A Great Wilderness
By Samuel D. Hunter
(Regional Premiere)
Directed by Benchmark Theatre Founding Member, Marketing &
Strategic Director Marc Stith

April 14 - May 12, 2023
Performances are Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 8pm with additional Sunday matinees at 2pm.

Industry Night Performance - Monday, May 1st at 8pm
(No performance on Friday, May 5th due to the First Friday Art Celebration in 40West Arts District)

Adult content and language are used throughout. No children under the age of 12 are permitted.

After decades as the gentle-natured leader of a Christian retreat that endeavors to “cure” gay teens, Walt is packing up his life and preparing for a reluctant retirement. But when his final client quietly disappears into the remote Idaho wilderness, Walt discovers that his previously unwavering moral compass no longer points the way. With profound humanity and subtlety, A Great Wilderness navigates complex moral terrain, exploring the shifting motives and inconstant strength of our personal convictions.

“Deft and human handling of a controversial story.” - Vanguard Seattle

“[An] affecting drama that strengths its hold on you bit by unpredictable bit.” - Boston Globe

A Great Wilderness

By Samuel D. Hunter

CAST

WALT - Chris Kendall

Chris is thrilled to be back on stage with Benchmark Theatre, where he previously appeared in Our American Cousin (2022), 1984 (2019) and Smokefall (2017). On other stages: Cherry Creek Theatre, A Moon For The Misbegotten (2023); Jest a Second (2021) and Tuesdays With Morrie (2019; Henry Award - Supporting Actor). With The Catamounts, Land of Milk and Honey (2021); at Telluride Theater Company, The Tempest (2019); Miners Alley Playhouse, District Merchants (2018; Henry Award - Lead Actor), A Picasso (2009; Henry Award - Lead Actor); The Colorado Shakespeare Festival; DCPA. He is an ensemble company member with Butterfly Effect Theatre of Colorado. Recent shows for BETC include Birds of North America, An Iliad (True West Award), Outside Mullingar, Hysteria, and Annapurna.

ABBY - Christine Kahane

This is Christine’s first production with Benchmark Theatre. Her Denver credits include: for Vintage Theatre, Robyn – The Roommate, Frau Blucher – Young Frankenstein ( 2021 Marlowe Award – Best Supporting Actress in a Musical), Melissa – Love Letters, Miss Bates – Emma, The Language Teacher – The Language Archive, Miss Shingle – A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder. For Firehouse Theater, Annie – Calendar Girls. For Ovation West, Rosie Brice – Funny Girl, Mrs. Wilkinson – Billy Elliot, Mrs. Pearce – My Fair Lady (2018 Broadway World - Best Colorado Debut). Regional theatre: Mrs. Saunders/Betty - Cloud Nine, Joyce - And A Nightingale Sang, Arizona Theatre Company, Kate – The Taming of The Shrew, Regan – King Lear, New York Renaissance Festival, An Evening of One Acts, McCarter Theatre.

Denver directing credits: Shakespeare in Love—Vintage Theatre, Company – Ovation West. What an honor to be part of this talented cast and production team.

TIM - Mark Collins

Mark is happy to be back with Benchmark, where you may have seen him in the company's 2019 production of The Quality of Life. Other area credits include Small Ball (Catamounts), God of Carnage, Before You Go, Cripple of Inishmaan, The Pitmen Painters (Miners Alley Playhouse), Casa Valentina (Littleton Town Hall), Jerusalem, The Beauty Queen of Leenane (The Edge), Lost Creatures, The Gun Show (And Toto too), How I Learned to Drive (square product). He received a True West Award in 2015. 

EUNICE - Latifah Johnson

Latifah is pleased to return to Benchmark Theatre, and work with such a wonderfully talented cast. Thank You Marc, for being such a generous, insightful and patient director. A few of her past favorite productions have included roles in Talking With, Waiting To Be Invited, Flyin West, A Tribute To August Wilson, To Kill A Mockingbird Bird, For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide..., A Longs Days Journey Into Night and A Darker Face of The Earth.

JANET - Corey Exline

Corey is thrilled to be back at Benchmark for the second time. It continues to be one of her favorite places to work, filled with wonderful people, wonderful talent, and truly wonderful productions. New York Credits include Into the Woods; Urinetown!; Making Home. Colorado Credits include Robin Hood (Miners Alley); Small Ball (Catamounts); Meteor Shower (Benchmark Theatre); Freaky Friday (Aurora Fox); The Velveteen Rabbit (Arvada Center); Hurricane Diane (Aurora Fox); Tomfoolery (Aurora Fox); Meet Me In St. Louis (Town Hall); Miss You Like Hell (Aurora Fox). Regional Credits include The Drowsy Chaperone (Priscilla Beach); Working: The Musical (Umbrella Theatre); Pride & Prejudice (Footlight Club); Shrek: The Musical (Wellesley Players). And National & International Tours include Jungle Book; Princess and the Frog; Rumpelstiltskin; The Little Mermaid - USA, Canada, Guam, Korea, and Japan.

DANIEL - Danté J. Finley

Danté is very happy to be making his debut at Benchmark Theatre. Danté is a native of La Junta, Colorado where they first fell in love with theatre many years ago. Most recent credits include Franklinland at Curious Theatre Company and Twelfth Night, A Midsummer Night's Dream, House Arrest, and Comedy of Errors all with Theatreworks of Colorado Springs. When not onstage, Danté teaches an after-school theatre program throughout the Denver Metro Area. 

CREATIVE TEAM

Director - Marc Stith

Assistant Director Intern - Eli Willis

Scenic Design - Christopher M. Waller

Light Design - Neil Truglio

Sound Design - John Hauser

Costume Design - Susan Rahmsdorff-Terry

Samuel D. Hunter (Playwright):

Samuel D. Hunter grew up in Moscow, Idaho and lives in New York City. He is the recipient of a 2014 MacArthur “Genius Grant” Fellowship for his work as a playwright. His full-length plays include The Whale (Drama Desk Award, Lucille Lortel Award for Outstanding Play, GLAAD Media Award, Drama League and Outer Critics Circle nominations for Best Play), A Case for the Existence of God (New York Drama Critics’ Circle Award for Best Play), A Bright New Boise (Obie Award, Drama Desk nomination for Best Play), Greater Clements (Drama Desk nomination for Best Play, Outer Critics Circle Honoree), Lewiston/Clarkston (Drama Desk nomination for Best Play), The Few, A Great Wilderness, Rest, Pocatello, The Healing and The Harvest, among others. A film version of The Whale, directed by Darren Aronofsky and starring Brendan Fraser, was released by A24 Films and is now an Academy Award-nominated film. He is the recipient of a 2012 Whiting Writers Award and an honorary doctorate from the University of Idaho. His work has been produced off-Broadway in New York City by Lincoln Center Theatre, Playwrights Horizons, LCT3, Signature Theatre, Page 73 Productions, Clubbed Thumb and Rattlestick Playwrights Theatre. Elsewhere, his work has been produced by Theatre Royal Bath, Dallas Theatre Center, Seattle Rep, Denver Center for the Performing Arts, Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company, South Coast Rep, and Victory Gardens, among others. Two published anthologies of his work are available from TCG Books, and a third is forthcoming. He is a member of New Dramatists and a current Resident Playwright at the Signature Theatre in New York City. He has also been a guest lecturer at Rutgers University–New Brunswick, Fordham University, and other universities. He holds degrees in playwriting from NYU, The Iowa Playwrights Workshop, and Juilliard.

PRODUCTION TEAM

Stage Manager - Andrew Horn

Dramaturg - Marc Stith

Scenic Carpenter - Christopher M. Waller

Rehearsal Photography - Christine Kahane & Neil Truglio

Production Photography - McLeod9 Creative

Program Design - Neil Truglio

Producer & Front of House Management - Haley Johnson

Front of House Volunteers - Carol Bloom, Alicia Horn, Heidi Markley, Pat Salas & Andrea Tucker

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

April Alsup, Rachel Clark

Haley Johnson & Gloria Shanstrom

BENCHMARK EXECUTIVE TEAM

Executive Director - Haley Johnson

Artistic Director - Neil Truglio

Strategic & Marketing Director - Marc Stith

SPECIAL THANKS

40West Arts, Chicano Humanities & Arts Council, Colorado Theatre Guild, The E Project Board of Directors, Lakewood BID, Lili Marlene Custom Lampshades, Miners Alley Playhouse, The Scientific & Cultural Facilities District, Vintage Theatre; Beck, Brit & Chantelle, Bernie Cardell, Alicia Carol, Brenda Gurule, Melanie Herrman, Jack Johnson, Marcus & Mason, Bill Marino, Joseph & Mary Pirozzoli, Jenna Moll Reyes, Biz Schaugaard, Jennifer Schmitz, Jenni Stith, Andrea Tucker, Kelly & Andrew Uhlenhopp and Jerry Willis