Bonfils Theatre Records

Collection

Identifier: M113

Staff Only

Helen Bonfils built the Bonfils Theatre, on East Colfax Avenue at Elizabeth Street, Denver, Colorado, in 1953. The theatre was built to try to preserve live theater in a time when Hollywood Films were taking over the entertainment industry. In 1985 the theatre was renamed the Lowenstein Theatre and was then closed in 1986 by its umbrella organization, the Denver Center for the Performing Arts. The collection consists of two copies of the Bonfils Memorial Theatre dedication program (1953) and one copy of the playbill: A Holiday Evening with Buddy Greene and Frank Brenner, Amahl and the Night Visitors (1973.)

Dates

1953-1973
Majority of material found in 1953, 1973

Creator

Bonfils Theatre (Denver, Colo.) (Organization)

Extent

0.5 Linear Feet (1 letter document box)

Additional Description

Scope and Contents

The collection consists of two copies of the Bonfils Memorial Theatre dedication program (1953) and one copy of the playbill: A Holiday Evening with Buddy Greene and Frank Brenner, Amahl and the Night Visitors (1973.)

Biographical / Historical

Helen Bonfils has a rich legacy in Denver, Colorado. She became famous for her philanthropy to benefit the arts, culture and animals. Her father was Frederick Gilmer Bonfils, the co-founder and editor of the Denver Post. Helen would later take over as the owner of the Denver Post. She built the Bonfils Theatre, on East Colfax Avenue at Elizabeth Street in 1953 to the cost of $1.25 million. The theatre was built to try to preserve live theater in a time when Hollywood Films were taking over the entertainment industry. The Bonfils served as a multipurpose theater; presenting plays, operas, movies, concerts, lectures and television productions. In the 1960’s the Denver Center for the Performing Arts (DCPA) opened downtown. In 1985 the theatre was renamed the Lowenstein Theatre and was then closed in 1986 by its umbrella organization, the Denver Center for the Performing Arts. The theater is now a retail center, anchored by the Tattered Cover Bookstore.