A baby, a pandemic and a frightening complication Aid recipient: Local actor, choreographer and Littleton native Becca Greer, a graduate of Heritage High School and Saint Mary’s University in Winona, Minnesota, moved back to Colorado five years ago and last appeared in Inspire Theater Company’s 2018 staging of “The Little Mermaid,” directed by Tanner Kelly.… Continue reading Denver Actors Fund in Action: Becca Greer
Tag: Denver Actors Fund
Denver Actors Fund: Jordan Manchego and others
Thornton dentist Brian Kelly now has donated $30,000 in free dental care to Colorado theatre artists Aid recipient: Longtime Denver actor Jordan Manchego most recently appeared in “Cry-Baby The Musical” for Equinox Theatre Company. He is a graduate of Prairie View High School in Henderson and the University of Northern Colorado in Greeley. Among… Continue reading Denver Actors Fund: Jordan Manchego and others
Denver Actors Fund names Gibley president, adds three to board
Chris Gibley will lead expanded board that now also includes Gail Bransteitter, Dr. Kelli Lewis and Fletcher Woolsey The Denver Actors Fund Board of Directors has voted unanimously for Littleton native Chris Gibley to become its next President. Gibley has 30 years of business experience holding senior management positions with Arthur Andersen, the Federal… Continue reading Denver Actors Fund names Gibley president, adds three to board
Denver Actors Fund in Action: Emily K. Harrison
Financial aid recipient: Actor and producer Emily K. Harrison is the founder of the now 12-year old, intentionally lower-cased square product theatre. She just completed a controversial turn playing child beauty queen and murder victim JonBenét Ramsey in House of Gold, performed in Ramsey’s hometown of Boulder. Joanne Ostrow of The Denver Post called it… Continue reading Denver Actors Fund in Action: Emily K. Harrison
Christopher Dyer joins Denver Actors Fund Board of Directors
Christopher Dyer, a longtime executive with the Denver-based premium cable TV network Starz/Lionsgate, has been unanimoulsy appointed to the Denver Actors Fund Board of Directors, President Will Barnette has announced. The 4-year-old Denver Actors Fund makes financial and practical assistance available to members of the Colorado theatre community facing situational medical need. Last week, The… Continue reading Christopher Dyer joins Denver Actors Fund Board of Directors
Denver Actors Fund in Action: David Ballew
Financial-aid recipient: David Ballew has been an active actor in the Colorado theatre community for nearly two decades, with credits at local theatres ranging from Theatre Group to Equinox Theatre to Vintage Theatre and more. Memorable productions include Southern Baptist Sissies, The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, Jeffrey and Evil Dead The Musical. Most recently,… Continue reading Denver Actors Fund in Action: David Ballew
Denver Actors Fund in Action: Maggie Sczekan
Financial-aid recipient: Maggie Sczekan has been performing in the Colorado theatre community for the past six years, most recently as Fiona in Colorado Springs Arts Center’s “Shrek The Musical” (billed as Maggie Davenport), and in the Arvada Center’s “Sister Act.” Of her performance as Fiona, The Gazette wrote: “Maggie Davenport deserves an action figure –… Continue reading Denver Actors Fund in Action: Maggie Sczekan
Denver Actors Fund in Action: Faith Angelise Goins-Simmons
Financial-aid recipient: Aurora native Faith Angelise Goins-Simmons is playing Lily in the Aurora Fox’s Porgy and Bess. The daughter of Pastors Verdale and Jane Goins is a graduate of Aurora Central High School and the University of Denver, where she was the first person of color to graduate from the Lamont School of Music. She… Continue reading Denver Actors Fund in Action: Faith Angelise Goins-Simmons
Denver Actors Fund in Action: Cody Schuyler and Jacquie Jo Billings
Financial-aid recipients: Cody Schuyler and Jacquie Jo Billings are longtime performers in the Colorado theater community and engaged to be married next year. The couple recently appeared together in Miners Alley Playhouse’s “You Can’t Take it With You” as Essie Carmichael and Tony Kirby Jr. Schuyler was nominated for a 2015 Henry Award for his… Continue reading Denver Actors Fund in Action: Cody Schuyler and Jacquie Jo Billings
Denver Actors Fund in Action: Asad Clinton
Financial-aid recipient: Littleton actor, dancer and choreographer Asad Clinton was an ensemble member in Breckenridge Backstage Theatre‘s recent production of “Chicago.” He was called “commanding” by The Denver Post when he played a tagger named Graffiti Pete in Vintage Theatre Productions’ “In the Heights.” He appeared in both “Aida” and “The Wild Party” for Ignite Theatre… Continue reading Denver Actors Fund in Action: Asad Clinton
Denver Actors Fund in Action: Bailey Walton
Financial-aid recipient: Bailey Peyton Walton is part of the well-loved local theatre family that includes her brother, Burke Walton, and father, Kevin Walton. Bailey studied English at the University of Colorado-Denver and is a graduate of Cherry Creek High School. Recent roles have included Tracy in Hairspray with both the Evergreen Players and Candlelight… Continue reading Denver Actors Fund in Action: Bailey Walton
Denver Actors Fund announces statewide expansion
In the video above, new parents Rebecca Joseph and Daniel Langhoff present Denver Actors Fund President Will Barnette with the Colorado Theatre Guild’s first Community Impact Award at the 2016 Henry Awards. The Denver Actors Fund, which in three years has directly distributed more than $55,000 to metro-area theatre artists in situational medical need,… Continue reading Denver Actors Fund announces statewide expansion
Denver Actors Fund in Action: Robert Larson
Financial-aid recipient: Robert Larson is a graduate of Cherry Creek High School and serves as the music director of Hope United Methodist Church. As an actor, he most recently appeared in “Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street” at the PACE Center in Parker. He is also a singer with the Original Dickens… Continue reading Denver Actors Fund in Action: Robert Larson
Denver Actors Fund in Action: Angela Mendez
Financial-aid recipient: Angela Mendez is a longtime local performer most recently seen in the New Works Festival at the Historic Elitch Theatre. She will be traveling with Director Christy Montour-Larson and her all-Colorado cast of the Armenian massacre musical “I Am Alive” for a special performance on Sept. 10 at the Alex Theatre in… Continue reading Denver Actors Fund in Action: Angela Mendez
Denver Actors Fund in Action: Joey Wishnia
‘Thank you so much for your invaluable help to me.’ Financial-aid recipient: Joey Wishnia, who won the Colorado Theatre Guild’s Lifetime Achievement Award in 2011, was educated at Rhodes University and received a teaching diploma in Speech and Drama from Trinity College in London. He came to the United States in 1993 and quickly established… Continue reading Denver Actors Fund in Action: Joey Wishnia
DAF: Footloose, All About Eve and 1st Annual All-Colorado Theatre Picnic
The Denver Actors Fund has a variety of exciting, family-friendly events planned for this summer, and we hope you will join us as we continue our mission to build community while building funds for our nonprofit, which provides financial and practical relief for members of the local theatre community facing situational medical need. MORE INFO… Continue reading DAF: Footloose, All About Eve and 1st Annual All-Colorado Theatre Picnic
Denver Actors Fund names Will Barnette Interim President
In the video above, Will Barnette announces the $10,000 Brenda Billings Memorial Match. The Denver Actors Fund Board of Directors has voted unanimously to name Will Barnette Interim President through 2016, Executive Director John Moore announced today. Barnette, 30, succeeds his mother-in-law, Brenda Billings, who died of a brain aneurysm on April 13. Barnette,… Continue reading Denver Actors Fund names Will Barnette Interim President
Denver Actors Fund in Action: ShaShauna Staton
Financial-aid recipient: ShaShauna Staton is an actor, director, wife, mother and daughter of the beloved late founder of Shadow Theatre founder, Jeffrey Nickelson. Most recently, Staton appeared in Vintage Theatre’s “Ain’t Misbehavin” at the very same theatre her father opened in April 2008, about 16 months before his death at 53. Staton played Armelia alongside… Continue reading Denver Actors Fund in Action: ShaShauna Staton
Denver Actors Fund in Action: Kevin Lowry
Financial-aid recipient: Kevin Lowry is an actor, improviser, teacher and photographer whose recent credits include “12 Angry Men” for the Cherry Creek Theatre, “Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo” for The Edge Theatre, “The 39 Steps” for the Breckenridge Backstage Theatre and “Juliet and Romeo” for the Betsy Stage. Other credits include the Arvada Center,… Continue reading Denver Actors Fund in Action: Kevin Lowry
‘Legally Blonde’ director, screenwriters to join DAF screening
As Elle says in the 2001 cult classic film Legally Blonde: “Happy people don’t shoot their husbands. They just don’t.” We are so not shooting any husbands, because we are very happy people. The Alamo Drafthouse Denver has just announced that Legally Blonde director Robert Luketic and screenwriters Kirsten Smith and Karen McCullah will come… Continue reading ‘Legally Blonde’ director, screenwriters to join DAF screening
Evening of songs to honor Brenda Billings at Hard Rock Cafe
The Denver Actors Fund will present an evening of songs on Tuesday, May 10, in honor of its late President, Brenda Billings. Billings was the co-Artistic Director at Miners Alley Playhouse, President of the Denver Actors Fund and a longtime contributor to Colorado’s non-profit community. She died April 13 of complications from a sudden brain hemorrhage… Continue reading Evening of songs to honor Brenda Billings at Hard Rock Cafe
Denver Actors Fund in Action: Eric and Jenny Mather
Financial-aid recipients: Eric Mather is one of Denver’s most gifted comic actors, most recently having played Inspector Hans Kemp in Town Hall Arts Center’s “Young Frankenstein.” Denver Post Theater critic John Moore once wrote of Mather: “Here’s a guaranteed formula for staging a successful comedy: Cast Eric Mather, wind him up like a child’s toy,… Continue reading Denver Actors Fund in Action: Eric and Jenny Mather
Penny Dwyer joins Denver Actors Fund Board of Directors
The Denver Actors Fund has appointed Penny Dwyer to its Board of Directors, President Brenda Billings announced today. “Penny Dwyer will bring wisdom, leadership and sensitivity to the job through her many years in the theatre community,” said Billings. “I have always been impressed by her groundedness, her sensibility and sensitivity. She has a great… Continue reading Penny Dwyer joins Denver Actors Fund Board of Directors
Brenda Billings named Denver Actors Fund President
Brenda Billings, Artistic Director at Miners Alley Playhouse and a longtime contributor to Colorado’s non-profit community, has been named President of The Denver Actors Fund, Executive Director John Moore announced today. “I am honored and very enthused to join the Denver Actors Fund,” Billings said. “The founding of this unique and vital organization is making… Continue reading Brenda Billings named Denver Actors Fund President
Denver Actors Fund in Action: Amy Malmgren
Watch: Amy Malmgren is interviewed along with the rest of The Denver Actors Fund Board of Directors on a recent episode of “In Focus With Eden Lane.” Update: So there is a reason we have legal counsel! The Denver Actors Fund has a stipulation that was unanimously approved by its board of directors upon founding… Continue reading Denver Actors Fund in Action: Amy Malmgren
BDT Stage raises $5,173 for Denver Actors Fund
Photo by Glenn Ross. BDT Stage’s special added performance of “Fiddler on the Roof” raised a total of $5,173.29 for the Denver Actors Fund, making it one of the two most successful evenings in the growing non-profit’s short history. Of that total, $1,660 comes directly from performers and musicians donating their show pay. Another… Continue reading BDT Stage raises $5,173 for Denver Actors Fund
Denver Sonnets Project, No. 11: Crystal Verdon Eisele
By John Moore CultureWest.Org is endeavoring to make short films out of all 154 of Shakespeare’s sonnets, each featuring actors with Colorado connections. The artistic intent is primarily to further CultureWest’s mission to spotlight the local theatre community and their current or upcoming productions. It’s also an attempt to promote Shakespeare education in a fun… Continue reading Denver Sonnets Project, No. 11: Crystal Verdon Eisele
Denver Actors Fund in Action: Joe Majestic
Note: At the Denver Actors Fund, anonymity of aid recipients is presumed and fully protected, unless and until the recipient chooses to have his or her story told. Financial-aid recipient: Littleton native Joe Majestic, a graduate of Arapahoe High School, appeared as Lewis in Ignite Theatre’s “Pippin,” and as Bobby in “Cabaret.” He also played a… Continue reading Denver Actors Fund in Action: Joe Majestic
Denver Sonnets Project, No. 55: Cajardo Rameer Lindsey
By John Moore CultureWest.Org is endeavoring to make short films out of all 154 of Shakespeare’s sonnets, each featuring actors with Colorado connections. The artistic intent is primarily to further CultureWest’s mission to spotlight the local theatre community and their current or upcoming productions. It’s also an attempt to promote Shakespeare education in a fun… Continue reading Denver Sonnets Project, No. 55: Cajardo Rameer Lindsey
Video: DAF Night at ‘Fiddler on the Roof’ is coming Feb. 17
Wayne Kennedy, star of BDT Stage’s “Fiddler on the Roof,” introduces a special added performance of the hit musical on Tuesday, Feb. 17, to benefit the Denver Actors Fund. Kennedy talks about when his 1-year-old son was diagnosed with leukemia and why “the introduction of the DAF is so important for people in my business.”… Continue reading Video: DAF Night at ‘Fiddler on the Roof’ is coming Feb. 17