About Us

History

Incorporated March 10, 1993, The Lake Dillon Foundation for the Performing Arts (LDFPA) was founded to raise funds for a capital expansion project for the Lake Dillon Amphitheater and subsequently produce a free summer concert series now known as the Sunset at the Summit Concert Series. After a successful capital campaign, the organization expanded to include a chamber concert series, a youth educational series now called the Youth Theatre Workshop, and an amateur theater company now operating as a professional, regional theatre.

In 1995, the Black Coffee Theatre joined with the LDFPA and became The Lake Dillon Theatre Company (LDTC).   Soon after, the LDTC moved into a historic building built in 1899 that once served as Dillon Town Hall. The LDTC added a lobby, a workshop, and lighting booth. In 2002, the LDTC hired its first full-time employee, an Artistic/Executive Director. Fundraising efforts in 2003 enabled the company to expand its lobby and a lighting booth, upgrade audience bathroom facilities, and add office space, a dressing room and a green room.

In the last decade, the LDTC has grown from a seasonal community theatre to a financially and artistically successful year-round professional theatre company. The LDTC season pass holder and donor bases increased almost 500% from 2006 to 2014. Through ongoing partnerships with The Summit Foundation, the LDTC is the most visible and patronized year round arts organization in Summit County.

In Recent Years...

In recent years, the LDTC has experienced strategic, steady growth. Total earned revenues and contributions have grown from $457,759 in 2008 to $1,090,743 in 2014. Year-round staff has expanded from one and a half in 2008 to a full time staff of nine in 2015, including an Executive Director position created in 2010 and a Director of Development position created in 2012.

In 2012, the Board of Directors and senior staff drafted a strategic plan outlining several goals including increased community programming, increased financial stability, and eventual expansion into a larger location. Since then, the organization has worked diligently to implement the goals outlined in the strategic plan.

Today, the LDTC has achieved a 16-member Board of Directors, a full-time staff of eight, an enthusiastic volunteer base, and a growing season pass holder program. Since January 2016, more than 2200 new patrons have been added to our list of growing supporters. Most importantly, our community of donors has demonstrated its enthusiasm through the continued contributed support of our programs and operations.

the show must go on...

In December 2019, the LDTC successfully completed the capital campaign for our new home with generous support from longtime LDTC patrons and friends Valerie Williams and Chuck Lenzmeier, renaming the largest venue in the Silverthorne Performing Arts Center the CVA Flex Theatre in honor of Valerie, Chuck, and their daughter Anna.

In March 2020, the LDTC, like nearly all performance-based businesses, closed its doors for a temporary pause on productions. The LDTC staff pivoted online and outside, offering more than 22 unique virtual and/or outdoor, physically-distanced theatre, education, music, and outreach programs. During this time, the LDTC has maintained its mission while shifting the ways in which we connect with our audiences and patrons. The LDTC continues to engage families and friends with meaningful theatrical and cultural experiences. We are dedicated to providing uplifting and innovative programming online and outside until we are able to welcome audiences again to in-person and indoor performances at Silverthorne Performing Arts Center.

and then there was SilCo

During the Covid shut down – it became abundantly clear that the area was changing and there was a deluge of newcomers to the county.     The LDTC decided it was finally time to start researching what a new brand and new naming process would look like.  Working with the Cincinnati based firm lpk, it became abundantly clear that although the LDTC had a strong brand with its friends and patrons, our brand in the community wasn’t nearly as strong.    Thus, the process began to form a new brand that included a new name that reflected where the organization was geographically and creatively.   The SilCo name was born.   It is both is a love letter to Silverthorne, Colorado (the place where we call home) and fresh bold rebirth of an organization that is embedded in the community with our programming and outreach.

Our
Vision

To be the most transformative theatre in the Rocky Mountains.

Our Mission

Theatre SilCo is a professional theater committed to enhancing the quality of life in Summit County and the Colorado Front Range by providing unique and accessible cultural experiences through the Performing Arts. We increase imagination, engagement, and empathy in our community through our performance, educational and outreach programming.

Our Values

Integrity

Theatre SilCo will continue to earn the respect of our community. We are committed to financial transparency and maintaining public trust. We act with honesty and adhere to our artistic integrity and our community’s values.

Impact

Theatre SilCo builds relationships, provides opportunities and offers cultural education to create and sustain a vibrant performing arts environment. Our impact is measured in ticket sales, industry recognition, structured feedback and support we receive from patrons, donors, businesses, volunteers, and our community.

Quality

From the boardroom through the office to the stage, Theatre SilCo focuses on a culture of professionalism. Our management team creates high quality programming by integrating professional directors, actors, designers, technicians, musicians, and educators into our programs.

Intimacy

Our welcoming environment and Black Box Theater offer a unique, shared theatrical experience between audience and artists. The Theatre SilCo Board of Directors, staff, and creative artists believe intimacy refers to the total experience. Intimacy is not just what we do; it is who we are.

DIVERSITY OF PROGRAMMING

Theatre SilCo strives to produce a season with enriching experiences for everyone including a theatrical season of comedies, dramas, musicals, and provocative theatre plus a diverse program of concerts, educational opportunities and community outreach.

Board of Directors

Our Staff

Christopher Alleman
Christopher Alleman
Producing Artistic Director
Christopher Alleman

Christopher Alleman

Chris has served as the Producing Artistic Director for the Theatre SilCo (formerly The Lake Dillon Theatre Company) since 2002. Under his leadership, the organization has grown from a modest budget of $135,000 to an impressive $2.4 million. He has received numerous directing accolades for his productions from the Denver Post Ovation Awards, Colorado Theatre Guild, CultureWest, and has been honored with the distinguished “Outstanding Nonprofit Professional Philanthropy Award.” He is a proud member of the Stage Directors and Choreographer’s Society, a member of America for the Arts, and currently serves on the musical selection committee for the 2023 National Alliance for Musical Theatre New Musical Festival. Chris spearheaded the creation of the Vivo Dual Language Theatre Program which stands as the largest after-school provider in Summit County and welcomes participants from all backgrounds at no cost to them.   Chris currently serves on the Summit School District Board of Education. Chris holds an M.A. from Texas A&M, Commerce, and was a Graduate Fellow at Texas Tech University. 970.513.1151 ext. 101.     chris@thesilco.org
Shawnna Gauss
Shawnna Gauss
Director of Development
Shawnna Gauss

Shawnna Gauss

Shawnna has been Director of Development for the Lake Dillon Theatre Company since 2014. For the seven years prior she was a key member of the Denver Film Society team, producers of the Denver Film Festival and Film on the Rocks at Red Rocks Amphitheatre. She was integral in developing such programmatic collaborations as the Sci-Fi Film Series with the Denver Museum of Nature & Science, the Tattered Cover Classic with KUNC, and DocNight, which explored diverse issues through documentary feature film and discussion. Shawnna was a part of the capital campaign for the Sie FilmCenter and the transition to the new theater space. When she moved back up to the mountains, she again found herself in a multi-million dollar capital campaign for the new Silverthorne Performing Arts Center. She graduated with a degree in Theatre from the University of California at Santa Cruz. 970.513.1151 Ext. 107.      shawnna@thesilco.org
Shannon Fallon
Shannon Fallon
Bookkeeper/Office Manager
Shannon Fallon

Shannon Fallon

Shannon joined the staff of the Lake Dillon Theatre Company in July 2021. Shown early the joys of live theatre and music from her parents, she then performed in high school productions and graduated from Xavier University in Cincinnati, OH with a degree in Journalism/Electronic Media. Shannon happily used her degree, and love of questioning everything, first as a Chief of Staff for a Cincinnati City Council member, then with a long-running radio show and as a morning show host on the Resort Sports Network, both in Dillon, CO. Shannon fell madly in love, married an entrepreneur, and became the bookkeeper and customer service manager for the family restaurants. Shannon is thrilled to be immersed in two of her passions every day- keeping tidy books and entertainment and relishes in working with incredibly creative people! 970.513.1151 Ext 104  shannon@thesilco.org
Sara Rodríguez
Sara Rodríguez
Theatre Consultant
Sara Rodríguez

Sara Rodríguez

Born in Venezuela, longtime Montrealer, polyglot, and travel lover, Sara first came to Summit County in the spring of 2020 as a teaching artist and is thrilled to be a part of the Theatre SilCo team and serve this wonderful community. She is passionate about new play development both as a director and dramaturg. Some directing highlights include SuperDogs the Musical (Montreal, Canada); Oklahoma Samovar (winner of the Jewish Plays Project 2021 New Plays Contest, NYC), and Margaret Atwood’s The Penelopiad (Irvine, California). As part of her firm belief in pedagogical accessibility, Sara has co-created a limited podcast series exploring the works of Homer and Aeschylus titled Odyssey & Chill, Oresteia & Chill, and Suppliants & Chill. Recently, she worked as a libretto dramaturg for a new opera based on James Joyce's Ulysses at Lowell Opera House (Harvard University). Sara holds an MFA in directing from the University of California, Irvine.

970-513-1151 ext. 105.      sara@thesilco.org

Jess Short
Jess Short
Director of Marketing and Communications
Jess Short

Jess Short

My name is Jess Short and my family and I reside in the Cove. I feel very lucky to live here in Summit County and this amazing community. I love to spend my time with my family especially outside and being creative. 

I could not be more excited to be joining this team. I am coming to SilCo from the tech world, most recently Atlassian, however I have a degree in Interior Design and Studio Art. Being creative and solving problems is my happy place and therefore I am excited to return to my roots in a creative field.

970.513.11151. Ext 102. Jess@thesilco.org.

Graco Hernandez
Graco Hernandez
Social & Digital Media Coordinator
Graco Hernandez

Graco Hernandez

Graco Hernandez is excited to be in beautiful, snowy Colorado. He currently works as part of the Dual Language After School program for Summit County through The LDTC aka VIVO. Credits include: Living Out (Bobby), Much Ado About Nothing (Conrade), Culture Clash in America (Lover, Tom, Con #3), The Refugee Hotel (Condor Passes). Graco graduated from the University of California, Irvine.
Whitney Carter
Whitney Carter
Production & Company Manager
Whitney Carter

Whitney Carter

Whitney was born and raised in the Coachella Valley, California. As a desert girl, Whitney never saw snow until she came to Summit County. She was introduced to Theatre Silco in 2019 as a stage manager just after she had received her MFA in Drama with an emphasis in Stage Management from the University of California, Irvine. Whitney also holds a BA in Theatre Arts from the University of Redlands. Whitney is thrilled to now call Summit County her home and is excited about working on the development of productions and theatre seasons in a whole new way. In her career, Whitney has worked with many theatrical companies around the Southern California area including: Center Theatre Group, The Old Globe, Cygnet Theatre, Lewis Family Playhouse, and Laguna Playhouse. Whitney is thrilled to be a part of this team and excited to continue her passion for storytelling. 

970.513.1151 Ext. 109 whitney@thesilco.org

Kaden Reynard
Kaden Reynard
Technical Director
Kaden Reynard

Kaden Reynard

Kaden received his BFA from Marshall University in West Virginia (Go Herd!) where he worked with the Appalachian Artists Collective to bring theatre to underfunded schools. He was a supervisor for Cedar Point’s Live Entertainment in Sandusky, OH, before moving to Detroit to complete his MFA in Set Design at Wayne State University. Kaden freelanced as a set designer and technical director for several Detroit theatres and schools, and found a special home with Ghostlight Inc., where he helped launch an expansion of the Obsidian Theatre Festival - a project dedicated to producing new-work plays by BIPOC playwrights and collaborators. Kaden is excited to bring his passion for accessibility and environmental sustainability to Theatre SilCo, and is looking forward to all the new adventures Colorado has to offer.

Erin Bender
Erin Bender
Philanthropy Associate
Erin Bender

Erin Bender

Erin is originally from Nashville, TN and has always had a passion for the arts. She grew up dancing and then fell in love with marching band. She went on to perform with World Class Drum Corps International groups and coach multiple high school marching bands.

Erin ventured to Colorado in 2019 to complete her schooling at the University of Colorado Boulder. She graduated with degrees in Sociology and Community Engagement. Becoming a member of the Theatre Silco Team has given her an opportunity to combine her love of the arts with her academic background and passion for building connectedness in communities.

Teaching Artists

Aidan Tschilis
Aidan Tschilis
VIVO Teaching Artist
Aidan Tschilis

Aidan Tschilis

Aidan is excited to join the team at Theatre SilCo! Previous credits include Mamma Mia! (Ensemble), Big River (Young Fool), and TEXAS! Outdoor Musical (Dancer). Education: BFA West Texas A&M University. Aidan wants to thank his parents and Crystal Bertrand for their constant support.

Emma Grace Bradley
Emma Grace Bradley
VIVO Teaching Artist
Emma Grace Bradley

Emma Grace Bradley

Emma Grace recently graduated in May from Drake University with her BFA in Acting. She has been visiting Summit County with her family for nearly 10 years and is so happy to be living somewhere she loves so much. Emma Grace is happy to help out the community and open herself up to more experiences. She is a fan of trivia, especially about movies. 

Credits include: The Bacchae (Director), Silent Sky (Williamina), Vigilantes (Director), Directing Program (National Theatre Institute)

Amanda Susman
Amanda Susman
VIVO Teaching Artist
Amanda Susman

Amanda Susman

Amanda recently earned her BFA in Musical Theatre and has been teaching dance and theatre since 2017. When she’s not teaching or performing, you’ll probably find her painting her nails or reading a book, with a trusty mug of tea by her side!

Morgan Cobb
Morgan Cobb
Teaching Artist
Morgan Cobb

Morgan Cobb

MORGAN COBB (Teaching Artist) : Previously at Theatre SilClo (Education Apprentice) Willy Wonka Jr., Moana Jr., Very Hungry Caterpillar, If I Had a Million Dollars. Morgan has studied and worked in Educational Theatre for almost a decade and has traveled all across the country creating theatre with some amazing kids! She is excited for new adventures with Theatre Silco!

Hugo Conde
Hugo Conde
VIVO Teaching Artist
Hugo Conde

Hugo Conde

Career Highlights include: At Phillips Hall Theatre: Antony and Cleopatra, Sebastian, Springtime, Mrs. Warren's Profession, Heights, Sebastian, 30 Plays in 60 Minutes, A Sick World, Brown Bag Theatre Company: Culture Clash, Quebrando El Silencio, Lydia, Just Like Us, Ni de Aqui Ni de Alla.
Thank you to my family, my partner, and all my friends.

Audrey Lang
Audrey Lang
VIVO Teaching Artist
Audrey Lang

Audrey Lang

Audrey Lang (she/her) is a playwright and stage manager born and raised in New York City. As a playwright, she is a current finalist for the Jewish Plays Project's 2023 contest with her play Birdie and Cait and the Book of Life and her play alex getting better recently had its U.K. Premiere at the Bread & Roses Theatre in London. Other work includes Lily Ineffable (2022 Jewish Plays Project finalist), You Have To Promise (Pride Plays 2020), two short plays at London's Theatre503, and two 24 Hour Plays Viral Monologues. As a stage manager, recent credits include: National Tour: CoComelon Live! JJ's Journey (Production Stage Manager), Jersey Boys (Asst. Stage Manager); Off-Broadway: Wolf Play at Soho Rep (Production Asst.); Regional: 2 seasons at the Mac-Haydn Theatre. Audrey has taught playwriting for the Bronx High School of Science's summer program. Proud alumna of MCC Theater Youth Company and SPACE on Ryder Farm. B.A. Theatre Studies, Ithaca College. Thank you to Sara for bringing me to Colorado! www.audreyglang.com

Ray Zarate
Ray Zarate
VIVO Teaching Artist
Ray Zarate

Ray Zarate

Ray is very excited to be working with LDTC for the first time! As a playwriting mentor and director for youth theatre: Jack’s Tall Tales, All Growed Up (New London Barn Playhouse). Additional directing credits: Hedwig and the Angry Inch, the Vagina Monologues, and Not Even on Tuesday. Additional stage management: Law and Order: The Musical!, The Last of It’s Kind, Is there Life After Birth?, Much Ado About Nothing.

Frequently Asked Questions

You can make a donation online here or contact our Director of Development Shawnna Gauss at shawnna@thesilco.org or (970) 513-1151 xt. 107

Yes, we would be delighted to host your private event! Contact Chris Alleman at chris@thesilco.org or (970) 513-1151 xt. 101 for more information.