Grants from National Endowment for the Arts and Morgridge Family Foundation
make DCPA’s Shakespeare in the Parking Lot possible

DENVER, CO – Teaching artists at the Denver Center for the Performing Arts are excited to bring Shakespeare to students throughout the state as an expansion of the organization’s popular Shakespeare in the Parking Lot program. DCPA Education and Community Engagement produced a radio play abridgement of Romeo and Juliet, which is available at no charge to schools and the community.

In 2015, the Denver Center launched Shakespeare in the Parking Lot, an outdoor performance and in-class workshop series for middle and high schools. Using a simple pickup track as the set, professional teaching artists perform Romeo and Juliet and A Midsummer Night’s Dream for schools and community groups. The program reached more than 15,700 students in the 2018/19 season and was well on its way to surpassing that figure when COVID-19 forced its premature cancellation. This fall the program will be adding Macbeth to the repertoire.

“While we were disappointed to cancel Shakespeare in the Parking Lot last spring,” said Allison Watrous, Executive Director of Education and Community Engagement, “we are excited to restart the program in an all-new way. By producing an audio version of Romeo and Juliet, we have the opportunity to introduce students across Colorado and beyond to the work of William Shakespeare. This classroom resource will be fantastic for teachers and students.

“We are so grateful to our generous sponsors for their ongoing support to make Shakespeare in the Parking Lot available to Colorado schools,” Watrous continued. “Their invaluable partnership will enable us to continue to evolve and respond to an increasing appetite for theatre.”

The DCPA’s abridged version of Romeo and Juliet was written by Steven Cole Hughes. The audio play was directed by Allison Watrous with sound design by Craig Breitenbach, technical direction by Stuart Barr and music by Noah Evan Wilson. Shakespeare in the Parking Lot teaching artists performed the roles, including Iliana Barron (Juliet), John Hauser (Romeo/Abram), Tom Littman (Friar Lawrence), Quinn Marchman (Mercutio/Paris/Apothecary), Miguel Martimen (Prince/Balthasar), Chloe McLeod (Nurse/Tybalt) and Justin Walvoord (Capulet/Sampson).

Individuals, educators, schools and community groups are invited to visit https://www.denvercenter.org/for-educators/shakespeare-in-the-parking-lot/ for a free download of DCPA Education’s Romeo and Juliet radio play. Additionally, schools and community groups who are interested in hosting a Shakespeare in the Parking Lot performance and workshop next fall may email education@dcpa.org to sign up for an alert when schedules are available. The audio recording and full immersive experience is optimized when listening on a headset.