Policies and Services
- Ticket Exchange Policy
- Rain and Cancellation Policy
- Theatre Etiquette
- On the Evening of the Performance
- Emergency Phone Number
Exchanges for another performance of the SAME play in the SAME section, based on availability, are permitted until the end of the business day 48 hours prior to the time of the performance. CSF does not make refunds on any purchases or accept tickets for resale.
Summer rains are common in Colorado and usually pass within 20 to 30 minutes. Performances will proceed in the rain, unless weather conditions become threatening to performers or the audience. For safety reasons, open umbrellas are not permitted during performances. Bring a rain cover instead. Please do not call the CSF Box Office for rain decisions the day of the performance as decisions to delay or cancel are not made prior to showtime.
Should a performance be canceled before 10 pm (8:30 pm Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Sundays) due to weather, your ticket stub can be exchanged for a ticket to the make-up performance. If there is no make-up performance, present your ticket stub at the CSF Box Office for a ticket to another performance of the same play. If a show is canceled after 10 pm (8:30 pm Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Sundays), it is the policy of CSF not to give exchanges, rain checks, or refunds.
“Better three hours too soon than a minute too late.” — The Merry Wives of Windsor
The importance of curtain time — Usually the first twenty minutes of a play sets up the plot—critical to making the rest of the play so enjoyable. We show respect to our audience members (and actors too!) by seating late-comers at a suitable break in the action (usually between scenes.) Often this may take as long as twenty minutes! Serve your own enjoyment of the Festival plays and that of your fellow patrons by arriving and seating yourself before “curtain”!
“Give it an understanding
but no tongue.” — Hamlet
Entering the world
of the play — It takes players
and play-goers together to create the optimum
theatrical experience. Rapt attention and
concentration on the part of the audience
and the actors make the performance unique
and alive. For this reason we request that
patrons turn off all “noise-making
devices”: cell-phones (no text-messaging, please!), pagers, watch
alarms and even mouths! Please be mindful
of your neighbors and the actors by refraining
from talking to your companions or taking
phone calls during the performance.
“Those that do teach young
babes do it with gentle means and easy
tasks.” — Othello
How old do you have to
be to enjoy Shakespeare? — We
think it’s good to expose kids to the beauty
of Shakespeare early in their education—beginning
around age five or so. But let’s face it,
Shakespeare’s language takes some getting
used to, and the average running time for most
of the Festival’s shows is two hours and
fifteen minutes. So when bringing young children
to the theatre, we suggest that you familiarize
your child with the plot and even the language
so that the play is easier to follow and enhances
your child’s (and even your own) enjoyment.
Naps prior to performances are a good idea as
well! We gently request that patrons do not
bring children younger than five to performances,
as they will not be admitted.
“Dost thou think because
thou art virtuous, there shall be no
more cakes and ale?” — Twelfth
Night
Eating, drinking and enjoying
the play — In the
Bard’s time, food and drink were sold—and
consumed—right where a patron stood or
sat watching the play. Luckily, at intermission,
we can replicate this experience in the Mary
Rippon Outdoor Theatre. We have both cakes and
ale (brownies, cookies, Bard’s Beer, and
other good things) at our concession stands.*
However, our indoor performance venue was renovated
back in the ‘90’s and we are pretty
proud of how we have managed to keep it pristine.
Please, no food or drink (even bottled water!)
in the University Theatre, Mainstage.
*Picnic food and beverages in glass containers are welcomed but are to be enjoyed before the play outside on The Green. No glass containers in the Mary Rippon because stone + glass = danger.
On the Evening of the Performance
Performance locations and times:
Outdoor performances in the Mary Rippon Outdoor Theatre on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays begin at 8:30 p.m.; and on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Sundays at 6:30 p.m. The theatre is in the courtyard within the Hellems building on the CU-Boulder campus.
Indoor evening performances, all scheduled nights (see calendar) begin at 7:30 p. m. Matinées (between July 13 and August 13–see calendar) begin at 2:00 p.m. The University Theatre, Mainstage is in the Theatre and Dance building, just northwest of Hellems.
- Latecomers will be seated during a suitable break or during intermission by CSF management.
- By contractual agreement with the artists, photographs and audio or video recordings are strictly prohibited.
- In deference to actors in live performance, children under the age of five cannot be admitted.
- Open umbrellas are not permitted during the performance.
- No glass containers are permitted in the Mary Rippon Outdoor Theatre. Food and drink of any kind is prohibited in the University Theatre, Mainstage.
- For safety purposes, please do not walk on top of the stone benches in the Mary Rippon Outdoor Theatre.
- Cell phones and other electronic devices are not to be used in the theatre. Please turn off cell phones and other devices upon entering the theatre.
In an emergency, those needing to contact you during a performance should call the Audience Services Staff office at 303-492-5953. The office is staffed during all performances, with the exception of intermission.
