Nothing complements the beauty of a summer evening in the Rockies quite like the joy and artistry of Shakespeare’s classic plays, and thanks to the return of Theatreworks Free-For-All community tour, audiences in the Pikes Peak Region can enjoy both from the comfort of their own neighborhoods.
Back this year with Shakespeare’s “Pericles,” this 75-minute, mobile production performs in parks, libraries and community centers, offering audiences of all ages an opportunity to experience The Bard on their own terms.
The program, started in 2019 with “Comedy of Errors,” partners with schools during April and May to
bring live Shakespeare to middle and high school classrooms, but with the end of the semester, the
show transitions to public performances, open to all.
Partners like the Pikes Peak Library District, the Deerfield Hills Community Center, Colorado Springs Senior Center, and various cultural centers in Simla, Canon City, and Florence, among others provide the space. Theatreworks also has closed performances for schools, Springs Rescue Mission and Goodwill to serve their students and clients.
This year’s play, “Pericles,” was one of Shakespeare’s most popular works when it was written, and with
a text full of heroes, villains, shipwrecks, pirates, jousting and more, it’s easy to see why.
Director Max Shulman sees something in the play for everyone.
“Pericles is an epic in line with the Odyssey,” he said. “It’s a genre-crossing adventure that is funny, sad, joyous, romantic, and magical. From evil tyrants to wondrous miracles, this lesser-known work of Shakespeare is full of surprises.”
Under Shulman’s direction, the play brings together eight actors, each of whom plays a number of
different roles such that no two performances are quite the same. The cast includes Brooke Callahan,
Creston Cooper, Jamie Cooper, Journee Dortch, Ambrose Fees-Armstrong, Sabrina Mendoza, Emily
Newton, and Sierra Tune. Creston Cooper, Sierra Tune, and Emily Newton all return from previous FreeFor-All productions, while the rest of the team are new to the program. Julie Talty is the stage manager, and the show includes costume design by Erica Daun, and props by Marie Verdu.
Whether you’re looking for ways to add the magic of live theatre to your summer, or just seeking a
different kind of family outing, Free-For-All: “Pericles” offers free, family-friendly fun for seasoned
theatregoers and newcomers alike.
See below for a full list of locations, dates and partners for performances across the Pikes Peak Region through July 7.
- Black Forest Community Church on behalf of the Mobile Libraries of the PPLD, Friday, 5/19 at 6:30p | 6845 Shoup Rd, Colorado Springs, CO 80908
- Sangre de Cristo Art Center, Friday, 5/26 @ 7p | 210 N Santa Fe Ave, Pueblo, CO 81003
- Panorama Park, Thursday, 6/1 @ 6p | 4540 Fenton Rd, Colorado Springs, CO 80916
- Bancroft Park on behalf of Old Colorado City Library, Friday, 6/2 @ 5p | 2408 W. Colorado Ave. (W. Colorado Ave. & S 24th St.)
- Deerfield Hills Community Center, Saturday, 6/3 @ 10:30a | 4290 Deerfield Hills Rd, Colorado Springs, CO 80916
- Limbach Park on behalf of the Town of Monument, Sunday, 6/4 @ 1p | 151 Front Street, Monument, CO 80132
- Colorado Springs Senior Center, Friday, 6/9 @ 2p | 1514 N Hancock Ave, Colorado Springs, CO 80903
- Bell Tower Arts Center, Saturday, 6/10 @ 10a | 201 E 2nd St, Florence, CO 81226
- Meadows Park Community Center on behalf of the Cheyenne Mountain Library, Saturday, 6/10 @ 2p | 1943 S El Paso Ave, Colorado Springs, CO 80905
- Antlers Park on behalf of Penrose Library, Saturday, 6/17 @ 11a | 31 W Pikes Peak Ave, Colorado Springs, CO 80903
- Simla Public Park on behalf of Simla Public Library, Saturday, 6/17 @ 6p | Corner of Caribou St/Highway 24 and Pueblo Ave, Simla, CO 80835
- Memorial Park on behalf of the Manitou Springs Library, Friday, 6/23 @ 5p | 502 Manitou Ave, Manitou Springs, CO 80829
- The Village Green on behalf of Palmer Lake Arts Council, Saturday, 6/24 @ 1:30 and 6p | 66 Lower Glenway St, Palmer Lake, CO 80133
- George Fellows Park on behalf of East Library, Saturday, 7/1 @ 10:30a | 5550 N Union Blvd, Colorado Springs, CO 80918
- Green Box Arts, Saturday, 7/1 @ 1p and 4p | Mountain Corner, 10125 Chipita Park Rd, Cascade, CO 80809
- Kinship Landing, Friday, 7/7 @ 6:30p | 415 S Nevada Ave, Colorado Springs, CO 80903
About Theatreworks Colorado Springs
Theatreworks Colorado Springs connects, empowers, and delights our communities through diverse performances and educational experiences that are mirrors for ourselves and windows into others. We create in service to our audiences, our staff and artists, the UCCS students and community, and the people of Southern Colorado to envision a better world. Founded in 1975 by artistic director Murray Ross, costume designer Betty Ross, and an ensemble of passionate artists, today the program is led by artistic director, Caitlin Lowans, who was appointed in 2018 – the same year the Ent Center of the Arts opened its doors to the community. Caitlin brings a passion for education and for community-engaged work, celebrating the diversity of human experience. entcenterforthearts.org/theatreworks
About the Ent Center for the Arts
This first-class arts facility, located on the University of Colorado Colorado Springs campus serves the community as a hub for the arts and an inspiration in academics. The vision for the facility was and is to foster a creative environment to house arts that will serve the Pikes Peak region, allowing artists to inspire and amplify one another rather than compete against one another. Art brings together diverse peoples and ideas in ways no other discipline can, and the Ent Center will be a pillar of the arts community within Colorado Springs. Learn more at entcenterforthearts.org.