CSF in the Schools: Shakespeare & Violence Prevention Tour

The Colorado Shakespeare Festival has adapted the Shakespeare & Violence Prevention program to a hybrid format for the 2021-2022 school year. Performances will be filmed in advance in our home theatre, then shared with schools via password-protected link. Classroom workshops can be conducted in person or virtually. 

This collaboration with the Center for the Study and Prevention of Violence uses performance and the latest school violence research to educate students about the cycle of violence, empathy, and upstander behavior.

How does it work? Your students view a prerecorded performance of a Shakespeare play, filmed onsite at the Colorado Shakespeare Festival’s historic Mary Rippon Outdoor Theatre. After watching the performance, your students participate in a 50-minute workshop (virtual or in-person), facilitated by some of the actors you saw in the performance. In the workshops, students connect situations in the play to situations they face every day. Students can step into the shoes of characters from the play and roleplay safe, creative solutions. Bring some fun, interactive engagement to your classroom!

Two performance options available:

• "Twelfth Night" (30 minute performance—recommended for grades 3 to 5)
• "Julius Caesar" (45 minute performance—recommended for grades 6 to 12)

Workshop Guidelines

• Limit of 30 students per classroom
• Workshops typically scheduled Tuesdays or Wednesdays during the school day.
• In the event a student is unable to attend the real-time workshop, CSF will provide a pre-recorded workshop
• CSF actors will adhere to all state, county, campus, and your school's COVID safety protocols. CSF reserves the right to transition an in-person program to a virtual format, if necessary. As long as we're still able to offer the program virtually, no refunds will be provided.

Study Guides

"Twelfth Night" (English | Español)

"Julius Caesar" (English | Español coming soon)