When hundreds of Denver residents went to see “Wheel of Misfortune” at a local nonprofit theater, they were ready to play, not just sit in the audience.
Volunteers from the crowd competed in the event, which was a cross between a “Saturday Night Live” game-show sketch and a reality show. Prompted by an actor playing the host, contestants were asked to do things like sort laundry while blindfolded.
Winners each got a check for $333—half of $666, a figure signifying the presence of Satan. Losers suffered indignities like getting slapped in the face by a (real) dead octopus.
Such creative efforts to get the audience involved are one way the founders of Off-Center @ The Jones, an offshoot of the Denver Center Theatre Company, hope to attract a new generation of theatergoers.
“Audiences no longer want a passive experience,” says Emily Tarquin, an artistic associate of the theater company and a co-founder of Off-Center. “This generation wants some way to participate or be involved or affect the content.”
The nonprofit, formed in 2010 with grants from the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation, runs on $150,000 annually. It uses technology such as texting, video, and Wii gaming devices to create offbeat shows.
The performances allow the Denver Center to test ideas before trying them on its main stage, says Charlie Miller, the theater company’s media specialist and video designer, and an Off-Center co-founder.
The shows, with tickets at $15, usually sell out. Last season, 60 percent of Off-Center’s ticket buyers were first-time visitors to the Denver Center, which houses The Jones.
“The shows get people to come here who never would have otherwise,” says Ms. Tarquin.
Off-Center’s irreverent spirit has spread to the main-stage theater company. At a recent performance of “Hamlet,” the Denver Center set up tables in the lobby offering information about the play, but also one featuring Yorick’s skull.
“Some people wanted to read and study, while others just wanted to take a selfie with the skull,” says Kent Thompson, the Denver Center Theatre Company’s producing artistic director. “Both are good. It’s a way of socially and intellectually engaging.”
The company hopes to entice more Off-Center patrons to attend performances on the main stage, says Mr. Miller. “But we’re realistic,” he says. “We’re not assuming someone’s going to come see ‘Wheel of Misfortune’ and also immediately be interested in ‘Hamlet’ for four times the price. But we feel there’s value in bringing new people in and getting them comfortable.”
