When the Ricketson Theatre’s renovation is completed in 2021, it will reopen as The Singleton Theatre in recognition of a gift to the Denver Center for Performing Arts’ capital campaign made by former Denver Post owner and longtime DCPA trustee Dean Singleton.

Turner Construction Co. won the $36M contract to overhaul the Stage and Ricketson theaters at the DCPA in June. The renovation project has been scheduled around three DCPA Theatre Company seasons, education activities and special events. The work on the Ricketson Theatre and lobby area reconstruction is slated for March 2020 through April 2021.

“Dean has been a treasured member of our family since becoming a trustee nearly 20 years ago,” DCPA Chairman Martin Semple said. “He’s served as vice chairman of the board and continues to serve as our secretary and treasurer. His generous gift underscores a decades-long relationship between Dean, The Denver Post and the DCPA. We appreciate his commitment to ensuring that we have world-class venues in which to produce world-class theater for generations to come.”

The capital campaign, entitled A Grander Opening, was launched June 5 and is the first public campaign in DCPA’s 40-year history. The four-year project is in the design phase. The project is being funded by $19M in general obligation bond funds, $9M through the public fundraising campaign and $8M from donations by the DCPA board of trustees, which pledged 100% participation.

Gifts announced to date include those by Marvin and Judi Wolf to rename The Stage Theatre as The Wolf Theatre and by Robert and Judi Newman to rename The Conservatory Theatre in honor of the DCPA’s late President Randy Weeks.