Theatre Projects Announces New Office in DenverTheatre Projects announces that on June 1 it is opening a second US office in Denver. Wanting to be more easily available to their clients in the western and mid-western US, they looked at locations from Seattle to Austin. And the company loved the central-ness of Denver! It's only a few hours by plane to Los Angeles, Portland, Minneapolis, Dallas, Chicago, and Atlanta. It's also one of the fastest growing cities in the US and ranked among the best places to live in the country. But it wasn't just the logical choice, Denver loves the arts as much as Theatre Projects does! The city had its first performance of Macbeth before it even had a school or a hospital, and it's home to the second largest arts center under one roof in the United States (after Lincoln Center in New York City). Denver's also one of the most generously funded arts cities in the nation with a 0.1-percent sales tax funding arts and cultural institutions since 1988. With the opening of their Denver office, Theatre Projects now has five offices worldwide -- Denver, Connecticut (South Norwalk), London, Paris, and Shanghai, as well as a representative in Chile. Principal Millie Dixon will lead the new office with support from other familiar faces including Aaron Wong and Ali Mignone. Here's a quick Q&A to get to know each (based on a Q&A from a Theatre Projects coworker). Meet Millie Dixon, principal, project manager and mountain-lover: Q: You've lived all over the world. What's the attraction of Colorado for you?
A: That's easy -- the mountains! I've always been attracted to mountainous landscapes, so moving to Colorado is really exciting for me. I basically get to live somewhere that's surrounded by mountains -- and that makes me happy! Q: As a project manager, you travel regularly for work. Will your move out west change anything for you?
A: I'll still travel to meetings and project sites regularly. You can't beat that face-to-face time with clients and design teams. For many of my projects, traveling from Denver will take much less time than it did from Connecticut, and it'll be easier to travel home to my own bed at the end of the day! Q: What's on your bucket list?
A: I'd love to learn how to fish. If anyone reading this lives nearby and can teach me, I'll do my best to be a good student! Meet Aaron Wong, senior consultant theatre designer, and nap-taker extraordinaire: Q: Denver is the only city that turned down hosting the Olympics after being selected. What's the best thing you ever said "no" to?
A: I originally went to college to study production design for theatre and film, but after about a year doing freelance work in Chicago I decided it wasn't what I wanted to do, so I changed my plans to study architecture. And now here I am, designing performing arts buildings for production designers to work in! Q: What's your favorite outdoor activity?
A: Besides napping? I enjoy hiking, fishing*, and soccer. Followed by more napping. (* looks like we've already found Millie a potential new fishing partner! But the more the merrier, right?!) Q: Elvis famously once flew into Denver for a sandwich -- it was a sourdough roll stuffed with a pound of peanut butter, a pound of blueberry jam, and a pound of bacon. What would be in your dream sandwich?
A: Hot peppers, Colby jack cheese, bison burger, bourbon bacon, lettuce, mayo, mustard -- and don't forget the truffle fries! Meet Ali Mignone, senior consultant, skier, hiker, and mountain biker: Q: You've been based in Colorado now for five years. How do you spend your free time?
A: I'm a skier, hiker, and mountain biker. And I also love camping and tubing on the river. I really love being outdoors -- whether I'm doing something active or just reading my book in the sunshine, birdwatching, or enjoying happy hour! Q: When we were searching for a new office space, you visited lots of different places. What's special about the Walnut Street location we selected as our new home?
A: The office is in an up-and-coming neighborhood with a cool vibe. There are places to eat nearby and places to walk to if you want to get out in the sunshine. And it's really easy to travel to -- the light rail station is right across the street and you can get to the airport directly from there. The building is an adaptive reuse too, which is fun -- from the outside it looks like an older brick building, but there are super modern facilities once you step inside. Q: You love music and you're a stage manager at Strings Music Festival in Steamboat Springs. Are you always working behind the scenes or do you perform too?
A: I sing bass in a women's barbershop quartet called the Sweet Columbines! We're a fairly new group, and we're currently putting together our first set. I know it's nerdy but I really do love it -- I get to sing with great women and it's a lot of fun. Theatre Projects' Denver home will be located in the INDUSTRY RiNo Station complex at 3858 Walnut Street, Suite 152, Denver, Colorado 80205. 
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