The Agenda Theatre Breaks Into the Local Scene by Amplifying Queer Voices

The Agenda Theatre is bringing a bold mission and an unyielding commitment to LGBTQ+ narratives to the local arts scene.

"I wanted to amplify queer voices and give a safe professional space for queer actors to perform in," says Danté J. Finley (they/them), the theater's founder and co-artistic director. "We are dedicated to amplifying and seeking out queer voices. I think the gap we are filling in Denver is very clear."

Finley founded the company alongside co-artistic director Chloe Ryan following their experience working on Benchmark Theatre's production of Stonewall last June. "Being in a room with twenty-plus queer actors during Stonewall made me realize the breadth of talent in Denver," Ryan recalls. "I knew this was not normal, but I started to wonder what we could do to make it normal."

That inspiration laid the groundwork for a theater company that would serve as a creative haven and share the diverse experiences of the LGBTQ+ community. "We just saw that queer talent was being put into a box," Finley says. "If you are queer, you play the role of a sad gay person. We wanted to break that box. Queer talent in Denver is so fierce right now. We are capable of playing literally any role, so we do not believe we should limit those voices.

"Our commitment to inclusivity and representation drives us to continuously push boundaries and challenge societal norms, sparking important conversations and fostering a more compassionate theater world," they add. "I just felt in my heart that Denver’s theater scene needed to be shaken up a bit."

Since its establishment in July last year, the Agenda Theatre has quickly made a name for itself with three sold-out shows of its sketch/drag show, Mean Ghouls, at Chaos Bloom Theater. In October, Finley applied for the Dynamic Downtown Denver Grants, which the company was awarded for its ballroom-scene-inspired production of Romeo and Juliet. "We already had Mean Ghouls under our belt, so we had traction," Finley says. "And then, to my surprise, we were awarded the grant. It changed everything in the blink of an eye. Our initial plan was to keep doing smaller variety shows throughout the year and work up a full-length production, but now that we got the grant, we have to do a show."

Finley hopes that this adaptation will demonstrate to the community that ballroom — an underground performance in which drag houses face off in various competitions — exists and is theater. "I just want to let people know that the Denver ballroom scene is very active, because it is something that hasn’t had the representative that it desperately deserves," Finley explains. "The story of Romeo and Juliet lends itself to ballroom. You have two competing houses, themes of chosen family and it’s so dramatic — the script allows for those really big theatrical moments."

The group is producing two distinct versions of the play. Its first rendition, scheduled for April 15 and 16, will be performed outdoors at Civic Center Park, emulating the vitality and visible street life of New York. The production will then move indoors to D3 Arts on June 13, 14, 20, 21, 27 and 28, transforming the classic tale into a more intimate, immersive theatre experience.

"Both are in ballroom culture, but the one in April focuses on street life and the one in June focuses on the ball," Ryan says. "After that, we are moving on to The Stanford Prison Experiment, a cabaret musical retelling written by Rebecca Gorman O'Neill [the company's director of new play development]. Following that, we are doing The Dreaming Child, which Rebecca and I co-wrote with inspiration from Jim Henson's work, and another play by Dakota Chase Hill, which will be announced this summer."
In addition to these original plays, the Agenda Theatre is also planning additional iterations of Mean Ghouls as well as innovative new productions such as Drag the Classics and Queer Cinema Club. These productions promise to blend humor, critique and homage, parodying classic literature and iconic films through a queer lens. Finley also notes that they are also "working behind-the-scenes" to collaborate with other theater groups.

"One with Bowls With the Bard, because they wanted to do a Stoned Shakesqueer show," they say. "Both of our theater companies started around the same time and we want to make sure we are taking care of the Denver theater community by creating strong local partnerships. We are very well connected with Benchmark Theatre and are planning a collaborative show."

Agenda is currently fundraising through a GoFundMe page to pay for costumes, personal fees and other organizational operational expenses. The group hopes to leverage the momentum of its early successes and the support of initiatives like the Downtown Arts Initiative Grant to expand its reach and impact.

"People want to go to theater but just don’t necessarily know where it’s happening and it’s priced out for so many people — most people can’t afford to go to the fucking Denver Center," Ryan says. "The idea is to be affordable, do good shows that people can come to and eventually own a space. We’re doing this from a queer place because that’s who we are and that’s where we have a need, but I’m hoping that others learn something from this and that it sparks a wave of theater that people want to fucking see."

Learn more about the Agenda Theatre and its upcoming performances at gofundme.com.