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CHESS – Music by Bjorn Ulvaeus and Benny Andersson; Lyrics by Tim Rice; Book by Richard Nelson; Directed by Bryan Bell; Musical Directed by Jeejay Maccariella; Choreographed by Cory Michael Klements.  Produced by Bright Heart Stages (Presented at the People’s Building, 9995 East Colfax, Aurora) through March 9^th.  Tickets available at thepeoplesbuilding.com/chess. 

What’s happening to Aurora?  One little corner of East Colfax is beginning to resemble Vegas.  There’s a crap game going down on Dayton and an epic chess game being played out on Florence.  Epic, indeed!  Bright Heart Stages has put together an epic cast that is blowing the roof off the People’s Building for three more performances.  It’s a pity they can’t do it longer; there is so much good theatre going on in Denver and surrounds right now.  Too many people are going to miss it. 

CHESS is a bigger-than-life story based loosely on the media coverage around the Chess Match of the Century between the American Bobby Fischer and the Russian Boris Spassky – although the love stories are a bit of a stretch.   But the World Champion match between the two in 1972 created a whole new passion for chess among young players the world over.  Based on the exposure he got for his erratic behavior and arrogant confidence, Fischer became a media darling. 

Amy Warner and Brian Bell are to be congratulated for pulling off this difficult show which is almost operetta in its presentation with limited spoken dialogue.  The score includes seductive ballads, rousing anthems, and downright rock music in a style that embraces recitative and nearly rap sections to tell its story.  It demands a lot of its ensemble and even more of the lead characters.  The human aspect is truncated to provide room to illustrate the Cold War politics as a theme.  But this cast made the story clear and gave the production heart. 

Brian Cronan sings the lead role of Freddie, the brash arrogant American chess master who forgives himself for his bad behavior in “Pity the Child.” This role demands a strong temperament and an incredible vocal range.  Freddy is in love with his second, the dedicated Florence who sees him for what he is.  But as confident as he is leaning over a chessboard, he seems afraid to acknowledge any kind of weakness in his personal life.  Amy Warner as Florence, on the other hand, finds her loyalty tested by his thoughtless treatment and having to forever apologize for his behavior.  Amy has the moxie to pull off a strong woman who will only put up with so much crap.  Her voice has the power to carry off a musical argument, a mournful love song, and everything in between. 

The Russian side of this quartet of lovers is well represented by Nick Marshall as Anatoly, who is calm, deliberate, and dedicated to not only chess, but to his desire to escape the bonds of Mother Russia.  I don’t know what Nick is like off-stage, but Anatoly has a quietude and strength about his personality that leads you to believe that it is a reflection of Nick in real life.  His stage wife, in way too small a role, is Charlotte Campbell as Svetlana.  But she does get to sing one-half of one of the loveliest duets ever written for the Broadway stage – “I Know Him So Well.”  She and Florence reflect vocally on what “their” man needs, revealing totally opposite views. 

I’m not sure why Cole Emarine’s name was not put in the program as the Arbiter, the person who makes the rules and regs governing how the chess matches are conducted.  Usually presented as a male character, this production decided to shake it up a little and present the tough-talking, heavy-handed Arbiter as a woman.  Even in her power suits and sassy attitude, it seemed an unlikely gender bend, given the politics of the 70’s when this story took place.   

But Cole also costumed the show and did an amazing job.  There were dozens of costumes required and everyone got new pieces for every change of character, location, and time.  Florence wore subdued colors until her love story came alive when touches of Russian red crept into her wardrobe.  Svetlana, on the other hand, was entitled to wear bold Russian red immediately.  The checkerboard patterns were repeated whenever possible and the dancers from Merano, Budapest, and Bangkok all had new costumes reflecting their national culture.  An overwhelming job well done. 

One of the roles of the music director is to make sure that the accompaniment to the voices in a production supports the singers without overwhelming them.  A very difficult task with a pit band on stage with the cast.  The nine musicians – who I believe are members of the Aurora Symphony – created a lot of music for some of the ensemble numbers that led the singers to increase their volume.  I’m not going to call it a battle royale, but it did seem to be overwhelming at times. Yet they were able to provide a subdued beautiful background for the ballads.  It’s always more enjoyable to have live music; thank you for being willing to learn the music and participate.  

I hate short runs – but you’ve got one more weekend.  Bright Heart Stage’s mission is to bring to life seldom-done musicals that deserve more attention.  Keep your eye on this group – they will bring to life old memories or help you create new ones.  Next up:  BLOOD BROTHERS. 

A WOW factor of 8.75! 

CLYBOURNE PARK – Written by Bruce Norris; Directed by Kenny Moten.  Produced by the Arvada Center Theatre Company (6901 Wadsworth Boulevard, Arvada) through March 30.  Tickets available at 720-898-7200 or arvadacenter.org. 

This script starts out with a truly inane conversation between a husband and wife over the derivation of the word “Neapolitan” as it pertains to ice cream. She is packing to move from the house; he is reading National Geographic and eating said ice cream.  Yet all the time they are conversing, there is an underpinning of tension, of things unspoken, of a desperate need to keep things light, superficial.  A clergyman arrives peddling prayer to an uninterested audience.  A neighbor and his wife arrive with unsettling news about the prospective buyers of the house they are moving from.  The age-old prejudices have been brought to an also unwilling audience.  In the background hover Francine, their Black maid of many years, and her husband, polite, helpful and bewildered.  A heart-rending story about the death of the homeowner’s military son unfolds and reveals the reasons they are moving and why they could care less who is moving in. 

During the intermission, a moving crew arrives on stage, finishes the packing, removes the furniture, and proceeds to totally demolish the house – turning it from a comfortable family home into a stereotypical crack house.  Designed by the brilliant Brian Mallgrave, built by Nick Cimyotte and the crew in the shop, dressed by Jalana Sloatman and her prop crew, and lit by Shannon McKinney, this is a set that goes the extra mile to provide two views of the same house, enhances the passage of the years, and belies the hope of a better life for its inhabitants. 

Fifty years have passed.  The family that bought the house are long gone and two generations of neglect has ruined it.  A young white couple have bought the old derelict with plans to demolish it and rebuild on the same lot, but there seems to be some legal issue about the dimensions of the proposed new house.  A meeting has been called between the legacy owners, the new prospective buyers, the real estate dealer and a lawyer.  We quickly surmise that, even though fifty years have passed, any discussion involving racial differences are going to result in walking on eggs and high tension.  While attempts at “understanding” and humor are tried, the second act ends as the first act – with fierce arguments going in all directions.  As they storm out, a workman who has been digging a trench for new pipes walks in with a trunk he found buried in the yard – a remnant from the end of the story from Act I.  Its contents provide a sweet but powerful coda to the anger we have witnessed. 

The work done by this cadre of actors is amazing to behold.  Brik Berkes’ grieving father barely able to hold it together is heartbreaking in Act One.  At one point, he leaves the stage in anger, only to come back a few minutes later with tears running down his cheeks in frustration.  He flips in Act Two to become the uninvolved but curious opener of the trunk uncovered.  Kate Gleason plays the loving but helpless mother in Act One, grasping at straws in an attempt to help her husband assuage his anger.  A fast-talking real estate agent in Act Two, she tries to deflect with distraction but finally loses her patience with these people who can’t stay on point.  Ghandia Johnson is the quiet talking docile maid in Act One, until they have managed to push her last button.  Don Randle plays her husband in both acts as the go –along-to-get-along guy who seems to avoid boat-rocking by being helpful and polite.  They represent the neighborhood and the family that once owned the house with fears that the new house will lead to a high grade gentrification and force the now Black community out of the market.  Nik Vlachos brings three characters to life.  The first is the fish-out-of-water clergyman in Act One whose attempts at comfort fall dreadfully short.  In Act Two, he plays a lawyer involved in the negotiations and, in the final moments, the memory of the military son.   

While everyone does an exemplary job with high-pressure, fast-talking characters who must express a mountain of unpleasant emotions while seeking to maintain a cool demeanor, this evening belonged to Damon Guerrasio and his two wives.  Damon – always an excellent choice for any kind of role – usually plays comic parts and musical characters.  He pulls up his big boy pants in this show and takes on two of the toughest, ugliest roles.  In Act One, Karl, the guy from the neighborhood, has just returned from a visit with the Youngers, the first Black family to buy into this neighborhood.  The ugliness started off stage before the show commenced and continued into his belligerent conversation with Russ and Bev, the sellers.  Kendall Malkin plays his very pregnant wife whose deafness protects her from some of the turmoil.  Corey Exline joins Damon as his wife Lindsay in the second act.  These two are Generation X through and through – on their way up, eventually 2.5 kids plus a dog, “important” jobs, confident and clearly not racist (because some of their best friends are Black).  Watching them maneuver the stepping stones over the pit of fire they find themselves in is part of the fun of this show.  Damon turns a little clueless, a little doofus in the second act, but still stands up for himself (and his equally doofus wife) with vigor. 

Kenny Moten once again proves why he is one of the most sought-after directors in the state.  He keeps everything moving without forcing you to make decisions.  The truth and the hurt of the words just wash over you and soak in.  There’s a LOT packed into these two hours that you will find yourself pondering days later.  Can we ever really have a rational discussion about race?  Are the folks who live on Avenue Q correct is assuming that “Everybody’s just a little bit racist?”  Will we ever be able to get it straight?  Is DEI a waste of time as some would have us believe?   Or, in the words of Anne Frank, “In spite of everything, I still believe that people are really good at heart.” 

A WOW factor of 9!! 

THE SUFFRAGETTE’S MURDER – Written by Sandy Rustin; Directed by Margot Bordelon.  Produced by the Denver Center Theatre Company (the Kilstrom Theatre, 14^th and Curtis, Denver) through March 9^th.  Tickets available at 303-893-4800 or denvercenter.org. 

Sandy Rustin is an up-and-comer in the world of American playwrights. Having just seen the Colorado premiere of her lighthearted British comedy, THE COTTAGE (now playing at the StageDoor Theatre in Conifer), I fully expected another complicated farcical high-energy comedy, and I was not disappointed. 

THE COTTAGE is a parade of purloined partners.  MURDER has its own set of improbable twists and turns that, as they are performed, seem perfectly logical until they pile in another unexpected complication.  It’s so much fun to see it all come alive in front of you and respond in shock with the whole audience at the next revelation.  You’ll never see them coming. 

The owners and tenants of a boarding house in the 1850’s in lower Manhattan were fierce activists in favor of women’s right to vote.  Even the men get in on the action.  They are planning a rebellious act that is just a little bit on this side of shady.  The arrival of a constable upsets their plans and forces them into hiding their “weapons” and creating an impromptu seance to cover their activities.  Chaos ensues. 

The cast is committed to comedy and does excellent work.  Mr. And Mrs. Mayhew (as played by Megan Hill and Mathew Boston) are the owners of the boarding house, happily married until they aren’t.  Linda Mugleston and Annie Abramczyk are mother and daughter boarders, Mariam and Mabel Adams, having escaped their small town to wait for Mabel’s impending (but unmarried) happy event.  Rowan Vickers and Curtis Wiley are two boarders who could not be more opposite.  Vickers as Leopold Albright is unpleasant, rude, and bigoted.  Wiley as Tennyson Jennings is pleasant, polite, and helpful.  There is one other boarder – the silent Mr. Orton (Gareth Saxe) who sits quietly in the nook under the staircase observing the activity.  He proves to be a most valuable asset in saving the day for the boarders.  The Constable is investigating the disappearance and supposed murdered sixth boarder.  it’s sort of a “Who’s on First” routine as he tries to sort out everyone’s connection.  It’s a little bit pointless as relationships change throughout the evening. 

The two-story set reminded me so much of the set for a Victorian NOISES OFF, I kept imagining what was going on behind those formidable walls to the second floor.  Beautifully appointed, comfortable without being ostentatious, the Mayhews boarding house for people in need would have been a good place to live in for a while.  Director Margot Bordelon kept the action moving and the changing relationships clear.  Ms. Rustin should be very happy with this inaugural production. 

A WOW factor of 8.75!! 

GUYS AND DOLLS – Book by Abe Burroughs and Jo Swerling; Music by Frank Loesser; Directed by Carter Edward Smith.  Produced by Vintage Theatre (1468 Dayton, Aurora) through March 23.  Tickets available at 303-856-7830 or Vintagetheatre.org. 

Oh, no, not another one of those old pieces from ancient times.  Might as well do SOUND OF MUSIC or FIDDLER Again!  Oh, well, I like Vintage and have to trust them to do a good job.  Wait! What?  They got Jessica Sotwick as Adelaide!!  And Justin Milner as Sky?  That hottie that stole ONCE UPON A MATTRESS!  OK  – hold the curtain!  I’m there . . . . 

I should learn not to prejudge a show because of its age.  There’s a reason audiences don’t leave the theatre humming after a contemporary production.  And why almost everyone can name two or three songs out of the shows written in the 1900’s?  They are pure joy to listen to and great fun to watch.  The stories are compelling, the emotions authentic, and the jokes corny.  The Damon Runyon-type characters ring a bell; we’ve seen them in a dozen movies and they probably remind you of your Uncle Shorty.  The moment they started singing “I got a horse right here; his name is Paul Revere,” they had me. 

Keywords: “Sit down, you’re rocking the boat” – floating crap game – trip to Havana – Salvation Army doll – Bushel and a Peck – post nasal drip.  Ah, it all comes back now, doesn’t it?  But please don’t forget “More I Cannot Wish You” sung by Sister Sarah’s grandfather to her, so beautifully done by Brian Trampler.  One of the most beautiful songs ever written. 

This show has found wonderfully rich characters to play wonderfully rich characters.  The guys looking for a place to have a crap game have those faces, those bodies that say – without a word – “I been around.”  Grant Bowman (Big Jule ) – Patrick Brownson (Harry the Horse) – Cooper Kaminsky (Benny Southstreet) – David Kincannon (Nicely Nicely) – Scotty Shaffer (Nathan Detroit) – all have seen the other side of thirty but can belt a song and dance a jig or two with the young guys.  So proud of them – and of Carter for casting them – and Dallas Slankard and Danielle Morris for teaching them the dances.  They all did great. 

Nicole Cherecwich is a relative newcomer to Denver theatre but here’s hoping we see a lot more of her.  Her bell-like soprano lit up the stage; her natural grace made her a perfect Sister Sarah, innocently led astray by that dastardly Justin Milner as Sky.  They worked well together, making sugar and spice a dish to enjoy.  The duet between Sarah and Adelaide – “Marry the Man Today: – was a show-stopping melding of styles. 

Speaking of Adelaide – here she comes, folks.  Anyone who saw Jessica Sotwick as Ursula in LITTLE MERMAID at Parker Arts or Mrs. Lovett in SWEENEY TODD at Stagedoor Theatre in Conifer knows that she can take a small role and make it big.  And a big role and blow a hole in the back wall of the theatre.  As Adelaide, she was loving and familiar with Scotty Shaffer as Nathan, her fiancé of 14 years.  She could melt into tears at yet another postponement of the wedding bells; she could sing and dance her legs off as the star of the Hot Box Girls; her anger knew no bounds when betrayed again by a pair of dice.  She will take a simple line, adorn it with her own touch – a twist, a sneer, a smile, a sneeze – and the line takes on a whole new meaning. She makes watching her a surprise and a delight in every scene.  I keep telling her I’m her #1 fan; I can’t understand why she keeps backing away. 

Well, I was wrong.  Everything about this “tired” old show is fresh and new and delightful.  Carter Edward Smith has come into his own as a director and has a bright future ahead of him. 

A WOW factor of 9.25!! 

BLUES FOR AN ALABAMA SKY – Written by Pearl Cleage; Directed by Adrienne Martin-Fullwood.  Produced by Firehouse Theatre Company (Presented in the John Hand Theatre at 7653 East 1^st Street, Denver) through March 9^th.  Tickets available at 303-562-3232 or firehousetheatercompany.com. 

BLUES seems like a slice-of-life drama but it’s a bit more than that.  It’s also a character study and a look at how attitude influences the outcome.  It’s funny, touching, and historical. 

Basically, there are two couples living in comfortable co-existence across the hall from each other.  Guy and Angel live in one apartment but only as temporary roommates.  Angel just got dumped by her gangster boyfriend and lost her job as a singer in his nightclub.  She’s sleeping on Guy’s sofa until she can find a new job and a new sugar daddy.  She is self–centered, selfish, and scared yet confident in her ability to snare a man with her sexual prowess.  Guy, on the other hand, is a costume designer with an over-weening determination to become the exclusive designer for the legendary Josephine Baker.  But, instead of hoping it will just happen miraculously, he works hard at sending her sketches of his ideas and making his dream known to her.  As a gay man, Guy is generous, outgoing, optimistic, and a determined dreamer. 

The other couple are just beginning their couplehood.  Delia is a pioneer in her desire to open a clinic in Harlem to teach women about birth control.  She is happy for the strides she is making in the right direction and the quiet sweet relationship she is beginning with Sam, the local doctor. Sam likes a party – “Let the Good Times Roll!” – but also seems content to sit around the kitchen table and talk with Delia.  He reluctantly takes care of the women for whom Delia’s lessons are too late.   

The fifth character Leland enters the picture from way down South.  A country boy mourning the loss of his two-year-gone wife, he is immediately drawn to Angel because of her resemblance to his deceased wife – and – she to him for his willingness to take care of her.  However, his are not big city ways and attitudes. 

Johnathan Underwood takes the role of Guy with a high-pitched energy that emphasizes his dynamic approach to his passion and underwrites his innate goodness.  Nadiya Jackson enters the scene drunk and angry and rarely gets more than ten minutes away from those emotions for the rest of the evening.  If she’s not sleeping one off, she’s buzzing around the apartment like a hummingbird on steroids.  It’s only when she slows down that you can see her fear. 

Jysten Atom and Marissa Joy play second banana to the dramatics going on across the hall.  But they are supportive friends and possess an air of simplicity and authenticity that serves their roles.  Their camaraderie with each other and their friends is natural and adds believability to the depth and longevity of their friendship.  Throwing Leland with his outdated, homophobic, and misogynistic ideas into this experienced intelligent New York group of old friends is a big mistake. 

The set designed, constructed, and painted by Jeff Jesmer and Megan Davis achieves the seediness of a NY cold water flat in Harlem in the 30’s with its plaster walls and mismatched furniture.  The center of attention in Guy’s room is his alter to Josephine Baker.  The costumes designed by Molly Gallegos are stunning and include Angel’s “work” clothes and the pitiful excuse for a dress that Leland deems more suitable for her new role as his girlfriend.  Guy is a designer of drag costumes so, of course, he must display his wares like a peacock.  It’s a good look for Johnathan. 

It’s Black History Month and there are many fine offerings in Denver theatres right now to honor legacy and heritage.  GEE’S BEND at the Fox, CLYBOURNE PARK at the Arvada Center, CHASING BREADCRUMBS by Local Theatre at the Dairy Center, THE CASE FOR THE EXISTENCE OF GOD at Curious, and this show at Firehouse. 

A WOW factor of 8.50! 

EE’S BEND – Written by Elyzabeth Gregory Wilder; Directed by donnie l. betts.  Produced by the Aurora Fox Arts Center (9900 East Colfax, Aurora) through February 23.  Tickets available at 303-739-1970 or AuroraFoxArts Center.org. 

The legacy of Gee’s Bend quilt makers has encircled the globe from the tiniest beginnings in a plantation established in a bend in the river in 1816 by Joseph Gee.  When times got bad, Gee sold the plantation to Mark Pettway, the sheriff of the county, in 1845.  There are members of the current crop of quilters who still bear the name of Pettway. They raised the usual crops and cotton with the women making quilts from worn out work clothes to keep the families warm in the unheated huts they lived in.  Finally, when the Emancipation came, many opted to stay and work the land as sharecroppers still living in poverty.  In the 30’s, FDR’s Resettlement Administration bought the 10,000 acres of the original plantation and doled it out via low-interest loans to the families that had been working it all those years. 

In addition to creating an original art form, many Gee’s Bend residents participated in the civil rights movement of the 1960’s, taking part in a voter registration drive led by Martin Luther King and participating in the march on Selma.  In 1966, the quilters banded together into the Freedom Quilting Bee and began seriously making quilts for commerce, selling them to the stores like Bloomingdale’s and Sears.  This allowed the beauty of their work to take on the mantle of “Textile Art” with the result that, in 2002, an exhibition of Gee’s Bend quilts was displayed at the Whitney Museum of American Art. 

Denver too has an amazing group of women who quilt for their own enjoyment and commerce.  The Wa Shonaji Quilt Guild generously loaned their beautiful quilts to the Fox for illustration of what can be done with a little skill and creativity.  While the women of Gee’s Bend favor the traditional darker patterns of their predecessors, the younger members of both the Denver Guild and the current Gee’s Bend group have created colorful original patterns that move the art form further into the realm of Textile Art. 

The story told in the production of GEE’S BEND is the story of one family that has been a part of this semi-isolated group for several generations.  Starting with the wisdom of Alice Pettway (played by the legendary Sheryl McCallum) as the heavy-handed matriarch of the family which includes two teenage girls, Sadie (Yasmine Emani Hunter) and Nella (Daja McLeod).  Her efforts at keeping the girls from making the same mistakes she made as a teenager are only partially successful.  But she does instill a deep strength and independence in both of them.  It takes a while to manifest itself, but they both finally come into their own.  The tale of the daughters is told through courtship, marriage, abuse, and history.  Sadie marries young and continues the legacy of the quilters.  Nella “don’t do no sewing.”  They are both feisty, but Sadie’s life changes when Mason (Stevie Wise) locks her out of the house when she comes home bowed and beaten after the Selma March.  All of the actor’s give authentic and committed portrayals of their characters.  Wise goes from an enamored teenager caught up in Sadie’s plot to get married and out from under her mother’s thumb – to an embittered and disillusioned husband more prone to talk with his fists than his voice.  McLeod retains her feisty self-centered character through the years.  McCallum lives through the decades to play Alice and then Alice’s granddaughter 60 years later. 

But this is Hunter’s show.  The guiding force who moves historical events in front of her.  Displaying a powerful voice through interludes of gospel music and historical anthems, she controls the picture.  Determined to make her place in the world, her dreams reach fruition in a scene where she and Nella visit the exhibit of their quilts in a museum.  They are astounded and proud of how beautiful they look displayed under light and delight themselves by recognizing each woman’s work by the style and needle work. 

Another beautiful set by Brandon Case that utilizes trees surrounding a clearing in the woods that becomes everything the play needs to tell its story.  His projections of the land around Gee’s Bend and the brutality of the action in Selma put the audience in the middle of the story.  One special little touch that Brett Maughan, the Lighting Designer, threw in at the end for our enjoyment was the tranquility symbolized by the presence of fireflies. 

A WOW factor of 8.25! 

THE COTTAGE – Written by Sandy Rustin; Directed by Justin Johnson.  Produced by Stagedoor Theatre (20797 Conifer Road, Conifer) through February 23.  Tickets available at 303-838-0809 or stagedoortheatre.org. 

The English have a name for the comedy being done up the hill in Conifer.  High something – high fun?  No.  Hijinks comes close.  But no – that’s not it.  Wait – I’ve got it!! High Goofiness – that’s it!  Crazy, twisted, improbable, hysterical, pure unadulterated, mountainous goofiness. A farce without the slamming doors. 

The plot is so convoluted that there’s hardly any point in trying to explain it.  Basically, two couples (including a pair of brothers) have traded partners unbeknownst to each other.  One couple has “slipped away” to a family cottage in the country for a cozy weekend.  Then the second couple (also not married to each other) arrives unexpectedly.  If that wasn’t enough, two more people show up to further complicate the high jinks. 

There’s a blonde bombshell (Kimberly Colisch), a very pregnant woman (Staci York), and a ditz (Emma Ackerman).  The men are interchangeable – one a confident philanderer (Josh Van Riper); the second, his brother and more of the same (Ken Zinn), and the third, a whining lost soul (Clint Clark).  They all deserve each other.  The two who make the most sense are Marjorie with her droll sense of humor and self-awareness of how ridiculous the situation is.  She and Sylvia are both caught in the middle of the battle of the brothers while remaining only inches above a catfight themselves.  Dierdre enters the picture adding total confusion and a hopeless misunderstanding.  The men muddle along adding to the bewilderment and changing alliances.  But it’s the women who prove the strongest in establishing at least partial winners in the game.  In the meantime, the audience is enjoying laugh-out-loud fun as observers of the silliness. 

Justin Johnson kept a strong rein on the action and fast-paced dialogue.  He kept it moving at a rapid pace without running out of control.  He and his cast found all the ingredients for humor – both through dialogue and physical action.  The charming sitting room in the cottage designed by Dean Arniotes and Biz Schaugaard provided a perfect background for all the shenanigans.  The costumes by Jan Middleton immediately captured the class of the participants in this merry-go-round.  It’s the posh making fun of the posh. 

What a fun evening!!  Enjoy a delicious meal at Los Garcias 3 before the show. 

A WOW factor of 8.5!! 

A CASE FOR THE EXISTENCE OF GOD – Written by Samuel D. Hunter; Directed by Warren Sherrill.  Produced by Curious Theatre Company (1080 Acoma, Denver ) through February 16.  Tickets available at 303-623-0524 or boxoffice@curioustheatre.org. 

A long long time ago in a small college in Denver, a skinny kid jumped up and down on a table during a production of THE FOREIGNER and won the hearts of everyone in the audience.  He is was my first Ellard – I guess you always remember your first.  This actor has gone on from his college days to work at Creede Rep, Colorado Shakespeare Festival, BETC, the Art Museum, and other theatres.  And now back to Curious for another appearance.  Without glancing at the program before the show started, I witnessed an accomplished actor embodying the challenging role of Ryan in this production.  Hidden under a beard and a full-grown big guy physique, there was my Ellard – Brian Kusic.  His ability to throw away a comic line totally deadpan, to absorb the pain of his character in a most visceral way, to express humility, anger, desperation, and hope with such excruciating reality . . . I don’t have the words.  You broke my heart, Brian. 

Paired with Brian in this adventure on stage is Cameron Davis, newer perhaps to Colorado, but perfectly holding his own in the part of Keith.  This is one of those pairings that is so perfect, that you can’t imagine anyone else ever doing the roles with such synchronicity.  Cam too brought surprises to the stage, holding onto his little bombs of discovery about past connections with dubious ease.  His love for his daughter is heartbreaking and perfect. How do you display such fear and confusion without having something from your personal life to draw on?  Cam, whatever it was that gave you that depth of feeling and pain, I’m sorry.  But thank you for being able to share it with your audiences.  It can’t be easy. 

How do you make a story out of two men so opposite in character simply trying to negotiate the pitfalls of borrowing money?  Ryan wants to buy the last parcel of land left from his family’s homestead, which has been sold off to developers over the years.  He wants to make a home where his part-time daughter will want to come in the future after the divorce is final.  But he has not lived the kind of life conducive to financial negotiations.  Some people peak in high school as a football hero but everything else is downhill from there.  Keith is anxious to make the deal as part of his job but also has a bit of a personal ax to grind.  He is sympathetic to Ryan’s feelings about family because of his own struggle to get through the two-year foster-to-adoption deadline coming up when he can legally become his daughter’s father.  Only weeks to go.  The potential for a happy ending for both men hovers in the air above them. 

Warren Sherrill has gained a reputation as an honored director in Denver; productions such as this are the reason why. The set design by Brian Watson that created a tiny office space that crowded the two men together added to the men’s early uneasy conversations.  As a friendship developed, the space opened up to offer comfort.  The open ceiling unit that stretched out over the audience only added to the cramped corner environment in which the men maneuvered.  Through the work of Costume Designer, Connor Sullivan, the buttoned-down look of Keith’s business attire and the slouching attitude of Ryan’s jeans and work shirt provided a strong visual contrast to both men’s place in life. Time passing was ably portrayed with the lighting changes between scenes and the small adjustments in the set.  Everything about this production served to provide a microcosm of activity not world-shattering to anyone except the two men living it.  And the audiences watching it.  Did we gain a greater sense of compassion by watching the trials of these two?  I hope so. 

Stay for the final credits . . . they have one more surprise for you. 

A WOW factor of 9!! 

MORNING AFTER GRACE – Written by Carie Crim; Directed by Abby Apple Boes.  Produced by Miners Alley Playhouse (1100 Miners Alley, Golden) through March 2.  Tickets available at 303-935-3044 or minersalley.com. 

I love it when a play doesn’t seem like a play; when it seems like a conversation and discoveries being made for the first time in front of our eyes.  That’s exactly what happened on a recent night at Miners Alley between the three players in MORNING AFTER GRACE. All three actors have gotten caught in a situation and spent the day talking about what they were going to do about it and how they felt in general about where they were in life.  They had a lot to talk about:  Angus (Kevin Hart) just found out that his recently deceased wife had been having an affair; Abigail (Tammy Meneghini) is a divorcee just beginning to date again; Ollie (Dwayne Carrington) is a gay man whose disapproving father is coming for a visit.  Angus and Abigail had just spent the night together when Ollie walked in on them.  Ready – Set – Go!! 

What follows is one of the funniest, sweetest, most thoughtful, conversations you will ever witness.  Ms. Crim, the playwright, has a bullet-like precision to her dialogue.  It is authentic, realistic, natural, and funny all at once.  The actor’s use of pauses and changing direction in the middle of a speech, as they changed their mind about where the conversation was going, was exactly like the talks you had with your best friends over dinner last weekend.  Abigail has a special job that helps both men express their inner doubts and anger without censure.  Absolutely amazing work by all three. 

Kevin only does a show every couple of years; his presence always knocks a good script out of the ballpark.  His comic timing is impeccable.  But he met his match with his cast mates.  Tammy’s personal sense of humor and body confidence is present in each scene.  She lounged on the sofa, eating grapes, and guiding a counseling session with total ease. Dwayne’s anger toward his bigoted homophobic father was coaxed out of him in the most comic of ways.  They all found a resolution for their personal problems.  They came a long way in one day. 

The setting is Angus’s condo in an independent living village complete with a working fridge and running water in the sink.  He makes a pan of brownies during the day; I fully expected him to pull them out of the oven completely cooked and ready to eat. The comfortable living room et was built by Jonathan Scott-McKean and dressed by Samantha Peel. Abby Apple Boes has added to her resume of perfectly directed shows.  Folks, this is one not to miss. 

A WOW factor of 9!! 

THE RESERVOIR – Written by Jakes Brasch; Directed by Shelly Butler.  Produced by the Denver Center Theatre Company (Presented at the Singleton Theatre, 1101 13^th Street, Denver) through March 9.  Tickets available at 303-893-4100 or denvercenter.org. 

If you’ve ever had a grandchild in trouble, if you’ve ever been a mother disappointed in your child’s behavior, if you’ve ever gotten black-out drunk, if you’ve ever asked for a second chance, you’ll relate to this play.  Jake Brasch is a local boy who, after graduating from the Denver School of the Arts, went to Julliard and began writing.  THE RESERVOIR marks his professional debut as a playwright.  How ironic and sweet that it is here in Denver where all the people who knew him “when” can see his work and revisit the good ol’ days. 

It also makes me wonder how his grandparents and mother feel about being

portrayed on stage.  Although the claim is that it is not totally autobiographical, a great deal of the events depicted are suggested by Jake’s own life troubles and growth toward a better life.  As Josh, the character, finds his way home and honestly struggles to become sober, he reconnects with his grandparents who offer him down-to-earth counsel and semi-unconditional love.  He learns that they are real human beings with vivid past lives and their own current troubles with failing bodies and minds.  He finds purpose in trying to help them find a new purpose for themselves and paths toward cognitive recovery. The usual ending for a story like this would be happy.  A reunion with his discouraged mother, his grandparents dancing off into the unknown future, a promising relationship started, a successful career undertaken, and temptations avoided.  Josh’s story is not that pat and we are left encouraged but unsure if this last promise is the one he’ll be able to keep. 

The cast does amazingly sensitive work.  Phillip Schneider plays the many sides of Josh with energy and compassionate understanding.  His struggles are real and his successes only temporary.  He has genuine affection for his family and they for him.  It’s just so hard to see him succumb to his demons time after time.   

Vanessa Lock is Josh’s at-her-wit’s-end mother whose attempts at tough love are painful to watch and rarely work.  A clear indication of her deep love for her son is how many forgiveness’s are offered. The grandparents, played by Joyce Cohen, Lori Wilner, Mark Kincaid, and understudy Mark Rubald on the night observed gave realistic full-bodied performances as real people.  They were loving toward their grandson but they do have lives of their own with their own set of issues.  In retaining their true selves and not becoming consumed with his behavior and problems, they inadvertently gave him a path to follow. Their interaction with Josh was fun to watch.  Rodney Lizcano had a variety of parts, including a snooty waiter, Josh’s boss at the bookstore, and seemingly his only friend. 

A smooth group of ninja stagehands moved set pieces off and on from the wings with no attempt to disguise the fact that they were only there to keep the show running, occasionally acknowledging the actors in a sort of “OK, go on now” recognition.  Director Shelly Butler has found both the humor and the truth in this powerful script and brought it to glorious life.  I would say that Mr. Brasch is off to a running start and can’t wait to see the next thing he brings home. 

A WOW factor of 8.5!!