Vintage Theatre secured its "forever home" in Aurora at 1468 Dayton Street on February 2, marking a significant milestone in the company's path to stability and growth. The $775,000 purchase of the building from the City of Aurora ensures that the space will remain a performing arts venue in the Aurora Cultural Arts District for the next two decades.
The building itself first became a venue in 2008, when Jeffrey Nickelson transformed it from an auto repair shop into the Shadow Theatre Company. The local-theater icon, who was awarded the 2005 Mayor's Award for Excellence in the Arts, passed away in 2009. Following his death, Colorado's longest-running Black theater troupe was evicted from the space. Nickelson's legacy and desire to produce theater in the area were kept alive when Vintage opened there; his name is still on the main-stage theater, and his daughter, ShaShauna Staton, is the director of the Vintage board.
Vintage Theatre began in 2002, moved to 17th Avenue in 2008, and opened on Dayton Street in March 2012 after purchasing the building. However, "it turned out to be a situation where we were biting off more than we could chew financially," explains Bernie Cardell, Vintage's artistic director. "Within the next sixteen months to two years, the City of Aurora bought the building from us."
By 2018, Vintage began discussions with Aurora to buy back the building. "That certainly would have been done long before now had COVID not delayed everything," Cardell notes. "In the last year...we started ramping up those negotiations and talks with the city, looking at paperwork and going back and forth. When you're dealing with a city or a government entity like that, it always takes a little bit longer."
Through perseverance and a shared vision with the city, which wanted to preserve the space as a theater, a deal was finally struck. "When the city bought the building initially, they did it with the plan to sell it back to us," explains executive director Margaret Norwood. "They wanted this space to be a performing art space, so they were like, ‘We're going to do this for you so that you can buy it back when you're stable and ready to go.’ One of the main points is that our promissory note is for ten years, but if we sell it to someone else, it has to be a performing arts space, which guarantees it will be a performance space for the next twenty years.
"Our terms are $30,000 a year on the note with a big balloon payment at the end," she continues. "So plus interest, it ends up being around $900,000 total." Vintage is running a million-dollar capital campaign to pay that off as well as make necessary renovations including a new roof and improved seating arrangements, which will each cost around $75,000.
Vintage Theatre's journey to secure its building highlights the significance of venue ownership in ensuring the longevity and stability of theatrical institutions. This case is not isolated, as several other theaters in the area have found homes that best suit their artistic and operational needs. Around the metro area, Cleo Parker Robinson Dance, Curious Theatre Company, Miners Alley Performing Arts Center, Su Teatro and Wonderbound all own their spaces, and Cleo Parker Robinson and Su Teatro have paid off their mortgages.
"Operationally, owning our space is life-changing," says Wonderbound president Dawn Fay, who has led the organization in completing its capital campaign to pay for the space, though pledged funds have not yet been received in full. "In the past, we performed at seven venues throughout the Denver metro area. This meant every time we would prepare to perform, everything had to be loaded onto a truck, offloaded into the venue and rehearsed in the new space. Scheduling performances had to be coordinated with each venue based on their schedule rather than dates we might have preferred. At times, elements of the production had to be significantly altered to accommodate the various stage sizes. In addition to theater rental fees, the aforementioned factors required significant money and time. That money and time can now be used to increase production value in our home theater. ... Having a place to permanently call home is a triumph of the greatest magnitude."
This situation contrasts with the experiences of Benchmark Theatre, Cherry Creek Theatre, Firehouse Theater Company and Wheat Ridge Theatre Company, which all rent or sublease their spaces. "We are paying $3,940 per month," shares Wheat Ridge Theatre's executive producer, Dr. Maru Garcia. "At this moment, we cannot afford to have a mortgage. The rent impacts us mainly by restricting our budget for the productions."
Both Cardell and Norwood express their gratitude for the community's unwavering support.
Courtesy of Vintage Theatre
"The Aurora Fox is owned by the City of Aurora," explains executive producer Rich Cowden. "The Aurora Fox is part of the Library and Cultural Services Department rather than a stand-alone theater purchased by the city, like Vintage. As part of the City of Aurora’s Library and Cultural Services Department, the Aurora Fox is fortunate not only to be one of the few municipally operated theaters in the metro area, but also to enjoy a strong relationship with the Actors' Equity Association, which allows us to offer professional work at prices people can afford."
The diversity of ownership models among Denver's theaters underscores the sector's adaptability and the critical role of community and municipal support in fostering a thriving arts scene. While owning a venue provides a coveted level of autonomy, partnerships and leases can also offer viable pathways to success. Regardless of the model, the overarching theme is clear: A permanent or stable home is crucial for a theater's ability to plan for the future.
Owning its own space allows Vintage Theatre to dream big, and the final shows of its 22nd season and anticipation for the 23rd highlight a theater in full command of its narrative, ready to face the future with confidence and creativity.
"Patrons who have been asking for more fun and entertainment are about to get that with The Legend of Georgia McBride, followed immediately by The 25th Annual Putman County Spelling Bee," Cardell says. "Then, The Glass Menagerie, which is special for me because it will be my 150th production as a director and an actor. ... We’re ending on this little gem of a show called The Hombres, which nobody will have heard of or won't know what it is. I just love it. Every year there's a show that I'll sit down, read the script, and I will immediately apply for the rights to get it because it’s so good. This year, that was the show. And on April 27, we're going to be announcing the next season."
As Vintage Theatre stands on the threshold of its next act, it does so not just as a performance venue, but as a home for a community bound by a love for the arts.
"It’s our forever home — at least until we outgrow it," Cardell says. "We've been very happy with our space and where we are. ... What sets Vintage apart is this idea of the Vintage family. Our patrons have been with us for a long time; some have been season ticket holders for ten or twelve years and want to continue to be a part of the community that we have created there."
Find more information at vintagetheatre.org.
