The Spoils of War

Lynn Nottage’s Pulitzer Prize-winning Ruined deals with the impact of war – specifically, war in the Democratic Republic of Congo — on the lives of women. In countries where terrible things are happening, women are often the focus of violence and rape is used as a tactic, a way to…

Fly Away Home

There’s something especially poignant about the annual National Theatre Conservatory Repertory performances when they come around each spring: Signifying both the end of a long, hard road and the launching of a new flight into the mystic, the productions show off the newly honed skills of conservatory seniors. “It’s the…

A Bureaucrat’s Sad Tale

Although the two plays were originally written years apart, there’s a distinctly Buntport-like thread between Kafka on Ice, the theater’s most recent resurrection in its tenth-anniversary retrospective season, and The 30th of Baydak, which returns to the stage tonight: Both are funny and heartwarming and charmingly weird, of course, but…

Kitchen Help

A who’s who of Denver kitchen magicians will converge at the Colorado Convention Center tonight for Chefs Up Front, a gastronomic blowout to benefit the nonprofit Cooking Matters Colorado. The event highlights the culinary ingenuity of two dozen top toques, including Max MacKissock (Squeaky Bean), Daniel Asher (Root Down), Wayne…

Flying the Freak Flag

Nancy Smith, director of Frequent Flyers Productions Aerial Dance Theater, is the only company member who was even alive during the 1960s, but that hasn’t stopped her crew of far-out choreographers and high-flying dancers from tackling the turn on, tune in, drop out decade in their new show, Fabulous Freaky…

Poetry in Motion

Poet Ginny Hoyle, a member and instructor at Denver’s Lighthouse Writers, and artist Judy Anderson of PlatteForum created the tag-team installation When We Were Birds, which opened last month at Walker Fine Art for a run through May 7. But to see the results of their collaborative effort wasn’t quite…

Pedal Pushers

Whether you require full-body spandex and carbon-fiber everything or just something practical to pedal around on until you get that second DUI sorted out, the Bicycle Village Bike Swap probably has you covered. “It’s sort of a proverbial something-for-everybody,” says spokeswoman Joan Christensen. “I hate that cliché, but it’s true.”…

Art’s Pros and Cons

He may be equal parts pompous ass and pathetic shmuck, but it’s hard to argue with Mark Kostabi’s self-assessment in the documentary Con Artist: “Modern art is a con,” he announces. “I am the world’s greatest con artist.” In the midst of the East Village’s peak as an epicenter of…

Tears For Fears

More than ten years down the line, Columbine still hovers over the Front Range in silent watch, a constant reminder that the world can be a dangerous place no matter who you are or where you live. The Columbine shootings have since been explored from nearly every angle in the…

Out Of This World

StarFest is the quintessential nerd gathering in Denver. For the past 34 years, it’s brought stars of all shapes and sizes to the geeky masses and offered up a weekend of science fiction, comics, horror and robots to fans both big and small. “Over the years, it has become a…

The Fine Art of Dining

Eric Matelski is a champion of the common — and often inexperienced — citizen when it comes to art appreciation: He tirelessly curates and hangs shows for the hoi polloi in bars and restaurants around town, dreams up hands-on bar nights like this winter’s Artzy Fartzy craft-and-chili nights at Dazzle,…

Craft Punk

New craft is a happening cultural sector these days, and it comes with an aura of DIY activism, hipster vibes, high art and pure politics. And how modern-day women crafters are choosing to express themselves through this challenging set of values is the worthy subject of Craftivism, tonight’s Feminism &…

Rowdy Roddy’s Greatest Hits

Rowdy Roddy Piper’s got a show, but he doesn’t know what to call it. “It’s not an act,” he says. “I mean, I heard about Charlie Sheen, and I don’t know what you call that.” And true to his form as one of wrestling’s greatest heels, he concludes with a…

Weed War

The liberal and the conservative. The vegetarian and the carnivore. The long-haired hippie and the, uh, long-haired non-hippie: These are two men destined to do battle, and though one of the few things they have in common is their shared love of weed, they will do battle about that, too…

Red, White and You

If you drink — even a drop — of all 400 wines being poured at this year’s DAM Uncorked, the largest fundraiser for the Denver Art Museum, you’ll be far too sloshed to remember what you imbibed come the next morning, which is why we suggest pacing yourself during the…

Knock, Knock

Now in its seventh year, Doors Open Denver is opening up more doors than ever. The event, which gives everyday folks access to the unique, historical and just plain cool buildings that give our city its inimitable character, has added considerably to its roster: This year, there are more than…

Book ’Em!

Ted Conover isn’t a Denver native — but he’s as close as an Evil Companion has come. Born in Okinawa, he moved here with his family when he was four, graduated from Manual High School, and “I still think of Denver as home in many ways,” says the author, who…

Where Wooden Skis Rule

If closing weekend at Beaver Creek makes you wish you had a time machine, you’ll be in good company at the Vintage SkiFest: Last year’s vintage ski race (held in conjunction with the U.S. Ski & Snowboard Hall of Fame induction ceremony) was so much fun that the resort decided…

H&M gets added to the Denver Pavilion retail line-up

Although a date hasn’t been confirmed, the internationally renowned clothing store H&M is set to take over the current Nike Town location of the Denver Pavilions on the 16th Street Mall, Pavilions owner Gart Properties announced at a press conference this morning. Being in the heart of downtown Denver and…

Comment of the day: Is Pierley/Radford a design project?

Hands down, the Pierley/Redford Personality Test is the weirdest personality test out there. Showing you a series of shapes that blink softly like an old film projection, the test purports to ascertain aspects of your personality by asking you questions like “which shape wants to hurt you” and “where is…