Bella ‘n Jenna(sea): Two separate calls for help answered by the Denver Actors Fund!
Who we helped: Jennasea Pearce has been busy acting on Colorado stages since bursting on the scene in her 2021 True West Award-winning title turn in “The Lizzie Borden Musical” for Forge Light Theatreworks. As Lizzie, Jennasea decapitated pigeons, planned a poisoning and, of course, necessarily ended up drenched in blood. The Denver Gazette‘s John Moore wrote that Pearce “took to the challenge like Sweeney Todd to shaving cream. Only more (Patti) Smith than Sondheim.” (Pearce also designed the steampunk costumes.) She also appeared in BDT Stage’s final production, as Hodel in “Fiddler On the Roof,” before debuting at the Candlelight Dinner Playhouse in “The Secret Garden.” Next, she will appear as The Narrator in Performance Now’s “Joseph and the Technicolor Dreamcoat” from Sept. 6-22. Tickets at performancenow.org.
Jennasea’s medical story: Some scary symptoms recently sent Jennasea to the emergency room, which called for a CT scan as well as other expensive tests. Despite having what she describes as “decent” insurance (although we’re not so sure there is such a thing), she was stuck with an out-of-pocket bill totaling $3,884.10.
How we helped: The Denver Actors Fund board approved paying the full amount of Jennasea’s hospital bill. Combined with an earlier PAWS gift that helped Jennasea’s dog, Bella, through a leg injury, the DAF’s overall support for Jennasea to date is now $4,587.91.
‘I AM SO INCREDIBLY GRATEFUL TO BE PART OF A COMMUNITY THAT TAKES CARE OF EACH OTHER.’ – JENNASEA PEARCE
A message from Jennasea: “I am so incredibly grateful to be part of a community that takes care of each other as well as we do here with The Denver Actors Fund. This is the second time I’ve received help from the DAF, first from the PAWS Fund for my sweet pup, and most recently for myself. I am so thankful.”
Want to help us to replenish?: The overall Denver Actors Fund sent out more than $160,000 in medical relief in the first seven months of 2024 alone. If you would like to help us replenish so we we can keep helping other Colorado theater artists, simply mail checks in any amount made out to Denver Actors Fund, P.O. Box 11182, Denver, CO 80212. Or use this donation link, with our humble thanks.
Read testimonials from other Denver Actors Fund beneficiaries here, or click on a recent name below:
BARRET AND SYDNEY HARPER, $6,392
The Denver Actors Fund has now made $1,500,000 available to Colorado theatre artists.
Note: At The Denver Actors Fund, anonymity of aid recipients is presumed and fully protected, unless and until the recipient chooses to have their story told.
Read more Denver Actors Fund testimonials by clicking here
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 presents the memorial video at the Colorado Theatre Guild’s 2023 Henry Awards.
The Denver Actors Fund is a 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 $1.5 million to more than 600 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
SHOP AT KING SOOPERS
Sign up for King Soopers’ Community Rewards Program and raise money for The DAF just by shopping for your groceries – and it doesn’t cost you an extra penny. To sign up, simply go here and designate The DAF as your preferred non-profit. Each quarter, King Soopers sends us a donation based on how much our supporters have spent. Thanks to all of you who are shopping for The DAF.
DONATE YOUR CAR
The Denver Actors Fund is now registered to accept vehicle donations, thanks to a new partnership with Vehicles for Charity. You can turn your unwanted but usable vehicle into greatly appreciated funds for The Denver Actors Fund. The process is simple. The DAF will receive 80 percent of auction proceeds, and a receipt for the donation will be sent to you that can be used for tax purposes. Read all about it here.
SHOP AMERICAN DOG: We have an exciting new partnership to share! American Dog, a USA-made company that makes dog toys, dog beds and accessories, has put together a special promotional offer to support the PAWS Fund. When you use the code DAFPAWS at checkout, 10% of your purchase will be donated to the PAWS Fund. Visit americandog.com/ to learn more! Thank you so much to Tina Anderson and our friends at American Dog!
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, SEPT. 16: Please join us for Vintage Theatre’s Industry Night performance of “Della Doucet,” with 50 percent of all proceeds donated to The Denver Actors Fund! This sparkling romantic comedy, written by Kirsten Dahl, was the winner of the company’s 2023 New Play Festival – with a prize including this fully staged world-premiere production! On the run from a military marriage, Southern-born Della struggles to find her way in the gritty New York art world of 1981. Content Awareness: Adult language, spousal abuse and references to sexual situations. Directed by Paul Jaquith. Please join us at 7:30 p.m. on SEPT. 16 in The Bond-Trimble Theatre. And if you can;t join us on DAF Night, please support the companies that support us whenever you can. “Della Doucet” plays Aug. 23-Sept. 22. Tickets at vintagetheatre.org.
PLAN YOUR UPCOMING DAF NIGHTS AT VINTAGE THEATRE!
- Sept. 16: “Della Doucet”
- Sept. 30: “Agatha Christie’s Murder on the Orient Express”
- Oct. 21: “Murder For Two”
- Dec. 16: “Black Nativity”
- Jan. 13, 2025: “Sisters of Swing”
- Feb. 3, 2025: “She Kills Monsters”
- March 3, 2025: “Guys & Dolls”
- March 31, 2025: “Grand Horizons”
SUPER-SATURDAY ‘WAITRESS’ SHIFTS: On Sept. 7 and 14, the Arvada Center will conduct audience lobby collections following the evening performances of “Waitress,” with star (and DAF recipient) Anne Terze-Schwarz speaking on our behalf. If you have yet to hear, the Arvada Center will be presenting the big-buzz Colorado premiere of this Tony Award-winning musical based on the breakout 2007 indie film. It’s about a waitress (and expert pie-maker) who is trapped in a small town and a rocky marriage until she discovers the power of friendship, chosen family and following your dreams. “Waitress,” directed by Lynne Collins, features original music and lyrics by Grammy winner Sara Bareilles. Please plan to attend on either Saturday, Sept. 7 or 14 and throw some extra change in the bucket on your way out. (Think of it as a tip!) Thank you to Anne, Lynne, Arvada Center reps Sarah Kolb and Leslie Simon, and the entire cast, crew and staff and volunteers for your support in this important effort! In the songwriting words of Sara Bareilles herself: “I can heal and I can breathe, because I can feel myself believe.”
The Arvada Center is located at 6901 Wadsworth Boulevard. Tickets at arvadacenter.org. Please choose Sept. 7 or 14. And if you can’t make it, support the Arvada Center’s effort by donating directly to coloradogives.org/organization/DenverActorsFund. If you can’t join us on DAF nights, be sure to check out “Waitress” on another night. It runs from Aug. 30-Oct.13.
MONDAY, SEPT. 30: Please join us for Town Hall Arts Center’s Industry Night performance of “Jersey Boys.” Our friends at Town Hall are continuing their incredible commitment to designate one performance per run with 100 percent of all proceeds from ticket and concession sales to be donated to The Denver Actors Fund. Join us on MONDAY, SEPT. 30 at 2450 Main St. in Littleton. Tickets are only $22 (normally as much as $52). Reserve your seats at 303-794-2787 or townhallartscenter.org.
PLAN YOUR UPCOMING DAF NIGHTS AT THE TOWN HALL ARTS CENTER!
- Monday, Dec. 16: Meredith Willson’s “Miracle on 34th Street: The Musical”
- Monday January 27, 2025: “Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike”
- Monday April 7, 2025: “Once: The Musical”
- Monday, June 9, 2025: “On Your Feet: The Story of Emilio & Gloria Estefan”
MONDAY, SEPT. 30: Please join us for Vintage Theatre’s Industry Night performance of “Agatha Christie’s Murder on the Orient Express,” with 50 percent of all proceeds donated to The Denver Actors Fund! Ken Ludwig’s clever adaptation of Agatha Christie’s classic boasts all the glamour, intrigue and suspense of the original, with a contemporary boost. Just after midnight, a snowdrift stops the Orient Express in its tracks and by morning it is one passenger fewer. Isolated and with a killer in their midst, the passengers rely on detective Hercule Poirot to identify the murderer – before they strike again. Directed by Bernie Cardell. Please join us at 7:30 p.m. on SEPT. 30 in the Nickelson Auditorium, 1468 Dayton St. And if you can’t join us on DAF Night, please support the companies that support us whenever you can. “Agatha Christie’s Murder on the Orient Express” plays Sept. 20-Oct. 20. Tickets at vintagetheatre.org.
THURSDAY, OCT. 3: Our red-hot new friends at Two Cent Lion Theatre Company, coming off their first two Henry Awards, are embarking on their first-ever musical, “The Rocky Horror Show,” in collaboration with Colorado’s Elusive Ingredient, the largest and longest-running “Rocky Horror Picture Show” Shadow Cast in Colorado. “The Rocky Horror Show” is a queer cult classic, fitting in nicely with Two Cent Lion’s mission of putting LGBTQ+ stories in the spotlight. Showtime is 7 p.m. at The People’s Building, 9995 E. Colfax Ave., in Aurora. Lions Kevin, Gracie and Izzy will donate 50% of all proceeds that night to the Denver Actors Fund. It’s pay-what you can, with a suggested donation of $15-$45. Reserve your seats at thepeoplesbuilding.com. Remember to choose Oct. 3.
MONDAY, OCT. 14: Our wonderful friends at Firehouse Theater Company have designated their Industry Night performance of “The Girl on the Train” as a benefit for the Denver Actors Fund. Please join us at 7:30 p.m. MONDAY, OCTOBER 14 at the John Hand Theater, 7653 E. 1st Place, Denver, CO 80230. Tickets are only $15 (normally $27) on this night only. Order yours or get more information at firehousetheatercompany.com.
WEDNESDAY, OCT. 16: A brand-new theater company called Beehive Productions, run by longtime local theater stalwarts Jalyn Webb and Bryan Bell, are launching with a Halloween-inspired production of “The Rocky Horror Show” that, in a twist on the norm, will perform only on Tuesday and Wednesday nights (plus Oct. 31) starting on Oct. 1 at The Denver Improv, located in The Shops at Northfield. In this cult classic, sweethearts Brad and Janet are corrupted/liberated by a transvestite scientist named Dr. Frank-N-Furter. On Wednesday, Oct. 16, Beehive will donate 50% of all proceeds from that night to the Denver Actors Fund. And here’s a fun twist: On DAF Night, actor and longtime DAF friend Carla Kaiser Kotrc will cede the role of The Narrator to Kenny Moten, a co-president of the DAF’s Board of Directors (and an award-winning performer and director in his own considerable right). Showtime is 7:30 p.m. at The Denver Improv, 8246 Northfield Blvd., Denver, 80238. (Come early for dinner starting at 6:15 p.m.) Reserve your seats at etix.com and remember to choose Oct. 16! Thank you, Jalyn, Bryan, Kenny and The Improv’s Chris Martin!
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.
VISIT OUR ONLINE MERCH STORE:
Click here to see how you can buy DAF products such as T-shirts, key chains, puzzles and much more.
