Bonfils Memorial Theatre, also known as Lowenstein Theatre, was a
community theatre Community theatre refers to any theatrical performance made in relation to particular communities—its usage includes theatre made by, with, and for a community. It may refer to a production that is made entirely by a community with no outside he ...
in the Capitol Hill neighborhood of
Denver
Denver () is a consolidated city and county, the capital, and most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Its population was 715,522 at the 2020 census, a 19.22% increase since 2010. It is the 19th-most populous city in the Unit ...
, Colorado, which operated from 1953 to 1986. Built by Denver philanthropist
Helen Bonfils
Helen Gilmer Bonfils (November 16, 1889 – June 6, 1972) was an American heiress, actress, theatrical producer, newspaper executive, and philanthropist. She acted in local theatre in Denver, Colorado, and on Broadway, and also co-produced plays in ...
in memory of her parents,
Frederick Gilmer Bonfils
Frederick Gilmer Bonfils (December 21, 1860 – February 2, 1933) was an American publisher who made the ''Denver Post'' into one of the largest newspapers in the United States.Staff report (February 3, 1933). F. G. BONFILS DEAD; VETERAN EDITOR; ...
and Belle Barton Bonfils, it staged plays, operas, concerts, films, lectures, and television shows, presenting more than 400 productions. In 1985 it was renamed the Lowenstein Theatre in honor of its longtime producer,
Henry Lowenstein. The theatre closed in 1986 and sat vacant for two decades. It was purchased in 2005 by Charles Woolley of the St. Charles Town Company, which renovated and reopened the building in 2006 as a
Tattered Cover
Tattered Cover is a bookstore chain in Denver, Colorado. It is one of the largest independent bookstores in the United States. Tattered Cover is open seven days a week at all branches, hosts prominent book signings, and is known for its custome ...
bookstore. The theatre building is listed on the
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...
.
Location
The theatre building is located at 1475 Elizabeth Street, on the southwest corner of
East Colfax Avenue, in Northeast Denver.
Description
The theatre was designed in
Art Moderne
Streamline Moderne is an international style of Art Deco architecture and design that emerged in the 1930s. Inspired by aerodynamic design, it emphasized curving forms, long horizontal lines, and sometimes nautical elements. In industrial design ...
style by Denver architect John K. Monroe.
The one-story structure, covering , was faced in cream-colored brick and trimmed in buff-colored terra cotta and red sandstone.[ Below the "wing-swept" marquee, a contoured aluminum canopy overhung the entrance.][
Inside, the ]travertine
Travertine ( ) is a form of terrestrial limestone deposited around mineral springs, especially hot springs. It often has a fibrous or concentric appearance and exists in white, tan, cream-colored, and even rusty varieties. It is formed by a pro ...
lobby sported a "Prussian blue
Prussian blue (also known as Berlin blue, Brandenburg blue or, in painting, Parisian or Paris blue) is a dark blue pigment produced by oxidation of ferrous ferrocyanide salts. It has the chemical formula Fe CN)">Cyanide.html" ;"title="e(Cyani ...
rug, wood-paneled walls, pumpkin-colored plaster, and tall windows".[ On one side of the lobby stood a ]shrine
A shrine ( la, scrinium "case or chest for books or papers"; Old French: ''escrin'' "box or case") is a sacred or holy sacred space, space dedicated to a specific deity, ancestor worship, ancestor, hero, martyr, saint, Daemon (mythology), daem ...
to the Abbey Theatre
The Abbey Theatre ( ga, Amharclann na Mainistreach), also known as the National Theatre of Ireland ( ga, Amharclann Náisiúnta na hÉireann), in Dublin, Ireland, is one of the country's leading cultural institutions. First opening to the pu ...
in England. The lower lobby and bar was accessed via a grand staircase.[
The theatre had seating for 550. Its Prussian-blue ]stage curtain
Theater drapes and stage curtains are large pieces of cloth that are designed to mask backstage areas of a theater from spectators. They are designed for a variety of specific purposes, moving in different ways (if at all) and constructed from v ...
was complemented by gray side walls and red carpeting. Backstage were nine dressing rooms. Monroe designed an electronic lighting switchboard – a "smaller version of the system used in New York City's Metropolitan Opera House" – to accommodate a variety of productions, including plays, operas, concerts, films, and lectures.[ The venue was also appropriate for use as a ]television studio
A television studio, also called a television production studio, is an installation room in which video productions take place, either for the production of live television and its recording onto video tape or other media such as SSDs, or for t ...
.[
Helen Bonfils consulted with actor ]Raymond Burr
Raymond William Stacy Burr (May 21, 1917September 12, 1993) was a Canadian actor known for his lengthy Hollywood film career and his title roles in television dramas ''Perry Mason'' and '' Ironside''.
Burr's early acting career included roles ...
on the theatre layout. Decades later, the ''Perry Mason'' TV movies starring Burr used the premises as a filming location between 1987 and 1989.[
]
History
The Bonfils Memorial Theatre was built at a cost of $1.25 million by Helen Bonfils, a Denver philanthropist and owner of ''The Denver Post
''The Denver Post'' is a daily newspaper and website published in Denver, Colorado. As of June 2022, it has an average print circulation of 57,265. In 2016, its website received roughly six million monthly unique visitors generating more than 13 ...
'', in memory of her parents, Frederick Gilmer Bonfils
Frederick Gilmer Bonfils (December 21, 1860 – February 2, 1933) was an American publisher who made the ''Denver Post'' into one of the largest newspapers in the United States.Staff report (February 3, 1933). F. G. BONFILS DEAD; VETERAN EDITOR; ...
and Belle Barton Bonfils.[ Bonfils designated the theatre as the new home for the University Civic Theatre, an amateur theatre which since 1929 had operated on the campus of the ]University of Denver
The University of Denver (DU) is a private university, private research university in Denver, Colorado. Founded in 1864, it is the oldest independent private university in the Mountain States, Rocky Mountain Region of the United States. It is ...
.[ In 1942 Bonfils gifted a different site, at 1425 Cleveland Place, to the University Civic Theatre, but due to World War II the building could not be remodeled. In 1948 Bonfils acquired the property at 1425 Elizabeth Street and arranged for the removal of a ten-room house to make room for construction of a theatre, which she rented to the newly renamed Denver Civic Theatre for one dollar a year.][
With its opening on October 14, 1953, the Bonfils Memorial Theatre was the first live-performance theatre to open in Denver in four decades.] It quickly became the "social center of the city", with opening nights presided over by Bonfils and attended by society figures. President Dwight D. Eisenhower
Dwight David "Ike" Eisenhower (born David Dwight Eisenhower; ; October 14, 1890 – March 28, 1969) was an American military officer and statesman who served as the 34th president of the United States from 1953 to 1961. During World War II, ...
dispatched a congratulatory telegram to Helen Bonfils upon the theatre's opening.[ The first production, '']Green Grow the Lilacs
Green Grow the Lilacs is a folk song of Irish origin that was popular in the United States during the mid-19th century.
The song title is the source of a folk etymology for the word '' gringo'' that states that the Mexicans misheard U.S. troops si ...
'', was seen by an audience of 500.[
]
Productions and performers
The theatre presented main stage
Main stage or mainstage refers to the largest or most prestigious space of a theatre building and to the productions performed in that space. Mainstage theatre has been historically distinguished from smaller-scale studio theatre. It is usually ...
, cabaret
Cabaret is a form of theatrical entertainment featuring music, song, dance, recitation, or drama. The performance venue might be a pub, a casino, a hotel, a restaurant, or a nightclub with a stage for performances. The audience, often dining or d ...
, and children's theatre.[ It staged more than 400 productions from 1953 to 1986.][ Performers at the Bonfils Memorial Theatre included ]John Ashton John Ashton may refer to:
Entertainment
* John Ashton (composer) (1830–1896), Welsh musician
* Will Ashton (John William Ashton, 1881–1963), British-Australian artist and art director
* John Rowland Ashton (1917–2008), English author
* John ...
, Tony Church
James Anthony Church (11 May 1930 – 25 March 2008) was an English actor, who has appeared on stage and screen. In 1989 he became the Dean of the National Theatre Conservatory, which is the teaching arm of the Denver Center Theatre Company in ...
, and Cleo Parker Robinson
Cleo Parker Robinson (born July 17, 1948 in Denver, Colorado) is an American dancer and choreographer. She is most known for being the founder, namesake and executive creative director of the Cleo Parker Robinson Dance Ensemble. She was inducted ...
.[ Celebrities who appeared in theatrical productions included Helen Bonfils (herself an actress and theatrical producer), ]Mary Jo Catlett
Mary Jo Catlett (born September 2, 1938) is an American actress. She is a main cast member on the animated series ''SpongeBob SquarePants'', providing the voice of Mrs. Puff. She is also known for originating the role of Ernestina in the 1964 Bro ...
, Julia Child
Julia Carolyn Child (née McWilliams; August 15, 1912 – August 13, 2004) was an American cooking teacher, author, and television personality. She is recognized for bringing French cuisine to the American public with her debut cookbook, '' ...
(she gave a cooking demonstration), Kevin Kline
Kevin Delaney Kline (born October 24, 1947) is an American actor. He is the recipient of an Academy Award and three Tony Awards. In addition, he has received nominations for two British Academy Film Awards, two Primetime Emmy Awards, and five ...
, Patti LuPone
Patti Ann LuPone (born April 21, 1949) is an American actress and singer best known for her work in musical theater. She has won three Tony Awards, two Olivier Awards, two Grammy Awards, and was a 2006 inductee to the American Theater Hall of Fa ...
, Ted Shackelford
Theodore Tillman Shackelford III (born June 23, 1946) is an American actor. He played Gary Ewing in the CBS television series ''Dallas'' and ''Knots Landing'' (1979–1993); since 2006, he has appeared in a recurring role on the CBS soap ''The You ...
, David Ogden Stiers
David Allen Ogden Stiers ( ; October 31, 1942 – March 3, 2018) was an American actor and conductor. He appeared in numerous productions on Broadway, and originated the role of Feldman in ''The Magic Show'', in which he appeared for four ...
, Marilyn Van Derbur
Marilyn Elaine Van Derbur (born June 16, 1937) is an American author, motivational speaker, and beauty pageant titleholder.
In July 1957, she was crowned Miss Colorado 1957. On September 7, 1957, she was crowned Miss America 1958 in Atlantic Cit ...
(Miss Colorado
The Miss Colorado competition is the pageant that selects the representative for the state of Colorado in the Miss America pageant. Colorado has won the Miss America crown on three occasions.
Savannah Cavanaugh of Beaver Creek, Colorado was ...
1957 and Miss America 1958
Miss America 1958, the 31st Miss America pageant, was held at the Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey on September 7, 1957 on CBS.
The winner, Marilyn Van Derbur, who was a Phi Beta Kappa Society, Phi Beta Kappa scholar at the University ...
), Joan Van Ark
Joan Van Ark (born June 16, 1943) is an American actress. She is best known for her role as Valene Ewing on the primetime soap opera ''Knots Landing.'' A life member of The Actors Studio, she made her Broadway debut in 1966 in ''Barefoot in the P ...
, Emlyn Williams
George Emlyn Williams, CBE (26 November 1905 – 25 September 1987) was a Welsh writer, dramatist and actor.
Early life
Williams was born into a Welsh-speaking, working class family at 1 Jones Terrace, Pen-y-ffordd, Ffynnongroyw, Flintsh ...
, and Paul Winfield
Paul Edward Winfield (May 22, 1939 – March 7, 2004) was an American stage, film and television actor. He was known for his portrayal of a Louisiana sharecropper who struggles to support his family during the Great Depression in the landmark fi ...
.[ Bonfils lent her extensive collection of "fur coats, jewels, silver, furniture, and rugs" as props for many productions.
During the summers, the theatre sent a "summer festival caravan" around to city parks to entertain audiences, and presented a free outdoor musical in ]Cheesman Park
Cheesman Park is an urban park and neighborhood located in the City and County of Denver, Colorado, United States.
Geography
Cheesman Park is located in central Denver, southeast of downtown. The Park has inexact borders, as it is framed on three ...
.[
Henry Lowenstein, hired as a set designer in 1956, became the theatrical producer in 1967.][ In 1985 the theatre was renamed the Lowenstein Theatre in his honor.][
]
Closure
The theatre remained open for more than a decade after Helen Bonfils' death in 1972. In 1973 the Denver Civic Theatre moved to the Denver Center for the Performing Arts
The Denver Center for the Performing Arts (DCPA) is an organization in Denver, Colorado which provides a showcase for live theatre, a nurturing ground for new plays, a preferred stop on the Broadway touring circuit, acting classes for the communi ...
(DCPA),[ and in 1974 the Bonfils Memorial Theatre came under the jurisdiction of the governing board of the DCPA, which had been formed from Bonfils' estate.][ The board continued to operate the Bonfils Memorial Theatre as a community theatre, but in 1984, as professional theatre gained popularity at the DCPA, the board closed the main stage.][ The cabaret and children's shows continued to be staged until 1986, when the board closed the theatre permanently.][ After the DCPA opened, the productions at Bonfils continued to attract a large audience. The story goes, Don Seawell, Chairman of the DCPA, attended a production of Sweeney Todd, did not like the competition, and decided to close the Bonfils. Many in the local theater community considered the renaming of the Bonfils to the Lowenstein to be an honor but also a slap in the face to Henry.
]
Renovation
The theatre sat vacant for two decades. In May 2005[ Charles Woolley of the St. Charles Town Company purchased the property from the Bonfils Foundation for $1.9 million.][ The development company undertook a $16 million preservation and renovation project to convert the theatre into a bookstore and add a record shop, ]art cinema
An art film (or arthouse film) is typically an independent film, aimed at a niche market rather than a mass market audience. It is "intended to be a serious, artistic work, often experimental and not designed for mass appeal", "made primarily f ...
, and 230-space parking garage to the adjoining lot.[
In June 2006 the theatre building reopened as a ]Tattered Cover
Tattered Cover is a bookstore chain in Denver, Colorado. It is one of the largest independent bookstores in the United States. Tattered Cover is open seven days a week at all branches, hosts prominent book signings, and is known for its custome ...
bookstore. While few changes were made to the exterior, the sloped flooring of the theatre had to be leveled and the interior redesigned for retail trade.[ The redesign, executed by architect Josh Comfort, retained many "historical details and finishes"; for example, some original red mohair-covered seats were retained in two rear balcony areas, and the original ]orchestra pit
An orchestra pit is the area in a theater (usually located in a lowered area in front of the stage) in which musicians perform. Orchestral pits are utilized in forms of theatre that require music (such as opera and ballet) or in cases when incide ...
, accessed via a ramp, was filled with a display of "books on the performing arts".[ The backstage dressing rooms, rehearsal area, and offices made way for a restaurant and coffee shop. The development company received the 2006 Community Preservation Award from Historic Denver for the project.][
The theatre building was listed on the ]National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...
in 2006.[
]
References
Sources
*
*
* {{cite book, url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ER_kf0pWJZUC&pg=PA97, title=Women of Consequence: The Colorado Women's Hall of Fame, first=Jeanne, last=Varnell, publisher=Big Earth Publishing, year=1999, isbn=1555662145
External links
"Henry Lowenstein: 'Father of Denver theatre' passes away"
Denver Center for the Performing Arts
The Denver Center for the Performing Arts (DCPA) is an organization in Denver, Colorado which provides a showcase for live theatre, a nurturing ground for new plays, a preferred stop on the Broadway touring circuit, acting classes for the communi ...
, October 7, 2014
Community theatre
Theatres in Denver
1953 establishments in Colorado
National Register of Historic Places in Denver
Theatres completed in 1953
Theatres on the National Register of Historic Places in Colorado