As we curated Season 26, we asked ourselves, “What makes a play Curious?”

As one way to answer, we challenged ourselves to choose plays that would amaze, delight, and invigorate our audiences and artists alike. Curious believes in stepping into uncharted territory, and we are so happy you are joining us as we continue this journey with the Regional Premiere of the Pulitzer Prize-winning, Cost of Living by Martyna Majok.

Cost of Living is an important play in so many ways, beyond the prizes it’s won. This surprisingly funny and very human play is about the forces that bring people together, the realities facing the world with physical disabilities, and how deeply we all need each other. This regional premiere introduces an important new voice to Denver audiences. And, bringing this show to the stage required the talents of two of Denver’s long-standing theatre companies, Curious and Phamaly Theatre Company, in a first-time collaboration. 

We believe that this captivating tale will leave an indelible imprint on your hearts. Join us for an evening where the convergence of storytelling, emotion, and the complexities of human connection create an unforgettable experience that transcends the confines of the stage and lingers in your thoughts long after the curtain falls.

Don’t miss a moment! Now is the time for our subscribers to renew for next season. You can see what we have in store here and renew now for the best price, by emailing boxoffice@curiosutheatre.org  or calling 303-623-0524. 

We also invite you to join us for our Fund the Future campaign, a fund- and friend-raising effort to make sure Curious stays strong for the next 25 years!  Every dollar matters; you can donate by clicking here! 

The adventure that awaits at Curious is only possible through the gathering of committed, enthusiastic theatre-goers like you. Your ongoing support ensures we’ll continue to travel together on this art-filled adventure through the best of contemporary theatre.

With gratitude and excitement for the road ahead,

Jada Suzanne Dixon & Jeannene Bragg
Artistic & Managing Directors

The urban East of America. New Jersey. The near present.

(in Alphabetical order)

Valentina Fittipaldi as Jess
Isaiah Kelley as Eddie
Jamie Rizzo₽ as John
Ann Colby Stocking* as Ani

Set Design by Nicholas Renaud₽
Costume Design by Erin M. Banta₽
Lighting Design by Haley Hartmann
Sound Design by Patrice Mondragon
Props Design by Elicia James
Stage Manager, Veronica Legler*
Assistant Director, Clove Love
Assistant Stage Manager, Jordyn Good
Intimacy Director, Samantha Egle
Deck Crew, Krystal Brown
Captioning Operator, Brittany Whittenberg
Scenic Coordinator, Nick Kargel
Scenic Build, You Want What?

To Phamaly Theatre Company for their guidance and support, the Aurora Fox Arts Center, and Mobility City.

Sheri Raders, President
Michael Potts, Vice-President
John Flanigan, Treasurer
Michael Hughes, Secretary

Marike Fitzgerald
Chip Horne
Greg Laugero
Jamie White
Alyssa Williams

*Jeremy Shamos, Honorary Lifetime President
*Roscoe Hill, Board Member Emeritus
*Cajardo Lindsey, Artistic Company Member
*Erik Sandvold, Artistic Company Member
*Jeannene Bragg, Managing Director
*Jada Suzanne Dixon, Artistic Director

*non-voting members

Artistic

Jada Suzanne Dixon, Artistic Director
Wayne Breyer, Production Manager & Resident Stage Manager
Christy Montour-Larson, Artistic Producer
Piper Stormes, Technical Coordinator 

Administrative

Jeannene Bragg, Managing Director
Camdon T. Presley, Marketing & Development Manager
Katelyn Sauer, Operations & Patron Services Manager
Hillary Wheelock, Finance Associate

Front of House

Evy DiPasquantonio, House Manager
Clove Love, Lead Front of House Representative
Evette Srouji, House Manager

Aidan Blank, Front of House Representative
Katie Flynn, Front of House Representative
Halima Kamara, Front of House Representative
Sam Lowney, Front of House Representative

2023–24 Curious Bridge Apprentices 

Jordyn Good, Stage Management Focus
Clove Love, Directorial Focus
Evette Srouji, Directorial Focus

Lisa Boehm
Kevin Brainerd (In Memoriam)
Anastasia Davidson
Richard Devin
Jada Suzanne Dixon
Jason Ducat
Brian Landis Folkins
Ilasiea Gray
Kathryn Gray
William Hahn
Josh Hartwell
Markas Henry
GerRee Hinshaw
Jim Hunt
Cajardo Lindsey
Sheryll McCallum
Shannon McKinney
Michael McNeill
Christy Montour-Larson
Michael Morgan
Josh Robinson
Erik Sandvold
Sean Scrutchins
Karen Slack
Todd Webster
Annette Westerby

Artistic Company Emeriti

Thank you to our founding Artistic Company Members whose dedication, hard work and artistic vision has helped make Curious the amazing theatre it is today.

Dee Covington
Chip Walton

The Denver Public Library recommends these library resources to enhance your theatre experience of Cost of Living.

READ

Sitting pretty: the view from my ordinary resilient disabled body by Rebekah Taussig

The disability advocate behind the @sittingpretty account shares snapshots of her life with “a body that doesn’t work” after she was paralyzed as a toddler. Her eye-opening memoir reveals the complex, ordinary, uncomfortable, and fulfilling aspects of her life. IN a conversational manner, she recounts dating an able-bodied person, handling skyrocketing healthcare costs, and the need for flexible solutions for the stigma, misunderstanding, and ubiquitous inaccessibility she has experienced. Join DPL and Curious Theatre Company as we discuss common themes between Taussig’s book and Cost of Living after the play on March 24. Register and find details at  www.curioustheatre.org/bookclub/

Disability visibility: first-person stories from the twenty-first century edited by Alice Wong

If you want to hear more perspectives, pick up this book of essays. Activists, politicians, and everyday people tell their story of living with a disability, a story that is shared by one in five people in the U.S. according to the census. Written to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the American with Disabilities Act (ADA), the authors’ essays on blindness, autism, bipolar personality, fibromyalgia, and others will spark deeper thinking and a conversation.

WATCH

A variety of TV shows and movies, with options on disc and streaming, present a wide range of life experiences with disabilities.  

The L Word, Generation Q Season 1 (2019), Season 2 (2020), and Season 3 (2023)

Ten years after the previous series, the original group of friends is joined by new faces as they continue their journey through the trials of life and love in Los Angeles. One of the characters is a lawyer with muscular dystrophy who uses a wheelchair.

Jason Becker: Not Dead Yet, dir. Jesse Vile (2014) 

When doctors diagnosed 19-year-old rock star Jason Becker with Lou Gehrig’s disease, they said he would never make music again and that he wouldn’t live to see his 25th birthday. Decades later, without the ability to move or to speak, Jason is alive and making music with his eyes. Stream it on Kanopy, free to all Denver residents with your library card.

Sound of Metal, dir. Darius Marder (2022)

This Academy Award-winning film stars Riz Ahmed in an intense, nuanced performance as a heavy metal drummer who loses his hearing and comes to discover deafness not as a disability but as a rich culture and community.

Autism Goes to College, dir. Erik Linthorst (2019) 

As the number of students on the autism spectrum attending college steadily climbs, schools and students alike are trying to figure out how to manage the unique challenges experienced by this community. Autism Goes to College is a first of its kind film, packed with honest insights for students, parents, and educators that offers an eye-opening look at what a growing number of neurodiverse students are bringing to campuses. Watch on DVD or stream it on Kanopy, free to all Denver residents with your library card.

LISTEN 

Classical Music for Reading (2019)

Music opens up a means for re-connection between two of the main characters in Majok’s intimate Cost of Living. Classical music in particular is referenced in the play as an aid to physical therapy; of special note is Erik Satie’s Gnossienne No. 1, which you will find on this CD and is the type of piano music referenced in the play. 

DOWNLOAD 

Wheelchair Diaries: One Step Up, dir. Reid Davenport (2013) 

The film introduces viewers to three Europeans with disabilities. Gavin is a 39-year-old Dubliner whose perspective on disability and accessibility changed when he was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis 15 years ago. Matthieu is a 23-year-old law student in Paris who has been in a wheelchair his entire life because of spinal muscular atrophy and wants to practice law in the U.S. because of its accessibility. Francois is a 33-year-old journalist with cerebral palsy who has a radio broadcast about handicapped topics and advocates for disability rights in Brussels. These people provide anecdotes that put disability in a light that is rarely shone in the media and show the undeniable connection between disability and the human condition. Stream it on Kanopy, free to all Denver residents with your library card.

Discussion Questions

• What do you think does the title “Cost of Living” means and how does it inform your understanding of the play? 
• How would you describe the play’s structure? Why do you think Majok decided to disrupt the chronological narrative? How do you think the play would function differently if it were told in linear order? 
• How does the play use the characters to discuss ideas of privilege and oppression? Which characters have privilege and which characters don’t? How does it work when a character is both privileged and marginalized? 
• How does the theme of searching for connection function in the play? In what ways are the characters trying to connect with each other, and in what ways are they pushing each other away? 
• In the scenes between Eddie and Ani, how does music help or hurt their relationship? How did the sound design increase your understanding of the play?
• Ani suggests that Eddie is trying to do penance for what happened to her, that he is trying to make himself feel less guilty. What do you think? 
• John describes how his cerebral palsy works.  How is that similar to the way to the way Jess protects herself?
• What is the symbolism of Eddie’s phone?  How does Eddie’s phone connect to Ani’s emergency button and Jess’ phone call to her mother?
• When Ani was in her accident, she told the EMTs that she was driving to Maine. What do you think Maine represents for her? 
• Both John and Ani require a caretaker to bathe them, which means allowing another person to see and touch their naked bodies.  What are their different perspectives? 
• Eddie’s first line is “The shit that happens is not to be understood.”  What do you think he is talking about?  And how does the ending inform your understanding this line?

• The Playwright

• Loneliness on the Margins

• The Intersection of Disability and Privilege

The Playwright

“Ten years ago Martyna Majok was sleeping in a bathtub. She had just graduated from Yale School of Drama and, not having any money to put down for a security deposit on an apartment, the young playwright was couch-surfing and subletting while working at bars to make ends meet. One apartment she stayed at in Harlem had bedbugs. Which is how Majok found herself retreating to the bathroom, the only place free of the pests.” Read the rest of the article from American Theatre Magazine HERE

“I recalled when I was living in Chicago, I used to work as a caregiver to two men with disabilities. And so, I pulled from that experience to write the shorter version of the John and Jess story. At a certain point in that year, I wrote the first scene between Eddie and Ani. I didn’t realize it was them, but when I wrote their scene and listened to it, I realized the man sounded very similar to the man that I had written the monologue for, and I realized, “Oh, this must be his wife,” and, “Oh, I guess she’s dead, let’s find out how that happens.”  Read the full article from Broadway World HERE

“The playwright Martyna Majok has never met her father, so it was her grandfather who played the paternal role in her life. When he died, in Poland in August 2012, she didn’t have the money to travel to his funeral.”  Read the full article from the New York Times HERE

Loneliness on the Margins

All the characters endure isolation due to the ways that they are marginalized and made invisible in society. Each guards the parts of themselves that are personal and sensitive, unwilling to burden others with their pain, even as they long desperately for someone to see them. 

About half of U.S. adults reported experiencing measurable levels of loneliness.In May 2023, the Surgeon General raised the alarm about the devestating impact of the epidemic of loneliness and isolation in the United States.  And it warns that the physical consequences of poor connection can be devastating, including a 29% increased risk of heart disease; a 32% increased risk of stroke; and a 50% increased risk of developing dementia for older adults.

“It’s hard to put a price tag, if you will, on the amount of human suffering that people are experiencing right now,”  In response, the advisory outlines the framework for a new national strategy. It is based on six foundational pillars, which are:

1. Strengthening social infrastructure, which includes things like parks and libraries as well as public programs.
2. Enacting pro-connection public policies at every level of government, including things like accessible public transportation or paid family leave.
3. Mobilizing the health sector to address the medical needs that stem from loneliness.
4. Reforming digital environments to “critically evaluate our relationship with technology.”
5. Deepening our knowledge through more robust research into the issue.
6. Cultivating a culture of connection.

The Intersection Between Disability and Privilege

John and Ani are the two characters in the play with disabilities. The play juxtaposes them to show the way privilege and disability intersect, although the two never meet or even know of each other’s existence. John and Ani have many physical similarities. Both need a caretaker to perform daily bathing and bodily maintenance. They are fully consciousness of their disabilities and care that feels like a surrender of adult agency. Even though John is wealthy and Ani is poor, both characters experience marginalization that Eddie and Jess don’t quite understand.  

Tips on Interacting Respectfully with People with Disabilities

Disability and Other Identities: How Do They Intersect?

“Naming the Trope” by Phamaly Theatre Company’s Ben Raanan