IN GOOD COMPANY: Profile of Curious Theatre and make it look like they’re not blind — those are separate accommodations that we have to look at very specifically to accommodate each one. But if someone’s doing a really hard scene, they may go, ‘I don’t want to have to worry about where I am on the stage. [I want] somebody to guide me and get me to where I need to be, so I can focus on the acting, and I’m not pulled out of the moment.’ It’s kind of like that in every show. I think it’s very easy sometimes to homogenize disability… I think the thing that makes Phamaly strong is that there is no set model,” said Ranaan. In the three years since joining Phamaly, Ranaan has remained steadfast in his commitment to accommodating each of his actors while remaining focused on creating artistically rigorous theater. And while he endeavors to remain present and reactive in his role as artistic director, he also works diligently to embody Phamaly’s mission. Ranaan is proud that Phamaly has maintained its values and morals since its inception, despite how much the world has changed over the past 35 years. “The views on disabilities have changed, let alone the views on everything else,” said Ranaan. “I’m pretty proud of the fact that we’ve developed a really good space in rehearsal and in performance, where actors are given the emotional environment needed for them to create their best work.” Ranaan also takes pride in being affiliated with a theater company that has given current and former company members opportunities for success outside of the Denver theater scene. For instance, since leaving her role as a company member and former artistic director for Phamaly, Regan Linton has understudied the role of Ani for the Broadway production of “Cost of Living.” She’s also working on promoting the award-winning documentary “Imperfect” (2021), which follows actors from Phamaly through their production of the musical “Chicago.” Jenna Bainbridge is another Phamaly success story. As a member of the the play “Suffs,” Bainbridge is the first wheelchair user to originate a role on Broadway. As Ranaan explained, Bainbridge wasn’t brought in because of her wheelchair. They gave her the part because of her talent. Bainbridge also performed with the “Suffs” ensemble at the 2024 Tony Awards. To learn more about Phamaly, or to purchase tickets for their upcoming show, “A Chorus Line,” visit www.phamaly. org/show/a-chorus-line. ■ PHOTO BY ROBERT DAVIS NO GUTS, NO STORY Curious Theatre Company Explores Denver’s Humanity BY ROBERT DAVIS THERE’S MAGIC IN THE WALLS of the old church in the Golden Triangle neighborhood that Denver’s Curious Theatre Company has called home for the last 26 years. The theater is where audiences go to be challenged, said company artistic director Jada Suzanne Dixon. It’s a place where up-and-coming playwrights and artists can explore Denver’s humanity — and their own — through the collective experience of feisty, provocative, and progressive theater. “What are the things that inspire us? What are the things that scare us? What are the issues that are in our world that we see reflected in plays by playwrights that matter to us, that are aligned to our mission, even if it scares us?” Dixon told the Denver VOICE. “That’s the thing we want to lean into, and not run away from.” Denver’s theater scene already carries a lot of weight. The Buell Theatre and Ellie Caulkins Opera House have attracted national tours of plays like “Wicked,” “Hamilton,” and “The Book of Mormon.” While these venues and plays are important, Dixon said Curious Theatre focuses its energy on providing Denver with a place where audiences can be sparked to action. BEN RANAAN GIVES CURTAIN SPEECH. COURTESY: PHAMALY THEATRE COMPANY “We’re leveraging theater and sort of the collective experience for both artists and patrons alike, to be moved to be inspired and hopefully spark action towards some type of change, whether that’s on an individual level, or community level, or larger society as a whole,” said Dixon. One of Curious’ latest plays, called “The Cost of Living” by Martyna Majok, is a great example of Curious offering its audience a way to reinterpret a contemporary issue. Rent, food, and gas are all more expensive in Denver than they were before the pandemic. The play dives into how the stress of living a more expensive life wears on the play’s four main characters. “How John and Jess, Ani, and Eddie navigate their separate realities but also engage and spar with each other offer lessons in accommodation that go beyond issues of disability to ones of class, yearning, and economics,” Lisa Kennedy, The Denver Post’s art critic, wrote in her review of the play. Even though these plays take place on stage, there is something to be said about the history captured in the church where the stage lives, Dixon said. The church, which is located at 1080 Acoma St., dates to the 1890s when nearly everyone in Denver was looking for relief from plummeting silver prices, which wrecked the city’s economy. About 100 years later, Curious Theatre took over the building to create a “different vibe” in Denver’s arts scene, Dixon added. The theater is starting to take a new shape as well. In May, the company announced it is working to raise $250,000 by July to cover a budgetary shortfall. This is happening at a time when Denver’s theater community is still reeling from the pandemic. To help raise money, Curious Theatre listed their church building for sale in May. Dixon told Denverite that the move is about “excitement” and not uncertainty. Unfortunately, the cost to maintain the church has grown beyond the theater’s budget, she added. So, selling the property seems to make sense for the organization’s long-term future in Denver. “Now we have an opportunity to talk to other people, get their thoughts, be partners with others, and maybe model an innovative solution for the future,” Dixon said. ■ July 2024 DENVER VOICE 7
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