Heather Hughes

Announcing the 2022 Mountain Words Literary Festival

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Announcing the 2022 Mountain Words Literary Festival

May 25 – 29

Crested Butte Center for the Arts

 

The Crested Butte Center for the Arts is thrilled to present the third-annual Mountain Words Literary Festival! Held over Memorial Day weekend, May 25-29, the festival kicks off Wednesday, May 25, with Cheryl Strayed, author of the #1 New York Times bestselling memoir Wild and the New York Times bestsellers Tiny Beautiful Things and Brave Enough.

The festival welcomes over thirty-five nationally and internationally acclaimed authors and presenters for a five-day celebration at nine thousand feet with offerings for all ages and interests. Organizers are excited for attendees to safely gather in the stunning Gunnison Valley for workshops, readings, panel discussions, live theater, trivia, kids’ events and programming, parties, film screenings, gallery receptions, and other delights. The multi-genre festival includes fiction, non-fiction, poetry, journalism/long-form, nature writing, climate reporting, publishing, and more.

“We are enormously excited to present some of the most stimulating and thought-provoking writers and thinkers from across the state and nation and offer a rare opportunity to experience multiple genres through a deeply diverse array of topics,” said Festival Director Brooke MacMillan.“Access is paramount to the festival mission, and we offer student discounts and scholarships as needed. Our priority is to get people here for what we promise will be a life-affirming sojourn in one of the most beautiful mountainous enclaves in the world.”

Along with Strayed, other presenters include Iranian American scholar and Pushcart award-winning writer Kaveh Akbar; investigative reporter for the New Yorker, and author of the meta-true crime non-fiction best-seller Savage Appetites, Rachel Monroe; author of Billionaire Wilderness and professor at Yale University, Justin Farrell; writer and 2021 Whiting Award winner, Steven Dunn (who will offer a workshop on learning world-building from rappers); writer, director, and filmmaker, Manuel Aragon; award-winning artist and educator, Suzi Q. Smith; 2022 Whiting Award fiction winner, and climate literary fiction author, Claire Boyles; investigative reporter, climate change essayist, and This American Life contributor, Mario Alejandro Ariza; S Kirk Walsh, author of the national bestselling novel, The Elephant of Belfast; award-winning and New York Times best-selling biographer, James McGrath Morris, and local writers Shelley Read, Molly Murfee, Nick Bowlin, Anna Fenerty, Leath Tonino, and many others.

The festival includes readings from the 2022 Mountain Words Writers in Residence cohort which alongside Kaveh Akbar includes prison reform activist and author Dominque Conway, poet and artist Bernardo Wade, India-based fiction writer Megha Nayar, and writer and audio journalist Stephanie Maltarich.

Writers and readers can immerse in workshops in fiction, research, investigative reporting, playwriting, poetry, flash fiction, memoir, close reading, and others. Festival panel discussions include writing about climate; displacement; wealth and remaking the American West; publishing and others.

“The panels are really interesting for everyone. Incredible thinkers engaging in thoughtful discourse on topics that matter so much right now. If writing isn’t your thing, the panels will be,” said Festival Host and local Townie Bookstore owner Arvin Ram.

New this year and all the way from Australia, the festival’s Saturday lineup will feature the internationally renowned Literary Death Match. Called the “greatest reading series ever” by the LA Times, LDM features a mix of four established and emerging authors (Steven Dunn, Suzi Q Smith, Kaveh Akbar, and Claire Boyles), who perform their most brilliant work before a live audience and a panel of three all-star judges (Rachel Monroe, Jason Antoon, Sam Robards). After a pair of readings, the judges take turns spouting hilarious, off-the-wall commentary, focusing on Literary Merit, Performance, and Intangibles before they select two authors to advance to the finals. During the finals, we trade in the show’s literary sensibility for an absurdly comical climax to decide who takes home the Literary Death Match crown — this is not to be missed!

Along with the bread & butter of any literary/book festival (readings, workshops, panel discussions) the festival offers other high-level fun for every age and interest.

Saturday will feature a “Live Theater at Lunch” performance of the Tony Award winning play, “Art” by Yasmina Reza, called, “…wildly funny, naughtily provocative…” by NY Post. The lunchtime performance will star Tony Award Nominated actor Sam Robards whose credits include Casualties of War, Beautiful Girls, American Beauty, A.I. Artificial Intelligence, and other films; internationally acclaimed actor, Jason Antoon, whose work includes Fresh Off the Boat, Shameless, iZombie, Modern Family, Sex and the City, among many commercial films; and acclaimed actors and Western Colorado University theatre director, Steven Cole Hughes.

Take a break from all of the festival intellectualism and try your hand at crafting some of the most (in)famous literary cocktails at the Literary Spirits workshop where you can perfect and twist classic cocktails in a delightful introduction to mixology — and you get to drink them!

Directly following the mixology workshop, pop upstairs to the Center’s Kinder Padon Gallery where book and art lovers can exalt over drinks and discussion of “Flourish” an exhibition of fine book art curated especially for the festival by Alicia Bailey, Director of Abecedarian Artists’ Books, Thursday evening, 5 – 6 pm. The installation features ten artists from Colorado, Texas, and Arizona.

And back by popular demand, festival-goers and trivia lovers alike can come together for a very special bookish Trivia with Quiz Quiz Bang Bang. From the dynamic duo behind the hugely popular Quiz Quiz Bang Bang podcast, test your smarts from everything from geography to art to television to history — plus a special literary round! Winners will bag some killer festival prizes.

The festival also has plenty for kids to enjoy, including Farcical Fairytales, an engaging, silly, interactive performance happening Saturday, May 28 in the Center’s Jones Performance Hall and starring CB’s talented improv troupe, Kirsten Hausman, Tricia Seeberg, Eliot Paulsen, Jimmy Utley, Gregory Jackson Haley, and Annie Flora. The show is suitable for kids ages three and up and costumes are encouraged. Parents are welcome to join in the fun or drop off the kids and head into the Steddy Theater for Adult Storytime where they can sip coffee and/or mimosas while being read to by renowned authors.

Trailhead Children’s Museum will also present “Stories, Art, and Play” sessions that bring various books to life through art and play. Kids will have the chance to create their own scenes for “The Book With No Pictures” by B.J. Novak, and dive into the detailed pages of the graphic novel “Extincts: Quest for the Unicorn’s Horns” by Scott Magoon, and express their interpretation of these literary works through art, and explore books through play!

Fun for the whole family, Ben Goldfarb, author of the award-winning book Eager: The Surprising, Secret Life of Beavers and Why They Matter, will lead an informal all-about-beavers conversation by the beaver ponds at Gunsight Bridge, Sunday, May 29 at 10 a.m. Learn how beavers engineer landscapes, and help to fight drought, pollution, and climate change in Colorado and beyond.

“Anyone who visits the Valley becomes resolute to either come again every year or find a way to live here. Crested Butte is full of charm and a little wildness, and presenting a festival in such an extraordinary place is a very special thing to be able to give people,” said Ram. “You need to experience it to believe it.”

The 2022 Mountain Words Literary Festival will take place on May 25-29 at the state-of-the-art Center for the Arts, located in downtown Crested Butte. For a full schedule, passes, scholarship and student pricing, lodging info, and more, please visit www.gvlf.org

 

Tiny Beautiful Things

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PLEASE NOTE:  Proof of vaccination or a negative COVID test must be shown for entry to events at the Center.  See our current COVID policy HERE.

Live Theatre: Tiny Beautiful Things

Friday + Saturday performances 7 pm doors | 7:30 pm curtain

$20 adults, $5 students

Based on the best-selling book by Cheryl Strayed, Tiny Beautiful Things follows the relationships between an anonymous advice columnist named Sugar and the many real-life readers who pour out their hearts to her. Academy Award nominee Nia Vardalos (My Big Fat Greek Wedding) adapts Strayed’s book into an enrapturing and uplifting play that surges with emotion and is called by Variety “a theatrical hug in turbulent times.” Tiny Beautiful Things is about reaching when you’re stuck, recovering when you’re broken, and finding the courage to ask the questions that are hardest to answer. Tissues recommended. Contains strong language and adult content. Cast: Steven Burge, Kate Gleason, GerRee Hinshaw, Heather Hughes, Rodney Lizcano.
 Kate Gleason  is an Actor, Director and Teaching Artist with The Denver Center for the Performing Arts. She has worked extensively throughout the United States and Europe. Ms. Gleason began her career in Chicago working with the legendary Remains Theatre, and various avant garde companies, most notably working with Obie award winner Richard Maxwell, creating Cook County Theatre Department, which would later become The New York City Players. Her Broadway credits include Noises Off, and the U.S. premiere of Martin McDonagh’s The Pillowman. Her Off-Broadway credits include work with The Roundabout Theatre Company, Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM), Richard Maxwell’s NYC Players, The Kitchen, HERE Arts Center, Ontological Hysteric Theater and many more. Her regional credits include performances with The Williamstown Theatre Festival, Baltimore Center Stage, Playmakers Rep, Northern Stage, Off Square Theatre Company and Remains Theatre, Chicago. European credits include The Hebbel Theatre, Berlin and Vienna’s English Theatre. In the Denver area she has performed many times with The Denver Center Theatre Company, The Arvada Center, Boulder Ensemble Theatre Company, Local Theatre, Stories on Stage and THEATREWORKS. Her TV credits include many appearances on “Late Night with Conan O’Brien” and “Guiding Light.”
Rodney Lizcano  has appeared in 18 seasons with the Denver Center Theatre Company in roles in Twelfth Night, The Constant Wife, Book of Will, American Mariachi, Frankenstein, Hamlet, American Night, Merchant of Venice, Spinning Into Butter, Inna Beginning, Tempest, Gross Indecency, The Rivals, Kingdom, Winter’s Tale, Christmas Carol. Other Theatres: Colorado Shakespeare Festival, The Old Globe, Orlando Shakespeare Theatre, Dallas Shakespeare, Theatre Aspen, Arvada Center, Boulder Ensemble Theatre Company and Off-Broadway with Actors Ensemble Theater and DreamScape Theatre Company. Training: Southern Methodist University (BFA) National Theatre Conservatory (MFA).
Steven J. Burge is a Denver-based actor and theater-maker who landed in Denver following tours of …And Then They Came for Me:  Remembering the World of Anne Frank and A Christmas Carol. Since making his Colorado debut as Seymour in Little Shop of Horrors, Steven has appeared on stages throughout the Denver-Metro area. He was the recipient of the Denver Post Ovation Award for Best Solo Performance in Fully Committed (Aurora Fox), a one-man show in which Steven portrayed more than 30, different characters. A few other favorite roles include God in the Colorado premiere of An Act of God and The Best Friends in First Date the Musical, both at the Tony Award-winning Denver Center; Saturday Night Fever the Musical (Arvada Center); Dog Sees God (Avenue Theater); Speech and Debate (Curious Theater Co.); and Sister Mary Amnesia in Nunsense, Amen! (Littleton Town Hall Arts Center). His varied career has yielded him the opportunity to work with Broadway veteran, Ray Roderick; stars of stages and screens, Wesley Taylor & Christine Elise McCarthy; and Emmy-winning choreographer, Mandy Moore, as well as many of Colorado’s best and brightest stars.
GeRee Hinshaw is an actor, singer, emcee and writer, as well as an executive consultant and creative director for a global design and experience agency. She is on the startup team for IDEA Stages, an organization dedicated to helping theater makers and performing artists build the will and skill for running inclusive and anti-racist organizations, serves on the board of Local Theater Company in Colorado, and is the 20-year host of Freak Train, a multi-discipline, low-barrier “open stage” held the last Monday of every month at the Bug Theater in Denver, CO. GerRee was named a Top 100 Colorado Creative by Westword magazine in 2019.
Heather Hughes is an actor, director and teaching artist.  Her theatre credits include: SICKS, Walker Space at SOHO Rep, NYC; The Boy at the Edge of Everything, The Duke Theatre, NYC; Rabbithole, Theatreworks, CT; DragOn, Lived/Relived, The Colorado New Play Summit, Denver Center for the Performing Arts; The 39 Steps, Lonetree Arts Center; Tiny Beautiful Things, The Wright Opera House.  Heather’s voice can be heard on numerous radio ads and her face can be seen on numerous commercials.  As a Teaching Artist, Heather has worked with The New Victory Theatre, Lincoln Center, Disney, and Memorial Sloan-Kettering in NYC, and ongoingly with The Denver Center for the Performing Arts, The Weehawken Center for the Arts, and The Crested Butte Center for the Arts, and Western Colorado University.

   No bad Actors; adult acting with Heather Hughes

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You, yes you, can act! Enjoy lively evenings diving into some theatre activities! Three theatre-based sessions to choose from, each with different focuses; take one or all three! Whether you’ve always dreamt of being on stage or are just feeling up for trying something new, these classes promise to keep you laughing and supported as we dive into the world of acting and performance. The skills we use as actors are applicable to anyone, no matter your line of work and we’ll learn the basic tenets of acting, stage presence and body language basics to help you present your best self in any situation. Aug 13, intro to acting; Aug 27 boosting self-confidence with acting/improv techniques; Sept 10 public speaking and beyond; eye contact, breathing, grounding. Take one or all three. Great ladies’ night out and professional team building. No prior experience needed, just a willingness to play. Scholarships and student pricing available. Bar available. At the Center.

Fridays, August 13, 27, 4 – 6 pm. Saturday, Sept 11, 2 – 4 pm.  $35 

Live Theater at Lunch: “Indiana” by Steven Cole Hughes

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Indiana by Steven Cole Hughes

On the eve of the 2016 presidential election, Justine, who just lost her job and her boyfriend in New York City, goes back to her parents’ house in Indiana. Old patterns and arguments emerge, and all she wanted was to go home so her voice could be heard.

Live performance in the Steddy Theater. Food + drink available for purchase. Included in festival pass, or pay what you can upon registration.

Steven Cole Hughes is a playwright, actor, director and currently Associate Professor and Director of Theatre at Western Colorado University. He is also the faculty mentor for playwriting at Regis University’s Mile-High MFA. His full-length plays include: Indiana, The Presidents!, Slabtown, Billy Hell, The Bad Man, cowboyily, Behold! The Fig Leaf Apron, Dogs by Seven and Poor Devils. His plays have been produced by the Bloomington Playwrights Project, The Coterie Theatre, Creede Repertory Theatre, Curious Theatre Company, Denver Center for the Performing Arts, and the Edinburgh International Fringe Festival. He won the 2008 Denver Post Ovation Award for Best New Work for Billy Hell, and the 2011 Denver Post Ovation Award for Special Achievement for his trilogy of plays The Billy Trilogy. He has a BA in Theatre from Indiana University and an MFA from the National Theatre Conservatory.

Including:

Emma Messenger is a Denver based actress having performed at Curious Theatre, The Arvada Center, DCPA Off Center, The Colorado Shakespeare Festival, Local Theater Company, and The Edge Theater among others. She is a three time CTG Henry Award Winner for Outstanding Acting having been nominated seven times. She was named to Westword’s Best list three times and has received four True West Awards for her performances. She last appeared onstage in The Secretary at Curious Theatre. Favorite roles include the Nurse in Romeo and Juliet, Della in The Cake, Kate Keller in All My Sons, Sue Mengers in I’ll Eat You Last, Martha in Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, and Annie Wilkes in Misery.

Cajardo Lindsey is an actor, filmmaker, screenwriter, and attorney.  His theatre credits include: Denver Center Theatre Company: ALL THE WAY, Just Like us, A Raisin in the Sun; Arvada Center: To Kill a Mockingbird, Wait Until Dark, A Raisin in the Sun; Curious Theatre Company: Skeleton Crew, Detroit ’67, The Brother Sister Plays, Fences; The Whipping Man; Local Theatre Company: The Rape of the Sabine Women, By Grace B. Matthias; Shadow Theatre Company: Joe Turner’s Come and Gone, Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf, Blood Knot; Miner’s Alley Playhouse: The Night of the Iguana, Lobby Hero and Misery. He is a multiple Denver Post Ovation, Best of Westward, Colorado Theatre Guild Henry Award-winning actor.  Film and TV credits include: Deadly Illusions, Infinity Chamber, Shot Caller, Force of Execution, MacGruber, Silver City, Assassins’ Code, Stained Glass Windows, Crash, Easy Money, In Plain Sight, and Medium.  His social media handle is @cajardo, his next film project handle is @blackfacemovie.

Heather Hughes is an actor, director and teaching artist.  Her theatre credits include: SICKS, Walker Space at SOHO Rep, NYC; The Boy at the Edge of Everything, The Duke Theatre, NYC; Rabbithole, Theatreworks, CT; DragOn, Lived/Relived, The Colorado New Play Summit, Denver Center for the Performing Arts; The 39 Steps, Lonetree Arts Center; Tiny Beautiful Things, The Wright Opera House.  Heather’s voice can be heard on numerous radio ads and her face can be seen on numerous commercials.  As a Teaching Artist, Heather has worked with The New Victory Theatre, Lincoln Center, Disney, and Memorial Sloan-Kettering in NYC, and ongoingly with The Denver Center for the Performing Arts, The Weehawken Center for the Arts, and The Crested Butte Center for the Arts, and Western Colorado University.  Heather is thrilled, THRILLED, to be with you, IN PERSON, at the theatre today.

Intro to Acting – High School

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Intro to Acting with Heather Hughes – High School

Have you ever wondered about acting?  Come try it out in this super fun and energetic acting workshop!  Using improv/theatre games and activities, we’ll practice acting skills that help build confidence, encourage bravery, and hopefully make you laugh A LOT!  NO experience necessary.  All you need are comfortable clothes that you can move in, shoes that stay on your feet, and a readiness to play!

Classes limited to 20 students to allow for social distancing in the Center’s Steddy Theater. Masks required at all times.
Scholarships are available.  Email Melissa Mason at melissa@crestedbuttearts.org.

Heather is a professional actor, director, and teaching artist. She has worked for many years at the Denver Center for the Performing Arts, Buntport Theatre and The Denver Art Museum as well as two seasons as the live narrator of the Tiny Tots’ Inside The Orchestra series in Denver.  In NYC, Heather was a Teaching Artist with New Victory Theatre and ENACT, and is a proud company member of Trusty Sidekick Theatre Company. Heather teaches acting classes for all ages at the Gunnison Arts Center, The Weehawken Center for the Arts in Ridgway, online for The Denver Center for the Performing Arts, and is a guest director at Western Colorado University. Heather has appeared as an actor at The Denver Center, Lonetree Arts Center, and Miners Alley Playhouse, among others. Her voice can be heard on numerous radio spots, and her face can be seen in several currently running television commercials. She holds a BA in Communications/Theatre from Western Colorado University.

Intro to Acting – Adult

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Whether you’ve always dreamt of Broadway, or are just interested in trying something new, an acting class is the perfect remedy!  Using acting/improv games and activities, we’ll lean into the basic tenets of acting: Being present, Being honest, Trusting yourself and Listening, all while working together and laughing a lot.  NO experience necessary, just a willingness to play!  Please wear comfortable clothes that you can move in and shoes that stay on your feet.

Classes limited to 20 students to allow for social distancing in the Center’s Steddy Theater. Masks required at all times.
Scholarships are available.  Email Melissa Mason at melissa@crestedbuttearts.org.

Heather is a professional actor, director, and teaching artist. She has worked for many years at the Denver Center for the Performing Arts, Buntport Theatre and The Denver Art Museum as well as two seasons as the live narrator of the Tiny Tots’ Inside The Orchestra series in Denver. In NYC, Heather was a Teaching Artist with New Victory Theatre and ENACT, and is a proud company member of Trusty Sidekick Theatre Company. Heather teaches acting classes for all ages at the Gunnison Arts Center, The Weehawken Center for the Arts in Ridgway, online for The Denver Center for the Performing Arts, and is a guest director at Western Colorado University. Heather has appeared as an actor at The Denver Center, Lonetree Arts Center, and Miners Alley Playhouse, among others. Her voice can be heard on numerous radio spots, and her face can be seen in several currently running television commercials. She holds a BA in Communications/Theatre from Western Colorado University.

Intro to Acting – Middle School

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Intro to Acting with Heather Hughes – Middle School

Have you ever wondered about acting?  Come try it out in this super fun and energetic acting workshop!  Using improv/theatre games and activities, we’ll practice acting skills that help build confidence, encourage bravery, and hopefully make you laugh A LOT!  NO experience necessary.  All you need are comfortable clothes that you can move in, shoes that stay on your feet, and a readiness to play!

Classes limited to 20 students to allow for social distancing in the Center’s Steddy Theater. Masks required at all times.
Scholarships are available.  Email Melissa Mason at melissa@crestedbuttearts.org.

Heather is a professional actor, director, and teaching artist. She has worked for many years at the Denver Center for the Performing Arts, Buntport Theatre and The Denver Art Museum as well as two seasons as the live narrator of the Tiny Tots’ Inside The Orchestra series in Denver.  In NYC, Heather was a Teaching Artist with New Victory Theatre and ENACT, and is a proud company member of Trusty Sidekick Theatre Company. Heather teaches acting classes for all ages at the Gunnison Arts Center, The Weehawken Center for the Arts in Ridgway, online for The Denver Center for the Performing Arts, and is a guest director at Western Colorado University. Heather has appeared as an actor at The Denver Center, Lonetree Arts Center, and Miners Alley Playhouse, among others. Her voice can be heard on numerous radio spots, and her face can be seen in several currently running television commercials. She holds a BA in Communications/Theatre from Western Colorado University.

Intro to Acting – Elementary

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Intro to Acting with Heather Hughes – Elementary School (1st – 5th grades)

Have you ever wondered about acting?  Come try it out in this super fun and energetic acting workshop!  Using improv/theatre games and activities, we’ll practice acting skills that help build confidence, encourage bravery, and hopefully make you laugh A LOT!  NO experience necessary.  All you need are comfortable clothes that you can move in, shoes that stay on your feet, and a readiness to play!

Classes limited to 20 students to allow for social distancing in the Center’s Steddy Theater. Masks required at all times.
Scholarships are available.  Email Melissa Mason at melissa@crestedbuttearts.org.

Heather is a professional actor, director, and teaching artist. She has worked for many years at the Denver Center for the Performing Arts, Buntport Theatre and The Denver Art Museum as well as two seasons as the live narrator of the Tiny Tots’ Inside The Orchestra series in Denver.  In NYC, Heather was a Teaching Artist with New Victory Theatre and ENACT, and is a proud company member of Trusty Sidekick Theatre Company. Heather teaches acting classes for all ages at the Gunnison Arts Center, The Weehawken Center for the Arts in Ridgway, online for The Denver Center for the Performing Arts, and is a guest director at Western Colorado University. Heather has appeared as an actor at The Denver Center, Lonetree Arts Center, and Miners Alley Playhouse, among others. Her voice can be heard on numerous radio spots, and her face can be seen in several currently running television commercials. She holds a BA in Communications/Theatre from Western Colorado University.