Benchmark Theatre goes beyond Stonewall

The Stonewall uprising is a key ashpoint in 20th-century American history — one that changed the course of the struggle for LGBTQIA+ equality in the country. But a lot of what happened during the summer of 1968 is shrouded in memory and mystery.

And while there will always be questions that remain unanswered, the Benchmark eatre explores the events that lead to and followed the uprising in the world premiere of “Stonewall.”

“With how far we’ve come and how far we still have to go, it seemed like the right time to revisit Stonewall,” said Neil Truglio, director of the production and artistic director at Benchmark. “ e question for us was, how can we dramatize the

Coming Attractions

events in a way that’s interesting and educational?

e highway’s temporary repair — as the slide area is still considered active — involved lifting the road up 40 feet and dumping the sliding material into Muddy Creek. at xed the problem but reduced the capacity of Paonia Reservoir, which sits downstream of the slide. It was meant to hold 20,950 acre-feet, but the reservoir today holds roughly 16,000 acre-feet.

Meanwhile, Paonia, with a population of about 1,500, lacks bustle from visitors to wineries, restaurants, organic farms and shops. Julie Bennett, owner of Root and Vine Market and Qutori Wines on Highway 133, said visitors are down 50%.

A problem for nearby Somerset, population 100, has been sparse but fast-moving tra c. Mlakar said

With road damage blocking two roads in Gunnison County and personnel changes to boot, Sheri Murdie admitted, “It’s been a heckuva time.”

Dave Marston is the publisher of Writers on the Range, writersontherange.org, an independent nonpro t dedicated to spurring conversation about the West. He lives in Durango, Colorado.