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Boulder Ensemble Theatre Company to Present AMBITION PLACING WEST

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Don't look back. Three generations of one family move ever westward, restless, seeking. As they migrate from Croatia, through Wyoming, and onward to Japan, the land of opportunity keeps moving, and the past keeps catching up.

The Boulder Ensemble Theatre Company (BETC) presents the regional premiere of renowned playwright Anthony Clarvoe's "Ambition Facing West" at the Dairy Center for the Arts.

"When I first read the piece," says Producing Ensemble Director Stephen Weitz "I was struck by the depth of the relationships and the seamless structure that blends together three different times and places."

In the midst of national debate on the status of immigration, BETC brings part of our country's heritage to the stage with the perfect balance of a timely, relevant story that is simultaneously beautiful and heart rendering.

"As a nation of immigrants, this is a story about all of us," says Weitz, who also directs the production. "It's not about the politics of immigration, but rather about the motivations. Why do people move on in search of something more? And what do they leave behind when they do?"

"Ambition Facing West" is a truly American story from one of our great American playwrights. Clarvoe, Winner of the Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Award, has seen his works produced across the country including once before in Colorado. "The Living" premiered at the Denver Center for the Performing Arts in 1993.

"Ambition Facing West" premiered in Providence, Rhode Island in 1997 and has since played in Palo Alto, California; Washington DC, St. Louis and is finally making its way to the heart of western expansion, Colorado. Though nearly 20 years old, this will be the first production of the play in this region.

This unforgettable family provides "an exquisitely rendered commentary on the human condition" DC Theatre Scene. After the pain of saying goodbye, what wonders lie ahead?

Theater Fans' Choice Awards
2026 Theater Fans' Choice Awards - Live Stats
Best Featured Performer in a Musical - Top 3
1. Ali Louis Bourzgui - The Lost Boys, A New Musical
27% of votes
2. Ben Levi Ross - Ragtime
6.7% of votes
3. McKenzie Kurtz - Schmigadoon!
5.8% of votes

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