Young actor was getting a COVID test when doctors discovered a cancerous tumor in his abdomen

Aid recipient Caleb Reed: Caleb has been acting on various area stages since 2016, including twice playing Will in “American Idiot” (for Ignite Theatre and Town Hall Arts Center) and twice playing the lead role of Robbie Hart in “The Wedding Singer” (for the Aurora Fox and Performance Now). He most recently appeared in the chorus of “9 to 5” for Inspire Creative at Parker Arts. He also has performed at Breckenridge Backstage Theatre and for a year on an international tour with Up With People. Caleb, who is from Lindsey, Ohio, graduated from Northern Arizona University with a degree in Theatre Performance and moved to Colorado in 2016.

Caleb Reed and Shelby Varra in Town Hall Arts Center’s ‘American Idiot.’ Photo by Ray Bailey.

His medical story: Caleb, who is only 33, was recently diagnosed with an 11-centimeter cancerous tumor that has likely been growing in his abdomen for more than a decade. Doctors discovered it when he went in for COVID testing. He’s now looking at a major surgery, followed by a month of bed rest, which means time away from his job as a teacher at Denver Language School. His long-term treatment plan may eventually include the need for a high-powered monthly shot that, if necessary, could cost up to $700 each – after insurance. Meantime, Caleb hopes to be well enough to perform in Forge Light Theatreworks‘ “Bare, the Musical” in January.

How we have helped: Caleb has insurance but, to date, he already has been billed just more than $6,000 in out-of-pocket expenses. The Denver Actors Fund will treat Caleb’s case as an ongoing one, but the Board of Directors has approved an initial compensation of $6,000. Combined with $1,805 in community contributions, The Denver Actors Fund’s overall support for Caleb is now $7,805.

How you can help us help Caleb more: Caleb is at the beginning of his cancer journey, and it is going to be a very expensive one. If you would like to direct a specific donation to help give Caleb some breathing room and focus on healing, simply mail checks in any amount made out to The Denver Actors Fund (with Caleb Reed’s name written in the topic field), to P.O. Box 11182, Denver, CO 80211. Or use this donation link. If you use the online option, be sure to designate that your donation is targeted for Caleb Reed. (He will receive 100 percent of your donation.) Otherwise, your donation will be applied to the replenishment of the Denver Actors Fund’s general fund.

‘I’m scared right now. But my concerns in this moment have lessened, and my heart has been brighter, because of you all.’

A message from Caleb:

“To start off with the only appropriate message – I can’t be thankful enough to The Denver Actors Fund. It’s hard to understand what this type of ‘need’ might feel like until you are put into the situation yourself. I’ll admit that I never imagined I could possibly be going through something this intense. It’s a cliche … but when you are young, you feel invincible. Obviously that’s naive.

“There’s an internal desire to say ‘I wish I planned better’ or ‘I shouldn’t ask for help.’ To think that I should shoulder this all alone, or keep it private. But that’s not who I am. I believe with 100 percent of my being that we are a social species. That we all elevate each other. That it’s healthy, and natural, and better, to depend upon each other.

The Denver ACTORS Fund, not actor’s (possessive), is well-named. The pluralization of actors is on purpose, because this fund belongs to all of us. We create it, we support it, we build it, and we all may need it at one time. It’s not any one ‘actor’s’ possession.

“I’m scared right now. My present is scary, and my future is unknown and scary. But because of The DAF I can worry less. My concerns in this moment have lessened, and my heart has been brighter, because of you all.

“I’ve participated in fundraising for The DAF in the past. But feeling it now, it’s not been enough. I will do more, because you all deserve that commitment from me. To quote my favorite musical, “Les Miserables”: “Even the darkest night will end and the sun will rise.” I believe that. I have to.

“Thank you, once again, and forever, to everyone who’s ever given or helped or supported The DAF in any capacity. It’s an honor to be a member of this community.”

Read testimonials from other Denver Actors Fund beneficiaries here

The Denver Actors Fund has now made $637,000 available to Colorado theatre artists.

Note: At The Denver Actors Fund, anonymity of aid recipients is presumed and fully protected, unless and until the recipient chooses to have their story told.

HOW TO MAKE A DONATION

ABOUT THE DENVER ACTORS FUND:

The Denver Actors Fund is a source of immediate, situational relief when members of the local theater community find themselves in medical need. In addition to $637,000 in financial relief, a team of more than 60 Denver Actors Fund volunteers have offered good neighborly assistance to more than 100 beneficiaries including meal prep and delivery, child care, transportation, errands, construction, pet-sitting and more. For more information, visit our web site at DenverActorsFund.Org.

HOW TO APPLY FOR AID:

To apply for Denver Actors Fund aid: Fill out this brief online form here

NEW: AFFORDABLE MENTAL HEALTH CARE

The Denver Actors Fund has announced a major new collaboration with the Maria Droste Counseling Center of Colorado to provide affordable, professional health care to any qualifying Colorado theatre artist who needs it. CLICK HERE FOR INFORMATION

GET INSTANT, FREE MEDICAL ADVICE: The Denver Actors Fund has launch of a major new FREE medical service for qualified Colorado theatre artists: We are partnering with Hippo Health to provide access to emergency medical evaluations via video conferencing with a Board-certified physician. Click to read more about this wonderful, innovative new partnership that will further improve the lives of artists!

MORE WAYS TO HELP:

DONATE ONLINE:

Go to our online giving site at: ColoradoGives.Org

DONATE BY MAIL:

Send checks made out to The Denver Actors Fund to:
P.O. Box 11182
Denver, CO 80211

VOLUNTEER:

Ever thought about taking a more active role in The Denver Actors Fund? Click here for more information

SHOP AT KING SOOPERS

Sign up for King Soopers’ Community Rewards Program and raise money for The DAF just by shopping for your groceries – and it doesn’t cost you an extra penny. It’s like the Amazon Smile Program. To sign up, simply go here and designate The DAF as your preferred non-profit. Each quarter, King Soopers sends us a donation based on how much our supporters have spent. Thanks to all of you who are shopping for The DAF.

MISCAST IS NOW ‘CAST’

This year “Miscast,” the major annual fundraiser for The Denver Actors Fund, will pivot to “CAST 2020,” a professionally produced video concert featuring Colorado theatre artists performing in roles they WERE cast to perform in before the coronavirus shut down their shows. “Tickets” (meaning access to the video) are now on-sale. The concert drops the week of October 5. Reserve your spot at the party with a $20 donation today today.

“QUARANTINE WEEK BY WEAK”

When shelter-in-place orders were issued by the state of Colorado, photographer and actor Susannah McLeod and her wife, fellow actor Chloe McLeod, joined the thousands of people whose livelihoods were impacted by COVID19. With theaters closed and events on hold, much of the couple’s income was impacted. To stay creatively engaged and bring some lightheartedness to a challenging situation, the couple started a photography project documenting their lives during quarantine. They produced more than 35 sets of humorous photos comparing the beginning of quarantine to later in the “stay-at-home” period. As popularity for the series grew on Instagram and after a feature in Westword, the couple decided to publish the series as a coffee-table book to benefit The DAF. Thanks to generous sponsorship to cover the printing cost, “Quarantine Week by Weak” is now available. To order and learn more visit mcleod9creative.com

ONGOING: “Waiting for Obama,” the audio version of a play that was an official selection at the 2016 New York International Fringe Festival, has been released as a (free) fundraiser for The Denver Actors Fund. A Colorado Springs family is convinced that Barack Obama is coming for their guns in the final weeks of his presidency – and they’re right.) The play features Laurence Curry, Drew Horwitz, Chris Kendall, Leslie O’Carroll, Jenna Moll Reyes, Jessica Robblee, Luke Sorge and Mare Trevathan. It was recorded by the staff of Parker Arts at the PACE Center as an in-kind donation to The Denver Actors Fund. Listen for free on all major podcasting platforms including Spotify, Apple Podcasts and Podbean. Just by listening, you will be raising revenue for The DAF!

‘Waiting for Obama’ was recorded by the staff of Parker Arts at the PACE Center and edited by Ray Bailey TV as in-kind donations to The Denver Actors Fund. The actors also performed for free.

VISIT OUR ONLINE MERCH STORE:

Click here to see how you can buy DAF products such as T-shirts, key chains, puzzles and much more.

COVID took away her employment. Then came a breast-cancer diagnosis. Here’s how the community is supporting BDT Stage favorite Alicia K. Meyers.

Alicia K. Meyers as Velma Kelly in BDT Stage’s ‘Chicago.’

Aid recipient Alicia K. Meyers: Alicia has been an actor, director and choreographer at BDT Stage since 1995, winning a 2019 True West Ward as co-director and co-choreographer of “Beauty and the Beast” and “Mamma Mia.” She was playing the consequential role of Emma Goldman in “Ragtime” when the COVID shutdown began the day after opening night. Meyers, a native of Houston and resident of Longmont, has worked as an actress, choreographer and director in the Denver metro area for 25 years. She also has worked as the director/choreographer for Platte Middle School and Silver Creek High School, and as part of Candlelight Dinner Theatre’s musical-theatre education program. As a performer, favorite roles have included Ursula in The Little Mermaid and Velma Kelly in Chicago. Other credits have included Disenchanted!, Thoroughly Modern Millie, The Addams Family, Always Patsy Cline, Hairspray, Spamalot, Hello, Dolly!, CATS, Cabaret, Gypsy and Singin’ in the Rain.

Her medical story: When COVID closed BDT Stage in March, it took most of the theatre’s performing opportunities with it. Last month, Alicia was diagnosed with Stage 2 breast cancer, and she began chemotherapy today (September 21). After six months of treatments, Alicia will undergo a mastectomy. Her husband was furloughed from his job in April (also because of COVID), forcing the couple to sign on to an expensive but essential COBRA health-insurance policy costing $1,403 a month. Alicia had just started a new part-time retail job when she was diagnosed, but her doctor said she cannot work with the public while undergoing chemo. To date, Alicia has been billed more than $1,600 in out-of-pocket medical expenses, at a time when the only income her family has coming in at present is unemployment.

How we have helped: Because Alicia’s continuing treatment depends on the continuation of her health-insurance policy, The Denver Actors Fund has pledged to pay the monthly premium through the end of the year, or $2,806. In addition we have paid $1,639 in additional out-of-pocket expenses. The community has since contributed $1,540 in targeted donations from the community.

And then there is BDT Stage: Over the past two weeks, BDT Stage Artistic Producer Michael J. Duran collected contributions from audiences at performances of “Take to the Highway,” a concert tribute to James Taylor, Carole King and Carly Simon. BDT Stage just made the painful decision to cease operations until after it is again safe to bring audiences indoor for fully staged theatrical productions. But before temporarily closing they doors, BDT Stage raised another $2,695 for Alicia. That brings The Denver Actors Fund’s overall support for Alicia to date to now $10,084.34. (See how you can target a donation to Alicia below.)

‘There are days when I feel like my legs are too weak to stand upon, and all these people are there to lift me right up.’

A message from Alicia: “Without The Denver Actors Fund, I would be beyond screwed. I am honored and appreciative, not only for the financial support but for the emotional support as well. I am so very grateful to be part of this amazingly unique theatre community. This morning I received 20 text messages from people sending me love and well-wishes before I even got to the hospital for my first chemo treatment. There are too many people to try to thank individually at BDT Stage, but my love goes out to Michael J. Duran, Giana Giraldi and every single other person there. There are days when I feel like my legs are too weak to stand upon, and all these people are there to lift me right up. I know I am not alone on this journey, and it is because of my amazing family – and my amazing BDT Stage family. My parents and husband and my daughter have been incredible. Your arms and hearts are wide open, and I feel your love every single day.”

How you can help us help Alicia more: Alicia is at the beginning of her cancer journey, and more bills will be following her every step of the way. If you would like to direct a specific donation to help give Alicia some breathing room and focus on healing, simply mail checks in any amount made out to The Denver Actors Fund (with Alicia Meyers’ name written in the topic field), to P.O. Box 11182, Denver, CO 80211. Or use this donation link. If you use the online option, be sure to designate that your donation is targeted for Alicia Meyers. (She will receive 100 percent of your donation.) Otherwise, your donation will be applied to the replenishment of the Denver Actors Fund’s general fund.

Read testimonials from other Denver Actors Fund beneficiaries here

Note: At The Denver Actors Fund, anonymity of aid recipients is presumed and fully protected, unless and until the recipient chooses to have their story told.

HOW TO MAKE A DONATION

The cast of BDT Stage’s ‘Take to the Highway’ raised another $2,700 for Alicia K. Meyers.

ABOUT THE DENVER ACTORS FUND:

The Denver Actors Fund is a modest source of immediate, situational relief when members of the local theater community find themselves in medical need. In addition to $626,000 in financial relief, a team of more than 60 Denver Actors Fund volunteers have offered good neighborly assistance to more than 100 beneficiaries including meal prep and delivery, child care, transportation, errands, construction, pet-sitting and more. For more information, visit our web site at DenverActorsFund.Org.

HOW TO APPLY FOR AID:

To apply for Denver Actors Fund aid: Fill out this brief online form here

NEW: AFFORDABLE MENTAL HEALTH CARE

The Denver Actors Fund has announced a major new collaboration with the Maria Droste Counseling Center of Colorado to provide affordable, professional health care to any qualifying Colorado theatre artist who needs it. CLICK HERE FOR INFORMATION

GET INSTANT, FREE MEDICAL ADVICE: The Denver Actors Fund has launch of a major new FREE medical service for qualified Colorado theatre artists: We are partnering with Hippo Health to provide access to emergency medical evaluations via video conferencing with a Board-certified physician. Click to read more about this wonderful, innovative new partnership that will further improve the lives of artists!

MORE WAYS TO HELP:

DONATE ONLINE:

Go to our online giving site at: ColoradoGives.Org

DONATE BY MAIL:

Send checks made out to The Denver Actors Fund to:
P.O. Box 11182
Denver, CO 80211

VOLUNTEER:

Ever thought about taking a more active role in The Denver Actors Fund? Click here for more information

SHOP AT KING SOOPERS

Sign up for King Soopers’ Community Rewards Program and raise money for The DAF just by shopping for your groceries – and it doesn’t cost you an extra penny. It’s like the Amazon Smile Program. To sign up, simply go here and designate The DAF as your preferred non-profit. Each quarter, King Soopers sends us a donation based on how much our supporters have spent. Thanks to all of you who are shopping for The DAF.

MISCAST IS NOW ‘CAST’

This year “Miscast,” the major annual fundraiser for The Denver Actors Fund, will pivot to “CAST 2020,” a professionally produced video concert featuring Colorado theatre artists performing in roles they WERE cast to perform in before the coronavirus shut down their shows. “Tickets” (meaning access to the video) are now on-sale. The concert drops the week of October 5. Reserve your spot at the party with a $20 donation today today.

“QUARANTINE WEEK BY WEAK”

When shelter-in-place orders were issued by the state of Colorado, photographer and actor Susannah McLeod and her wife, fellow actor Chloe McLeod, joined the thousands of people whose livelihoods were impacted by COVID19. With theaters closed and events on hold, much of the couple’s income was impacted. To stay creatively engaged and bring some lightheartedness to a challenging situation, the couple started a photography project documenting their lives during quarantine. They produced more than 35 sets of humorous photos comparing the beginning of quarantine to later in the “stay-at-home” period. As popularity for the series grew on Instagram and after a feature in Westword, the couple decided to publish the series as a coffee-table book to benefit The DAF. Thanks to generous sponsorship to cover the printing cost, “Quarantine Week by Weak” is now available. To order and learn more visit mcleod9creative.com

ONGOING: “Waiting for Obama,” the audio version of a play that was an official selection at the 2016 New York International Fringe Festival, has been released as a (free) fundraiser for The Denver Actors Fund. A Colorado Springs family is convinced that Barack Obama is coming for their guns in the final weeks of his presidency – and they’re right.) The play features Laurence Curry, Drew Horwitz, Chris Kendall, Leslie O’Carroll, Jenna Moll Reyes, Jessica Robblee, Luke Sorge and Mare Trevathan. It was recorded by the staff of Parker Arts at the PACE Center as an in-kind donation to The Denver Actors Fund. Listen for free on all major podcasting platforms including Spotify, Apple Podcasts and Podbean. Just by listening, you will be raising revenue for The DAF!

‘Waiting for Obama’ was recorded by the staff of Parker Arts at the PACE Center and edited by Ray Bailey TV as in-kind donations to The Denver Actors Fund. The actors also performed for free.

VISIT OUR ONLINE MERCH STORE:

Click here to see how you can buy DAF products such as T-shirts, key chains, puzzles and much more.

THE LAST THING YOU WANT TO HEAR IN A PANDEMIC: ‘YOU NEED SURGERY’

Aid recipient Andy Anderson: “I grew up in a small town in Minnesota and went to college at the University of Minnesota. While acting off and on, I was employed in various fields, including News Director for a radio station, Traffic Director for an ad agency, Communications Director for the Governor of Minnesota, and Government Relations Director for the Minnesota State Arts Board. (With all those “director” positions, you would think I would direct in theatre, but save for one endeavor, it’s all been acting!) I moved to Denver to take a completely new direction in life by working for a year for Americorps NCCC, a national community-service organization that serves like the Peace Corps, only domestically. After my year of service, I had fallen in love with Colorado and decided to stay. I then began an acting career that has spanned almost 20 years in Denver, beginning with my first show Bent with Hunger Artists, through my latest show, Marvin’s Room at Vintage Theatre. While I have had the opportunity to play nearly 60 stage roles in Denver, I would have to say some of my favorites include George in Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf, Atticus Finch in To Kill A Mockingbird and Elwood P. Dowd in Harvey.”

His medical story: Andy has had worsening gum disease for several years, exacerbated by other health issues. During the pandemic, he learned he would need laser oral surgery. (This is not the kind of surgery DAF partnering dentist Dr. Brian Kelly provides.) The cost of the surgery after insurance was $3,329.50.

How we have helped: After the COVID shutdown, The Denver Actors Fund board of directors adopted a conservative, temporary, “70 percent of normal” survival strategy, unanimously approving payment of $2,331 toward Andy’s overall bill. Combined with targeted donations from the local theatre community, The Denver Actors Fund’s overall support for Andy is now $2,576.

‘I cannot thank The Denver Actors Fund enough for all the help it has provided the Colorado theatre community over the years.’

A message from Andy: “While I was fortunate to remain employed throughout the COVID crisis, my dental insurance only would pay a small portion of my surgery. The Denver Actors Fund came through with a generous amount that allowed me to have the surgery and not go into huge debt. I cannot thank The DAF enough, not only for its help in my particular circumstance, but for ALL the help it has provided the Colorado theatre community over the years. At a time when health care seems to be a luxury in this country (when it should be a right), having an organization like The DAF can literally be a lifesaver. My most sincere gratitude goes out to all of you who have supported The DAF over the years!”

How you can help us help Andy more: If you would like to direct a specific donation to help Andy pay down the remaining $998 on his dental bill, simply mail checks in any amount made out to The Denver Actors Fund (with Andy Anderson’s name written in the topic field), to P.O. Box 11182, Denver, CO 80211. Or use this donation link. If you use the online option, be sure to designate that your donation is targeted for Andy Anderson. (He will receive 100 percent of your donation.) Otherwise, your donation will be applied to the replenishment of the Denver Actors Fund’s general fund.

Read testimonials from other Denver Actors Fund beneficiaries here

Note: At The Denver Actors Fund, anonymity of aid recipients is presumed and fully protected, unless and until the recipient chooses to have their story told.

Andy Anderson and Darrow Klein in Spotlight Theatre’s 2015 production of ‘To Kill a Mockingbird.’

HOW TO MAKE A DONATION

ABOUT THE DENVER ACTORS FUND:

The Denver Actors Fund is a modest source of immediate, situational relief when members of the local theater community find themselves in medical need. In addition to $623,000 in financial relief, a team of more than 60 Denver Actors Fund volunteers have offered good neighborly assistance to more than 100 beneficiaries including meal prep and delivery, child care, transportation, errands, construction, pet-sitting and more. For more information, visit our web site at DenverActorsFund.Org.

HOW TO APPLY FOR AID:

To apply for Denver Actors Fund aid: Fill out this brief online form here

NEW: AFFORDABLE MENTAL HEALTH CARE

The Denver Actors Fund has announced a major new collaboration with the Maria Droste Counseling Center of Colorado to provide affordable, professional health care to any qualifying Colorado theatre artist who needs it. CLICK HERE FOR INFORMATION

GET INSTANT, FREE MEDICAL ADVICE: The Denver Actors Fund has launch of a major new FREE medical service for qualified Colorado theatre artists: We are partnering with Hippo Health to provide access to emergency medical evaluations via video conferencing with a Board-certified physician. Click to read more about this wonderful, innovative new partnership that will further improve the lives of artists!

MORE WAYS TO HELP:

DONATE ONLINE:

Go to our online giving site at: ColoradoGives.Org

DONATE BY MAIL:

Send checks made out to The Denver Actors Fund to:
P.O. Box 11182
Denver, CO 80211

VOLUNTEER:

Ever thought about taking a more active role in The Denver Actors Fund? Click here for more information

SHOP AT KING SOOPERS

Sign up for King Soopers’ Community Rewards Program and raise money for The DAF just by shopping for your groceries – and it doesn’t cost you an extra penny. It’s like the Amazon Smile Program. To sign up, simply go here and designate The DAF as your preferred non-profit. Each quarter, King Soopers sends us a donation based on how much our supporters have spent. Thanks to all of you who are shopping for The DAF.

“QUARANTINE WEEK BY WEAK”

When shelter-in-place orders were issued by the state of Colorado, photographer and actor Susannah McLeod and her wife, fellow actor Chloe McLeod, joined the thousands of people whose livelihoods were impacted by COVID19. With theaters closed and events on hold, much of the couple’s income was impacted. To stay creatively engaged and bring some lightheartedness to a challenging situation, the couple started a photography project documenting their lives during quarantine. They produced more than 35 sets of humorous photos comparing the beginning of quarantine to later in the “stay-at-home” period. As popularity for the series grew on Instagram and after a feature in Westword, the couple decided to publish the series as a coffee-table book to benefit The DAF. Thanks to generous sponsorship to cover the printing cost, “Quarantine Week by Weak” is now available. To order and learn more visit http://mcleod9creative.com/shop/quarantine-week-by-weak-photo-book

VISIT OUR ONLINE MERCH STORE:

Click here to see how you can buy DAF products such as T-shirts, key chains, puzzles and much more.

Among Fort Collins Director Candice Andrews’ many credits has been “Bullshot Crummond” for OpenStage Theatre.

For Fort Collins director and single mom, the struggle is ongoing

Aid recipient: Estes Park Director Candice Andrews has directed throughout Northern Colorado for the past 20 years. Most recently, she was slated to direct Ken Ludwig’s “Sherwood: The Adventures of Robin Hood” for OpenStage Theatre Company in Fort Collins before the statewide COVID19 shutdown. Previous OpenStage productions include “Bullshot Crummond,” “Scapin” and “Spring Awakening,” as well as titles for Colorado State University, Bas Bleu Theatre Company, Fort Collins Children’s Theatre and more. Currently, Candice serves as the district administrator for an arts-integrated school in Loveland.

Her medical story: In 2018, Candice was diagnosed with Stage 3 uterine cancer as well as an autoimmune blood disorder called Pholosiphliped Antibody Syndrome. When antibodies attack phospholipids, cells are damaged. This damage causes blood clots to form in the body’s arteries and veins and can lead to stroke. Candice has incurred thousands of dollars in out-of-pocket medical expenses to date.

How we have helped: The Denver Actors Fund has provided Candice with $1,535 for reimbursement of eligible expenses incurred within the past 12 months. Candice also received $75 in targeted donations from the community and qualified for a $500 DEAR Fund income-replacement stipend for an overall gift of $2,110 to date.

‘The medical bills keep coming and my biggest struggle is the emotional impact of knowing that this is a lifelong condition.’

A message from Candice: “Over the past two years, I have received beyond loving support from my OpenStage Artistic Director, Sydney Smith. I have met my insurance out-of pocket max totaling $9,400, along with at least another $5,000 in living expenses. The medical bills keep coming, and my biggest struggle is the emotional impact of knowing that this is a lifelong condition that will accumulate more medical debt, and my health outcome is unknown. For the last three years I have been a single mom, and on multiple occasions I have feared having enough money for gas. I have frequently visited the local food bank. My two little munchkins keep me going and laughing. One positive, exciting devlopment for me is that I am now a newlywed. This summer, I married my best friend, Seth. I now have a supportive husband who is my rock, and he does his best to hold us all together. I don’t know what I would do without him. I am forever grateful to The Denver Actors Fund for the help it has afforded my family so far. Any future donations we receive from the Denver Actors Fund or the local community would significantly lift our spirits. Every penny fills our hearts with love. I hope to be able to pay it forward someday when I am in a better financial position to help someone else in need.”

How you can help us help Candice more: If you would like to direct a specific donation to help give Candice some additional breathing room as she continues her ongoing treatments, simply mail checks in any amount made out to The Denver Actors Fund (with Candice Andrews’ name written in the topic field), to P.O. Box 11182, Denver, CO 80211. Or use this donation link. If you use the online option, be sure to designate that your donation is targeted for Candice Andrews. (She will receive 100 percent of your donation.) Otherwise, your donation will be applied to the replenishment of the Denver Actors Fund’s general fund.

Read testimonials from other Denver Actors Fund beneficiaries here

Note: At The Denver Actors Fund, anonymity of aid recipients is presumed and fully protected, unless and until the recipient chooses to have their story told.

HOW TO MAKE A DONATION

ABOUT THE DENVER ACTORS FUND:

The Denver Actors Fund is a modest source of immediate, situational relief when members of the local theater community find themselves in medical need. In addition to $616,000 in financial relief, a team of more than 60 Denver Actors Fund volunteers have offered good neighborly assistance to more than 100 beneficiaries including meal prep and delivery, child care, transportation, errands, construction, pet-sitting and more. For more information, visit our web site at DenverActorsFund.Org.

HOW TO APPLY FOR AID:

To apply for Denver Actors Fund aid: Fill out this brief online form here

NEW: AFFORDABLE MENTAL HEALTH CARE:

The Denver Actors Fund has announced a major new collaboration with the Maria Droste Counseling Center of Colorado to provide affordable, professional health care to any qualifying Colorado theatre artist who needs it. CLICK HERE FOR INFORMATION

GET INSTANT, FREE MEDICAL ADVICE: The Denver Actors Fund has launch of a major new FREE medical service for qualified Colorado theatre artists: We are partnering with Hippo Health to provide access to emergency medical evaluations via video conferencing with a Board-certified physician. Click to read more about this wonderful, innovative new partnership that will further improve the lives of artists!

MORE WAYS TO HELP:

DONATE ONLINE:

Go to our online giving site at: ColoradoGives.Org

DONATE BY MAIL:

Send checks made out to The Denver Actors Fund to:
P.O. Box 11182
Denver, CO 80211

VOLUNTEER:

Ever thought about taking a more active role in The Denver Actors Fund? Click here for more information

SHOP AT KING SOOPERS

Sign up for King Soopers’ Community Rewards Program and raise money for The DAF just by shopping for your groceries – and it doesn’t cost you an extra penny. It’s like the Amazon Smile Program. To sign up, simply go here and designate The DAF as your preferred non-profit. Each quarter, King Soopers sends us a donation based on how much our supporters have spent. Thanks to all of you who are shopping for The DAF.

VISIT OUR ONLINE MERCH STORE:

Click here to see how you can buy DAF products such as T-shirts, key chains, puzzles and much more.

After a devastating miscarriage, a focus on healing

Aid recipient: Evergreen actor Dana Hart Wright (formerly Lubeck) has performed throughout the metro area for years, most recently in Ovation West’s “Lend Me a Tenor”; a reading of Laurie Scalf Scoggins’ “Polished Pieces” for And Toto Too Theatre Company; and in Benchmark Theatre’s 2019 Fever Dream Festival. Assorted prior credits include The Edge Theatre’s “The Graduate,” Equinox Theatre Company’s “Carrie: The Musical,” and she guest-starred in Magic Moments’ 2013 production of “Spirit and Soul.” Magic Moments is an annual pop-music revue that integrates up to 150 disabled and able-bodied cast members of all abilities, ages and experience levels. Originally from New York, Dana has appeared Off-Broadway and in national tours. She has a bachelor’s degree from New York University, a master’s degree from and Naropa University in Boulder and a teaching license from Metropolitan State University of Denver.

Dana Hart Lubeck in ‘Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown’ for the Lower East Side Shakespeare Company in New York.

Her medical story: Dana and her husband, Jono Wright, began 2020 more than $8,000 in the hole following surgery to try to save their 8-month old puppy, who died after a fluke illness. In March, Dana suffered a devastating miscarriage, and a month later needed two operations to remove a cyst. Like most, Dana has insurance – only it’s bad insurance with a very high deductible. The Wrights paid off the vast majority of what they owed from these medical incidents themselves, but sent along two surgical bills to us totaling $685.

How we have helped: The Denver Actors Fund has paid the full $685 requested by the couple.

A message from Dana: “Over the years, I have seen countless people I love receive support from The Denver Actors Fund when faced with unexpected medical costs. I have always been incredibly grateful that such an entity, run by such amazingly generous people, exists. My husband and I have faced many financial challenges this year. My insurance that I pay for monthly through work is not nearly as comprehensive as I thought it was when I chose this particular plan. Even after paying an extra monthly fee, I still found myself paying considerable out-of-pocket expenses for my procedures. The Denver Actor Fund’s support has taken away our financial worry. But The Denver Actors Fund doesn’t only provide that needed monetary support – it provides emotional support in the form of care. There are so many reasons I have found myself longing for the Denver theatre community when living out of town, but the biggest reason is the people. We can never know when life will throw us a curveball, but we can always know that there are people out there to lift us up. Denver Actors Fund: Thank you for lifting me up when I needed it most.”

One more thing: The Denver Actors Fund only makes known however much of our beneficiaries’ personal medical stories as they feel comfortable sharing. In Dana’s case, after great consideration with her husband, she decided she wanted her miscarriage to be part of her public story. “Although it is hard to be so vulnerable,” she said, “I want the stigma around talking about these types of things to lessen. Jono and I agree that mentioning the miscarriage may help someone else feel better about their own. When it happened to me, and I started telling close friends, I heard so many stories of miscarriages, and they comforted me in a surprising way. It’s more about helping another woman than it is about the perceived stigma.”

How you can help us help us help more Colorado theatre artists: The Denver Actors Fund now has made more than $578,000 available to Colorado artists in need. The DAF paid out a record $150,000 in direct relief in the first five-plus months of 2020 alone, including more than $80,000 through our new DEAR Fund to support Colorado theatre artists who have lost the ability to earn income during the COVID-19 shutdown. If you would like to make a donation to The Denver Actors Fund, simply mail checks in any amount made out to Denver Actors Fund at P.O. Box 11182, Denver, CO 80211. Or use this donation link, with our humble thanks.

‘We can never know when life will throw us a curveball’

Read testimonials from other Denver Actors Fund beneficiaries here

Note: At The Denver Actors Fund, anonymity of aid recipients is presumed and fully protected, unless and until the recipient chooses to have their story told.

HOW TO MAKE A DONATION

ABOUT THE DENVER ACTORS FUND:

The Denver Actors Fund is a modest source of immediate, situational relief when members of the local theater community find themselves in medical need. In addition to $578,000 in financial relief, a team of more than 60 Denver Actors Fund volunteers have offered good neighborly assistance to more than 100 beneficiaries including meal prep and delivery, child care, transportation, errands, construction, pet-sitting and more. For more information, visit our web site at DenverActorsFund.Org.

HOW TO APPLY FOR AID:

To apply for Denver Actors Fund aid: Fill out this brief online form here

GET INSTANT, FREE MEDICAL ADVICE: The Denver Actors Fund has launch of a major new FREE medical service for qualified Colorado theatre artists: We are partnering with Hippo Health to provide access to emergency medical evaluations via video conferencing with a Board-certified physician. Click to read more about this wonderful, innovative new partnership that will further improve the lives of artists!

MORE WAYS TO HELP:

DONATE ONLINE:

Go to our online giving site at: ColoradoGives.Org

DONATE BY MAIL:

Send checks made out to The Denver Actors Fund to:
P.O. Box 11182
Denver, CO 80211

VOLUNTEER:

Ever thought about taking a more active role in The Denver Actors Fund? Click here for more information

SHOP AT KING SOOPERS

Sign up for King Soopers’ Community Rewards Program and raise money for The DAF just by shopping for your groceries – and it doesn’t cost you an extra penny. It’s like the Amazon Smile Program. To sign up, simply go here and designate The DAF as your preferred non-profit. Each quarter, King Soopers sends us a donation based on how much our supporters have spent. Thanks to all of you who are shopping for The DAF.

VISIT OUR ONLINE MERCH STORE:

Click here to see how you can buy DAF products such as T-shirts, key chains, puzzles and much more.

Actor runs out of medication, into expensive hospital stay

Aid recipient: Peter Trinh is a longtime Denver-based actor, playwright and budding stand-up comedian who most recently appeared in Colorado Springs TheatreWorks’ “Around the World in Eighty Days” and The Catamounts’ “Everybody.” Before that, he was the Assistant Artistic Director for Theatre Esprit Asia, where he starred in “Dust Storm” and has twice performed his one-man play, “Boat Person,” based on his parents’ escape from Vietnam in 1982. He also performed “Boat Person” at Bas Bleu Theatre in Fort Collins. Peter is the first person on either side of his family to be born on American soil.  Peter also has appeared with the Aurora Fox (“Chinglish”), Vintage Theatre (“The Oldest Boy,” “Joy Luck Club”) and others. Peter graduated from Arvada West High School and Metropolitan State University, and is the father of two boys.

Peter Trinh performs his one-man play ‘Boat Person’ for Theatre Esprit Asia.

His medical story: Peter was diagnosed with hypertension when he was 27, but the blessing and the curse of having recently graduated to a full-time life as an actor included no longer having a job with health insurance. At the end of 2019, having been off his medication for a time, Peter landed in the hospital with dangerously high blood pressure. He is now better and on a new prescription, but after paying a number of bills on his own, he was still left with an unpaid out-of-pocket obligation for prescriptions and services that added up to $1,049.14.

How we helped: The Denver Actors Fund Board of Directors has voted to pay the $1,049.14 in direct medical expenses Peter presently faces.

A message from Peter: “Thanks to The Denver Actors Fund, my bills will not spiral and pummel my credit as I scramble to chip away at them, bit by bit. My gratitude swells, knowing that The Denver Actors fund provides answers where people in our industry usually find dead-ends. The Colorado theatre community is blessed to have The Denver Actors Fund.”

How you can help us help us help more Colorado theatre artists: The Denver Actors Fund now has made more than $552,000 available to Colorado artists in need. The DAF has paid out a record $130,000 in direct medical relief in the first five months of 2020 alone, including more than $55,000 through our new DEAR Fund to support Colorado theatre artists who have lost the ability to earn income during the COVID-19 shutdown. If you would like to make a donation to The Denver Actors Fund, simply mail checks in any amount made out to Denver Actors Fund to P.O. Box 11182, Denver, CO 80211. Or use this donation link, with our humble thanks.

Read testimonials from other Denver Actors Fund beneficiaries here

Note: At The Denver Actors Fund, anonymity of aid recipients is presumed and fully protected, unless and until the recipient chooses to have their story told.

From left: Bernadette Sefic, Jason Maxwell, Hossein Forouzandeh and Peter Trinh in The Catamounts’ ‘Everybody.’ Photo by Michael Ensminger.

HOW TO MAKE A DONATION

ABOUT THE DENVER ACTORS FUND:

The Denver Actors Fund is a modest source of immediate, situational relief when members of the local theater community find themselves in medical need. In addition to $552,000 in financial relief, a team of more than 60 Denver Actors Fund volunteers have offered good neighborly assistance to more than 100 beneficiaries including meal prep and delivery, child care, transportation, errands, construction, pet-sitting and more. For more information, visit our web site at DenverActorsFund.Org.

HOW TO APPLY FOR AID:

To apply for Denver Actors Fund aid: Fill out this brief online form here

GET INSTANT, FREE MEDICAL ADVICE: The Denver Actors Fund has launch of a major new FREE medical service for qualified Colorado theatre artists: We are partnering with Hippo Health to provide access to emergency medical evaluations via video conferencing with a Board-certified physician. Click to read more about this wonderful, innovative new partnership that will further improve the lives of artists!

MORE WAYS TO HELP:

DONATE ONLINE:

Go to our online giving site at: ColoradoGives.Org

DONATE BY MAIL:

Send checks made out to The Denver Actors Fund to:
P.O. Box 11182
Denver, CO 80211

VOLUNTEER:

Ever thought about taking a more active role in The Denver Actors Fund? Click here for more information

SHOP AT KING SOOPERS

Sign up for King Soopers’ Community Rewards Program and raise money for The DAF just by shopping for your groceries – and it doesn’t cost you an extra penny. It’s like the Amazon Smile Program. To sign up, simply go here and designate The DAF as your preferred non-profit. Each quarter, King Soopers sends us a donation based on how much our supporters have spent. Thanks to all of you who are shopping for The DAF.

VISIT OUR ONLINE MERCH STORE:

Click here to see how you can buy DAF products such as T-shirts, key chains, puzzles and much more.

‘Even with insurance, the bills were overwhelming‘

Denver Actors Fund aid recipient: Longtime local actor Tim Fishbaugh recently played bossman Mr. Hammerschmidt in Benchmark Theatre’s “Parfumerie.” OnStage Colorado‘s Lane Ware called Fishbaugh the anchor of the production, “deftly moving from the autocratic businessman at the start to a bewildered and broken-hearted man emerging from his soul searching to discover what truly matters.” Before that, he played three roles in Miners Alley Playhouse’s “Our Town,” Mr. Mushnik in “Little Shop of Horrors” and Herr Schultz in “Cabaret.” He will be playing Richard Maynard if and when Miners Alley can ever stage “Moon Over Buffalo.” Tim works in Facilities Management at Colorado School of Mines in Golden and describes himself as “and ne’er-do-well actor about town.” Tim doesn’t broadcast this, but he also organizes monthly drive-by drop-off sack lunches for area homeless people, including sandwiches, bottled water, food and a pair of sturdy white men’s crew socks – mostly at his own expense. (Send socks or donations to “The Joy of Sox,” c/o Carla Kaiser Kotrc, 6501 W. 64th Ave., Arvada, CO 80003)

Tim Fishbaugh in Miners Alley Playhouse’s ‘Our Town.’ Sarah Roshan Photography.

His medical story: In February, Tim fell down a flight of stairs and was knocked unconscious, necessitating an ambulance ride, many CT scans and time spent in both the E.R. and ICU. Although he has medical insurance, he was left with a sizeable out-of-pocket bill that he has paid down to his present obligation of $4,907.03

How we helped: The Denver Actors Fund has been experiencing an unprecedented run on our reserves in 2020, having sent out more than $58,000 in direct medical relief in the first four months of the year alone – not including the more than $50,000 in emergency funding we have paid out through our new DEAR Fund to support Colorado theatre artists who have lost the ability to earn income during the COVID-19 shutdown. So the Board has instituted a slightly more conservative, temporary reimbursement formula. Essentially, until we can start replenishing our general fund through live performance fundraisers, the Board is compensating qualified applicants at a level that is about 70 percent of normal. In Tim’s case, the Board has voted to reimburse him with $3,435, or 70 percent of his remaining obligation.

How you can help us help Tim more: Even after our assistance, Tim has about $1,500 remaining on his balance. If you would like to direct a specific donation to help Tim pay down his remaining bill, simply mail checks in any amount made out to The Denver Actors Fund (with Tim Fishbaugh’s name written in the topic field), to P.O. Box 11182, Denver, CO 80211. Or use this donation link. If you use the online option, be sure to designate that your donation is targeted for Tim Fishbaugh. (He will receive 100 percent of your donation.) Otherwise, your donation will be applied to the replenishment of The Denver Actors Fund’s general fund.

A message from Tim: “The Denver Actors Fund kept us from suffering a financial crisis in our home. Even with insurance, the bills were overwhelming. Thanks to this great organization, our life is back to normal.”

The Denver Actors Fund now has made more than $543,000 available to Colorado artists in need.

How you can help us help us help more Colorado theatre artists: If you would like to make a donation to The Denver Actors Fund, simply mail checks in any amount made out to Denver Actors Fund to P.O. Box 11182, Denver, CO 80211. Or use this donation link, with our humble thanks.

Read testimonials from other Denver Actors Fund beneficiaries here

Note: At The Denver Actors Fund, anonymity of aid recipients is presumed and fully protected, unless and until the recipient chooses to have their story told.

HOW TO MAKE A DONATION

ABOUT THE DENVER ACTORS FUND:

The Denver Actors Fund is a modest source of immediate, situational relief when members of the local theater community find themselves in medical need. In addition to $543,000 in financial relief, a team of more than 60 Denver Actors Fund volunteers have offered good neighborly assistance to more than 100 beneficiaries including meal prep and delivery, child care, transportation, errands, construction, pet-sitting and more. For more information, visit our web site at DenverActorsFund.Org.

HOW TO APPLY FOR AID:

To apply for Denver Actors Fund aid: Fill out this brief online form here

GET INSTANT, FREE MEDICAL ADVICE: The Denver Actors Fund has launch of a major new FREE medical service for qualified Colorado theatre artists: We are partnering with Hippo Health to provide access to emergency medical evaluations via video conferencing with a Board-certified physician. Click to read more about this wonderful, innovative new partnership that will further improve the lives of artists!

MORE WAYS TO HELP:

DONATE ONLINE:

Go to our online giving site at: ColoradoGives.Org

DONATE BY MAIL:

Send checks made out to The Denver Actors Fund to:
P.O. Box 11182
Denver, CO 80211

VOLUNTEER:

Ever thought about taking a more active role in The Denver Actors Fund? Click here for more information

SHOP AT KING SOOPERS

Sign up for King Soopers’ Community Rewards Program and raise money for The DAF just by shopping for your groceries – and it doesn’t cost you an extra penny. It’s like the Amazon Smile Program. To sign up, simply go here and designate The DAF as your preferred non-profit. Each quarter, King Soopers sends us a donation based on how much our supporters have spent. Thanks to all of you who are shopping for The DAF.

VISIT OUR ONLINE MERCH STORE:

Click here to see how you can buy DAF products such as T-shirts, key chains, puzzles and much more.

Dr. Kelly comes to the aid of BDT Stage lighting designer

Aid recipient: Sean Cronan of Lafayette (who also goes by Seann) recently served as the assistant lightning designer and light-board operator for BDT Stage’s production of “Mamma Mia.” Other credits include “Disney’s Beauty and the Beast.” He also lends his talents to BDT’s youth productions. He went to Boulder High School and is the brother of longtime BDT Stage actor Brian Cronan.

Sean Cronan

His medical story: Sean recently procured his own dental insurance for the first time and went in for his first check-up in years. He was told that because of bone loss, three teeth would have to be extracted. Even with his insurance, he was quoted an out-of-pocket price of about $2,400. That’s when he contacted The Denver Actors Fund.

How we helped: The Denver Actors Fund has a partnering dentist in Dr. Brian Kelly DDS, who accepts a limited number of emergency cases each year as his personal, in-kind donation to The DAF through the Dental Center at Thornton Plaza. Dr. Kelly performed all of the necessary work, including tooth replacement. The DAF chipped in $135 for an outside lab bill, but otherwise no money changed hands and Sean paid nothing. But here’s the thing: Dr. Kelly reported to us that had Sean been an uninsured patient who walked in off the street, his combined total bill would have been just $2,010 – another indication of what Dr. Kelly believes is widespread price-gouging among corporate and franchised dental practices.

The Denver Actors Fund now has made more than $538,000 available to Colorado artists in need.

How you can help us help us help more Colorado theatre artists: If you would like to make a donation to The Denver Actors Fund, simply mail checks in any amount made out to Denver Actors Fund to P.O. Box 11182, Denver, CO 80211. Or use this donation link, with our humble thanks.

Read testimonials from other Denver Actors Fund beneficiaries here

Note: At The Denver Actors Fund, anonymity of aid recipients is presumed and fully protected, unless and until the recipient chooses to have their story told.

HOW TO MAKE A DONATION

ABOUT THE DENVER ACTORS FUND:

The Denver Actors Fund is a modest source of immediate, situational relief when members of the local theater community find themselves in medical need. In addition to $538,000 in financial relief, a team of more than 60 Denver Actors Fund volunteers have offered good neighborly assistance to more than 100 beneficiaries including meal prep and delivery, child care, transportation, errands, construction, pet-sitting and more. For more information, visit our web site at DenverActorsFund.Org.

HOW TO APPLY FOR AID:

To apply for Denver Actors Fund aid: Fill out this brief online form here

GET INSTANT, FREE MEDICAL ADVICE: The Denver Actors Fund has launch of a major new FREE medical service for qualified Colorado theatre artists: We are partnering with Hippo Health to provide access to emergency medical evaluations via video conferencing with a Board-certified physician. Click to read more about this wonderful, innovative new partnership that will further improve the lives of artists!

MORE WAYS TO HELP:

DONATE ONLINE:

Go to our online giving site at: ColoradoGives.Org

DONATE BY MAIL:

Send checks made out to The Denver Actors Fund to:
P.O. Box 11182
Denver, CO 80211

VOLUNTEER:

Ever thought about taking a more active role in The Denver Actors Fund? Click here for more information

SHOP AT KING SOOPERS

Sign up for King Soopers’ Community Rewards Program and raise money for The DAF just by shopping for your groceries – and it doesn’t cost you an extra penny. It’s like the Amazon Smile Program. To sign up, simply go here and designate The DAF as your preferred non-profit. Each quarter, King Soopers sends us a donation based on how much our supporters have spent. Thanks to all of you who are shopping for The DAF.

VISIT OUR ONLINE MERCH STORE:

Click here to see how you can buy DAF products such as T-shirts, key chains, puzzles and much more.

From training to trauma center: Life changes in an instant

Aid recipient: Ashley Campbell got into sound design as a theatre major at the University of Denver and was hooked. “I really enjoyed the process of creating sounds,” she says. “It was one of the most exciting classes I took throughout all of college.” So, she just kept doing it. Ashley recently designed the sound for Curious Theatre’s The Thanksgiving Play by Larissa Fasthorse and also worked on The Humans. For the Boulder Ensemble Theatre Company, Ashley was the sound designer for Tiny Beautiful Things and worked on other shows including The Revolutionists and The Wolves. Last year, she ran sound for the Denver Children’ Theatre’s The Little Prince. While at the University of Denver, she was part of a True West Award-winning effort to stage the play White Rabbit Red Rabbit as the Associate Artistic Director of her company, Pipedream Productions. The play has been performed (exactly one time) by thousands of actors around the world. It involves a sealed script that the actor reads aloud while performing its specific tasks before a live audience.

Her medical story: “One day, I was training for my new job as box-office attendant at Curious Theatre and, before I knew it, I was on the floor and my head was pulsing,” Ashley says. “I had lost consciousness, hit my head on a wall and had a seizure. The ambulance was called and I was taken to Denver Health to be inspected for head trauma. Luckily, everything was good and I was fully recovered by the next day.” But while Ashley has modest health insurance, she was left with an out-of-pocket bill of nearly $5,000. She has paid it down to $2,888.

How we helped: The Denver Actors Fund has been experiencing an unprecedented run on our reserves in 2020, having sent out more than $58,000 in direct medical relief in the first four months of the year – not including the $50,000 in emergency funding we have paid out through our new DEAR Fund that we have paid to Colorado theatre artists who have lost the ability to earn income during the COVID-19 shutdown. So the Board has temporarily instituted a more conservative compensation formula. Essentially, until we can start replenishing our general fund through live performance fundraisers, the Board is compensating qualified applicants at a level that is about 70 percent of normal. So in Ashley’s case, the Board voted to reimburse her with $1,946.70 – or 70 percent of her remaining obligation. With targeted donations from the community, The Denver Actors Fund’s total support for Ashley is now $1,996.70.

How you can help us help Ashley more: Even after our assistance, Ashley has about $800 remaining on her bill’s balance. If you would like to direct a specific donation to help Ashley pay down her bill, simply mail checks in any amount made out to The Denver Actors Fund (with Ashley Campbell’s name written in the topic field), to P.O. Box 11182, Denver, CO 80211. Or use this donation link. If you use the online option, be sure to designate that your donation is targeted for Ashley Campbell. (She will receive 100 percent of your donation.) Otherwise, your donation will be applied to the replenishment of The Denver Actors Fund’s general fund.

A message from Ashley:  “I am so thankful to the Denver theatre community and The Denver Actors Fund for helping pay my medical bills from this day. Without you, I’d still be drowning in medical debt.”

The Denver Actors Fund now has made more than $538,000 available to Colorado artists in need.

How you can help us help us help more Colorado theatre artists: If you would like to make a donation to The Denver Actors Fund, simply mail checks in any amount made out to Denver Actors Fund to P.O. Box 11182, Denver, CO 80211. Or use this donation link, with our humble thanks.

Read testimonials from other Denver Actors Fund beneficiaries here

Note: At The Denver Actors Fund, anonymity of aid recipients is presumed and fully protected, unless and until the recipient chooses to have their story told.

HOW TO MAKE A DONATION

ABOUT THE DENVER ACTORS FUND:

The Denver Actors Fund is a modest source of immediate, situational relief when members of the local theater community find themselves in medical need. In addition to $538,000 in financial relief, a team of more than 60 Denver Actors Fund volunteers have offered good neighborly assistance to more than 100 beneficiaries including meal prep and delivery, child care, transportation, errands, construction, pet-sitting and more. For more information, visit our web site at DenverActorsFund.Org.

HOW TO APPLY FOR AID:

To apply for Denver Actors Fund aid: Fill out this brief online form here

GET INSTANT, FREE MEDICAL ADVICE: The Denver Actors Fund has launch of a major new FREE medical service for qualified Colorado theatre artists: We are partnering with Hippo Health to provide access to emergency medical evaluations via video conferencing with a Board-certified physician. Click to read more about this wonderful, innovative new partnership that will further improve the lives of artists!

MORE WAYS TO HELP:

DONATE ONLINE:

Go to our online giving site at: ColoradoGives.Org

DONATE BY MAIL:

Send checks made out to The Denver Actors Fund to:
P.O. Box 11182
Denver, CO 80211

VOLUNTEER:

Ever thought about taking a more active role in The Denver Actors Fund? Click here for more information

SHOP AT KING SOOPERS

Sign up for King Soopers’ Community Rewards Program and raise money for The DAF just by shopping for your groceries – and it doesn’t cost you an extra penny. It’s like the Amazon Smile Program. To sign up, simply go here and designate The DAF as your preferred non-profit. Each quarter, King Soopers sends us a donation based on how much our supporters have spent. Thanks to all of you who are shopping for The DAF.

VISIT OUR ONLINE MERCH STORE:

Click here to see how you can buy DAF products such as T-shirts, key chains, puzzles and much more.

‘My appearance and speech are as vital to my profession as my singing’

Aid recipient: Glenwood Springs actor and baritone Chris Cascketta appeared as the opera singer Rafael Bellini in “The Last Romance” for Thunder River Theatre Company in Carbondale. He is also Choir Director at Saint Barnabas Episcopal Church in Glenwood Springs. He is originally from Chicago and studied at the Oberlin Conservatory. Chris represents our first DAF beneficiary from Garfield County!

Chris Cascketta, left, in ‘The Last Romance.’

His medical story: Last year, Chris lost one tooth and nearly another in a freak accident. He went to a local dentist in Glenwood Springs, was given a partial denture and told that another tooth would need to be extracted. He made an appointment with another Glenwood Springs dentist for the implant surgery and was quoted a treatment plan of just more than $10,000. That’s when Defiance Community Players Co-President Chip Winn Wells referred him to The Denver Actors Fund.

How we helped: The Denver Actors Fund has a partnering dentist in Dr. Brian Kelly DDS, who accepts a limited number of emergency cases each year as his personal, in-kind donation to The DAF through the Dental Center at Thornton Plaza. Although Chris lives 150 miles from Thornton, he made the trip to see Dr. Kelly, who saved one tooth with a root canal (which also saved Chris more than $2,000) and gave him a deep cleaning that restored his gums to health. But because Dr. Kelly does not do implant surgeries himself, he worked with Glenwood Springs dentist Dr. John Murray on a plan where Dr. Murray would perform the implant and next, when dental offices re-open, Dr. Kelly will place the crown for free. The Denver Actors Fund paid Dr. Murray $2,195 for the surgery; Chris $530 for his expenses related to a CT scan and preparatory periodontal work; and Dr. Kelly made all of his services, presently valued at $2,008 (with more to come in June) his latest, greatest donation to the DAF. To date, Dr. Kelly has donated more than $50,000 in free dental care through the DAF. That brings our total support for Chris to date to $4,733 (not counting his savings from not going through with the originating dentist’s treatment plan.)

A message from Chris: “Because I’m a singer and an actor, my appearance and speech are as vital to my profession as my singing. Getting this implant frees me from having to wear a partial denture, which impedes both my speech and singing. I am so grateful to The Denver Actors Fund and Dr. Kelly for this assistance. I never would have been able to afford it on my own.”

The Denver Actors Fund now has made more than $538,000 available to Colorado artists in need.

How you can help us help us help more Colorado theatre artists: If you would like to make a donation to The Denver Actors Fund, simply mail checks in any amount made out to Denver Actors Fund to P.O. Box 11182, Denver, CO 80211. Or use this donation link, with our humble thanks.

Read testimonials from other Denver Actors Fund beneficiaries here

Note: At The Denver Actors Fund, anonymity of aid recipients is presumed and fully protected, unless and until the recipient chooses to have their story told.

HOW TO MAKE A DONATION

ABOUT THE DENVER ACTORS FUND:

The Denver Actors Fund is a modest source of immediate, situational relief when members of the local theater community find themselves in medical need. In addition to $538,000 in financial relief, a team of more than 60 Denver Actors Fund volunteers have offered good neighborly assistance to more than 100 beneficiaries including meal prep and delivery, child care, transportation, errands, construction, pet-sitting and more. For more information, visit our web site at DenverActorsFund.Org.

HOW TO APPLY FOR AID:

To apply for Denver Actors Fund aid: Fill out this brief online form here

GET INSTANT, FREE MEDICAL ADVICE: The Denver Actors Fund has launch of a major new FREE medical service for qualified Colorado theatre artists: We are partnering with Hippo Health to provide access to emergency medical evaluations via video conferencing with a Board-certified physician. Click to read more about this wonderful, innovative new partnership that will further improve the lives of artists!

MORE WAYS TO HELP:

DONATE ONLINE:

Go to our online giving site at: ColoradoGives.Org

DONATE BY MAIL:

Send checks made out to The Denver Actors Fund to:
P.O. Box 11182
Denver, CO 80211

VOLUNTEER:

Ever thought about taking a more active role in The Denver Actors Fund? Click here for more information

SHOP AT KING SOOPERS

Sign up for King Soopers’ Community Rewards Program and raise money for The DAF just by shopping for your groceries – and it doesn’t cost you an extra penny. It’s like the Amazon Smile Program. To sign up, simply go here and designate The DAF as your preferred non-profit. Each quarter, King Soopers sends us a donation based on how much our supporters have spent. Thanks to all of you who are shopping for The DAF.

VISIT OUR ONLINE MERCH STORE:

Click here to see how you can buy DAF products such as T-shirts, key chains, puzzles and much more.

When Medicaid would not help a local actor with Medicaid, we did

Aid recipient: Laura Jo Trexler, who grew up in Littleton and graduated from Heritage High School, last year performed her one-woman Shakespearean musical “Play On! A Musical Romp Through Shakespeare’s Women” for And Toto too Theatre Company at the Denver Performing Arts Complex’s Champa Studio. Previous Colorado credits include Bill Pullman’s “The Wild Hunt” for VisionBox Studios, Curious Theatre’s “The Flick” and “The Lieutenant of Inishmore”; the Arvada Center’s “The Ladies Man”; and Creede Rep’s “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee.”

Her medical story: Laura Jo recently needed an emergency root canal. And while she qualifies for Medicaid, mystifyingly, Medicaid covers root canals in only 26 states – one of them NOT being Colorado. So she got stuck with a $1,755 bill from a local dental company in Lakewood. And that was before she had the new tooth crowned, which she could not pay for at the time. That’s when we heard from her at The Denver Actors Fund.

How we have helped: First, The DAF paid off the $1,755 bill to the Lakewood dental firm. Second, The DAF has a partnering dentist who accepts a limited number of emergency cases each year as his personal, in-kind donation through the Dental Center at Thornton Plaza. Dr. Brian Kelly DDS (himself a former Broadway dancer!) agreed to finish off Laura Jo’s case with a crown. Dr. Kelly’s intervention saved Laura Jo (and The DAF) from paying out an additional $1,431 to complete her treatment. There was also a $99 third-party lab fee, which The DAF has paid. All told, The DAF made $3,285 in medical assistance available to Laura Jo, of which $1,431 was Dr. Kelly’s in-kind donation to The DAF.

A message from Laura Jo: “At a time when it can be hard to remember the true goodness of humanity, I am humbly reminded it is out there. The Denver Actors Fund represents the best in humanity, and I am beyond grateful for the urgent care I was able to receive. Thank you from the bottom of my heart – and bank account!”

The Denver Actors Fund now has made more than $480,000 available to Colorado artists in medical need.

How you can help us help us help more Colorado theatre artists: If you would like to make a donation to The Denver Actors Fund, simply mail checks in any amount made out to Denver Actors Fund to P.O. Box 11182, Denver, CO 80211. Or use this donation link, with our humble thanks.

Read testimonials from other Denver Actors Fund beneficiaries here

Note: At The Denver Actors Fund, anonymity of aid recipients is presumed and fully protected, unless and until the recipient chooses to have their story told.

HOW TO MAKE A DONATION

ABOUT THE DENVER ACTORS FUND:

The Denver Actors Fund is a modest source of immediate, situational relief when members of the local theater community find themselves in medical need. In addition to $480,000 in financial relief, a team of more than 60 Denver Actors Fund volunteers have offered good neighborly assistance to more than 100 beneficiaries including meal prep and delivery, child care, transportation, errands, construction, pet-sitting and more. For more information, visit our web site at DenverActorsFund.Org.

HOW TO APPLY FOR AID:

To apply for Denver Actors Fund aid: Fill out this brief online form here

GET INSTANT, FREE MEDICAL ADVICE: The Denver Actors Fund has launch of a major new FREE medical service for qualified Colorado theatre artists: We are partnering with Hippo Health to provide access to emergency medical evaluations via video conferencing with a Board-certified physician. Click to read more about this wonderful, innovative new partnership that will further improve the lives of artists!

MORE WAYS TO HELP:

DONATE ONLINE:

Go to our online giving site at: ColoradoGives.Org

DONATE BY MAIL:

Send checks made out to The Denver Actors Fund to:
P.O. Box 11182
Denver, CO 80211

VOLUNTEER:

Ever thought about taking a more active role in The Denver Actors Fund? Click here for more information

SHOP AT KING SOOPERS

Sign up for King Soopers’ Community Rewards Program and raise money for The DAF just by shopping for your groceries – and it doesn’t cost you an extra penny. It’s like the Amazon Smile Program. To sign up, simply go here and designate The DAF as your preferred non-profit. Each quarter, King Soopers sends us a donation based on how much our supporters have spent. Thanks to all of you who are shopping for The DAF.

VISIT OUR ONLINE MERCH STORE:

Click here to see how you can buy DAF products such as T-shirts, key chains, puzzles and much more.

A move, a wedding … and an expensive medical diagnosis

Aid recipient: Sarah Grover of Johnstown is a busy local actor who most recently  appeared in the ensemble of “Jekyll and Hyde” at the Candlelight Dinner Playhouse. Before that, she played Esmerelda there in “The Hunchback of Notre Dame.” “Sarah Grover is everything you could want in Esmerelda – lively, free-spirited and sassy, while also empathetic and loving,” wrote Brian VanDriel for the Greeley Tribune. She also has credits at BDT Stage, Arvada Center, Performance Now, Midtown Arts Center, Original Dickens Carolers, Starkey Theatrix and more. She is originally from Virginia Beach.

Her medical story: Last October, Sarah experienced sudden and severe stomach pain that took something of a medical odyssey to properly diagnose. Sarah missed eight performances during this time and was inundated with a dozen bills that came to a comparably modest $1,965.38 in out-of-pocket expenses. But the other shoe dropped when Sarah received one additional straggler of an E.R. bill totaling $4,060.40 from Banner Health for her visit to the Northern Colorado Medical Center. It’s worth noting here that Sarah does have (lousy) insurance, and UnitedHealthcare Golden Rule paid just … $400 of this new bill. Yes, leaving Sarah with 90 percent of the bill to pay herself, or an additional $3,660.40. (Why do we even have insurance again?)

How we have helped: The Denver Actors Fund board of directors voted unanimously to gift Sarah with $6,145.75 to cover her medical expenses and some lost wages. 

A message from Sarah: “I have no hesitation in saying that The Denver Actors Fund has saved my life. My fiancé and I just bought a new home and we are planning our wedding, so when this stream of medical bills kept arriving, the stress and worry of finding a way to pay for them grew by the day. With all the crazy and uncertainty in the world right now, it was so comforting to learn that we now have this incredible weight off our shoulders. There is so much good still in the world. Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU from the bottom of my heart. I am out of words and filled with hope.”

Note: Like most every other theatre production in Colorado, ‘Jekyll and Hyde’ has ceased performances because of CoVid-19, leaving Sarah Grover and the entire Candlelight ensemble without pay for the final two weeks of scheduled performances.

The Denver Actors Fund now has made more than $477,000 available to Colorado theatre artists in medical need.

How you can help us help us help more Colorado theatre artists: Simply mail checks in any amount made out to The Denver Actors Fund to P.O. Box 11182, Denver, CO 80211. Or use this donation link. Your donation will be applied to the replenishment of the Denver Actors Fund’s general fund, with our humble thanks.

Read testimonials from other Denver Actors Fund beneficiaries here

Note: At The Denver Actors Fund, anonymity of aid recipients is presumed and fully protected, unless and until the recipient chooses to have their story told.

HOW TO MAKE A DONATION

ABOUT THE DENVER ACTORS FUND:

The Denver Actors Fund is a modest source of immediate, situational relief when members of the local theater community find themselves in medical need. In addition to $477,000 in financial relief, a team of more than 60 Denver Actors Fund volunteers have offered good neighborly assistance to more than 100 beneficiaries including meal prep and delivery, child care, transportation, errands, construction, pet-sitting and more. For more information, visit our web site at DenverActorsFund.Org.

HOW TO APPLY FOR AID:

To apply for Denver Actors Fund aid: Fill out this brief online form here

GET INSTANT, FREE MEDICAL ADVICE: The Denver Actors Fund has launch of a major new FREE medical service for qualified Colorado theatre artists: We are partnering with Hippo Health to provide access to emergency medical evaluations via video conferencing with a Board-certified physician. Click to read more about this wonderful, innovative new partnership that will further improve the lives of artists!

MORE WAYS TO HELP:

DONATE ONLINE:

Go to our online giving site at: ColoradoGives.Org

DONATE BY MAIL:

Send checks made out to The Denver Actors Fund to:
P.O. Box 11182
Denver, CO 80211

VOLUNTEER:

Ever thought about taking a more active role in The Denver Actors Fund? Click here for more information

SHOP AT KING SOOPERS

Sign up for King Soopers’ Community Rewards Program and raise money for The DAF just by shopping for your groceries – and it doesn’t cost you an extra penny. It’s like the Amazon Smile Program. To sign up, simply go here and designate The DAF as your preferred non-profit. Each quarter, King Soopers sends us a donation based on how much our supporters have spent. Thanks to all of you who are shopping for The DAF!

VISIT OUR ONLINE MERCH STORE:

Click here to see how you can buy DAF products such as T-shirts, key chains, puzzles and much more.

‘When I learned that my application was approved, I started crying from relief’

Aid recipient: Mike Martinkus, a Fort Collins native now living in Lakewood, most recently appeared in the title role of Theatre Company of Lafayette’s “Pippin, as Rich in Equinox Theatre’s “Be More Chill” and in the ensemble of Town Hall Arts Center’s “American Idiot.” His many other credits span productions with the Firehouse Theater Company, Miners Alley Playhouse, Vintage Theatre, OpenStage Theatre & Company, and Front Range Community College. He graduated from Fort Collins High School and earned his acting degree from the University of Northern Colorado in Greeley.

Mike Martinkus and Michaela Lamb in Theater Company of Lafayette’s ‘Pippin.’

His medical story: Mike diagnosed with a large kidney stone during an E.R. visit in January, which required surgery and resulte in a lot of time missed from his day job at the University of Denver. After insurance, Mike was left with $1,354.80 in out-of-pocket medical bills.

How we have helped: The board of The Denver Actors Fund voted unaimously to pay Mike’s portion of the bill, or 1,354.80.

A message from Mike: “For all of 2019, I was dealing with some major health issues, and already had a few procedures done, which was making it hard for me to work. Then in January my body decided to throw a kidney stone in there at the same time for good measure, making me miss even more work. I was already running out of medical-leave time at my job, so my paychecks were reduced. My parents are retired and they’re already helping me with medical and everyday expenses since I haven’t been able to work as much. So when I had to have surgery and got a bill for more than $1,300 – all due just a couple of weeks later, I panicked. The DAF was there to ease this burden on me and my parents. When I learned that my application was approved, I started crying from relief. The DAF is a truly amazing organization that really is here to help us out in times of need, and I couldn’t be more grateful. Thank you to DAF, and to all Colorado artists who contribute. We’re a family, and need to continue treating each other as such. Thank you!”

The Denver Actors Fund now has made more than $477,000 available to Colorado theatre artists in medical need.

How you can help us help us help more Colorado theatre artists: Simply mail checks in any amount made out to The Denver Actors Fund to P.O. Box 11182, Denver, CO 80211. Or use this donation link. Your donation will be applied to the replenishment of the Denver Actors Fund’s general fund, with our humble thanks.

Read testimonials from other Denver Actors Fund beneficiaries here

Note: At The Denver Actors Fund, anonymity of aid recipients is presumed and fully protected, unless and until the recipient chooses to have their story told.

HOW TO MAKE A DONATION

ABOUT THE DENVER ACTORS FUND:

The Denver Actors Fund is a modest source of immediate, situational relief when members of the local theater community find themselves in medical need. In addition to $477,000 in financial relief, a team of more than 60 Denver Actors Fund volunteers have offered good neighborly assistance to more than 100 beneficiaries including meal prep and delivery, child care, transportation, errands, construction, pet-sitting and more. For more information, visit our web site at DenverActorsFund.Org.

HOW TO APPLY FOR AID:

To apply for Denver Actors Fund aid: Fill out this brief online form here

GET INSTANT, FREE MEDICAL ADVICE: The Denver Actors Fund has launch of a major new FREE medical service for qualified Colorado theatre artists: We are partnering with Hippo Health to provide access to emergency medical evaluations via video conferencing with a Board-certified physician. Click to read more about this wonderful, innovative new partnership that will further improve the lives of artists!

MORE WAYS TO HELP:

DONATE ONLINE:

Go to our online giving site at: ColoradoGives.Org

DONATE BY MAIL:

Send checks made out to The Denver Actors Fund to:
P.O. Box 11182
Denver, CO 80211

VOLUNTEER:

Ever thought about taking a more active role in The Denver Actors Fund? Click here for more information

SHOP AT KING SOOPERS

Sign up for King Soopers’ Community Rewards Program and raise money for The DAF just by shopping for your groceries – and it doesn’t cost you an extra penny. It’s like the Amazon Smile Program. To sign up, simply go here and designate The DAF as your preferred non-profit. Each quarter, King Soopers sends us a donation based on how much our supporters have spent. Thanks to all of you who are shopping for The DAF!

VISIT OUR ONLINE MERCH STORE:

Click here to see how you can buy DAF products such as T-shirts, key chains, puzzles and much more.

‘I might have had thousands of dollars worth of unnecessary and overpriced work done on my teeth’

Aid recipient: Busy actor Damon Guerrasio is currently playing Mark “Facebender” Lender in Benchmark Theatre’s regional premiere comedy “Airness,” a love letter to competitive air guitar running through February 29 in Lakewood. Other recent credits include the Arvada Center’s “Jesus Christ Superstar” and “Saturday Night Fever”; Curious Theatre’s “Water by the Spoonful”; and multiple roles at Cherry Creek Theatre, Miners Alley Playhouse, Breckenridge Backstage Theatre, Littleton Town Hall Arts Center and Midtown Arts Center in Fort Collins. He is also a veteran children’s theatre performer, presently playing Father/Bird in Miners Alley Playhouse’s “Hansel and Gretel,” through February 29. Damon’s Arvada Center credits include “Ella Enchanted,” “Junie B. Jones,” “Charlotte’s Web” and “Lyle the Crocodile”; his Denver Children’s Theatre’s titles include “Sleeping Beauty” and “Rumpelstiltskin”; and at Miners Alley Playhouse: “The Pied Piper,” “Robin Hood,” “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow,” “The Nutcracker” and “The Little Mermaid.” Damon is a Littleton native who graduated from Highlands Ranch High School. He co-hosted “Miscast” in 2015 and ’16, helping to raise more than $10,000 for The Denver Actors Fund.

Damon Guerrasio and Brenna Larsen in the Arvada Center’s ‘Lyle the Crocodile.’ Matthew Gale Photography.

His medical story: Like most theatre artists, Damon does not have dental insurance. But when he knew he had a pretty serious situation with his teeth, he made an appointment with a dentist based on location convenience. He was told four of his teeth were in danger of completely falling apart. We’ll save the rest of Damon’s story for him to tell below.

How we have helped: The Denver Actors Fund has a partnering dentist who accepts a limited number of emergency cases each year as his personal, in-kind donation through the Dental Center at Thornton Plaza. Dr. Brian Kelly DDS (himself a former Broadway dancer!) crowned two of Damon’s teeth. The cost of Damon’s treatment would run him $1,409 had he not been referred through the The Denver Actors Fund. Of that total, The DAF paid $99 to a third-party lab for the cost of making two custom-fit prosthetic splints for Neal. The remainder – $1,310 – was Dr. Kelly’s in-kind donation to the DAF.

A message from Damon: “Not having a steady dentist, I chose one nearby to get a check-up and and unexpectedly high-priced cleaning. More disconcerting was this dentist telling me that at least four of my fillings were cracked, and they all would need to be crowned. The price I was quoted came to nearly $6,000. I bit the bullet and ponied up just a little over a grand to get one tooth done. Knowing there was no way I could afford the full treatment plan, I then asked The Denver Actors Fund for assistance. My case was accepted and I was referred to Dr. Brian Kelly at the Thornton Dental Center. Dr. Kelly and his associates are nothing short of amazing. Aside from being incredibly welcoming and accommodating, they exude an atmosphere of family and, dare I say – ‘fun’? … At a dentist office? … Yes, very fun. It turns out Dr. Kelly used to act, and he is actually pretty good chums with many members of the Colorado theatre community. Perhaps the best thing the good doctor and his friends gave me was a second opinion. Dr. Kelly determined that my teeth were not in need of a complete overhaul. It turns out, the most significant work I needed was on the tooth worked on by my previous dentist. She had left what Dr. Kelly called “a void” in the crown. So Dr. Kelly and The Denver Actors Fund did the work for free – and Dr. Kelly even tried getting me my money back from the first dentist by sending her a very professional email and X-ray of her mistake. The lesson? Always get a second opinion, especially when it comes to major dental work. If not for The Denver Actors Fund, I might possibly have had thousands of dollars worth of unnecessary and overpriced work done on my teeth. A valuable lesson learned. Thank you so much, Dr. Kelly and The Denver Actors Fund!! My only regret is not asking for help sooner.”

The Denver Actors Fund now has made more than $462,000 available to Colorado artists in medical need.

How you can help us help us help more Colorado theatre artists: If you would like to make a donation to The Denver Actors Fund, simply mail checks in any amount made out to Denver Actors Fund to P.O. Box 11182, Denver, CO 80211. Or use this donation link, with our humble thanks.

Read testimonials from other Denver Actors Fund beneficiaries here

Note: At The Denver Actors Fund, anonymity of aid recipients is presumed and fully protected, unless and until the recipient chooses to have their story told.

HOW TO MAKE A DONATION

Damon Guerrasio and Eric Mather co-hosted ‘Miscast 2016’ for The Denver Actors Fund at the Town Hall Arts Center. Photo by John Moore.

ABOUT THE DENVER ACTORS FUND:

The Denver Actors Fund is a modest source of immediate, situational relief when members of the local theater community find themselves in medical need. In addition to $462,000 in financial relief, a team of more than 60 Denver Actors Fund volunteers have offered good neighborly assistance to more than 100 beneficiaries including meal prep and delivery, child care, transportation, errands, construction, pet-sitting and more. For more information, visit our web site at DenverActorsFund.Org.

HOW TO APPLY FOR AID:

To apply for Denver Actors Fund aid: Fill out this brief online form here

GET INSTANT, FREE MEDICAL ADVICE: The Denver Actors Fund has launch of a major new FREE medical service for qualified Colorado theatre artists: We are partnering with Hippo Health to provide access to emergency medical evaluations via video conferencing with a Board-certified physician. Click to read more about this wonderful, innovative new partnership that will further improve the lives of artists!

MORE WAYS TO HELP:

DONATE ONLINE:

Go to our online giving site at: ColoradoGives.Org

DONATE BY MAIL:

Send checks made out to The Denver Actors Fund to:
P.O. Box 11182
Denver, CO 80211

VOLUNTEER:

Ever thought about taking a more active role in The Denver Actors Fund? Click here for more information

SHOP AT KING SOOPERS

Sign up for King Soopers’ Community Rewards Program and raise money for The DAF just by shopping for your groceries – and it doesn’t cost you an extra penny. It’s like the Amazon Smile Program. To sign up, simply go here and designate The DAF as your preferred non-profit. Each quarter, King Soopers sends us a donation based on how much our supporters have spent. Thanks to all of you who are shopping for The DAF!

COME TO THE EVENTS THAT SUPPORT US:

TONIGHT, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 13: Our friends at Miners Alley Playhouse are once again donating ALL PROCEEDS from that evening’s performance of “Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune” to The Denver Actors Fund. Terrence McNally’s enduring working-class romance, starring Jessica Robblee and Bill Hahn, tells the story of a diner waitress and a short-order cook. After they meet for a night of momentary connection, they expect a return to loneliness, but their desire turns into the possibility of love. The play begins at 7:30 p.m. Miners Alley Playhouse is located at 1224 Washington Avenue. Golden. Call 303-935-3044 or buy online at minersalley.com. Thank you to Len Matheo, Elizabeth Scott-Mckean, Jonathan Scott-Mckean, Lisa DeCaro, Bryanna Scott, the cast, crew and whoever kindly works the bar. It’s nights like these that truy make what we do possible.

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 17: The Cherry Creek Theatre Company has announced that its Industry Night performance of “My Way – A Musical Tribute to Frank Sinatra” will be a benefit for The Denver Actors Fund. Let the music of Frank Sinatra transport you back in time to a swanky nightclub on the Las Vegas strip. Experience more than 50 quintessential hits from the Ol’ Blue Eyes collection. From The Lady is a Tramp to New York, New York, you can’t help but hum along with your favorite jazz standards on this trip down memory lane. Pack up, let’s fly away and fall in love all over again with the music of one of the most celebrated recording artists of all time. The director is Susie Snodgrass, with musical direction from David Nehls. The cast includes Sheryl McCallum, Stephen Day, Shannon Steele and Jeremy Rill. Tickets (normally $33) are $20. At the Mizel Arts and Culture Center, 350 S. Dahlia St., 303-800-6578 or cherrycreektheatre.org

Kaden Hinkle and Darrow Klein.

FEBRUARY 28-29: CenterStage Theatre Company, which exists to create performance opportunities for students ages high school through college, will be collecting for The Denver Actors Fund following its February 28 and 29 performances of “Into the Woods” in Louisville. James Lapine and Stephen Sondheim’s classic musical gathers everyone’s favorite storybook characters “into the woods” and imagines what might have happened to them after all those fairy tales ended. CenterStage has long supported our efforts, and this collection is specifically being led by two of our longest-standing young supporters, Kaden Hinkle and 2019 True West Award winner Darrow Klein, both of whom appear in the show. The bad news is that all three designated DAF shows are already sold out. So if you are gong, bring your spar-change jar! CenterStage performs at 901 Front St. in Louisville. Information: centerstagetheatrecompany.org

SUNDAY, APRIL 26: True story: A few months ago, the local band Gin & Tonix did a show at the Clocktower to benefit the DAF, and I wasn’t sure I could make it so I didn’t book in advance. I dropped in just before the show began to buy a ticket at the door, and the woman looked at me like I was trying to walk in on Ariana Grande, Billie Eilish, BTS, Shawn Mendes and the Wu-Tang Clan all at once. The look on her face was priceless. The event was was way sold out. “Gin & Tonix sells out every time,” she said. Point taken. So who is Gin & Tonix? A group of talented musician friends and family who have made music together on and off for many years. The band features vocal the harmonies of Morgan Griego, Kacie Thomas, Trinity Thomas, and Eileen Adair, by Madi Spillman on guitar, Ian Spillman on drums and vocals, and Jason Spillman on bass and vocals. The group plays songs by artists ranging from The Indigo Girls, The Eagles, The Avett Brothers and many more. The band will again be donating 10 percent of ticket sales for The Denver Actors Fund and taking a collection as a tribute to the late Amy Malmgren – an original DAF board member, and Jason Spillman’s sister. last time the total was a lucky $777. Gin and Tonix is as passionate about their community and family as they are about their music, which is touching. Now take the advice that is splased across the Clocktower’s web page: BOOK EARLY! GIN & TONIX *WILL SELL OUT IN ADVANCE!* Get your tickets here.

JULY 9-18: Stage Left Productions has announced that it will donate ALL NET PROFITS from the entire run of its upcoming summer musical “Ordinary Days” to The Denver Actors Fund! “We are so excited to work with DAF on such an amazing cause,” says Stage Left Productions Owner Sophia Johnson-Grimes, who founded her company as a place for young theatre artists ages high school through college to let their talents shine, to collaborate, create, build leadership skills and give back to their communities. Every production has a designated philanthropic benefactors. “Ordinary Days” is a refreshingly honest and funny musical by Adam Gwon about four young New Yorkers whose lives intersect as they search for fulfillment, happiness, love and cabs. Through a score of vibrant and memorable songs, their experiences ring startlingly true to life. For more information, go to https://stageleftdenver.com

VISIT OUR ONLINE MERCH STORE:

Click here to see how you can buy DAF products such as T-shirts, key chains, puzzles and much more.

‘I never could have imagined the immense feeling of gratitude and relief’

Aid recipient: Thornton actor Brandon Palmer has been performing for a variety of local theatre companies since 2011, most recently appearing as Liam in Firehouse Theater Company’s “Calendar Girls.” Other recent credits include playing Little Charlie Aiken in Vintage Theatre’s “August: Osage County,” Milo Tindle in Vintage’s “Sleuth,” Ben in Miners Alley Playhouse’s “The Pitmen Painters,” Phillip Morgan in Lowry Spotlight Theater’s “Rope,” and in two separate productions of “You Can’t Take It With You” – as Tony Kirby for Spotlight and as Ed Carmichael for Miners Alley. Brandon also has performed with the Evergreen Players and Breckenridge Backstage Theatre, and was the artistic director of the Ripple Effect Theatre Company. Two years ago, he authored “Remember the Magic,” a book chronicling 40 years of history at Boulder’s Dinner Theatre (BDT Stage). He graduated from Coe College in Iowa with a double major in theatre and psychology, with a minor in creative writing.

Brandon Palmer in Vintage Theatre’s ‘Sleuth.’ RDG Photography.

His medical story: On September 8, Brandon was accompanying a co-worker who needed immediate care to a hospital emergency room when Brandon ended up passing out himself. He was admitted to his own room and treated for a condition called “convulsive syncope,” a brief loss of consciousness brought on by a shortage of oxygen to the brain. Brandon’s visit resulted in a post-insurance bill from UCHealth of $1,607.10.

How we have helped: The Denver Actors Fund Board of Directors has voted unanimously to pay off Brandon’s share of the bill, or $1,607.10.

A message from Brandon: “Just, wow. I have admired what The Denver Actors Fund has done from the beginning of your efforts, but I never could have imagined the immense feeling of gratitude and relief you truly provide to your recipients. That is, until I got the notification that my bill had been paid in full. The words ‘thank you’ don’t seem to be enough. But with the utmost sincerity, I am awed, inspired and truly grateful for your support. The entire DAF team and our entire Colorado theatre community are a true testament to the goodness in people – something that can be hard to see during these turbulent times.”

The Denver Actors Fund now has made more than $462,000 available to Colorado artists in medical need.

How you can help us help us help more Colorado theatre artists: If you would like to make a donation to The Denver Actors Fund, simply mail checks in any amount made out to Denver Actors Fund to P.O. Box 11182, Denver, CO 80211. Or use this donation link, with our humble thanks.

Read testimonials from other Denver Actors Fund beneficiaries here

Note: At The Denver Actors Fund, anonymity of aid recipients is presumed and fully protected, unless and until the recipient chooses to have their story told.

Brandon Palmer with Mark Collins in ‘The Pitmen Painters’ at Miners Alley Playhouse.

HOW TO MAKE A DONATION

ABOUT THE DENVER ACTORS FUND:

The Denver Actors Fund is a modest source of immediate, situational relief when members of the local theater community find themselves in medical need. In addition to $462,000 in financial relief, a team of more than 60 Denver Actors Fund volunteers have offered good neighborly assistance to more than 100 beneficiaries including meal prep and delivery, child care, transportation, errands, construction, pet-sitting and more. For more information, visit our web site at DenverActorsFund.Org.

HOW TO APPLY FOR AID:

To apply for Denver Actors Fund aid: Fill out this brief online form here

GET INSTANT, FREE MEDICAL ADVICE: The Denver Actors Fund has launch of a major new FREE medical service for qualified Colorado theatre artists: We are partnering with Hippo Health to provide access to emergency medical evaluations via video conferencing with a Board-certified physician. Click to read more about this wonderful, innovative new partnership that will further improve the lives of artists!

MORE WAYS TO HELP:

DONATE ONLINE:

Go to our online giving site at: ColoradoGives.Org

DONATE BY MAIL:

Send checks made out to The Denver Actors Fund to:
P.O. Box 11182
Denver, CO 80211

VOLUNTEER:

Ever thought about taking a more active role in The Denver Actors Fund? Click here for more information

SHOP AT KING SOOPERS

Sign up for King Soopers’ Community Rewards Program and raise money for The DAF just by shopping for your groceries – and it doesn’t cost you an extra penny. It’s like the Amazon Smile Program. To sign up, simply go here and designate The DAF as your preferred non-profit. Each quarter, King Soopers sends us a donation based on how much our supporters have spent. Thanks to all of you who are shopping for The DAF!

COME TO THE EVENTS THAT SUPPORT US:

What’s The Denver Actors Fund? Well, Chris Hemsworth may have made $76 million to play Thor in “Avengers: Endgame,” but closer to home, Colorado stage actors often get paid tiny stipends to perform in plays and musicals at local theatres. They often sustain themselves by working a hodgepodge of flexible but low-paying jobs without health insurance. The Denver Actors Fund is a safety net for when Colorado theatre artists (on or off-stage) need help to pay for unexpected medical expenses. In six years, the Denver Actors Fund has made $435,000 available to help artists pay their medical bills or purchase wheelchairs, hearing aids and other essential medical supplies. In addition, an army of volunteers provides neighborly assistance ranging from rides to meals to snow-shoveling and personal company

HOLLYWOOD’S BIGGEST NIGHT: Sunday, February 9, is the biggest night for the movies! What better way to be a part of the action on the big screen than to join Denver7 at the Alamo Drafthouse Westminster? This year’s host is beloved local actor Steven Burge … and friends including GerRee Hinshaw, Shanna Steele, Jamie Grayson and Denver First Lady Mary Louise Lee. Dress your Hollywood best (formal evening wear suggested but not at all required!) Arrive around 5 p.m. in Pandora’s Box for your very own red carpet, paparazzi, and more before we open the doors for food, drinks and fun for everyone. Tickets are just $15 this year and ALL proceeds benefit The Denver Actors Fund! Reserve your seat now.

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 13: Our friends at Miners Alley Playhouse are once again donating ALL PROCEEDS from that evening’s performance of “Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune” to The Denver Actors Fund. Terrence McNally’s enduring working-class romance, starring Jessica Robblee and Bill Hahn, tells the story of a diner waitress and a short-order cook. After they meet for a night of momentary connection, they expect a return to loneliness, but their desire turns into the possibility of love. The play begins at 7:30 p.m. Miners Alley Playhouse is located at 1224 Washington Avenue. Golden. Call 303-935-3044 or buy online at minersalley.com. Thank you to Len Matheo, Elizabeth Scott-Mckean, Jonathan Scott-Mckean, Lisa DeCaro, Bryanna Scott, the cast, crew and whoever kindly works the bar. It’s nights like these that truy make what we do possible.

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 17: The Cherry Creek Theatre Company has announced that its Industry Night performance of “My Way – A Musical Tribute to Frank Sinatra” will be a benefit for The Denver Actors Fund. Let the music of Frank Sinatra transport you back in time to a swanky nightclub on the Las Vegas strip. Experience more than 50 quintessential hits from the Ol’ Blue Eyes collection. From The Lady is a Tramp to New York, New York, you can’t help but hum along with your favorite jazz standards on this trip down memory lane. Pack up, let’s fly away and fall in love all over again with the music of one of the most celebrated recording artists of all time. The director is Susie Snodgrass, with musical direction from David Nehls. The cast includes Sheryl McCallum, Stephen Day, Shannon Steele and Jeremy Rill. Tickets (normally $33) are $20. At the Mizel Arts and Culture Center, 350 S. Dahlia St., 303-800-6578 or cherrycreektheatre.org

Kaden Hinkle and Darrow Klein.

FEBRUARY 28-29: CenterStage Theatre Company, which exists to create performance opportunities for students ages high school through college, will be collecting for The Denver Actors Fund following its February 28 and 29 performances of “Into the Woods” in Louisville. James Lapine and Stephen Sondheim’s classic musical gathers everyone’s favorite storybook characters “into the woods” and imagines what might have happened to them after all those fairy tales ended. CenterStage has long supported our efforts, and this collection is specifically being led by two of our longest-standing young supporters, Kaden Hinkle and 2019 True West Award winner Darrow Klein, both of whom appear in the show. The bad news is that all three designated DAF shows are already sold out. So if you are gong, bring your spar-change jar! CenterStage performs at 901 Front St. in Louisville. Information: centerstagetheatrecompany.org

SUNDAY, APRIL 26: True story: A few months ago, the local band Gin & Tonix did a show at the Clocktower to benefit the DAF, and I wasn’t sure I could make it so I didn’t book in advance. I dropped in just before the show began to buy a ticket at the door, and the woman looked at me like I was trying to walk in on Ariana Grande, Billie Eilish, BTS, Shawn Mendes and the Wu-Tang Clan all at once. The look on her face was priceless. The event was was way sold out. “Gin & Tonix sells out every time,” she said. Point taken. So who is Gin & Tonix? A group of talented musician friends and family who have made music together on and off for many years. The band features vocal the harmonies of Morgan Griego, Kacie Thomas, Trinity Thomas, and Eileen Adair, by Madi Spillman on guitar, Ian Spillman on drums and vocals, and Jason Spillman on bass and vocals. The group plays songs by artists ranging from The Indigo Girls, The Eagles, The Avett Brothers and many more. The band will again be donating 10 percent of ticket sales for The Denver Actors Fund and taking a collection as a tribute to the late Amy Malmgren – an original DAF board member, and Jason Spillman’s sister. last time the total was a lucky $777. Gin and Tonix is as passionate about their community and family as they are about their music, which is touching. Now take the advice that is splased across the Clocktower’s web page: BOOK EARLY! GIN & TONIX *WILL SELL OUT IN ADVANCE!* Get your tickets here.

JULY 9-18: Stage Left Productions has announced that it will donate ALL NET PROFITS from the entire run of its upcoming summer musical “Ordinary Days” to The Denver Actors Fund! “We are so excited to work with DAF on such an amazing cause,” says Stage Left Productions Owner Sophia Johnson-Grimes, who founded her company as a place for young theatre artists ages high school through college to let their talents shine, to collaborate, create, build leadership skills and give back to their communities. Every production has a designated philanthropic benefactors. “Ordinary Days” is a refreshingly honest and funny musical by Adam Gwon about four young New Yorkers whose lives intersect as they search for fulfillment, happiness, love and cabs. Through a score of vibrant and memorable songs, their experiences ring startlingly true to life. For more information, go to https://stageleftdenver.com

VISIT OUR ONLINE MERCH STORE:

Click here to see how you can buy DAF products such as T-shirts, key chains, puzzles and much more.

‘She was with us through everything life had to throw at us.’

Aid recipient: Educator and actor Jodi Hogle was the Director of the PREP Center for Denver Public Schools and a frequent performer for Phamaly Theatre Company, whose mission is to provide performance opportunities for actors with disabilities. Jodi, who impacted several generations of DPS students, including Denver First Lady Mary Louise Lee, died on January 22. “Jodi was an amazing woman,” Lee said. “She was my vocal teacher at Cole Middle School, and I owe her a lot for enhancing the love I have for performing.” Jodi played The Wardrobe in “Beauty and the Beast,” the care-worker Mrs. Fleming in “Taking Leave,” and Maria the Innkeeper’s Wife in “Man of La Mancha,” among many others. “Some knew her for her music, others for the impact she had through education, others from her time on stage,” said her son, actor TJ Hogle, who just played Captain Miles Gloriosus in Performance Now’s “A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum.” A life celebration is being planned for February 29.

How we have helped: When a qualified recipient for Denver Actors Fund services passes away, our Distribution Policy allows for a memorial gift of up to $1,000 be made to an arts-related organization of the next of kin’s choosing. At the direction of Jodi Hogle’s family, The Denver Actors Fund has made a $1,000 gift to Phamaly Theatre Company in Jodi’s memory.

How you can join us: If you would like to join us in making a memorial contribution to Phamaly, direct your gift to 3532 Franklin St, Suite T2, Denver, CO, 80205. Or use this online link.

A message from T.J. Hogle: “She was our rock, and a true force to behold. She was fierce, loving, gentle, strong and had so much love to share. She made us better, and was with us through everything life had to throw at us.”

The Denver Actors Fund now has made more than $447,000 available to Colorado artists in medical need.

How you can help us help us help more Colorado theatre artists: If you would like to make a donation to The Denver Actors Fund, simply mail checks in any amount made out to Denver Actors Fund to P.O. Box 11182, Denver, CO 80212. Or use this donation link, with our humble thanks.

Read testimonials from other Denver Actors Fund beneficiaries here

Note: At The Denver Actors Fund, anonymity of aid recipients is presumed and fully protected, unless and until the recipient chooses to have their story told.

HOW TO MAKE A DONATION

ABOUT THE DENVER ACTORS FUND:

The Denver Actors Fund is a modest source of immediate, situational relief when members of the local theater community find themselves in medical need. In addition to $447,000 in financial relief, a team of more than 60 Denver Actors Fund volunteers have offered good neighborly assistance to more than 150 beneficiaries including meal prep and delivery, child care, transportation, errands, construction, pet-sitting and more. For more information, visit our web site at DenverActorsFund.Org.

HOW TO APPLY FOR AID:

To apply for Denver Actors Fund aid: Fill out this brief online form here

GET INSTANT, FREE MEDICAL ADVICE: The Denver Actors Fund has launch of a major new FREE medical service for qualified Colorado theatre artists: We are partnering with Hippo Health to provide access to emergency medical evaluations via video conferencing with a Board-certified physician. Click to read more about this wonderful, innovative new partnership that will further improve the lives of artists!

MORE WAYS TO HELP:

DONATE ONLINE:

Go to our online giving site at: ColoradoGives.Org

DONATE BY MAIL:

Send checks made out to The Denver Actors Fund to:
P.O. Box 11182
Denver, CO 80211

VOLUNTEER:

Ever thought about taking a more active role in The Denver Actors Fund? Click here for more information

SHOP AT KING SOOPERS

Sign up for King Soopers’ Community Rewards Program and raise money for The DAF just by shopping for your groceries – and it doesn’t cost you an extra penny. It’s like the Amazon Smile Program. To sign up, simply go here and designate The DAF as your preferred non-profit. Each quarter, King Soopers sends us a donation based on how much our supporters have spent. Thanks to all of you who are shopping for The DAF!

COME TO THE EVENTS THAT SUPPORT US:

HOLLYWOOD’S BIGGEST NIGHT: Sunday, February 9, is the biggest night for the movies! What better way to be a part of the action on the big screen than to join Denver7 at the Alamo Drafthouse Westminster? This year’s host is beloved local actor Steven Burge … and friends (!). Dress your Hollywood best (formal evening wear suggested but not at all required!) Arrive around 5 p.m. in Pandora’s Box for your very own red carpet, paparazzi, and more before we open the doors for food, drinks and fun for everyone. Tickets are just $15 this year and ALL proceeds benefit The Denver Actors Fund! What’s The Denver Actors Fund? Well, Chris Hemsworth may have made $76 million to play Thor in “Avengers: Endgame,” but closer to home, Colorado stage actors often get paid tiny stipends to perform in plays and musicals at local theatres. They often sustain themselves by working a hodgepodge of flexible but low-paying jobs without health insurance. The Denver Actors Fund is a safety net for when Colorado theatre artists (on or off-stage) need help to pay for unexpected medical expenses. In six years, the Denver Actors Fund has made $435,000 available to help artists pay their medical bills or purchase wheelchairs, hearing aids and other essential medical supplies. In addition, an army of volunteers provides neighborly assistance ranging from rides to meals to snow-shoveling and personal company. Reserve your preferred seats today.

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 17: The Cherry Creek Theatre Company has announced that its Industry Night performance of “My Way – A Musical Tribute to Frank Sinatra” will be a benefit for The Denver Actors Fund. Let the music of Frank Sinatra transport you back in time to a swanky nightclub on the Las Vegas strip. Experience more than 50 quintessential hits from the Ol’ Blue Eyes collection. From The Lady is a Tramp to New York, New York, you can’t help but hum along with your favorite jazz standards on this trip down memory lane. Pack up, let’s fly away and fall in love all over again with the music of one of the most celebrated recording artists of all time. The director is Susie Snodgrass, with musical direction from David Nehls. The cast includes Sheryl McCallum, Stephen Day, Shannon Steele and Jeremy Rill. Tickets (normally $33) are $20. At the Mizel Arts and Culture Center, 350 S. Dahlia St., 303-800-6578 or cherrycreektheatre.org

Kaden Hinkle and Darrow Klein.

FEBRUARY 28-29: CenterStage Theatre Company, which exists to create performance opportunities for students ages high school through college, will be collecting for The Denver Actors Fund following its February 28 and 29 performances of “Into the Woods” in Louisville. CenterStage has long supported our efforts, and this collection is specifically being led by two of our longest-standing young supporters, Kaden Hinkle and 2019 True West Award winner Darrow Klein, both of whom appear in the show. The bad news is that all three designated shows are already sold out. But director Melissa Williams will open up two dress rehearsals for the public on February 19-20 in exchange for donations to The DAF! (More specifics on that to come.) James Lapine and Stephen Sondheim’s classic musical gathers everyone’s favorite storybook characters “into the woods” and imagines what might have happened to them after all those fairy tales ended. CenterStage performs at 901 Front St. in Louisville. Information: centerstagetheatrecompany.org

SUNDAY, APRIL 26: True story: A few months ago, the local band Gin & Tonix did a show at the Clocktower to benefit the DAF, and I wasn’t sure I could make it so I didn’t book in advance. I dropped in just before the show began to buy a ticket at the door, and the woman looked at me like I was trying to walk in on Ariana Grande, Billie Eilish, BTS, Shawn Mendes and the Wu-Tang Clan all at once. The look on her face was priceless. The event was was way sold out. “Gin & Tonix sells out every time,” she said. Point taken. So who is Gin & Tonix? A group of talented musician friends and family who have made music together on and off for many years. The band features vocal the harmonies of Morgan Griego, Kacie Thomas, Trinity Thomas, and Eileen Adair, by Madi Spillman on guitar, Ian Spillman on drums and vocals, and Jason Spillman on bass and vocals. The group plays songs by artists ranging from The Indigo Girls, The Eagles, The Avett Brothers and many more. The band will again be donating 10 percent of ticket sales for The Denver Actors Fund and taking a collection as a tribute to the late Amy Malmgren – an original DAF board member, and Jason Spillman’s sister. last time the total was a lucky $777. Gin and Tonix is as passionate about their community and family as they are about their music, which is touching. Now take the advice that is splased across the Clocktower’s web page: BOOK EARLY! GIN & TONIX *WILL SELL OUT IN ADVANCE!* Get your tickets here.

JULY 9-18: Stage Left Productions has announced that it will donate ALL NET PROFITS from the entire run of its upcoming summer musical “Ordinary Days” to The Denver Actors Fund! “We are so excited to work with DAF on such an amazing cause,” says Stage Left Productions Owner Sophia Johnson-Grimes, who founded her company as a place for young theatre artists ages high school through college to let their talents shine, to collaborate, create, build leadership skills and give back to their communities. Every production has a designated philanthropic benefactors. “Ordinary Days” is a refreshingly honest and funny musical by Adam Gwon about four young New Yorkers whose lives intersect as they search for fulfillment, happiness, love and cabs. Through a score of vibrant and memorable songs, their experiences ring startlingly true to life. For more information, go to https://stageleftdenver.com

VISIT OUR ONLINE MERCH STORE:

Click here to see how you can buy DAF products such as T-shirts, key chains, puzzles and much more.

Director Deb Flomberg-Rollins before the opening of ‘Young Frankenstein’ at Vintage Theatre. Photo by John Moore.

Latest complication from diverticulitis lands director in hospital

Financial-aid recipient: Deb Flomberg-Rollins is a founding member and co-Executive Producer of the Equinox Theatre Company, now in its 12th season. She most recently directed “The Great American Trailer Park Musical” and “Heathers: The Musical” at the Bug Theatre and next will helm “Monty Python’s Spamalot” (opening March 27). Other directing credits have included “Dog Sees God: Confessions of a Teenage Blockhead,” “Debbie Does Dallas: The Musical,” “Bug,” “Evil Dead the Musical” and “In the Next Room (or the Vibrator Play)” for Equinox, as well as “Young Frankenstein” and “The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas” for Vintage Theatre Productions. Deb also occasionally appears onstage, notably in the Bug’s seasonal productions of “Night of the Living Dead.” Deb is a past president of the Colorado Theatre Guild.

Her initial medical story: We first helped Deb in 2015 with complications from life-threatening diverticulitis, then with colon surgery. At the time, Deb was self-employed, without health insurance, faced up to $20,000 in medical bills and needed help with essential living expenses because keeping a regular work schedule was difficult during her recovery. The Denver Actors Fund, still largely in its infancy, was able to support her then with $3,295.

The latest chapter: On December 26, Deb was taken to the ER and treated for severe dehydration, a long-term side effect of her type of colon surgery, and was kept on an IV-injection therapy for 28 hours. After insurance, Deb was left with a $1,788.96 bill, which The Denver Actors Fund Board of Directors has voted unanimously to pay. To date, including targeted donations from the community, The Denver Actors Fund has now made $5,134 available to Deb for her medical expenses.

How you can help us help Deb Flomberg more: If you would like to direct a specific donation to Deb, simply mail checks made out to Denver Actors Fund with Deb Flomberg-Rollins’s name written in the topic field, to P.O. Box 11182, Denver, CO 80211. Or use this donation link. In the special instructions field, be sure to designate that your donation is targeted to Deb Flomberg-Rollins.

A message from Deb Flomberg: “It’s not often that I’m without words, but right now, I am struggling to find the words to properly thank The Denver Actors Fund. Over the years, I’ve watched The Denver Actors Fund help so many truly deserving people, but I never thought I’d be the next to need help. However, my situation hit me really hard in 2015, and the mounting bills were a pretty terrifying sight. It’s so difficult to focus on recovery when you’re worried about paying your mortgage. With one act of generosity, The Denver Actors Fund allowed me to actually focus on getting better. I’ve always been touched by how supportive and loving the theater community in Denver is, and this latest gift is another example that will live in my heart forever. I am so thankful to everyone who has helped support this truly wonderful organization. It truly makes it an honor to be a part of this community. Thank you! And thank you to the entire board for all you do to support every single one of us.”

The Denver Actors Fund now has made more than $446,000 available to Colorado artists in medical need.

How you can help us help us help more Colorado theatre artists: If you would like to make a donation to The Denver Actors Fund, simply mail checks in any amount made out to Denver Actors Fund to P.O. Box 11182, Denver, CO 80212. Or use this donation link, with our humble thanks.

Read testimonials from other Denver Actors Fund beneficiaries here

Note: At The Denver Actors Fund, anonymity of aid recipients is presumed and fully protected, unless and until the recipient chooses to have their story told.

HOW TO MAKE A DONATION

ABOUT THE DENVER ACTORS FUND:

The Denver Actors Fund is a modest source of immediate, situational relief when members of the local theater community find themselves in medical need. In addition to $446,000 in financial relief, a team of more than 60 Denver Actors Fund volunteers have offered good neighborly assistance to more than 100 beneficiaries including meal prep and delivery, child care, transportation, errands, construction, pet-sitting and more. For more information, visit our web site at DenverActorsFund.Org.

HOW TO APPLY FOR AID:

To apply for Denver Actors Fund aid: Fill out this brief online form here

GET INSTANT, FREE MEDICAL ADVICE: The Denver Actors Fund has launch of a major new FREE medical service for qualified Colorado theatre artists: We are partnering with Hippo Health to provide access to emergency medical evaluations via video conferencing with a Board-certified physician. Click to read more about this wonderful, innovative new partnership that will further improve the lives of artists!

MORE WAYS TO HELP:

DONATE ONLINE:

Go to our online giving site at: ColoradoGives.Org

DONATE BY MAIL:

Send checks made out to The Denver Actors Fund to:
P.O. Box 11182
Denver, CO 80211

VOLUNTEER:

Ever thought about taking a more active role in The Denver Actors Fund? Click here for more information

SHOP AT KING SOOPERS

Sign up for King Soopers’ Community Rewards Program and raise money for The DAF just by shopping for your groceries – and it doesn’t cost you an extra penny. It’s like the Amazon Smile Program. To sign up, simply go here and designate The DAF as your preferred non-profit. Each quarter, King Soopers sends us a donation based on how much our supporters have spent. Thanks to all of you who are shopping for The DAF!

COME TO THE EVENTS THAT SUPPORT US:

HOLLYWOOD’S BIGGEST NIGHT: Sunday, February 9, is the biggest night for the movies! What better way to be a part of the action on the big screen than to join Denver7 at the Alamo Drafthouse Westminster? This year’s host is beloved local actor Steven Burge … and friends (!). Dress your Hollywood best (formal evening wear suggested but not at all required!) Arrive around 5 p.m. in Pandora’s Box for your very own red carpet, paparazzi, and more before we open the doors for food, drinks and fun for everyone. Tickets are just $15 this year and ALL proceeds benefit The Denver Actors Fund! What’s The Denver Actors Fund? Well, Chris Hemsworth may have made $76 million to play Thor in “Avengers: Endgame,” but closer to home, Colorado stage actors often get paid tiny stipends to perform in plays and musicals at local theatres. They often sustain themselves by working a hodgepodge of flexible but low-paying jobs without health insurance. The Denver Actors Fund is a safety net for when Colorado theatre artists (on or off-stage) need help to pay for unexpected medical expenses. In six years, the Denver Actors Fund has made $435,000 available to help artists pay their medical bills or purchase wheelchairs, hearing aids and other essential medical supplies. In addition, an army of volunteers provides neighborly assistance ranging from rides to meals to snow-shoveling and personal company. Reserve your preferred seats today.

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 17: The Cherry Creek Theatre Company has announced that its Industry Night performance of “My Way – A Musical Tribute to Frank Sinatra” will be a benefit for The Denver Actors Fund. Let the music of Frank Sinatra transport you back in time to a swanky nightclub on the Las Vegas strip. Experience more than 50 quintessential hits from the Ol’ Blue Eyes collection. From The Lady is a Tramp to New York, New York, you can’t help but hum along with your favorite jazz standards on this trip down memory lane. Pack up, let’s fly away and fall in love all over again with the music of one of the most celebrated recording artists of all time. The director is Susie Snodgrass, with musical direction from David Nehls. The cast includes Sheryl McCallum, Stephen Day, Shannon Steele and Jeremy Rill. Tickets (normally $33) are $20. At the Mizel Arts and Culture Center, 350 S. Dahlia St., 303-800-6578 or cherrycreektheatre.org

SUNDAY, APRIL 26: True story: A few months ago, the local band Gin & Tonix did a show at the Clocktower to benefit the DAF, and I wasn’t sure I could make it so I didn’t book in advance. I dropped in just before the show began to buy a ticket at the door, and the woman looked at me like I was trying to walk in on Ariana Grande, Billie Eilish, BTS, Shawn Mendes and the Wu-Tang Clan all at once. The look on her face was priceless. The event was was way sold out. “Gin & Tonix sells out every time,” she said. Point taken. So who is Gin & Tonix? A group of talented musician friends and family who have made music together on and off for many years. The band features vocal the harmonies of Morgan Griego, Kacie Thomas, Trinity Thomas, and Eileen Adair, by Madi Spillman on guitar, Ian Spillman on drums and vocals, and Jason Spillman on bass and vocals. The group plays songs by artists ranging from The Indigo Girls, The Eagles, The Avett Brothers and many more. The band will again be donating 10 percent of ticket sales for The Denver Actors Fund and taking a collection as a tribute to the late Amy Malmgren – an original DAF board member, and Jason Spillman’s sister. last time the total was a lucky $777. Gin and Tonix is as passionate about their community and family as they are about their music, which is touching. Now take the advice that is splased across the Clocktower’s web page: BOOK EARLY! GIN & TONIX *WILL SELL OUT IN ADVANCE!* Get your tickets here.

VISIT OUR ONLINE MERCH STORE:

Click here to see how you can buy DAF products such as T-shirts, key chains, puzzles and much more.

Ryan Belinak performing with Traci Kern at the Clocktower Cabaret. Photo by John Moore.

Two insurance policies and no coverage left local actor with $2,844 dental bill

Ryan Belinak in Cherry Creek Theatre’s ‘A Little Night Music.’ Photo by Olga Lopez.

Aid recipient: Longtime local actor Ryan Belinak most recently played Frid in ‘A Little Night Music’ for Cherry Creek Theatre last year. Local credits also include Tom Collins in “Rent,” Fakir in “The Secret Garden” and Tony in “West Side Story” for the Town Hall Arts Center. Ryan, a native of Laurel, Montana, also has performed at the Breckenridge Backstage Theatre and Clocktower Cabaret.

His medical story: Ryan had a dental emergency at the beginning of October leaving him with a fractured tooth resulting in an extraction, a costly bridge procedure, and requiring several dental visits. Ryan had switched insurance providers weeks before, and was shocked to learn that neither his present nor past insurance companies would kick in a dime. The old company said, “Not our problem.” And the new company said coverage for anything more than a cleaning would not kick in until March, which left Ryan holding the … cracked tooth. The bill came to $2,844, of which Ryan paid $500.

How we have helped: The Denver Actors Fund Board of Directors voted unanimously to pay off the remainder of Ryan’s bill, or $2,344.

A message from Ryan: “A dental emergency doesn’t always align itself with insurance coverage. I believed that my new insurance would bridge the gap between policies, but the fine print (the very, very fine print) in my new policy said otherwise. To say that I am grateful for The Denver Actors Fund’s generous donation is a gross understatement. Thank you for all that you do for our community!”

The Denver Actors Fund now has made more than $438,000 available to Colorado artists in medical need.

How you can help us help us help more Colorado theatre artists: If you would like to make a donation to The Denver Actors Fund, simply mail checks in any amount made out to Denver Actors Fund to P.O. Box 11182, Denver, CO 80212. Or use this donation link, with our humble thanks.

Read testimonials from other Denver Actors Fund beneficiaries here

Note: At The Denver Actors Fund, anonymity of aid recipients is presumed and fully protected, unless and until the recipient chooses to have their story told.

HOW TO MAKE A DONATION

ABOUT THE DENVER ACTORS FUND:

The Denver Actors Fund is a modest source of immediate, situational relief when members of the local theater community find themselves in medical need. In addition to $438,000 in financial relief, a team of more than 60 Denver Actors Fund volunteers have offered good neighborly assistance to more than 100 beneficiaries including meal prep and delivery, child care, transportation, errands, construction, pet-sitting and more. For more information, visit our web site at DenverActorsFund.Org.

HOW TO APPLY FOR AID:

To apply for Denver Actors Fund aid: Fill out this brief online form here

GET INSTANT, FREE MEDICAL ADVICE: The Denver Actors Fund has launch of a major new FREE medical service for qualified Colorado theatre artists: We are partnering with Hippo Health to provide access to emergency medical evaluations via video conferencing with a Board-certified physician. Click to read more about this wonderful, innovative new partnership that will further improve the lives of artists!

MORE WAYS TO HELP:

DONATE ONLINE:

Go to our online giving site at: ColoradoGives.Org

DONATE BY MAIL:

Send checks made out to The Denver Actors Fund to:
P.O. Box 11182
Denver, CO 80211

VOLUNTEER:

Ever thought about taking a more active role in The Denver Actors Fund? Click here for more information

SHOP AT KING SOOPERS

Sign up for King Soopers’ Community Rewards Program and raise money for The DAF just by shopping for your groceries – and it doesn’t cost you an extra penny. It’s like the Amazon Smile Program. To sign up, simply go here and designate The DAF as your preferred non-profit. Each quarter, King Soopers sends us a donation based on how much our supporters have spent. Thanks to all of you who are shopping for The DAF!

COME TO THE EVENTS THAT SUPPORT US:

HOLLYWOOD’S BIGGEST NIGHT: Sunday, February 9, is the biggest night for the movies! What better way to be a part of the action on the big screen than to join Denver7 at the Alamo Drafthouse Westminster? This year’s host is beloved local actor Steven Burge … and friends (!). Dress your Hollywood best (formal evening wear suggested but not at all required!) Arrive around 5 p.m. in Pandora’s Box for your very own red carpet, paparazzi, and more before we open the doors for food, drinks and fun for everyone. Tickets are just $15 this year and ALL proceeds benefit The Denver Actors Fund! What’s The Denver Actors Fund? Well, Chris Hemsworth may have made $76 million to play Thor in “Avengers: Endgame,” but closer to home, Colorado stage actors often get paid tiny stipends to perform in plays and musicals at local theatres. They often sustain themselves by working a hodgepodge of flexible but low-paying jobs without health insurance. The Denver Actors Fund is a safety net for when Colorado theatre artists (on or off-stage) need help to pay for unexpected medical expenses. In six years, the Denver Actors Fund has made $435,000 available to help artists pay their medical bills or purchase wheelchairs, hearing aids and other essential medical supplies. In addition, an army of volunteers provides neighborly assistance ranging from rides to meals to snow-shoveling and personal company. Reserve your preferred seats today.

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 17: The Cherry Creek Theatre Company has announced that its Industry Night performance of “My Way – A Musical Tribute to Frank Sinatra” will be a benefit for The Denver Actors Fund. Let the music of Frank Sinatra transport you back in time to a swanky nightclub on the Las Vegas strip. Experience more than 50 quintessential hits from the Ol’ Blue Eyes collection. From The Lady is a Tramp to New York, New York, you can’t help but hum along with your favorite jazz standards on this trip down memory lane. Pack up, let’s fly away and fall in love all over again with the music of one of the most celebrated recording artists of all time. The director is Susie Snodgrass, with musical direction from David Nehls. The cast includes Sheryl McCallum, Stephen Day, Shannon Steele and Jeremy Rill. Tickets (normally $33) are $20. At the Mizel Arts and Culture Center, 350 S. Dahlia St., 303-800-6578 or cherrycreektheatre.org

SUNDAY, APRIL 26: True story: A few months ago, the local band Gin & Tonix did a show at the Clocktower to benefit the DAF, and I wasn’t sure I could make it so I didn’t book in advance. I dropped in just before the show began to buy a ticket at the door, and the woman looked at me like I was trying to walk in on Ariana Grande, Billie Eilish, BTS, Shawn Mendes and the Wu-Tang Clan all at once. The look on her face was priceless. The event was was way sold out. “Gin & Tonix sells out every time,” she said. Point taken. So who is Gin & Tonix? A group of talented musician friends and family who have made music together on and off for many years. The band features vocal the harmonies of Morgan Griego, Kacie Thomas, Trinity Thomas, and Eileen Adair, by Madi Spillman on guitar, Ian Spillman on drums and vocals, and Jason Spillman on bass and vocals. The group plays songs by artists ranging from The Indigo Girls, The Eagles, The Avett Brothers and many more. The band will again be donating 10 percent of ticket sales for The Denver Actors Fund and taking a collection as a tribute to the late Amy Malmgren – an original DAF board member, and Jason Spillman’s sister. last time the total was a lucky $777. Gin and Tonix is as passionate about their community and family as they are about their music, which is touching. Now take the advice that is splased across the Clocktower’s web page: BOOK EARLY! GIN & TONIX *WILL SELL OUT IN ADVANCE!* Get your tickets here.

VISIT OUR ONLINE MERCH STORE:

Click here to see how you can buy DAF products such as T-shirts, key chains, puzzles and much more.

After the onset of mysterious symptoms and two surgeries, local actor left with $6,250 in bills

Aid recipient: Local actor Misha McCulloch recently appeared in the ensembles of Vintage Theatre’s “The Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder” and “The Addams Family.” Previous credits include “Honeymoon in Vegas” and “Miss Saigon” at Vintage, as well as Equinox Theatre’s “Reefer Madness: The Musical” at The Bug Theatre. She also has served as a volunteer for the Town Hall Arts Center and Denver Film Society.

Her medical story: Misha encountered several mysterious gastrointestinal and sinus issues in 2019 that led to a series of surgical procedures to relieve her symptoms. Despite having some modest insurance, by the end of 2019, Misha had been presented with $6,250 in out-of-pocket expenses – and not all of her bills have yet been processed. Misha was facing the possibility of putting the entire amount due on high-interest credit cards when she contacted The Denver Actors Fund.

How we helped: Whenever possible, The Denver Actors Fund board of directors endeavors to restore an applicant to their financial position going into their medical odysseys (depending on a variety of factors). In this case, the Board decided to relieve Misha of her full $6,250 patient responsibility to date. This makes Misha’s gift one of the largest in DAF history, and one made possible only by the continuing and growing support for The DAF by individual donors and ongoing DAF fundraisers presented by companies within the local theatre community.

A message from Misha: “It’s never fun to have a year’s worth of medical procedures and have doctors still scratching their heads. After wiping out my Health Savings Account, I was resorting to putting all of my medical bills onto credit cards, and I was already in debt. But what I lack in answers I have an abundance in gratitude for The Denver Actors Fund. To receive this gift is beyond what I was expecting, but it just goes to show how incredible and magnanimous this community is. Thank you!”

The Denver Actors Fund now has made more than $435,000 available to Colorado artists in medical need.

How you can help us help us help more Colorado theatre artists: If you would like to make a donation to The Denver Actors Fund, simply mail checks in any amount made out to Denver Actors Fund to P.O. Box 11182, Denver, CO 80212. Or use this donation link, with our humble thanks.

Read testimonials from other Denver Actors Fund beneficiaries here

Note: At The Denver Actors Fund, anonymity of aid recipients is presumed and fully protected, unless and until the recipient chooses to have their story told.

Misha McCulloch, bottom left, in Equinox Theatre’s “Reefer Madness.” That’s her sister, Rachel McCulloch, standing behind her. Photo by Deb Flomberg.

HOW TO MAKE A DONATION

ABOUT THE DENVER ACTORS FUND:

The Denver Actors Fund is a modest source of immediate, situational relief when members of the local theater community find themselves in medical need. In addition to $435,000 in financial relief, a team of more than 60 Denver Actors Fund volunteers have offered good neighborly assistance to more than 100 beneficiaries including meal prep and delivery, child care, transportation, errands, construction, pet-sitting and more. For more information, visit our web site at DenverActorsFund.Org.

HOW TO APPLY FOR AID:

To apply for Denver Actors Fund aid: Fill out this brief online form here

GET INSTANT, FREE MEDICAL ADVICE: The Denver Actors Fund has launch of a major new FREE medical service for qualified Colorado theatre artists: We are partnering with Hippo Health to provide access to emergency medical evaluations via video conferencing with a Board-certified physician. Click to read more about this wonderful, innovative new partnership that will further improve the lives of artists!

MORE WAYS TO HELP:

DONATE ONLINE:

Go to our online giving site at: ColoradoGives.Org

DONATE BY MAIL:

Send checks made out to The Denver Actors Fund to:
P.O. Box 11182
Denver, CO 80211

VOLUNTEER:

Ever thought about taking a more active role in The Denver Actors Fund? Click here for more information

SHOP AT KING SOOPERS

Sign up for King Soopers’ Community Rewards Program and raise money for The DAF just by shopping for your groceries – and it doesn’t cost you an extra penny. It’s like the Amazon Smile Program. To sign up, simply go here and designate The DAF as your preferred non-profit. Each quarter, King Soopers sends us a donation based on how much our supporters have spent. Thanks to all of you who are shopping for The DAF!

COME TO THE EVENTS THAT SUPPORT US:

HOLLYWOOD’S BIGGEST NIGHT: Sunday, February 9, is the biggest night for the movies! What better way to be a part of the action on the big screen than to join Denver7 at the Alamo Drafthouse Westminster? This year’s host is beloved local actor Steven Burge … and friends (!). Dress your Hollywood best (formal evening wear suggested but not at all required!) Arrive around 5 p.m. in Pandora’s Box for your very own red carpet, paparazzi, and more before we open the doors for food, drinks and fun for everyone. Tickets are just $15 this year and ALL proceeds benefit The Denver Actors Fund! What’s The Denver Actors Fund? Well, Chris Hemsworth may have made $76 million to play Thor in “Avengers: Endgame,” but closer to home, Colorado stage actors often get paid tiny stipends to perform in plays and musicals at local theatres. They often sustain themselves by working a hodgepodge of flexible but low-paying jobs without health insurance. The Denver Actors Fund is a safety net for when Colorado theatre artists (on or off-stage) need help to pay for unexpected medical expenses. In six years, the Denver Actors Fund has made $435,000 available to help artists pay their medical bills or purchase wheelchairs, hearing aids and other essential medical supplies. In addition, an army of volunteers provides neighborly assistance ranging from rides to meals to snow-shoveling and personal company. Reserve your preferred seats today.

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 17: The Cherry Creek Theatre Company has announced that its Industry Night performance of “My Way – A Musical Tribute to Frank Sinatra” will be a benefit for The Denver Actors Fund. Tickets are $20. At the Mizel Arts and Culture Center, 350 S. Dahlia St., 303-800-6578 or cherrycreektheatre.org

SUNDAY, APRIL 26: True story: A few months ago, the local band Gin & Tonix did a show at the Clocktower to benefit the DAF, and I wasn’t sure I could make it so I didn’t book in advance. I dropped in just before the show began to buy a ticket at the door, and the woman looked at me like I was trying to walk in on Ariana Grande, Billie Eilish, BTS, Shawn Mendes and the Wu-Tang Clan all at once. The look on her face was priceless. The event was was way sold out. “Gin & Tonix sells out every time,” she said. Point taken. So who is Gin & Tonix? A group of talented musician friends and family who have made music together on and off for many years. The band features vocal the harmonies of Morgan Griego, Kacie Thomas, Trinity Thomas, and Eileen Adair, by Madi Spillman on guitar, Ian Spillman on drums and vocals, and Jason Spillman on bass and vocals. The group plays songs by artists ranging from The Indigo Girls, The Eagles, The Avett Brothers and many more. The band will again be donating 10 percent of ticket sales for The Denver Actors Fund and taking a collection as a tribute to the late Amy Malmgren – an original DAF board member, and Jason Spillman’s sister. last time the total was a lucky $777. Gin and Tonix is as passionate about their community and family as they are about their music, which is touching. Now take the advice that is splased across the Clocktower’s web page: BOOK EARLY! GIN & TONIX *WILL SELL OUT IN ADVANCE!* Get your tickets here.

VISIT OUR ONLINE MERCH STORE:

Click here to see how you can buy DAF products such as T-shirts, key chains, puzzles and much more.