Public Moments

Former Bronco and Channel 4 weekend sports anchor Reggie Rivers says he pulled a Jay Cutler before Jay Cutler: “The day I got cut from the Broncos, I refused to go in because I knew it was coming.” When he told that story recently to playwright Steven Cole Hughes, it became the subject of a vignette in the fourth annual Denver Stories, Curious Theatre Company’s biggest fundraiser of the year. The event offers a glimpse into the lives of some of Denver’s most intriguing personalities; this year, they include Rivers, Governor Bill Ritter, caterer Sandy Tenenbaum and performer Lannie Garrett.

Curious Theatre has always tried to tell stories that get people thinking, says spokeswoman Tonya Malik, and this Denver Stories was born out of a desire to come up with a fundraiser that wasn’t the “same old fancy dinner you spend a lot of money for,” but something Curious-centric.

“The coolest thing about this is we’re all people who have lived in Denver for a long time, and there aren’t that many secrets about us,” Rivers says. “But these plays take one moment of your life and highlight it, and I think for all of us, there’s probably one moment the public isn’t aware of.” The guest celebrities not only inspired, but co-authored their stories, and Rivers says he plans to make a brief appearance on stage — brief because he wants to leave the acting to the professionals.

Denver Stories begins at 6 p.m. at Curious, 1080 Acoma Street, with a cocktail party catered by Tenenbaum. Tickets are $150. For information, go to www.curioustheatre.org or call the box office at 303-623-0524.
Wed., May 20, 6 p.m., 2009