World premiere on Denver stage

If You Go

BY SONYA ELLINGBOE SELLINGBOE@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

e world premiere of “Laughs in Spanish” by American author Alexis Scheer plays through March 2 at the Denver Center for the Performing Arts and is set in the Wynwood section of Miami, Florida.

Scheer, who is also an experienced actor, was born and raised in a Jewish-Colombian household in Miami and knows Wynwood well.

e gallery where her play is set lies on this strip, noted for its colorful murals and art galleries.

We found her new work highly entertaining.

As the play opens, gallery manager Mariana (award-winning Stephanie Machado) is faced with empty walls — the artwork stolen and a major opening scheduled for that evening, tied in with the annual Art Basel showings. Her assistant, Carolina (Danielle Alonzo) and Caro’s boyfriend Juan (Luis Vega), a policeman, are there with her, searching for the missing art. Sirens are sounding out on the street.

“I need to think,” wails a ustered Mariana. Also present: Jenny (Olivia Hebert), Carolina’s friend.

Mari’s mother, Estella (Maggie Boll), a former lm actress, is visiting to help with the opening by means of a “special live performance” at the opening ... and needs help with her own problem: She is facing an upcoming court date.

e gallery is set up for a party, even though the art is still missing ...

“I will probably be charged as accessory to a crime,” Estella says. It

The Denver Center box o ce phone number is 303-893-4100 and the website is denvercenter.org. The Denver Center is at 14th and Curtis Streets in downtown Denver. Also playing: “Hotter than Egypt” through March 12 in the Kilstrom Theatre. Next scheduled: “The Color Purple” and “The 39 Steps.” seems that in the ‘80s, friends asked her to carry two suitcases across a border for them. “I thought they were lled with guavas,” she says.

Mariana and her mother talk about art and politics throughout the play and about how artists push for changes in the world — whether or not successful. is leads to Estella talking about roles she will not play: the maid or the one who handles the cocaine — Hispanic stereotypes. She is presently working the night shift ... is she a brujera? (One who combines healing and intuition about the spiritual world?) e most important component of my job is ensuring our students and sta feel safe to come to school each day. Parents entrust us with the safety of their children, and this is something I hold near and dear. Students are our mission, and they are the driving factor in every decision I make as a security practitioner. Students who feel safe are better learners and it is my goal to ensure every student feels this way. School is the safest place any of our students can be on a daily basis.

Maggie Bo ll, who plays Estella, is a widely experienced actor and playwright. Her skill was apparent as she dominated the scene, and her daughter made it quite clear that she did not want to be like her mother!

Mari continues to listen as Estella tells her that she wants Mari to know her as more than a mother: as a person with hopes and dreams and ambitions out there in the world ... e playwright does a good job of developing a mother-daughter relationship that sends one home with something to consider ...

“Laughs in Spanish” plays through March 12 in the Singleton eatre, with evening and matinee performances.

What does it mean to be director of safety and security? Why is the position important to the safety and functioning of a healthy school district?

Being a security director is a multi-faceted career. I oversee all security, emergency management, threat assessment and emergency communication throughout our school district. As the director of safety and security, I am responsible for all locks, access control hardware, radio systems, electronic security systems, video surveillance systems, emergency management preparedness, student and sta training, threat assessment guidance and training, responding to Safe2Tell tips around the clock and collaborating with rst responders. No day is ever the same.

How did it feel when you learned that you were a finalist for Director of the Year?