Riverside Shakespeare Festival Poster Design in Traverse City, Michigan
Here’s a poster we created for the Riverside Shakespeare Festival in Traverse City, Michigan — a project that brought together classic theatrical tradition and a distinctly Northern Michigan setting.
Poster design has always been one of our favorite forms of graphic work. It sits at the intersection of storytelling, typography, and visual impact — a single piece that has to capture attention, convey mood, and communicate essential details all at once. So when we were asked to design the official poster for Northern Michigan’s Riverside Shakespeare Festival, we were immediately all in.
The featured production was The Taming of the Shrew, performed outdoors along the Boardman River in Traverse City. That setting played a big role in how we approached the design. This was not a traditional indoor theater experience — it was something more organic, more atmospheric, and deeply tied to place. We wanted the poster to reflect that sense of timelessness meeting the natural world.
Drawing from History
For visual inspiration, we looked to classic Renaissance-era illustrations and eventually landed on a striking vintage image of a gentleman that felt both theatrical and grounded in the period. From there, we began shaping the composition — refining the image, adjusting contrast, and introducing texture to give it a slightly weathered, almost archival feel. The goal was to make it look like something that could have existed centuries ago, while still feeling bold and immediate today.
Typography was just as important. We drew from the historical fonts used by the Globe Theatre in England, echoing the way Shakespeare’s plays were originally announced and promoted. These letterforms carry a certain authority and familiarity, even if viewers do not consciously recognize them — they instantly signal Shakespeare in a subtle but powerful way.
A Classic Look with Modern Energy
To bring everything together, we introduced a strong, intentional use of color — most notably a vivid red accent that cuts through the otherwise classic palette. That contrast gives the piece energy and focus, helping it stand out both in print and on screen while still honoring the traditional aesthetic.
The final result is a poster that feels rooted in history but alive in the present — something that reflects both the spirit of Shakespeare and the unique experience of watching live theater along the river in Northern Michigan.
A Great Northern Michigan Theater Experience
If you ever have the chance to attend the Riverside Shakespeare Festival in Traverse City, it is absolutely worth it. The combination of performance, setting, and community creates something special — a reminder that great storytelling does not just live on the page, but in the places we gather to experience it together.
