CSF in the Schools

  • 'The rarer action is in virtue than in vengeance.'

    Prospero (Crystal Eisele) chooses forgiveness over revenge.

  • 'I have done nothing but in care of thee, my dear one'

    Prospero (Crystal Eisele) and Miranda (Caroline Barry)

  • ''Tis a villain, sir, I do not love to look on.'

    Caliban (Scott K. Leslie) gets a reaction from a student audience.

  • 'I'll be wise hereafter and seek for grace.'

    Crystal Eisele teaches about revenge and forgiveness in a post-performance classrom workshop.

  • 'The foul lake o'erstunk their feet.'

    Ariel (Caroline Barry) traps Stephano (James O'Hagan-Murphy) and Caliban (Scott K. Leslie).

  • 'How now, moon-calf!'

    James O'Hagan-Murphy with students in a post-performance classroom workshop.

  • 'We split! We split!'

    Ariel (Caroline Barry) observes as Antonio (James O'Hagan-Murphy) and the Boatswain (Scott K. Leslie) weather The Tempest.

Shakespeare and Violence Prevention

The Colorado Shakespeare Festival is proud to collaborate with the Center for the Study and Prevention of Violence and the Department of Theatre & Dance at CU-Boulder to present a Shakespeare and Violence Prevention program, with thanks to generous funding from CU Outreach, the Boulder Arts Commission, ASCI, and the OAK Foundation. Since 2011, the program has visited more than 22,000 Colorado schoolchildren. Appropriate for grades 3-12.

Scroll down for details on booking the tour at your school.

The Tempest

Fall dates: September 17-November 8, 2013

Prospero has been plotting his revenge for 12 years and the moment has finally arrived. His enemies are shipwrecked on his island and now it's time to get even for the terrible things they did to him many years ago.

But when he considers what it means to get revenge, Prospero decides to forgive his enemies instead. Shakespeare's line, "the rarer action is in virtue than in vengeance," has much to teach us about the power of choosing forgiveness over revenge.

This performance and the workshops that follow focus on the importance of reconciliation and forgiveness as a tool for ending the cycle of violence. The workshops use theater exercises and scenes from The Tempest to explore alternatives to violence, using the latest research from the Center for the Study and Prevention of Violence at the University of Colorado Boulder.

PBS NewsHour segment on CSF's Shakespeare & Violence Prevention tour:

Cost: $550

The program lasts approximately two hours and includes:

  • Study guide (click link to download)
  • Performance of The Tempest (250 students max)
  • Brief post-show talk-back with actors
  • Three 50-minute classroom workshops about violence prevention (30 students max per workshop)

How do I book the tour?

Email csfedout@colorado.edu or call 303-492-1973 with the following information:

  • Requested tour date (no Mondays)
  • Specify whether you prefer a morning or afternoon session
  • School name and location

In the News

PBS NewsHour 2013 video: "To Bully or Not to Bully: Using Shakespeare in Schools to Address Violence" and  "Anti-Bullying Lessons with the Bard"

Daily Camera 2013: "Elementary students learn to employ anti-violence strategies through Shakespeare"

9News video: Colorado & Company Interview

Denver Post 2011: "Shakespeare gives the latest strategy in anti-bullying in schools"

Longmont Times-Call 2011: "Colorado Shakespeare Festival uses 'Twelfth Night' to talk about bullying"

Daily Camera 2011: "Colorado Shakespeare Festival uses 'Twelfth Night' to talk about bullying"

Special thanks to The Center for the Study and Prevention of Violence, Safe2Tell, Safe Communities~Safe Schools and the Department of Theatre & Dance. This project is supported by the CU-Boulder Outreach Committee, the Boulder Arts Commission, the OAK Foundation, and the Fund for Arts and Sciences Community Involvement (ASCI).

Want to help?

You can make a donation directly to CSF Education! Gifts to Education provide tuition scholarships for camps and theatre classes, and subsidies for schools performances and workshops.

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