▁allowed ▁the ▁festival ▁to ▁pay ▁off ▁lo ans ▁for ▁capital ▁improvements ▁to ▁the ▁R ipp on ▁the ater ▁and ▁make ▁a ▁volunt ary ▁contribution ▁to ▁the ▁college ▁in ▁an ▁effort ▁to ▁rep ay ▁deb t ▁under writing . ▁The ▁festival ▁was ▁bu ck ing ▁a ▁tr end , ▁which ▁had ▁seen ▁the ▁collapse ▁of ▁two ▁prominent ▁Shakespeare ▁programs , ▁Santa ▁Cruz ▁( which ▁has ▁announced ▁it ▁will ▁be ▁res ur rect ed ▁in ▁ 2 0 1 5 ▁and ▁the ▁North ▁Carolina ▁Shakespeare ▁Festival , ▁over ▁the ▁previous ▁year . ▁ ▁The ▁season ▁also ▁drew ▁critical ▁pra ise , ▁particularly ▁for ▁Geoff rey ▁Kent ' s ▁v ivid , ▁un con vent ional ▁production ▁of ▁Mid sum mer . ▁“ The ▁perform ers ▁provide ▁moments ▁of ▁comedy , ▁insight ▁or ▁pure ▁delight ,” ▁wrote ▁Den ver ' s ▁West word ▁magazine . ▁Form er ▁Den ver ▁Post ▁the ater ▁critic ▁John ▁Moore , ▁now ▁associate ▁director ▁of ▁content ▁strategy ▁for ▁the ▁Den ver ▁Center ▁for ▁the ▁Perform ing ▁Arts , ▁declared , ▁“ In ▁the ▁summer ▁of ▁ 2 0 1 3 , ▁the ▁Colorado ▁Shakespeare ▁Festival ▁is ▁a ▁m over ▁and ▁a ▁sh aker .” ▁▁ 2 0 1 4 - 2 0 1 5 ▁▁ ▁Following ▁a ▁national ▁search , ▁the ▁College ▁of ▁Arts ▁and ▁Sciences ▁announced ▁on ▁April ▁ 1 1 , ▁ 2 0 1 4 ▁that ▁it ▁had ▁named ▁inter im ▁director ▁Or r ▁as ▁producing ▁art istic ▁director . ▁ ▁As ▁inter im ▁director , ▁Or r