Victorian Horrors
Join us for our Victorian Horrors theater program where deathly tales written by well-known but long-gone authors are read by acclaimed local actors. Admission times are every 15 minutes from 6 PM to 9 PM. For Historic Denver Members – $25, General Admission Tickets – $30.
For those who can’t climb stairs or need sign-language assistance, the museum offers an accessibility-friendly, in-person performance on October 19 at 5 PM. Guests will stay in one mobility-accessible room of the house and our actors and ASL interpreters will come to them to perform five chilling tales. If you are interested, please email access@mollybrown.org!
Meet the Cast
Julia Elstun Payne has performed in and coordinated the talent for Victorian Horrors since its first season thirty-one years ago. She served for three years as Artistic Director for Christian Youth Theatre, worked on staff in the Education Department at the Arvada Center for six years, and has taught theatre, directed, and performed throughout the Metro area. You may also have seen her in commercials and industrial videos. Julia also works locally as an audio describer. She and her husband, David Payne, are slated to direct Lyle the Crocodile at the Arvada Center in early 2024.
David Payne has appeared in almost every year of Victorian Horrors’ long run beginning with reading Bram Stoker’s Dracula. He has served as director, producer, actor, playwright, and teacher throughout the region since 1980. His work has spanned the Arvada Center, Town Hall Arts Center, Colorado Renaissance Festival, PHAMALy, and The Aurora Fox. He was the theatre instructor at the Logan School for Creative Learning for twenty-five years, technical director for Community College of Aurora, Mizel Arts and Culture Center, a theatre teacher at Grandview High School, and currently the Technical Director for Lakewood High School. With his wife, Julie Payne, he will be co-directing the Arvada Center’s production of Lyle the Crocodile at the Arvada Center in early 2024.
Jim Hunt has worked in Denver-area theatre for over fifty years. Recent roles include Mr. Oldfield in The Minutes (Curious Theatre Company), Scrooge in A Christmas Carol (Miners Alley Playhouse), Nina in The Nina Variations (Boulder Ensemble Theatre Company—BETC), John in For Peter Pan on Her 70th Birthday (Aurora Fox Arts Center), the Stage Manager in Our Town (Miners Alley Playhouse), Homer/Simon in The Rembrandt (BETC), and Joe in Going To A Place Where You Already Are (BETC). Jim has haunted the Molly Brown House at Halloween for thirty years and is one of the co-founders of Victorian Horrors.
After earning an MFA in Acting from the University of Wisconsin, Rick Long has been seen on stages across the USA and Europe. Colorado audiences may recall his work as Bellomy in The Fantasticks at THAC, Big Daddy in Cat On A Hot Tin Roof at The Vintage, which garnered Rick a 2022 Henry Nomination, among many others. Rick is also a 2023 True West Award winner for his watercolor portrait artwork, currently exhibiting samples of his work in galleries throughout Denver and at www.RickLongArt.com.
As a Musical Director, David Nehls has conducted and MD’d 48 productions at the Arvada Center For The Arts and Humanities in Colorado, winning 10 Henry Awards, 5 for Musical Direction (2008/2009/2013/2014/2024) and 5 for Best Musical Production of the year (2007/2008/2009/2011/2013). He has also worked regionally as MD at such theaters as Denver Center, The Riverside Theatre, Miners Alley Performing Arts Center, The Aurora Fox, AMT of San Jose, Stages St. Louis, Theatre Aspen, Stages Repertory Theatre in Houston, ICA Boston, Theatreworks Hartford, Carousel Dinner Theatre-Akron OH plus Off Broadway productions of The Great American Trailer Park Musical and The Watercoolers.
Trina Magness has been haunting the Molly Brown house since the late 1990’s. She began by playing Mary Shelley, reading from Frankenstein. Notable Roles in Denver Theatre: The Intoxicator/Dale Clark, SPIRITS TO ENFORCE; Gertrude Fail, FAILURE: A LOVE STORY (Best of Westword, Best Supporting Actress in a Drama); First Witch, MACBETH (Denver Post Ovation Winner for Best Ensemble). Trina is a full time drama teacher at Ranch View Middle School.
Trent Hines is a Henry-Nominated Music Director. Some of his favorite productions include: Musical Director/Keyboard/Conductor for ‘Dreamgirls’ at Lone Tree Arts Center; Musical Director/Pianist/Conductor for ‘Into the Woods’ at The Arvada Center; Pianist/Conductor/Actor for ‘The Wild Party’ at Denver Center for the Performing Arts; Musical Director/Pianist/Conductor for ‘Something Rotten’ at the University of Northern Colorado; Musical Director/Pianist/Conductor for ‘Memphis’ and Musical Director for ‘Raisin’ at Little Town Hall Arts; Musical Director/Pianist/Conductor for ‘Blues in the Night’ at the Aurora Fox.
Matthew Combs hails from Rochester, NY, and has been seen on stages across the US as well as in Dominican Republic. Favorite credits include: Cry Baby, Godspell (Roxy Regional Theatre, A Gentleman’s Guide…, Cabaret (Breckenridge Backstage Theatre), Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson, Church & State (JCC CenterStage), The Legend of Georgia McBride (Vintage Theatre), and most recently in The Android’s New Soul (SciFF Musicals).
