Category Archives: THEATRE

Luis Valdez Returns to SJSU with New Show

Check out an exciting new revue  by playwright Luis Valdez — Corridos The Remix: The New American Musical — which is the first play to be mounted at the former San Jose Repertory Theatre, now the beautifully refurbished Hammer Theatre.

Performances are November 8-12; 11-$21; www.sjsu.edu/trft.

For more information, see the article in the San Jose Mercury News.

Portrait of San Jose State University alumni and playwright Luis Valdez at the Teatro Campesino in San Juan Batista on April 5, 2007. Valdez is one of the San Jose State University alumni featured in the San Jose State University 150th Anniversary alumni interview section. (Joanne Ho-Young Lee/Mercury News)

Portrait of San Jose State University alumni and playwright Luis Valdez at the Teatro Campesino in San Juan Batista on April 5, 2007. Valdez is one of the San Jose State University alumni featured in the San Jose State University 150th Anniversary alumni interview section. (Joanne Ho-Young Lee/Mercury News)

 

What We Did This Summer

THE YELLOW WALLPAPER

THE YELLOW WALLPAPER

Spartan Films teamed with the TRFT department to produce the short film The Yellow Wallpaper. Based on the 1892 short story of the same name by Charlotte Perkins Gilman, it tells the tale of Eleanor, a young woman who struggles with postpartum depression. However, when her over-protective husband refuses to recognize her illness, he locks her in a room in their new Victorian mansion. Slowly, Eleanor loses sight of her sanity, and the patterns in the room’s yellow wallpaper begin to come to life.

The TRFT YELLOW WALLPAPER Team

The TRFT YELLOW WALLPAPER Team

“The Yellow Wallpaper” is an old story. and it has been adapted for film and stage many times. However, this film’s approach is different in that it does not over-emphasize the horror and thriller elements which sometime downplay the crucial message of female subjugation. Instead, the time period has been updated to the 1950s, not only to make it more accessible to contemporary audiences but also because that decade represented a period in which many women’s roles were also circumscribed by certain oppressive cultural norms.

The film is now in post-production.

Kaucher Mitchell Mathis-Swanson Celebrates 122nd Event

KMMS_122Beverly Mathis-Swanson writes:

After a thrilling, chilling and stunning performance by Lauren Doyle, Kaucher Mitchell Mathis-Swanson finalists: Elizabeth Gibbons, Roslyn Murtha, Megan Ashley Johansen, William Gaoiran Jr., Cheyenne Ismailciuc, Jessica Jay, Jessica Osegueda, Victor Pham, Joseph Soto-Hockenberry, and Mandy Tamrocked the house! Sanchez Michaels was fabulous with his legendary performance, as Lauren Doyle gracefully lead the packed house through our 122nd. event. Congratulations to all and our winners: Roslyn Murtha andJessica Osegueda! Keep on rockin’ on, all y’ all! Cheers!

Kudos to The Bev, all her students, finalists, and winners!

New Theatre Arts Scholarships Awarded

TRFT Chair David Kahn writes:scholarships

I’m happy to announce the awarding of two external scholarships I secured this year.  Based on a preselection of finalists and an impressive set of audition/interviews yesterday, the committee from the Rossmoor Retirement Community Theatre group awarded a $2000 scholarship to Yoshi Asai and a $1750 scholarship to Alex Draa.  The other finalists, Dani Issa and Will Corkery, were also impressive and the committee was genuinely sorry they couldn’t award all four.  The $2000 Wilcox Scholarship will be awarded on an annual basis to a qualified ongoing theatre student.

Kudos to Professor Kahn for his hard work on behalf of the Department and its students, and congratulations to the winners and finalists!