Lights, Sound, Action! Two Days of Drama, Direction, and Discovery at ISU’s One-Act Festival, ISU Establishes First-Ever Endowment for Theatre in Honor of Tara Young , Announcing the 2024-2025 Cultural Events Committee Grant Recipients, Inspiring Growth Through Strengths at ISU, Remembering Doris Brydon: A Legacy of Dedication, ISU School of Performing Arts Welcomes Over 700 Students to "The Little Prince", Bridging the Virtual and In-Person Divide, ISU's Interdisciplinary Approach to Simulation Training, Stepping into Lead Roles: An ISU Alumnus Takes on "Cats" and More , A Week of Accolades, Celebration, and Opportunities for ISU Theatre Students , High School One-Act Festival April 19-20 , ISU’s The Twits Delights Over 1,000 Students in Local Outreach, ROAR TOGETHER: Training to be the Real Deal, ISU Theatre Students Provide Valuable Real-World Practice for Healthcare Students, From ISU's Theatre and Dance Program to Broadway: Q and A with Actor Tito Livas, Vanessa Ballam Honored with Idaho State Journal’s Woman of Influence Award in the Arts, Idaho State University School of Performing Arts Announces Inspiring 2025–26 Season, ISU Bands: The Soundtrack of Campus Life, ISU Choirs Experience Music, Culture, and Connection in Costa Rica

EMS Simulation at Idaho State University

EMS professionals and trainees work with actors who portray accident victims for a more realistic training experience.

A group of students poses together backstage. They are in period makeup and costumes representing war characters. Some have stage makeup wounds.

Lights, Sound, Action! Two Days of Drama, Direction, and Discovery at ISU’s One-Act Festival

ISU’s annual High School One-Act Competition and Theatre Workshops brought together over 250 students from 17 high schools across Idaho for two days of creativity, collaboration, and competition.

Tara Young standing with President Wagner and Kandi Turley-Ames

ISU Establishes First-Ever Endowment for Theatre in Honor of Tara Young

Idaho State University has established the Tara Young Faculty Legacy Theatre Fund to honor Tara Young’s 20+ years of mentorship and contributions, providing scholarships for theatre students in need.

Announcing the 2024-2025 Cultural Events Committee Grant Recipients

The College of Arts and Letters is pleased to announce the recipients of the cultural events grants for the 2024-2025 academic year.

Two students holding name signs with traits and icons.

Inspiring Growth Through Strengths at ISU

Idaho State University is empowering student interns to discover and develop their unique talents through the CliftonStrengths® workshops offered on campus.

Remembering Doris Brydon: A Legacy of Dedication

Idaho State University (ISU) mourns the loss of Doris Brydon, a beloved alumna and steadfast supporter of the university, who passed away on November 26, 2024, at the age of 94.

Hundreds of elementary school students fill the auditorium seats overlooking a stage with pastel colored lighting and a large full moon.

ISU School of Performing Arts Welcomes Over 700 Students to "The Little Prince"

The Idaho State University School of Performing Arts welcomed area elementary students for a special school matinee performance of "The Little Prince" on November 19 and 20.

Selfie of Marin standing in front of the Stephen's Performing Arts Center in summer.

Bridging the Virtual and In-Person Divide

Dr. Laufenberg discusses her innovative approaches to virtual theatre education in a Q&A format. Her insights reveal how online students can experience a sense of community and connection to campus through interdisciplinary collaborations.

A student sits on a doctor's office table while talking to another student

ISU's Interdisciplinary Approach to Simulation Training

The campus of Idaho State University (ISU) will host Trajectory Consulting and Solutions, a leader in the field of simulation and training, who are set to make an on-site visit November 9 to 11. The public is invited.

Nathan performs on stage in cats costuume: he is orange striped cat with a vest and leg warmers. Other cats characters kneel around him

Stepping into Lead Roles: An ISU Alumnus Takes on "Cats" and More

From the demanding choreography of Cats to stepping into lead roles at a moment’s notice, ISU alumnus, Nathan Templeton, shares his behind-the-scenes experiences and preparation for the productions Cats, Guys and Dolls, and Little Shop of Horrors at the Utah Festival Opera.

Students and faculty building the set at the Spokane theater

A Week of Accolades, Celebration, and Opportunities for ISU Theatre Students

Twenty students and their faculty members from the Department of Theatre and Dance at ISU traveled to Spokane, WA for the Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival (KCACTF) Region 7 Festival on February 18-23. While there, they performed Life x 3 by special invitation.

Century High School students act on-stage. They are in normal, modern-day clothing and stand around a ring of metal folding chairs.

High School One-Act Festival April 19-20

The Idaho State University Department of Theatre and Dance is thrilled to announce the upcoming High School One-Act Competition, scheduled for April 19-20.

Two 4th graders sit in the Black Box Theatre holding the Twits program and smiling

ISU’s The Twits Delights Over 1,000 Students in Local Outreach

The play opens with colorful lights, bubbles, and characters dancing to upbeat music. Children in the audience laugh and chatter with delight and excitement.

A person applies makeup to another person's neck that makes it look like she has a neck injury

ROAR TOGETHER: Training to be the Real Deal

How do we address the need for students to graduate from programs with the essential nontechnical and non-industry-specific skills applicable to a wide range of tasks across many roles and professions?

A visual representation of the groups present at the Zoom meeting. Each group is named in a grey hexagon: Theatre, athletic training, counseling, nursing, pharmacy, physician assistant, social work

ISU Theatre Students Provide Valuable Real-World Practice for Healthcare Students

In a remarkable display of teamwork and interdisciplinary collaboration, student learners from various healthcare-related fields and the Department of Theatre and Dance at Idaho State University (ISU) came together for the annual Interprofessional Education (IPE) GRIT simulation.

From ISU's Theatre and Dance Program to Broadway: Q and A with Actor Tito Livas

Tito Livas graduated from the ISU theatre program in 2006 with a dream to have a career in acting. This is his story from Pocatello to the historic San Francisco Old Globe theatre, where he was on the cast for Destiny of Desire, which producers are now taking to Broadway.

Vanessa Ballam Honored with Idaho State Journal’s Woman of Influence Award in the Arts

Vanessa Ballam, Professor of Theatre at ISU, and a dedicated educator, performer, mother, and arts advocate, has been named one of the Idaho State Journal’s Women of Influence for her contributions to the arts.

A graphic showing eight of SOPA's events over 2025-26

Idaho State University School of Performing Arts Announces Inspiring 2025–26 Season

The School of Performing Arts proudly announces its 2025–26 season, a dynamic year of music and theatre that reflects the vibrancy and creativity of our students, faculty, and regional community.

Luke Strother with an ISU hat and trombone

ISU Bands: The Soundtrack of Campus Life

ISU has a new Director of Bands, and we’re excited for the community to get to know him better.

A large choir ensemble poses in front of a cloud-covered mountain, with people in casual outdoor clothing.

ISU Choirs Experience Music, Culture, and Connection in Costa Rica

Members of ISU’s Chamber Choir and Pocatello’s Camerata Singers spent nine days in Costa Rica, sharing music, meeting new friends, and giving back to local choirs. They performed in famous venues and joined Costa Rican singers for unforgettable concerts.