Cal State Chico: The Quirky Theatre Program You Should Know About
Michelle Jace
California State University, Chico is a small and trendy university nestled up in Northern California by the Sierra Nevada mountains. A cute little hippy town, Chico, California makes the perfect location for your college years. Chico State is a public university founded in 1887 with no religious affiliation. Tuition ranges from about USD $7,000 to $18,000 annually depending on residency.
Auditions
Chico State Theatre Department holds their auditions differently than most universities. As of today, there is no audition to be accepted to the program. The idea that collegiate theatre should be educational instead of a cut throat competition with peers is strongly upheld here. Instead of a 3 minute audition determining your fate, students of the program audition every semester for a slot of shows. Spring auditions are adjudicated and students receive an audition feedback form from a panel of professionals and professors.
Off Stage Studies
For students interested in behind the scenes careers like stage management, scenic painting, lighting design, costuming, or any other specialty, opportunities to earn units while working with skilled professors are part of your coursework. While department shows are typically directed by a professor, the stage manager, crew, stitchers, builders, painters, and many of the designers are students.
Facilities & Theaters
Chico State has three gorgeous theaters on their campus: Harlen Adams Theater, Laxson Auditorium, and the black box, Larry Wismer Theater. In addition to these facilities, recital halls, recording studios, and rehearsal spaces are all part of the university.
A common measure of quality is a university’s alumni. Some noteworthy graduates of CSU Chico’s Theatre Department include:
Paige Patterson, Actor
BrainDead, Hell On Wheels
https://www.instagram.com/paigeisapeach/
Lauren Cipoletti, Actor
Cursed Child 1 & 2 OBC, Heathers
https://www.instagram.com/cipps/
M. E. Ellison, Author & Actor
https://www.instagram.com/the_me_ellison/
Whitney Thayne, Tailor, Costumer & Dresser
Hamilton Broadway
https://www.instagram.com/thayneofwhit/
Tim McDonald, Actor & Director
iTheatrics
Amanda Detmer, Actor
Drop Dead Gorgeous, Final Destination
https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0221902/
Megan Sprowls, AEA Stage Manager
Gerilyn Brault, Actor, Professor, & Director
New Village Arts
Ashley Garlick, Actor
San Jose Stage Company
https://www.instagram.com/ashgnar/
Ruth Solorzano, Actor & Model
https://www.instagram.com/ruth_solorzano_/
Heather Young, Actor & Producer
Creator of So She Slays
https://instagram.com/sosheslays/
Allison Rich, Actor & Director
San Jose Stage Company
Kelly Reynolds, Writer & Professor
Creator of Boobies And Noobies Podcast
https://instagram.com/boobiespodcast/
Kat Feller, Actor
Lamplighters Music Theatre
https://www.facebook.com/kat.feller.soprano/
Carly Bracco, Actor
Peter Pan with Cathy Rigby 2011
https://www.instagram.com/carlybracco/
Some cool things about Chico, California:
Chico is about 200 miles from the Oregon Shakespeare Festival. Long weekend road trip anyone?
The restaurants and coffee shops downtown are so delicious! Favorites include: Mom’s, Tea-Bar, Tacos Mary, and Madison Bear Garden. https://www.downtownchico.com/dine-and-drink.htm
Downtown Chico is mostly flat with bike lanes making getting around without a car easy. Students can also use their ID to take the city bus for free.
There are over 215 days a year of clear sunny skies.
Sierra Nevada has their brewery here and they happen to throw an incredible Oktoberfest. Freshman, you’ll understand when you’re older.
The university as well as the city are very green! You will find recycling, compost, and water saving tools all over campus.
Thursday Night Farmers Market is the perfect friends evening out.
The nightlife is serious fun. Keep a $20 on you and you’ll be able to get anywhere in town by cab.
Blue Room Theater is downtown and puts on some creative and quality productions.
Amtrak has a station in Downtown Chico making traveling home by train easier.
Parents… don’t worry. Pioneer Day has faded from the Chico State culture. I never saw a couch on fire. If you don’t know what I’m talking about, again, don’t worry about it.
Take a swim and spend the day at Bidwell Park for some gorgeous views of the Sierra Nevadas. https://www.downtownchico.com/bidwell-park.htm
Chico State is unique because:
CSU Chico is flexible with your degree plan. They’ll let you double major, have an unrelated minor, and take classes outside of your majors.
Chico State has a top notch gym complete with a rock wall and pool.
The university has its own 800 acre farm! Food grown there is cooked and served on campus. https://www.csuchico.edu/ag/university-farm/index.shtml
There is no graduate theater program so undergrads get all of the opportunities.
Employment opportunities within the theatre department are possible. The school has a full attached set building shop, large dressing rooms with showers and professional makeup setup, and a full costume shop. Students are employed to help build sets, paint, design, stitch, and run crew for performances renting the university theaters.
Sutter Dining Hall is only about 5 years old.
The entire campus is walkable. You can make your class on the opposite end of campus in 15 minutes so no need to worry about travel time when making your class schedule.
Chico State has earned the best score possible on the U.S. Department of Education’s College Scoreboard.
The university has a huge study abroad program. Their exchange and abroad program is ranked in the nation’s Top 10. https://www.csuchico.edu/studyabroad/
Student to professor ratio is 23:1 for the university as a whole, but the theatre department classes are typically a much smaller ratio. Getting into required classes is rarely a problem.
This is a fabulous university worth checking out for anyone hoping to study theatre. I truly believe this school is a secret gem for performing arts students. It can be hard trying to choose a school to study theatre at and even harder to find programs outside of the typical top university list articles, so I wish you the best with your research. If you’re a current student of Chico State and have anything to share about why this program and town are special to you, please do so in the comments! Break a leg!
Photo: (Jessica Bartlett/University Photographer)