Backstage to Spotlight

In evaluating Denver Theatre Ensembles impact on community engagement, it is clear through the ways that DTE facilitates their business practices that they care deeply about their artistic community, and make conscious efforts to prioritize the mental health and artistic fulfillment of their artists. By reimagining the audition process as a genuine conversation rather than a transactional encounter, and creating an environment where artists felt valued as individuals rather than interchangeable performers they were able to fulfill their goals as a company . However there were many moments in the process where a lack of communication or effective task management hindered their ability to fulfill their artist needs. Inconstancies in understanding surrounding grant surveys as well as the missed content warnings given before shows, it became clear that often, the creative direction team at DTE struggled to remain on the same page about their artists wellbeing and company philosophy. These structural issues ultimately ended up undermining the companies stated goals of nurturing artistic risk taking, and prioritizing mental wellbeing and artistic fulfillment. Working with Denver Theatre Ensemble has been an incredibly meaningful experience for me as a young artist. It gave me the opportunity to see how certain decisions can shape the mental wellbeing and artistic fulfillment of all of its artists. Through engaging with their ensemble I learned how intentional practices, like creating space for honest conversations and valuing the individuality of the each artist can deeply impact not just the quality of work on stage but also the artists sense of belonging within it their given community. I have seen firsthand how artistry and wellness are interconnected. This has encouraged me to think critically about the environments I want to create and participate in going forward, and in carrying these lesions with me I feel more prepared to approach my future work with greater empathy, openness and commitment to building artistic spaces that are not only creative but also nourishing to the people that make them possible.