San Diego State University Celebrates Its 100th Season of Theatre
SDSU’s School of Theatre, Television, and Film announces its 100th Season, featuring special events and shows ranging from Shakespeare to “Seussical.”
Theatre at San Diego State University traces its roots to 1914, but the program took shape in 1926, when Sybil Eliza Jones established a regular drama program and directed the first full season of faculty-led productions. That landmark 1926-27 season marks the centennial being celebrated this year.
From the Little Theatre on Montezuma Mesa, established in 1931, to the opening of the Dramatic Arts complex in 1967, SDSU theatre continued to grow. Its evolution included the development of Theatre for Young Audiences launched by Margaret McKarrow in 1971, the CSU system’s first MFA in Design and Technical Theatre in 1978, and the nation’s first—and now only—MFA in Musical Theatre established in 1982.
In 2023, SDSU raised the curtain on its new Performing Arts District (PAD), opening another dynamic chapter for the university’s nationally recognized programs in performance, design and technology, musical theatre and theatre education. The PAD includes the Main Stage Theatre, the new Prebys Stage, a flexible theatre space, and the open-air Lamden and Clay stages.
Notable alumni of SDSU theatre include Gregory Peck, Cleavon Little, Marion Ross, Carl Weathers, Kathy Najimy, Julie Kavner, and three-time Tony Award-winning costume designer Gregg Barnes, reflecting the program’s far-reaching impact.
The dynamic season of plays selected for the 100th season includes Andrew Lippa’s “The Wild Party,” and “The Maids” by Jean Genet, a soon-to-be-announced new Broadway comedy, the theatre for young audiences’ version of the musical “Seussical,” and Shakespeare’s “King Lear” starring Randy Reinholz in the title role.
In addition, the school will present anExploration Series of four staged readings, in collaboration with local theatre companies, and has been chosen as one of only 55 venues granted to host the 2026-2027 Albertine Cinémathèque French Film Festival.
Several special fundraising events are also planned to celebrate the history and alumni of the SDSU theatre program.
Tickets can be purchased at https://ttf.sdsu.edu/calendar.
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