DNC draws theater groups hoping to put across their political messages

By Lisa Bornstein, Rocky Mountain News (Contact)

Published August 22, 2008 at 3 p.m.

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With masks, puppets, costumes and sometimes even with stages, they're coming from across town and across the country to put on their shows.

The Democratic National Convention, with its tens of thousands of participants and, perhaps just as important, its 15,000 media, draws every kind of theater hoping to put across its political message.

History repeats

"What we are hoping to do is to engage with people who are going to be here not necessarily as the delegate count, but folks who are certainly here with political agendas and ideas on their minds," says Brian Freeland.

Countdown to Zero, his theater company, will be reprising its production of Bertolt Brecht's The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui. The first run was during the primary season.

"We really wanted to push that message about what can happen to a society when leaders aren't questioned or when they're intimidated by leadership," he says.

"We agreed that it was also an unprecedented opportunity for us with the convention being here in Denver. If we had the means and the funds, we'd be in Minneapolis as well."

Countdown to Zero also will be using its warehouse theater, Bindery Space, as a gathering place for other artists.

"We're telling people who are making political theater that they've got a safe place to store props during the daytime, maybe make puppets and banners and things."

The Irresistible Rise of Arturo Ui, Tuesday, 720-221-3821.

Laying the groundwork

Mitch Dickman's company, Listen Productions, isn't performing at the convention, but researching it. The fall production, Mediamockracy, will incorporate video shot at the convention in an original play based on media coverage of the event. It opens Sept. 26 at Buntport Theater.

"There's that question of, you don't know what's going to happen," he says. "There's definitely some anxiety."

Dickman plans to get access to the Pepsi Center through the Colorado Independent Media Center, in addition to covering the protests outside. Local actors William Hahn, Karen Slack and GerRee Hinshaw will be "reporting" on video from the convention for footage to be incorporated later.

"The goal with this is to bring the video to the play and make it an intrinsic aspect of the play."

Mediamockracy, Sept. 26-Oct. 25, 720-290-1104.

Spreading the word

Marine Jeff Key kept a journal while he was in Iraq; those writings have become his one-man show, The Eyes of Babylon, now playing at Denver Civic Theatre.

Key's story is unusual: a theater school graduate, he joined the Marines at 34. Key gradually became convinced the war was a mistake, and came out as a gay man, resulting in his discharge.

"When I got back from Iraq, and people would ask me about the war, I would read to them from my journals," Key says. "People said, 'You should develop this as a performance piece,' but mostly I was just battling my depression."

He eventually did write the play, and is working on his next one, about being gay in the military. Although he timed his Denver run with the convention, he won't be going to Minneapolis-St. Paul for the Republicans.

"There's nothing really there for me," he says. "I understand where they're coming from, and I get it, but I believe it's a very dangerous time for the nation that I love, and I have to put all my energy in a place where it might make a difference. That's not to say I put all my faith in the Democrats. So far they've let me down in a big way."

The question remains whether Key - or anyone - will be able to draw convention attendees to their shows.

"Those people who come to the Democratic National Convention are gonna know: Here's an Iraq war veteran 10 blocks from the convention center for a month telling his story. Now, the number of people that make that 10-block walk or drive is going to let me know if the Democrats' talk about 'We're really the party that supports the troops' is political talk or if there's any reality to it."

The Eyes of Babylon, through Sept. 7, 303-309-3773

Other theater of political note:

* The Capitol Steps: Politically themed comedy. 7:30 p.m. today, Arvada Center, 720-898-7200.

* Allied Witches - Presidential Election Convention 2008: Political comedy. 7:30 p.m. today and Aug. 29, Mercury Cafe, 303-294-9258.

* Free Gas!: Chicken Lips comedy troupe performs. 7:30 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays through Aug. 30, Avenue Theater, 303-321-5925.

* Show Up for Democracy: PHAMALY performs an original one-act, nonpartisan musical. 2 and 7 p.m. today, private convention week performances. Mizel Arts and Culture Center, 303-575-0005.

* Bovine Metropolis: Political comedy shows. Convention? 7:30 p.m. Wednesdays, Planet Washington 7 p.m. Sunday and 10 p.m. Monday through Thursday, On the Spot 11 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 303-758-4722.

* Red State: Play by San Francisco Mime Troupe. 6 and 8:30 p.m. Wednesday, Bindery Space, 720-221-3821.

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