▁festival ▁on ▁campus . ▁Cr ouch ▁took ▁over ▁in ▁ 1 9 4 7 , ▁after ▁which ▁Shakespeare ▁plays ▁were ▁performed ▁in ▁the ▁R ipp on ▁the ater ▁every ▁year ▁except ▁for ▁ 1 9 5 7 , ▁when ▁the ▁annual ▁production ▁was ▁st aged ▁in ▁the ▁ind oor ▁University ▁Theater . ▁Cr ouch ▁directed ▁seven ▁plays ▁over ▁the ▁next ▁ 1 0 ▁years ▁and ▁founded ▁the ▁Colorado ▁Shakespeare ▁Festival , ▁which ▁premier ed ▁on ▁Aug . ▁ 2 , ▁ 1 9 5 8 , ▁and ▁featured ▁three ▁produ ctions : ▁Julius ▁Ca esar , ▁Ham let , ▁and ▁The ▁T aming ▁of ▁the ▁Sh rew . ▁More ▁than ▁ 7 , 0 0 0 ▁pat rons ▁attended ▁ 1 3 ▁performances ▁that ▁year , ▁pay ing ▁$ 1 . 5 0 ▁per ▁ticket . ▁The ▁following ▁year , ▁more ▁than ▁ 1 3 , 0 0 0 ▁people ▁attended . ▁ ▁By ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁its ▁first ▁de cade , ▁C SF ▁had ▁produced ▁ 2 6 ▁of ▁the ▁ 3 7 ▁plays ▁in ▁the ▁canon , ▁with ▁only ▁one ▁dup lication , ▁Ham let ▁in ▁ 1 9 6 5 . ▁Howard ▁M . ▁B anks ’ ▁production ▁of ▁Henry ▁V ▁was ▁fil med ▁for ▁television ▁in ▁ 1 9 6 1 . ▁ ▁Cr ouch ▁stepped ▁down ▁as ▁executive ▁director ▁after ▁the ▁ 1 9 6 3 ▁season ▁but ▁remained ▁active ▁in ▁the ▁festival ▁through ▁the ▁ 1 9 8 0 s . ▁C SF ▁direct ors ▁since ▁