Couple continue to nourish OpenStage Theatre Co.

By Libby James
Correspondent

About Community Cornerstone Nominations

Since 1973 when they established OpenStage Theatre Co., Denise and Bruce Freestone have been creating, directing, acting, promoting, building sets, soliciting funds and seeking venues all over town for their baby.

In the process they have brought to maturity a regional theatre company with a national reputation for excellence. OpenStage is their ongoing gift to their community.

To support their theatre habit the past 35 years, the Freestones have held a wide variety of jobs, often switching roles as the family's major breadwinner. Denise once had four part-time jobs at the same time, and today Bruce works full-time as technical coordinator for the Lory Student Center at Colorado State University. But their jobs have never been their primary concern; rather, they have been a means to two ends: to support themselves and their two daughters, and to make possible the growth and healthy existence of OpenStage, and now OpenStage Etc. as well.

In the 1970s, the couple lived in a small house in Buckingham, a low-rent part of Fort Collins not far from where Bruce grew up on a farm near Plummer School. Both with degrees in theatre from CSU, they were firmly committed to remaining in the community of their choice and nurturing the fledgling company that made possible the fulfillment of their dream.

"Bruce is the visionary," Denise said. "He had the idea to form the company and a strong enough belief in it to keep it going when times were tough. He never let anyone tell him no."

The first OpenStage production, "Thieves' Carnival" by Jean Anouiln, came to life outdoors in the summer of 1973 on the east side of Sheldon Lake in City Park. This outdoor venue, plus the fact that they had no permanent home, was the impetus for naming the company.

"Keith Daudermann and I made our entry from a paddle boat in the lake," Denise recalled. They alighted onto concrete steps at the edge of the lake that led to the stage.

"The production cost us $60 and we have no idea where the money came from," she said.

During the next five years, the company did a show whenever they had the funds and energy to make it happen. By 1978, they were able to offer a season of productions for the first time, and have been doing so ever since. With nearly 300 productions under their belt, they are one of the five most prolific companies in Colorado. In addition they have nurtured OpenStage Etc., which currently performs offbeat productions in the large ballroom of the Armstrong Hotel to a fiercely loyal following.

It's impossible for the Freestones to name favorites among their productions, but they remember milestones in their long journey.

Performing in the Lincoln Center mini-theatre was the culmination of the efforts of a coalition of some 30 people to assure the existence of a small theatre in the new complex. Originally only a large theatre was planned and the focus was on a home for the Fort Collins Symphony. OpenStage supporters were able to convince the city to remodel the old Lincoln Junior High School stage, and the location became a perfect place for OpenStage productions. Until that time, they were forced to find different venues, often quite nontraditional, three or four times a year.

The Freestones agree that the biggest sacrifice they have made has been financial. From living in a small rented house to holding down full-time jobs in addition to keeping OpenStage alive, to operating the company out of an office in their bedroom, to writing grants and seeking sponsorships and donations from the community, keeping their baby alive and helping it to grow up has not been easy.

They are quick to point out that working with and supporting the arts is always a struggle, and they knew it would be when they committed to OpenStage. They also praise the Fort Collins community for its support and generosity over the years. They are excited about the creation of Beet Street and a month-long run of "Nickel and Dimed," to be presented in February and March as a major Beet Street production.

"This organization, supported by the Downtown Development Authority, has been created to give Fort Collins a special cultural identity that will distinguish it from surrounding towns," Denise said.

In pursuit of a living, Bruce and Denise have performed a dizzying array of jobs over the years. Bruce has driven a truck, worked as a stagehand, retail manager, in direct mail, in bookstores, and on the graveyard shift in a wind tunnel, a job he loved because he got to "play with models."

Denise has done typesetting and layout for The Collegian and Old Army Press; worked as an office manager for an engineering firm; done writing, editing and directing for Fort Collins City Channel 27; served as the first artistic director for First Night, Fort Collins' New Year's Eve celebration; and from 1990 to 1995, worked as program specialist for Al Yates, president of CSU. For five years she also served as assistant director for the Institute for Women at CSU.

"I learned so much that I could apply to OpenStage," she said.

Until 1994, Bruce served as office manager and executive producer for OpenStage while Denise had the "paying" jobs. Then the tables turned and Denise became office manager and artistic director, a position she spends 40 hours plus on each week to this day.

Between 1987 and 1990 Denise took a hiatus. The pressure had become too great, and for a time she thought she was finished with theatre for good. During those years, Bruce did all he possibly could to keep OpenStage alive.

When things became even more difficult in the early '90s, Denise stepped up to the plate, took over the day-to-day operation of the company, and Bruce became the "outside breadwinner."

The pair admits to some pretty dramatic differences of opinion over the years, always around OpenStage.

"Once we made so much noise in the Opera Galleria building where we were located at the time, that everyone around quietly left," Denise said.

These days, the pair has mellowed. The Freestones are wrapping up six weeks of rehearsals for "Noises Off," a slapstick comedy that opens Nov. 3. Their daughter, Brenna, also has a role in the production. Her husband, Andrew, cares for 9-month-old Felix while she rehearses. Later they will switch roles.

Both Brenna and her older sister, Jessica, met their husbands through OpenStage, and all four of them are active members of the company. Jessica and Todd have a son, Kimber, 9, and a daughter, Kenna, 5.

OpenStage Theatre Co. has a family-like culture. The 150 members, from as far away as Denver and Cheyenne, have a strong sense of ownership. Actors are all paid the same stipend for their work, usually a pittance, but the money serves to let them know they are valued. Their time together has spawned a number of marriages, and some break-ups as well, the Freestones confide.

About the future, Bruce said: "My list is long. My hope is for a permanent production and performance facility for OpenStage, at a single location, and a 'black box' flexible venue for OpenStage Etc."

Another dream is to maintain a decently paid resident company. "We have a mature, progressive board of directors, and all of this is possible," he said.

"We've spent our whole lives pursuing our passion," Denise said. "It's such a high to be in theatre, an endeavor that speaks to the higher part of ourselves. Through our experiences we've learned that it is possible to create change in the world, to make a difference."