History
Creede Repertory Theatre
Founding: 1966
With the decline of the silver mines in the 1960s, Creede needed a new source of income. In 1966, the Junior Chamber of Commerce (Jaycees) met with pastor Jim Livingston and brainstormed about how to secure an attraction for summer visitors with the hope of stimulating business activity. Pastor Livingston loved theatre and, out of that love, a vision for Creede was born. They agreed to bring performances to the old opera/movie house. But to have performances, they needed performers, which were hard to find in the mining community. Still determined, they mailed letters to various universities, hoping that some excited students would answer the call to help build a summer theatre. One of those letters was posted on a bulletin board at the University of Kansas. Steve Grossman, a theatre student, saw the letter, took it down, and answered it. It was the only response the Jaycees received.
Under the direction of 19-year-old Steve Grossman, twelve students drove from KU to Creede. The Jaycees joined with them and with $32 in the bank, they mounted the first season. The twelve tireless students all performed in the shows, built the scenery, sewed the costumes, found or made props, lit the stage, and sold tickets for $1.00. The opening show, Mr. Roberts, electrified the Creede audience and received an enthusiastic standing ovation. Most people in that audience had never seen live theatre. The KU students went on to open four more plays over the next four weeks – The Bat, Our Town, The Rainmaker, and Born Yesterday – and run them all in repertory.
CRT Today
Now entering its 60th Season, CRT is a 501(c)3 non-profit professional theatre company with an annual budget of $2M. Every summer, the Theatre employs approximately 75 theatre artists to work alongside CRT’s eight year-round staff members, produces 4-5 shows in true rep, ofand offers over 120 performances to 18,000+ patrons.
CRT’s robust Education programs provide meaningful theatre offerings to over 35,000 young people every year. In the fall, CRT’s flagship education program, the Young Audience Outreach Tour (YAOT) travels across the Southwestern United States visiting schools rural and remote communities, bringing them an original bilingual musical. Day camps, summer camps, school residencies, workshops and the annual KID Show have contributed to the vibrancy and growth of CRT’s Education programs.
With the closing of Creede’s last mine in 1984, the theatre became the largest employer in Mineral County. A 2023 economic impact study found that CRT generates an average of $3.75 million locally, which equates to over 14% of the City’s total sales revenues.
What is Repertory?
Unlike most theatres, which produce one show at a time, Creede Rep produces in a true rotating repertory, engaging a resident company of artists to build, rehearse, and perform multiple productions simultaneously. The repertory model presents the theatre and its artists with unique challenges and its audience with a unique opportunity. At the height of the summer season, CRT will have four professional productions, an improv comedy show, a student-driven production, a touring production for young audiences, and multiple special events performing in rotation. In one weekend, even in one day, audiences can experience a venue transformed by completely different design elements and actors portraying wildly different characters, adding to the excitement of the theatrical experience. This producing approach showcases our artists’ versatility and encourages visitors to extend their stays, boosting the local economy.
Mainstage Theatre
The CRT Mainstage started life in the 1930s as a movie house. Later, it became The Creede Opera House, where owner and loveable eccentric, Carl Helfin, staged melodramas. It had been shuttered for a few years before its rebirth in 1966.
In its history as the home of CRT, it has been through fires, floods, and renovations. Floors have been added, spaces transformed, and some company members swear the third floor is haunted. Today, it houses our 230-seat proscenium stage, Helfin rehearsal hall, staff offices, box office, gift shop, concessions, costume shop, costume inventory, and countless odd nooks and crannies.
The Ruth Humphreys Brown Theatre
CRT opened the Ruth Humphreys Brown Theatre (“the Ruth”) in 2011 with the generosity of the Humphreys Brown family, numerous private donors, foundations, and state and federal support.
The Ruth can seat up to 199 people in a range of formats from thrust to in-the-round. It is an intimate and accessible space equipped with climate control allowing for year-round use, providing a much-needed space for Creede community events.
About Ruth Humphreys Brown
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. 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. She and DRC lived on a ranch in Carbondale and raised their family there – spending part of their summers and some Christmases in Creede. During her many years in the Roaring Fork Valley, 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.
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 during the silver boom and he was there during the time of Nicholas Creede. Then, in the early 1920s, Ruth’s grandfather built a summer mountain retreat above Wagon Wheel Gap that remains an important gathering place for generations of family and friends.
Awards & Recognitions
National Theatre Conference
2007
NTC Outstanding Theatre Award
Recognizing outstanding achievement by a not-for-profit theatre
True West Awards
2015 Season
Outstanding 50th Season
State Proclamations
August 8, 2015
Creede Repertory Theatre Day
August 31, 2019
Creede Repertory Theatre Day
August 31, 2020
Creede Repertory Theatre Day
August 31, 2021
Creede Repertory Theatre Day
August 31, 2022
Creede Repertory Theatre Day