With Aurora in the spotlight, local theater company leans on community
share
AURORA, Colo. — Greek theater has brought us countless tragedies, from “Antigone”, to “Medea,” offering stories of familial trouble, political scheming and humans standing in the eyes of the divine.
None of the classics, however, feature Hera, Zeus, Aphrodite and Poseidon having a dance party to Charli XCX’s “360” on Mount Olympus. Queer theatre company Two Cent Lion is changing that.
Friends Izzy Chern, Kevin Douglas and Gracie Jacobson started the Aurora-based theater company in 2022. Two Cent Lion is opening its 2025 season with Denver-based playwright Olivia Buntaine’s “The Tragedy of Medusa.”
The theater hopes to bring people together as President Trump continues to sign executive orders targeting the LGBTQ+ community, and as Aurora has become a target in the ongoing immigration crackdown.
“I hope people laugh and feel because it’s important to know good and bad can exist at the same time,” said Tamarra Nelson, who plays Medusa. “Even though there’s so many things in the world that are rotten and scary, it’s also fun and hopeful.”
Two Cent Lion operates out of The People’s Building on Colfax, which the City of Aurora owns. As part of the building’s incubation program, Two Cent Lion splits ticket sales with the city instead of renting the space. The People’s Building partnered with Two Cent Lion, supporting the production through a ticket sales model so that the company can reach self-sufficiency in the future.
The incubation program has given Two Cent Lion a space to perform for the year.
“This is a nice theater with professional-grade lights, projections, and sound. It would cost us more than ticket sales to be able to use this space,” said Kevin Douglas, executive director and producer.
Last year, the Colorado Theatre Guild recognized Two Cent Lion with two Henry Awards for its achievements in sound and lighting design. The Henry Awards recognize outstanding achievements of theater productions across Colorado.
Because of its success in 2024, the company is back this year with a slate of three new shows — “The Tragedy of Medusa”, “Hands Like Yours” and “The Legend of Anne Bonny.”
A scene between Archer Rosencrantz (left) and Tamarra Nelson (right). Video: Peter Vo, Rocky Mountain PBS
The cast of seven gathered in the basement of River Church in Lakewood for months before the show’s opening week, when they could finally move into The People’s Building for the duration of the show’s run.
The cast packed into the basement of the church the night of Jan. 9 as snow fell outside. Stage manager Delaine Stephens taped yarn on the floor, marking the dimensions of the makeshift stage on which the actors would eventually perform.
At the back of the basement, playwright Buntaine gathered the rest of the cast as they played “Ship to Shore,” a swashbuckler’s version of “Simon Says.”
The cast laughed, danced and yelled as they warmed up for rehearsal. Buntaine, standing in the chaos, smiled.
“This group of weirdos, they’re so much fun and so talented,” Buntaine said.
Buntaine originally wrote and directed “The Tragedy of Medusa” in Los Angeles in 2019. Trained in classical theater, Buntaine took the myth of Medusa and reexamined it through Medusa’s eyes.
“There’s so much messed up stuff in mythology,” said Buntiane. “I’m interested in interrogating why these stories that have lasted for centuries are all so focused on issues of sexual violence or injustice, and trying to tilt the focus on the perspective of people who are impacted by that.”
“The Tragedy of Medusa” opens in an isolated cave with the hero Perseus (played by Archer Rosencrantz) arriving, announcing that he has come to kill Medusa (played by Tamarra Nelson). The play follows the conversation that unfolds between them, retelling the story of Medusa through flashbacks.
Although Two Cent Lion has typically produced shows that have celebrated queerness and shown queer stories through a positive lens, Buntaine’s play has taken a more intense approach, covering themes of homophobia, misogyny and sexual violence.
“We thought, especially with the climate that we’re in right now, we don’t want to feel like we’re just putting our heads in the sand and ignoring the world we live in,” said Douglas. “Olivia’s timing of pitching the show was so timely.”
Nelson plays the role of Medusa, and throughout the show, her character is put in traumatic situations. Buntaine and Nelson navigated this by creating a ritual for Nelson to tap in and out of Medusa as a character so that Nelson doesn’t carry the same baggage when she’s not in character.
Rituals are implemented between cast members. Nelson has a silly handshake with her cast member, Neil Soriano Isales, Jr., who plays Poseidon.
“[Buntaine] has done a lot to foster friendship and safety,” said Nelson. “Having these rituals before and after our scenes makes us connect as humans first before we drop into these awful scenes as characters.”
The crew moved into The People’s Building Feb. 3. They installed and refined the set as the cast started rehearsing in costumes.
“We’ve been rehearsing all we can, but this week, tech week, is when the real show starts,” said Buntaine.
“I’m really excited because it’s a queer production that’s so focused on the LGBTQ community both in production and cast,” said Annalesia Veasey who plays Athena. “But I’m also excited for the audience, where in a time right now when it’s so scary and daunting, people get to see queer theater and feel safe in that environment.”
“The Tragedy of Medusa” runs from Feb. 8-22 at The People’s Building, located at 9995 E Colfax Ave in Aurora. Tickets are pay-what-you-can, ranging from $15 to $35.
Type of story: News
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources.
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources.
To read more about why you can trust the journalism of Rocky Mountain PBS, please visit our editorial standards and practices page.