DPS Shakespeare Festival is a Highlight of DMHS's Year

Normally, a few thousand school children marching through the streets might be a cause for concern. But in Denver, Colorado, it marks one of the most exciting events in the school year.

Every April, Downtown Denver is home to the yearly Denver Public Schools Shakespeare Festival, where students of all ages from schools across Denver come together to march in a costumed parade and perform scenes and plays by Shakespeare. The event lasts all day, with scenes and plays performed simultaneously on many stages. The Festival is filled with children, teachers, community members, and parents, as students show off their acting chops.

“The Festival is a beloved district tradition that's almost in its 40th year! We now have parents attending the festival who performed themselves decades ago,” says long-time organizer Anna Dyste. “It's so exciting to see thousands of costumed students with their school banners, to hear the excited voices. The sheer number of bodies is incredible to see, and you can almost taste the energy in the air,” Dyste says. 

Students and Teachers march in the 2022 Shakespeare Festival Parade

“These are learning experiences that make a lasting impression on students as they discover and explore their educational paths,” says organizer Samuel Wood. “This year we will have 54 schools signed up but we are hoping for a few more. I am holding out for 60!” The event usually draws around 5,000 students and adults, many of whom have been loyally participating for years.

Most schools at the Fest perform a few scenes from Shakespeare plays. Denver Montessori Jr/Sr High School is one of the only schools to perform a one to two hour abridged version of a full play, and has for the past seven years. “I like my students to aim high,” says DMHS Drama Teacher Robin Yokel. “When you only perform a few scenes, I think you miss out on experiencing and learning about the themes of the whole play and how characters and their motivations change over time.” Performing in a full Shakespeare play is an opportunity not many students have and is a difficult undertaking for Yokel’s 7th-12th graders, but one they return for year after year. “Why settle for doing something small, when you could do something huge? Why stay in your comfort zone when you could push yourself?” Yokel asks. “I want my students to know they have done something amazing and beyond people’s expectations, and I want them to be proud of themselves.”

DMHS students perform "Macbeth"

For many DPS students and teachers, the Festival is a highlight of their year. Students interviewed explain that they love watching other performances and seeing what other people have been working on.

“It’s fun and I get to hang out with my friends. I love acting,” says 8th grader Adamaris Lomas-Vasquez.

According to 10th grader Atlas Denny, “It’s chaotic but joyous. I look forward to it every year. With everyone all doing the same thing in the same spot, there’s a sense of solidarity.”

Senior Kirra Lindauer, who is performing the lead role of Hamlet in DMHS’s Shakespeare production this year, says, “I like that we’re like-minded peers coming together and celebrating the joy of performance.”

“I’ve been doing the Shakespeare Fest since I was in 3rd grade,” says junior Paige Fenner. “Every year the energy is so much fun.”

This year’s Festival will be held at the Denver Center for the Performing Arts on April 28th. More information can be found here. The Festival is open to all theater lovers in the community and is free of charge.