Life & Work with Kevin Douglas of East Colfax (Aurora)

Today we’d like to introduce you to Kevin Douglas.

Hi Kevin, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Alongside Gracie Jacobson and Izzy Chern, I co-founded Two Cent Lion, a theatre & film production company focused on celebrating the artistry of LGBTQ+ writers and artists. We got our start as a small but mighty theatre troupe born out of necessity. As 2020/2021 college grads, we found little-to-no professional theatre opportunities as we emerged from the Covid-19 pandemic. So, we created our own opportunities — and we went in with a desire to reach younger audiences that often felt alienated by traditional theatre culture and ticket prices. With a focus on queer stories that spoke to Gen Z and Millennial audiences, we quickly gained traction and got some great press from prominent outlets like Denverite, Westword, and 9News.

With this burgeoning reputation, and some well-reviewed shows at the Denver Fringe Festival and the University of Denver’s Black Box Studio, we were well-positioned to expand to a larger venue. That’s when we discovered The People’s Building, a performing arts venue on East Colfax owned and financed by the City of Aurora. Through their artist incubation program, we seized an opportunity to become a resident company at the venue, where we would produce a full season of shows in a space much larger than any of our previous performance spaces.

Our first show at The People’s Building was an original play called “Clink Clink,” written by me (based on a story conceived by Izzy Chern). It was a lesbian love story that followed two girls through their lives, growing up from 1994 through 2022, and the many twists and turns of their relationship. This production blew our expectations away, landing us a feature on Rocky Mountain PBS, and earning a review that praised the show as one that “leaves the audience nearly gasping for air. … A must-see production of 2024” (Fitzgerald, OnStage Colorado). This production earned us 6 nominations at the 2024 Henry Awards, tying for the most nominations for a single play, alongside larger companies like Boulder Ensemble Theatre Company and Thunder River Theatre Company. “Clink Clink” won two Henry’s that night: one for Light Design (Maxwell O’Neill), and one for Sound Design (myself & Taelor Hansen shared that award).

Since then, Two Cent Lion has continued to produce award-winning theatre at The People’s Building, including “Josie’s Diner,” “The Rocky Horror Show,” “The Tragedy of Medusa,” and “The Legend of Anne Bonny” — the last of which was a co-production with another small and mighty theatre company, Shifted Lens Theatre.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
We have grown larger than we ever imagined — which is incredibly fortunate, but has come with its own set of challenges. What started as a passion project between three college friends, has become a space for a large, young audience to come and seek out the stories we’re telling — and for young artists to showcase their work in a safe and supportive environment.

The three co-founders have sought to move onto other projects and opportunities, with Gracie Jacobson pursuing documentary filmmaking in Scotland, and myself recently moving to Telluride to produce and perform with Telluride Theatre. But our audience in Denver/Aurora has remained vocal in their support of our company, which has made us get creative in trying to partner with other local companies to continue putting on a full season of shows at The People’s Building. While we have had some wonderful partnerships in the process, we are navigating the changes at the top of the company while still providing opportunities for our passionate audience to come and support the work of emerging artists in Denver.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I am a writer, actor, sound designer — but most of all, I am a producer. I love assembling a team of artists and giving them the resources and support to create incredible art. Theatre and film are rare artforms that bring together all of the others: visual art (lights, costumes, scenic design), dance/movement, sound/music — they all come together to bring a story to life, and to bring an audience together to appreciate that story.

What matters most to you?
Community matters most to me.

Nowadays, it is easier than ever to isolate. Theatre creates opportunities for a team of artists to connect and collaborate for weeks or months — it is hard work, but it bonds you, and it’s both a great creative outlet AND a great excuse to get out of the house.

The same goes for the audience. Instead of staying home to stare at screens, we invite people to come out and live in the moment alongside friends and strangers, appreciating the artistry of other humans who are right there in the room with you. I think this kind of connection reminds us how much we need each other, and it helps us resist cynicism and apathy when it can often feel easier to just look at the crazy world and think, “welp… we’re screwed. What can I do about it?”

We have to fight those intrusive thoughts and show up for each other. I am grateful to be in a career that puts me close to passionate people, and also creates space to bring an audience together for collectiveness, inspiration, and catharsis.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.twocentlion.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/two.cent.lion/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Two.Cent.Lion/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@twocentliontheatreco.623

Image Credits
A mix of the following photographers (check file names for more details) : Kalen Jesse Photography Taelor Hansen Ben Eng Photography