Which version of The Office was better: U.S. or U.K.?

Overhearing two pop-culturists argue about this comedy series, you’d be forgiven for mistaking it for a debate over gun-control or Israeli settlements in the West Bank. Passions can run high when a U.S. Office apologist clashes with a U.K. Office purist, leading to heated exchanges about whether David Brent was…

100 Colorado Creatives: Mare Trevathan

#70: Mare Trevathan Mare Trevathan gets around. The theatrical jill-of-all-trades works her chosen field from every angle: as an actor, director, teacher, talking-book reader, collaborator and public-relations expert, going from one spotlight to another as the muse moves her. Trevathan is not only a familiar face on some of the…

3 things to do for free in Denver this week, May 13-16

With May finally delivering the flowers that the old adage promises, you won’t want to stay inside this week. Good news: When you’re out and about enjoying the greening landscape, you won’t need to drop a lot of green. From a booksigning with the former drummer for The Doors to…

Celebrate Mother’s Day Eve with Shayna Ferm and Pump and Dump

Shayna Ferm, a prodigal Coloradan returned from years in the New York comedy scene, hosts and organizes a monthly show called Pump and Dump, designed to engage with young moms and provide a sorely needed evening of fun. Ferm, young mother herself, was frustrated by the lack of entertainment opportunities for new moms and created a show specifically suited to their unique needs. In so doing, she has not identified an underserved demographic, but brought cathartic laughs to many overstressed local mothers. I met with Ferm to discuss Pump and Dump, moving back to Denver and the Highlands mommy mafia.

Five places to shop for mom — or just take her along when you go

You really don’t have to celebrate Mother’s Day like everyone else. Modern moms are an independent bunch, and they may not want to spend their big day knitting by the hearth or enjoying whatever stereotypical pastime they’re supposed to prefer. Moms just aren’t like that anymore. Following are five places…

100 Colorado Creatives: Lauri Lynnxe Murphy

#71: Lauri Lynnxe Murphy In Denver’s close-knit arts community, everyone knows Lauri Lynnxe Murphy. Even when she’s gone, as she was for a couple of years while she was earning a graduate degree in Ohio, she remains a force here. Murphy sometimes shrugs it off, asking, “Why me?” But while…

The Watching Hour launches summer series with Requiem for a Dream

On the surface, Darren Aronofsky’s bleak masterpiece Requiem for a Dream, the screwball musical nun-comedy of Sister Act and a spaghetti Western from Thailand don’t have much in common. In the eyes of Denver Film Society programming director Keith Garcia, they all share one important trait: They’re good movies that…

Comedian Maria Bamford on anxiety, depression and avoiding hecklers

Maria Bamford has long been a comedian of choice for those who enjoy offbeat humor grounded in absurdist, sharply observed character sketches. Over the last decade and a half, Bamford has raised her public profile with appearances on the Comedians of Comedy Tour, Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job!…

Find your rhythm at DanceAfrica Denver this weekend

Dr. Charles “Baba Chuck” Davis founded DanceAfrica almost four decades ago as a unique celebration of Africa and its diaspora. For the next two weekends, DanceAfrica will partner for the third time with the forty-year-old Cleo Parker Robinson Dance Ensemble on DanceAfrica Denver, which will feature not just performances of…