In collaboration with Museo de las Americas, Motus Playback will present an interactive performance inspired by Accidentally on Purpose to celebrate the history, resilience, and cultural contributions of Denver’s Chicano community.
No Contract is a one-woman show exploring a mother’s request not to endure dementia. It asks: “is there a way to have dementia without tragedy, when ‘to be or not to be’ is always the question?” Three ways to experience:
9/17/26-10/4/26
Thurs-Sat 7pm | Sunday 2pm
10/3/26 | 9:30am-5pm
Created by Kirsten Wilson in honor of her mother and loved ones everywhere, experiencing or caring for people with dementia.
No Contract is a one-woman show by Kirsten Wilson about her mother’s dementia –Marie Wilson, founder of ‘Take Our Daughters to Work Day,’ LGBTQ+ leader, author, and equity-based feminist.
The dramatic ‘contract’ at the heart of this two-act performance is her mother’s request to be killed if she loses her mind. The production blends autobiographical storytelling, Hamlet, King Lear, karaoke, and audience engagement to explore the complex tension between choosing life and death—the “to be and not to be” of assisted suicide after a dementia diagnosis.
In No Contract, Wilson uses humor & heart to prevent both the performance & her mother’s life from becoming a Lear-like tragedy. As Wilson says in Act One, “My mother’s life was always supposed to be a romantic comedy, a 1950’s musical, except with lesbians dancing in the street. I will not let it turn toward tragedy.”
No Contract runs from 9/17/2026 - 10/4/2026. Thursday-Saturdays at 7pm and Sundays at 2pm. Two special performances on 9/30 and 10/3 (more info below)
*Note Wednesday, 9/30/26 is a show for immunocompromised audiences.
This show provides the following: Audience capacity is at 30% to provide space for two empty seats between audience members. KN95 masks must be worn by performers and audience members. Air filtration used. 6 feet of space between performers and the front row. 6pm performance.
GET TICKETS HERE
Saturday, Oct. 3rd, “No Contract” Dementia, Reflection and Writing Workshop with Kirsten Wilson.
Take a day-long deep dive into the impact of caring for family members with dementia or negotiating your own fears of losing your mind with celebrated facilitator and artist Kirsten Wilson. This is an opportunity to gather in community to use the performance to launch your own reflections and writings on the impact of dementia and fears associated with aging. The morning will begin with a performance of Act I, followed by personal reflections, writing, and discussion on dementia. After a shared lunch within small reflection groups, a performance of Act II, with a facilitated dialogue, writing exercises, and reflections. No skill as a writer is necessary, just a willingness to courageously explore caregiving, our mortality, and dementia in community. (Lunch included in workshop).
GET TICKETS HERE
A remarkable performance featuring Motus monologists Perla Romero, Alejandro Fuentes Mena & Cristian Solano-Córdova, violinist Anthony Salvo and the Boulder Phil's String Quartet.
In this special collaboration, Motus Monologists with Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) perform artfully crafted personal stories of immigration accompanied by violin underscore, interspersed by musical responses curated by Boulder Phil Director of Education and pianist Fernanda Nieto. Regardless of your ideas about immigration policy, come together for an evening of beautiful and profound monologues, music and community, as we get to know more about our immigrant neighbors.
Motus Theater & the Parent Engagement Network (PEN) present What Love Requires, a new autobiographical monologue project featuring stories of parents of transgender and nonbinary adults.
The performance shares stories of parents supporting their children to not only survive, but thrive. The performance also celebrates the ways parents are liberated from limiting perceptions about gender in the process of truly seeing and learning from their children.
In recognition of the 250th anniversary of the United States and 150 years of Colorado, Motus Theater invites you to an interactive Playback Theater performance exploring how the family stories of Louisville residents are in conversation with the history of our country and state, as well as of our democracy.
Louisville residents are invited to share short stories or reflections, stories of family, migration, love, land, loss, resilience, and belonging. These stories are then improvised live on stage by Motus Playback actors through movement, music, and spoken word, transforming individual experiences into a collective moment of recognition and connection.
Share your story and engage in community conversation about our past, present, and future.
In recognition of the 250th anniversary of the United States and 150 years of Colorado, Motus Theater invites you to an interactive Playback Theater performance exploring how our family stories are in conversation with the history of our country and state, as well as of our democracy.
Join KGNU, Street Wise Arts, and Motus Theater - during Boulder Arts Week - for a sneak peek of KGNU's GNU Community Media & Cultural Center, opening soon to the public! Check out KGNU’s new community space, complete with radio and podcast studios, performance spaces, offices, and one of the best views in Boulder. The new space offers exhibition and event space opportunities for local artists and organizations. Exhibitions kick off with artworks from Street Wise Arts and Motus Theater.
On Transgender Day of Visibility, Motus Theater will present a short performance at the State Services Building featuring artfully crafted autobiographical monologues from a transgender leader and a parent of a transgender adult.
Hosted by Rep. Brianna Titone (HD27), the program offers legislators and the general public an opportunity to engage directly with personal perspectives that inform ongoing policy conversations.
Motus Theater & Colorado Asian Pacific United (CAPU) present Motus Playback: Adoptee Journeys of Belonging, an interactive playback improv performance centering the wide spectrum Asian adoptee experiences across cultures, generations, and identities.
Motus Theater presents What Love Requires, a powerful autobiographical monologue project featuring stories from parents of transgender and nonbinary adults.
For this special March 28 performance ahead of Transgender Day of Visibility, we will present three of the eight monologues in the full project, offering an intimate glimpse into parents’ journeys of love, reckoning, and growth as they support their children (now adults) to step into their authentic selves.
In honor of Colorado’s 150th Anniversary, Motus Theater presents an interactive Playback Theater performance focused on Loving our Immigrant Neighbors. Audience members are invited to share personal stories of connection, solidarity, and belonging, which are then improvised live on stage by the Motus Playback Ensemble.
Motus Theater presents a special Capitol performance of Youth Behind & Beyond Bars, an acclaimed autobiographical storytelling project that brings the lived experiences of people incarcerated as children into the heart of Colorado’s legislative space.
Join us for an evening of powerful autobiographical performance, music, and civic reflection centering Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s legacy of intersectional justice.
Featuring the musical duo the ReMINDers, and autobiographical storytelling from Motus Theater's Youth Behind & Beyond Bars, which brings powerful, artistically-crafted personal stories from adults who survived incarceration as youth. Boulder County District Attorney Michael Dougherty will join Motus storytellers to co-read this moving autobiographical performance that lifts the curtain on the realities of the juvenile legal system while inspiring action toward true justice.
Moving from a theatrical space into a gallery became an opportunity for Motus to share the many ways we have approached the issue of immigration beyond live performances.
Through performances, as well as podcasts, film, animation, and visual arts, Motus has reached over 420,000 people since 2012. As part of this exhibition, Motus is highlighting four of the seven reimaginings of Lotería cards that were developed by Motus in 2015 for our SALSA Lotería performance co-presented with El Centro Amistad. The cards were originally created by Sebastián Sifuentes in collaboration with Motus’ artistic executive director Kirsten Wilson. Lotería is a popular board game, similar to Bingo, that utilizes strong iconic images.
For this exhibit, Motus commissioned three new Lotería cards from Sifuentes to uplift our 2018 ImmigrantAmerica monologues and help visitors reflect on ways in which the struggle for humane immigration policy is not just one that concerns people with undocumented family members. Civil rights, human rights, and American democracy are strengthened when we honor immigrant rights. The health and happiness of each of our hearts are at stake in how we treat our neighbors seeking refuge.
Motus Theater’s Youth Behind & Beyond Bars: Stories from the Frontlines of the Juvenile Legal System brings powerful, artistically-crafted personal stories from adults who survived incarceration as youth. Colorado State Senator Judy Amabile will join Motus storytellers to co-read this moving autobiographical performance that lifts the curtain on the realities of the juvenile legal system while inspiring action toward true justice.
Motus Theater presents the first showing of What Love Requires, a new autobiographical monologue project featuring stories of parents of transgender and nonbinary adults. The performance shares artfully crafted parents’ stories of parents supporting their children not only to survive, but thrive.
No Contract is a one-woman show exploring a mother’s request not to endure dementia. It asks: “is there a way to have dementia without tragedy, when ‘to be or not to be’ is always the question?” (work in progress).
Created by Kirsten Wilson in honor of her mother and loved ones everywhere, experiencing or caring for people with dementia.
Register Here
Join Motus Theater’s ImmigrantAmerica for an evening of autobiographical monologues from Colorado DACA recipients, co-read by the monologists and leaders in Colorado media, with musical guests. After the performance, there will be a moderated discussion between Motus leaders, guest readers in the media, and the audience on the use and misuse of immigration narratives in the media.
Join us for an evening of true stories and spontaneous theater, featuring Erie residents sharing real-life experiences of unexpected kindness. As each story is told, Motus Playback Theater’s ensemble of actors and musicians will bring it to life—on the spot—through music, movement, and improvisation.
Motus Theater’s Youth Behind & Beyond Bars: Stories from the Frontlines of the Juvenile Legal System brings powerful, artistically-crafted personal stories from adults who survived incarceration as youth. These moving autobiographical monologues lift the curtain on the realities of the juvenile legal system while inspiring action toward true justice.
In this special collaboration, Motus Monologists with Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) perform artfully crafted personal stories of immigration accompanied by violin underscore, interspersed by musical responses curated by Director of Education and pianist Fernanda Nieto.
This event is free, but registration is required — HERE
Join Motus Theater and Elevate Boulder project participants for an afternoon of storytelling about the experiences of participants of Boulder’s guaranteed income pilot program. Stories will share experiences of the impact of participating in the Elevate Boulder program, as well as the challenges of community members living on a low income.
Do you have a favorite grandparent who supported you to be your best self? Come hear Erie community leaders—Mayor Andrew Moore, Nicole Jordan, Sara Lu Loflin, and Ben Hemphill—share their favorite grandparent story and watch it acted out by a troupe of improvisational actors on the spot. And share your own reflections honoring your favorite grandparent.
From August 9th to Sept 30th , Motus Theater opens an exhibit engaging visitors with art that centers the stories of community members with Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) through a variety of mediums, including photography and illustrations. At a time when people who are undocumented are often demonized as “other” for political gain, this exhibition invites viewers to look past our differences and find our shared humanity.
What’s your immigrant heritage story?
People move. Across borders, across time, across generations, across the country. Whether your family journeyed here recently or long ago, we all carry stories of movement, resilience, and change.
In honor of Immigrant Heritage Month, Motus Playback Theater invites you to an evening of improvisational theater where your story—or your grandparent’s, or great-great-great-uncle’s—takes center stage. Share a short reflection or memory, and watch as a diverse cast of professional improv actors brings it to life through music, movement, and powerful storytelling.
No pressure to speak—your presence builds community. Whether you share or simply listen, join us in a joyful, moving celebration of the immigrant heritage that shapes us all.
Let’s laugh, reflect, and connect—one story at a time.
Motus Theater’sTRANSformative Stories features transgender and non-binary leaders performing artfully crafted personal stories about their hopes, dreams, and experiences of negotiating oppression and liberation with live musical accompaniment.
Performances From: Motus Theater TRANSformative Stories monologists Rev. Nicole Garcia (she/her), AlisonReba (they/them), & DavidBreña (he/him). Featuring live musical underscoring by Colorado violinist Anthony Salvo.
This performance will take place in the town of Erie, CO. Please register for full location information.
Motus Theater’s Youth Behind & Beyond Bars: Stories from the Frontlines of the Juvenile Legal System brings powerful, artistically-crafted personal stories from adults who survived incarceration as youth. These moving autobiographical monologues lift the curtain on the realities of the juvenile legal system while inspiring action toward true justice. Featuring musical responses from the nationally acclaimed and regionally loved duo The ReMINDers.
Motus Theater, with Congregation Har HaShem and Congregation Bonai Shalom, present a performance of Motus UndocuAmerica monologue “The Meaning of Courage” by Cristian Solano-Córdova and co-read by Rabbis Fred Greene and Marc Soloway with musical responses from Cantor Devorah Avery.
Motus Theater and Being Better Neighbors present a performance of civic love stories from Motus Theater’s UndocuAmerica project, with musical responses from the Boulder Philharmonic’s String Quartet. In this special collaboration, Motus monologists who are immigrants with DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) perform artfully crafted personal stories about their lives underscored by violinist Anthony Salvo. The Boulder Philharmonic String Quartet performs musical responses to each story curated by Fernanda Nieto. Featuring music of Dvorak, Heins, Ponce and more; with stories of Motus monologists Laura Peniche, Alejandro Fuentes Mena and Cristian Solano-Córdova.
Motus Theater’s TRANSformative Stories features transgender and non-binary leaders sharing powerful, autobiographical monologues about their hopes, dreams, and experiences navigating oppression and liberation. Featuring personal stories by Rev. Nicole Garcia (she/her), Jahmil Roberts (he/they), and David Breña (he/him), accompanied by live musical underscoring from acclaimed Colorado violinist Anthony Salvo
Please register for exact location on the UCCS campus.
Motus Theater’s TRANSformative Stories features transgender and non-binary leaders sharing powerful, autobiographical monologues about their hopes, dreams, and experiences navigating oppression and liberation. Featuring personal stories by Ruby Lopez (she/her), Raye Watson (they/them), and David Breña (he/him), accompanied by live musical underscoring from beloved Colorado violinist Anthony Salvo.
Motus Theater invites you to a special adventure of improvisational theater where you share a short reflection or a story, and then watch a diverse group of professional improv actors enact YOUR story on the spot using movement, music, and dramatic spoken word. The stories may be funny or sad; memories from long ago or yesterday. The audience and performers co-create a theater event whose subject is the life experiences of the people attending the show. Join us for an abundant exchange interconnecting our shared humanity through music, story, poetry, and improv theater.
our story matters. Your voice deserves to be heard.
Join Motus Playback Theater for a powerful afternoon where immigrant stories take center stage. Share a personal experience—whether joyful, challenging, or deeply meaningful—and see it brought to life through improv, movement, music, and spoken word.
Motus Theater invites you to a special adventure of improvisational theater where you share a short reflection or a story, and then watch a diverse group of professional improv actors enact YOUR story on the spot using movement, music, and dramatic spoken word. The stories may be funny or sad; memories from long ago or yesterday. The audience and performers co-create a theater event whose subject is the life experiences of the people attending the show. Join us for an abundant exchange interconnecting our shared humanity through music, story, poetry, and improv theater.
What is your vision for Boulder over the next 20 years? What community issues are most important to you? What community assets are unseen or underutilized in the Boulder Valley that could support our shared future? Do you want to feel seen and heard by policy writers for the Boulder Valley Comprehensive Plan?
Motus Theater invites you to a special adventure in improvisational theater where you share a short reflection or a story about your vision for Boulder, and then watch professional improv actors enact YOUR story on the spot using movement, music, and dramatic spoken word.
The city of Boulder is developing the next Boulder Valley Comprehensive Plan (BVCP) to set priorities and goals for the future and the BVCP writers want to hear from YOU! Motus Playback Theater is here to help you express what you feel will build “A Boulder Future.” By sharing our stories we can influence the direction of Boulder for the next 20 years!
