Inspired by the Lenaea Festival of Ancient Greece, Dr. Carl Thomas, then Chair of Sacramento State College’s Department of Theatre, initiated this program in 1955. His desire was to establish an event that would support and encourage high school students 
with an interest in theatre. Over the years, Lenaea grew into a multi-programmed event with recognition not only for one-act productions but for audition pieces (monologues and duo scenes) as well. 

At its peak, the festival hosted 71 schools bringing 2,000 high school students who participated in or attended 55 one-act plays, 120 duo scenes, and 244 monologues. The festival engages over 100 volunteers including 45 Respondents with such backgrounds as professional working actors, regional college and university theatre professors, and local actors, directors, and producers. 

Top-scoring schools are recommended for inclusion in the American High School Theatre Festival’s world renowned Edinburgh Fringe Festival - the world's largest performing arts festival. By embracing the best of its traditions over the past 58 years while concurrently seeking opportunities to improve its programs with newly recommended changes, the Lenaea Festival continues to provide participants a life-long memory of teamwork, camaraderie, networking, and an overall spirit of theatre that is 
rarely experienced in such a compacted period of time as these three powerful days.

Location 

Folsom Lake College
​10 College Pkwy
Folsom, CA 95630