"In our dream world, someone would be interested in the building, and we would get a sale and a lease-back that would allow us to stay in the building for a period of time," Dixon explains. "My hope is that in the next six to seven months, fingers crossed, we will have a little bit more information and can be more specific about what the next steps are. It could be a sale, a lease-back, or we could become an itinerant company."
![](https://media1.westword.com/den/imager/u/blog/21372853/169a3518__1_.jpg?cb=1722290257)
"If we get stuck on the idea that Curious Theatre is limited to this building, we close the door to future possibilities," says artistic director Jada Suzanne Dixon.
Courtesy of Susannah McLeod/McLeod9 Creative
"I respect people's feelings, and I do not deny that there is a lot of magic and meaningful aesthetics here," she says of the building. "One of my favorite aspects of this space is the wide, empty stage, which is stunning. I love the beautiful stained-glass window at the very top of the building.
"But the DNA of this theater company is not limited to the walls of this building," she notes. "If we get stuck on the idea that Curious Theatre is limited to this building, we close the door to future possibilities."
![church with sign that says Curious Theatre](https://media1.westword.com/den/imager/u/blog/21358053/l0rd7s6t03cmxh7soln-cxnnz-0rcddmbutxoguoir_jle16z5f0vawuecyd.jpg?cb=1722290351)
With only a few days left in the fundraiser, Curious Theatre has raised approximately $110,000 of its $250,000 goal.
Courtesy of Curious Theatre Company
Dixon explains that the decision to sell the building stemmed from financial necessity as the cost of maintaining the aging structure became unsustainable. Although the converted church carries significant emotional and historical weight, rising maintenance costs of around $9,500 per month strained the theater's finances.
"We made the correct decision to sell the building, because although it is our most valuable asset, it is also our greatest liability," Dixon says. "Even though we are a nonprofit theater company, we still need to consider the business side of things. For me, if the options are to close the doors and never exist or to shift and exist, I will always choose the latter. Now, I'm not sure what it will look like — I don't have it all planned out with a ten-year magic mirror — but this allows us to move forward while remaining open to all possibilities."
The sale is intended to provide the company with the financial flexibility it requires to navigate its future, as Curious was not able to meet its Fund the Future campaign goal. Curious announced the emergency fundraising campaign in March to cover a $250,000 deficit and assist with season 27; the campaign closed on July 31. While it raised $119,346.12 as of July 29, roughly 48% of its stated goal, Dixon says that Fund the Future was "going extremely well," and that the theater's recent 24-Hour Play Festival, a one-night fundraising event that featured six original plays, raised nearly $3,000.
"We set an audacious, big goal of $250K, which I knew was huge, but if you're going to run a Fund the Future campaign, why not go big?" Dixon says. "I don't think I or anyone expected that we would meet that $250,000 — obviously, our fingers were crossed — but I'm thankful for every single portion of it. Every donation to Fund the Future, whether that's $5, $10 or more, demonstrates someone's care and passion for this organization, and I could not ask for anything more."
![](https://media1.westword.com/den/imager/u/blog/21401997/dsc_9258.jpg?cb=1722290352)
Abner Genece in the recent 24-Hour Play Festival, a one-night fundraising event that featured six original plays produced in a day and raised $2,923.
Courtesy of Michael Ensminger Photography
Curious Theatre has long been dedicated to producing socially relevant and provocative theater, but that commitment has also posed difficulties in attracting broader financial support and filling seats. "It’s the balance between mission and money," Dixon notes. "We are committed to our mission and will not stray from it, so we need to figure out how to live it out and get people here. Do I want butts in seats? Heck, yeah...but I'm not going to sacrifice who we say we are and who we continue to strive to be every single day."
![](https://media2.westword.com/den/imager/u/blog/21370727/_dsc5323.jpg?cb=1722290352)
Cost of Living from Curious Theatre Company's 26th season.
Courtesy of Michael Ensminger Photography
But despite the uncertainty surrounding how long Curious will be in the building, Dixon and her team are focused on preparing for the company's 27th season, which includes POTUS from September 7 to October 13, Confederates from November 9 to December 8, A Case for the Existence of God from January 18 to February 16, Downstate from March 15 to April 20, and the recently announced world premiere of Estate, written by and starring Golden Globe winner Regina Taylor, from May 8 to 25.
And the hope is that these will all be produced in the current building, if no one has purchased it; the theater is exploring options for a lease-back agreement if not a new location. Dixon says the team is carefully considering how to manage the proceeds from the building's eventual sale to ensure long-term sustainability and avoid becoming "like those people who win the lottery but then go bankrupt three years later."
Although she knows people have toured the building, Dixon is trusting the theater's broker, Blue West Capital, to handle the process. The public listing does not include a price, but describes the space as a "fantastic opportunity to own, redevelop, or sell leaseback to current owner," located in the heart of the Golden Triangle neighborhood.
As Curious embarks on this new chapter, Dixon's message is clear: The essence of Curious Theatre goes beyond its physical space. However, it is important to recognize that the road ahead will not be easy. If the company wants to continue operating, it must address its audience strategy, development, fundraising and donor engagement. The financial realities are stark, and Curious will need to find long-term solutions to these issues.
Dixon concludes with a realistic perspective: "We are acutely aware of the financial challenges and that we will need to restructure our organization in every aspect, which is not necessarily a bad thing. I'm looking at all of this as an exciting opportunity. I understand why some people believe Curious is dying, but I firmly believe that it is about breaking open the organization's standard operating model to be open to all of the amazing possibilities that lie ahead. I recognize it's going to be hella hard, but we are focused on securing our future financially so that [we] are set up for success."
Donate to Curious Theatre Company's Fund the Future campaign at coloradogives.org.