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Hundreds of dollars in alcohol and other concessions were stolen Monday night from the Historic Elitch Theatre after thieves broke through a door on the roof, causing $1,000 in damages to the 133-year-old building.
“The thieves managed to gain entry by kicking in a door on the rooftop, causing damage to the frame and door,” said Ellie Walker, a member of the theatre’s board of directors. “They spent a considerable amount of time inside, exploring various parts of the theatre, including the rooftop, auditorium, stage and fly building.”
A fly building is an area backstage that typically houses a system of ropes, pulleys and counterweights to lift actors and props into the air.
According to a police report filed with the Denver Police Department, the thieves caused $1,000 in damages when they climbed onto the roof and kicked in a door to the theater’s dome, meant to access a flag pole on top of the building.
One of the Historic Elitch Theatre Foundation’s board members discovered the break-in Tuesday around 4:30 p.m., police said in the report.
“It’s weird to show up at the theatre and find a door (that is never used) propped open… what??,” the foundation wrote in a Tuesday evening post on Facebook. “Much more upsetting is to realize that someone (or several people) spent a fair amount of time rummaging around this historic building.”
Police said the intruder gained entry to the theater through the compromised door and proceeded to steal eight cases — or about $200 — of alcohol, specifically beer and hard seltzers.
Walker said the alcohol stolen by the thieves was intended for several of the theater’s upcoming events, including a Friday night screening of “Barbie” and several other summer movies.
Greg Rowley, the president of the foundation’s board of directors, said they suspect a group of teenagers broke into the theater and stole the alcohol.
At some point during the invasion, at least one person appears to have climbed a 70-foot ladder in the backstage area – a climb extremely unsafe without the proper rigging equipment, according to the foundation’s post.
“The good news is that these misguided vandals weren’t injured,” the foundation stated in the Facebook post. “There are many unsafe locations in this 133-year-old theatre that is still mid-restoration.”
Denver police have yet to identify a suspect, but confirmed officers are continuing to investigate the incident.
“They unplugged some laptops — as if they intended to steal them — but they ultimately just stole cases of alcohol,” Rowley said in an emailed statement to the Denver Post.
The Historic Elitch Theatre was built in 1891 and was once part of the original Elitch Gardens Theme and Water Park — before the amusement park moved to downtown Denver in 1994.
The theater sat vacant for years before Rowley and a group of volunteers began to host movie screenings and backstage tours, raising money for its restoration.
After 23 years of silence, live music returned to the theater in 2017 and live theater is slated to return this August for the first time since 1978.
“Despite this challenge, the Historic Elitch Theatre has a legacy of resilience, having served our community for over 130 years,” Walker said. “We are determined to continue our work and ensure our events proceed as planned.”
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Lauren Penington
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