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Telluride Opera House- New Sheridan Opera House, a real piece of Telluride History

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The Sheridan Opera House was built by the Telluride miners in 1913 as a Vaudeville Theater and cultural center, attracting variety shows, orchestras and touring theater companies. Performers from Lillian Gish and Sarah Bernhardt to Jackson Browne have graced our stage. In 1991 the Sheridan Arts Foundation was created, saving the opera house from demolition. Today this 240 seat intimate theater has become a non-profit venue benefiting many local and national charitable organizations. The Telluride Opera House is currently operated by a non-profit called the Sheridan Arts Foundation (SAF).

Before restoration: After restoration:

The SAF's Young People's theater offers dramatic workshops and theater classes for children ages 3 to 18. This non-competitive, innovative and affordable program enrolls over 200 students annually. Our classes include improvisational drama, preschool dramatic play, acting technique, and performance workshops all of which culminate in productions of full length, musical plays. Some past performances include' Damn Yankees', 'Bugsy Malone', 'You're A Good Man, Charlie Brown', 'Anything Goes', 'Charlie and the Chocolate Factory', 'Grease', and 'Peter Pan'. We will enroll our students on a first come, first serve basis. There are no auditions. Each child signed up is guaranteed placement in the show. Scholarships and financial aid are available.

In its sixteenth year, the SAF's Wild West Fest is a week-long celebration of Western arts, culture and customs which brings inner-city youth along with artists and musical performers from across the nation to Telluride, Colorado. The Wild West Fest is an exciting and much-anticipated event for our mountain community. An integral component of the Wild West Fest is the Chip Allen Mentorship Program (C.A.M.P). Created in conjunction with the Boys & Girls Clubs of America and Big Brothers, Big Sisters of America, C.A.M.P. brings inner-city youth to Telluride each year for a week of enriching educational experiences. The children work with established experts in the fields of Drama, Dance, Horses and Ranching, Trick Roping, Fly-Fishing, and Golf.

Approximately fifty students are chosen to attend the Wild West Fest by their clubs for their positive attitudes, good behavior, and responsibility to family, school, and community. The WWF C.A.M.P. focuses on each child's personal and individual needs to ensure a positive learning experience so that each participant returns home with a greater sense of self-confidence and personal awareness as well as a firm grasp on a new skill. Past participants have included groups from Atlanta, Boston, Denver, Farmington, Fort Pierce, Fort Worth, Houston, New York, and Phoenix.

In addition to C.A.M.P., the Wild West Fest also provides a number of cultural activities for the youth to attend throughout the week. These include live performances in music, dance, and theater, a ranch tour, horseback rides, cookouts, hikes, a visual art class, and outdoor "Wild West" thematic programs such as western storytelling and campfire sing-a-longs. Celebrities who have donated their time and talent to the children involved in the program include Mel Gibson, Tanya Tucker, Daryl Hannah, Christie Brinkley, Rodney Crowell, Ty Herndon, Larry Mahan and many more.

The Sheridan Opera House, one of Telluride's most well-loved and most frequently-used buildings, is currently in the midst of a multi-phase project of restoration.

SAF application scores for Phase Two grant ranged 89 to 92 (on a scale of 100), and Historical Society Grant Readers were extremely complimentary of the restoration project, the Sheridan Arts Foundation efforts, and Telluride's support of the restoration. One grant reader commented, "As the focal point for a great number of performing arts activities, for both young and old, as well as amateur and professional, the Sheridan Opera House is a worthy recipient of grant funds, due primarily to the substantial public benefit derived from its continued operation and preservation. The Sheridan Arts Foundation's emphasis on children is especially noteworthy." As a result, the Sheridan Arts Foundation (SAF) was awarded $246,000 from the Colorado Historical Society for Phase Two of the Sheridan Opera House Restoration! The grant awarded to the SAF was one of the largest grants awarded by the Colorado Historical Society that year. A HUGE thank you goes out to the Historical Society Grant Readers for making this restoration possible!

So far, with the generous support of patrons and grants from the Colorado Historical Society, we have restored the building's west façade and begun renovation on the theater's interior. This work included restoring interior walls, installing air conditioning, and restoring the seats. We have also restored the beautiful hardwood maple floors. Safety improvements added to date include a new fire escape, upgraded electrical components and a safety fire wall to separate the stage from the theater.

Although our accomplishments to date are significant, we have a great deal more to achieve.

Phase II work included:
-Complete replacement of the building's roof system
-Remediation of drainage (and ice) problems along the west façade
-Creation of access to the Opera House basement for future expansion
-Installation of fire sprinkler system in the basement
-Installation of air conditioning
-Restoration of the theater and gallery wood floors
-Restoration of the theater seating

Phase III work to include:
-Historic stenciling of the theater's interior
-Comprehensive on-stage rigging
-Installation of fire sprinkler system in theater
-Recess of theatrical lighting into ceiling
-Completion of basement for public occupancy

One aspect of the SAF's activities that may not be well understood by our donors is that we provide substantial subsidies to other Telluride not-profit organizations. These subsidies provide discounted rental rates for the use of the Sheridan Opera House. While it costs the SAF about $1,300 per day to properly maintain and manage the Opera House, our daily rental rate for non-profit organizations is $500. During our last fiscal year (October 1, 2005 to September 30, 2006), the SAF provided aggregate rental subsidies for various productions and events of more than $55,000. We clearly wish to continue these subsidies since the Sheridan Opera House is a wonderful resource for many constituencies in our community. The continued renovation of the Opera House will make it an even more attractive and functional venue for other Telluride non-profit organizations.

Mailing Address:
Sheridan Opera House
110 North Oak St.
PO Box 2680
Telluride, CO 81435

Phone 970.728.6363
Fax 970.728.6966

Our Staff Directory
You can also email our staff members directly by clicking on their name below.
Ronnie Palamar
Event Director

Steve Palamar
Financial Director

Jennifer Nyman-Julia
Young People's Theater Director

Michael Anzalone
PR/Marketing and Production

Luke Slayman
Building Manager

Teresa Koberstein
Business Manager

Justin Weihs
Technical Director

Xiomara Torres
House Keeper