Salida Creative District

Mountain Octopus
2024-09-29 15:00 - 17:30 (America/Denver) | A Church, 419 D street, Salida, 81201
“Mountain Octopus” chronicles a few days in Chance – a town very similar to Salida itself and to the mythical Grover’s Corners of Wilder’s OUR TOWN. A town where people live a quiet life, enjoying each other’s company, looking forward to tomorrow with few expectations. A town that accepts the inevitable pains of life as well as the hoped-for joy. A town that takes everyone’s problems seriously, but with a grain of salt. This is a new play written by Beth Kander that was commissioned by Creede Repertory Theater and produced during their 2023 season. Ms. Kander catches the essence of small-town life and gives each player an appropriate answer to their “what do I do now” questions. Thornton Wilder would approve of this script and so will you.

Taking Tea with the Ripper
2024-09-29 20:00 - 21:30 | Salida Scout Hut, 220 W Sackett Ave., Salida, CO, 81201, United States
This one-man show by playwright Mike Broemmel is considered the most disturbing play around — but in a most spectacular way. The play brings you face-to-face with the “London Gentleman” on the night of the infamous Jack the Ripper’s first murder. The play brings a theater-goer up close to unbridled insanity. The play stars Salida theater stalwart Greg West in the title role. No graphic images, but plenty of graphic language. For ages 17 and up.
Two performances only!
This is one of 7 plays offered during the Salida Theater Festival.

The Wind Is Us: The Death that Killed Capote
2024-09-30 19:00 - 20:30, 2024-10-01 15:00 - 16:30 | A Church, 419 D street, Salida, 81201
“The Wind Is Us: The Death that Killed Capote” by Mike Broemmel chronicles the life of author Truman Capote from his days researching his iconic “non-fiction novel” In Cold Blood until his death in 1984. The play combines pathos and comedy to reveal how and why Capote’s life collapsed because of his most-acclaimed work, resulting in his premature tragic death. Veteran actor Eddie Schumacher plays Truman Capote. “The Wind Is Us” is presented at the Salida Theatre Festival by the Salida Theater Project and is produced by Act One Productions and Theatrix USA.

Salida Songbirds Present: There's a Song for That
2024-09-30 19:30 - 20:30, 2024-10-01 19:30 - 20:30 | Cafe Topo, 211 F St, Salida
The Salida Songbirds are three childhood friends who grew up, left home and followed a career on the stage. Every now and then they get together and have a good ole gabfest. As old friends are wont to do, they are not shy about calling each other out. In “There’s a Song for That” we follow the arc of their lives and loves through songs that capture each moment of surprise, or angst, or hope and how that changed them. And, of course, like all musicals, there’s a happy ending.
For ages 14 and older.
Written and directed by Allen Lane.
Our fabulous performers are Kirsten Arbogast, Jordan Gonzalez, and
Andrea Mossman. Musical direction by Joan Lobeck.
Tickets available at the door only. $20 plus 1 drink minimum. Topo Coffee will be transformed into Cafe Topo for this Broadway cabaret.

Taking Tea with the Ripper
2024-10-02 16:00 - 17:30 | Salida Scout Hut, 220 W Sackett Ave., Salida, CO, 81201, United States
This one-man show by Mike Broemmel is considered the most disturbing play around — but in a most spectacular way. The play brings you face-to-face with the London Gentleman on the night of the infamous Jack the Ripper’s first murder. The play brings a theater-goer up close to unbridled insanity. The play stars Salida theater stalwart Greg West in the title role. Graphic, disturbing language so only suitable for 17 and older

Mountain Octopus
2024-10-02 19:00 - 21:30, 2024-10-03 19:00 - 21:30, 2024-10-04 19:00 - 21:30 | A Church, 419 D street, Salida, 81201
“Mountain Octopus” chronicles a few days in Chance – a town very similar to Salida itself and to the mythical Grover’s Corners of Wilder’s OUR TOWN. A town where people live a quiet life, enjoying each other’s company, looking forward to tomorrow with few expectations. A town that accepts the inevitable pains of life as well as the hoped-for joy. A town that takes everyone’s problems seriously, but with a grain of salt. This is a new play written by Beth Kander that was commissioned by Creede Repertory Theater and produced during their 2023 season. Ms. Kander catches the essence of small-town life and gives each player an appropriate answer to their “what do I do now” questions. Thornton Wilder would approve of this script and so will you. Directed by Devon Jencks Kasper.

Brighton Beach Memoirs
2024-10-03 19:00 - 21:00, 2024-10-04 19:00 - 21:00, 2024-10-05 19:00 - 21:00, 2024-10-06 15:00 - 17:00 | Salida SteamPlant
Here is part one of Neil Simon’s autobiographical trilogy: a portrait of the writer as a young teen in 1937 living with his family in a crowded, lower middle-class Brooklyn walk-up. Eugene Jerome, standing in for the author, is the narrator and central character. Dreaming of baseball and girls, Eugene must cope with the mundane existence of his family life in Brooklyn: formidable mother, overworked father, and his worldly older brother Stanley. Throw into the mix his widowed Aunt Blanche, her two young (but rapidly aging) daughters and you have a recipe for hilarity, served up Simon-style. This bittersweet memoir evocatively captures the life of a struggling Jewish household where, as his father states “if you didn’t have a problem, you wouldn’t be living here.” Directed by Gloria Fant. A Sventastik production. For ages 13 and older.
Tickets: Adults – $20
Seniors – $15

Something Great! Finding Myself in the Belfast Circus - Part 2
2024-10-04 19:00 - 20:15, 2024-10-05 19:00 - 20:15 | Box of Bubbles, 206 E St, Salida
In 1989, a twenty-one-year-old American college dropout moves to Belfast, hoping that the Troubles in Northern Ireland will take care of her own. They do, but not in the way she ever imagined. “Something Great” is a raw portrait of a young woman who loses her way but finds herself in the Belfast Circus.
Written and performed by Salida Circus director Jennifer Dempsey, this 75-minute dramedy is a coming-of-age story about searching for purpose and finding it in the most unlikely of places.
Note: You do not have to have seen Part 1 in order to enjoy Part 2.

The Candy Cane Cordial
2024-12-01 18:00 - 21:00, 2024-12-08 18:00 - 21:00 | A Church, 419 D street, Salida, 81201
Join us for the 6th annual Candy Cane Cordial! A fun filled evening for the whole family! All funds go to support our Ryan Hansen Memorial Scholarship Fund. Providing scholarships for people of all ages to access performing arts opportunities.

TRI: A staged reading by Kelly Walters
2025-02-14 19:00 - 20:30, 2025-02-15 19:00 - 20:30, 2025-02-16 19:00 - 20:30 | A Church, 419 D street, Salida, 81201
What happens when three old friends who typically sit around eating sweeties at the local coffee shop complaining about life get their habit thrown off course when one of them suggests they train for a triathlon together. Directed by Susan Dawn Carson and starring Kelly Walters, Allen Lane and Bill Rogers. A Salida Theater Project Production.

On The Edge
2025-02-21 19:00 - 20:00, 2025-02-22 19:00 - 20:00 | Salida SteamPlant
On the Edge, presented by Grounded Dance Company, showcases a wide variety of choreography embracing the concept of war. Whether you interpret war at a global level or at an individual level, every moment of our existence there is constant push and pull, visible or hidden struggles and internal battles. Where will your thoughts and emotions take you over the course of the show?

Still Alice - Presented by Salida Theater Project
2025-06-22 15:00 - 17:30 | A Church, 419 D street, Salida, 81201
Alice Howland has a thriving career, a loving family—and a life that suddenly begins to shift.
As memory fades and the ground moves beneath her, Alice and her inner voice, Herself, hold on to what matters most. While those around her struggle to understand, she meets each change with resilience, flashes of humor, and resolute strength.
Still Alice is a powerful story about identity, change, and connection in the face of Alzheimer’s. It asks: how long are we still ourselves—and who decides? In the end, as the past and future grow dim, Alice and Herself turn fully to the present—because in the end, it’s very simple: this moment—right here—is enough.
Directed by Jan Justis and featuring a cast of actors from Salida and BV.
After the Sunday matinee performance, join us for a community conversation about Alzheimer’s, caregiving, and the themes explored in the play. Sunday attendees are welcome to stay for the panel, and those who attended on Friday or Saturday are invited to return and take part in the discussion.
Our panel includes:
• Samar Fay – Salida resident whose spouse is living with Alzheimer’s
• Mary McConathy, RN – whose late husband lived with Alzheimer’s
• Dr. Yvonne Rollins, MD – Board Certified Neurologist, Heart of the Rockies Regional Medical Center
• Kirsten Wulfsberg, LPC – Behavioral Health Regional Specialist

Salida Songbirds: A Divas and Dreams Cabaret
2025-09-22 08:00 - 17:00, 2025-09-22 19:30 - 21:00, 2025-09-23 08:00 - 17:00, 2025-09-29 08:00 - 17:00 | The Victorian Tavern, 143 N F Street, Salida, CO, 81201, United States
Five powerhouse performers pay tribute to their favorite Broadway divas in this 75-minute showcase of unforgettable songs, backstage stories, and bold personalities. From iconic ballads to high-energy numbers, Divas and Dreams blends music, laughter, and a dash of diva drama as The Songbirds share what it means to dream big—and sing even bigger.
Directed by Allen Lane

Arsenic and Old Lace
2025-09-26 18:00 - 21:00, 2025-09-27 18:00 - 21:00 | Salida SteamPlant
“Arsenic and Old Lace” is a comedic play about Mortimer Brewster, a drama critic who discovers his sweet, elderly aunts are serial murderers, poisoning lonely old men with elderberry wine laced with arsenic. Adding to the chaos, his homicidal brother Jonathan, who has had his face surgically altered to resemble Boris Karloff, arrives with his accomplice, Dr. Einstein, bringing another dead body and creating further complications. The play centers on Mortimer’s attempts to manage the situation, protect his aunts, and deal with his deranged family while trying to marry his fiancée, Elaine
