See a play, take a hike It's the same with Arts in the Open

Over the next eight weekends, if you find yourself hiking around Chautauqua and see a group of about 30 hikers following a handful of costumed actors dressed as characters from Alice in Wonderland, don't worry . It’s just the Arts in the Open 2024 trailside theater ride you stumbled upon.

Every summer and fall, the Littleton-based theater troupe encourages comedians, hikers and anyone looking to satisfy their daily exposure to vitamin D to join a trailside adventure merging the performing arts and the great spaces.

This summer, Arts in the Open presents an adaptation of Lewis Carrol's classic, Alice in Wonderland.

The piece takes place during a roughly two-mile-long loop hike on the trails of Chautauqua Park. During the hike, participants can expect to stop about five times to watch five different scenes unfold in sequence. At the end of the three kilometers, the audience will be adequately entertained and will be 4,000 steps closer to their daily walking goals.

Hikers can choose to bring a picnic blanket, a rack, or, for a truly luxurious experience, bring a portable camping chair.

Arts in the Open board member and show director Mary Schaugh says the theater hikes perfectly embody life in Boulder.

“Someone once told me, 'This is the most amazing thing you can do in Boulder.' And I completely agree: it’s theater, it’s hiking, and it’s quintessential Boulder. Anyone who loves the outdoors will love this, even if they don't necessarily like the theater. And vice versa: Anyone who is not a big hiker will still have fun on our theater hike, because you are so entertained that you barely realize you are hiking,” Schaugh said.

While the hike is extremely doable and enjoyable for spectators, the actors and creative members of the production face a somewhat greater challenge when it comes to pulling off a smooth theatrical hike.

“After each scene, cast members must run ahead of the audience to get to the next filming location in plenty of time to be ready for the next scene. The actors run around in full makeup, wigs, long skirts and heavy costumes, all under the full Colorado summer sun. And because the cast is so small, most of the cast members play multiple roles, which means there has to be a quick costume change before the crowd arrives,” Schaugh said.

To make it easier to navigate rocky terrain while wearing bulky costumes, actors often choose to wear their hiking boots.

As for the creative team members, before each play goes into production, the director must go out and scout out the stage locations on the trail that best fit the mood and ambiance of the current piece – sometimes walking the same trail over and over again to get the locations just right.

“One year we did a show that was set in a post-apocalyptic time, so I had to find locations that weren't so pretty and kind of dark,” Schaugh said. “This year, luckily, the action takes place in Wonderland, so all the filming locations are beautiful.”

Most theater treks go off without a hitch, Schaugh says, but in some cases, Mother Nature can intervene.

“Some years it rained unexpectedly. Other times we've seen off-leash dogs rush onto a scene and start barking madly. Our actors learn to have a certain level of flexibility so that when things inevitably happen, they can roll with the punches and get things done,” Schaugh said.

Highlights of this summer's production of Alice in Wonderland include an animated script adaptation, stunning sword fighting, innovative costumes, and a big twist that we don't want to spoil: you'll just 'to put on your hiking shoes. in order to find out.

Be sure to catch the outdoor magic that is Arts in the Open's production of Alice in Wonderland this summer at Chautauqua Park. Tickets are $21 and can be purchased online at cca-internet.choicecrm.net/ChoiceCRM.NET/templates/CCA/index.php?prod=EAWTHALL#/events.