Here at THEATREWORKS, we like to play. In fact, we take our play very seriously. We've studied it religiously and we practice it daily. The result? Really good plays. Turns out that when you bring a group of highly creative and unbelievably talented dreamers together, they can make magic.

 

So that's what we do, we play and we make magic. (The less poetic details are below...)

MISSION

THEATERWORKS is a professional, regional theatre company dedicated to creating challenging and innovative productions of classic and contemporary theatre for the enjoyment, education and stimulation of our community, including the Pikes Peak Region, the University of Colorado, and, on occasion the larger world.

HISTORY

THEATREWORKS was originally founded in 1975 as an outreach program of the University of Colorado, Colorado Springs. Through the decades it has grown into what is today the region’s premiere professional theatre company, remaining located on the campus in central Colorado Springs.

 

In 2003, we opened the Dusty Loo Bon Vivant Theater, our primary performance space. This flexible space theater typically seats up to 200, and you will rarely ever see it configured the same way twice. We produce about 7 shows a year that range from classic to experimental, and we are constantly trying new things to keep ourselves and our audiences engaged and excited.

Murray Ross, Artistic Director

email | 719.255.3134

Murray Ross is a founding member of THEATREWORKS, where he has been artistic director since 1976. He also teaches in the theatre program at UCCS. He has directed, adapted and created over 100 works for the stage. Original stage plays include Monkey Business, The Last Night of Don Juan, The Lady of the Camellias, Dar-al-Harb and I am Nikola Tesla. He has written stage adaptations of Huckleberry Finn, The Odyssey, Plato’s Symposium, Treasure Island, Venus and Adonis and several versions of A Christmas Carol. He has directed original theatre projects with orchestras in Colorado Springs, New York, San Antonio, Phoenix and Cincinnati. Recent productions include The Seagull, The Merchant of Venice, and The Lost Boys. He is married to the painter and costumer, Elizabeth Ross, and is the father of four splendid sons, two acquired, two sired.

 

Caitlin Green, Development Director

email | 719.255.3114

Caitlin Green has been at THEATREWORKS since 2011. She graduated from the University of Denver in 2001 with a degree in English literature and art. In 2008 she earned an M.A. in Contemproary Art HIstory from the Sotheby's Institute of Art in London, and in 2012 she will complete an M.P.A. from the University of Colorado in non-profit management. Prior to working at THEATREWORKS she was the director of the Galleries of Contemporary Art in Colorado Springs and a communications specialist at the City of Colorado Springs.

 

Randy Dipner, Development Assistant

Randy Dipner is a member of the THEATREWORKS Advisory Board and volunteer development assistant. When not fund-raising, he occasionally picks up a hammer or a paint brush to help Roy finish a set. In 2009, Randy produced Invisible Voices, a chronicle of the lives of six people with disabilities. Randy’s prior theatre experience includes roles as Master Carpenter, Technical Director, and Box Office Manager with Playhouse on the Green in Columbus, Ohio from 1967 through 1972. Randy led the organization of the All Colorado Beer Festival, which has generated over $47,000 for THEATREWORKS. Randy is the co-founder of Meeting the Challenge, a consulting firm that helps organizations implement the Americans with Disabilities Act. He holds degrees in computer science and aerospace engineering from the Ohio State University. He and his wife, Trice, have been active THEATREWORKS patrons since 1976. They have two married daughters and five grandchildren.

Drew Martorella, Executive Director

email | 719.255.3232

Drew Martorella graduated from Drew University in 1989 and received his MPA  from the University of Colorado in 2004. In 1985 he served as an assistant stage manager for Theatre West Virginia and from 1987 through 1989 served as a production assistant, second assistant stage manager, stage manager, and production stage manager for the New Jersey Shakespeare Festival. As a professional stage manager he has stage managed numerous productions for the Playwright's Theatre of New Jersey, the Foundation of the Dramatists Guild, the Tiffany Theatre in Los Angeles, and the Mark Taper Forum. He has served as Producing Director for THEATREWORKS from 1995-2008 and Executive Director since 2008.

 

Brantley Haines, Technical Director

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Brantley Haines graduated from the University of Colorado in 2000 with a BFA in Theater Performance Studies.  Prior to joining the THEATREWORKS family, he was the Master Carpenter at the Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center for seven years. In this capacity, he was privileged to work on shows such as Sweeney Todd, Sunday In The Park With George, Brighton Beach Memoirs and The Vibrator Play.  He has also been the stage manager for over 20 productions, including An Ideal Husband, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Fuddy Meers and The Music Man. His credits also include work at the Theater on Broadway and Curious Theater in Denver as well as The Dairy Center for the Arts in Boulder and three seasons with the Colorado Shakespeare Festival.  He has an affinity for beating the boards with other actors and, like most in the theater world, he has written a number of plays that are in various stages of abandon.

 

 

Lauren Duggin, Costume Shop Manager

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Lauren Duggin is a UCCS Visual Arts major who joined the THEATREWORKS team in 2010 as an assistant and stitcher to the incredible Betty Ross. She became Costume Shop Manager at the end of 2011 and declared her Theater minor shortly afterwards. She is very excited and honored to be able to work with such an amazing group of people. She has worked on several shows including Boeing Boeing, The Seagull, Joe Turner's Come and Gone and The 39 Steps. She has also designed costumes for Dr. Faustus at the Osborne Theater.

Elizabeth Eubank, Audience Services Manager
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Elizabeth Eubank started at THEATREWORKS as a seating usher in 2010 while she was working on her degree at the University of Colorado. After graduating with a BA degree in Sociology, she joined on as a full time staff member. Although she doesn’t have a degree in Theater and has minimal acting experience; she greatly enjoys the ever changing atmosphere of theatre and has been involved in small town theatre since she was a child. She has worked over 20 productions so far and hopes there are many more in the future; possibly all over the world.