Alumni in the Arts

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Kevin’s Gone Public!

Jesuit Drama alum Kevin Landis ‘96 (Macbeth, My Fair Lady, Ten November) has published a book on New York’s Public Theatre under the leadership of Oskar Eustis.

“Informative and very readable … [an] excellent overview of an iconic theatre.” ―British Theatre Guide

To get his wonderful book, click here.

Congratulations, Kevin!  We’re so proud of you.

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Richard’s Entertaining Again

Sactown Magazine interviews Broadway Sacramento CEO Richard Lewis (and Jesuit Drama Alum parent) about “raising the curtain” after the COVID shutdown.

To read the interview, click here.

Jesuit Magazine Fall 21/22

Notable Black Box Theater Alumni

Students from both St. Francis and Jesuit High Schools who participated in drama productions over the years have gone on to make impacts in the industry professionally. Here are some of them:

Jesuit Magazine Fall 21/22

55th Anniversary Season
Jesuit Drama 1966–2022

The Little Theatre: 34 Years

62 Plays

1966-67  J.B.

1967-68 A Man for All Seasons | Dramatic Arts Festival

1968-69 Tom Jones

1969-70 Once in a Lifetime

1970-71 A Midsummer Night’s Dream

1971-72 The Fantastiks

1972-73 The Night Thoreau Spent in Jail | Look at Me, Look at You

1973-74 All My Sons | How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying

1974-75 The Odd Couple | A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum

1975-76 The Time of Your Life | The Fantastiks

1976-77 Boy Meets Girl | The Sword of Rengarth

1977-78 God’s Favorite

1978-79 Don’t Drink the Water | Damn Yankees

1979-80 Ten Little Indians | Where’s Charley

1980-81 Something’s Afoot | Man of La Mancha

1981-82 Bleacher Bums

1982-83 Twelve Angry Men | Once Upon a Mattress

1983-84 The Man Who Came to Dinner | A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum

1984-85 Our Town | The Music Man

1985-86 Inherit the Wind | Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat

1986-87 A Midsummer Night’s Dream | Fiddler on the Roof

1987-88 The Elephant Man | Little Shop of Horrors

1988-89 A Christmas Carol | Anything Goes

1989-90 A Man for All Seasons | Grease

1990-91 One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest | Into the Woods

1991-92 Reckless | Ten November

1992-93 Macbeth | My Fair Lady

1993-94 Henry IV, Part I | Guys and Dolls

1994-95 The Sting | Brigadoon

1995-96 God’s Country | Once Upon a Mattress

1996-97 The Dining Room | How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying

1997-98 American Gothic | A History of Jesuit’s Musicals

1998-99 Rehearsal for Murder | Camelot

1999-2000 You Can’t Take It With You | All American

The Black Box Theater: 21 Years

48 Plays

2000-01 The Visit | Little Shop of Horrors

2001-02 An Evening of One Acts | The Wonderful Wizard of Oz

2002-03 Other Places | You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown

2003-04 A Few Good Men | Bat Boy

2004-05 The Princess Bride | MOVE!

2005-06 The Laramie Project | Aladdin, Jr.

2006-07 Heaven Can Wait | Urinetown

2007-08 Hamlet | Sweeney Todd

2008-09 Achilles in America | FLOPS! | We’ll Be Fine

2009-10 The Three Musketeers | The Frogs | Hansel and Gretel

2010-11 Tower Stories: A 9/11 Project | Cats | Scooby Doo & The Mystery of the Haunted Library

2011-12 Imago Dei: Journeys of Courage, Hope & Home | Hello, Dolly!

2012-13 Theophilus North | MOVE2

2013-14 Romeo & Juliet | Beauty & The Beast | Alone Together

2014-15 The Encyclopedia of Early Earth | Once on this Island

2015-16 Terror Stories: A Post-9/11 Project | Xanadu

2016-17 44 Plays for 44 Presidents | I Carry You in my Heart | Spamalot

2017-18 Isaiah Says | Willy Wonka

2018-19 The Elephant Man | We Need Some Light

2019-20 In the Matter of Scott Warren | Move3!

2020-21 Show. (And Tell.) | “The Show Must Go On!”

2021-22 WHAT?!?!? A Game Show

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Riley Readies for Premiere of New Show
Catch "Doom Patrol" on the DC Universe Premium Service

Former Jesuit President Fr. Gregory R. Bonfiglio, S.J., gave Riley Shanahan ’10 some advice early on in his Jesuit career:

“You aren’t getting the most out of your high school experience if you show up at 8 AM and leave at 3 PM.”

For a guy like Shanahan, who didn’t know if he would be attending Jesuit High School until a week before classes started, those words struck a chord.

Shanahan went on to play sports, become Head Cheerleader, and, perhaps most impactful for his future, he got involved with theater and choir.

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Jake’s in “American Idiot”

Jake Honnold ‘17 (Spamalot, 44 Plays for 44 Presidents, Xanadu, Terror Stories) was just featured in the hit musical American Idiot at the Harlen Adams Theater at Chico State:  “We closed last Sunday and it was an amazing run!”

Congrats, Jake!

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The Black Knight in the News

Monty Python’s Black Knight and Arthur from Spamalot have hacked their way in to the news from the pen of political cartoonist Joe Heller.

And, original Python John Cleese loves it!

Our thanks to cartoonist Joe Heller for sending us his cartoon, as well as the tweet Cleese sent him.

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Poky Pride in the Black Box

On Wednesday, March 22, eighty-five students of the Pocatello High School Choir from Pocatello, Idaho, took a break from their west coast singing tour and stopped by the Black Box Theater to catch a performance of Spamalot.

After the show, their director, Mr. John Grayson, treated the cast and audience to an impromptu song.

It was a great night, and after the cast changed out of their costumes, the singing continued in the lobby!

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Riley’s Possessed

This spring, Riley O’Toole ‘10 (Three Musketeers, Frogs) stars as Jason/Tyrone in Hand to God, Robert Askins’ Tony nominated “Best Play” at the Salt Lake Acting Company.

This wild comedy “explores ideas of faith, morality and human nature with the help of a hand puppet named Tyrone.”

Break a leg, Riley!

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Riley’s in Print

Check out the American Theatre magazine article that features Riley Shanahan ‘10 playing Ernest Hemingway in Seattle’s Book-It Repertory Theatre adaptation of Hemingway’s novel A Moveable Feast.

Congrats, Riley!