For the 68th season, America’s second-oldest Shakespeare Festival is helping Boulder to experience some of the most acclaimed plays together. This season runs through August 10.
Dating back to 1958, many attendees were first brought to the Colorado Shakespeare Festival (CSF) by their grandparents and are now returning with their children.
“There’s so much that’s special about bringing that many people together to listen to poetry and contemplate what connects us,” said Wendy Franz, managing director. “We see ourselves as stewards of this very established institution.”
Research from UCL and the University of Bern has found audience members watching the same live theatre performance become synchronized in their breathing and heartbeats, with pulses speeding up and slowing down at the same time, even when the audience members don’t know one another, showing expanded connections with others at a physiological level.
One of the first organizations in Colorado to reopen theatres safely after lockdowns from COVID-19, bringing communities together in-person is an endeavor CSF takes seriously.
“That’s our charge and our mission,” Franz said. “I’ve seen that sense of purpose re-galvanized over the years.”
Next year, the company plans to reopen the outdoor Mary Rippon Theatre following renovations to the Hellems Building, which houses the theatre. Elevations, a sponsor of CSF, is donating new seatbacks to help.
“We’re so grateful to be part of an organization that’s so involved in the community,” Franz said. “We hope all our Elevations friends come and see the shows.”
On-stage community
After spending much of high school in isolation and learning about the very physical art of theatre through online classes, younger members of cast and crew are especially enthusiastic about working with CSF.
“They’re so hungry and so excited about being part of these teams and communities and getting to do this stuff in person,” Franz said. “They come together and learn from each other.”
CFS offers mentorship and coaching to ensure participants have a positive, hands-on learning experience.
In terms of the larger crew, the company welcomes both actors from the local community, including acting interns from the University of Colorado (CU) Boulder, and seasoned, professional actors from around the country. This year, Ellen McLaughlin returns to the cast. McLaughlin is known for her titular role in Tony Kushner’s “Angels and America” on Broadway.
This year, Franz says “everyone’s getting along beautifully” both onstage and in the crew.
2025 Programming
This year, CSF is presenting two Shakespeare plays: “The Tempest” and “Richard II”.
The Tempest
The aftermath of a shipwreck is filled with magic, forgiveness, love and, interestingly, clowns.
At CSF, original music written by cast member Jordan Coughtry will accompany the play. When Shakespeare lived, music would have accompanied his plays, but the music scores have been lost.
Richard II
A “shockingly timely” play, according to Franz, Richard II deals with the power struggles, politics and betrayals of medieval England. You don’t need to know any history to be drawn into the emotional performances in this renowned play.
CSF is conceptualizing the nobility in the play as modern-day one-percenters cosplaying medieval titans, a move Franz says audiences are very much responding to.
Doctor Faustus
Each year, CSF performs one play as it would be done in Shakespeare’s time. They limit rehearsal time to 20 hours, go without a director and audience members are encouraged to react out loud. “Doctor Faustus” is by Christopher Marlowe, a prominent playwright during Shakespeare’s life. There’s currently a waiting list for the show, which will only be performed twice on July 27.
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