DCPA Education’s Shakespeare in the Parking Lot program is returning for its seventh season. This spring, three Shakespeare productions will go on tour throughout the community and visit area schools. And these aren’t your typical performances. Shakespeare in the Parking Lot is exactly what it sounds like — stripped-down, abridged versions of Romeo and Juliet, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and Macbeth centered around a pickup truck “set” in the middle of a parking lot. The cast members are local actors and DCPA teaching artists, including Shannon Altner, Grant Bowman, Iliana Lucero Barron, Chloe McLeod, Camryn Nailah Torres, Christian Ray Robinson, Ryan Omar Stack and Justin Walvoord.

Shakespeare can be confusing for students half-heartedly reading a script in English class. “Thee” and “thou” can often sound like a foreign language. To make theatre not only accessible, but also exciting, the productions travel to area schools and facilitate interactive workshops with students. These workshops break down elements of the plays and transform them into modern day situations, relating to issues students face every day such as peer pressure and loyalty. By bringing these plays to life and engaging the students in discussion, debate, and games, Shakespeare in the Parking Lot is an invaluable resource for area educators.  

From April 4 through May 15, the program will go on tour throughout the community. This season, Shakespeare in the Parking Lot will be visiting six community partners. Attend a performance near you this spring! The tour will stop at several Denver Public Library locations as well as cultural centers in the metro area. These performances are free and open to the public. Visit our website for more details coming soon. 

You can also download an audio version of Romeo and Juliet and watch a behind-the-scenes video of the recording studio on our website. Dive into this immersive audio recording and get hooked on Shakespeare! 

This program is made possible through the generous support of the Morgridge Family Foundation, Isabelle Clark, Oxy Occidental, and the Riverfront Park Community Foundation.  It is also part of Shakespeare in American Communities, a program of the National Endowment for the Arts in partnership with Arts Midwest.