out with the role of Jon (the lead!) in this show.  True to form, Christian Semmler raised the roof and will (hopefully) continue to perform. 

The biography of this show is a story unto itself.  It was written by Jonathan Larson after RENT, but before his groundbreaking work had made it to the stage.  This work reflects the anguish of the struggling artist who is torn between his desire for stability and his passion for his art.  His girlfriend offers a path to family and a quiet life; his friend has forsaken his career as a performer and settled for a financially secure but boring job.  Jon is stuck in the middle with a show he knows is really good but seems to have no hope of making it to Broadway.  

 This production led by Lexie Lazear as director opted to use the Neil Patrick Harris 2024 version for the Kennedy Center as their model. They chose to add an ensemble of singer/dancers to provide a chorale background and dance accompaniment.  This served them well by adding supportive depth to the musical arrangements.  The “normal” production only calls for three actors – two of which play multiple roles.  This new adaptation gave these breakout roles – Jon’s agent, one of the singers in the showcase of his new play, etc. – to ensemble members.  Jon seemed to treat those additional dancers and sometime characters as the artistic community that is encouraging him to stay the course. A community that pushes him in their direction.  Which makes the communal celebration of the quiet triumph and emerging hope of the final scenes all the more exciting for everyone. 

Christian Semmler is someone to be reckoned with . . . if he chooses to continue to build on this initial success.  He has an innate charm and an easy place on stage.  In a role that requires him to be on stage for the entire 90-minute show, he pulled through with believability and raw talent.  It’s hard to portray vulnerability and confidence at the same time, but Christian’s Jon did just that.  This ability to show conflicting emotions makes his unexpected and quiet win at the end of the show all the more touching.  Can’t wait to see what he does next.  Or will this be “one and done”? One tiny suggestion – keep taking vocal lessons, Christian.  You have more inside of you. 

Jozeph Mykaels as his high school friend and former roommate enters into the musical conversation with the grace and familiarity of family.  He wants only the best for his friend, a wish that creates conflict for him as well.  What is the “best”?  His confession to illness seems foreshadowing to Larson’s own ill health which was probably known to him by the time of creating these characters. 

Jon’s green-garbed girlfriend also brought compassion and strength to the production.  Loving Jon but knowing what she wanted out of life provided an obstacle to a continuation of their relationship.  But Brekken Baker (what a great name!) who gave her character life also gave Susan compassion and a determination to keep a friend while she carved her own path.  Brekken did all that. 

In one of the “broken out of the ensemble” roles, Malea Kinnison gets the assignment of playing the lead in Jon’s workshop of his musical and completely selling the song “Come to Your Senses.”  This is Jon’s emotional mirror, talking to himself through his lyrics.  He has almost given up. 

Many years ago, a musical called WHEN PIGS FLY was produced when a costume designer just for fun created a group of outlandish (really!!  Outlandish!) costumes and then wrote songs to go with them.  No thought to continuity or story line, just “Let’s wear these silly costumes and sing these silly songs.”  In some ways (sans the outlandish costumes), Larson seems to have done this with some of his music.  Almost as though he had written songs for RENT or other college gigs which didn’t make the cut for their original purpose. So, he maneuvered them into tick tick BOOM.  A celebration of “Sugar”?  A love song to a dress in “Green Green Dress.”  Even the subtle homage to Sondheim in “Sunday” seems a little strained to fit the plot, but adorable to see staged. 

The team at the Arts Hub provided an ample reason to check out their shows more often.  The technical aspects of the show were on point in every way.  Got a kick out of the “Sunday” t-shirt with a picture of Bernadette Peters in costume.  Just one more way to honor the Master.  A fine production with only one weekend left.  Get to it, people!! 

A WOW factor of 8.75!! 

TACO TOWN – Written by Luke Sorge; Directed by Len Matheo.  Produced by Miners Alley Playhouse (1100 Miners Alley, Golden) through September 15.  Tickets available at 303-935-3044 or MinersAlley.com.

You’ve all seen those plays about backstage hijinks.  About how the leads are all lovey-dovey on stage or in front of a mic but won’t speak to each other backstage.  How jealousies create turmoil and romance can spoil working relationships.  Well, transport that glamorous (joke!) world to “backstage” at a fast-food drive-through taco joint, and you’ll get the picture of where we’re starting in TACO TOWN. 

Let’s start with the Kushner of the bunch.  Daddy bought Dustin into the company and now he’s managing multiple Taco Towns.  But still manages to find his way into a little creative bookkeeping to personally benefit. Yet he “can’t afford” to give his underpaid and overworked employees a raise or medical benefits.  He has seduced one employee and openly flirts with another.  Brett Mack is a convincing heart-breaking charmer. 

His female employees start with Kym, the titular “manager” whose personal life is a mess, about to get messier.  She’s smart enough to figure out that there’s something wonky going on with the bookkeeping, but not quite larcenous enough to work it to her advantage.  Always late, always apologizing, Kym (played by Maya Ferrario) lives under the fear of losing her job.  But offered a way out, she chooses wisely. 

Paola Miranda as Tessa is the street kid – tough, no nonsense, calculating, bold, “roll the dice” kind of woman.  The audience loves her smart mouth, the provocative way she swings her silky hair, the “almost but not quite” way she flirts with men (including cops).  She could be the head of the school district or the chief of police if she wanted it, but here she is – hollering out the drive-through window, creating chaos and then smoothing it out.  She’s the one you want next to you in a dark alley. 

Then there’s Earth Mother Trudy, the pacifier, the “bend over backwards” loyal employee seething inside but hiding it.  She will “cheerfully” tackle the cleanup jobs no one else will do and automatically cleans a table three times when no one has used it yet.  She’s probably watching her neighbor’s kids, baking cupcakes for the school potluck, and mowing the yard before she comes into work.  But push her the wrong way and she will show you her favorite finger. 

The men on the team are equally fed up but semi-helpless in making working conditions better.  Jysten Atom (who is in every show in town this year) as Roddy is the steady rock of the workers.  He’s on time; he understands the dynamics of his fellow workers but likes them all anyway.  He should be managing his own Taco Town store by now.  His frustration causes him to raise the flag of rebellion with enthusiasm. 

And finally, there is Isaac the Timid (played with sweetness by Ethan Hoover).  He harbors a not-so-secret crush on Tessa but can’t match her in boldness.  He will carry her train but, if needed, stand in front of her if bullets start flying.  He appears to have no hidden agenda except to do his job and please Tessa.  Whatever that means. 

Together this crew goes from hardworking taco makers to rebellious, police defying, rabble rousing rebels.  What started the whole thing?  Sorry, can’t remember.  But is it fun to watch it escalate, become misunderstood, create a hostage situation with Dustin tied to a chair and rolled in and out of the walk-in freezer as “negotiations” proceed?  Oh, yes!!  A small event triggers a crescendo of hurt, that grows into a wave of anger, that morphs into an outright tsunami.  Then common sense, reality and fear flows in and everyone takes another look at what they have done.  But, oh, my goodness, what a ride!! 

The production team, as always, under the reliable leadership of Production Manager Jonathan Scott-McKean, creates a believable kitchen and seating area for this adventure, complete with prep areas and a deep fryer.  It was way too clean to be a “real” kitchen, but that Roddy!  He keeps everything neat and tidy.  Designed by Xander Claypool, built and painted by a crew of seven worker bees, dressed and propped by Samantha Piel, it would certainly pass muster by anyone who had worked at Taco Bell.  Crystal McKenzie created worker aprons for everyone and the director, Len Matheo, pitched in on the music and sound effects that made the whole thing come alive.   

A short drive to Golden will land you in TACO TOWN, and you won’t regret it. 

A WOW factor of 8:50!

STOP/KISS – Written by Diane Son; Directed by Emma Moonfield (Maxwell).  Produced by ER Productions (Presented at The Storyteller Theatre, 9905 East Colfax Avenue, Aurora) through August 29.  Tickets available at StoryTellerTheatre.com. 

An inaugural production by a brave new company in a brand-new space.  I was honored to be there on this auspicious occasion.  ER (Emma and Ratt) Productions proved more than ready to take on the difficult conversation that STOP/KISS offers.  A sweet Lesbian love story that grows slowly with the texture of a relationship changing after a violent encounter with a homophobic brute (never shown on stage).  This does not allow for light-handed guidance.  Emma Maxwell has used her own experience on stage to lead the confident production of this both funny and touching script. 

Written by Jennifer Son who, previous to this full-length script, had only written one-act plays.  She went on after the success of STOP/KISS to a career in episodic TV projects.  However, that background in short plays had not provided her the “boots on the ground” experience in writing a script that needed a strong physical through-line to tell its story.  The scenic reality of the format requires the actors (and the audience) to jump from the beginning of the relationship to another beginning after the assault, slipping back and forth in time.  Nothing wrong with that format.  It worked well to grow the relationship .  .  .  until you try to do it in a small space that can’t support multiple settings.  While the actor/stagehands were well-rehearsed in the dynamics of moving from scene to scene and did a yeoman’s job in getting furniture off and on stage, making and unmaking a sofa bed, creating an invisible cat, moving the story into a hospital room, it still creates a pause in the flow of the story to have to wait between scenes for a new set-up. I have no solutions – only observations. 

The two main characters are Callie (played by Helen Driesen) and Sarah (played by Ratt Walsh) who meet over a cat who needs a new home.  Their relationship builds slowly as histories and current situations are shared.  Both women have titular men in their lives.  Callie has George (Sa’Daiveon Newell), a school buddy with benefits, but no sense of a joint future.  Sarah has a boyfriend back home in St. Louis who is hurt and confused by her decision to abandon the Midwest to teach third grade students in Brooklyn.  He is Peter (played by Neil Soriano Isoles, Jr.).  He also takes on the role of Detective Cole, the NYPD investigator of the attack on the women.  The fifth player is Veronica Chavez-Salgado who does an excellent job playing the witness to the attack from her bedroom window and later as the nurse in the hospital.   

This crew pulls together to make sure the story is told using humor, telescoping time and action, authentic dialogue, and patience.  The quiet moments in this script are as important as the dialogue in many scenes.  They create an acceptance and an adventure for both women.  This is not a story about a head-long rush to bed, but an almost shy sense of discovery. Callie is an experienced City mouse with intimate knowledge of where to get the best of any kind of food, but she often can’t find her keys.  Sarah is calm, steady, a determined teacher, but innocent to the ways of the city.  A Country mouse, she can find the missing keys but doesn’t deliberate on appropriate clothing.  The changes that happen in the relationship culminate in one of the most sweet and touching scenes you’ll ever witness on a stage. 

The men in the cast create the rough edges around the women.  Our first encounter with a male character is a persistent detective who seems to be trying to blame the women for the assault perpetrated on them.  It takes the testimony of another woman observer to paint the whole picture.  Neil plays both the nervous cop and the distraught boyfriend who just wants Sarah to come back to St. Louis with equal grace, differentiating the two characters with ease.  Sa’Diveon is the cool sarcastic noncommittal born-to-the-City kind of guy who is suspicious of everyone he doesn’t know.  And of everyone who tries to come into his comfortable settled world.  All of the characters are well-developed and authentic. 

The Story Teller Theatre offers a cozy space in which to play, adequate lighting and excellent sound equipment . . . always important for a new space.  A Resource Room is offered that provides information about corollary activities that support the subject matter of the production.  The city parking lot behind the building (also supporting the People’s Building) offers adequate and free parking. 

All in all, an auspicious beginning for this new adventure.  BUT only one more weekend to catch this funny and touching performance.  Don’t get sidetracked.  You don’t have ANYTHING better to do next weekend. 

A WOW factor of 8.75!! 

ADAMS MYSTERY PLAYHOUSE – Written by the cast and audience.  Produced by Nick and Marne Cuellar (Presented at the Playhouse at 2406 Federal Boulevard, Denver) indefinitely.  Tickets available at 303-455-1848 or AdamsMysteryPlayhouse.com 

This is actually more of a commercial than a review.  How can you review a performance that is 80% improv wrapped loosely around a “theme” as opposed to being written in a script?  But expect to have a lot of fun.  Most of this cast has worked together for years and have honed their craft.  They can penpoint the audience members who are there to play and who can spar with the actors. Everyone gets comfortably involved, whether it’s having whole tables shout a response to a cast member’s command or engaging in conversation with an actor at your table.  Everything is geared toward audience comfort and enjoyment. 

It is also a dinner theatre with a simple but excellent choice of meal options served by the cast.  This actually starts the evening as soon as you walk through the door, check in, hit the bar, and find your assigned seat in the dining room.   The cast is focused on your comfort throughout. 

The evening our group attended the “script” was entitled “Murder on Pirate Island” which gave the actors the chance to wear flattering pirate-y costumes and shout “Arrgghh” once and awhile.  The captain of the crew is “murdered” off stage, then comes back to solve his own demise.  At the end of the evening, after the questioning of suspicious characters, each table announces their choice of a murderer. Could be someone on the stage – or – in the audience. Other themes are explored on other nights.  In September, we have “The Bootlegger’s Murder” or “A Dark and Stormy Murder” offerings. 

Nick and Marne and a rotating cast of players have been performing these interactive evenings for over twenty years in a variety of locations.  But have settled down in their won renovated funeral parlor . . . just to add to the ambiance.  They have created a three-level entertainment center with a dining room that seats over a hundred and smaller rooms for events like wedding or birthday parties.  There is also a full menu of afternoon performances for kids. 

It’s not difficult to recommend this fun-loving crew for family parties, office celebrations, or just a fun night out with a friend or two.  These folk know how to entertain even the most reticent of audiences.  Give them a look!  Is it theatre?  Who cares!!  It’s fun!! 

A WOW factor of 8!!