Denver Actors Fund dentist Brian Kelly helps actor David Ballew complete five-year dental odyssey
Aid recipient: David Ballew, co-founder of the new Invictus Theatre Company with Christin Mason Martin, has been an active actor in the Colorado theatre community for nearly two decades, with credits at local theatres including Theatre Group, Vintage Theatre and more. Most recently, he appeared in Gene Kato’s “10 Pin Alley” for the Wheat Ridge Theatre Company and “Santa Claus Conquers the Martians” at The Bug Theatre. Other memorable productions include “Southern Baptist Sissies,” “The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas,” “Jeffrey.” “Evil Dead The Musical” and “Roald Dahl’s Willy Wonka.” He is originally from Farmersville, Texas, and is a former Head Park Ambassador at Elitch Gardens.
His medical story: David has had longstanding issues with gum disease, which is sadly common among artists who go through life without consistent and affordable dental insurance. In 2018, David was in need of emergency treatment. Over the past few months, it was determined by two independent dentists that it was in David’s best interests to have dentures which involved a major surgery and full replacement with prosthetic teeth
How the Denver Actors Fund initially helped: The Denver Actors Fund initially helped David through his immediate, emergency dental crisis in 2017 and then connected him with our partnering dentist, Brian Kelly, who addressed some of David’s more long-term issues. A significant treatment course was begun, which amounted to the value of $5,078 in essential services over two years. In addition, Denver Actors Fund’s transportation Action Team provided Ballew with rides to and from his appointments. (Thank you, Sean Mallary, Nita Froelich and Kristen Samu.)
And, more recently: Dr. Kelly and The Denver Actors Fund saw David through his recent, final dental odyssey, which included the equivalent of $8,180 in donated services from Dr. Kelly and a $902 payment by the DAF to a third-party prosthetics company for its lab fees. That brings our overall support for David to $13,829 to date. Of that, $12,699 is in-kind service provided by Dr. Kelly as his personal, in-kind donation to The Denver Actors Fund, and $1,130 in third-party bills paid by the DAF. Through all of this, David has not had to pay a penny toward his treatment.
Who is Dr. Brian Kelly? Dr. Brian Kelly DDS (named one of Denver’s top dentists more than a dozen times by 5280 Magazine) is a former Broadway actor who also danced for the American Ballet Theatre. His Broadway credits include “La Cage Aux Folles” and “A Chorus Line.” For years, Brian was known to randomly provide free or reduced-cost dental services to members of our theatre community. In 2017, Dr. Kelly approached the Denver Actors Fund about an official partnership, with an emphasis on providing immediate emergency dental care to help beneficiaries transition from a diseased to a healthy gum state. To date, Dr. Kelly has povided the equivalent of $140,000 in free emergency dental care for members of the Colorado theater community through the Denver Actors Fund. (Note: Members of the theater community must continue to apply for assistance through the Denver Actors Fund and are asked not to contact Dr. Kelly directly.)
‘DR, BRIAN KELLY, YOU ARE INCREDIBLY GENEROUS FOR DOING THIS.’
A message from David Ballew: “I am grateful, blessed and, humbled by the gift that Dr. Brian Kelly and the Denver Actors Fund have given me. Thanks to this help, I can smile and be proud again. I’m beyond grateful for this. Thank you to everyone who has helped make this happen for me. I love our theater community and how we reach out to each other in any way possible. The kindness and feeling of community has really spoken to me in ways that I never thought possible. You are all beautiful and lovely people. I also want to thank Brian Kelly for helping me through this process. You are incredibly generous, and I can’t thank you enough for this. You and The Denver Actors Fund are life-changers for me. Keep being kind and loving! Love and gratitude always.”
How you can help us : If you would like to donate to the Denver Actors Fund, simply mail checks in any amount made out to Denver Actors Fund to P.O. Box 11182, Denver, CO 80211. Or use this donation link, with our humble thanks.
Read testimonials from other Denver Actors Fund beneficiaries here
Note: At the Denver Actors Fund, anonymity of aid recipients is presumed and fully protected, unless and until the recipient chooses to have his or her story told.
HOW YOU CAN HELP US REPLENISH:
To DONATE the Denver Actors Fund, please CLICK HERE (with our humble thanks)
ABOUT THE DENVER ACTORS FUND:
Video above: The Denver Actors Fund receives the Colorado Theatre Guild’s 2016 Community Impact Award.
The Denver Actors Fund is a modest source of immediate, situational relief when members of the local theater community find themselves in medical need. To date, the Fund has allocated more than $1,000,000 to artists facing medical need. In addition to financial relief, a team of more than 100 Denver Actors Fund volunteers offers good neighborly assistance including meal prep and delivery, child care, transportation, errands, construction, pet-sitting and more. For more information, visit our web site at DenverActorsFund.Org.
HOW TO APPLY FOR AID:
To apply for Denver Actors Fund aid: Fill out this brief online form here
MORE WAYS TO HELP:
DONATE BY MAIL:
Send checks made out to the Denver Actors Fund to:
P.O. Box 11182
Denver, CO 80211
VOLUNTEER:
Ever thought about taking a more active role in the Denver Actors Fund? Click here for more information
COME TO THE EVENTS THAT SUPPORT US:
MONDAY, AUGUST 15: The Denver Actors Fund has surpassed $1 million in medical assistance made available to members of the Colorado theater community, and to celebrate, we are partnering with the Candlelight Dinner Playhouse to host a benefit concert headlined by Broadway star Beth Malone. The Colorado native and Tony Award-nominated actor received a 2015 Tony Award nomination for originating the role of Alison in the groundbreaking Broadway musical “Fun Home.” She recently appeared as the Angel in the off-Broadway revival of “Angels in America” and originated the role of Molly Brown in the recent reimagination of the classic Broadway musical “The Unsinkable Molly Brown.” Malone is currently a series regular on Apple TV’s new series “City On Fire.” Malone is a cousin of Bryanna Scott, who was the resident stage manager at the Miners Alley Playhouse from 2010-20. Scott, at just age 29, was diagnosed with Stage 3C ovarian cancer in 2021 and, to date, the Denver Actors Fund has picked up all of her out-of-pocket medical expenses. Malone wanted to stage this concert as a way of acknowledging the work the Denver Actors Fund does for the entire community, and to help it replenish. She is calling her special concert “Thanks a Million.”
Thanks a Million!: An Evening with Broadway’s Beth Malone
- When: Monday, Aug. 15
- Who: Beth Malone, featuring David Dyer on piano and a guest appearance by Jalyn Courtenay Webb
- Where: Candlelight Dinner Playhouse, 4747 Marketplace Drive, Johnstown
- Time: Doors open at 5:30 p.m.; seating begins at 6 p.m.; Show begins at 7:30 p.m.
- Tickets: $35-$50, with VIP seating for $75 (includes a meet-and-greet after the concert, and a photo opportunity with Beth Malone)
- Food: Dinner service is not being offered at this performance. Appetizers, desserts and drinks will be available for sale
CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE TICKETS TO ‘THANKS A MILLION’
THURSDAY, AUGUST 18: Please Join us for Miners Alley Playhouse’s Industry Night performance of “Hair,” the American tribal love rock musical. MAP is continuing its trendsetting commitment to dedicate ALL PROCEEDS from one designated performance of each run to go to The Denver Actors Fund. “Hair” celebrates the ’60s counterculture in all its barefoot, long-haired, bell-bottomed, beaded and fringed glory with songs like “Aquarius,” “Good Morning, Starshine,” “Hair,” “I Got Life,” and “Let the Sun Shine In.” Exploring ideas of identity, community, global responsibility, and peace, “Hair” remains relevant as ever as it examines what it means to be a young person in a changing world. Since 2014, MAP has generated more than $50,000 in donations to The Denver Actors Fund. If you plan to go see the play, please consider attending at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 18 All tickets are reduced to $15-$23 for this performance only. Miners Alley Playhouse is located at 1224 Washington Ave., in Golden. Call 303-935-3044 or choose your own seats at ovationtix.com (LOW TICKET ALERT: Only 32 tickets currently remain.)
ONGOING: “Quarantine Week by Weak” is a new photographic coffee-table book by Susannah McLeod and her wife, Chloe McLeod, who chronicled their home life during the COVID19 shutdown with a light-hearteded photo series documenting their lives during quarantine. They produced more than 35 sets of humorous photos comparing the beginning of quarantine to later in the “stay-at-home” period. Susannah pulled out her camera and we started to play,” said Chloe McLeod. As popularity for the series grew on Instagram and after a feature in Westword, the couple started exploring options to publish the series as a book to benefit The Denver Actors Fund. To order, visit mcleod9creative.com. This project is generously sponsored by: The Albritton Family; Natalie Bowen and Jim Corbett; Dave Dyer; Julie Dyer; and Denise Gentilini and Lynette Prisner. Additional support provided by Angie Flachman and Sandy Birkey at The Publishing House and Sandra Lee Stuart.
ONGOING: “Waiting for Obama,” the audio version of DAF Founder John Moore’s play that was an official selection at the 2016 New York International Fringe Festival, has been released as way of raising funds for The Denver Actors Fund. A Colorado Springs family is convinced that Barack Obama is coming for their guns in the final weeks of his presidency – and they’re right. Featuring Laurence Curry, Drew Horwitz, Chris Kendall, Leslie O’Carroll, Jenna Moll Reyes, Jessica Robblee, Luke Sorge and Mare Trevathan. It was recorded by the staff of Parker Arts at the PACE Center as an in-kind donation to The Denver Actors Fund. Listen for FREE on all major podcasting platforms including Spotify, Apple Podcasts and Podbean. Just by listening, you will be raising revenue for The DAF! Or, WATCH the recording as a pay-per-view video for $9.95 on Broadway on Demand. ‘Waiting for Obama’ was recorded by the staff of Parker Arts at the PACE Center and edited by Ray Bailey TV as in-kind donations to The Denver Actors Fund. The actors also donated their services.
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