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The Sala Project: Echoes of Curtis Park
Community-rooted theater honoring Denver’s historic Curtis Park neighborhood

Overview

Echoes of Curtis Park is an original theatrical work developed in Denver’s Curtis Park neighborhood. I served as director and head writer, leading a process that blends oral history, memory, and performance to honor the lived experiences of the neighborhood’s Latine and Chicano/a communities.

The piece was created in residence at The Savoy, a historic social hall, using story circles, interviews, letters, photographs, and keepsakes from longtime and former residents. These voices shaped the narrative, language, and emotional arc of the performance.

Echoes of Curtis Park Trailer

The Sala Project: Echoes of Curtis Park Trailer

Photos of the 4 month process and production

Credits & Collaborators

 

  • Artistic Core Team: Debra Gallegos, Meghan Frank, Buba Basishvili, Lisa Hori-Garcia

  • Sound & Music: Ricky Olguin and Bob Vasquez

  • Lighting Design: Sean Mallary

  • Scenic Design: Cipriano Ortega (Savoy mural by Tony Ortega)

  • Production Support: Theatre Artibus

  • Community Collaborators: Longtime and former Curtis Park residents

  • Venue: The Savoy, Denver

Process & Community Collaboration

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  • Built relationships through story circles, interviews, and informal gatherings.

  • Centered community members as collaborators rather than subjects.

  • Used rehearsal as a space for exploration of text, movement, and sound/music.

  • Iterative feedback ensured the work remained authentic and ethically grounded.​

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My Role

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  • Directed and head wrote the project, shaping both narrative and performance structure.

  • Adapted oral histories and artifacts into a coherent theatrical experience while preserving authenticity.

  • Integrated movement, sound, and music to support the narrative flow.

  • Guided rehearsal and feedback processes, ensuring inclusive, ethical collaboration.

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Impact & Reflection

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  • Echoes of Curtis Park deepened my understanding of theater as a practice of listening, witnessing, and shared community creation. The work:

  • Amplified the histories and voices of the Latine community amid gentrification.

  • Created space for audience reflection, empathy, and connection.

  • Demonstrated how sustained community engagement transforms personal memory into collective experience.

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