In the Loup is a bimonthly publication of the
Robert E. Loup Jewish Community Center
and the Mizel Arts & Culture Center
350 S. Dahlia St., Denver, CO 80246.
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Film Festival Opening Night Gala to Honors
Charlie Miller
On Thursday, Feb. 5, 2009, the BNYMellon Wealth Management Denver Jewish Film Festival celebrates its “Coming of Age” in its proverbial 13th Bar Mitzvah year. That same evening, the theme of “Celebrating the Promise of the Future” also takes center stage as the Mizel Arts and Culture Center honors Charlie Miller at its Opening Night Fundraiser Gala. In the Loup presents in the following interview with Miller, touching on his proudest MACC memories, his latest accomplishments and his extraordinary potential.
In the Loup (ITL): Next to being at home or in school — you basically grew up at the MACC & JCC.What is your fondestmemory of the countless hours spent in this building?
Charlie: “My parents enrolled me in a theatre class at the Shwayder Theatre at age four, and I performed on that stage every year for 16 straight years. SteveWilson,my teacher, mentor and now good friend, started at the MACC when I was in 2nd grade, so as I grew up, the [Wolf Theatre] Academy grew too and evolved into the extraordinary programthat it is today. I was in 23 mainstage productions over those years, and after many years in the chorus, I played roles ranging from Marc Antony (Julius Caesar) to Fagin (Oliver) to Joseph (Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat). One of the fondest memories that first comes to mind is my last moment on the Shwayder stage as an actor in Joseph.My good friend Anna Gibson (who had also been acting at the MACC since 3rd grade) and I were the two leads. In the last song of the show, our lastmoments at the Academy, we sang the words “May I return / to the beginning / the light is dimming / and the dreamis too.”The resonance of those words really struck me at that moment, and I began to get pretty emotional. Then, suddenly the light board malfunctioned and the stage went completely dark in the middle of the song. Somuch for a perfect goodbye! But we laughed and kept singing and it was great.”
ITL:What’s the story behind the young Shvitz club that you started at the JCC?
Charlie: “During the summer between 8th and 9th grade, some of my theatre friends and I discovered the shvitz. We started a shvitzing club and evenmade amovie about it.That was really the start ofmy filmmaking career, come to think of it. I still keep in touch with many of those shvitz buddies, and we still meet up in the shvitz when we are all in Denver. I have also discovered great shvitzes in Boston and New York, so I’ve shvitzed all over the country now. There’s really nothing better than a good heat with good friends.”
ITL: How has growing up at the MACC impacted your decisions in life: what to study, where to work, what goals to pursue?
Charlie: “My love of the theatre, which started as a hobby and is now a profession, began at the MACC. There is no question that,had I not taken those first theatre classes, I would not be doing what I amdoing today. I did theatre all through high school at Colorado Academy, and then I became more serious about theatre and directing in college. Steve Wilson introduced me to PHAMALY (PhysicallyHandicappedActors andMusical Artists League) when I was in high school, and I have professionally stagemanaged and directed for them since then — those were my first professional experiences.AtHarvard, I was involved with dozens of theatrical productions in a variety of capacities and served as president of theHarvard-Radcliffe Gilbert &Sullivan Players.My senior honors thesis in Visual and Environmental Studies was an original multimedia production that combined video, YouTube, theatre, and featured actorswith disabilities.And that all bringsme to my current position as resident multimedia specialist for the Denver Center Theatre Company, in essence continuing my multimedia theatrical work.”
ITL: What’s the lure in coming back to the MACC as a director (Charlie co-directed this past summer’s mainstage production of Macbeth)?
Charlie: “While it may sound cheesy, I really wanted to come back and direct at the MACC because I wanted to give a new generation of young actors the same amazing experiences that I had at theMACC as a kid. But it was not entirely altruistic — directing at the MACC was also a great opportunity for me as an artist and I knew it would be a lot of fun.”
ITL: What does itmeans to be honored at the film festival’s Opening Night Gala?
Charlie: “I was totally surprised when Steve [Wilson] and Sharon [Haber] took me out to lunch and toldme about the honor. I am humbled and I feel very honored. I always felt older people received honors like this, so it’s wonderful that, at the age of 23, I can also be recognized formy “promise”—and it’s extra special that it will happen on the same stage where it all began. I just hope my future holds as much promise as they say it does! But in many ways, this honor is not just about me. It’s about the MACC, where I learned everything I needed to know to be successful in life. It’s about my wonderful mentors who have taught and inspiredme along the way. It’s aboutmy remarkable family who, for six generations in Denver, has modeled the importance of community involvement and giving back. And it’s about all the great friends I have made along the way, many of whom I performed with for years.”ITL: What do you hope people will understand by having a young “Celebrating the Promise of the Future” honoree?
Charlie: “It’s important to recognize the contributions of individuals at any stage in life. I really appreciate that the film festival is acknowledging my commitment to the community even though I still have many years ahead of me to contribute further.”
SAVE THE DATE —– FEB. 5–14, 2009 BNY Mellon Wealth Management Denver Jewish Film Festival Opening Night Gala on Feb. 5th Honoring Charlie Miller