DENISE BURSON FREESTONE co-founded OpenStage Theatre in 1973 with her husband Bruce and served as the Company’s Producing Artistic Director for forty-six seasons. During her extensive career Denise has worked as an actress, director, producer, designer and dancer and has directed and performed in numerous productions. Some of her most memorable acting roles include Violet Weston in August: Osage County, Vivian Bearing in Wit, Amanda Wingfield in The Glass Menagerie, Sister Aloysius in Doubt, Dotty in Noises Off, Hannah/Ethel Rosenberg/Roy's Doctor/Rabbi Chemelwitz/The Oldest Bolshevik/Angel Asiatica in Angels in America, Lady Macbeth in Macbeth and Emily Dickinson in The Belle of Amherst. Recent directing credits include The Comedy of Errors, The Three Musketeers, The Taming of the Shrew, The Tempest and A Midsummer Night's Dream. Denise has received numerous OpenStage OPUS Awards for directing, acting and designing, and has been named an inaugural Zonta: Her Legacy recipient, a BizWest Woman of Distinction and a Colorado Woman of Influence.
Denise's Work in OpenStage Theatre
Event Role
The Book Of Will Anne Hathaway / Francisco / Barman 2
Hedwig And The Angry Inch Wig/Hair Designer
Passion. Inspiration. Stubborness. Co-Founder
Rumors Production Advisor
Men On Boats Director
Constellations Production Advisor
The Full Monty Production Advisor
Every Brilliant Thing Production Advisor
Steel Magnolias Production Manager
Avenue Q Production Manager
The Mystery Of Love And Sex Production Manager
Much Ado About Nothing Production Manager/Hair Co-Designer
Fool For Love Production Manager
Frankenstein Production Manager
Steel Magnolias Ouiser Boudreaux
Christmas Chaos: Getting Scrooged Production Manager
Ideation Production Manager
The Comedy Of Errors Director/Production Manager
Monty Python's Spamalot Production Manager
And Then There Were None Production Manager
The Crucible Production Manager
The Flick- Essential Season Production Manager
Ultimate Beauty Bible- Etcetera Season Production Manager
August: Osage County- Essential Season Production Manager
Bright Ideas- Essential Season Associate Production Manager
The Three Musketeers - Essential Season Director/Production Manager
La Bete- Essential Season Production Manager
August: Osage County- Essential Season Violet Weston
Orphans Production Manager
A Bright New Boise openstage Etc Production Manager
Superior Donuts Production Manager
Taming Of The Shrew Production Manager
The North Plan Production Manager
The Submission openstage Etc. Production Manager
Stage Kiss Production Manager/Hair and MakeUp Designer
Taming Of The Shrew Director
Outside Mullingar Aoife Muldoon
Romeo And Juliet Production Manager/Language Consultant
True West Production Manager
Journey To The West Hair Designer/Hair Stylist/Production Manager
The Servant Of Two Masters Production Manager
Unnecessary Farce Production Manager
Spring Awakening Production Manager
The Tempest Production Manager
The Seafarer Production Manager
Rent Production Manager
Scapin Production Manager
Moonlight And Magnolias Production Manager
The Tempest Director
Dangerous Liaisons Madame de Rosemonde
A Midsummer Night's Dream Production Manager
The Rocky Horror Show Production Manager
Amadeus Production Manager
Bullshot Crummond Production Manager
A Midsummer Night's Dream Director
Noises Off Dotty Otley
Wit Professor Vivian Bearing
The Ladies Man Production Manager
The 39 Steps Production Manager
33 Variations Painter
33 Variations Production Manager
Shipwrecked! An Entertainment Production Manager
Othello Production Manager
A Child's Christmas In Wales Production Manager/Make-Up Designer
The Rocky Horror Show Production Manager
Othello Director
King Lear Production Manager
A Picasso Production Manager
Sherlock Holmes: The Final Adventure Production Manager/Hair Designer
Brilliant Traces Production Manager
Dead Man's Cell Phone Production Manager
The Complete Works Of William Shakespeare (abridged) Production Manager
Sherlock Holmes: The Final Adventure Hair Designer & Make-Up Designer/Hair Stylist/Prop
Jacob Marley's Christmas Carol Director
King Lear Goneril
Bug Production Manager
Anton In Show Business Producer
Shining City Artistic Consultant
Is He Dead? Production Manager/Wig Designer/Hair Co-Designer
The One-eyed Man Is King Production Manager
Sceneworks Producer/Stage Manager/MC
Jacob Marley's Christmas Carol Director
The Glass Menagerie *Amanda Wingfield
Sceneworks Actor
The Maiden's Prayer Artistic Consultant
Anon(ymous) Production Manager
Doubt Wig Stylist
As You Like It Production Manager/Hair Designer/Hair Stylist
Pride And Prejudice Production Manager
Third Production Manager
The Book Of Liz Production Manager
The Oldest Profession Producer & Costume Designer
Little Shop Of Horrors Producer/Make-Up Co-Designer/Stylist
Doubt *Sister Aloysius?
Rag And Bone Set-In Crew
Nickel And Dimed Producer
Dirty Blonde Producer
Rag And Bone Artistic Mentor
Man Of La Mancha Producer/Hair Co-Designer
The Cripple Of Inishmaan Producer/Make-Up Designer
Noises Off Co-Producer
The Arabian Nights Producer
Noises Off *Dotty/Mrs. Clackett
Splitting Infinity Producer/Hair & Make-Up Designer
Saint Joan Producer
Enchanted April Producer
Boston Marriage Artistic Consultant/Properties Designer/Hair Desig
Swimming In The Shallows Artistic Consultant
Italian American Reconciliation Producer/Hair Co-Designer
The Threepenny Opera Director
Picnic Rosemary Sydney
Rosencrantz And Guildenstern Are Dead And 15 Minute Hamlet Set-In Crew
A Bright Room Called Day Set-In Crew
An Ideal Husband Set-In Crew
The Exonerated Set-In Crew
Rasputin Set-In Crew
Rosencrantz And Guildenstern Are Dead And 15 Minute Hamlet Producer
The Solid Gold Cadillac Producer/Hair Designer/Hair Stylist
The Six That Fell Playwright Liaison
An Ideal Husband Producer
Rasputin Producer
The Exonerated Producer
Desperate Affection Artistic Advisor
An Ideal Husband Make-Up Designer
A Bright Room Called Day Annabella Gotchling
The Drawer Boy Set-In Crew
Copenhagen Set-In Crew
The Women Set-in Crew
A Perfect Ganesh Set-In Crew
The Drawer Boy Producer
Rasputin Director
Copenhagen Make-Up and Hair Designer
The Women Director
A Perfect Ganesh Producer
Copenhagen Producer
The Play's The Thing Producer
Major Arcana New Splendid Lady; Electra Valdez; Amanda Bridges;
Angels In America Hannah Pitt
Communicating Doors Set-In Crew
Macbeth Set-In Crew
Flaming Guns Of The Purple Sage Set-In Crew
Proof Set-In Crew
Agatha Christie's Murder At The Vicarage Producer
Flaming Guns Of The Purple Sage Producer
Proof Director
Communicating Doors Producer
Moon Over Buffalo Charlotte Hay
Macbeth Lady Macbeth
Tartuffe Wig Design
Laughter On The 23rd Floor Makeup Designer
Romeo And Juliet Producer
Tartuffe Producer
Dorian Gray Producer
Romeo And Juliet Hair Designer
Laughter On The 23rd Floor Producer
Who Will Carry The Word Producer
The Musical Comedy Murders Of 1940 Bernice Roth
Rumors Director
The Hot L Baltimore Producer
Crimes Of The Heart Producer
Fuddy Meers Producer
Henry Iv, Part 1 Producer
The Hot L Baltimore Make-Up Design
Wit Vivian Bearing, Ph.D.
The Mousetrap Producer
The Tempest Producer
Picasso At The Lapin Agile Producer
Impression: Monet Hair design
Impression: Monet Director
Cry Havoc Costumes
Fortinbras Producer
The Mousetrap Make-Up Design
The Tempest Hair Design
Impression: Monet Producer
Impression: Monet Properties design
Cry Havoc Producer
Harvey Producer
The House Of Bernarda Alba La Poncia
Misalliance Producer
An Inspector Calls Make-up design
The Last Night At Ballyhoo Producer
The Comedy Of Errors Producer
The Man Who Came To Dinner Producer
The Comedy Of Errors Director
A Little Night Music Producer
An Inspector Calls Producer
The Man Who Came To Dinner Costume design
The Last Night At Ballyhoo Boo Levy
King Lear Producer
Dial M For Murder Make-up design
The Ladies Of The Camellias Producer
Breath Of Spring Make-up design
The Living Producer
King Lear Goneril