'Luminaries' bring a brighter future to the Rippon

When the lights come up on the Mary Rippon outdoor stage this summer, they’ll be better and brighter than they’ve been for decades, thanks to the generosity of our supporters.

A little history: Until this year, CSF had been using lights acquired from the Denver Center for the Performing Arts in the mid-1980s. Some had seen six decades of service.

Many no longer focused, had cracked lenses, or were missing parts, among other problems. All that made our lighting both less effective and less energy efficient. Simply put, the lights were about to go out.

Last fall the festival launched a $75,000 mini-capital campaign to replace its focused lighting inventory. Pam Hartman, a member of the CSF Advisory Board, and her husband Duke Hartman put up a matching gift for half the amount. Donors began stepping forward to sponsor 10 lights, four, two, even one.

In early April, the festival met its fund-raising goal, thanks to many donors, including the CU-Boulder College of Arts and Sciences, which kicked into the campaign. In a joint effort with CSF, the college also paved the way with a major electrical upgrade in 2013.

“This summer, audiences will experience a new world of light and beauty that will illuminate our stages for decades to come,” says Producing Artistic Director Tim Orr.

The CSF would like to give special thanks to these “Luminaries”—the generous CSF supporters who made it possible:

- Pam and Duke Hartman
- Diana and Mike Kinsey
- Kate Wilson and Alexander Goetz
- Anne and John Blair
- Christine and Robert Wester
- Jill Bullington and Steven Leigh
- Karen, Bob, Rachel and Molly Herz
- Chelsea and Bill Flagg
- Roe Green
- Stephany Roscoe and Brian Curtiss
- Isabelle Clark
- Dave Collins
- Margot Crowe in memory of Lawson Crowe
- Jeanne and Jim Fetterman
- Kenneth Gamauf
- Patty and Jerry Hauptman
- Lin and Matthew Hawkins
- College of Arts and Sciences

Reprinted with permission from the Colorado Shakespeare Festival
April 17, 2014