Is 'Diversity' Just a Buzzword in Denver’s Theater Scene?
For 13 years, the Black Actors Guild created and performed some of the most provocative and entertaining plays in Denver. They started out as students at Denver School of the Arts and went on to bring in as much as $700,000 per year through their plays and arts education courses. But after a rough couple of years, they’re closing the curtain. So host Bree Davies sat down with her friend and Black Actors Guild co-founder Ryan Foo to talk about the state of theater in Denver and answer some big questions: Is “diversity” still just a buzzword, or are our arts institutions actually doing the work? What can theater companies do to uplift and make space for younger creators — and audiences — of color? If Denver can attract big, sell-out Broadway shows but not support local artists in the same way, has the city become a victim of its own success?
We mentioned Ryan Foo’s latest immersive theater-party, IllFooMinati VI, happening tomorrow and Saturday night at the Savoy Denver. Tickets and more information here.
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Learn more about the sponsors of this episode:
- Denver Film presents Film on the Rocks
- Wonderful Waste
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