The Colorado Springs arts community is mourning Sam Knopp, a senior studying music at the University of Colorado Colorado Springs who was shot to death in his dorm Feb. 16.

“We are all reeling with the news of the death of our supremely talented student, friend and colleague,” said Dr. Glen Whitehead, chair of the UCCS Department of Visual and Performing Arts (VAPA). “My heart is broken for his wonderful family, his close friends, peers and everyone who knew him. Sam was a dynamic, talented musician who had a delightful spirit with an infectious laugh, and who cared deeply about his friends and family.”

Police believe Knopp, 24, and Celie Rain Montgomery, 26, were shot by Knopp’s roommate, Nicholas Jordan, who has been charged with two counts of murder. Knopp graduated from Estes Park High School. Montgomery was from Pueblo.

“The fear we experienced while we waited to hear who died, and then the grief we experienced when we learned who knew him, are going to leave a mark on all students, especially VAPA students, for the rest of our lives,” fellow UCCS music student Ellie Myers wrote in a guest column for The Gazette.

Because the campus was necessarily closed after the shooting, all weekend events were canceled, including the final three performances of “Dream Hou$e,” a play staged by TheatreWorks, a professional theater company affiliated with the university. It’s an intimate play about two Latina sisters who turn to an HGTV-style home renovation show to help sell their childhood home after the death of their mother.

But a few days later, the company announced that the production will have its rescheduled final three performances after all – at 7:30 p.m. Friday, and 2 and 7:30 p.m. Saturday (Feb. 23-24).

“As part of the UCCS campus, the entire Theatreworks team is grateful to our community of friends and supporters for the outpouring of compassion in light of recent events,” TheatreWorks posted on social media on behalf of Artistic Director Caitlin Lowans. “All of us at Theatreworks mourn the loss of this vibrant UCCS student and artist alongside our communities at the Ent Center and the wider campus.”

For Lowans, the decision to restore a final weekend of performances was a way both to call some attention to Knopp’s life, talents and love for music, as well as to honor the artists who brought “Dream Hou$e to life.”

The healing has only just begun, but at a time of otherwise utter emotional paralysis, art can be nothing if not a positive response to violence. These certainly will not be three ordinary performances.

“It is important for us to honor the artists who created something beautiful in ‘Dream Hou$e’ and the audiences looking to gather together for shared stories in the hope that our inspiring story of two sisters navigating loss, legacy, and their path forward can bring joy and connection to our community,” said Lowans.

Meanwhile, Knopp’s family has released the full video of Knopp’s junior recital last March 13 in the very same Ent Center building.

“You can see his sheer versatility – and Sam the shredder comes out at around 22 minutes,” Whitehead said.

No decision from IDEA Stages yet

Last weekend, we reported that an accountability committee for a self-appointed Colorado equity organization called IDEA Stages has recommended that Executive Director Alicia Young be suspended from all leadership responsibilities following an investigation into the founder’s alleged hypocritical and harmful behavior while acting in a production of “In the Heights” last summer for Vintage Theatre in Aurora.

The recommendation requires the approval of the IDEA Stages Board of Directors, which has taken the report under consideration. Acting Board President GerRee Hinshaw (also the director of the play “Dream Hou$e” mentioned in the note above) said there is no hard deadline for what promises to be a highly consequential decision for Young, for IDEA Stages, and for the Colorado theater community as a whole.

“IDEAs board members are working to review and discuss the recommendations and findings as quickly as possible so we can vote on how we can fold the Accountability Committee’s insights and learnings into our organizational strategy and future planning,” Hinshaw said. The hope, she added, is for IDEAs to “continue to evolve as necessary to meet its mission and serve the community.”

Vintage takes some responsibility

Meanwhile, Vintage Theatre released a statement accepting some responsibility for creating the atmosphere where backstage problems flourished for much of 2023. Several months after “In the Heights” closed, Vintage fired Young as the director of its holiday production, “Black Nativity,” which was ultimately canceled altogether.

The accountability report faulted Vintage for waiting until after profound harm had been done before taking steps to seek support. It also found communication breakdowns, a confusion of roles and processes, and a failure of leadership to effectively respond to complaints.

“Vintage Theatre is currently working on examining and improving the communication process between cast, creative team and leadership,” the statement said.

“One of our goals is to create clearly outlined communication pathways where participants can report microaggressions and problematic behavior to staff, a (non-union) representative within the cast, or to (Vintage’s own in-house equity committee), either directly or anonymously.

“Vintage Theatre is aware of these missteps and will continue to acknowledge them and repair harm done to the cast and creative teams of ‘In the Heights’ and ‘Black Nativity.’ We are committed to continuing to listen to those impacted and to improving systems within the organization to prevent future instances of harm.”

The statement was uncredited, but Vintage’s executive director is Margaret Norwood, and its artistic director is Bernie Cardell. Its board president is ShaShauna Staton.

Briefly …

Actor Tate Donovan, perhaps best known for “Argo,” “Manchester by the Sea” and a memorable stint on “Friends,” is part of a trio visiting the Lone Tree Arts Center on Saturday (Feb. 24) with the hit public-radio series “Selected Shorts.” Donovan, John Benjamin Hickey and Carolina Ravassa will tell stories inspired by the spirit of the American West from authors including Rick Bass and Denver-born Kali Fajardo-Anstine. Info at lonetreeartscenter.org …

Clearly, Wonderbound’s emphatic leap off social media in 2022 hasn’t hurt sales one bit. Denver’s frisky modern ballet company opened its latest original work, “Awakening Beauty,” with original music from DeVotchKa’s Tom Hagerman, on Wednesday – three weeks after the entire run had fully sold out. So attention now turns to “Sam and Delilah,” another collaboration, this time with country-rock songwriter Clay Rose of the Gasoline Lollipops, May 2-12. Tickets (for the moment!) are available at wonderbound.com …

Levitt Pavilion Denver has begun the oh-so-long rollout of its 2024 lineup with the first round of upcoming free concerts, including Paa Kow with Zimbira (May 17), Buffalo Nichols (June 13), Central City Opera with Grande Orquesta Navarre (June 16), Sensational Barnes Brothers with Wes Watkins (June 19), and Chali 2na and Cut Chemist (July 19). Ticketed dates to come at levittdenver.org …

Applications are now open for Five Points Jazz Festival vendors, including food trucks, food tents, nonprofit booths, corporate booths and artisans. The annual party takes place June 8 along Welton Street. Vendor spaces range from $225-$800. Applications will be accepted through April 1.

And finally …

Sure, Andrew Scott should have been Oscar-nominated for his astonishing work in the new film “All of Us Strangers.” But, to many, he’ll always be known as “The Hot Priest” from “Fleabag.” Scott performed a radical, one-man version of the classic Chekhov play “Uncle Vanya” for the National Theatre in London. A filmed version of the performance (titled “Vanya”) will be shown at the Sie Film Center at noon Sunday (Feb. 25).