Lowry's Spotlight Theater to Close its Doors

Sad news comes to Denver in a recent announcement made on Facebook that Lowry's Spotlight Theater will be permanently closing. The company is currently celebrating its 20th anniversary season.

Artistic Director Bernie Cardell broke the news detailing just how the company came to the decision. Read his statement below:

Begin with gratitude.

I have been involved with Spotlight Theater for over eleven years, and in that time I don't know that I have ever seen patrons so enthusiastic in their support. It's been less like running a business and more like administrating a fan club. I am so grateful for the support and the love we have seen from our patrons and season ticket holders. This is what makes our announcement such a difficult one.

The board of directors and I have been discussing this for several months, and we have come to the decision to close our company. The next two shows will be our last.

As you can imagine, many factors go into making a large change like this, but it all boils down to the two things that inform most decisions: time and money.

Money: Producing theatre is more expensive now than it was twenty years ago. Costs go up while the number of seats you can sell for a production remain the same.

Time: Our board of directors is a working board. As a dedicated group, we make the shows you see at Spotlight happen. And for some of us, the amount of time we have available for Spotlight is decreasing. Some want to start families while others have commitments elsewhere that are requiring more and more time.

In light of this, we decided as a group to close Spotlight. At the end of this season, we will have brought twenty years of entertainment to you, and I am grateful for the opportunity to bring you the best experience we could create. It's been a soul-satisfying experience.

AND.....we're not done yet!

Coming next month, we have the hilarious comedy The Complete Work of William Shakespeare....Abridged. Whether you are a Shakespeare fan or not, you will not want to miss this. It's outrageous. For you season ticket holders, don't forget this show is the final show included in your 2017-2018 season ticket.

And then as a final goodbye, we decided to add one last show: You Can't Take it With You. I thought this would be the perfect send-off for the company, and it is a show we have not produced before. It incorporates the best of what Spotlight does....allows you to forget your worries and escape for a night of fun. You will LOVE this classic comedy.

I do hope you will join us for both of these shows. You are going to have a GREAT time.

Spotlight is not going away completely. You'll find me and several other Spotlight-eers working over at Vintage Theatre, just ten minutes away from the John Hand. And the Firehouse Theatre Company is still going strong. There will also be some new tenants at the John Hand Theatre, so be on the lookout for some new surprises.

Please feel free to contact me at bernie.cardell@outlook.com if you have any questions, comments, or would just like to share some of your favorite Spotlight memories. I would love to hear them.

And in the meantime.....see YOU at the theatre.

For more information about Spotlight's final season, visit www.thisisspotlight.com

Photo from RUMORS featuring Mark Collins, Bernie Cardell, and Hayley Johnson; photo by Soular Radiant Photography.

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