University Theatre Celebrates 25 Seasons of Love with Pulitzer and Tony Award-winning Musical

April 27, 2022.Reading time 6 minutes.

Students rehearse for "Rent" in the University Theatre.

The acclaimed and influential musical makes its Fresno State University Theatre debut on May 6th. Under the direction of J. Daniel Herring, the production features a cast of 20 Fresno State students, alumni, and community members.

Absurdist comedy ‘Mad Gravity’ presented by student-run theatre company

April 5, 2022.Reading time 4 minutes.

Mad Gravity in painted lettering with upside-down shoes and golf club

Fresno State’s Experimental Theatre Company presents “Mad Gravity” written by William Missouri Downs and directed by Fresno State student, Krishan Joshi.

Dance ensemble presents first in-person program in two years

February 14, 2022.Reading time 3 minutes.

The Contemporary Dance Ensemble performing.

Experience six new entertaining and thought-provoking dance works at the Contemporary Dance Ensemble’s spring concert, “Not What It Seems.” The show represents the artistic work of four choreographers, twelve talented dancers and numerous behind-the-scenes artistic collaborators.

University Dance Theatre presents the first in-person dance concert in two years

November 16, 2021.Reading time 3 minutes.

White and yellow silhouettes of three dancers on a black speckled background

Fresno State’s University Dance Theatre (UDT) will present “From the Top,” a student-produced and choreographed dance concert, under the artistic direction of Kenneth Balint. Performances are at 8 p.m. Nov. 18–20, 2021 and 2 p.m. Nov. 20 at the Lab School 101 Theatre.

Live theatre makes a welcome return to Fresno State

October 27, 2021.Reading time 5 minutes.

Cassidy is on stage, and several reflections of herself can be seen in the mirrors before her.

Theatre is a unique art form in that it only exists at the moment it is being created. No other art form relies so heavily on the audience. A single person or multiple people can view paintings, but the impact of the piece remains the same because it is a tangible art piece.

Feminist thriller ‘Man of God’ features first all Asian American cast

September 23, 2021.Reading time 4 minutes.

A priest stands in front of four young women in fighting poses.

Fresno State’s University Theatre will presents its first in-person production of the 2021-22 Mainstage season with “Man of God,” written by Anna Ouyang Moench and directed by Thomas-Whit Ellis. It is the first University Theatre production written by an Asian American playwright for an entirely Asian American cast.

University Theatre returns to face-to-face performances for 2021/22 mainstage season

August 6, 2021.Reading time 9 minutes.

Photo from the back of the University Theatre overlooking the audience and looking onto the stage.

The season offers a diverse range of work from seasoned playwrights and young, up-and-coming playwrights.

Theatre students win national acting awards

June 7, 2021.Reading time 7 minutes.

Arium Andrews and Jimmy Haynie in "Fat Pig"

The winners of all eight regional festivals typically travel to Washington, D.C. to compete at the National Festival at the Kennedy Center. However, due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the festival had to be postponed.

‘All in the Timing’ streams levity to your screen

June 1, 2021.Reading time 4 minutes.

Woman holds a book with a cup of coffee while looking at a young man in a weird flex pose. All in front of an absurdly colorful background.

“Emerging from this pandemic, it just felt right to me to present a bit of fun layered with some serious notes, but not too serious.” ~ J Daniel Herring.

Emmy-winning production designer Roy Christopher leaves lasting impact in theatre arts

February 25, 2021.Reading time 6 minutes.

Roy Christopher, a Fresno State alumnus and 10-time Emmy-winning production designer and art director, died of natural causes on Feb. 2 at his home in West Hollywood. He was 85. His credits include decades of work on Oscar, Tony, Emmy and Grammy award broadcasts.

Message from the Dean

All of us in the College of Arts and Humanities hope that you and yours are doing well!

Our faculty have been hard at work, and our college’s students and alumni are pursuing their dreams in a wide variety of fields. We are excited to embark on a new venture with the creation of the M.K. Gandhi Center: Inner Peace and Sarvodaya. Thanks to a generous gift from the Ravi and Naina Patel Foundation, our campus and community will experience courses and programming dedicated to Gandhian peacemaking and upliftment of everyone in society. We hope you will join us at future events.

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