Shakespeare Festival

Annual Denver Public Schools Shakespeare Festival

More than 5,000 students from across the metro-area celebrated the works of Shakespeare at the DPS Shakespeare Festival at the Denver Performing Arts Complex on April 22, 2022.

The day-long festival is held in downtown Denver each year. The event provides the opportunity for students to perform scenes and sonnets from the works of William Shakespeare, as well as demonstrate the dance, vocal and instrumental music of the era. Student-performers provided nearly 108 hours of performances organized on 18 stages throughout the Denver Performing Arts Complex. Students also competed in the “Challenge Bow,” a trivia contest that tested their knowledge of the life and times of William Shakespeare, watched fencing demonstrations and saw a “Shakespeare in the Parking Lot” performance by Denver Center for the Performing Arts (DCPA) actors.

The DPS Shakespeare Festival is the oldest and largest student Shakespeare festival in the country.

This year’s festival will occur on April 28th, 2023. Click here for more information. 

“Simply studying Shakespeare in the classroom is in it of itself a rich lesson in literature, culture, language and politics. And having the opportunity to stage or act in a production of Shakespeare’s works at a world-class venue like DCPA takes those lessons a step further, giving students a chance to experience the thrill and personal rewards of creative expression, which is such a critical part of a well-rounded education.” – DPS Superintendent, Tom Boasberg

Thank you for your partnership Denver Center for the Performing Arts!

The Denver Center for the Performing Arts is proud to partner with the Denver Shakespeare Festival. Our 30+ years in the community offers a common history. Our focus on great theatre classics provides a shared vision. And our commitment to engage youth through theatre education motivates us with a unified purpose. Together we will combine history’s greatest plays with passionate teachers and inspired young actors to expose thousands of students and spectators to the joy of live theatre.