Buntport Theater Company is a non-profit[1] professional theater group in Denver, Colorado. The company creates and produces original works and adaptations through a collaborative team approach without officially designated positions for writers, directors, or designers.[2]
The core members currently include Brian Colonna, Hannah Duggan, Erik Edborg, Erin Rollman, and Samantha Schmitz.[3] Co-founder Evan Weissman transitioned to focus on a "civic health club" called Warm Cookies of the Revolution in 2013.[4]
The members of Bundport Theater Company began collaborating while attending Colorado College in Colorado Springs in the late 1990s.[5] Their first performance, "Quixote," was staged in July 1998.[6]
The company initially produced a few shows and toured theaters, schools, and fringe theatre festivals. In 2000, they transformed a cement warehouse into a fully operational black box theater with adaptable seating. As of 2022, Buntport has staged 45 mainstage productions[6] and 100 episodes of two "live sitcoms" (Magnets on the Fridge and Starship Troy). They also present an all-ages live comic book show, tRUNks, which has produced over 40 installments.[citation needed]
Buntport has received over 75 awards, including the Denver's Mayor Award in 2010.[7]
Buntport has defined its mission as providing high-quality programming, keeping ticket prices affordable, and ensuring audience engagement.
To foster regular audience participation, Buntport introduced a live sitcom format. Over six months, they debuted a new episode of a "sitcom" every other Tuesday and Wednesday night, complete with commercial breaks and summer reruns. Each episode was crafted based on an audience suggestion from the previous episode and often featured guest stars from the Denver theater scene.
The inaugural sitcom production, Magnets on the Fridge, gained a devoted following, earning numerous accolades from the media and critics. It ran for five seasons before being succeeded by Starship Troy, which had a successful three-season run.
Buntport brought their live sitcoms to a close on December 31, 2008, with the airing of the 100th episode of the show.
The Buntport ensemble, drawing from the style of their live sitcom, has developed and presents a family-friendly live comic book named tRUNks. This production, which runs on alternate Saturdays, is produced by Buntport and occasionally features ensemble members as guest stars. tRUNks is scripted and performed by Jessica Robblee, Mitch Slevc, and Matt Zambrano. It has received recognition for outstanding children's theater from notable Colorado publications and the Colorado Theatre Guild.[citation needed]
Productions (chronological)
Buntport Theater Company produces a minimum of two original plays annually. The following is a list of original plays performed by the Buntport Theater with premiere dates.[6]
Quixote (July, 1998)
“...and this is my significant bother.” (March, 2001) – Based on nine short stories by James Thurber.
Word-Horde: an adaptation of sorts of Beowulf (March, 2001)
Fin (June, 2001)
Ward #6 (August, 2001) – Adaptation of a short story by Anton Chekhov.
Donner: A Documentary (December, 2001)
Titus Andronicus: The Musical! (May, 2002)
The Odyssey: A Walking Tour (October, 2002)
The 30th of Baydak (June, 2003) – Inspired by the novel Too Loud a Solitude.
Elevator (September, 2003)
< Cinderella (September, 2003) – An adaptation of Cinderella.
Idiot Box (December, 2003) – Sketch comedy based on television.
Rocky Mountain News Top Of The Rocky 2003: “Top Theater Company”
References
^Roberts, Andrea Suozzo, Ken Schwencke, Mike Tigas, Sisi Wei, Alec Glassford, Brandon (2013-05-09). "Buntport Theater Company - Nonprofit Explorer". ProPublica. Archived from the original on 2022-12-19. Retrieved 2022-12-19.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
^Juliet Wittman (20 May 2019). "Buntport Brings Back Something Is Rotten, a Hilarious Take on Hamlet". westword.com. Denver Westword. Retrieved 9 Oct 2023. Former company member Evan Weissman, who stopped working full-time with the group in 2013 to devote his attention to Warm Cookies of the Revolution, the popular "civic health club" he founded, will return for Something Is Rotten, joining Edborg and Colonna.
