Uploaded July 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
The Colorado Shakespeare Festival features one particularly adorable cast member this season. Her name is Pippin, and according to her mom Kim Howell, she's a "full-bred Muppet." Named after the play of the same name, Pippin auditioned several months ago for the role of "Spot" in "Shakespeare in Love."
“I just really wanted to know that my dog had auditioned for theater,” Howell said. “I didn’t have any expectation of her getting the role, but then they started asking me follow-up questions and next thing I know she got the part.”
Pippin performs in five shows between now and Aug. 1, where she brings the comic relief to the production about a young William Shakespeare who is struggling with writer's block. "Spot" runs on stage during a tense meeting with the queen, making the crowd go wild.
“Dogs aren’t in a lot of shows, so it's kind of just another magical element of the theater experience,” said Pascale Tsering, Pippin’s onstage handler.
Pippin shares the role with another dog and rehearsed for several months prior to the show. Tickets are available online for the festival, which is back in the Mary Rippon Outdoor Theater for the first time in years due to construction.
“It’s Shakespeare under the stars,” said Bud Coleman, one of the cast members who interacts with Pippin on stage. “There’s nothing to compare to it.”
#shakespeare
The Colorado Shakespeare Festival features one particularly adorable cast member this season. Her name is Pippin, and according to her mom Kim Howell, she's a "full-bred Muppet." Named after the play of the same name, Pippin auditioned several months ago for the role of "Spot" in "Shakespeare in Love."
“I just really wanted to know that my dog had auditioned for theater,” Howell said. “I didn’t have any expectation of her getting the role, but then they started asking me follow-up questions and next thing I know she got the part.”
Pippin performs in five shows between now and Aug. 1, where she brings the comic relief to the production about a young William Shakespeare who is struggling with writer's block. "Spot" runs on stage during a tense meeting with the queen, making the crowd go wild.
“Dogs aren’t in a lot of shows, so it's kind of just another magical element of the theater experience,” said Pascale Tsering, Pippin’s onstage handler.
Pippin shares the role with another dog and rehearsed for several months prior to the show. Tickets are available online for the festival, which is back in the Mary Rippon Outdoor Theater for the first time in years due to construction.
“It’s Shakespeare under the stars,” said Bud Coleman, one of the cast members who interacts with Pippin on stage. “There’s nothing to compare to it.”
#shakespeare
