Weekend pick: ‘I and You’ opens at Fresno City College
By Manjot Dhanda
Fresno City College Theatre is in the opening weekend of “I and You,” a play by Lauren Gunderson, which runs through March 25 at the college’s Studio Theatre.
The story follows two high school students, Anthony and Caroline, who are brought together by an English assignment on Walt Whitman’s “Leaves of Grass.” When Anthony shows up at Caroline’s house to work on the project, the two begin talking and getting to know each other on a deeper level. Caroline has been homebound due to illness and hasn’t been to school in months, while Anthony comes across as outgoing and athletic. As they work through the assignment, their conversation starts to reveal more about their lives and experiences.
The play mixes humor with more serious moments and touches on themes like youth, illness and the ways people connect with one another.
Director Janine Christl said that the play’s message feels especially relevant today.
“In a time when our country feels more divided than ever, ‘I and You’ reminds us of something Walt Whitman understood long ago, we contain multitudes. We are not as separate as we think. This play asks us to see each other again, not as strangers, but as irrevocably intertwined,” Christl said.
Performances of “I and You” will take place March 19 and March 21 at 7:30 p.m., March 20 and March 23 at 12 p.m., March 22 at 2 p.m., and March 24 and March 25 at 10 a.m. All performances will be held in the Studio Theatre at Fresno City College.
Tickets cost $14 for general admission, $12 for students, staff and seniors, and $8 for groups of 10 or more.
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