Santisteban Family Fund

From the first moment she stepped onto a stage, Denise Santisteban loved everything about theater. 

“When I was a kid, I was cast in an elementary school play and that was it! I was in love with it,” Santisteban said. “I worked in all kinds of arts growing up. I did theater and dance as I went through school. In my professional life, I’ve worked in all facets of theater - costume design and props. I’ve been a stage manager. I’ve directed and acted.”

“What I discovered during all those years is that the heart of theater is storytelling,” she said. “You have to have a great story.” 

Santisteban is the curator of the Idea, Story and Tours Programs for New Haven’s Festival of Arts & Ideas where she has worked since 1996. “I bring the humanities part of the festival together, setting up talks, panels and discussions about ideas, about what we can learn from and explore with one another.” Before that she was an equity stage manager in the San Francisco Bay area. 

She is also a storyteller, performing with the Institute Library Story Sharing Group and the Ubuntu Storytellers. 

“As I got older, I began thinking about how there is a gap. There is such a rich tapestry of historical Hispanic culture,” she said. “I’m Mexican and Peruvian. Not a lot of Latine stories are told on the stage.” 

She wanted to find a way to preserve and share those stories and find a way, too, for emerging Latine artists to bring new works to the stage and to storytelling venues. 

At the same time, she began thinking about leaving a legacy. As a member of The Community Foundation’s Progreso Latino Fund’s (PLF) advisory board, she was inspired by the PLF’s challenge - encouraging members of the Latine community to create their own funds in support of nonprofits and causes they care about. 

Giving back has long been a part of her adult life. She volunteers with several arts organizations and is the board chair of the Connecticut Arts Alliance. 

She talked with her daughter, Rio Santisteban, and they decided to establish the Santisteban Family Fund at The Community Foundation. She found that when she discussed setting up the fund with Community Foundation staff, “they made the process simple and smooth - it was great.” 

“I want the fund to support individual artists and Latine theater, theaters that are getting started and are trying to sort things out,” she said. “There’s a lot of talent here in New Haven and I’d like the focus of the fund to be here.” 

She knows how challenging it can be for a small Latine theater to build an audience and for a storyteller or theater artist to have sustained work. Having worked in theater on the West and East Coasts, she’s seen some small theaters thrive and flourish and noted that many others “aren’t here anymore.” 

She said that as she moved through her career, people who worked in the arts always encouraged her. “They would say `stay with it,’ `keep going.’ I found this wonderful community of people who were giving and creative and that was the kind of life I wanted,” Santisteban said. 

“We want to be able to give that to others,” she said. “I think even more voices can be raised up. We can weave a new tapestry of Hispanic stories.” 

Everyone associated with the Progreso Latino Fund is deeply saddened by the passing of Denise Santisteban on April 15, 2025. Gifts in her memory will be accepted below.