Two theatre companies in Denver area partner for production of musical "Violet"
Two theatre companies in the Denver metro area are partnering to put on a production of an award-winning musical.
Denver's Phamaly Theatre Company and the Aurora Fox Arts Center worked together for this month's staging of the awarding-winning musical "Violet."
The musical fits right in with the mission of Phamaly, which is dedicated to featuring actors with disabilities.
Katelyn Kendrick plays Violet in the production.
"Violet is a young Appalachian woman who had an accident when she was a child that left her with a large facial scar," Kendrick said.
She's on a journey to find a miracle cure.
"It is a story of healing and a story of finding yourself and the overall message, I think, is we are more than how we look," she said.
Kendrick has an ancestrial connection to the material.
"My grandmother was Appalachian, so I'm excited for the opportunity to connect with culture that I did not directly experience but I know I have ancestors who did."
The musical explores themes of inner beauty, the illusion of perfection and resilience.
"I think anyone who's ever felt unworthy of anything in their life can relate to the story of Violet," said Adam Johnson, who plays Monty.
The character Monty is one of the soldiers who Violet meets along the way.
"Monty is really the vain part of beauty," he said.
Violet's mission to push past limitations is at the very heart of PTC's mission. It's the longest running disability-affirming theater company in the United States.
"(Production Accessibility Manager AJ Watson) just was always bringing around a suitcase filled with like fidget toys or blankets or ice packs or candy, or anything that a person could need to feel comfortable in a rehearsal space," Johnson said.
Kendrick said PTC has "really given me a place to grow as an artist with the supports that I need to be the best performer that I can be."
It's the kind of performance that uplifts and inspires audiences.
Tickets for "Violet" at the Aurora Fox theater at 9900 East Colfax Avenue can be purchased at aurorafoxartscenter.org. The show runs through June 28.
