Creede Repertory Theatre
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[edit] History
The Creede Repertory Theatre (CRT) was founded in 1966 when 12 students from the University of Kansas came to Creede, Colorado, responding to a letter drafted by the Creede Junior Chamber of Commerce and Pastor Jim Livingston. The letter was a call for help. With the mining business declining in Creede, the town needed a new source of viable income to help sustain the smaller businesses and its year-round residents. Steve Grossman, a theatre student at KU, was the only one who responded to the letter. He took 11 students with him and together they launched the first of many summer theatre seasons in Creede. The first season began with the opening of Mr. Roberts and continued with the showing of The Bat, Our Town, The Rainmaker, and Born Yesterday. The shows were run in repertory format which allowed patrons to see a new play each night of the week. [1]
[edit] The Theatre Today
Forty-two years later, the theatre continues to operate on the principles established by Grossman and the KU theatre students. CRT maintains a rigorous repertory schedule, continues to employ an ensemble cast and crew, and is committed to choosing a diverse selection of plays. In 2005, USA Today ranked CRT as one of the “10 great places to see lights way off Broadway.” [2] The 2006 company received 11 Ovation nominations from the Denver Post. [3] In 2007, CRT was awarded the National Theatre Conference’s Award of Outstanding Achievement. [4] Presently, CRT is the largest summer employer in all of Mineral County.
