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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

FRIDAY, JUNE 12

CONTACT: Nick Chase, Co-Artistic Director

EMAIL: nick@localtheaterco.org

PHONE: 850.322.4769

AWARD-WINNING LOCAL THEATER COMPANY ANNOUNCES 16TH SEASON

TWO WORLD PREMIERES; COMMUNITY-INSPIRED NEW PLAY INITIATIVE LOCAL LISTENS: HOME; FUNDRAISING EVENTS; AND BOULDER’S PREMIER NEW PLAY FESTIVAL, LOCAL LAB

BOULDER, CO – Award-Winning Local Theater Company (LTC)—Colorado’s only theater company exclusively dedicated to the discovery, development, and production of new plays—announces its 16th season.

Continuing its tradition of presenting theater that inspires conversation and builds community, LTC’s 2026–27 season features two world premieres, the return of its community-inspired new play initiative Local Listens, fundraising events that bring audiences together in support of new work, and the company’s annual festival of new play development, Local Lab.

LTC Executive Director Misha S. Zimmerman said, “Season 16 is jam-packed with bold new plays and meaningful opportunities to come together as a community. Both of our world premieres explore friendship in very different ways. Drag Queen Magic brings unlikely friends together in one of the funniest plays I’ve experienced, while Faster Horses examines the challenges and rewards of collaborating with a friend. Beyond the productions themselves, we’re creating more opportunities than ever for our community to gather, connect, and share experiences.”

The season begins with the third year of Local Listens, LTC’s community-inspired new play initiative. Local Listens fosters increased civic engagement by gathering community members representing a wide range of experiences and perspectives to focus on a single social issue affecting our community. Last season’s Local Listens: Queer Lineage gathered stories from LGBTQ+ individuals ages 19-92. This year, with Local Listens: Home, LTC will focus on housing in Boulder County. Facilitated community conversations will be transformed into two original short plays by LTC-commissioned playwrights. Companion resources and engagement opportunities are provided throughout the project, with an aim toward synthesizing data, resources, and human connection within a dynamic issue.

Throughout the summer and fall, LTC will host facilitated story circles in partnership with organizations including All Roads Shelter, The Coalition of Manufactured Home Owners in Boulder (C-MOB), the Boulder Chamber, and Create Boulder. LTC-commissioned playwrights will transform stories shared during these conversations into short plays that will be presented as staged readings at the conclusion of the season (Spring 2027).

Co-Artistic Director Nick Chase said, “Local Listens: Home gets to the heart of the work the Local team strives to do: connecting communities through new plays. Here, participants have a direct voice in the work. It’s no accident that we select topics that stir emotions. I hope that through civil conversations and seeing our shared experiences reflected in art, we’ll add the necessary human component to the mix.”

On Saturday, August 15, 2026, LTC will host Casino Night at The Spark in Boulder. The fundraiser invites guests to enjoy an evening of blackjack, poker, craps, and roulette with professional dealers, while supporting Local Theater Company’s artistic and educational programming. Admission includes a starter chip voucher, drink ticket, and hors d’oeuvres.

In October, LTC will produce the world premiere of Ian August’s Drag Queen Magic, directed by M. Graham Smith. Presented in partnership with the Denver JCC’s Mizel Arts and Culture Center, the production will perform October 1–17, 2026 at the Dairy Arts Center in Boulder before transferring to Denver’s Mizel Arts and Culture Center October 30–November 1, 2026.

In this hilarious new comedy about unlikely friendships and finding your voice, drag queen Letta Celebrate is content spending her days lip-syncing Lady Gaga at birthdays, weddings, and the occasional bar mitzvah. But when Nancy, a mysterious woman, asks for help after losing everything, Letta finds herself desperate to save her—or be doomed to relive the same day over and over again.

On December 1, 2026, LTC’s annual December Spectacular–a celebration of new plays to kick off Colorado Gives Day and the season of giving–returns to eTown Hall. Previous years have featured GerRee Hinshaw’s Raised on Ronstadt and Ian August’s Drag Queen Magic, making it a signature opportunity for supporters to gather and celebrate the impact of local theater.

February 18 – March 13, 2027, LTC will present the world premiere of Alex Riad’s Faster Horses at the Dairy Arts Center, directed by LTC Associate Artist Heidi Schmidt. In this sharp, fast-paced, new comedy, two women exhausted by working in male-dominated tech companies decide to launch their own app. As their collaboration deepens and success becomes increasingly attainable, cracks begin to emerge in their friendship, forcing them to confront whether they are becoming the very kind of soulless startup they set out to challenge.

The season continues on March 14, 2027, with LTC’s Oscars Watch Party and Game Night at The Spark. Audiences are invited to gather with fellow theater and film lovers for Hollywood’s biggest night, complete with movie trivia, Oscar ballots, prizes, and snacks.

LTC continues its storied tradition of developing new plays in Boulder with Local Lab 16, April 16–18, 2027, at the Nomad Playhouse. Local Lab remains Boulder’s premier festival dedicated to the development of new plays. The annual event brings playwrights, directors, actors, stage managers, dramaturgs, and audiences together for staged readings of works in progress and post-show conversations that help shape the future of each play. Faster Horses was featured in last year’s Local Lab.

This year’s festival will feature three staged readings of new plays, a playwrights panel, community events, parties, and a community hike.

The season concludes in May (date TBA) with staged readings of the Local Listens: Home plays inspired by community conversations.

Co-Artistic Director Betty Hart said, “Season 16 has a common theme of people discovering who they are in unusual circumstances. I love theatre that shines a light on who we are & what we can be with a little (or a lot) of help from our friends.”

Production Details

LOCAL LISTENS: HOME

About

Local Listens is a community-inspired new play initiative that focuses on a single social issue for one year. LTC gathers Boulder community members in Summer 2026 for facilitated story circles that inspired two new plays to be presented in Spring 2027.

Dates + Times

Story Circles: Summer 2026 (dates + times TBA)

Play Readings: Spring 2027 (dates + times TBA)

Location

Select locations TBA

Additional Details

Community Partners include: All Roads Shelter, The Coalition of Manufactured Home Owners in Boulder (C-MOB), The Boulder Chamber, and Create Boulder

Website

localtheaterco.org/listenshome

CASINO NIGHT FUNDRAISER

About

An evening of games and fun in support of Local Theater Company and the theater-makers it serves.

Date + Time

Saturday, August 15, 2026 | 6 – 9 pm MT

Location

The Spark, 4847 Pearl East Circle, Suite 101, Boulder, CO 80301

Website

localtheaterco.org/casinonight

WORLD PREMIERE 1: DRAG QUEEN MAGIC or THE TORTUROUS PURGATORIAL EXPERIENCE OF ONE MISS LETTA CELEBRATE

• Playwright: Ian August
• Director: M. Graham Smith
• Cast + Creative team; TBA

About

Drag Queen Letta Celebrate just wants to live her life lip-syncing Lady Gaga at birthdays, weddings, and the occasional bar mitzvah, but when a strange woman asks for help after losing everything, Letta finds herself desperate to save her or be doomed to repeat the same day over and over.

Dates + Locations

• October 1–17, 2026 – Dairy Arts Center, 2590 Walnut St., Boulder, CO 80302
• October 30–November 1, 2026 – Mizel Arts and Culture Center, 350 S Dahlia St, Denver, CO 80246

Additional Details

This production is sponsored in part by Diana & Mike Kinsey

Website

localtheaterco.org/dragqueenmagic

DECEMBER SPECTACULAR

About

A celebration of new plays to kick off Colorado Gives Day and the Season of Giving. Previous December Spectacular events have included Raised on Ronstadt by GerRee Hinshaw and Drag Queen Magic by Ian August.

Date + Time

Tuesday, December 1, 2026 | 6 – 9 pm MT

Location

eTown Hall, 1535 Spruce Street, Boulder, CO 80302

Website

localtheaterco.org/spectacular

WORLD PREMIERE 2: FASTER HORSES

• Playwright: Alex Riad
• Director: Heidi Schmidt
• Cast + Creative team: TBA

About

Two women, sick of working at male-dominated tech companies, decide to start their own app together, but the collaboration exposes the cracks in their friendship and threatens to turn their venture into one of the soulless start-ups they’re rebelling against.

Dates

February 18–March 13, 2027

Location

Dairy Arts Center, 2590 Walnut St., Boulder, CO 80302

Additional Details

This production is sponsored in part by Sarah Pierce Martin and Mark & Jamie Ragan on behalf of the Boulder Ensemble Theatre Company (BETC)

Website

localtheaterco.org/fasterhorses

OSCARS WATCH PARTY AND GAME NIGHT

About

Gather with friends for Hollywood’s biggest night. Enjoy snacks, movie trivia, and fill out your ballot for a chance to win prizes!

Date + Time

March 14, 2027 | 5 – 8:30 pm MT

Location

The Spark, 4847 Pearl East Circle, Suite 101, Boulder, CO 80301

Website

localtheaterco.org/oscarswatch

LOCAL LAB 16

About

Local Lab is Boulder’s premier new play festival. Experience 3 Staged Readings of New Plays, Post-Show Conversations, Playwrights Panel, and Parties

Dates + Times

April 16–18, 2027 | Events take place throughout the weekend (Times TBA)

Location

Nomad Playhouse, 1410 Quince Avenue, Boulder, CO 80304

Additional Details

Selected playwrights will be announced in fall 2026.

Website

localtheaterco.org/lab16

ABOUT LOCAL THEATER COMPANY

Local Theater Company discovers, develops, and produces exceptional new plays and theatrical works. We provide artists a fertile environment to grow their work and cultivate audiences for new plays by including them in all stages of new play development. We believe theater is a local experience. When you elect to join an audience, you create a new community where, for that brief span of time, everyone is a local.

Local Theater Company Team

• Executive Director: Misha S. Zimmerman
• Co-Artistic Director, Production & Education: Nick Chase
• Co-Artistic Director, New Plays & Engagement: Betty Hart
• Production Manager: Jen Orf
• Community Outreach & Education Coordinator: Shayla Riggle
• Grants Manager: Kate Roselle
• Resident Dramaturg: Jordan Lichtenheld

Social Media

• Instagram: @localtheaterco
• Facebook: LocalTheater
• Website: localtheaterco.org

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The post Local Theater Company Season 16 Announced appeared first on Yellow Scene Magazine.

Curb Surfer with Liquid Chicken, HopeBound & Short Bus, May 15

This Friday, Fox Theatre hosts Curb Surfer, an exciting four-man rock band from right here in Boulder. Their show provides audiences with a high-intensity music experience filled with local Colorado flair. Liquid Chicken, HopeBound, and Short Bus all bring their unique rock-n-roll vibes to the show, making sure to keep viewers constantly entertained. To witness one of Boulder’s most unique summer shows, book your tickets for the Fox Theatre this Friday.

Curb Surfer with Liquid Chicken, HopeBound & Short Bus | May 15 | Fox Theatre, Boulder

All Your Friends, HQ Denver, May 16

LCD Soundsystem, MGMT, and Crystal Castles are the post-punk revival of this house party. HQ Denver has the indie classics of the early 2010s that romanticized synths and high-energy to keep us dancing long into the night. DJ Eli dedicates a vinyl set to the nostalgia of these bands at All Your Friends (the title to perhaps one of the greatest songs to come out of this era) and all of its basement-floor classics.

All Your Friends | May 16 | HQ Denver, Denver

Plays With Fire 2026, May 16 and 17

The Boulder Ensemble Theatre Company brings its “Plays With Fire” event back for 2026 with two staged readings of comedies. The first is a ten-minute comedy, “Bonnet” by John Patrick Shanley, followed by a 70-minute memoir comedy, “The Wheelchair on My Face” by Sonya Kelly. This event will be shown in Denver on Saturday and in Boulder on Thursday and Sunday. Attendees will also have the chance to hear about BETC’s upcoming season from two of its directors.

Plays With Fire 2026 | May 16 and 17 | The Savoy Denver, Denver, and The Dairy Arts Center, Boulder

The Props, Skiimo, and Silver and Gold @ Lion’s Lair, May 18

Looking to make your Monday night a little louder? Head to Lion’s Lair on May 18 for a stacked lineup featuring The Props, Skiimo, and Silver and Gold. The show runs from 7 to 10 p.m., with doors opening at 6 p.m. It is the perfect event to help you ease into the week with some live music. Whether you’re already familiar with the bands or just looking for a reason to get out, this 21+ show is a solid excuse to spend your Monday at one of Denver’s staple music spots.

The Props, Skiimo, and Silver and Gold | May 18 | Lion’s Lair, Denver

Boulder Creek Festival Returns Memorial Day Weekend, May 22–25

Downtown Boulder transforms into a four-day community celebration along the creek, with 30+ bands across three stages, 200+ artisan vendors, food trucks, and family programming — all free to attend. Kick things off Friday evening, then settle in for a full weekend of live music, local makers, and picnic-friendly afternoons in the sun. The Creekside Beer Fest offers ticketed tastings from 20+ Colorado breweries.

Boulder Creek Festival | May 22-25 | Boulder Creek, Boulder

Bloom and Glow, May 23

Come down to Brunner Farm House in Broomfield from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. to connect with local vendors and your community on building healthy self-care habits. With features like a build-your-own-bouquet bar, wellness and self-care workshops, and chances to pamper yourself, this is a wonderful day out for friends looking to relax and build new self-care routines just in time for summer! All proceeds from this event also go to the Broomfield Council on the Arts and Humanities, which funds spaces for local artists to shine and grow year-round throughout the community. Show your support and spoil yourself a little!

Bloom and Glow | May 23 | Brunner Farmhouse, Broomfield

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Geoffrey Kent only plays a bitter Christmas elf on stage. In reality, he’s a fulltime actor and fight choreographer, he’s the president of the Society of American Fight Directors and he’s a member of the Colorado Shakespeare Festival. Also, he’s tall. And he’s funny; though, not as funny as Crumpet, the acerbic elf stuck in Macy’s during the idiocy of the holiday season in David Sedaris’ Santaland Diaries. Kent is less bitter than Crumpet, too. He’s only a little jaded by the holiday season: “My family gets together, but we don’t do presents anymore. Except for my nephew. He gets presents.”

In Geoffrey’s Words:
On acting: “I got into theater in junior high so I wouldn’t have to take the bus home. I continued theater in high school because of the girls.”

On bad jobs: “I once had a job cross-proofing VIN numbers.”

On audiences: “You’ll find people who don’t want to interrupt you with laughter. My mom never laughs when she comes to see me—because she thinks it will mess me up. A friend of mine, an actor, said that you let the audience laugh as long as they need on the first joke. If you interrupt them, and continue over the laughter, they might be afraid they’ll miss something and won’t feel comfortable laughing. But if you get five good laughers, they loosen things up for everyone. The trigger laughers can break
the ice.”

Favorite Christmas gift: A suitcase full of Legos he received as a boy. “I just bequeathed it to my nephew. He was so happy he cried.”

On the characters in Santaland: “You want to be honest, but they are still a character. If you go to the mall, and you see some lady freak out on her kids, it’s really not that far off (from what’s in the play). So, it comes down to not making them a cartoon. I really enjoy the characters. Like Snowball (an elf Crumpet mimics in the play). I looove Snowball. She has like two lines and I make them longer with sounds and faces. Oh, and the elf who hits on all the women. The Walrus. He’s great. You just have to look forward to that.”

Still, this winter will be Kent’s third time playing the rough-around-the-edges elf, and it’s the second time Boulder County audiences get to witness Kent looking like he went on a bender in the North Pole. Boulder Ensemble Theater Company opens Santaland Diaries on Dec. 1, and, luckily for us, Kent will once again be the one man in this one-man show.

For a theater company, finding a hit holiday play can mean really big crowds, crowds that come back each season and bring family and friends, and with Santaland Diaries, they offer something a bit different: Not only a retreat from the shopping, turkey-cooking, gift-wrapping, egg-nog-making grind of December, but a theatrical offering that is not The Nutcracker, White Christmas or A Christmas Carol.

As an actor, Kent feels the same way: At least he’s not playing Scrooge. He gets to partake in “The antidote to the holiday spirit.” It’s fun and wickedly funny and, for audiences, allows them to escape from the real world for just a bit.

“It particularly attacks corruption of Christmas, the materialism. Also, it comments a lot on parents,” he says. “But in the end, it introduces you to a Santa who represents what Christmas can be about. He (Crumpet) finds something he can’t make fun of. That’s pretty cool.”

Santaland, which Sedaris introduced to the world on NPR in 1992 and was adapted for the stage by Joe Mantello, has become increasingly popular with theater companies over the years. While it’s not your traditional feel-good holiday hymn, it’s entertaining, memorable and sassy. The show centers around one man’s journey into Macy’s Santaland one holiday season. He tells a tale of screaming children, horrific parents, screwy Santas and nutty co-elves. It’s also a celebration of crappy jobs in general, and because everyone who is anyone has had a crappy job, the audience can enjoy Crumpet’s snarky, sassy point of view, even when he’s at his angriest.

“I’m sure people go into it thinking it’s going to be a jolly romp. …It’s not light and fluffy. Crumpet is aggressive in his condemnation of the holidays,” Kent says.
For Kent, because of the humor of the writing, the lack of stage direction in the script and the intimacy of being in the small theater (88 seats), the show is all about collaboration and creativity.

“Part of what I love is it’s a conversation with the audience. And that’s not always possible in theater,” he says.

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