Source Language Credit: Denver Center for the Performing Arts & Playhouse Square
The Amphitheater & Reserve is located at 5657 Warm Springs Avenue, along the Boise River, adjacent to the Idaho Department of Parks & Recreation offices. For a map of the directions, click here.
Certainly! Picnicking is encouraged as an ISF tradition. If you don’t have time to pack your own, consider purchasing appetizers and drinks, dinners and/or desserts at Shakespeare’s Marketplace, where proceeds benefit the Festival. Shakespeare’s Marketplace is open every performance evening at 5:30 pm through intermission and the first ten minutes of Act II.
Yes! Onsite we offer recycling of paper, cardboard, and aluminum. We are unable to recycle glass and invite you to “pack it out” to recycle your glass at home. Thank you so much!
Shakespeare’s Marketplace opens daily at 5:30 p.m., and the picnic areas and patio outside of the amphitheater are always available for use before the theater opens. May – August, Tuesday – Saturday, the amphitheater opens for seating and picnicking at 6:30 p.m. and on Sundays at 6:00 p.m. For all September performances, Tuesday – Saturday, the theater opens at 6:30 p.m. On Sundays in September, the theater opens at 6:00 PM. Patrons arriving after a play has begun will be seated at the discretion of the House Manager.
The Festival’s Amphitheater & Reserve has ample parking on surface lots at the entrance to the Festival grounds. A convenient “drop-off” zone for patrons is located immediately at the main entrance into the grounds, as is designated parking for seniors, expectant parents and patrons with limited mobility.
For May – August, Tuesday – Saturday, the performance begins at 8:00 p.m. Sunday nights May through August, the performance begins earlier, at 7:30 p.m. For our September schedule, the performance begins at 7:30 p.m., except Sundays, when the performance begins earlier, at 7:00 p.m.
Kids aged 6 and over are welcome any night to the amphitheater, we even have a Student subscription for them! Kids age 5 and under are welcomed on Family Nights, for free as a “lap child” or at a greatly reduced price Family Night only Youth Ticket.
We also offer to subscribing families Child Add-On Tickets!
Whether you want to bring the whole family to experience the beauty of Shakespeare’s verse, or to tap toes along with the musical, we have a ticket for you! Bring your young theater fans to join you for a night, or two, of your ISF subscription calendar with an easy-on-the-pocketbook price. For just $16 each, bring children ages 6-17 to any evening at ISF. Child Add-on Tickets must be reserved by phone at 208-336-9221, are only available to subscribers, and are not valid for boxes of any type.
The Amphitheater & Reserve is accessible to wheelchairs and is equipped with an assistive listening system. To reserve wheelchair seating, contact the Box Office at (208) 336-9221 in advance of the performance. A convenient “drop-off” zone for patrons is located immediately at the main entrance into the grounds, as is designated parking for seniors, expectant parents and patrons with limited mobility.
Our venue map is posted throughout the grounds to help patrons easily find amenities during their visit.
Men’s and women’s restrooms are centrally located across from Shakespeare’s Marketplace. All-gender restrooms are located on the park side of the Shakespeare’s Marketplace building. An accessible all-gender restroom is located next to the Box Office, with the entrance in the breezeway of the Amphitheater’s accessible entrance, adjacent to the Box Office windows.
You can also view the venue map by clicking here.
The chairs in the reserved chair section are plastic chairs with arms. The chairs in the reserved terrace section are metal and woven with arms, and are 5″ shorter than a regular height chair. Wooden armless chairs are available for the terrace section on request. Click here to visit our Seating and Pricing page to see photos of the chairs.
ISF is not currently accepting any rental bookings.
Any questions regarding site rental (not catering) should be directed to hannah@idahoshakespeare.org
We have an air quality sensor on site, technology is so cool! Click here to see real time air quality information from the theater. The health and safety of our patrons, artists, staff, and volunteers is our top priority. We closely monitor the impact of smoke from regional wild/forest fires on the air quality at our theater via a designated, onsite Air Quality Index (AQI) PurpleAir sensor (linked above) and other similar sensors throughout our region. In addition to monitoring real time measurements, we also track AQI trends over time, as the weather of the theater is unique to the region. If AQI levels consistently trend to exceed 200, we will begin to explore a performance cancellation. We will not cancel before curtain time, as with weather, conditions can improve rapidly or be very different at the theater than elsewhere in the valley. If a performance is cancelled, we will share resolution options for existing tickets (exchange, donate, or refund) with all affected audience members and accommodate requests to the best of our ability. If you are sensitive to smoke, we understand, please contact our box office at tickets@idahoshakespeare.org or 208-336-9221 to discuss options.
Productions can vary widely in length. Most performances run approximately 150 – 180 minutes (2 1/2 to 3 hours), although some (particularly Musicals and performances in September) run approximately 90 – 120 minutes (1 1/2 to 2 hours). Plays include a 15-minute intermission. For more detailed information, contact the Box Office at (208) 336-9221.
Preview performances afford audiences a “sneak peek” at the completed production and offer a reduced ticket price. Be the first audience to see the play in its entirety with directors and designers in the house. The Preview performance is the first Friday of each play. Please see the calendar for dates.
Family Nights are the first Sunday after a play’s opening night and offer families the opportunity to bring young children at discounted prices to see a show. Children under six years of age are admitted ONLY on Family Night, at no charge, and are not provided with reserved seating unless purchased. A discounted $14 plus tax Child Family Night Ticket is available for ages 6 – 17. If you have specific questions about content, please call the Festival offices at (208) 336-9221, content is not significantly altered for Family Nights.
A couple nights each season the Festival designates as Educator nights with steeply discounted tickets for Educators and a guest. See the calendar for the current Educator night and call (208)-336-9221 to reserve tickets.
The Gala is the Festival’s single annual summer fundraising party to be held at the Amphitheater & Reserve. Join us for both a live and silent auction featuring unique items, a delightful and elegant dinner served riverside, plus socializing and fun. Proceeds benefit Festival programming. For tickets and full information click here.
After a period of about five minutes, your ear will become attuned to the rhythms of the language —and the Festival program, provided free to audience members, has play synopses and character listings. The Festival company is very talented at making the story engaging and clear for any viewer.
Most nights pre-show we present a Mini-concert or other performances on our Meadow Stage alongside the Shakespeare’s Marketplace. Please click here for more information.
To find out more about Mini-Concerts click here. To see who is playing on a given evening click on the play title from the calendar.
Click here to purchase online or call the Box Office at (208) 336-9221 or email to: tickets@idahoshakespeare.org.
Click here to purchase gift certificates online or call the Box Office at (208) 336-9221 or email to: tickets@idahoshakespeare.org. Gift Certificates can be purchased in a dollar amount of your choice and are good for the current season.
When all tickets to a performance date are reserved we begin a Waitlist. To join a Waitlist call the box office at (208)-336-9221, or email tickets@idahoshakespeare.org. Calling is recommended. Patrons can be added to TWO waitlist dates at a time. The Box Office will call as early as possible with any availability, but no later than 5:00 PM the night of the performance date. If we pass a patron’s waitlisted date without calling them with availability, the patron can call the Box Office the next day to be added to a new waitlist date. Thank you!
October – May Monday – Friday 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM June – September Non-Performance Days 9:00 AM – 6:00 PM Performance Weekdays 10:00 AM – Curtain Time. Performance Weekends 2:00 PM – Curtain Time.
Reserved terrace seating is divided into tiered cobblestone paved levels, located at the front of the theater and is outfitted with comfortable chairs throughout the section. No need to bring your own seating! Click here to view a seating map of the Amphitheater.
No, the chairs are provided. The Reserved Chair section is located in the center of the theater, and consists of tiered rows with plastic chairs for seating. As with all other areas of the theater, picnic dinners are welcomed in the Chair Seating section. Click here to view a seating map of the Amphitheater.
The General Admission Hillside is a sloped grass area, located at the rear of the theater. First come gets first pick of seating in this area and patrons are welcome to spread out a blanket or pillow to sit on. Chairs are allowed in this area, but please be sensitive of those behind you (legless or low to the ground chairs with low backs work best). Click here for a video of tips and tricks to enjoying the hillside. Click here to view a seating map of the Amphitheater.
Boxes offer premium seating for six, Side Boxes offer premium seating for 4 or 6 depending on the box, and Mini-Boxes offer premium seating for four. All Box seating offers you chair seating with a table for your picnic dinner. Seating is located along the center and side aisles of the theater. Click here to view a seating map of the Amphitheater.
Yes they are. The manner in which the seats are numbered varies depending on the area of the theater you’re sitting in. The center terrace is the only area of the theater where the seats are numbered consecutively (101, 102, 103…). All other reserved terrace or chair areas are separated into odd numbers indicating seats on the left side of the house and even numbers indicating seats on the right side of the house. Therefore, if you have tickets for Row J, Seats 2 & 4, your seats will indeed be next to each other.
A light sprinkle won’t usually affect a performance, or weather will pass quickly. Weather can also be entirely different at the theater from the rest of the valley due to topography. Performances are NOT canceled for weather before the scheduled curtain time. Your best option as a patron is to come out prepared with raingear and warm clothes the night of your performance and pick up your tickets per usual. We rarely have to cancel entirely. Should a performance be canceled before intermission because of weather, your order number will serve as a Rain Check to another performance of the same play.
If it is 105 degrees or higher at curtain time, measured by onsite thermometer, the show may be held for up to half an hour to allow temperatures to drop to safer levels. Performances are NOT canceled for weather before the scheduled curtain time. Your best option as a patron is to come out prepared with cool clothing, ice packs or other personal cooling methods, and plenty of cold non-alcoholic beverages to remain hydrated. Pick up your tickets per usual. We rarely have to cancel entirely. Should a performance be canceled before intermission because of weather, your order number will serve as a “Rain Check” to another performance of the same play. If the level of heat is unsustainable for you, we understand. Please contact our box office team to explore options at (208)-336-9221, or tickets@idahoshakespeare.org.
$2.00 rebooking fee per ticket for all tickets. Raises to $5.00 fee per ticket each time tickets are rebooked within 48 hours of show time. All tickets must be used for the play and date ticketed. Ticket sales are final and are non-refundable. Tickets returned to the Box Office may qualify as a tax-deductible donation if received prior to the performance. If you arrive on a non-Family Night with children under six, you will be offered a ticket exchange for another evening of the same production.
All ticket sales are final. Tickets can be re-booked by calling the Box Office within 48 hours after the show that was missed for a fee of $5.00 per ticket and based on availability. Patrons arriving after the scheduled curtain time will be seated at the discretion of the House Manager.
Tickets for Preview Nights and Family Nights and general admission tickets on the hillside represent Festival some ticket discounts. Single tickets for patrons with a valid student ID are available in advance on the general admission hillside for $28 plus tax any night. Patrons with a valid student ID may purchase our “Screaming Deal” Student Season Tickets, allowing advance reservation in reserved seats for outrageously low prices. Rush tickets in remaining reserved seating are available for patrons age 25 and under, and students the evening of a performance one hour before curtain time for $28. Educators Night- during the season the Festival designates Educator nights with steeply discounted tickets for Educators and a guest. See the calendar for the current Educator nights and call to reserve tickets.
Kids aged 6 and over are welcome any night to the amphitheater, we even have a Student subscription for them! Kids age 5 and under are welcomed on Family Nights, for free as a “lap child” or at a greatly reduced price Family Night only Youth Ticket.
We also offer to subscribing families Child Add-On Tickets!
Whether you want to bring the whole family to experience the beauty of Shakespeare’s verse, or to tap toes along with the musical, we have a ticket for you! Bring your young theater fans to join you for a night, or two, of your ISF subscription calendar with an easy-on-the-pocketbook price. For just $16 each, bring children ages 6-17 to any evening at ISF. Child Add-on Tickets must be reserved by phone at (208)-336-9221, are only available to subscribers, and are not valid for boxes of any type.
Bring your neighbors, book club, civic organization, employees or any other group of ten or more to the Festival and receive discounted tickets, flexible seating options and a personalized welcome. Group dining options are also available. For pricing, details and availability please contact (208) 336-9221.
For a complete overview of our privacy policy, please see: https://idahoshakespeare.org/privacy-policy-tnew/
