Chevy Chase, Joe Rogan and Mystery Thrillers!
August 22, 2019
Mystery and thriller theatre buffs, there’s a play festival especially for you this weekend in Aurora! Your neighborhood theatre is presenting five exciting new works by talented up-and-coming playwrights who specialize in suspense! Best of all, you can see all five thrilling plays for only $25. Not enough time to fit in five plays? Pick and choose your favorites and pay only $5 each!
TODAY/TONIGHT, August 22
CLIMATE CHANGE LECTURE
It’s tempting to push aside this controversial conversation, but learning the facts about climate change is important and timely. Take an objective look at scientists’ predictions and how current U.S. politics could affect the future—what does a global average temperature increase of 2.5 to 10 degrees over the next century mean?
Likely impacts include more droughts and heatwaves, as well as stronger and more frequent hurricanes, and sea levels are predicted to rise one to four feet by 2100, submerging vast areas of land.
Sam Gary Branch Library, 2961 Roslyn St., Denver
6:30 p.m.
Registration: FREE
PREMIER MURDER MYSTERY PLAY
The first play in the Murder Suspense Thriller Play Festival is a thriller which probes into forgotten memories that resurface in a dangerous way. Few Thy Voice, by Colin Speer Crowley, is set in a run-down nursing home, where a normally silent Alzheimer’s patient suddenly remembers a murder in the past. A guilt-ridden caretaker must figure out if the the memory is real—or an elaborate fiction constructed by a confused mind.
Vintage Theatre Productions, 1468 Dayton St., Aurora
7:30 p.m.
Tickets: $5
Phone: 303-856-7830
FINAL WEEKEND TO LAUGH AT ROMANCE
This is your last chance to see the renowned comedy company, The Second City, while they are Denver! Alumni of this iconic company include some of the biggest names in comedy, including Tina Fey, Stephen Colbert, Steve Carell, Gilda Radner, Bill Murray, and more. Catch the current cast of up-and-coming comedy superstars as they explore one of the funniest topics of all time—love!
It’s Not You, It’s Me takes shots at heartbreak, missed connections, and the mire of human relationships. If it fits into the “it’s complicated” category, you can bet it will show up in this performance!
Garner Galleria Theatre/DCPA, 1101 13th St., Denver
Thurs./Fri./Sat., 7:30 p.m.; Sat./Sun., 2:00 p.m.
Tickets: $42-$46
Phone: 303-893-4100
CHICAGO CLOSING WEEKEND
Sizzling and sensational, Chicago is the longest running in Broadway history for good reason! Don’t miss your final chance to see this special production of the show about 1920s speakeasies, gangsters, torrid love affairs, murder, and celebrity by the Phamaly Theatre Company, who only casts actors with disabilities in their shows. Filled with dazzling songs like All That Jazz and the flashy Fosse choreography that defines the musical, you’ll be tapping your toes and singing along!
The Studio Loft/DCPA, 980 14th St., Denver
Thurs./Fri./Sat., 7:30 p.m.; Sun., 2:00 p.m.
Tickets: $40-$80
Phone: 303-893-4100
Friday, August 23
MADAGASCAR AT THE LAKEHOUSE!
Your kids will enjoy watching all their favorite animals from the zoo—Alex, Marty, Gloria, and Melman—as they embark on adventures in the wild! The Southshore YMCA is screening Madagascar at this week’s Kids Night Out, a chance for kids (and parents) to enjoy a bit of independent free time! Kids will have a night of fun and food, including dinner, crafts, games, and the movie screening. Children must be potty-trained, and all ages up to 10 years old are welcome.
The Lakehouse, YMCA Southshore, 27151 East Lakeview Dr., Aurora
6:00-10:00 p.m.
Registration: $15
Phone: 720-870-2221
CONTEMPORARY GHOST STORY
A classic haunted house story in a contemporary setting, Wake is a drama written by Vince Gatton that will keep you on the edge of your seat. When Eric and Dan move to the country with their new baby, they quickly discover something is not quite right in their new house. This is a suspenseful play about marriage, expectations, and the power of narrative to both heal and harm.
Vintage Theatre Productions, 1468 Dayton St., Aurora
7:30 p.m.
Tickets: $5
Phone: 303-856-7830
Friday-Saturday, August 23-24
JOE ROGAN ON STAGE
This stand-up comedian is so popular, a petition is circulating to have him host one of the upcoming Democrat debates! Joe Rogan is the former host of Fear Factor and a mixed martial arts commentator who has been making America laugh for the past 20 years. His live stand-up show is sure to include themes from his wildly popular podcast, The Joe Rogan Experience, as well as his many comedy specials on Netflix, Comedy Central, and live shows released on his website and DVDs.
Bellco Theatre, 700 14th St., Denver
Fri. 7:30 and 10:30 p.m.; Sat., 7:30 p.m.
Tickets: $45 – $95
Phone: 802-255-1826
Saturday, August 24
FARMER’S MARKET FUN FACTS!
Did you know—each strawberry has approximately 200 seeds on it? And strawberries and raspberries are the only fruits that wear their seeds on the outside, which means technically they aren’t “true” berries! At Southlands Farmer’s Market, you can find all kinds of berries, true or otherwise, as well as a plethora of other fruits, veggies, breads, and more! Don’t forget your shopping bags!
Southlands, 6155 S. Main St., Aurora
8:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
Cost: FREE
Phone: 303-627-5000
DCPA THEATRE TOUR
What happens behind the scenes of all of those spectacular productions at the DCPA? This tour will give you a new appreciation of what it takes to bring theatre to life! In addition to the director and actors, scores of people lend their time and talents to transform an idea on a page to a living work of art. See for yourself how costume designers, set builders, prop makers, and technical specialists collaborate to make the magic happen on stage.
This expertly-guided tour takes you through the costume shops, design studios, scene shops, and DPCA venues to get a peek at everything from set model miniatures and costumes-in-progress to up-close set pieces and props galore. You’ll even step inside Actor’s Alley, filled with Broadway show posters signed by touring cast members!
Lobby of the Helen Bonfils Theatre Complex, 13th St. at Arapahoe, Denver
10:00 – 11:30 a.m.
Tickets: $12
Phone: 303-893-4100
COMEDY THRILLER ON STAGE
Cross Words by Scott Gibson is a comedy thriller about a married couple who try to figure out a way to hasten the demise of Aunt Rosamunde, whose fortune they will inherit when she FINALLY dies. But they really don’t want to actually commit murder…and the old gal is surprisingly resilient!
Vintage Theatre Productions, 1468 Dayton St., Aurora
2:30 p.m.
Tickets: $5
Phone: 303-856-7830
THE SNOWMAKER WILL GIVE YOU CHILLS!
This haunting thriller by Aleks Merilo takes place in the dead of winter, in an isolated cabin in the woods of Montana. When a teenage girl’s estranged father suddenly appears and takes her to the cabin, she has no idea what’s going on—where he’s been for the past 10 years or what he’s waiting for when he stares out the window with a sawed-off shotgun by his side.
Vintage Theatre Productions, 1468 Dayton St., Aurora
7:30 p.m.
Tickets: $5
Phone: 303-856-7830
Sunday, August 25
FESTIVAL CLOSES WITH SHADY MANOR
The Mystery Suspense Thriller Play Festival at the Vintage Theatre concludes with a play about intrigue in a retirement home. Shady Manor is a comedy thriller by Katherine DuBois about the golden years of retirement. But is someone at Shady Manor cutting short the years to get at the gold? Smithers is convinced of it. And Smithers is convinced that Grouper is the next target. But Grouper is convinced only that Smithers is crazy.
Vintage Theatre Productions, 1468 Dayton St., Aurora
2:30 p.m.
Tickets: $5
Phone: 303-856-7830
CADDYSHACK SCREENING WITH CHEVY CHASE—LIVE!
How often do you have the opportunity to spend the evening with a comedy legend? Chevy Chase, the iconic actor and comedian who gave us characters from Clark Griswold to Fletch to Ty Webb, will be on stage in person to share stories from his long career and to answer audience questions.
Following a screening of the 1980s comedy classic, Caddyshack, you’ll witness a no-holds-barred trip down memory lane as this former SNL original cast member shares stories from his 40+ years in the comedy spotlight!
Bellco Theatre, 700 14th St., Denver
6:00 – 10:00 p.m.
Tickets: $49-$145
Phone: 303-228-8260
The Arts, Music and More Near Southshore!
Enjoy Life at the Lake in the master-planned community of Southshore—and find culture and entertainment within easy reach! Looking for a new home you can add your signature style to? Tour the beautiful model homes from Toll Brothers, Century Communities, and Richmond American Homes, it’s easy to picture yourself in your own new home, priced from the upper $400s to the $700s.