In an age of endless streaming options, political unrest and AI-generated everything, it’s easy to feel like old stories don’t matter anymore. But at the Colorado Shakespeare Festival? Shakespeare still hits.
This summer, the 68th CSF leans into that timeless relevance with a season staged entirely indoors in the newly renovated Roe Green Theatre, while construction continues on its iconic Mary Rippon Outdoor Theatre. From a windswept island filled with magic and vengeance to a crumbling monarchy consumed by self-interest, the 2025 lineup probes themes of power with The Tempest, Richard II and a special original practices staging of Doctor Faustus.
"Being inside has had its challenges, but it's also been great because some of these titles we would never produce inside because they lend themselves to a large audience and a large theater," Orr says. "However, the opportunity to produce The Tempest indoors, which we've never done before, with complete control of lighting and sound effects to create theater magic, is a luxury because we can produce a magical play with so much magic and music."
That luxury is being put to full use in The Tempest, the season opener directed by CU professor and CSF favorite Kevin Rich, which runs June 7 through August 10. Set on an island where shipwrecked nobles confront their past and a powerful sorcerer must choose between vengeance and forgiveness, The Tempest is a natural fit for theatrical experimentation — and this production leans in.
“The magic of the island will be the magic of the theater,” Rich says. “We’ve embraced a shadow puppet aesthetic and our set is built from shipwreck detritus, creating a playground for the actors.”
Rich directorial approach is highly meta-theatrical and focuses on the play's roots as a radical fairy tale.
"This is a play about colonization, originally performed for the King of England, who was like The Colonizer," Rich says. "How gutsy of Shakespeare to write this play about current events, which he doesn't often do. How does he create aesthetic distance? He makes it a fairy tale. These are non-human characters set on a magical island; that's built into the play, and it still works today if we just let it be a fairy tale."
Leading The Tempest is Ellen McLaughlin, who returns to CSF following her appearance as the titular character in the company's 2023 production of King Lear. Instead of portraying Prospero as a man, as McLaughlin did in King Lear, Rich has the role gender-flipped to Prospera.
"We went back and forth because Ellen's going to rock it no matter what the gender of the character is, but I became really interested in the possibility of Prospero as a woman," Rich says. "Thinking of Prospero as a mother rather than a father has unexpected consequences for the relationships on stage and in the story that I wanted to explore."
If The Tempest offers hope and healing, Richard II, which runs July 5 to August 10, dives headfirst into decay and disillusionment. Directed by Orr himself and starring Rich in the title role, the rarely staged history play charts the downfall of a divine-right king who loses his crown and his grip on reality.
“It’s like Veep meets Dr. Strangelove,” Orr says. “We’re pushing the envelope to find the absurdity in the political chaos.”
Rich, who last played the role a decade ago, is eager to revisit it with new eyes. “Richard starts as someone who’s only ever known power,” he explains. “But as he loses everything, he begins to find his humanity. It’s like a photo negative of Richard III. I love the challenge as an actor of asking: is there something likable about him, even at the start?”
Rounding out the season is Doctor Faustus by Christopher Marlowe, Shakespeare’s contemporary and occasional rival. The two original practice performances on July 27 will be actor-managed and performed with period-informed choices under the leadership of Shunté Lofton, and they are already sold out.
Orr, a longtime admirer of the text, sees clear echoes between Faustus and Shakespeare’s protagonists. “It sits well with Tempest and Richard II,” he says. “They’re all stories about the temptation and cost of power.”
Even as the 2025 season unfolds, CSF is already deep into planning its triumphant return to the Rippon in 2026.
“We're producing both seasons at the same time," Orr says. "Wendy Franz, the managing director, and I talk about this all the time because we're so focused on making 2026 a successful launch of the renovated Mary Rippon Theatre. In a way, it feels like the festival is starting again in 2026."
That sense of legacy looms large. Founded in 1958, CSF has weathered more than six decades of cultural change. Now, as its flagship venue undergoes a major renovation, the company is using the moment to look ahead.
“We’ll be back out there in full strength with a five-show season across both theaters in 2026,” Orr says. “We’ve got a new commission coming, and I’m really excited about that. It’s going to be a big season — a celebration of Shakespeare and of that space as it nears a hundred years old.”
In the meantime, Orr sees 2025 as both a bridge and a breather.
“The Colorado Shakespeare Festival is, in some ways, at a moment of pause,” Orr says. “But it’s been a welcome one. We’ve had time to take a breath and think seriously about what the next hundred years should look like.”
Colorado Shakespeare Festival includes The Tempest, Saturday, June 7, through Sunday, August 10; Richard II, Saturday, July 5, through Sunday, August 10; and Doctor Faustus, Sunday, July 27, at Roe Green Theatre, University Theatre Building, 1515 Central Campus Mall, Boulder. Tickets are $22-$96; learn more at cupresents.org.
"Over the last five years, I think we have become even more attuned to what Shakespeare is saying in these plays," CSF artistic director Tim Orr says. "With the lockdown and the loss, along with the political turmoil in the country, we see it again and again in these plays. Audiences continue to come back to hear Shakespeare's stories and to find these moments of connection because people see themselves in these stories."
This summer, the 68th CSF leans into that timeless relevance with a season staged entirely indoors in the newly renovated Roe Green Theatre, while construction continues on its iconic Mary Rippon Outdoor Theatre. From a windswept island filled with magic and vengeance to a crumbling monarchy consumed by self-interest, the 2025 lineup probes themes of power with The Tempest, Richard II and a special original practices staging of Doctor Faustus.
"Being inside has had its challenges, but it's also been great because some of these titles we would never produce inside because they lend themselves to a large audience and a large theater," Orr says. "However, the opportunity to produce The Tempest indoors, which we've never done before, with complete control of lighting and sound effects to create theater magic, is a luxury because we can produce a magical play with so much magic and music."
That luxury is being put to full use in The Tempest, the season opener directed by CU professor and CSF favorite Kevin Rich, which runs June 7 through August 10. Set on an island where shipwrecked nobles confront their past and a powerful sorcerer must choose between vengeance and forgiveness, The Tempest is a natural fit for theatrical experimentation — and this production leans in.
“The magic of the island will be the magic of the theater,” Rich says. “We’ve embraced a shadow puppet aesthetic and our set is built from shipwreck detritus, creating a playground for the actors.”
The 68th Colorado Shakespeare Festival in Boulder takes place from June 7 to August 10.
Courtesy of Jennifer Koskinen
"This is a play about colonization, originally performed for the King of England, who was like The Colonizer," Rich says. "How gutsy of Shakespeare to write this play about current events, which he doesn't often do. How does he create aesthetic distance? He makes it a fairy tale. These are non-human characters set on a magical island; that's built into the play, and it still works today if we just let it be a fairy tale."
Leading The Tempest is Ellen McLaughlin, who returns to CSF following her appearance as the titular character in the company's 2023 production of King Lear. Instead of portraying Prospero as a man, as McLaughlin did in King Lear, Rich has the role gender-flipped to Prospera.
"We went back and forth because Ellen's going to rock it no matter what the gender of the character is, but I became really interested in the possibility of Prospero as a woman," Rich says. "Thinking of Prospero as a mother rather than a father has unexpected consequences for the relationships on stage and in the story that I wanted to explore."
If The Tempest offers hope and healing, Richard II, which runs July 5 to August 10, dives headfirst into decay and disillusionment. Directed by Orr himself and starring Rich in the title role, the rarely staged history play charts the downfall of a divine-right king who loses his crown and his grip on reality.
Even as the 2025 season unfolds, the CSF leadership is already planning its triumphant return to the Mary Rippon Outdoor Theatre in 2026.
Courtesy of Jennifer Koskinen
Rich, who last played the role a decade ago, is eager to revisit it with new eyes. “Richard starts as someone who’s only ever known power,” he explains. “But as he loses everything, he begins to find his humanity. It’s like a photo negative of Richard III. I love the challenge as an actor of asking: is there something likable about him, even at the start?”
Rounding out the season is Doctor Faustus by Christopher Marlowe, Shakespeare’s contemporary and occasional rival. The two original practice performances on July 27 will be actor-managed and performed with period-informed choices under the leadership of Shunté Lofton, and they are already sold out.
Orr, a longtime admirer of the text, sees clear echoes between Faustus and Shakespeare’s protagonists. “It sits well with Tempest and Richard II,” he says. “They’re all stories about the temptation and cost of power.”
Even as the 2025 season unfolds, CSF is already deep into planning its triumphant return to the Rippon in 2026.
“We're producing both seasons at the same time," Orr says. "Wendy Franz, the managing director, and I talk about this all the time because we're so focused on making 2026 a successful launch of the renovated Mary Rippon Theatre. In a way, it feels like the festival is starting again in 2026."
That sense of legacy looms large. Founded in 1958, CSF has weathered more than six decades of cultural change. Now, as its flagship venue undergoes a major renovation, the company is using the moment to look ahead.
The Colorado Shakespeare Festival, founded in 1958, has weathered more than six decades of cultural change.
Courtesy of Jennifer Koskinen
In the meantime, Orr sees 2025 as both a bridge and a breather.
“The Colorado Shakespeare Festival is, in some ways, at a moment of pause,” Orr says. “But it’s been a welcome one. We’ve had time to take a breath and think seriously about what the next hundred years should look like.”
Colorado Shakespeare Festival includes The Tempest, Saturday, June 7, through Sunday, August 10; Richard II, Saturday, July 5, through Sunday, August 10; and Doctor Faustus, Sunday, July 27, at Roe Green Theatre, University Theatre Building, 1515 Central Campus Mall, Boulder. Tickets are $22-$96; learn more at cupresents.org.
