Boulder Ensemble Theatre Company (BETC)
This is what theatre can do.
Boulder has many things to be proud of. Each of us can create a list of what we appreciate about living in the People’s Republic. Mine would include many of the usual suspects: the truly extraordinary open spaces and trails, the world-class music at CU’s Faculty Concerts on Tuesday, a great public library, a real bookstore, a vibrant Farmers’ Market, the Boulder Film Festival, the Boulder Bach Festival, the Boulder
Should a play be taken to task for the news cycle it arrives in? Probably not. Unless that work actually invites the scrutiny. Take the Boulder Ensemble Theatre Company’s smart if mildly aggravating regional premiere of “This,” at the Dairy Center through May 18. Melissa James Gibson’s play about a group of 30-something friends would seem to do just that, thanks to the outsider presence of Jean Pierre,
Boulder Ensemble Theatre Company is wrapping up its eighth season and true to its reputation for producing regional and world premieres of new plays, it’s currently presenting the regional premiere of Melissa James Gibson’s This, in the Carson Space at The Dairy Center for the Arts. The play had its world premiere at Playwright’s Horizons in New York City, an institution with a great reputation for developing new plays. BETC
Christy Montour-Larson had plenty of logical reasons to turn down a directing gig with the Boulder Ensemble Theatre Company. When the opportunity to direct the BETC’s production of Melissa James Gibson’s drama “This” arose, Montour-Larson’s schedule was full. She already had back-to-back obligations with the Curious Theatre and Denver Center Theatre companies. An acclaimed veteran of the local theater scene, Montour-Larson had picked up plenty of work for the
Periodically, I ask my daughter — who has requested I tell her my last wishes for health care, disposal of belongings, funeral, etc., in case I’m unable to express them when the time comes — what she wants done with my body. Does she need it buried, so she’ll have a specific place for ritualistic visits, a kind of groundedness for her grief? Or would she like a container of
