Watching William Shakespeare’s plays come to life is a bit like walking into a dark room. The longer someone is immersed, the more everything comes into focus.

Montana Shakespeare in the Schools, a branch of Montana Shakespeare in the Parks and an outreach program of Montana State University's College of Arts and Architecture, shares this analogy with middle and high school students before each performance of “Richard III.”

From October to December, the 33-year-old program will bring the production and workshops to 50 schools across Montana and Wyoming, including many that are rural and without theater programs. It is one of the oldest Shakespeare companies in the U.S.

“It feels like a gift as opposed to seeing this fancy Shakespeare production at a fancy theater and sitting quietly, no

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