Thanks to the generous support of our donors, we’ve been able to fund 72% of our goal over the course of our 30-day campaign, which will provide an extensive experience for students in NYC! 

We look forward to sharing our adventure with you after the new year. Wishing you the best of the holiday season, and, as always, thank you so much for your support!

This has been a very successful campaign – made possible by the generous support of our donors. In total, we’ve been able to fund 68% of our goal! 

As a result, our students will land in NYC with plenty of support and an itinerary chalk full of exciting productions, professional-development opportunities, and exposure to a life-changing few days:

• 6 cutting-edge theatre productions throughout the city

• Post-show discussions with cast and crews of various productions

• Walking tours of New York neighborhoods

• Group dinners

• An alumni networking session

• Designated professional-development time for interviews and research

As we approach the end of our official campaign, I’d like to focus all remaining efforts and attention on how best to support those students affected by the recent Camp, Woolsey and Hill wildfires in California. The Cal Poly Cares Spur Change Campaign will provide funds for students who have been affected and will provide resources to those who have had their home and financial situation changed drastically as a result of the fires. A gift of any amount to Cal Poly Cares will go directly to the students affected and will make a significant difference for them and their families as they heal through this unimaginably difficult time.

As you’ve shown your generosity to us, we hope that you can help this cause by spreading the word to those in your network. 

Wishing you the best of the holiday season, and, as always, thank you so much for your support!

Another week down and we’re getting closer. The generous support of our donors so far has put us at 68% of our goal! 

In addition to the exciting and diverse productions that have been booked as part of the Under the Radar Festival (see update #1), we’ve also been able to utilize funding up-to-date to secure seats for the St. Ann’s Warehouse American premiere of The Jungle.

“Meet the hopeful, resilient residents of The Jungle – the short-lived, self-governing society that emerged within a sprawling refugee camp in Calais, France. Take a seat in an Afghan Café, where men, women and children fleeing war and persecution created a world offering warm hospitality amidst squalor and danger. After taking London by storm, The Jungle transforms St. Ann’s Warehouse into this ‘devastating, uplifting show’ (The Guardian) about ‘a story we need to hear’ (Time Out London).”

Another exciting development (via support from our donors) is the ability to also treat all of the students to a first night dinner at the world-famous Lombardi’s Pizzeria in New York’s Little Italy. What a wonderful way, after a long cross-country flight, to be introduced to the taste of the city.

With 13 days left in the campaign, we’re still looking to make our big push towards the goal of 100% raised.

You can help by spreading the word to those in your network about this exciting opportunity for Cal Poly

Theatre Students. Stay tuned for additional updates about the other experiences that these students will be

doing while in New York. And, as always, thanks for your support!

It has been a terrific start for our Under the Radar Festival Project campaign. Through the generous support of initial donors, as well as the foundational seed money provided through the Student-Industry Engagement Grant (sponsored by CLA and the Theatre and Dance Department), we’ve raised 66% of our goal!

As a result, the students’ experience in New York is beginning to take shape; the group is booked to see some exciting & diverse productions that were recently announced as part of the Under the Radar Festival. Here is the list so far:

HEAR WORD! NAIJA WOMAN TALK TRUE is inspired by multi-generational stories of inequality and transformation. Staged by director and writer Ifeoma Fafunwa, the show grapples with the issues affecting the lives of women across Nigeria, and the factors that limit their potential for independence, leadership, and meaningful contribution in society. Combining song and dance with intimate portraits of resilience and resistance, the show celebrates women who have broken the culture of silence, challenged the status quo, and moved beyond barriers to achieve solutions. Featuring a cast of leading Nigerian actresses (Taiwo Ajai-Lycett, Joke Silva, Ufuoma McDermott, Elvina Ibru, Omonor, Zara Udofia-Ejoh, Rita Edward, Debbie Ohiri, and Odenike) as well as percussionists Emeka Anokwuru and Blessing Idireri.

FRANKENSTEIN by Manual Cinema – Love, loss, and creation merge in unexpected ways in this thrilling classic gothic tale conceived by Manual Cinema. Stories of Mary Shelley, Victor Frankenstein, and his Monster expose how the forces of family, community, and education shape personhood—or destroy it by their absence. Internationally-renowned multimedia company Manual Cinema stitches together the classic story of FRANKENSTEIN with Mary Shelley’s own biography to create an unexpected story about the beauty and horror of creation. Manual Cinema combines handmade shadow puppetry, cinematic techniques, and innovative sound and music to create immersive visual stories for stage and screen.

MINOR CHARACTER by New Saloon – New Saloon’s irreverent mashup of English-language translations of Uncle Vanya – from the dusty 1916 edition to Google Translate’s profoundly whack results – is a kaleidoscopic amplification of Chekhov's depressing comedy. Each character is interpreted by multiple actors and through multiple translations, in an athletic attempt to say one true thing. “I’ve been made a complete fool,” Vanya says, “foolishly betrayed,” Vanya agrees, “stupidly cheated,” Vanya clarifies.

With 28 days left in the campaign, there is still time to spread the word and raise awareness about this exciting opportunity for Cal Poly Theatre Students. We can’t wait to provide more updates about the additional new and worthwhile experiences that these students will be doing while in New York. Stay tuned for more.