The story
The Denver Center for the Performing Arts was founded in 1972 by Donald R. Seawell, a former New York attorney and theatrical producer. In the 1960s, Seawell produced Broadway plays through Bonard Productions, a company he co-founded with actress Halia Stoddard and Denver Post owner and philanthropist Helen Bonfils. During a corporate control dispute involving The Denver Post, Bonfils brought Seawell to Denver to represent her interests and later appointed him publisher of the newspaper. Following Bonfils’ death in 1972, Seawell sold the newspaper and directed proceeds from the sale through the Helen G. Bonfils Foundation toward the establishment of a professional theatre organization in Denver.
What is now known as the Denver Performing Arts Complex was developed during the 1970s as a centralized campus for multiple arts organizations in downtown Denver. Initially, the DCPA managed the four-block, 12-acre site, but in the early 1980s, management of most of the campus and its venues was transferred to the city, allowing the DCPA to focus more directly on theatrical production and programming. The organization retained management of the Helen Bonfils Theatre Complex, a group of performance spaces that were originally known as the Stage, Space, Ricketson, and Lab theatres and are now named for Marvin & Judi Wolf, William Dean Singleton, Dorota & Kevin Kilstrom, and Glenn R. Jones.
An early milestone for the DCPA was the World Theatre Festival in 1982, an international event featuring performances by theatre companies from 13 countries over 25 days, which helped bring wider attention to Denver as a theatrical destination.
The Denver Center Theatre Company (DCTC), the organization’s resident professional theatre company, began performances on December 31, 1979. In its early years, the Theatre Company established itself as a leading regional company, producing a mix of classical and contemporary works as well as original productions created in Denver. Around the same period, the DCPA expanded its role as a presenter of touring productions through a partnership with Robert Garner Attractions, helping establish Denver as a major market for Broadway touring productions. Over time, the organization developed a dual role as both a producer of original theatrical work and a presenter of national touring productions, including pre-Broadway engagements and national tour launches, with many Theatre Company productions going on to subsequent productions in other cities. The Theatre Company’s artistic contributions were recognized with the 1998 Tony Award for Outstanding Regional Theatre.
By the late 20th century, the DCPA expanded its programs beyond theatre production and touring presentations. The organization introduced acting instruction and education programs in the early 1990s, later broadening its reach through student matinees, Theatre for Young Audiences productions, classes, playwriting programs, and school partnerships. It also expanded its programming to include cabaret-style performances, adding a dedicated line of smaller-scale theatrical offerings. Its new play development efforts grew during this period, culminating in the Colorado New Play Summit dedicated to the development of new works for the stage. At the same time, the addition of the Seawell Ballroom in the late 1990s marked the organization’s entry into event and venue rentals, further diversifying its operations.
Several additional initiatives throughout its history—such as the National Theatre Conservatory, Denver Center Media, the Wilbur James Gould Voice Research Center, and the nationally recognized Off-Center immersive program—were later discontinued as the organization’s programs and priorities evolved over time.
From Wikipedia’s article on Denver Center for the Performing Arts, shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.4