“Cry It Out” by Molly Smith Metzler

August 1-3 at The Savoy Denver
August 8-24 at the Dairy Arts Center

* Read more below about our special Parents Paint the Town performance on August 10! *

“Empathetic and enjoyable…it all rings utterly true.”

— Chris Jones, The Chicago Tribune

About the Play

Jessie is a frazzled corporate lawyer in a cutthroat Manhattan firm. Lina dropped out of her community college and has a life circumscribed by her working class roots on Long Island.

The two newly minted moms share one thing in common — they are both feeling isolated and trapped at home with their new babies.

In the yard between their houses — as far as their baby monitors will reach — they bond over sleep deprivation, unreliable childcare and “having it all.”

Cry It Out is a smart and candid comedy about parenthood and class in America today — and the hard choices all mothers make.

(Please note: this special summer offering is not included in a BETC subscription.)

Parents Paint the Town

Parents, we want to treat you!

PARENTS PAINT THE TOWN is our new initiative to welcome parents to see a BETC show while their kids go to a FREE creative workshop with top-of-the-line teaching artists just down the hall.

This time, we’re honored to partner with the Boulder Ballet to offer kids (ages 5-11) a workshop in drama and dance.

Parents get 50% off of their Cry It Out tickets for August 10! Simply register your child for the workshop and use the promo code provided, OR email wessie.simmons@betc.org voicing your interest.

Aug. 10, 2pm at the Dairy Arts Center

Enroll your child today! Space is limited!

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Tight Five: Five Questions with Cry It Out director Candace Orrino

Questioner: Jessica Robblee, BETC Artistic Director

When stage managers need the artistic team to return from a five-minute break promptly, they tell you to take a “tight five.” You’d be surprised how much you can fit into those five minutes (or try to fit into those five minutes), so we thought Tight Five an apt title for a juicy five-question interview. 

JR:  Candace, I’ve never asked you this before – it’s somehow never felt like the thing to ask – how did theatre and directing come into your life?

CO: One of my favorite childhood memories is of a period of weeks when my dad drove me to elementary school each day listening to The Phantom of the Opera soundtrack on cassette tapes. He’d pause after each song to explain the story. My parents then took me to see it the next time it toured Denver, and I was utterly transfixed. Theatre has been in my blood ever since. I’ve been an actor longer than I’ve been anything else. Adding directing into the mix has been a natural evolution in my career. I have always been invested in how we tell the whole story. I’m wired for this; I love facilitating the generation of the page-to-stage experience.

JR: You’re an actor-director. What are some memorable notes you’ve received in either capacity?

CO: Oh wow, I wish something really iconic and goofy like, “More cow bell!” came to mind. But honestly, the most memorable notes I’ve received are probably the ones that can apply in just about any moment of the process: The text is king. Listen. No, really: listen. Trust the words. Bring everything about who you are into the work. When does a character share information, and when does a character experience revelation? (Hint: the latter is better storytelling.) Take care of yourself, heart, body, and mind. And this big one: Effort does not equal excellence.

JR: What is your directing style?  Carving an intricate ice sculpture?  Throwing spaghetti at the wall? Spaghetti sculpture?

CO: My style is a blend of deep preparation and visioning combined with a commitment to belief in the power of collaboration. I come to the process with a vision for what I want the audience to experience and strategies about how to get there, but I believe you can only get so far if the process is autocratic. Part of the joy and wonder of theatre is the other talented folx at the table who enhance the storytelling. I’m all about that Good to Great ideology of getting the right actors and design team in the right seats on the bus, because they will bring a lot to the table. At the end of the day, my guiding star is that we must Tell the Truth. If we can do that, we’re on the right course. But also… can someone please sign me up for a spaghetti sculpture directing class? Because that sounds delicious. 

JR: How did you and this play meet?  

CO: I read this play in 2018 when it was published in American Theatre Magazine. It was my first encounter with Molly Smith Metzler, and I just thought she was dynamite. There was so much honesty in her writing, such that both the humor and the pathos seemed to leap off the page effortlessly. I was impressed by how the play honors the varied experiences of these women without falling into man-bashing tropes; the male character is also compelling and essential. It also compelled me because it didn’t try to claim it had all the answers to the questions the characters are wrestling with, and I think that makes for really good theatre. I couldn’t get the play out of my head, all these years later.

JR: Is there a bit of text or a turn of phrase from this play that you’ll take with you long after the show closes?  Or maybe just an idea that made you want to dive in?

CO:  “I think you’re supposed to cry when you’re all alone in a dark room. And…someone who loves you is supposed to come help you.” This line keeps me up at night. In the best way. Lina is talking about her baby when she says this, but my goodness, if this doesn’t also feel like a core human truth for all of us, regardless of age, I don’t know what is.

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Performance Details

Venues

The Savoy Denver
Dairy Arts Center, Boulder (Carsen Theater)

Schedule

* Please note: For the 2025-2026 season, our evening performances will begin at 7:00 pm *

Run Time

Cry It Out is expected to run approximately 90 minutes, with no intermission.

Content Considerations

Cry It Out is best suited for audiences aged 12 and above. BETC does not offer more specific advisories about the subject matter, as sensitivities vary from person to person. If you have any questions about content or age-appropriateness, please call the BETC Office at 303.351.BETC.

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The People of “Cry It Out”

Cast

Artistic Team

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Tickets & Discounts

Subscriptions

Cry It Out is not part of the 2025-2026 Season Subscription package. Using the code provided to them, subscribers will receive 10% off of this special production.

Single Tickets

Single tickets are on sale now through BETC (for the Savoy) or the Dairy Arts Center.

Single tickets for the Friday-Sunday performances are $42.00. Tickets for the Previews are $25.00.

Students can get $15.00 tickets and must show a valid student ID at the theatre.

Tickets purchased through BETC will be emailed to you automatically from ‘Boulder Ensemble Theatre Company.’ Purchased tickets from the Dairy Arts Center will be emailed to you directly from the box office, and copies can be found on your Dairy Arts Center account.

Arts and Cultural Industries

Are you a member of a not-for-profit arts and cultural organization? Sign up for our mailing list to get exclusive discounts for arts and cultural workers.

Group Sales

Looking to purchase tickets to a show for a group of 10 or more? BETC offers generous discounts for groups of 10+. If you are seeking special group arrangements, please call us at 303.351.2382.