How to Plant a Tree in the SaGāJi

Hear the FAC's award-winning designer Chris Sheley tells the compelling story of how his entire team gets into the act of building a "ginormous tree" for the upcoming production of Disney's Beauty and the Beast.
Listen Here (21:23)

Caveman on Fox 21

Last weekend's limited engagement of Defending the Caveman was a hit ... due to popular demand, the show will return for a second showing June 6-7. Watch the interview with Caveman Cody Lyman on Fox 21 News Feb. 22:

watch on Fox 21 website | watch on Windows Media Player

Caveman on Springs Culture Cast

Springs Culture Cast interviewed Defending the Caveman star Cody Lyman, who will be performing at the FAC Friday and Saturday. More about the show...

A visit to Altered Space

Watch Springs Culture Cast's visit to the latest exhibition at the FAC MODERN, Altered Space: 21st Century Installation Art...

Reviews: Sunday in the Park with George

Cast, set paint artful play
By Mark Arnest, The Gazette (Feb. 1)

• “The Fine Arts Center Theatre Company’s production of “Sunday in the Park with George” ranks with the center’s best productions.”
• “It’s the most beautiful show I’ve seen on that stage…”
• “The orchestra, conducted by Sandi Shroads, has never sounded mellower or more delicate, shimmering colors matching the visual splendor.”
• “And the cast members — especially leads Brian Hutchinson and Carmen Mock — make Stephen Sondheim’s challenging music and lyrics sound as effortless as a walk in the park.”
• “Hutchinson’s voice combines beauty and power, and he’s equally convincing as the obsessive Georges and the vaguely dissatisfied George. Mock delivers Sondheim’s intricate patter with a bright, buoyant voice.”
• “You’ll be intrigued by this courageous and intelligent production of a courageous and thought-provoking piece — and the ticket prices ($26-$31) are cheap for a production of this quality.”

Sunday in the Park with George review
By John Moore, Denver Post (Feb. 1)

• “Director Alan Osburn's elaborate staging is capably performed to standards few area companies can match. The eight-member orchestra is as always a strength, and, for a show built on the concept of this being a canvas come to life, set designer Christopher L. Sheley has outdone himself, particularly in how he, like Seurat, toys with perspective and dimension in creating living stage paintings like "Bathing at Asnieres."
• “This all builds to a magical stage moment in which a fevered Seurat, employing all his artistic hallmarks of design, tension, balance and light, finally sees just how to place all of his pieces on canvas. Suddenly these real people (well, a few are pop-up boards) morph into clay models that Seurat manipulates into their final positions. It's a stirring, act-ending moment … “

Altered Space media previews from Gazette, Westword

Bold art alters space
FAC curators take on unpredictable exhibit
By Mark Arnest, The Gazette (Feb. 1)

• “Altered Space: 21st Century Installation Art” is the riskiest exhibition the Fine Arts Center has hosted in years, say curators Blake Milteer and Tariana Navas-Nieves. “We’re committed to balancing our traditional role as an anchor for the community and going out on a limb,” Milteer said. “Part of what a curator does is create a beautiful, cohesive exhibit,” he said. “This is different.”

Rooms with a View
FAC MODERN dedicates a show to installation art
By Susan Froyd, Westword (Jan. 31)

• “(Matt Barton) says, ‘I want the overall sense of the work to be positive, fantastic and wonderful while being woven with what can, on the surface, be thought of as dark.’ That means his room might be haunted by stuffed animals and found animated video clips or, somehow, a tornado. Hi-tech and lo-tech, heaven and hell.”

Denver Post: Special art in our midst

Special art in our midst
Springs show whets the appetite for big Impressionists exhibit
By Kyle MacMillan, Denver Post (Jan. 31)

• “Lovers of impressionism should not overlook a notable group of such works that are part of a broader exhibition continuing through March 9 at the Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center.”
• “it is a solid, engaging show with enough strong selections to make the drive worthwhile. Perhaps best of all, there are examples by artists rarely seen in Colorado”
• “this exhibition shows off the wonderfully accommodating special-exhibition galleries”
• “the old-master works are exquisitely showcased. One of the most successful aspects of the addition, this huge room — about 38 by 100 feet with a 19-foot ceiling — allows for sweeping vistas and ample dialogue among the selections.”
• "Impressionist and Old Masters" is a perfect excuse for a road trip and a pleasant way to spend an afternoon.”