DCPA OFF-CENTER
For 15 years, DCPA Off-Center created immersive experiences that put audiences at the center of the story.
A THEATRICAL TEST KITCHEN THAT GREW INTO A UNIQUE LINE OF IMMERSIVE PROGRAMMING.
What began in 2010 as a small theatrical test kitchen grew into a signature line of programming at the DCPA, brought immersive theatre to Colorado, and helped establish Denver as a national hub for immersive art.
Founded by Charlie Miller and Emily Tarquin, the Off-Center recipe was guided by five ingredients:
- Immersive: Audiences influence and interact with the experiences, extending the experience before, during, and after the show.
- Convergent: Experiences often incorporate a variety of art forms and incorporate new and unexpected uses of technology.
- Connective: Each production fostered community connections by collaborating and fostering local talent.
- Inventive: Off-Center was a “test kitchen” where new forms, ideas, and technologies were explored thereby challenging the rules, formalities and definitions of theatre.
- Now: The focus of Off-Center experiences were developed in conversation with pop and internet culture and centered around the work of current artists.
This recipe resulted in immersive experiences from intimate to grand. Among its large-scale productions that garnered local and national praise were Theater of the Mind created in collaboration with David Byrne and Mala Gaonkar, Sweet & Lucky created with NYC-based Third Rail Projects, a 360-degree staging of The Wild Party, The Last Defender live-action game, and the award-winning holiday extravaganza, Camp Christmas.
Fifteen years later, the Denver Center for the Performing Arts made the difficult decision to shift its approach to immersive programming, no longer investing in the development and production of new immersive experiences. Read more about Off-Center’s 15 years in a tribute by local theatre writer, Lisa Kennedy.
Production history
Off-Center began as a small experiment but grew into a unique and ambitious line of programming. Learn more about Off-Center through its complete production history spanning 2010 to 2025.
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