New Look. Same Magic. The Rippon Returns.

After almost a century of service as a beloved performance space on the University of Colorado Boulder campus, the historic Mary Rippon Outdoor Theatre went dark at the end of summer in 2023, making way for a 3-year, $105 million renovation of the Hellems Arts and Sciences building, including the theatre.

Come June, the new and improved Rippon will re-open with the advent of the Colorado Shakespeare Festival’s 69th season.

“The space is now really designed for humans and to showcase an incredible jewel of a theatre that’s been hidden inside a building for all these years,” says CSF Managing Director Wendy Franz.

Here are 10 reasons to get excited about attending a CSF performance in the new Rippon theater this summer:

Atrium and lobby

Instead of running into a literal wall and shuffling through a warren of narrow hallways, patrons will enter via an open atrium and lobby that look directly into the theater space through soaring windows. Art and interpretive material adorn the walls.

A New Café

Replacing two rickety outdoor sheds, the café will offer beer and wine, as well as coffee, sandwiches, light salads and other fare provided by Stinger’s Café.

Classroom

A lobby-level classroom provides more convenient access to prologues and other programming.

New restrooms

No more long lines snaking through cramped hallways! Expanded, all-gender facilities feature floor-to-ceiling stalls for privacy and a bank of modern, trough sinks for washing up. There are also family bathrooms.

Improved audience flow

Six new double doors from the lobby into the theater facilitate smoother, faster exit and entry (and both back-corner entrances are still there for nostalgists). Eight custom racks replace haphazard piles of Elevations Credit Union seat backs — all new this year — at the end of each performance.

Safety and accessibility

Four ADA-compliant entrances, making wheelchair seating available in every pricing zone. Indirect lighting will improve walkway visibility.

Outdoor patios

Lit by festive string lights, the Ken & Ruth Wright pavilion and an as-yet-unnamed pavilion provide liminal space to enjoy a drink, stretch your legs or chat.

Renovated seating

The Rippon’s distinctive, local, red sandstone benches have been lovingly rebuilt by expert masons.

State-of-the-art lighting

More efficient, modern LED lighting, including moving lights and four crow’s nest lighting towers will help create even more magic onstage, courtesy of Pam and Duke Hartman, the Schramm Foundation and other generous donors.

Eco-friendly features

New, triple-paned windows, faucets and other energy efficient features. And all your favorite healthy stage-side trees have been lovingly preserved.

Season and single tickets for Colorado Shakespeare Festival are on sale now at coloradoshakes.org.