Furlough's Paradise at Curious Theatre Company

Curious Theatre Company announces the regional premiere of Furlough’s Paradise, a powerful new play by a.k. payne that explores what it means to return to family, to memory, and to yourself.

Directed by Jada Suzanne Dixon, Furlough’s Paradise unfolds over a single weekend as cousins Sade and Mina reunite after years apart. Sade, played by Alex Campbell, arrives on a brief furlough from prison to attend her mother’s funeral. Mina, played by Tresha Farris, has stepped away from her fast-paced life in California, confronting her own sense of disconnection. Together, they navigate grief, shared history, and the complicated love that still binds them.

Dixon’s direction will center the intimacy of this two-person story, creating space for the shifting rhythms of memory, silence, and revelation. Campbell and Farris bring depth and immediacy to Sade and Mina, capturing both the tension and tenderness of a relationship shaped by time, distance, and circumstance. As their reunion unfolds, the stage becomes a landscape of what’s been spoken, what’s been buried, and what might still be possible.

Winner of the 2025 Susan Smith Blackburn Prize, Furlough’s Paradise is a poetic and deeply human exploration of kinship, forgiveness, and the fragile path toward healing. 

Performance Details:
Furlough’s Paradise runs May 2 – May 31, 2026, with preview performances April 30 and May 1, at Curious Theatre Company, 1080 Acoma St., Denver. 

Performances are on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays at 7:30 PM, with Sunday matinees at 2:00 PM. 

Tickets are available at www.curioustheatre.org or by calling the box office at 303-623-0524.

About Curious Theatre Company

For 28 seasons, Curious Theatre Company has produced bold, socially resonant work that dares to challenge, provoke, and inspire. Founded in 1997, Curious is a cornerstone of Denver’s theatre community, celebrated for bringing nationally acclaimed plays to local audiences and sparking meaningful conversation long after the curtain falls.

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