By John Moore For nearly 20 years, Brian Freeland has been a singular force in the local theater community. As founder of the LIDA Project collective, he has been the keeper of the flame for true experimental theatre in Denver. Last month, Freeland moved with his family to New York. Freeland says the LIDA Project… Continue reading Exit interview: LIDA Project founder Brian Freeland
Category: Essays
2013 True West Theater Person of the Year Shelly Bordas: “Love Rules Out”
Here is the new Part 3 of John Moore’s ongoing video documentary series on Shelly Bordas, By John Moore Dec. 29, 2013 There’s a ship that comes for Shelly Bordas each night in her dreams. But she’s not getting on board just yet. Bordas began her year with the modest goal of making her first… Continue reading 2013 True West Theater Person of the Year Shelly Bordas: “Love Rules Out”
In case you are wondering where the rest of my stuff is …
By John Moore. In case you are wondering where the rest of my stuff is … I got this job, you see. Maybe you heard about it — as a journalist for the Denver Center for the Performing Arts. It’s kind of a dream job. And the best part is, the fine folks at the… Continue reading In case you are wondering where the rest of my stuff is …
Photo essay: At the “Terminal Germinal,” these walls CAN talk
To see these photos on a mobile device, click here. By John Moore Aug. 11, 2013 At the Germinal Stage-Denver, which I’ve taken to calling the “Terminal Germinal,” these walls CAN talk. For 26 years, actors have been reading the writing on the walls there. And they put it there. They have filled most every… Continue reading Photo essay: At the “Terminal Germinal,” these walls CAN talk
“Offending the Audience”: What the hell is this play?
“Offending the Audience” will be the final play staged by Germinal Stage-Denver at its longtime home at 2450 W. 44th Ave. It runs Aug. 9-25, 2013. Call 303-455-7108 or go to www.germinalstage.com. Video by John Moore for www.CultureWest.Org. Running time: 1 minute. By John Moore Aug. 6, 2013 “Offending the Audience,” by Austrian Peter Handke,… Continue reading “Offending the Audience”: What the hell is this play?
Why dozens of Denver actors are oh so eager to offend you
By John Moore Aug. 5, 2013 If you think sitting through 80 minutes of a play called “Offending the Audience” might be tough on you … pshaw. You’re getting off easy. Think of the more than 40 veteran actors who have subjected themselves to more than a month of nightly lingual gymnastics; to brain-numbing, contradictory,… Continue reading Why dozens of Denver actors are oh so eager to offend you
CultureWest turns 1: A look back at a wild year in Colorado theater
From CultureWest’s ongoing “It’s Opening Night in Colorado Theater” photo series: Backstage at the opening of Magic Moments’ “Spirit & Soul.” By John Moore Aug. 2, 2013 One year ago, a local foundation created www.CultureWest.Org on my behalf as a beta blog for what we all hoped would become a new, fully staffed and fully… Continue reading CultureWest turns 1: A look back at a wild year in Colorado theater
Please take my two-question survey and help determine the fate of CultureWest
By John Moore June 21, 2013 Many of you know this very WordPress blog you are now reading was created last summer with a much larger end-game in mind: CultureWest.Org was conceived as a beta site that would one day magically transition into a fully staffed new media outlet that would exclusively cover all arts… Continue reading Please take my two-question survey and help determine the fate of CultureWest
Shake it: What Colorado bands make you get up and dance?
By John Moore May 21, 2013 These are 18 songs by Colorado bands that just make me gotta dance. Like for reals, shake your tail-feather, you can’t stop the beat, dancing. They are very different kinds of songs … Sometimes poppy, sometimes reverent, sometimes angry. But always irresistible. I have no defense against their booty… Continue reading Shake it: What Colorado bands make you get up and dance?
Don’t be frightened, Regis High School students, but … We are your future
Please forgive that hideous white tie. I didn’t bring one to my senior portrait session. Intentionally. But the repressive “man” who ran the studio refused to take any boy’s senior photo without a tie, and that was the only one he had on hand. I guess the lesson, kids, is that you can’t be a… Continue reading Don’t be frightened, Regis High School students, but … We are your future
Moore on Moore: You can’t say ‘director’ without ‘dire’
How our overture looked and sounded to the audience (above) The photo above shows how we staged the climactic song, “True Love,” just after Patsy Cline’s death. You can see how Megan Van De Hey (Patsy) was silhouetted in Louise’s window, singing (live) while a grainy video recording of her singing the same song… Continue reading Moore on Moore: You can’t say ‘director’ without ‘dire’
10 years and 2 days later, the first openly gay athlete in team sports history
By John Moore April 29, 2013 It’s hard for me to believe it was 10 years and 2 days ago that I wrote the following story about the new Broadway play “Take Me Out,” which imagined the serious repercussions of the first openly gay male athlete in the history of team sports. As of today,… Continue reading 10 years and 2 days later, the first openly gay athlete in team sports history
Anatomy of a theater director: A daily Q&A with Colorado’s creative minds
By John Moore May 3, 2013 My return to directing (“Always … Patsy Cline,” which closed April 27 at the PACE Center), had me revisiting a story idea I always wanted to do for The Denver Post, but never got around to: The anatomy of the theater director. So I am doing it now,… Continue reading Anatomy of a theater director: A daily Q&A with Colorado’s creative minds
Revisiting “Marisol” in Colorado Springs means revisiting Armageddon in New York
By John Moore March 24, 2013 There’s a lot that’s still freaking me out about revisiting the apocalyptic drama “Marisol” for the first time in eight years last Sunday — not the least of which is that afterward, I couldn’t concretely answer when I was asked how Theatre ‘d Art’s current staging in Colorado… Continue reading Revisiting “Marisol” in Colorado Springs means revisiting Armageddon in New York
David Sedaris: When your heroes (don’t) disappoint
By John Moore Feb. 13, 2013 In January, Denverites were given the rare opportunity to see David Sedaris in process. Perhaps the nation’s foremost comic novelist came to the intimate Galleria Theatre to test out select readings that may (or may not) be included in his forthcoming book, “Let’s Explore Diabetes with Owls,” due for… Continue reading David Sedaris: When your heroes (don’t) disappoint
Is Punch Bowl Social turning Baker neighborhood into LoDo?
By John Moore Jan. 20, 2013 The face of any hip neighborhood is always changing; that’s part of what makes it hip. But Baker just got more than a face-lift. It got a whole new face. The Punch Bowl Social is bringing up to 900 more people into a thriving, independent shopping and entertainment… Continue reading Is Punch Bowl Social turning Baker neighborhood into LoDo?
Live theater ranks among 10 worst industries for 2013
By John Moore Jan. 9, 2013 As Stephen Sondheim might say, “Isn’t it rich?” When it comes to a life in the arts, no. When it comes to irony, well, very much so. A pair of independent and anachronistic new studies similarly point out just how tough a life in the arts continues to be.… Continue reading Live theater ranks among 10 worst industries for 2013
Audience plants: The scourge of the American theater
By John Moore Jan. 8, 2013 It’s been a year since I’ve been on the record with a critical theater review, and I am (perhaps ill-advisedly) celebrating my anniversary of not having to go on the record saying something that might unilaterally anger the entire local theater community … by going on the record… Continue reading Audience plants: The scourge of the American theater