SUPPORTER
LEGACY MONTH
Dear Friends,
Each September, we celebrate Legacy Month — a time to honor the remarkable individuals who ensure the Denver Center for the Performing Arts continues to thrive for generations to come.
Legacy donors are storytellers. Visionaries. Champions of the arts. By including DCPA in your estate plans, you become part of a tradition that began with Helen G. Bonfils and continues today through the Encore Society. Your generosity sustains our stages, empowers our educators, and inspires more than 985,000 patrons each year.
Whether your legacy gift is a bequest, a beneficiary designation, or a taxwise strategy like a Qualified Charitable Distribution from your retirement account while actively in retirement, it reflects a deep belief in the power of live theatre to transform lives. It’s a statement that says: “The arts matter. And I want them to endure.”
This month, we’ll share stories of impact — from students stepping into the spotlight to the launch of bold new works and world premieres that begin right here in Denver. These moments are possible because of you.
If you’re considering a legacy gift, we invite you to explore the many ways to make a lasting difference. And if you’ve already made that commitment, thank you. Your foresight and generosity are the foundation of our future.
With heartfelt gratitude,
Jamie Clements
Vice President of Development 303.446.4818 • jclements@dcpa.org
WOMEN’S VOICES FUND
In 2005, the Denver Center for the Performing Arts launched the Women’s Voices Fund, a first-of-its-kind fund created to foster the work of female playwrights and directors. Since then, the fund has supported 50 works by female playwrights and 52 female directors including this season’s productions of Cowboys and East Indians by Nina McConigley and Matthew Spangler and Godspeed directed by Delicia Turner Sonnenberg. Visit denvercenter.org/WVF today to elevate women’s voices.
Photo
SETTING THE STAGE FOR LIFELONG LEARNING
In 1985, the Denver Center for the Performing Arts (DCPA) launched its arts education program with a simple school tour. By 1992, it had expanded to include acting instruction for students of all ages — and its impact has only grown.
From career readiness and early childhood literacy to inschool residencies and student matinees, DCPA Education engages nearly 144,000 students each year through 12 programs including the popular Theatre for Young Audiences (TYA) early childhood production.
The program debuted in 2017 with a pilot production of Oily Cart’s In a Pickle. Now the program welcomes as many as 43,500 children ages PreK through third grade each year. This season, Goodnight Moon returns by popular demand, running Oct. 24, 2025-Jan. 25, 2026 in the Weeks Conservatory Theatre.
Created specifically for the DCPA by playwright Chad Henry and director Allison Watrous with in-house design by Denver Center Theatre Company artisans, this show brings Bunny, kittens, bears, cows, the red balloon, and a (not-so-quiet) old lady to life on stage.
Thanks to support from the Genesee Mountain Foundation, Chevron, DaVita, Alan & Carol Meny, and the Rollie R. Kelley Family Foundation, Theatre for Young Audiences has grown so popular that DCPA Education lengthened the run by more than 40 performances. To broaden access, the DCPA offers $16 tickets to its student matinees and regularly supplements ticket costs with discounts and scholarships. Of the nearly 21,560 tickets distributed last season, 67% were free or low-cost. Plus, school groups are always treated to a complimentary pre- or post-show activity that enriches the experience.
“Experiencing live theatre allows children to connect their experiences to stories on stage,” said Watrous. “Theatre for Young Audiences is the first steppingstone of our curriculum that — paired with classes, residencies, and all of the DCPA’s wonderful productions — fosters a lifelong love of theatre.”
To learn more about Theatre for Young Audiences and how you can support all of the DCPA’s educational opportunities, contact Caitie Maxwell at cmaxwell@dcpa.org or 303.446.4840.
MAKE A LASTING IMPACT
Each September, the DCPA celebrates Legacy Month — a time to honor individuals who have made the DCPA forever a part of their legacy. The magic on our stages doesn’t happen by chance. It’s made possible by individuals like you — passionate supporters who believe in the power of theatre to inspire, educate, and connect.
By making a legacy pledge, you become part of something enduring: a community that ensures live theatre will always have a place in our lives and in the lives of generations to come.
Your story becomes part of our story — and the show goes on.
DANIEL L. RITCHIE A LEGACY OF GIVING AND GRACE
Daniel L. Ritchie (1913-2025), former Chairman & CEO of the Denver Center for the Performing Arts, left an indelible mark on the organization through his visionary leadership and passion for the arts. After a successful business career and a distinguished tenure as Chancellor of the University of Denver, Ritchie came out of retirement at age 74 to guide the DCPA through the 2007 economic crisis. His leadership was marked by bold fundraising efforts, creative outreach, and a willingness to step outside his comfort zone to promote the arts. Whether performing in a rap video or donning drag to support a world premiere play, Ritchie’s enthusiasm and commitment to theater were unwavering. He believed deeply in the transformative power of live performance and was especially moved by its impact on young audiences. Ritchie’s leadership style — humble, daring, and heartfelt — helped elevate the DCPA as a cultural cornerstone in Denver.
To contribute to the Daniel L. Ritchie Scholarship Fund, contact Caitie Maxwell at cmaxwell@dcpa.org or 303.446.4840.
Leslie Alexander and Sophia Dotson in A Little Night Music
Photo by Amanda Tipton Photography
MIKE & DIANA KINSEY NOURISHING THE ROOTS OF THEATRE
For more than a dozen years, a close-knit group of friends — including Mike and Diana Kinsey and former DCPA Trustee Isabelle Clark — transformed their shared love of theatre into a force for good. As devoted members of the DCPA’s Directors Society, they didn’t just attend performances — they elevated their appreciation into meaningful action by cosponsoring productions such as Romeo and Juliet, As You Like It, Macbeth, and Much Ado About Nothing.
Their partnership was rooted in friendship, lively conversation, and a mutual belief in the enduring relevance of Shakespeare’s work. Whether debating interpretations over dinner or sitting side-by-side in the audience, their bond deepened through a shared commitment to sustaining live theatre in Colorado.
When Isabelle died unexpectedly in 2022, the Kinseys honored her by becoming Producing Partners of Hamlet in her name — continuing a legacy of generosity.
To explore how you can celebrate a loved one, contact Caitie Maxwell at cmaxwell@dcpa.org or 303.446.4840.
Leave your mark on Denver’s non-profit home for live theatre by joining the DCPA’s Encore Society! Learn more about our many options for Planned Giving today.
Contact: Caitie Maxwell at cmaxwell@dcpa.org or 303.446.4840.
In its inaugural season, the DCPA’s Theatre Company offered a five-play season including its first-ever world premiere, Passing Game by Steve Tesich. By season five, the Company’s commitment to new play development was formalized with a festival of public readings lasting 15 seasons.
In 2005, the Theatre Company revived its new play development program with the reconceived Colorado New Play Summit. Today, this one-week workshop of four play readings and two fully produced world premieres culminates in an event for local and industry guests.
Through its new play development program, the Denver Center Theatre Company has:
• Presented 215 readings of new works
• Produced 183 world premieres
Of the readings, 90 have gone on to 553 subsequent professional productions* around the country, elevating the reputation of Denver and contributing to the American theatre canon.
TOP 10
KEEP THE STORY GOING
Linden Tailor in The Great Leap .
Photo by AdamsVisCom
Ben Huber in The Legend of Georgia McBride . Photo by Jennifer M Koskinen.
ROBERT PETKOFF MURDER, MADNESS, AND MOULIN ROUGE!
By Suzanne Yoe
The national tour of Moulin Rouge! The Musical was a bit of a homecoming for actor Robert Petkoff. After all, his first play in Denver was the granddaddy of theatre — Tantalus — the 10part, nine-hour play recounting the Trojan War. Petkoff, one of four American actors to snag a featured role, played multiple characters including Achilles in the 2000 Denver Center Theatre Company world premiere that kept him in rehearsals and performances for a full year. After that, he was practically a local.
“I love Denver,” Petkoff enthused, “[I love] the lifestyle that seems very outdoorsy. I found myself jogging, doing outdoor things that I don’t normally do…. Every time I get a show in Denver, I’m thrilled, and I feel like it’s one of my theatre homes.” He’s done multiple roles in Chicago, San Diego, and Denver where he’s “really, really learned how to be a good actor, and part of that has to do with the Denver audiences.”
The next time Denver saw Petkoff was in the first national tour of Spamalot in 2007/08. He traded in the dramatic warrior
Achilles for the comedic Sir Robin.
But those two-week engagements simply weren’t enough, so Petkoff returned to the Denver Center Theatre Company as Colonel Brandon in Sense & Sensibility: The Musical in 2012/13 followed by Sweeney Todd in 2015/16. There, he murdered his customers with a straight razor while Linda Mugleston as Mrs. Lovett baked their bodies into meat pies.
“It was like the dream role for me, the one that from high school when I first heard the cast album, it’s the one I wanted to play,” Petkoff continued. “I have to say that the Denver audiences were fantastic,” Petkoff continued. “The Denver audiences are very smart audiences. They’re definitely theater people. They come to the theater because they love the theater. They love storytelling, and so the response was great.”
The very next season he returned in the national tour of Fun Home as Bruce Bechdel, a father whose inner turmoil over his repressed sexuality leads to unpredictable behavior and, ultimately, death by perceived suicide.
Robert Petkoff and the Company of the 2025 touring production of Moulin Rouge!
The Musical
Photo by Matthew Murphy and Evan Zimmerman for MurphyMade
After eight seasons, Petkoff returned in August to play the flamboyant Harold Zidler in the North American tour of Moulin Rouge! The Musical
“I like that he’s a bad boy,” Petkoff explained. “I think he’s a bad boy in the guise of your favorite uncle, you know?”
After slicing and dicing his way through the cast of Sweeney Todd, Petkoff finds this character’s similarities to the Demon Barber of Fleet Street “hilarious.”
“There is a giant bit in [Moulin Rouge] about a razor, and it is the same type of razor that’s in Sweeney Todd. [You know the] picture the Denver Center showed of me holding the razor up? I do that every night with the razor here, so there’s a beautiful synchronicity doing Sweeney Todd then and coming back with Moulin Rouge! The Musical that you would never expect….”
Petkoff has played Harold Zidler both on Broadway and on tour, each of which has its unique characteristics.
“The biggest difference is that on Broadway, it’s a more intimate house and the audience is right on top of you. So much of my opening scene is talking to the audience, which is infinitely more satisfying in the Broadway company when you are a foot or two away.…”
But the second difference boils down to acoustics. The more opulent theatres of Broadway absorb sound, but “On the road, you get a lot of bounce back, and it’s more like a concert…. So, the audience response when I sing ‘Chandelier’ is more like a rock concert. I mean, as I hit the high notes, sometimes they cheer in the middle of the song. And that’s never happened on Broadway.…”
Apart from his many Denver engagements, Petkoff has worked in film, on TV, and in audio narration. Shows include “Madam Secretary,” “Elementary,” and “The Good Wife.” He’s also recorded more than 350 audiobooks including the Pulitzer Prize-winning Less by Andrew Sean Greer and Bob Woodward’s Fear: Trump is in the White House, among others. He credits his times in Denver with his growth as an actor.
“You become a good actor by working with good audiences. They are your final scene partner,” Petkoff explained. “If they’re responsive and if they’re smart, it forces you to be smart too.… It’s easy for an actor to overplay if they’re not hearing responses, but it’s wonderful to have the response of an audience that lets you know — I don’t have to lay this out so heavily for you. You’re smart. You’re going to get it. And know what is the least I can do to tell this story. That’s such a great lesson as an actor. And I learned that in Denver for sure.”
Our Best of Broadway, Directors Society and Premiere Access Memberships take you ‘beyond the ticket’ to a world of curated pre-show dinners, behindthe-scenes artistic insights, intermission hospitality, and post-show parties. Upgrade to a Premium Membership today and get as close to the show as you can without stepping onstage yourself! Contact: Marc Ravenhill mravenhill@dcpa.org 303.572.4594
SWEET & LUCKY RETURNS WITH ECHO
By Joanne Ostrow
Sweet & Lucky, the 360-degree, dream-like dance-theater experience that catapulted Denver, the Denver Center for the Performing Arts, and Off-Center to the forefront of the immersive theater world in 2016, returns with Sweet & Lucky: Echo. Neither sequel nor prequel, Echo has been incubating for years and aims to be similar enough but different enough to engross fans of the original.
The same creators, design team, and many of the same performers are back, this time in a different Denver warehouse with a different theatrical structure, scaled differently but with the same themes.
If the original Sweet & Lucky was about facilitating a sense of intimacy, Echo, is about fostering a sense of community.
During Covid, Denver native Zach Morris of New York’s Third Rail Projects relocated here. He and Charlie Miller of DCPA’s Off-Center met regularly to discuss what might come next. According to Miller, “We’ve been actively working on this one since 2022.”
Unlike the original, the structure of Echo is visible to the audience as a central space transforms around them. As before, individual audience members will see different combinations of scenes. Miller said, “What has emerged is a new play, a new experience, that has the heart, the soul of Sweet & Lucky, staged in a new way.”
How will the story be different for those who enjoyed the original Sweet & Lucky? Associate directors Edward Rice and Rebekah Morin of Third Rail said via email, “We have been thinking about the story as though it has been refracted
through a prism. Some moments are being amplified and duplicated, while others are seen through a character-specific lens. We get to experience both the present and the memories of the past and consider how they affect each other.”
The 27,000 square-foot warehouse where Echo is taking shape will accommodate 192 audience members with 14 actors, two stage managers, five crew plus front of house personnel. This time, Miller is glad to say, “we built a real bar with real plumbing.”
Beyond what’s on offer at The Keepsake Bar, this experience promises to feel very different.
Careful to avoid spoilers, Miller will only say that “instead of moving room to room, the audience is in one large primary space that transforms around you.” The themes are familiar, as Echo uses the same source material, and some scenes are reimagined or replayed. “It centers on a couple, their love relationship. It’s about memory, loss, and making sense of what’s left behind in someone’s life.”
2016’s Sweet & Lucky was “a defining moment for our artistic community,” Miller said. Denver’s immersive scene now is considered one of the most robust in the country. “I’m eager to see what this new version spawns as well.”
READ THE FULL ARTICLE
Sweet & Lucky: Echo
Now playing at Broadway Park®
Andrea Camacho and Ryan Conarro in SWEET & LUCKY: ECHO ,
Photo by Jamie Kraus Photography Soleil Kohl
GIVING SPOTLIGHT
I believe that philanthropy of the arts addresses and meets certain human needs that just can’t be delivered by the private sector or the government.
Off-Center focuses on immersive, unconventional and participatory theatrical experiences, which foster deeper audience connections and engage people in new and unexpected ways. In my opinion Off-Center’s immersive and unconventional productions have a meaningful and positive impact on the wellbeing of our socially mediatized communities…if you don’t believe me CHECK THEM OUT!!!
Locally and early on my favorite production was Theater of the Mind. It was accessible to all ages requiring people to move beyond observation.
—Tim White, Sponsor of DCPA Off-Center
Are you interested in sponsoring an Off-Center production, Contact Caitie Maxwell at cmaxwell@dcpa.org or 303.446.4840.
HONORING OUR HISTORY AND THE LEGACIES THAT ENSURE OUR FUTURE
Every September, we celebrate Legacy Month at the DCPA. Our mission as a non-profit — to engage and inspire through the transformative power of live theatre — is made possible each generation thanks to the generosity of donors and the legacies of those who came before.
If you believe in the transformative power of live theatre, we invite you to make your legacy a part of ensuring our future. Connect with us, share your story, and make a legacy pledge to include the DCPA in your will, IRA, or retirement giving Scan the QR code below to learn more!
Photo by McLeod9Creative