Press Release
August 31, 2026
The October 11 matinee is part of Salida’s NestQuest day exploring “What Is Home?” and will be followed by a community conversation with Ute leader and educator Roland McCook. August 31 - Salida, CO - Salida Theater Project (STP) presents The Minutes, Tracy Letts' razor-sharp dark comedy, directed by Liz Dunn, October 9-17 at A Church. Tickets available on Eventbrite.
At first, it looks like a routine meeting of the city council in the fictional town of Big Cherry: local festivals, parking permits, procedural squabbles and a roomful of officials with competing agendas. Then a new council member returns after an absence and realizes that something is wrong. One council member is missing. So are the official minutes from the previous meeting. And everyone, including the mayor, seems to be stonewalling.
What begins as a hilariously familiar exercise in small-town bureaucracy becomes a slow-burn mystery. As questions are deflected with red tape, eccentric excuses and increasingly strange behavior, the search for a simple answer grows more urgent. What happened at the last meeting, and why is everyone determined to keep it off the record?
"I'm thrilled to be working with such a talented group of artists," said director Liz Dunn. "This show will feel familiar, funny, and at times uncomfortable - just how it feels to be part of a community. The Minutes is the perfect play for Salida."
Artistic Director Devon Jencks added, "We want to give special thanks to NestQuest for the grant supporting this production. It's this kind of support that makes it possible for STP to bring such exceptional live theater to the area."
October 11 Community Conversation with Ute Leader and Educator Roland McCook: "What Is Home?"
The October 11 matinee is part of Salida’s NestQuest activities exploring the question, "What Is Home?" NestQuest grant funding helped make STP's production of The Minutes possible, and the fictional residents and elected officials of Big Cherry offer their own distinctive ideas about what it means to call a place home.
Following the performance, STP and A Church will broaden that community-wide conversation by welcoming Ute leader and educator Roland McCook. With Indigenous Peoples' Day the following day, McCook will speak about what home has meant to his people, the Utes; their deep connection to this region; and the route they were forced to take when removed from their homeland. Community members will be invited to meet McCook, join the conversation and share light refreshments.
McCook is a member of the Uncompahgre Band of the Ute Tribe and a descendant of Ute leaders Chief Ouray and his wife, Chipeta. A former chairman of the Ute Tribal Business Committee, he also served on the Smithsonian Institution's Native American Repatriation Review Committee. He is president of Native American Cultural Programs and has devoted much of his life to educating the public about Ute history, culture and his own personal experiences.
The community conversation is open to the public and will begin after the October 11 matinee. Seating is limited. Those attending the performance are encouraged to purchase tickets in advance and remain afterward for the conversation and refreshments.
Performance Information
The Minutes will be performed October 9, 10, 15, 16 and 17 at 7 p.m., with a matinee on October 11 at 2 p.m. All performances will be held at A Church, 419 D Street in Salida. Tickets are on sale now through Eventbrite: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-minutes-tickets-1997468667555?aff=oddtdtcreator
Cast: Louie Cohn, Justin Critelli, JJ Fraser, Eden Giorno, Devon Jencks, Leslie Matthews, Peter Mossman, Jean Palmer-Moloney, Bill Rogers, Greg West and Tom Westrup.
About Salida Theater Project (STP)
In 2020, three passionate creatives - local theater artist and educator Devon Jencks, arts advocate Leslie Matthews, and actor and director Brade Bradshaw - created a shared vision: a theater company rooted in storytelling, artistry and community. From that collaboration, Salida Theater Project was born. Since then, the company has been thriving, producing plays that have compelling stories. STP is proud to be the resident theater company of A Church and a vibrant part of the Salida community.
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