by Lorie Lewis Ham

A brand new original musical is opening next week on stage at Fresno Pacific University. It is entitled In Color. Recently, we chatted with the show’s creator Joy Ndombeson.

KRL: What is In Color about? Is it a musical or straight play?

Joy: In Color is a story about the wounds we carry, and the love that heals them.
Synopsis: Scarred by a childhood of pain and betrayal, Cassie has built walls to shield herself from a past she’d rather forget. But when circumstances force her and her mother (Amy) to face the person who caused their deepest wounds, their carefully constructed world begins to unravel. Guided by unexpected allies and a growing sense of hope, they embark on a journey of self-discovery that reveals the power of healing, the courage it takes to forgive, and the beauty that can emerge from even the darkest moments of life. At its heart, this is a story of redemption, proving that no one is beyond the reach of grace.
It is a musical.

KRL: Did you write the story and the music?

Joy: Yes, I wrote both the story and the music.

KRL: Where did this idea come from?

Joy: The genesis of the story came to me a little over 10 years ago as my then-young storyteller’s mind was trying to make sense of the realities that had been part of my life ‘til that point. Family, war, broken trust, unfairness, political landscape, love, forgiveness, broken dreams… and the many themes that over the years became central to the story of In Color.

KRL: Why did you set the story in Fresno?

Joy: The very first version of the story was set in my home country. But over time, Fresno became a second home. And as I was growing as a storyteller and developing the show, this home away from home became a more fitting setting for this story. There are still references to my home country throughout the show, but the beauty, diversity, and many of the things that I have discovered, experienced, and learned to love about Fresno helped me enrich the story in ways I could have never imagined. Hence the story of In Color became more and more connected to this city, just like my life.

KRL: Where are you from originally and how did you end up here?

Joy: I am originally from the Democratic Republic of Congo and have been living in Fresno since 2013. I came to Fresno on a music scholarship to attend Fresno Pacific University in August of 2013.

KRL: Is this the first time that it will be performed?

Joy: In its entirety, yes. As part of the development of the piece, we did a preview of the first act in front of a private audience almost three years ago, and used much of the feedback and experience from that show to inform the decisions and changes made to the story to get it ready for this premiere.

KRL: What is your background in theatre? Have you written other shows?

Joy: My very first experience with theater was being asked to join a staged reading of the play A Raisin in the Sun my freshman year in college. Shortly after that, I switched my major to Art Administration to give me a broader understanding of how various artistic mediums could interact to share a unified story. And from then, I took various screenwriting and storytelling workshops and classes and joined various communities, the last one being the Central California Screenwriters group at CMAC, to understand more about storytelling as a screenwriter. Focusing heavily on film at first, I got to write and direct for multiple short films and dance/music videos, and eventually started to dive deeper into the live performance space.

I got to choreograph and help direct various shows around the community like The Lion King with Edison, and Buchanan, I got to craft Easter and Christmas shows for multiple churches and organizations in the community including VIA Church and Break the Barriers to name a few. I got to take those performances on the road for a few tours, and one NBA halftime performance. And ultimately packaged all I have learned over the past decade into starting my own company, Ndombeson Productions, with which I’ve been bringing creatives from the Central Valley together to create and share stories with our community.
My latest show before In Color was HOPE, which took place at the Historic Tower Theater last December.

KRL: What is Near Far Theatre’s role in this show, and how did you connect with them?

Joy: Near Far Theatre is my partner in producing the show, with Julia Reimer, the founder of the entity operating as production manager for the musical. Julia actually was the head of the theater department when I attended Fresno Pacific University, and is the one who invited me to take part in the staged reading mentioned earlier. She was one of the first people that went with my script many years ago when trying to decide where to go with it and how to go about getting it ready to share with our community one day. So when the time came to do so, it was more than fitting for our two organizations to partner and bring this show to life.

KRL: Why do you feel this show is important?

Joy: This show is important because regardless of whether we are young or old, rich or poor, happy or sad… we all are facing the exact same giant called: “Life”. We are all trying to make sense of this journey, especially the parts that confuse us, scare us, hurt us. And this story allows us to walk alongside a family that is trying to just do that. Dealing with the weight of tragedy, the consequences of mistakes, the challenges that come with trying to heal and be better for those around us. Those skills, although vital, are seldom taught or mastered by many. And as this family tries to make the best of what they’re given, we struggle with them, cry with them, grieve with them, try another time with them, and ultimately laugh with them, and hope with them. This show is important because it helps us feel more human, and allows us to be okay in the weight of what that might mean in our various situations.

KRL: Is the show connected to FPU?

Joy: FPU is our third partner in producing the musical. As we were looking for venues to house the show, we went to Fresno Pacific due to both mine and Near Far’s connections to the university, and upon considering various possibilities, FPU decided to partner with us to help us bring the project to life at their newly built state of the art theater facilities.

KRL: When and where will it be performed? How much are tickets and where can they be purchased?

WHEN: Evening Show — October 30, 31, November 1, 7, 8, 2025 at 8p.m.
Sunday Matinees — November 2 and 9, 2025 at 2:30p.m.

WHERE: Lyles Auditorium, Warkentine Culture and Arts Center
Fresno Pacific University, 4838 E. Butler Ave, Fresno, CA 93727

TICKETS: General Admission $20; Senior/Student Discount $18; Group Discount $15
Available now at Incolormusical.eventbrite.com.

KRL: Anything else you would like to add?

Joy: We have a 7 p.m. doors open experience on evening show days, and a 1:30p.m. for matinee days.
Each will have various community artists performances, an art exhibit for all to enjoy, and merchandise that people will be able to purchase.

– On the first Sunday (Nov 2), we will have an ASL interpreter for the show, as well as an open panel discussion after the performance with the whole cast of In Color.

Thanks for chatting with us!

If you love local theatre, be sure to check out Mysteryrat’s Maze Podcast, which features mysteries read by local actors. You can find the podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Play, and also on podbean.

Check out more theatre reviews & other local entertainment articles in our Arts & Entertainment section. You can also find more theatre coming up on KRL’s Local Theatre event page.

Lorie Lewis Ham is our Editor-in-Chief and a contributor to various sections, coupling her journalism experience with her connection to the literary and entertainment worlds. Explore Lorie’s mystery writing at Mysteryrat’s Closet. Lorie’s latest mystery series is set in the Tower District of Fresno and the world of community theatre! Book 1, One of Us, and Book 2, One of You, are both available to purchase–links on her website.