Su Teatro’s Next Act Takes Shape as Leadership Shifts

On the afternoon of Friday, Jan. 27, 2023, in the heart of Denver’s Santa Fe Arts District, a fire blazed in a metal pit outside Su Teatro Cultural and Performing Arts Center. It wasn’t just a winter’s day warming ritual; it was a celebration decades in the making. 

Pages of Su Teatro’s mortgage, carefully torn and crumpled, fed the flames as members of the city’s oldest Chicano theater company gathered to mark a milestone—full ownership of their home at 721 Santa Fe Drive. It was a moment of both triumph and transition.

Born out of the displacement of Denver’s Chicano community from the Westside in the 1970s, Su Teatro has since become a pillar of cultural resistance. “We were part of the early Chicano Arts movement,” artistic director Tony Garcia said as he sat in his upstairs office. “Our goal was to create something that was sustainable long-term.”

For decades, Garcia has been the charismatic, sometimes brash, but ever-committed leader at Su Teatro’s helm, doing just that. But no one leads forever.

“At some point, Tony Garcia won't be here,” Garcia said of his tenure. “We're working within the organization so that we have a seamless transition. The biggest thing I bring are relationships. It takes time to replace those, so Tanya [Mote] is working as a force within the non-profit community to build those relationships, while Mica [Garcia de Benavidez] is in charge of the managerial and artistic aspects.” 

Though Garcia remains, the day-to-day leadership now rests with managing director Mica Garcia de Benavidez and associate director Tanya Mote. While Garcia de Benavidez is Garcia’s daughter, it’s arguably Mote who shares his activist fire. A perfect complement, Garcia de Benavidez is the cool administrative backbone who has allowed the theater to expand.

Their balance is intentional—not a simple passing of the torch, but a carefully built partnership designed to ensure Su Teatro’s future rests on collective strength rather than a single personality.

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A Legacy of Art, Activism and Community

Su Teatro’s origins stretch back to 1972, when Chicano students at the University of Colorado Denver sought an artistic outlet to amplify local issues. What began as a grassroots troupe performing in parks and picket lines following the growing El Teatro Campesino tradition, soon evolved into a full-fledged theater company, blending political activism with original storytelling. 

“They bring to life stories that have a direct impact on the community,” said Malik Robinson, President and CEO of Cleo Parker Robinson Dance, one of Su Teatro’s local partners. “It’s not just theater—what Su Teatro does is a reclamation of history.”

After years of performing in borrowed spaces and makeshift venues, the company settled into its first permanent home in 1989, an old school building in the Elyria-Swansea neighborhood in East Denver. Securing that space was a significant accomplishment for a grassroots arts organization founded on activism, and it marked the start of Su Teatro's long-term vision: not just to perform, but to create a lasting space for Chicano stories and cultural preservation.

When they outgrew that first space, they began planning to build an arts center on Santa Fe Drive. Fortuitously, a new opportunity presented itself in 2010 when the Denver Civic Theatre on that corridor, went into foreclosure. Former Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper, a longtime supporter of Su Teatro, encouraged Garcia to seize the chance to buy the building. With the city’s support — Hickenlooper even contributing $50,000 of his own money — Su Teatro was able to purchase the property and finally secure a professional, permanent home.

"One of the most important aspects of Su Teatro is our independence,” Garcia said. “Owning the facility allows us to maintain the integrity of what we're doing into the future.” 

In 2024, Su Teatro completed the purchase of the Blue Building at 659 Santa Fe Drive, a $1.8 million investment made possible through support from the Bonfils-Stanton Foundation, Colorado Creative Industries, and the Colorado Health Foundation, as well as the generosity of former owners Chuck and Becky Morris, longtime champions of the arts in Denver. The space has already been transformed into rehearsal studios, youth education spaces and areas for community gatherings—an extension of Su Teatro’s vision for long-term cultural presence. 

But they aren’t stopping there. Su Teatro is now actively working to purchase a third property at 930 West Seventh Avenue from the Morrises. That deal, valued at $2.9 million, is part of an ambitious plan to create a full-fledged Chicano cultural arts campus that will anchor their mission and provide a stronghold against the gentrification reshaping the neighborhood.

Beyond Denver, Su Teatro has been instrumental in shaping the national Chicano arts movement. Original works, such as “Cuarenta y Ocho,” about the CU Boulder bombing of Chicano activists, and “The Westside Oratorio,” about Denver’s Westside displacement, have become touchstones for Chicano audiences nationwide.

“It’s impossible to talk about the history of Chicano theater—or even U.S. theater—without [Su Teatro],” said Stanlyn Brevé, director of national programs for the National Performance Network, which works with artists and organizations across the country to advance racial and cultural justice in the arts. “They are true leaders in the field.”

In 2016, Garcia played a crucial role in the fight for a more equitable distribution of arts funding through the Scientific and Cultural Facilities District (SCFD). At the time, less than 1% of SCFD funds went to black and brown-focused organizations, despite communities of color being a sizable portion of the tax base. 

Garcia’s advocacy helped create the Community ACTS Fund in 2018, which redirected resources from SCFD Tier I organizations (the Denver Art Museum, Denver Botanic Gardens, Denver Center for Performing Arts, Denver Museum of Nature & Science and Denver Zoo) to historically underfunded organizations. “Tony leveraged his platform to challenge institutions and fight for equity,” Robinson said. “Not just for them, but the entire community.”

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Sustaining a Nonprofit in 2025

Over the course of its more than half-century history, Su Teatro has weathered economic downturns, shifting funding landscapes and the challenges of running an arts organization by diversifying revenue streams while remaining true to its mission.

“We have a lot of conversation around mission versus monetization,” Garcia said. “How is what we do connected to the work that we want to do versus how does it turn into cash? I always say the cash will follow the mission, and it has to do with how you're committed to it.”

Su Teatro has seen steady financial growth, reporting a total revenue of $1,053,894 in its 2024 tax filing, with a net income of $65,130. A decade ago, the company reported a loss of $280,305. Now, its total assets exceed $2.2 million.

“We have former staff members that are now board members who cannot comprehend the transition,” Garcia de Benavidez said. “We couldn't even pay bills at points, and now we are in much better shape. We are continuing to build foundational, infrastructural and organizational stability that makes it possible to dream and do big things like buy this building.”

A significant portion of Su Teatro’s revenue—more than 90% in 2023—comes from contributions and grants. Like most theaters, ticket sales alone would never sustain their work. But what sets Su Teatro apart is its steadfast commitment to keeping those ticket prices accessible, especially given that they do not rely on a subscription model. Instead, they focus on building trust and loyalty through affordable, community-centered programming.

“We’ve always believed that our community should be able to see themselves on stage without financial barriers,” Garcia de Benavidez said. That’s possible because of the strong relationships they’ve built with key funders like the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation and the Mellon Foundation. Still, the nonprofit funding landscape is competitive and often restrictive, requiring constant creativity and persistence.

“Arts organizations grow through infrastructure building, but almost all funding is tied to grants,” Garcia said. "We often spend twice as much on obtaining and carrying out the terms of a grant as it’s worth. For example, SCFD will give you funds to do programming and maintain operations, but then you’re just spinning your wheels at the same level, unable to grow.”

What Garcia is referring to is the kind of long-term investments that rarely get funded: owning property, building organizational capacity and addressing deferred maintenance. These may not be as flashy as new productions, but they are essential for keeping an institution strong, adaptable and able to serve its community for decades to come.

One of Su Teatro’s most significant financial decisions was prioritizing property ownership. Unlike many theaters that rent their spaces and risk rising costs or displacement, Su Teatro’s decision to purchase its home provided long-term financial security. 

However, Garcia and his team know that alone doesn’t shield them from national threats. The ongoing attacks on diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives and arts funding are concerning, but Su Teatro's leadership believes there are more serious threats.

Garcia is focused on the Trump administration’s campaign against nonprofits, particularly watching for attacks against organizations' tax-exempt standing that could send shockwaves through the entire nonprofit sector. Losing 501(c)(3) status would jeopardize organizations like Su Teatro's ability to own property, raise funds, and carry out their mission. For small, community-based organizations, he says, that stability is everything.

“That’s probably more dangerous to us than the attacks on federal funding,” he said. “It would create tremendous upheaval across the board because it affects our properties [through state property taxes].” 

Despite these uncertainties, Su Teatro’s leadership remains confident in its ability to sustain itself. “There’s no stability in the arts, and there never has been,” Mote said. “Mindset is really important in this moment. If you let fear get the best of you, you can't be proactive and be out there, so I think it's really important for Su Teatro to maintain an abundance mindset.”

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Carrying the Legacy of Su Teatro Forward 

With Garcia stepping back from daily operations—"except when they need me to fix the toilet or shovel the sidewalk"—the responsibility of leading Su Teatro into the future falls on Garcia de Benavidez and Mote.

Garcia de Benavidez grew up immersed in Su Teatro. “I was raised in this community,” she said. “When I was considering my next steps, I knew I wanted to serve my community; that was always the plan.”

Her leadership responsibilities have expanded steadily since she started as the company’s organizational manager in 2001. “I began with an administrative role but have since taken on more responsibility for events, the education program and the artistic side,” she said. “Things that nourish my soul are kids seeing themselves onstage and knowing that changes their lives.”

Mote also grew up in Su Teatro. She began as a volunteer in 1997, was hired to run the box office later that year, and climbed the ranks to become associate director in 2011.

“Su Teatro was my first professional job, and that’s true for Mica as well,” Mote says. “Because we’ve made such a commitment to Su Teatro, it has created a lot of stability for the theater, which has allowed us to evolve and grow.”

Where Garcia drove Su Teatro forward with relentless energy and vision, Garcia de Benavidez and Mote are shaping its future in their own ways. Mote is the sharp, outspoken connector who thrives on big-picture challenges, while Garcia de Benavidez is detail-oriented and quietly determined, making sure nothing — and no one — gets overlooked.

“During the transitional piece, I’m making sure that I've been working with the artists so they know we're investing in them during the succession,” Garcia de Banavidez said. “I want people to know that the aesthetic, history and artistic vision of the organization will continue to be infused into the work as we move forward.”

The company’s shared leadership model has inspired confidence among national arts leaders. “I’ve known Tony, Mica and Tanya for years. They’re not just colleagues but also friends,” Brevé from National Performance Network said. “Each brings unique skills that complement one another, and they all work with integrity, compassion, thoughtfulness and joy. They are well prepared for this transition.” 

Artistic director José Luis Valenzuela of the Latino Theater Company, Su Teatro's national partner, sees it as both continuity and evolution. "I have known Mica since she was a baby,” Valenzuela said. “It’s challenging for a woman to take on leadership, but she’s very assertive, good in the administrative and programming parts, and has a great team around her. Mica will propel the mission of Su Teatro forward.” 

That sentiment is echoed by Robinson. “The space we’ve operated in is lonely, as people of color who lead major institutions,” he said. “I don’t have as close of a relationship with Mica as I do with Tony, who I consider my mentor, but I know she is just as visionary and works with a strong team. She’s invested in the health of a thriving arts sector that is progressive so I’m excited to collaborate with her.”

Mote believes this is a defining period for Su Teatro—and for organizations that seek to preserve cultural identity and artistic freedom in an increasingly unstable political environment. A key part of that vision involves deepening Su Teatro’s educational initiatives. 

“As they try to erase culture and diversity from schools, it’s even more critical that we continue to provide those narratives,” Mote says. “Our president thinks with an iron fist he can make all the people of color and queer folk go away. He can suppress all these people, but I think it's going to bite him in the ass. People are going to respond and it’s going to create the opposite effect of what he's actually looking for.”

Su Teatro's leadership sees the current moment as a defining period not just for all organizations that seek to preserve cultural identity and artistic freedom in the face of political instability. She remains confident that history will validate their efforts.

“Trump is having an impact but I don't think history's going to smile on him,” Mote said. “As he tries to privatize everything, the cultural work and space we are providing in a resistance context are critical. They are trying to create an official government narrative. If you can’t trust what you’re hearing and reading, it’s important to be surrounded by people you trust. The art is the most important thing that we do, but as a public space, we also serve those other roles.”

Su Teatro has always been that space, and under Garcia de Benavidez and Mote, it will continue that tradition. “People need sustenance, but they need to have places where they can escape from what’s happening,” Mote said. “The message of Su Teatro has always been resisting all the things that Trump stands for, and I think our community understands that.”

The fire that burned their mortgage was symbolic—but the flame of Su Teatro burns stronger than ever.

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