This year, two comedies, a tragedy, and a romance provide the diversity and balance you’ve come to expect from The Colorado Shakespeare Festival. With settings and costumes as different as a 1950s drive-in movie theatre (The Taming of the Shrew), the Old West (Much Ado About Nothing), the 19th Century Industrial Revolution (Hamlet), and a timeless Kabuki-influenced world (Cymbeline), CSF places itself in the camp of “concept” theatre and innovation. But listen to the words! You’ll hear Shakespeare’s vital language—the elevated diction, the stately cadences, the witty exchanges and tumbling puns.
Take a look at this year’s poster art. Mathew McFarren’s Shakespeare with the sensitive, intellectual face counterbalanced by his fierce tattoos says it all. The Colorado Shakespeare Festival is firmly rooted in the Western literary/theatrical tradition, but our work is not just about the past. It’s a paradox well worth noting as we bring you classical theatre that speaks to today.
For the traditionalists among us, there will always be gorgeous costumes, lush lighting, spectacular sound effects, and excellent professional acting. But come to think of it, isn’t that what all theatre-goers are looking for? We think a balanced season is first and foremost an entertaining one, whatever the concept.
A special note—CSF is blessed with a lovely venue. Here on the University of Colorado campus, the Mary Rippon Outdoor Theatre is backed by the Flatirons. Summer evenings are cool, the breezes gentle. Picnicing on The Green before the shows is a long-standing Colorado tradition. We would like our public to know that The Colorado Shakespeare Festival is a total experience—the play and the picnic, free music, directors’ and actors’ series, backstage tours, exhibits, garden tours, and more. Please come a little early and experience it for yourself. We look forward to seeing you.
Sincerely,
Mell McDonnell
PR/Marketing Director
The Colorado Shakespeare Festival