Magic Magazine Article on Theatre of Dreams – 4 pages – June 2015 Issue. – Text
“If you build it, they will come.” from the movie, Field of Dreams.
“It takes a lot of courage to pursue your dreams, and make it a reality. Joe and Carol have designed a lovely little theater, a warm and gracious place for the magic to happen.” – John Carney
In a small industrial park in Castle Rock, Colorado, a line of people anxiously await the opening of the doors to a hidden gem. Tonight, the Theatre of Dreams will host yet another show featuring the crème de la crème of the magic community. The owners, Joe Givan and Carol Massie are inside, making final preparations for tonight’s show. Joe is patiently walking through the order of the show with the featured performer, while Carol diligently goes over the sound and light cues needed to pull off yet another stellar performance. The crowd of people in line arrive as strangers, but will leave, in many cases, as friends. Such is the magic of the Theatre of Dreams.
The first show at Theatre of Dreams was on March 12th, 2003, a private celebration of the opening of the theatre, as well as an appreciation to many who contributed countless hours of work, in making what once was a church into a small, but elegant showplace for magic and variety arts. The venerable, 100 year old Denver newspaper Rocky Mountain News wrote, “Quite a Trick!,” in a cover article about the theater, as if to say the prospects were slim for success. After all, a venue featuring magic and mystery entertainers seemed risky at best. Twelve years later, the Theatre of Dreams is still here, while the Rocky Mountain News is gone.
The first public performance was on April 4th, 2003, featuring Sven Jorgenson. Since then, the list of performers has included some of the top names in the magic industry; Dan Sperry, Jon Stetson, Peter Samelson, Gregory Wilson, Marc Salem, Gazzo, Eric Mead, Eric Buss, Fielding West, David and Leeman, Banachek, Stephen Bargatze, Gene Anderson, Paul Draper, Luke Jermay, Bob Sheets, Daniel Garcia, Chris Capehart, Garrett Thomas, Jay Scott Berry, Arthur Trace, Aaron Fisher, Jeff Hobson, Giovanni Livera, John Carney, Paul Gertner, Shawn Farquhar, Geoff Williams, Tony Clark and
many, many others.
Has it been easy? Absolutely not. Speaking with Joe and Carol recently, it was revealed that the theater had been a dream of theirs soon after they began performing together. Just finding a location took over three years. After years of shows in performing art centers, theaters and casino showrooms, their manager passed away in the middle of a big tour. Tiring of traveling, they turned their attention to building a theater close to home. While sleeping in their own bed at night was a factor, Joe is emphatic that the main reason for building the theater was to bring world class magic to people who would probably never have a chance to experience it firsthand.
Joe and Carol first looked 20 miles north, to Denver, Colorado, to find a commercial space they could purchase. The ability to convert the inside of the space for different events, as well as build illusions into the walls if necessary, made owning the space a priority. Along with the visibility provided in a big city came the problems of parking and zoning. The best location happened to be close to the Denver Bronco’s stadium, which presented problems all it’s own, especially that the building’s ceiling height was prohibitive. After three years of searching, they turned their sights to Castle Rock, Colorado, their hometown.
Upon finding the commercial space that was previously a church, the work began. Carol used her experience as a real estate agent to ensure they obtained the space, beating another prospective bidder by two hours. Turning a church into a theater would seem fairly simple, due to the existing footprint being similar, but there were a few wrinkles. Where the tech booth would be located was a 10 foot long baptismal tub, submerged in the floor. As Joe puts it, “The tub was big enough for Frankenstein’s monster.” The ceiling would have to be painted and molding installed around existing intersecting wood beams that were not flush with the ceiling. A scaffold needed to do the ceiling, became an unexpected expense. The floor of the entryway was not level, originally being two businesses, a taxidermy shop and a auto parts store. The entryway also was too narrow to permit more than one patron passing at a time, so two walls in the entryway had to be converted.
Interesting story: Joe had consulted the previous owner concerning one of the entry way walls being a “load bearing” wall. For the uninitiated, that means if the wall comes out, the ceiling comes down. After being assured that the wall could be removed, the ceiling started to bow. A metal pole used for bracing ceilings was installed in two days. After installation, it was obvious that the pole was a detriment to the visual appeal when first entering the theater. Enter Jerry, a recently retired Air Force Colonel who had just finished remodeling his basement. A tree trunk meant to be used for a bar and already stained and varnished was installed in place of the pole in very little time. Carol states, “I went out for coffee and returned to find a tree in the lobby!” It became a focal point of the visual appeal upon entering.
Knowing that they would need help with the electrical aspect of the process, Joe contacted a retired electrician, Don Haight, who had been reputed to be “affordable” as well as more than competent. Joe reached Don’s wife on the phone, only to be told that he “does not do commercial work.” After pleading with Don’s wife to pass the information along, Don surprised them with a visit. He spent three hours crawling around the space above the ceiling, and returned to say, “I think I can help you out.” Don proceeded to spend four months using over 35 skills to help convert the space to a theater. During this process, Joe and Carol continually asked for an estimate of cost, getting increasingly nervous as the time passed. At completion, Don handed them an invoice for $500 total. The aforementioned first private show became a coronation; Don was crowned the King of the Theatre of Dreams, and given a decorated cardboard crown from Burger King. Those attending were reduced to tears. It was much later that Don, who had moved away from Castle Rock, attended a show featuring Joe and Carol as the “DreamMasterz.” Don finally saw the fruits of his labor, and was “blown away” by the show, as well as the ambiance that he had helped create.
It should be noted that remodeling originally planned for one month took four months, with no days off. A second mortgage for the theater space was needed. Chairs were obtained from a closing business in Denver, shuttled in stacks down an elevator, and stored in Joe and Carol’s living room for four months during remodeling. The work on the ceiling alone took days. Joe determined that the tile for the entryway needed to be unique, so standard tiles were broken and then reassembled as a mosaic. Carol recalls constructing a tile puzzle during a freezing winter being a low point.
The stage was constructed to be flexible. It can be entirely removed, or even reconfigured to be a theater in the round. A wall was constructed along the length of the theater to connect the tech booth with the offstage right area. The offstage left holds props and illusions for use during shows, as there is no backstage. Both side walls can be fitted with illusions if needed. The side walls for now are adorned with framed paintings, highlighted by spotlights. The wood beamed ceiling is painted dark blue resembling a night sky. Chandeliers provide lighting for the audience, while the stage is adorned with full stage lighting. Speakers for sound are unobtrusive, adding to the living room like environment. In addition to the tech booth, stage and seating area are the lobby, two restrooms and two dressing rooms.
Another obstacle was convincing the town of Castle Rock that they needed a venue providing world class entertainment. Joe was given a heads up by one of the council members that they would be “put through the wringer” when presenting their case for a theater. The space is situated in an industrial park, located directly across the street from a residential area. Noise, lighting, parking and hours of operation were all going to be an issue. To make things worse, a well funded developer was also trying to convince the town to build a 24 hour convenience store housing a fast food business in the same area, which caused numerous delays for Joe and Carol to present their case. After many hours preparing answers to the questions they assumed would be asked, they watched with increasing trepidation as the council repeatedly shot down the developer about conditions that they had anticipated for the theater. After presenting their case, with some of the same conditions that the developer had asked for, they were immediately approved.
Other struggles since opening have continued. With a zero marketing budget, Joe and Carol rely on “word of mouth” advertising. This is accomplished in two ways. Theater attendees are encouraged to leave their email addresses in a guest book located in the lobby upon exiting the theater. Notices of upcoming shows are sent out, which then get forwarded to attendees friends and family, according to Carol. Also, at every show since the beginning, guests are indoctrinated as “Ambassadors.” They are asked to spread the word around the community. This has been key to their continued success.
Is every show a sellout? There are times when Joe and Carol have to “sweat it out” until the theater opens. With 300 days of sunshine per year in Colorado, people tend to wait until the weekend to plan. During the economic crisis, an email was sent to past attendees practically begging them to support the theater to allow it to continue. There are still times when the nerves get on edge hoping that people will attend. It is part of the business of owning a theater. There was talk at the beginning of having a concession area in the front, but along with selling food and drinks comes liability, needed space and employees. They can serve food and drink at private events, though. Although it could have turned the venue into a money making project, it just wasn’t viable. Joe states that the theater was never envisioned as a money making endeavor.
If anyone is considering following in Joe and Carol’s footsteps, they offer a few words of caution. Good credit is needed. Experience performing and managing is paramount. Attention to detail is most crucial, as well as an ability to work well with the public. Marketing experience can only help, and in the case of Theatre of Dreams, an ability to do much of the remodeling is required. Surmised, it’s not for everyone. The things that attendees aren’t aware of are the sweeping of floors, cleaning of bathrooms, managing ticket sales and seating, as well as many other ancillary duties. Joe and Carol revealed that several times during the remodeling process, they both said, “What the hell are we doing?” When it was completed, they both stood in the sound booth and broke into tears. They then turned the music on the sound system, turned on the stage lights, and danced together for an hour.
Has it paid off? Upon entering the theater, one is transported to another world. Performer’s comments say much about the quality of experience:
“Carol and Joe are not only fine performers and great hosts, but they also make you feel like family. I’ve performed at the Theatre of Dreams twice now and it’s one of my favorite intimate venues to perform. I look forward to going back.” Arthur Trace
“A perfect place to perform. Not only were the audiences great, but Joe and Carol are superb doing sound and lights. They also warmed up the crowd for me. They made me feel like family.” Stephen Bargatze
At first it was a struggle to convince top performers to give up a weekend to make very little money and a trip to Colorado. But as performers experienced the theater, they told other performers about the hidden gem, and now there is a waiting list.
In closing, if you are anywhere near Castle Rock, Colorado, you could not do better than a trip to The Theatre of Dreams!
Article by TIm Pendergast,
Ft. Collins, CO
April 2003 Cover Story when Theatre of Dreams first opened it’s doors in Castle Rock, CO
4 page spread with photos in Magic Magazine, June 2015