Denver Center To Receive $30,000 Grant from Nat'l Endowment for the Arts

The Denver Center Theatre Company announced today that it will receive a $30,000 grant from The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) that will go towards the World Premiere production of TWO THINGS YOU DON'T TALK ABOUT AT DINNER.

"Art Works is the guiding principle at the NEA," said agency Chairman Rocco Landesman. "And I'm pleased to see that principle represented through the 823 Art Works-funded projects included in this announcement. These projects demonstrate the imaginative and innovative capacities of artists and arts organizations to enhance the quality of life in their communities." NEA will award 863 grants to organizations and individual writers across the country. The 863 grant awards total $22.543 million, encompass 15 artistic disciplines and fields, and support projects in 47 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico.

"At the heart of my artistic vision for DCTC is relevance-making our theatre a town hall of ideas and issues and an incubator for the best new American plays", said DCTC Artistic Director Kent Thompson. "I want us to create theatre that arouses strong feelings, sparks new ideas, and provokes discussion, debate, and constructive dialogue among the many diverse communities of the Rocky Mountain region. TWO THINGS YOU DON'T TALK ABOUT AT DINNER will address all of these goals. With its brilliant comic and dramatic writing, its timely topicality, and the prominence of its playwright, TWO THINGS YOU DON'T TALK ABOUT AT DINNER is sure to be a popular title for production in subsequent seasons across the U.S."

In March 2011, the NEA received 1,686 eligible applications for Art Works requesting more than $84 million in funding. The resulting funding rate of 49 percent of eligible applicants reflects both the significant demand for support and the ongoing vitality of the not-for-profit arts community despite current financial challenges. Art Works grants are awarded based on the applications received by the NEA and how those applications are assessed by the review panels.

For a complete listing of projects recommended for Art Works grant support, please visit the NEA web site at arts.gov.

World Premiere TWO THINGS YOU DON'T TALK ABOUT AT DINNER, by Lisa Loomer and directed by Wendy C. Goldberg, tells the story of Myriam's annual Passover Seder, a multicultural mix of family and friends, threatening to explode as politics and religion hijack the conversation, severely testing the ties that bind. The play was part of the Denver Center Theatre Company's 2011 New Play Summit which has become a destination for theatre professionals to catch staged readings of new plays and engage in discussion about the future of American theatre.

Single tickets for TWO THINGS YOU DON'T TALK ABOUT AT DINNER start at $35 (non-SCFD) and are also available for $10 (SCFD 10 for $10 Program) and are on sale now. To purchase, call Denver Center Ticket Services at 303.893.4100. TTY (for Deaf and hard-of-hearing patrons): 303.893.9582. Groups of 10 or more, please call 303.446.4829. Tickets may also be purchased at the Denver Center Ticket Office, located at the Helen Bonfils Theatre Complex lobby. Buy and print online at www.denvercenter.org. Student $10 rush ticket are available one hour prior to curtain with a valid student ID subject to availability. Senior and military rush tickets are available one hour prior to curtain, subject to availability. No children under six will be admitted to any theatre. TWO THINGS YOU DON'T TALK ABOUT AT DINNER is recommended for ages 15 and up. Contains discussions of religion, politics, anorexia, adoption and interracial marriage.

The Denver Center for the Performing Arts is a not-for-profit organization.

**Please be advised that The Denver Center for the Performing Arts - denvercenter.org - is the ONLY authorized online seller of tickets for Denver Center Attractions (the Broadway touring productions) and the Denver Center Theatre Company (the resident theatre company productions). Currently there are scalpers, also known as ‘second party vendors,' selling tickets online at a rate more than double the standard price - and up. Tickets bought through these vendors MAY NOT BE VALID. You could not only be refused admission, but also lose your entire investment.

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