Creede Repertory Names Second Space Ruth Humphreys Brown Theatre

Thanks to a generous gift from the family of a remarkable woman, CRT is proud to announce the opening of the new Ruth Humphreys Brown Theatre. The opening of this second venue two blocks south of CRT's Mainstage will be celebrated July 15-17 with numerous events and performances. The new theatre's flexible configuration seats 150-200 (more than doubling the capacity of CRT's old third floor facility) and provides an intimate, accessible venue that allows CRT to run performances simultaneously on different ends of Main Street. The new facility's climate control allows for year-round use, providing a much-needed space for events within the Creede community.

The life of Ruth Humphreys Brown was varied, full of generosity, and never dull. It was defined by her love of family, friends, and her appreciation for the outdoors - in particular Wagon Wheel Gap, where she spent her summers. She was born Nov 11, 1921, the daughter of A.E. and Ruth Boettcher Humphreys of Denver and was a theatre major at Finch College in New York City. In 1943, she was accepted into the Women's Air Force Service Pilots program. In 2010, she and her fellow WASPs received the Congressional Gold Medal for service during World War II.

She returned to Aspen after the War, where she lived until her marriage to DRC Brown, a founder and president of the Aspen Ski Corporation. During her many years in Aspen, Ruth helped start the Tri County Medical Center, the Brown Ice Palace, the Aspen Recovery Unit, the Bold Ski program for blind skiers, and the first Outward Bound Program in the U.S. She lived on a ranch in Carbondale and raised her family there - spending part of her summers and some Christmases in Creede. The famed Ruthie's Run on Aspen Mountain was named in honor of her efforts to find a better way down the mountain for intermediate skiers.

The Humphreys family has long ties to the town of Creede. Ruth's grandfather, A.E. Humphreys, was involved in mining, oil, and manufacturing. In the 1890s, his mining interests took him to Creede in its heyday and he was there during the time of Nicholas Creede. Ruth's grandfather built a summer mountain retreat above Wagon Wheel Gap that remains an important gathering place for generations of family and friends.

This grant from the Ruth H. Brown Foundation will have an enormous impact on the future of Creede Repertory Theatre and the economic and cultural life of Colorado. The generosity of Ruth's family, along with numerous private donors, foundations, DOLA and the EDA have made this new theatre possible.

Creede Repertory Theatre is an award-winning, professional theatre in a spectacular setting. For more information about the Ruth Humphreys Brown Theatre, contact Maurice LaMee (maurice@creederep.com) or Cat Lynch (cat@creederep.com) at 719-658-2540. For more information on our 2011 Season and innovative educational programs for kids and adults, contact Sarah Wallace at sarah@creederep.com or 719-658-2540. Also visit www.creederep.org.

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