Know a Theatre: Duke City Repertory Theatre of Albuquerque, New Mexico

American Theatre’s Know a Theatre series profiles Duke City Repertory Theatre in Albuquerque, New Mexico, a small but energetic company that works without a fixed venue and without fixed ticket prices. Founded in 2010 by Amelia Ampuero and a group of local and regional theatre artists, Duke City Rep was created as a space where Albuquerque’s culturally diverse creatives could grow, work alongside experienced artists, and help build professional theatre rooted in their own city. The company is defined by its flexible relationship to place and audience. Duke City Rep performs in breweries, museums, homes, farms, and other nontraditional spaces, especially after the pandemic pushed the company to invest in artists rather than a permanent venue. One of its signature projects is Bard Crawl, which brings Shakespeare into informal public spaces with only one rehearsal and no director. Since 2019, the company has also used a Pay What It’s Worth model, allowing audiences to decide after the performance how much they want to pay. According to Ampuero, this approach has diversified the audience and increased ticket revenue. Throughout the interview, Ampuero emphasizes process, artistic growth, inclusive casting, and theatre’s connection to community. In recent years, Duke City Rep has invested more deeply in new work by local artists, including the Sin Límites New Works Festival, which centers New Mexican voices and stories in site specific venues. The company’s vision of theatre’s future is grounded in access, dignity, and a willingness to move beyond traditional etiquette and spaces in order to reach audiences who may not feel welcome in conventional theatres.

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