Shadow to leave Aurora for March musical

It's official: The Shadow Theatre company has ended its residency in Aurora.
The troupe will stage its upcoming production of the musical "In Search of Eckstine: A Love Story" at the Denver Civic Theatre in March, according to the Shadow's website. With the Aurora Fox's studio theater booked for the coming months, the Shadow is unlikely to return to Aurora to stage any of the remaining productions in its 14th season, following their eviction from their theater on Dayton Street in December.

The Shadow has seen plenty of personal drama and personnel shifts since the troupe arrived in Aurora in 2008. The constant tumult received plenty of media attention, and it's easy to lose sight of the value the theater held for Aurora's struggling arts district and for the city as a whole. The Shadow's departure leaves a sizable gap in Aurora's cultural identity, an absence that won't be quickly or easily filled.
The Sentinel's 2008 story about the theater's Aurora debut shows a hopeful theater company led by an ambitious director. As the Shadow moves on to its next step, let's hope the city is eventually able to attract an equally historic and valuable member in its cultural community.