By Miguel Gastelum
University Theatre is pleased to present “Anon(ymous)”, written by Naomi Iizuka. This Fresno premiere is directed by Gina Sandí-Díaz and runs October 4 – 12, 2019 in the Dennis & Cheryl Woods Theatre in the Speech Arts building on the campus of Fresno State.
Tickets are $17 for adults; $15 for Fresno State faculty, staff, alumni and military; and $10 for all students. Children under 5 not admitted. Group rates are available for groups of 20 or more. Box office hours are noon to 4 p.m. on weekdays and one hour before each performance.
Separated from his mother, a young refugee called “Anon” journeys through the United States, encountering a wide variety of people — some kind, some dangerous and cruel — as he searches for his family. From a sinister one-eyed butcher to beguiling barflies to a sweatshop, Anon must navigate through a chaotic, ever-changing landscape in this entrancing adaptation of Homer’s Odyssey.
“My concept for this show is based on the anti-immigration sentiment we are experiencing today in the US,” says Sandí-Díaz. “Anon is one of the hundreds of children living today at the detention centers, separated from his family and his land. He feels threatened, unwelcomed and on edge in a country that was meant to welcome and shelter him. This is an epic play filled with fantasy, adventure, and a dose of harsh reality.”
The central character of Anon is played by Fresno State Theatre major and first-generation American, Cha Yang.
“My mom is an immigrant from Thailand; when she arrived with my seven older siblings, they had nothing but the clothes on their backs and each other, but she was determined to make America home for all of them,” says Yang. “Not long after that, I was born, and my younger brother followed. Growing up, we didn’t have very much, and for that reason, my mom always put family and the idea of ‘home,’ first. This where I find that I connect with Anon the most. Along Anon’s journey, he meets many people and faces many challenges, but the one thing that Anon always keeps in his heart is his mom and the home that he’s associated with her.”
The cast of Fresno State students also includes Cecilia Cantu, Saywa Chuji, Rodolfo Robles Cruz, Michael S. Flores, Alexis Gonzalez, Teya Juarez, Cassidy LeClair, Madeline Nelson, Daniel Serrano, and Andrew Trevino.
October 4 – 5 & October 8 – 12 performances begin at 7:30 p.m., and October 6 performance begins at 2:00 p.m. Latecomers will not be permitted.
Parking is free for shows on Friday through Sunday night. For shows on Tuesday through Thursday night, parking permits are required and can be purchased at dispensers in parking lots on campus.
For more information, contact the box office at 559.278.2216 or universitytheatre@csufresno.edu.
The College of Arts and Humanities at Fresno State 