Theater review: Fresno City College’s ‘I and You’ is intimate, funny and quietly devastating
By Manjot Dhanda
It starts with a boy showing up uninvited and a girl who clearly doesn’t want him there.
From the chaotic entrance, Fresno City College’s Theatre Department production of “I and You,” directed by Janine Christl, immediately pulls the audience into a fast moving, sharply funny exchange that never quite settles down. What begins as an awkward high school project between two strangers quickly evolves into something more personal and far more emotional. (In a departure from Fresno City College’s schedule in the past, the production, which opened March 19, only played for one weekend.)
Caroline is a housebound high school student, stuck at home due to illness, when Anthony shows up unannounced to work on their Walt Whitman assignment. The entire play unfolds inside her bedroom, a space filled with books, schoolwork and the quiet signs of someone who has been living within the same four walls for far too long.
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When Anthony, played by Alex Gonzalez, bursts into Caroline’s room, the energy is immediate and overwhelming in the best way. It is a standout moment that sets the tone for a dynamic that feels unpredictable from the start. Audrey Allen plays Caroline as sharp, guarded and hilariously blunt. She pushes back against Anthony’s relentless optimism and determination, and their back and forth keeps the audience engaged.
Laughter fills the Studio Theatre throughout the performance, with Caroline’s humor landing especially well. Allen’s performance is particularly impressive given that this is her first production with Fresno City College. She balances sarcasm with vulnerability, making Caroline feel both distant and deeply human. Opposite her, Gonzalez brings a steady determination to Anthony, a character whose persistence slowly reveals emotional depth beneath his upbeat exterior.
What makes this production stand out is how effectively it uses its space. The Studio Theatre’s smaller stage works in the show’s favor by creating a sense of closeness that mirrors the play’s central themes. (Christina McCollam-Martinez did the scenic and lighting design, with Johnny Cano and Chris Lang listed as technical directors.) The set feels grounded and realistic, placing the audience directly inside Caroline’s world, while the lighting design enhances emotional shifts without ever pulling focus. Everything works together in a way that feels intentional.
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But “I and You” is not just about witty dialogue or strong performances. Beneath the humor is a story about connection and the fear of what might happen if we allow ourselves to form it. The play carries a clear message about human connection and not letting the fear of death keep you from living. That tension is a critical part of who Caroline is. She keeps people at a distance even as she slowly starts to let someone in.
And then, without warning, the play shifts.
What seems like a simple story about two classmates working on a project becomes something far more layered and emotionally complex. The ending, best experienced without prior knowledge, reframes everything that came before it. It does not just surprise you. It asks you to reconsider every interaction, every line, every moment of connection you have just witnessed.
That is what makes the show stick. Christl’s direction trusts the moment and lets the emotion land without over-explaining it. By the end, it is not just the humor or the performances you remember, but the feeling it leaves you with.
At its core, “I and You” is about connection, how easy it is to lose, how much we need it and how even a brief one can change you.
