The
founder of Aspen Theatre in the Park, Kent Reed,
came to Aspen in 1983 from Kansas City, Missouri,
with a vision of creating a professional theatre
company in Aspen. He faced many challenges, primarily
finding the money to produce the shows, and searching
for a place to stage the productions. Aspen Community
Theatre loaned Mr. Reed $2,500.00, and the then
barren basement of the historic Hotel Jerome became
the
home of Theatre Under the Jerome.
In 1987 the Hotel Jerome began its restoration
and Theatre Under the Jerome, once again found
itself
without a performance
space. Due to the loss of the Jerome, the name of the
theatre was changed to The Aspen Theatre Company. Mr.
Reed continued to produce plays in one local venue,
then another, until he finally went before the
Aspen City
Council requesting a small plot of land used as the
snow dump by the Rio Grande Trail. It was during
this time
that the City of Aspen created the Aspen Art Park.
What was once "just another field" was
transformed into a beautiful and well-tended little
oasis by the
river. A second-hand circus tent was purchased and
permission was obtained from the City to erect
the tent on this
site during the summer months. The Aspen Theatre Company
began to take shape as the theatre we know today.
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In
1989, Kent Reed left the Company and Aspen to pursue
his own acting career. In 1992 the name was officially
changed to Aspen Theatre in the Park. That same year,
a fund raising campaign was undertaken to purchase
a new, state-of-the-art performance tent. The Aspen
School of Theatre Arts was created in 1998 to provide
quality theatre education programs.
In 2005, we became Theatre Aspen and turned the page to a new chapter in this long and prestigious history. The next few years will witness continued and significant growth, as we take our place among Aspen’s cultural institutions and become a destination for those who seek professional and exciting theatre.
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