Creede Repertory Theatre
Creede Repertory Theatre is a professional summer repertory company in Creede, Colorado, known for ensemble-based productions, rotating repertory programming, and theatre education.
Last updated August 26, 2026
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Overview
Creede Repertory Theatre, commonly known as CRT or Creede Rep, is a professional summer theatre company based in the historic mining town of Creede, Colorado. The company operates at an elevation of nearly 9,000 feet and traditionally presents its main season from early May through mid-September. Its programming combines live theatrical productions with educational and community-oriented activities, including summer and Friday day camps, the KID's Show program, and the Young Audience Outreach Tour. The theatre was established in 1966 during a period when Creede's mining economy was declining and local civic leaders were seeking ways to support the town's small businesses and year-round population. The Creede Junior Chamber of Commerce and Pastor Jim Livingston circulated a letter asking for assistance. Steve Grossman, then a theatre student at the University of Kansas, responded. Grossman and fellow student Joe Roach travelled to Creede in spring 1966, and the arrangement that brought a group of University of Kansas students to the town was reportedly concluded with a handshake. Grossman subsequently assembled a company of 12 students for the inaugural season. Initially called Operation Summer Theatre, the organization opened its first season with Mr. Roberts and followed it with The Bat, Our Town, The Rainmaker, and Born Yesterday. The productions were scheduled in repertory, allowing audiences to see different plays on successive nights while the same ensemble of performers and production personnel moved between shows. The organization adopted the name Creede Repertory Theatre in 1968. The repertory model and ensemble structure established at the beginning remain central to CRT's identity. The company presents a varied selection of plays and musicals, alongside comedy and youth programming. Its educational work extends beyond performances for adult audiences: the KID's Show develops theatre experiences for children, while the Young Audience Outreach Tour brings theatrical work to younger audiences in the region. CRT also provides seasonal employment and has been described as the largest summer employer in Mineral County. The company has served as an early professional platform for theatre artists. Composer and actor Mark Houston began his career at CRT in 1976. His children's musical Reggie and the Riddle of the Differcus premiered there in 1977, and his children's opera Harbledown! premiered at the theatre in 1982. CRT's reputation has also been recognized outside Colorado. USA Today included it in a 2005 list of notable venues located away from Broadway, while the 2006 company received 11 Ovation nominations from The Denver Post. In 2007, CRT received the National Theatre Conference's Outstanding Achievement Award. The theatre's brand is defined by the combination of professional performance, a distinctive high-altitude setting, repertory scheduling, and civic contribution. Rather than functioning solely as a presenting venue, CRT operates as a seasonal producing company whose artistic activity is closely connected to the economic and cultural life of Creede. Its known 2022 season illustrates the breadth of its offer, ranging from Steel Magnolias and Native Gardens to Ken Ludwig's Sherwood: The Adventures of Robin Hood, Always...Patsy Cline, improv comedy, a children's production, and an outreach tour. Current leadership, ownership, financial information, and corporate structure are not established in the supplied reference material.
History
Creede Repertory Theatre was founded in 1966 in response to an economic and civic challenge facing Creede, Colorado. As the town's mining activity declined, local leaders sought an organization capable of attracting visitors and creating seasonal economic activity for local businesses and residents. The Creede Junior Chamber of Commerce and Pastor Jim Livingston circulated a letter asking for assistance. Steve Grossman, a University of Kansas theatre student, was the only person identified in the supplied account as responding to the appeal. Grossman and fellow student Joe Roach travelled to Creede during the spring of 1966 and agreed to establish a summer theatre operation. Grossman returned with 11 additional students, creating an inaugural group of 12 University of Kansas students. The company initially operated under the name Operation Summer Theatre. Its first season opened with Mr. Roberts and included The Bat, Our Town, The Rainmaker, and Born Yesterday. The productions were staged in repertory, an arrangement in which a company alternates several productions over the course of a week or season. This format enabled patrons to encounter a different play on successive nights and required the performers and backstage team to work across multiple titles. The organization changed its name to Creede Repertory Theatre in 1968. The repertory and ensemble principles established during the founding period continued to shape the company. CRT developed as a professional summer theatre presenting a varied selection of dramatic, comic, musical, and family-oriented works. Its season generally runs from early May through mid-September, making the company a major seasonal cultural and employment institution in the small mountain community. The theatre has been described as Mineral County's largest summer employer. CRT has also functioned as a development venue for theatre artists. Mark Houston, a composer and actor, began his career at the theatre in 1976. His children's musical Reggie and the Riddle of the Differcus premiered at CRT in 1977, followed by the premiere of his children's opera Harbledown! in 1982. These productions reflect the company's longstanding interest in work for younger audiences as well as its role in providing opportunities for emerging and developing artists. Over time, the organization expanded its activities beyond its mainstage repertory. Its educational offerings include summer and Friday day camps, and its KID's Show program provides theatre experiences designed for children. The Young Audience Outreach Tour extends the company's educational and performance work beyond the theatre itself, bringing productions to young audiences in the region. The combination of professional production and education gives CRT a broader community role than that of a conventional seasonal venue. The company received external recognition in the 2000s. USA Today listed it in 2005 among notable places to see theatre away from Broadway. The 2006 company received 11 Ovation nominations reported by The Denver Post, and in 2007 the National Theatre Conference gave CRT its Outstanding Achievement Award. These recognitions reinforced the theatre's reputation as a professionally significant company despite its location far from major metropolitan theatre centers. The 2022 season demonstrated the range of the established programming model. It included Robert Harling's Steel Magnolias, Always...Patsy Cline, Karen Zacarías's Native Gardens, Ken Ludwig's Sherwood: The Adventures of Robin Hood, Boomtown! improv comedy, the children's KID Show: Music Box, and the Young Audience Outreach Tour production Casa Alfonsa. Earlier listed seasons included titles such as The Drowsy Chaperone, Unnecessary Farce, The Mystery of Irma Vep, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, The 39 Steps, The Ladies Man, and Zeus on the Loose. Together, these seasons show CRT's recurring mix of established plays, musicals, comedy, family work, and original or adapted material. The supplied sources describe CRT as continuing to operate according to the founding principles of repertory scheduling, ensemble collaboration, professional production, and community engagement. They do not establish a current executive roster, ownership structure, financial figures, or a parent organization.
- 2022
Broad summer and outreach program
[1]The season combined plays, a musical biography, improv comedy, children's theatre, and a Young Audience Outreach Tour.
- 2007
National Theatre Conference award
[1]CRT received the National Theatre Conference's Outstanding Achievement Award.
- 2006
Ovation recognition
[1]The Denver Post reported 11 Ovation nominations for CRT's 2006 company.
- 2005
National media recognition
[1]USA Today named CRT among notable places to see theatre outside Broadway.
- 1982
Premiere of Harbledown!
[1]Mark Houston's children's opera Harbledown! premiered at the theatre.
- 1977
Premiere of Reggie and the Riddle of the Differcus
[1]Mark Houston's children's musical premiered at CRT.
- 1968
Organization adopts the Creede Repertory Theatre name
[1]The summer company changed its name from Operation Summer Theatre to Creede Repertory Theatre.
- 1966
Theatre founded as Operation Summer Theatre
[1]Steve Grossman brought a 12-person University of Kansas student company to Creede after responding to a civic appeal for help sustaining the town's economy.
- 1966
First summer season opens
[1]The inaugural repertory season opened with Mr. Roberts and also presented The Bat, Our Town, The Rainmaker, and Born Yesterday.
Products and positioning
A professional, community-connected summer repertory theatre offering ensemble-based productions and educational programming in the high-altitude setting of Creede, Colorado.
Professional live theatre · 1966
Mainstage summer repertory
CRT's principal offering is a seasonal repertory program running broadly from early May through mid-September. It presents multiple productions within a single season, using a professional ensemble of performers and production personnel. The repertoire has included dramas, comedies, musicals, adaptations, and contemporary plays, allowing audiences to see different works across successive performances.
Children's theatre
The KID Show
The KID Show is CRT's children's performance program. It forms part of the company's family and education offering and is designed to introduce younger audiences to live theatre through accessible productions. The 2022 season included Music Box by Allison Quiller.
Educational outreach
Young Audience Outreach Tour
The Young Audience Outreach Tour, or YAOT, extends CRT's work to young audiences outside the main theatre setting. The program combines touring performance with educational access and has included Casa Alfonsa, with book and lyrics by Diana Grisanti and music by Emiliano Messiez, in the 2022 season.
Comedy performance
Boomtown! Improv Comedy
Boomtown! is CRT's recurring improv comedy offering. It adds an unscripted, audience-oriented performance format to the repertory season and appeared in the listed 2010, 2011, 2012, and 2022 seasons.
Theatre education
Theatre camps
CRT offers summer and Friday day camps as part of its educational programming. The camps provide structured theatre-related experiences for young participants and support the company's broader mission of connecting professional theatre with community learning.
Marketing campaigns
- Young Audience Outreach Tour
Regional youth audiences · Colorado
CRT's touring education initiative brings theatre to young audiences beyond the company's main venue and forms a central part of its community-access work.
Outcome. The supplied material confirms the program's continued inclusion in CRT programming but does not provide participation figures or other quantified outcomes.
- KID's Show
Families and children · Creede, Colorado
The KID's Show provides child-focused theatrical programming within CRT's seasonal and educational activities.
Outcome. The program remains identified as part of CRT's offering; detailed audience or enrollment results are not supplied.
Brand decisions
2022
Launch of the 2022 season lineupProduct launchBackground
CRT's seasonal model combines adult repertory, comedy, family theatre, and outreach programming.
Action taken
The 2022 program included Steel Magnolias, Always...Patsy Cline, Native Gardens, Sherwood: The Adventures of Robin Hood, Boomtown! Improv Comedy, Music Box, and the YAOT production Casa Alfonsa.
Aftermath
The lineup demonstrated the company's continued breadth across professional, family, comedic, and educational programming.
1968
Adoption of the Creede Repertory Theatre identityStrategyBackground
The original summer operation was founded as Operation Summer Theatre in response to Creede's need for new economic activity.
Action taken
The organization changed its name to Creede Repertory Theatre while retaining its summer repertory and ensemble model.
Aftermath
The new identity became the enduring name of the professional theatre company.
Sources2 sources
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