November 14, 2021 - Opening night on November 9th at the Community House in Center, Texas of Ellen McLaughlin’ play Ajax in Iraq presented by Stephen F. Austin State University School of Theatre, in collaboration with Panola College Theatre was a spellbinding journey transcending Greek times to modern day addressing soldiers' mental struggles of war. The performance ended with a standing ovation from the audience.
Special guests introduced preshow were Dr. Gary Wurtz, SFA's Interim Dean of the College of Fine Arts, and Natalie Oswalt, Dean of Arts, Sciences, and Technology at Panola College.
Natalie Oswalt addressed the audience, "We are thrilled about the collaboration between Panola College and SFA. We have many articulation agreements but we currently are working on our pathways... Our academic pathways are designed so that students take the electives they need to go directly into the university setting, so, they don't waste any hours, they don't waste any time, they don't waste any money, and everything they take directly applies to that next degree. But this collaboration adds a whole new layer to that because they're actually able to work with SFA students and SFA staff to actually see what it will be like on the university level if they continue their education in that area. So we are very excited about that. And what better place for it to take place than Center, Texas in Shelby County because we do have many people, many students that come from this area and it is a natural progression from high school to Panola College to SFA. We are so thankful to be here and to be a part of the collaboration and look forward to continuing the partnership."
Dr. Gary Wurtz echoed Oswalt adding, "First of all, I am personally thrilled to be here and get to see this. It's hard to even imagine how they pulled it off. I know some people that have put in some late nights to try to make this happen, it starts with you two there [Slade Billew and Karen King], and all of you students and the rest of your faculty. Of course, we are thrilled about the collaboration and as Natalie just said about the opportunity to demonstrate how to seamlessly transition from the two year college to the four year college. We've put a great deal of effort into that these days because we are so concerned about helping students to get out on time, control their debt. We know college is expensive, we don't like it either, but we can try to help out by making sure the path is seamless from one level of college to the next. We are thrilled that they got to work with each other, the professors, and we can't wait to see the production."
Slade Billew, MFA, PhD is the Assistant Professor of Acting and Movement in the School of Theatre at SFA and Karen King, MA, is the Professor of Drama at Panola College. Billew and King are the Directors of Ajax in Iraq.
Mr. Billew commented about what started the collaboration, "I believe it originated with Cleo House who is the Director of the School of Theatre at SFA. He asked our faculty would anybody be willing to or interested to do a show in collaboration with a junior college and I said sure." House then reached out to Mrs. King.
King added, "Cleo reached out to me and we were actually working on the pathways, a pathway to go from junior college to a four year university, and making sure that credits went." King recounted the journey from Cleo reaching out and then King and Billew discussing which play to perform. The cast only got together about three weeks before opening night. Prior, the casts worked on their parts individually before they were able to rehearse as one.
She continued, "We were working back and forth and what I really was excited about with working with Slade [Billew is he's a member of] the Society of American Fight Director... Because people think that, oh, they don't just go out there and punch each other, it has to be carefully done in a safe manner, and I was very excited about being able to expose my students to Slade and to the University and working with a complete production team. It is just a lot different for us at the junior college level. And showing them, hey, there's another world out there that you can move on to and SFA's a great place to go." Billew added, "For us being able to make those connections early is really nice and its wonderful to meet all of the students I wouldn't have met in another circumstance."
Ajax in Iraq Cast in order of appearance: Sara Clark (Athena), Drake Wilson (Ajax), Dylan Essery (Soldier A), Caleb Ridgeway (Soldier B), Ryan Ballard (Soldier C), Maverick Jackson (Soldier D), Seth Sanders (Soldier E), Gerardo Salgado (Soldier F), Madeline Murphy (Gertrude Bell), Dawson Windham (Captain), Abigail McCalister (Mangus), Ashley Harkness (Abrams), Sarolyn Musick (Sickles), Allie Endsley (Rebo); Emily Wheeler (A.J.); Jacob Phillips (Charles); Leland Parker (Pisoni); Connor Molen (Odysseus); Omar Rios (Sergeant); Taylor Pauley, Theo Moers, Leish McCasland Downey, Tom Chapple, and Madeline Murphy (Greek Chorus); Carli Morton (Patient); Riley Morgan (Therapist); Astrid Maldonado (Tecmessa); Kaleb Ward (First Man in the Dark); Dylan Essery (Second Man in the Dark); Kaleb Ward (Nog Soldier 1); Omar Rios (Nog Soldier 2); Caleb Ridgeway (Nog Soldier 3); Caden Worley (Chorus Soldiers); Tom Chapple (Teucer); and Nicholas McCalister (Minister).
Ajax in Iraq Crew:
Assistant Director - Dorie Bloodworth; Stage Managers - Elizabeth Bobbitt and Shelby Oliver; Assistant Stage Manager Panola - Eric Dominguez; Scenic Designer SFA - Kenneth Verdugo; Lighting Design SFA - Armando Chavez-Garcia; Assistant Lighting Designer - Karan Gosai; Projection Design Panola - Cason Grimaldo; Sound Design SFA - CC Conn; Costume Designer SFA - Gaby Trevino; Assistant Costume Designer SFA - Olivia Cantrell; Costume Design Panola - Laura Eddings; Costume Design-Gertrude Bell SFA - Angela Bacarisse; Property Master SFA - Maise Anderson; Assistant Property Master SFA - Briana Jacobi; Property Master Panola - Eric Dominguez; Dramaturge SFA/Panola - Robert Minshew/Cason Grimaldo; Master Electrician - David Cleghorn; Assistant Master Electrician - Danielle Wooden; Programmer SFA - Amber Hess; Light Board Operator SFA - Juliana Hedges; Sound Board Operator SFA - Sal Nunez; Make-Up Design Panola - Chelsey Caldwell; Rehearsal Lighting Technician Panola - Donovan Williams; Rehearsal Sound Operator Panola - Juilien Lawrence; Wardrobe Master SFA - Victoria Wilshire; Wardrobe Master Panola - Laura Eddings/Carlie Morton; Wardrobe Crew Panola/SFA - Katy Chance, Allie Endlsley, Ashley Harkness, Toni Jeter, Emily Wheeler, Chelsey Caldwell, Jase Fair, Tayla Jones/Mariano Aguirre, Elizabeth Ross, Kaylie Morrison; Technical Director SFA - Tyler Cureton; Assistant Technical Director SFA - Adam Lamb; Poster/Logo Design Panola - Katy Chance; Lobby Display - Leah Simmons; Publicity Head - Carson Cook; Publicity Crew SFA - Jordan Elles Berezi, Joy Crissmon; Camera Operator SFA - Daun Whaley; Weapons Masters Panola - Dawson Windham, Maverick Jackson; Streaming Cinematographer/Photos - Kade Lindsay; Run Crew SFA/Panola - Hannah Marfin, Alexis Hargy, Ashley Johnson, George Villarreal, Ali Gayle Donovan Williams, Juilien Lawrence; Load-In Crew SFA/Panola - Grace Baker, Grant Calloway, Sebastian Comabella Paredes, Tara Cyganowski, Nathan Morris, Natalie Elderbroom, Katie Newman, Rachel O'Hara, Donovan Williams, Juilien Williams, Eric Dominguez, Maverick Jackson, Jacob Phillips, Dawson Windham, Leah Simmons, Laura Eddings, Chelsy Caldwell
