By Miguel A Gastelum, Communication Specialist/Box Office Manager
Fresno State’s University Theatre will present the final production of its 2024/25 Mainstage Season, “The Sins of Sor Juana,” written by Karen Zacarías and directed by Gina Sandí-Díaz.
Performances are at 7:30 p.m. May 2 – 3 and May 6 – 10 and 2 p.m. Sunday, May 4 at the John W. Wright Theatre. Tickets are $20 for adults, $18 for Fresno State faculty, staff, alumni and military and $10 for all students. Children under five will not be admitted.
In collaboration with the Department of English and the Department of Modern and Classical Languages and Literatures, University Theatre will present “Poesía/Poetry” at 4 p.m., immediately following the Sunday, May 4th performance, in the John W. Wright Theatre. The event will feature poems by Juana Inés de la Cruz read in their original Spanish, as well as original poetry by students from the Creative Writing program. This is a free event, and no reservation is required.
Legendary Mexican poet Juana Inés de la Cruz writes expressive, sensual verse at the Viceroy’s court in the 1600s, a time when it was unfashionable and sinful for women to exercise their intellect. The Viceroy is jealous of Juana’s influence on his beautiful wife, the Vicereine, who has arranged a profitable marriage to ensure that Juana will always have a place in court. Believing his own marriage is threatened by Juana’s engagement, the Viceroy hires a charming, educated rogue to seduce Juana and destroy her reputation. When Juana refuses to compromise her poetry for what the church ordains appropriate, she stands to lose everything she loves.
“Considered one of Mexico’s national icons, Juana is remembered for her fierce defense of women’s right to study, for having the largest library of the New World, and for writing possibly the first feminist manifesto in her letter ‘Respuesta a Sor Filotea,’” says Sandí-Díaz. “Sor Juana’s work has been widely studied around the world, crafting a clear image of Sor Juana, the writer. This play, instead, presents us with Sor Juana, the woman. Zacarías layers history, Sor Juana’s poetry, and fantasy to show us a complex human being that, like us, is full of contradictions.”
Critics have celebrated “The Sins of Sor Juana” as a “luminous and deeply affecting” portrait of one of history’s most brilliant and enigmatic women. The Washington Post lauds it as “rich with poetic insight and biting wit,” while The Chicago Tribune calls it “an eloquent tapestry of love, intellect, and rebellion.” Zacarías brings Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz vividly to life, weaving historical fact with imaginative flair to explore the tensions between faith, feminism, and forbidden knowledge in colonial Mexico. With language both lyrical and defiant, this powerful play invites audiences into a world where passion and poetry collide with patriarchal power. A stirring, smart, and sensuous drama for anyone drawn to stories of resilience, resistance, and radical self-expression.
The production features performances from Austin Bennett, Kylie Brasseaux, Kiana Chitsazan, Thomas Estrada Jr., Angelina Fleischhacker-Ruiz, Cristian Gonzalez, Paulina Marin-Contreras, Jon Notarnicola, Jonathan Rodriguez-Escamilla, Beyonce Rodriguez-Fabela, and Jazmin Valdez.
Fresno State no longer requires masks to be worn indoors, but based on updated guidance from public health experts, the University highly recommends that all students, faculty, and staff, regardless of vaccination status, wear a surgical grade or KN95 mask indoors. Doors open 30 minutes before curtain. Latecomers will not be permitted, and there are no refunds or exchanges. The box office is open from noon to 3:00 p.m. on Tuesday – Thursday and one hour before each performance, and it accepts cash, check, or credit card payments.
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 