50 Seasons of OpenStage Theatre Posters

The Early Years

Currently celebrating its 50^th Anniversary Season, OpenStage Theatre & Company has produced over 350 shows, which have been represented by over 300 posters created by exceptional graphic artists. The posters exhibited here were created by the Company’s most renowned designers from Fort Collins, which for decades was known as Poster City USA, not only because the number of local professional creatives in the field is astounding, but also because of the biennial Colorado International Invitational Poster Exhibition (CIIPE). CIIPE is a collection from the world’s most distinguished poster artists and designers and one of only a few international invitational poster exhibitions in the world. Hosted by Colorado State University’s Department of Art and Art History, CIIPE was co-founded in 1979 by CSU faculty and designers Phil Risbeck and John Sorbie, along with Northern Colorado artist Bob Coonts, and is considered one of the finest contemporary poster exhibitions in the world today. This current exhibit is adjunct to the main CIIPE exhibits, which are hung in both the Curfman Gallery & the Hatton Gallery at CSU, while the CIIPE Honor Laureate exhibition is held at the Gregory Allicar Museum of Art.

OpenStage Theatre & Company has been dedicated to capturing the Hearts and Minds of Northern Colorado audiences since 1973 and has received numerous awards, including the Governor’s Award for Excellence in the Arts and the Colorado Henry Award for Outstanding Regional Theatre.

“Our name embraces our essence, as we are open to ideas, genres, and the future. The Soul of OpenStage Theatre, and its greatest resource, is its Artists. We make no distinction between directors, designers, actors, and technicians – they are all Theatre Artists passionate about creating magical and transforming experiences, and each is a valued member of the OpenStage Ensemble Family of Artists. If our Artists are our Soul, the Audience is our Heart. They are the Lifeblood of our Art. Theatre exists only in that singular moment created together by Artists and Audiences. This communion – this sharing in the power of theatrical story – gives Breath to compassion and understanding, and ultimately, creates a Community where differences are embraced and conflicts are resolved with civility and tolerance.”