A comical play, “The Last Croissant,” by Veronica Tjioe, is an intriguing and thought-provoking production.  

David Melendez, assistant professor of theatre history and literature, directed the play. “The Last Croissant” was presented in the same week and connected with the CSUB Sustainability Symposium, which brought awareness of sustainability of both the environment and personal life.  

The play sets the stage for self-analyses, such as what sustainability means. The setting was a campsite which had different campers and each visitor had their own approach to the challenges presented to them.  

Sustainability helps keep a healthy mindset and also allows people to face challenges with confidence.  

Tjioe purposefully had a woman play a character for the husband, Frederick, and a man play the wife, Imogen. She also had one character play the role for both, October and February, who are brother and sister. By doing so, the characters’ personas were center stage and their messages were appreciated.  

“Sustainability has everything to do with our relationships,” said Melendez. 

This means that people need to be mindful of how they treat one another based on how they communicate.  

Melendez adds, “we have to cherish the relationship that sustains us.”  

When people care for one another, our environment is cared for as well. 

For the married couple in the play, Fredrick and Imogen, learning how to be vulnerable was their challenge. Maia Garcia played Fredrick, who learned how to be more considerate towards his wife, Imogen, played by Matthew Penner.  

Garcia said, “I’m a woman playing a man, but I’m also playing a person.”  

This is important for Garcia and it really showed through their performance. 

Seeing the growth in their characters after they learned how to communicate was a positive experience. Imogen felt unheard, unseen, and unwanted. Being alone with nature helped her step away from her own feelings and have a different perspective of her situation.  

At first, she was uncomfortable being in a setting where there were no soft beds, spas or television. She was expecting to spend her anniversary at a luxury hotel, and instead, she was camping and roughing it out in the woods.  

Penner said, “what I’ve taken as Imogen is to be more confident.” 

Eventually, she allowed herself to swim in the lake. Swimming in the lake symbolically washed her from her previous notion of what her relationship was supposed to be. It gave her clarity in regards to her relationship which led her to be more sympathetic to her husband.  

Penner mentions how learning to be vulnerable takes a lot of confidence. “That’s ok to break down and be with your own emotions,” said Penner. 

This is an important message that can help with sustainability. 

“The Last Croissant” was a great a subsequent event to CSUB Sustainability Symposium. Bringing awareness of the importance of sustainability through gatherings and entertainment is both motivating and fun for the campus community.