Theatre Arts Program
Welcome to the Spring 2025 Semester!
An essay on the author:
Juana Inés de Asbaje y Ramirez de Santillana was born in the mid-17th century, in San Miguel Nepantla, near Mexico City, when it was New Spain. The illegitimate child of a Spanish military man and a criolla woman, she was raised in the hacienda of her grandfather. There, she has access to a vast library and, in a time in which girls and women were not allowed to be educated, she taught herself to read and studied various subjects.
In the mid-1660s, the influence of her family gained her a position in the Spanish royal court, where she received as much attention and admiration for her intelligence as her beauty. The Viceroy arranged for the teenage Juana to be tested by the most learned men, who questioned her on every subject from literature and philosophy to science and religion; Juana passed with impressive thoroughness and thoughtfulness.
After refusing multiple marriage proposals, she entered the convent of Sán Jeronimo. There, she had the largest library on the continent, where she continued her studies. Her parlor is still a subject of fascination, where she hosted dinner parties for Spanish nobility and was visited by other important figures of the day, including the Vicereine, Leonor, with whom she maintained a close relationship. She taught theatre and music to the children of the village.
She wrote poetry and plays, and composed music. Though most of her writing was sacred, including plays commissioned for Catholic observances, much of her work was secular. The Church was not pleased. In 1694, she was ordered to write only religious works. Her library was emptied, her possessions – scientific tools and gifts from her many friends and admirers – were confiscated and carted off. She was put into a cell, then made to sign a document, in blood, beginning with the words, “Yo la peor de todos,” / “I, the worst of all…” Soon after, a plague swept through Mexico. In caring for the other nuns, Sor Juana fell ill and died on April 17, 1695; she was in her 40s.
Sor Juana’s legacy lives on as the first published feminist of the “New World,” and “the first Latin American thinker to raise questions concerning the status of women in Latin American society.”
Students enrolled in Theatre Degrees gain self-confidence, creativity and teamwork skills through class projects and performances. Theatre encourages students to take risks, to focus and concentrate, and teaches the tremendous power of personal commitment to a project or play. Studying theatre at the college environment allows us to create and learn through a shared artistic experience, and the creation and performance of theatre is an important cultural and social link between Gavilan College and the South Valley Communities.
Open communication, collaboration, creativity, flexible thinking and personal integrity are core values of the Theatre Arts Program at Gavilan College.
Why Study Theatre?
Studying Theatre gives us greater insights into ourselves and the lives of others. It allows us to find our own inner identity, and allows us to change ourselves, using our own personal experiences to create new characters and experiences. Theatre teaches the skills of flexible thinking, focus, creativity, concentration, commitment and teamwork – valuable life skills students can apply to any aspect of their lives or careers.
Students completing the AAs or AA-T in Theatre Arts are prepared to transfer to four-year College programs in Theatre. Gavilan College Theatre Arts students have successfully transferred to and completed BA degrees in Theatre at San Jose State, Cal State Hayward, San Francisco State, several Private Universities such as BYU, and the University of California system including: U.C. Santa Cruz, U.C. Davis and U.C. Berkeley.
Please check out the Student Success Stories to see some of their accomplishments.
Past Productions:
Sister Fox & Brother Coyote and other Folk Tales
Shows for this full-length, Disney-licensed, Broadway-style theatre production are scheduled to take place from July 28-Aug. 13, 2023 (7:30pm and 1pm) at Gavilan’s Gilroy campus Theater Building. It’s presented by The Christopher Ranch Foundation, Broadway South Bay, Little Theatre Productions and Gavilan; tickets are $25-$50. More information is here: https://broadwaysouthbay.com/
Dean of Student Learning, Equity, and Student Success for Arts, Humanities, Social Sciences
Noah Lystrup
408-848-4702
nlystrup@gavilan.edu
Division Assistant
Cecilia Ghiorzi
Division Assistant: Arts, Humanities, Social Science & STEM
Social Sciences Building Room 116
5055 Santa Teresa Blvd.
Gilroy, CA 95020
(408) 848-4701