Colorado Shakespeare Festival

The Colorado Shakespeare Festival has been hailed as one of the top Shakespeare festivals in the U.S. by Time magazine. For more than 50 years, people from around the world have come to the Mary Rippon Theater on the Colorado University campus to take part in this amazing display of the works of William Shakespeare.

Throughout the summer months in Boulder, Colorado, you can enjoy original works by William Shakespeare as the plays were meant to be experienced when they initially debuted to the public: beneath the stars. Enjoy a gourmet picnic in the balmy Colorado summer weather as you lounge on the grass before the plays begin. Chat with Shakespeare himself, and learn all about the play you’re about to see while enjoying free live musical entertainment. Or, get a first-hand look at what it takes to stage a Shakespearian play with a guided, backstage tour.

Forty-five minutes before curtain time, a company member of the Colorado Shakespeare Festival will take the stage to talk to you about the play you’re about to see. These conversations are fun and informal, and enhance your enjoyment of the Shakespearian work that will be performed that evening.

The Colorado Shakespeare Festival draws as many as 40,000 audience members each season and features works like Hamlet, Much Ado About Nothing, Two Gentlemen of Verona, and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged).  

Visit Boulder and discover why it’s the perfect setting to enjoy the classic works of one of the greatest writers of all time. Don’t forget to visit our calendar of events for more exciting Boulder events!