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SUPPORTER FALL 2026
Christmas Miracles 1985 Annette Bening with John Hutton in Christmas Miracles, 1985.
Emma 2021 Amelia Pedlow, Carman Lacivita and the cast of Emma. Photo by Jamie Kraus Photography.
LEAVE YOUR MARK Photo by McLeod9 Creative
Dear Friends, When audiences rise to their feet at the end of a performance, when a student discovers their voice through a DCPA Education program, or when a new play takes its first steps toward becoming a world premiere, they are experiencing something much larger than a single moment. They are benefiting from a legacy built by generations of patrons who believed the arts matter. For nearly five decades, the Denver Center for the Performing Arts has been a cornerstone of Colorado’s cultural life. What began with the vision and generosity of Helen G. Bonfils has grown into one of the nation’s largest nonprofit theatre organizations, serving hundreds of thousands of patrons each year through Broadway tours, locally produced theatre, education programs, and community engagement initiatives. That impact does not happen by accident. It happens because thoughtful supporters choose to invest not only in today’s performances, but in tomorrow’s possibilities. A legacy gift is one of the most meaningful ways to ensure that future generations can experience the inspiration, creativity, connection, and joy that live theatre brings. Whether through a bequest in your estate plan, a beneficiary designation, a charitable distribution from your IRA, or a gift of appreciated stock, there are a variety of tax-wise ways to support DCPA and the other causes you care about. Your gift becomes part of a lasting commitment to the creative vitality of our city and state. This Legacy Month, I invite you to consider the role the arts have played in your life and the impact you would like to make for those who follow. By including DCPA in your estate plans, you help ensure that students continue to dream, artists continue to create, and audiences continue to gather around stories that challenge, inspire, and unite us. Thank you for your generosity, your vision, and your belief in the transformative power of the arts.
With heartfelt gratitude,
Jamie Clements
Jamie Clements Vice President of Development 303.446.4818 • jclements@dcpa.org
P.S. If you have already included DCPA in your estate plans, thank you for helping secure the future of the arts in Colorado. We invite you to let us know so we may welcome you to the Encore Society.
FALL LONDON THEATRE TOUR Oct 25 - Nov 1
Experience the heart of London theatre like an insider — West End performances, iconic landmarks, and exclusive theatre experiences. INFO: 800.962.7325 or info@break-awaytours.com 2 • Denver Center for the Performing Arts • Fall 2026
INDEX
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Legacy Giving
Digital Progress or Pathos?
Ways to Give
Theatre for Young Audiences
Engagement Opportunity
Ethan Peterson and Aléna Watters. Photo by Jamie Kraus Photography.
LEGACY GIVING CREATE A LEGACY THAT ENSURES OUR FUTURE Your generosity today can inspire tomorrow’s stories, artists, and audiences. insert photo insert insert photophoto insert insert photo photo insert photo
OUR LEGACY BEGAN WITH HELEN BONFILS
WHAT IS A LEGACY GIFT?
Helen G. Bonfils believed the performing arts could transform a community. Her vision helped A legacy gift (or planned gift) is a charitable establish the Denver Center for gift made through your estate or financial the Performing Arts, creating plans. It allows you to support the DCPA opportunities that continue to while potentially providing financial and tax inspire audiences, artists, and insert photo of insert photo insert photo offamily.of benefits for you and your students today. Helen to beof insert photo of insert photo of insert photo Helen to be Helen to be Helen Helen to be to be Helen toprovided be provided provided provided provided provided
WAYS TO CREATE YOUR LEGACY*
IRA DISTRIBUTIONS You may be able to make tax-efficient gifts directly from your IRA.
QUALIFIED CHARITABLE DISTRIBUTION
GIFTS OF STOCK
DONOR-ADVISED FUNDS
NAME THE DCPA AS A BENEFICIARY
OTHER TAX-WISE GIVING OPTIONS
Donating Recommend a Ask us about If you’re age 70½ appreciated grant from your Beneficiary charitable gift or older, you may securities may donor-advised designations can annuities, charitable be able to make reduce capital fund now or be made on: trusts, and gifts of SOCIETY tax-efficient gifts gains taxes ENCORE while include the DCPA • Retirement real estate. ENCORE SOCIETY ENCORE SOCIETY ENCORE SOCIETY ENCORE SOCIETY accounts directly from maximizing as a successor insert photo • Life insurance insert photo your IRA. yourinsert impact.photo beneficiary. insert insert photophoto • Donor-advised Member funds insert photo events Member Member • Investment events events Member Member accounts events events
ENCORE SOCIETY
insert QR *Speak with your financial and Member legal professionals to discuss your specific planned giving recommendations.
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JULIA DUNN Development Manager, Donor Engagement & Legacy Giving 303.893.6057 jdunn@dcpa.org
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LEARN MORE
DIGITAL PROGRESS OR PATHOS? EMBRACING NEW TECHNOLOGY AT THE DCPA By Suzanne Yoe Do you remember the Denver Center for the Performing Arts B.C.I. (Before the Internet)? Let’s take a trip in the Way Back Machine to a time before all this digital mumbo jumbo. The DCPA was founded in 1979, and I started as an intern in 1995. I had just taken a two-week summer class at the University of Denver about “emerging technologies.” We talked about email. We chatted about the internet. We hinted that they might make a difference in communications. Now, that wasn’t my first technology class. No, no. My first you’ve-got-to-be-out-of-your-mind computer class was in high school when “computer” meant “coding.” (That was back when we printed on green bar and used a mimeograph machine to make a copy.) I mean, come on! Who decided that the best introduction to a computer was to make you learn a foreign language? I could barely speak Pig Latin. But by grad school, “computers” meant a new tool. I didn’t have to know coding. I did need to appreciate that someone else could (and did) do the coding so that I could simply use a
4 • Denver Center for the Performing Arts • Fall 2026
computer as a new way to do business. And let’s be clear. I was not sorry to see a typewriter and my bottles of white out be replaced. Can I hear an “Amen!” However, you may have noticed that non-profit organizations aren’t exactly known for being at the forefront of technological innovation. We let other businesses take the experimental risk before we give it a go. So while big business was figuring it out, the DCPA was sending order forms in the mail, manually seating patrons, assisting lines of ticket buyers at the counter, which sometimes wrapped the block (Oh, yeah. Some of you remember the first engagement of The Lion King), hand stuffing tickets into envelopes, and using snail mail…praying the tickets would arrive by showtime. We used the old click-clack credit card machines, exchanged tickets over the phone, reprinted lost tickets at the Box Office, and really, really hoped that all of that manual work avoided double seating. But then, a gentleman named Bob Pearson created a
website called artstozoo.org and invited all of us non-profit organizations to have a presence on it. We dipped our toe into the technological revolution, and it did not get bitten by a piranha. Instead, new people found us in new ways. Our patrons could find what they needed in one place. And we decided that the world looked bright indeed. That testing ground led us to create denvercenter.org in our 1998/99 season, and it was all that my DU class had promised — a new way to communicate. And that’s all we did. We shared information. It wasn’t until a few years later when we decided it could revolutionize the way in which we did business. We started to sell tickets…online! And before you knew it, you could actually print them at home too. Now we’re talking! We coasted along for some time. Selling online. Printing at home. Along the way we introduced email — gasp! — and decreased our direct mail. It certainly wasn’t everyone’s cup of tea, but by then, we knew the way the world was heading… straight to spam. While we coasted a bit, new bells and whistles were emerging. For a while we bided our time, but over the last two years, we did it again. Massive change! No more ticket taking, just ticket scanning. No more printed tickets, just share them and
Photo by Adams VisCom
show them from your phone. No more calling to exchange tickets, just login and select a new date. And now…an AI chatbot on our website that anticipates your every question and, if it can’t be answered, directs you to a ticketing agent…in the flesh. Yes, siree. If you’ve stuck with us for the past nearly 50 years (that’s a sign of good taste not old age, by the way), you know what I’m talking about. And we know it hasn’t been easy. Change is hard. I could tell you we are more efficient, less prone to human error, and are trying our best to keep up with the changes in technology to offer the best, most current, and cutting-edge services to provide exemplary customer service to meet changing demands. And you’ll tell me…what was wrong with the way it was? And you know what? Nothing was wrong with the way it was. Which is why I’ll let you in on a little secret. Our ticket agents haven’t gone anywhere. They are still standing by waiting to assist you. Of course, now, you can schedule a time when it’s convenient for them to call. I guess some of those changes aren’t so bad after all.
Denver Center for the Performing Arts • 5
IT’S FUN TO SUPPORT THE DCPA! INVEST IN INSPIRATION
JOIN A PREMIUM MEMBERSHIP SOCIETY
Join more than 8,000 annual donors who help DCPA bring creativity and inspiration to nearly 990,000 patrons, including 150,000 students, each year. Give in any amount $10-$1,000,000+
Experience theatre like never before with nearly 300 other Premium Members Best of Broadway Society 8 unforgettable dinners, Broadway shows in Golden Circle seats & pre/ post show artistic experiences! ($6,500/person*. Includes $4,000 donation)
Annual Fund Gifts Spread the joy of theatre with a donation in any amount.
Directors Society 7 incredible Theatre Company Opening Nights with pre-show dinners and post-show cast parties! ($2,500/person*. Includes $1,000 donation)
Become a Monthly Sustainer Give in any amount monthly to support live theatre year round! Sponsor a Show Go behind the scenes, meet cast & creative team, enjoy Opening Night dinners and parties!
*Memberships may be prorated.
Women’s Voices Fund Membership Celebrating 21 years of Women’s Voices Fund, which has supported 40 projects and 35 female playwrights since 2005.
CONTACT Marc Ravenhill Director of Development, Donor Relations mravenhill@dcpa.org 303.572.4594
Planned Giving Safeguard the future of theatre with a bequest to the DCPA. Encore Society Make a legacy pledge and receive generational recognition and benefits. CONTACT Emily Kettlewell Director of Development Operations ekettlewell@dcpa.org 303.446.4812
GIVE TODAY
Donations are accepted online or by mail. Mail your contribution to: DCPA, Attn: Development Department, 1101 13th St., Denver, CO 80204
PARTY WITH A PURPOSE Celebrate the transformative power of the arts in style DCPA Gala: Saturday Night Alive March 13, 2027 No long programs or endless speeches. Fun, entertainment, and dancing all supporting theatre and education programs. Hattitude April 29, 2027 Denver’s most fashionable and fun luncheon - a stylish benefit for Women’s Voices Fund projects CONTACT Megan Stewart Associate Director of Development, Special Events mstewart@dcpa.org 303.446.4821
TAX-WISE WAYS TO SUPPORT Speak with your financial advisor about these tax-wise ways to support your favorite charities like DCPA Gifts of Appreciated Stock Transfer directly to DCPA and pay no capital gains Qualified Charitable Distribution from IRA (up to $100,000 per year once you reach retirement RMDs) Give through your Donor-Advised Fund or Family Foundation CONTACT Julia Dunn Development Manager Donor Engagement and Legacy Giving jdunn@dcpa.org 303.893.6057
Rakeem Lawrence in GOODNIGHT MOON • Photo by Adams VisCom
WAYS TO GIVE
Pigeon Puppet
HOW DOES A PIGEON DRIVE A BUS? By Suzanne Yoe This fall, thousands of eager children will file into the Weeks Conservatory Theatre for the DCPA’s Theatre for Young Audiences (TYA) program. After having served more than 210,000 PreK through third grade children in its first eight years, this season’s TYA production will delight a new flock of theatregoers with Mo Willems’ beloved children’s book, Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! But how does a pigeon drive a bus and how does a bus drive on stage? Lisa Orzolek, Head of Scenic Design for the Denver Center Theatre Company since 1992, let us peek under the hood. Mo Willems’ stories are “simple and relatable, particularly for younger kids,” said Orzolek. But his “illustrations are really about the characters and there is little to no environment,” so working with director Allison Watrous, they try to create a three-dimensional setting to complement the story. “Allison is very much interested in creating a whole world that can expand beyond the stage into the lobby,” Orzolek explained. That can pose a challenge when the book’s illustrations don’t provide an indication of what Willems’ world looks like. “He’s pretty much like, ‘These are the characters, this is the bus,’ so it’s up to the imagination of the set designer to come up with something. “Children’s theatre sometimes has a simplistic approach to the design. Instead, we want the design to be a little more realized, more dimensional and interesting, like the designs seen on the DCPA main stages.” Using the power of the imagination, a bus will appear on stage to transport characters through the story. Because Willems’ illustrations are so iconic, care had to be taken in the bus design. Instead of a motorized vehicle, like a golf cart, or a
unit that runs in an automated track, it “will be wheeled and people powered. We want the bus to be its own character. We may attach the back of the bus to a track to keep it from going too far downstage, but the front can have a little bit of movement and not just track straight across the stage.” The set had to accommodate actors, puppets, and puppeteers, all of which had to be factored into the design to allow for adequate space and staging. And, lest we forget, the main character is a bird who not only wants to drive a bus but, by nature, wants to fly. “Flying will be achieved with theater magic,” continued Orzolek. “I think all you need to say is the words “I’m flying” and let the audience’s imagination take off. The flying is going to be achieved with the performer who is puppeteering the pigeon to make it fly, and lights and sound will enhance this action.” This audience, she noted, flies all the time with a cape or simply flapping their arms, so they are ready to believe in magic. “Watching a TYA show is so fulfilling because the kids get excited about everything and it’s such an honest reaction,” said Orzolek. “This is often the first show they’ve ever seen and they’re so excited. It just makes you feel like, wow, I’ve made a difference in someone’s life today, introducing them to live theatre.”
PRESENTING SPONSOR
PREMIERE SPONSOR
SPOTLIGHT SPONSORS
SHOW SPONSORSHIP & ENGAGEMENT OPPORTUNITY HIGHLIGHTS
Last season, the DCPA and The Denver Book Society “rehearsed” a new way to engage patrons outside the theatre. Now, we’re ready for “opening night.” Over the course of the season, we’ve carefully curated upcoming, literary-based plays with insightful discussions and behind-the-scenes peeks to be held at The Denver Book Society (1700 Humboldt St.). Upcoming conversations will feature artists and experts on The Tempest, The Great Gatsby, The Outsiders, and more. Watch the newsletter for your next opportunity and join us for these free community connections. This year, The Denver Book Society is a Spotlight Sponsor for two upcoming Theatre Company Productions, Once and The Tempest. By becoming a show sponsor, you can play a leading role in bringing exceptional theatre to life while enjoying recognition, audience engagement opportunities, and exclusive benefits. Because ticket sales cover only a portion of production costs, sponsors provide critical support that helps ensure transformative arts experiences remain accessible and vibrant for our community.
2026/27 SEASON PARTNERSHIP
BEHIND THE SCRIPT
Photo: Miller Mobley
Featuring exclusive sneak peeks and behind-the-scenes conversations held at Denver Book Society
Sign up for alerts: DenverBookSociety.co
THANK YOU TO OUR GENEROUS SEASON SPONSORS
Broadway Season Presented by:
Broadway Season Sponsor:
A New Chapter for the Women’s Voices Fund Speaking of the Denver Book Society, its partnership with DCPA helped launch an exciting new chapter for the Women’s Voices Fund (WVF). Together, the organizations presented an intimate conversation with Nina McConigley, award-winning author of Cowboys and East Indians, the short story collection adapted into the DCPA Theatre Company’s acclaimed world premiere production. Approximately 70 patrons attended the event, which featured a discussion moderated by Leean Torske, DCPA’s Director of Literary Programs. Serving as both the grand opening of the Denver Book Society and the kickoff event for the WVF relaunch, the evening celebrated the power of women’s stories across literature and theatre. The event set the tone for a successful 20th year for the WVF. Throughout the fiscal year, WVF-supported projects reached 16,649 attendees, while WVF exclusive events welcomed 677 participants and attracted 20 new members. This fiscal year is already off to a strong start with the launch of the WVF’s inaugural Steering Committee, creating new opportunities for leadership, advocacy, and engagement among members and supporters. Looking ahead, there has never been a better time to join the WVF. Members will enjoy quarterly Women Winemaker Wednesdays, a Fall Women in Wealth educational event, and unique opportunities to engage with this season’s WVF projects. Together, we are investing in the stories, artists, and perspectives that enrich our theatre and unite our community. Interested in becoming a member of the WVF? Contact Kara Erickson-Stiemke and Julia Dunn at wvf@dcpa.org to learn more.
Theatre Company Season Sponsors:
Additional Support:
Shannan Steele and Minita Gandhi • Photo by Jamie Kraus Photography
DCPA and The Denver Book Society Expand Your Experience