The workshops that will make up 2¢ Lion Theatre Company’s summer camp
Starting an artistic venture is its own form of entrepreneurship. Check out these DU alumni taking their theatre education and launching their very own company.
Three friends from college were really missing the arts. They decided to do something about it.
Kevin Douglas (he/him), Izzy Chern (she/they) and Gracie Jacobson (she/they), graduates of DU’s theatre department, recently co-founded 2¢ Lion Theatre Company. 2¢ Lion is a burgeoning theatre troupe launched in Denver in January dedicated to creating accessible education programs. The group is committed to producing plays and musicals that celebrate and embrace queer identities and narratives.
“We want to put LGBTQ+ artists in the spotlight,” said Izzy Chern, artistic director and technical director of the company.
A mutual passion for theatre, along with shared experiences relating to their LGBTQ+ identities, resulted in a desire to do something bigger than themselves. The founding of this company marks a next step for all three of the co-founders.
“We founded 2¢ Lion because we were hungry for theatre. Hungry to make art,” said Chern. “We found that it was a feeling shared widely among young artists just stepping foot into the professional world. So, we did what we could to make space to nourish ourselves and our community.”
Douglas, Chern and Jacobson met at the University of Denver theatre department and quickly became good friends. Shortly after graduating from DU, they realized finding work in theatre right now is “kind of a minefield,” as they put it in their mission statement. The Covid-19 pandemic has put a strain on theaters everywhere. Auditions are more competitive now than ever before and finding creative opportunities post-college was an uphill battle. So, they took matters into their own hands.
Douglas, Chern and Jacobson wanted to create a theater that feeds not only artists’ desire to perform and express themselves, but also one that feeds the community at large through equitable and accessible education programs.
“We saw a gap in the arts education field,” said Douglas, the company’s executive director. “Most theatre camps here in Denver require a full-week commitment and cost hundreds of dollars. This alienates kiddos who might want to learn about theatre, but don’t have the time or resources to commit to something like that.”
With all three founders having experience in teaching artistry, they’re bringing something new to the table with their first program launching this July.
Kevin Douglas, Izzy Chern and Gracie Jacobson
The Cub Club will be a summer camp with eight theatrical workshops for children ranging 7-14 years old. Each workshop will focus on an individual subject—like musical theater, comedy and verse/poetry—as well as games, group-bonding exercises and more. Applications are live on their website.
Each workshop with be targeted toward a recommended age group, with some subjects open to all ages. Families have the option of registering campers for one or more workshops, or for the entire camp. To promote accessibility, tuition is based on a “pay what you can” model ($10—$30) with scholarships available.
If you are interested in sending your kids to this camp or finding out more, check out their website.
“Having the opportunity to once again bring theater to young minds is such a privilege. I think back to the many times theater brought me purpose and a community when I was younger and that is my top priority as education director is to do the same for them,” said Jacobson, 2¢ Lion’s education director, managing director and associate artistic director.
In addition, 2¢ Lion Theatre will soon be releasing tickets for their first production, Yesterday/Today.
“The play is a queer multiverse romcom that riffs on The Beatles and a love for cinema. It’s upbeat, absurd and packs a lot of laughs. We can’t wait to bring this story to life as part of the Denver Fringe Festival, a theatre festival dedicated to showcasing new and self-produced theatre,” said Douglas.
Also, stay tuned for more performance fun and summer camps for kids.
“In college, we always talked about our pipedreams of starting our own theater companies,” said Douglas. “Now that we’re out in the real world, we realized there’s no point in waiting around — if we’re going to make these dreams a reality, it’s on us to step up and do it.”
For more information, check out their website and Instagram page.