Continuing our celebration of Heart and Soul of Golden month, this is the ninth in a series of articles describing the histories of Golden Cultural Alliance members. This write-up about Miners Alley Playhouse comes courtesy of Lisa DeCaro.
Founded in 1989 as Morrison Theatre Company, Miners Alley Playhouse quickly became a core component of Morrison’s economic, artistic, cultural, and social matrix. In 1993, Miners Alley teamed up with the Town of Morrison to compete for the US WEST “Colorado Initiatives Rural Economic Development Grant,” winning 1st prize. This $125,000 award jump-started a campaign that raised $180,000 to restore the historic town hall for multiple uses including the Morrison Theatre Company, which performed in residence for 13 years. While in Morrison, Miners Alley developed a reputation as a quality producing company and brought many classic plays to the stage, cultivating a tradition of bringing new and innovative works to Denver metro audiences that continues to this day.
In June 2003, Morrison Theatre Company received a loan from the Golden Civic Foundation to convert the Golden Ram restaurant above Foss Drug into a small theater space, and Miners Alley Playhouse was born. Miners Alley Playhouse was now able to produce theater without restriction all year long (the Morrison Town Hall was shared space), with abundant parking, visual art exhibit space, and a full service bar.
In 2013, founders Rick Bernstein & Paige Larson asked Len Matheo & Lisa DeCaro to take over the management of the playhouse. Len & Lisa contacted long-time friends and Goldenites Jim & Brenda Billings, and the four of them gathered in Jim & Brenda’s kitchen to talk about what they wanted the next decade of MAP to look like. They envisioned an inclusive, welcoming, in-demand theater venue that provided world-class entertainment and educational opportunities to the residents of the Golden area. Len and Brenda would be co-Executive and Artistic Directors, and Lisa and Jim would support them on the Board of Directors.
In 2015, Heritage Square Music Hall closed, and one of the key players there, Rory Pierce, brought his talents to MAP and became the Director of Children’s Programs. MAP began presenting 4-5 original shows for kids and launched the YETI (Youth Education Theater Intensive) program.
In 2016, Brenda died suddenly of a brain aneurism. Brenda had been a comforting guiding force, and the group and staff were devastated. They focused on staying the course – providing great quality entertainment in a cozy, welcoming environment. For the next 5 years, the team built a thriving professional theater. They took MAP from a $350,000/year theater to a $1.3M/year theater, serving over 20,000 patrons and hundreds of children per year.
In 2021, when the Schaefer family decided to sell Meyer Hardware, they put together a local coalition of business owners, city commissions, the Golden Civic Foundation, and On Tap Credit Union, and were able to purchase the building on December 20, 2021.
In 2022, Lisa DeCaro stepped down from the Board to join Len in the executive team as the Executive Director of MAP. They spent 2022 working with architects & contractors to finalize the design of the new Miners Alley Performing Arts Center, while also navigating the end of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Miners Alley Performing Arts Center opened on December 2, 2023, to sold-out houses. Their attendance has continued to grow since then, with a 50% increase in attendance at shows and education programs. In 2023, MAP served just under 20,000 patrons and in 2024 MAPAC served just under 30,000. They are focused now on raising another $10M to build Phase 2, which will include a studio theater, education center, community spaces, artist housing, and an expanded cabaret/piano bar. (If you’ve ever wanted to see your name on a room, theater, or even a whole performing arts center, now is your chance!)
