28th Annual Colorado Theatre Festival to Run 6/23-25

The Colorado Community Theatre Coalition will raise the curtain for theatre companies, actors, and fans from across the State of Colorado during the 28th annual Colorado Theatre Festival. From June 23 - 25, the Festival will come alive with performances from seven statewide community theatres, four professional workshops, acting competitions, and nightlife networking, or "wetworking," in beautiful Salida with fellow theatre lovers and experts from around Colorado. Regarded as one of the best community theatre festivals in the country, the Colorado Theatre Festival takes the spotlight at the Salida SteamPlant Event Center, 220 W. Sackett Avenue, Salida, CO 81201.

"We are excited to host the Colorado Theatre Festival in beautiful Salida and provide an environment for creativity in the performing arts to spark, grow, and flourish," said Shane Delavan, President of the Board of Directors of the Colorado Community Theatre Coalition. "We are pleased to offer a festival experience that will appeal to both theatre practitioners and theatre lovers. Patrons will also discover a strong influence of new plays being presented at this year's festival as well as a workshop geared toward aspiring playwrights. We invite theatre enthusiasts to consider taking a break from their everyday life and join us for a long weekend of entertainment and creative expression."

Highlights of this year's Festival include several captivating, 60-minute performances from coalition theatre companies including Theatre Esprit Asia presenting Coming to America, Act One Productions presenting The Bonfils Girl (documenting the life of Helen Bonfils), local entry, The Chalk Horse Theatre presenting The Tie that Binds and Sopris Theatre presenting Stage Directions. Top presenting companies will have the opportunity to advance to regional and national theatre festival competitions.

In addition, participants can look forward to four stimulating workshops, led by theatre professionals and educators primarily with over 30 years of experience in the theatre arts. A sample of workshops include "Dynamic Direction: Analysis, Blocking, and the Major Dramatic Question" taught by Dr. Paul Newman; "Performing Memoirs: Developing a Strong Original Play" taught by Maria Cheng and Peter Trinh; and "Build an Online Following to Increase Ticket Sales" taught by William Rader. The festival is one of the most unique opportunities for theatre practitioners across the spectrum--actors, producers, directors, and designers to grow their skills and knowledge through educational workshops and direct critiques from their performances.

"The talent and the professionalism of all these companies inspires me to broaden my horizons," said one participant of last year's festival. "I learned more in three days by watching others perform than I would have in ten years on my own."

The Colorado Theatre Festival is open to the public. Often cited as the best theatre deal in town, tickets to the festival are $65 per person and include admission to all activities at the Festival, seven theatre company performances, four workshops, and all networking and social events. Single workshop / performance passes are available, as well as student and senior discounts. Visit www.cctctheatrefestival.com to register. The 2016 Festival is expected to attract 150 participants at the same time that the culturally-oriented town of Salida is also producing the Salida Art Walk.

The Colorado Community Theatre Coalition is a state-wide theatre organization that promotes and enriches community theatre in the State of Colorado and is comprised of individuals who are passionate about producing quality theatre at the community level. Held annually in various locations across the State of Colorado, the Colorado Theatre Festival provides opportunities for theatre companies and professionals to expand the quality and effectiveness of their performance art and craft. The Festival is presented by the Colorado Community Theatre Coalition in partnership with the Salida SteamPlant Event Center.

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