Press
JULIA IS KNOWN FOR
SPEAKING HER MIND AND
DARING GREATLY
“Theater companies need to stop putting gasoline in electric cars. It's time to wake up and realize times have massively changed”
― Julia Tobey
Press
Why are so many local theater companies disappearing?
In March 2020, Colorado had 117 active theater companies. Today, that number is only 73.
August 28, 2024 - John Moore for the Denver Gazette
"Of the eight upstart companies, the most ambitious by far has been Julia Tobey's new Give 5 Productions. Her very first offering in 2022– a stage adaptation of the movie “Footloose” – was staged at the 500-seat PACE Center in Parker and earned nine nominations from the Colorado Theatre Guild's annual Henry Awards. She just staged a big-buzz but risky production of "Hedwig and the Angry Inch" at an event space in RiNo. She had to raise nearly $100,000 to pull it off, and the investment paid off with nearly 4,000 attendees. She's following up that perilous roll of the dice with the much safer "Mary Poppins."
Press
'Hedwig' and the angry optimism of making art in Denver
Independent producer Julia Tobey has staked nearly $100,000 to stage 11 performances of counterculture classic rock musical
July 31, 2024 - John Moore for the Denver Gazette
“Genderqueer stories and transgender stories need to be amplified and supported now more than ever,” said Tobey, a married mother of two.
“So many people view the performing arts as an optional element in life, and I view it as an essential nutrient,” she said. “Nothing brings me more joy than producing a show that allows folks to come inside and escape their troubles for a few hours." - Julia Tobey
Podcast
A Way Forward for Colorado Theatre
September 10, 2024 - Alex Miller and Toni Tresca of OnStage Colorado
In this episode of the Colorado Podcast, hosts Alex Miller and Toni Tresca are joined by Julia Tobey from Give 5 Productions. Responding to a story about theatres closing in the Denver Gazette by John Moore, Julia jumped onto a Facebook thread and wrote: “Theater companies need to stop putting gasoline in electric cars. It’s time to wake up and realize times have massively changed.”
So we go through some of the ways theatre is, indeed, changing and contemplate ways our local performing arts organizations can rise to the challenge.