The Ruth Humphreys Brown Theatre

   

Thanks to a generous gift from the family of a remarkable woman, CRT is proud to announce the opening of the new Ruth Humphreys Brown Theatre. The life of Ruth Humphreys Brown was varied, full of generosity, and never dull. It was defined by her love of family, friends, and her appreciation for the outdoors - in particular Wagon Wheel Gap, where she spent her summers. She was born Nov 11, 1921, the daughter of A.E. and Ruth Boettcher Humphreys of Denver and was a theatre major at Finch College in New York City. In 1943, she was accepted into the Women's Air Force Service Pilots program. In 2010, she and her fellow WASPs received the Congressional Gold Medal for service during World War II.

She returned to Aspen after the War, where she lived until her marriage to DRC Brown, a founder and president of the Aspen Ski Corporation. The famed Ruthie’s Run on Aspen Mountain was named in honor of her efforts to find a better way down the mountain for intermediate skiers. She and DRC lived on a ranch in Carbondale and raised their family there – spending part of their summers and some Christmases in Creede. During her many years in the Roaring Fork Valley, Ruth helped start the Tri County Medical Center, the Brown Ice Palace, the Aspen Recovery Unit, the Bold Ski program for blind skiers, and the first Outward Bound Program in the U.S.

 

The Humphreys family has long ties to the town of Creede. Ruth’s grandfather, A.E. Humphreys, was involved in mining, oil, and manufacturing. In the 1890s, his mining interests took him to Creede during the silver boom and he was there during the time of Nicholas Creede.  Then, in the early 1920s, Ruth’s grandfather built a summer mountain retreat above Wagon Wheel Gap that remains an important gathering place for generations of family and friends.

 

This grant from the Ruth H. Brown Foundation will have an enormous impact on the future of Creede Repertory Theatre and the economic and cultural life of Colorado. The generosity of Ruth’s family, along with numerous private donors, foundations, and state and federal support, has made this new theatre possible.

 

The opening of the Ruth Humphreys Brown Theatre, coloquially known as “The Ruth,” was celebrated July 15-17 with numerous events and performances. The new theatre’s flexible configuration seats 150-200 (more than doubling the capacity of CRT’s previous third floor facility) and provides an intimate, accessible venue that allows CRT to run performances simultaneously with our Mainstage. The new facility’s climate control allows for year-round use, providing a much-needed space for events within the Creede community, and the roof-mounted photovoltaic system will help offset heating and cooling costs.

 

The Ruth Humphreys Brown Theatre is home to CRT’s education programs, Headwaters workshops, community events, concerts, and more of the exciting CRT productions you’ve come to know and love.

 

 

For more information about the Ruth Humphreys Brown Theatre, contact Maurice LaMee ( This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it ) at 719-658-2540 x230 or Cat Augur ( This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it ) at 719-658-2540 x226.