Curious Theatre announces this year's crop of celebrities for Denver Stories

In its five years of existence so far, the Curious Theatre Company has lured some pretty prodigious figures into its annual Denver Stories production, where it pairs local celebrities with playwrights and has them produce autobiographical short plays; previous lineups have included former Governor Bill Ritter, MCA Denver Director Adam...

By Jef Otte

March 10, 2011

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In its five years of existence so far, the Curious Theatre Company has lured some pretty prodigious figures into its annual Denver Stories production, where it pairs local celebrities with playwrights and has them produce autobiographical short plays; previous lineups have included former Governor Bill Ritter, MCA Denver Director Adam Lerner and Western-wear pioneer Jack A. Weil. And if the names on the theater company's recently announced list for this year is any indication, the next installment will not fail to live up to that legacy.

"We're looking for, first of all, some diversity," says Curious' Mare Trevathan of the company's selection process. "We're looking for people who have notoriety about town, and who have some intrigue about them. They're people who a certain aspect of their life story is already well known." The trick, she says, is to dig a little deeper.

Governor Ritter, she says, was a good example of that. "Most people would know the name Bill Ritter, but a lot of people don't know about the time he spent in Africa doing service work. So the celebrities always get a big say in how their stories are presented, but what we've found over the course of the years is that they get really engaged with their playwright, and it's amazing how personal and revealing of their lives they get."

And if that's the case this time around, then there will be some pretty interesting stories. Here's the lineup:

Otis Taylor, of whom Guitar Player magazine once wrote, "Otis Taylor is arguably the most relevant blues artist of our time."

Paul Attardi, a star of both the culinary and theater worlds; he's acted in several local theater companies and most recently opened the excellent Fruition.

Charlie Price, hairdresser extraordinaire and runner-up on Bravo's Shear Genuis.

Dana Crawford, a mid-1960s pioneer of the redevelopment of LoDo from bumtown to club central.

Denver Stories plays Wednesday, April 27, at the Curious Theatre, 1080 Acoma Street. For more information, call 303-623-0524.

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