How far has Su Teatro Executive Artistic Director Tony Garcia come? In years, it’s 50. In city blocks, call it five.

That’s how far Garcia was from one of his many childhood homes Saturday night as Denver’s oldest theater company celebrated its golden anniversary at a posh $150-a-plate gala at History Colorado.

“I lived on 13th and Elati, which is clearly walking distance from here,” Garcia said of the party held at 12th and Broadway.

Then again, the true measurement of how far Su Teatro has come from its birth as a protest theater after the Westside neighborhood was cleared out to make room for the Auraria campus can be better made in terms of importance, impact and endurance.

“I never would have imagined this 49 years ago, celebrating the way we are,” said 49-year company member Yolanda Ortega, retired vice president of student services at Metropolitan State University of Denver. “But we deserve this. We really do. This is our blood, sweat and tears, going all the way back to performing in backyards and in the parks with no lights. I think we have been a gift to the theater community, to the Chicano/Latino community and to the entire city of Denver. We recognize ourselves in this moment, and we invite the entire community to celebrate with us.”

Su Teatro has evolved into a true, multidisciplinary cultural center for theater, film and more since moving into the former Denver Civic Theatre at 721 Santa Fe Drive in 2010. The theater company will finish its 50th anniversary season from June 8-25 with “La Carpa Aztlan Presents: I Don’t Speak English Only,” a play written and directed by Garcia.

Su Teatro’s 27th annual Chicano Music Festival returns July 26-30, followed in August by a weekend summit celebrating carpa-style theater. That’s Mexican tent shows of the 1920s that are akin in style to vaudeville. The conference will include workshops, conversations and a special outdoor performance of “I Don’t Speak English Only” (date to be announced). Joining in for all of that will be CARPA San Diego (which will return to present one of its plays at Su Teatro next season), and hopefully one other national company.

Saturday’s entertainment included actors performing a scene from “I Don’t Speak English Only.” Awards were presented to company members who have made significant contributions over the years.

Among the many dignitaries was Dr. Patricia Baca, a trailblazing Denver Center trustee who made history as the first bilingual teacher in Denver Public Schools history.

“Su Teatro is different from any other theater experience in Denver, and I am absolutely thrilled to be celebrating it,” Baca said. “Tonight brings back the heart and soul of where we’ve been – and where we’re going.”

It was telling that the gala was emceed not by Garcia but by CEO Victor Vialpando Nunez and Managing Director Mica Garcia de Benavidez – Garcia’s daughter.

“The goal was to have a party to celebrate all of the work of the past 50 years, and I think we accomplished that,” said de Benavidez. “It was sentimental, it was funny and it had impact. Tonight was about leaning into our history, celebrating our accomplishments and getting ready for the future.”

Garcia, who has been the face, voice, body and soul of Su Teatro for nearly 50 years, had blissfully little to do on Saturday but enjoy the moment and appreciate how far the company has come.

“I have a hard time thinking about it in terms of perspective, because when your shoulders are to that grindstone for so long, it’s hard to step back and look,” Garcia said. “I am pleased there has been so much advancement of Latino arts over the years, but I always remember where we came from. I always feel like if I had to go back to that, I could do it tomorrow and be comfortable because my expectation was never to be part of the mainstream. It was to teach the mainstream that we were actually always part of it.”