creative team
Lead Producer/Writer
japanese arts network
courtney ozaki-durgin
Courtney Ozaki-Durgin (She/Her) is the founder of the Japanese Arts Network - a national resource uplifting and advancing the work of Japanese artists and culture in America and amplifying marginalized voices and narratives everywhere. She is also an independent creative producer who creates and develops interdisciplinary and immersive programs and productions. By day, Courtney is the Creative Producer for Off Center, the immersive theater arm of the Denver Center for the Performing Arts. In 2022, she wrote and debuted an original immersive theatrical experience, ZOTTO - A Supernatural Japanese Folktale, co-produced and devised with Theatre Artibus and Luster Productions. Courtney holds a BSM from CU Denver and received her MFA in performing arts management from Brooklyn College. She worked as a producer for new and touring works with The Joyce Theater and ADH Theatricals in NYC, and is an Executive Board Member of the Western Arts Alliance where she co-founded Hyphen+Asian, a collective AAPINH community space for artists and administrators in the field. Courtney is also Chair of the U.S. Japan Council Mountain Region, and is on the Advisory Board for the Creative Independent Producers Alliance. Motivated by the impetus that an inclusive arts culture leads to a more productive and empathetic society, she was the recipient of the 2024 JEDI Denver Mayor’s Award for Excellence in Arts and Culture and is passionate about the melding of ideas, and the integration and interdependence of arts sectors.
Producer/Writer
opia house
leah cardenas
Leah Cárdenas (she/her) is a director, experience designer, and actor from Denver, Colorado. She graduated with a BFA in Acting from Nebraska Wesleyan University, recent credits include Assistant Directing with the Catamounts for their most recent shows Impossible Things and After the End, Experience Design for Creative Endeavor's Reunion 85' Tour, performing in DCPA Off Center’s Bright Lights of Denver, and acting/costume designing for Shakespeare in the Wild. With her company, Opia House, she has created an immersive Christmas Carol for 4 Mile Historic Parks, and directed two award winning shows for Denver Fringe Festival. Most recently Opia House won the Audience Choice and Grand Prize at the inaugural Denver Immersive Invitational. She is thrilled to bring Inheritance Kitchen to life along with her favorite creators here in Denver!
Producer/Writer
james brunt
Born and raised in Denver, Colorado, James Brunt is most known for pushing the boundaries of what we know about theatre with immersive productions in obscure settings and hard hitting concepts. Favorite roles are David in Theater of the Mind with the DCPA, Jaques in As You Like It with The Band of Toughs, and Ensemble in Shockheaded Peter with The Catamounts. He was also one of the Santas in Camp Christmas at the DCPA (2019 True West Award for Breakout Actors).
Producer/Writer
fronzo gilkey
A native to Colorado, Fronzo Gilkey II was introduced to the arts at a young age. He is inspired by exploration in various mediums to which he can contribute and has dipped his toes into writing, devising, teaching, production, & performance. Fronzo is now woven into multiple outlets and communities that encourage his creativity, self expression, and professionalism. He also serves as the Director of Operations for his company “Dyfferent Media”, which looks to create art that is grounded in belonging & leaves the viewer feeling a greater sense of connection with others, as well as themselves.
Producer
STARRY NIGHT PRODUCTIONS
AMBER BLAIS
Starry Night Productions (formerly Rainbow Militia Circus) is a full service entertainment and immersive theatrical production company with an emphasis on interactive circus. Created by Amber Blais, Starry Night strives to create fantastical experiences that encourage audiences to release their inner children, step into a world of imagination, and escape the everyday.
Producer
Jessica Eckenrod
Jessica Eckenrod (Producer/Designer) is a multi-hyphenated artist and producer, thrilled to be working with the Inheritance Kitchen team. As a performer and actor, she has collaborated on Mister and Mischief’s Objectivity, and 40 Watts from Nowhere recently seen at Denver Fringe Festival, among a long list of theatrical ventures! As a composer, Jessica wrote and directed original song cycles Letters from the Public and Herstory - the latter created in partnership with nonprofits Dining for Women and GLOW Lyric Theatre. With over a decade of performance experience, she’s spent the past several years on the East Coast fostering innovative storytelling with local artists and musicians. She served as Production Manager, Producer, and Director at Center Stage-SC for seven seasons, where she developed new works from South Carolina playwrights, and mentored a growing community of young performers. She is currently the Artistic Associate for the Denver Center Theatre Company and is excited to continue growing within Denver’s vibrant arts community.