City offers plenty of variety

Alan Osburn doesn’t want to meet in his office —“It’s the start of our Youth Rep season, and there are kids everywhere,” he says — so the interview takes place in Cafe 36, the Fine Arts Center’s classy new restaurant.

He’s poised and fit, with an athlete’s carriage. It’s no surprise to learn he was all-conference tight end for Arvada West High School.

VENUE: Osburn produces, directs, acts, and sings at the Fine Arts Center’s SaGaJi Theater,

the 400-seat art deco theater that was thoroughly remodeled in 2005.

BACKGROUND: Osburn got into theater to avoid having to take a winter sport at Arvada West. He had one line in “Li’l Abner.” He went to New York City, intending to be an opera singer. But he ultimately made it in theater, with a career that includes “Les Miserables” on Broadway, where another cast member was local actress Susan Dawn Carson. After returning to Colorado he worked at the Denver Center for the Performing Arts and in Aspen.

“I got here because Susan Dawn Carson introduced me to Sandy Bray at dinner between performances of ‘Gypsy’ at Country Dinner Playhouse,” says Osburn. “Sandy asked me if I’d be

interested in working at the Fine Arts Center.”

Bray, Osburn’s predecessor, left suddenly last fall,and Osburn was called to help out. The position was made permanent a few months ago.

HIS TAKE ON THE SCENE: “I love that everybody has a niche,” he says — a natural result of the city’s performing arts spaces, which though not numerous are at least sufficiently varied.

“TheatreWorks has a flexible 200-seat space, and can capitalize on certain works, like “Top Dog/Underdog,” which would never work here,” he says.“We have a 400-seat proscenium. We can do musicals. Star Bar has a small intimate space, where I’ve seen some of the best theater

in town.”

GREATEST CHALLENGES: “The biggest by far has been the renovation,” Osburn says. “People think we’re closed. I can hardly imagine what next season will be like, with that monkey off our back.”

GREATEST REWARDS: “It sounds trite, but I’m impressed by the passion andcommitment of the people I’ve been working with,” Osburn says. “To undertake something as big as ‘Into the Woods’ borders on insanity, and everybody was committed and willing to go the extra mile. I credit Sandy for the great staff.”

WHY DO IT HERE: “The Fine Arts Center in general is passionate about theater, and the board is willing to support it,” he says — “more so than in other places I’ve been.”

TYPICAL DAY: “It’s not unusual to go from 8:30 a.m. to midnight,” he says. The normal production routine is to plan show No. 3 while rehearsing show No. 2 and running show No. 1.