SFA University
March 18, 2019 Nacogdoches – A funny and entertaining musical tale for the entire family is this year’s opera selection to be presented by the Stephen F. Austin State University School of Music.
“The Pirates of Penzance” by W.S. Gilbert and Arthur Sullivan is “good, old-fashioned fun,” says Dr. Debbie Dalton, associate professor of music at SFA and the show’s stage director.
Although the opera is selected to fit the voices the School of Music has in each particular year, “The Pirates of Penzance” was chosen because it is “the most popular and beloved of all Gilbert and Sullivan operettas,” Dalton said.
“The music is beautiful and memorable,” Dalton said. “Audiences will recognize many of the tunes and say, ‘Oh, this is the show that song comes from!’”
Young Frederic has just finished his obligation as a pirate apprentice, Dalton said in describing the story. After 21 years at sea, he looks forward to new adventures on land. He meets and falls in love with Mabel, one of the many wards of Major-General Stanley, but, of course, there are many obstacles to overcome before they may marry.
At the heart of each year’s opera production are student performers and designers, guided by faculty members who direct the musical and visual components. Other music faculty production staff members include Musical Director/Conductor Dr. Pierre-Alain Chevalier, musical director of SFA’s Orchestra of the Pines; Chorus Master Dr. Todd Fish, associate director of choral activities at SFA; and Production Stage Manager and Assistant Director Nita Hudson, voice and opera instructor.
“This is a School of Music production,” Dalton said, “but we hire advanced and capable student designers from the School of Theatre to build the sets, coordinate and build costumes, and design and run the lighting.”
Costume coordinator is Marshall graduate student Jessica Tinker-Akers, who has “single-handedly taken the measurements from head to toe of all 47 in the cast,” Dalton said.
“Some costumes are rented, but most are pulled from stock and altered, if needed, or Jessica builds them,” she added.
Set designer Richard Rogers, junior theater major from Kerrville, is building particular set pieces to compliment the rented backdrops, Dalton said.
“I enjoy working with all of our wonderful students and watching them grow in confidence and ability in the rehearsal process,” Dalton said. “The real joy in this production is having so much fun watching the goofiness of the pirate crew and the policemen.
“After all, who doesn’t want to be a pirate?!”
“The Pirates of Penzance” will be presented at 7:30 p.m. Thursday through Saturday, April 4 through 6, in W.M. Turner Auditorium, 2222 Alumni Drive, on the SFA campus.
Tickets are $15 for adults, $10 for seniors and $7.50 for students and youth. For tickets or more information, visit www.finearts.sfasu.edu or call the SFA Fine Arts Box Office at (936) 468-6407.
Audiences attending “The Pirates of Penzance” will be transported to pirate ships and rocky coastlines when the Stephen F. Austin State University School of Music presents Gilbert and Sullivan’s most famous operetta at 7:30 p.m. Thursday through Saturday, April 4 through 6, in W.M. Turner Auditorium on the SFA campus. Pictured are The Colony graduate student Jacob Rivas; Nacogdoches freshman William Murphy; Hutto sophomore Maiya Williams; Katy sophomore Sara Rosado; Katy junior Megan Bucher; Katy freshman Allison Barentine; and Houston graduate student E.J. Grayson.
March 15, 2019 Nacogdoches — Stephen F. Austin State University’s planetarium in the Cole STEM Building will premiere two new shows Saturday, March 30, offering exciting, educational experiences for viewers of all ages.
The planetarium has public shows every Saturday with group shows available throughout the week upon reservation.
“Earth, Moon & Sun,” geared toward children ages 7 to 13 but open to all ages, will be presented at 3 p.m. Tickets are $3.
“This is a delightful, fast-paced and humorous full-dome show that tackles many of the most baffling concepts associated with the Earth-moon-sun system, including eclipses, lunar phases, the seasonal changing of constellations and the physical nature of the sun and moon,” said Ed Michaels, planetarium director.
“Supervolcanoes” will be presented at 4:30 p.m. and 7 p.m. and examines past cataclysmic eruptions on Earth in addition to the volcanic activity on other planets and moons throughout the solar system.
Tickets are $6 for adults and $4 for children, students, and faculty and staff with ID and will be available for purchase at the box office 30 minutes before each show. The shows will be offered through May 11, closing April 18 through 20 for Easter.
For more information or to view the schedule or make a reservation, visit planetarium.sfasu.edu.
By Joanna Armstrong, marketing communications specialist for Stephen F. Austin State University.
March 13, 2019 Nacogdoches – The Cole Art Center at The Old Opera House, Stephen F. Austin State University’s historic downtown art gallery, will be open regular hours during spring break.
An encore screening of the film “Koo-Hoot Kiwat: The Caddo Grass House” will be at 2 p.m. Sunday, March 24, in Cole Art Center. In the PBS film, which is directed by Curtis Craven, a Caddo tribal elder and his apprentice return to their ancestral homeland in East Texas to direct the construction of a traditional grass house.
Showing in Cole Art Center are the exhibitions “Caddo Contemporary: Present and Relevant” and “Frank Dituri: Il Sacro.” (The Sacred).
Featuring ceramics, paintings, beadwork, stonework and drawings, “Caddo Contemporary” is a collaborative presentation of the Stephen F. Austin State University School of Art and Art Galleries and the Caddo Mound Historic Site in Alto. The exhibition highlights the work of seven Caddo Nation artisans, including Wayne Earles, Chad Earles, Chase Earles, Raven Halfmoon, Yonavea Hawkins, Jeri Redcorn and Thompson Williams. The show closes March 24.
Only a few days remain to see “Frank Dituri: Il Sacro.” (The Sacred), which includes photographs the artist took in Italy over the past few years. The show closes Sunday, March 17.
The Cole Art Center is located at 329 E. Main St. Regular hours are from 12:30 to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Friday; from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday; and from 1 to 4 p.m. Sunday.
Griffith Gallery in the Griffith Fine Arts Building on the SFA campus will be closed during spring break and will reopen Tuesday, March 26.
All events and exhibitions are free to the public.
For more information, contact the gallery director at (936) 468-1131 or the Cole Art Center front desk at (936) 468-5500.
March 12, 2019 Nacogdoches – Stephen F. Austin State University’s SFA Gardens will host its annual Garden Gala Day Plant Sale from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, April 6, at the Pineywoods Native Plant Center, located at 2900 Raguet St., in historic Nacogdoches.
The sale will feature more than 300 varieties of hard-to-find, “Texas-tough” plants, including Texas natives, edibles, heirlooms, tropicals, perennials, shrubs and trees, with an emphasis on pollinator-friendly selections, as well as exclusive SFA introductions. The featured plants are extensively trialed before being offered to the public and are produced by SFA Gardens staff members and volunteers.
This popular event benefits the SFA Mast Arboretum, PNPC, Ruby M. Mize Azalea Garden and Gayla Mize Garden, along with educational programs that are hosted monthly at the gardens. Educational programs provided at the SFA Gardens reach more than 15,000 participants annually.
Parking will be available at SFA’s Janice A. Pattillo Early Childhood Research Center, 2428 Raguet St., and visitors are encouraged to arrive early and bring a wagon to haul their plants.
For more information and a list of available plants, call (936) 468-4404, or visit sfagardens.sfasu.edu two weeks before the sale.
March 12, 2019 Nacogdoches – The School of Theatre at Stephen F. Austin State University has begun a campaign to fund its scholarship created to honor the late Dr. Alan Nielsen, a former theatre professor and creator of SFA’s cabaret troupe, The Original Cast.
Nielsen passed away on March 26, 2018, in Nacogdoches. He was 72.
During his career at SFA, Nielsen inspired hundreds of students to pursue careers in theatre arts. By building the scholarship fund to an endowment, future theatre students will benefit for years to come from Nielsen’s devotion to theatre education, according to Cleo House Jr., director of the School of Theatre.
“Dr. Nielsen is a legend,” House said. “His influence on the School of Theatre is still felt and talked about to this day. We must do what we can to honor his memory and make sure that students who are representatives of what he stood for, which is being a well-rounded artist and scholar, are recruited and/or awarded.”
Nielsen was born on Jan. 26, 1946, in Oakland, Nebraska. As a young boy, his dream was to be a cartoon animator, but his talent for writing and directing musicals and composing music and lyrics soon emerged. He earned degrees from Concordia Teachers College, the University of Nebraska and City University of New York and went on to teach and become a puppeteer while he continued to perform, write and compose for performance venues such as EXIT (Experience in Theater), Nebraska Repertory Theater, the Chautauqua Tent Tour of Nebraska, NY Choral Society, the Minnesota Musical Workshop and the Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis.
He began his 21-year career at SFA in 1990, directing more than 25 plays and creating the traveling musical troupe The Original Cast, for which he both composed and produced their shows.
The Original Cast attracted many of the School of Theatre's best performers, and Nielsen’s legacy lives on in the hearts and talents of the many students that he mentored, according to CC Conn, associate professor in the School of Theatre.
“He touched many lives with his beautiful smile, big heart and unlimited creativity, and he inspired many young artists to go forward into careers as actors, directors, teachers and designers, spreading the love of theatre that he instilled into them,” Conn said upon his passing last year. “His work as a teacher, advisor, mentor, director, actor, composer and puppeteer was unparalleled. He was greatly loved, and he is greatly missed.”
House hopes that the many SFA students who were mentored by Nielsen will use this scholarship opportunity to “give back” to their alma mater and honor a great educator.
“It is one thing to reminisce on days gone by and another to take action to ensure that a legacy is not forgotten,” House said. “I am hopeful that all those who feel like Dr. Nielsen had any influence on them will take up the charge to support creating an endowment in his honor.”
Gifts by check: Checks should be made payable to the SFASU Foundation. Please include a note or write on the memo section of the check Dr. Alan Nielsen Memorial Theatre Scholarship. Mail to: SFASU Foundation, Inc., P.O. Box 6092, SFA Station, Nacogdoches, TX 75962-6092. Deliver to: SFA Office of Development, Austin Building, Room 303.
Gifts online: Go to www.sfasu.edu/give. Under Step 1, click Select Other and type in Dr. Alan Nielsen Memorial Theatre Scholarship. Follow the next three steps to make a secure gift online.
Gifts by phone: Call (936) 468-5406 and visit with the Development Office.
Payroll deduction: Call (936) 468-5406 and visit with Sarah Sargent in the Development Office to prepare the payroll deduction paperwork.
March 11, 2019 Nacogdoches — A new partnership between Stephen F. Austin State University and the Lone Star College System will enable eligible students to enroll in SFA’s Bachelor of Science in spatial science program upon receiving an Associate of Applied Science in geographic information systems.
“Lone Star College has a strong Associate of Applied Science program in geographic information systems,” said Dr. Hans Williams, dean of SFA’s Arthur Temple College of Forestry and Agriculture. “After completing the degree at Lone Star, students can seamlessly transfer to SFA’s Bachelor of Science in spatial science program, further enhancing their technical and professional skills that lead to rewarding careers in geospatial analysis across many disciplines.”
LSC is the largest higher education institution in the Houston area and offers more than 170 programs of study.
SFA’s spatial science program offers two areas of specialization for those who plan to participate in the collaborative program — natural resources and land surveying. A third emphasis area, cultural resources, also will be available at a future date.
According to information provided by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistic, faster-than-average growth in the occupational group representing key spatial science careers will take place during the next decade.
“We are excited about this SFA partnership, which provides an opportunity for students to further their studies in preparation for specialized careers as foresters and surveying and mapping technicians, to name a few,” said Dr. Kelly Gernhart, dean of arts, humanities and social sciences at the LSC CyFair campus.
For more information regarding this and other partnerships, visit atcofa.sfasu.edu.
Stephen F. Austin State University graduate student Kyle Thoreson is seeking to make Oklahoma State Parks available to everyone through 360 video and virtual technology. Thoreson, pursuing a Master of Science in resource communications, is collecting 360 video at select Oklahoma State Parks as part of a pilot project to reach individuals unable to physically visit the parks. Thoreson hopes to expand the initiative using immersive virtual reality suites. Pictured, Thoreson, a park ranger at Oklahoma’s Osage Hills State Park, addresses visitors during an interpretive hike.
March 6, 2019 Nacogdoches — The Oklahoma State Park system encompasses diverse landscapes ranging from subterranean caverns to rolling mountains. However, of the more than 55,000 acres that comprise the state park system, some of the most spectacular, scenic vistas are not accessible to those with health or mobility limitations.
Stephen F. Austin State University graduate student Kyle Thoreson is hoping to remedy this utilizing the rapidly evolving technology of virtual reality.
Thoreson, pursuing a Master of Science in resource communications at SFA, serves as a park ranger at Osage Hills State Park, located within the Osage Nation Reservation in northeastern Oklahoma.
When contemplating topics for his final nonthesis project, Thoreson said he researched the growing popularity of 360 videos and how this technology can be utilized to share Oklahoma’s state parks with everyone.
“For example, to get to the best vantage point of the falls at Natural Falls State Park, you have to go down to the very bottom so you’re looking up at the falls,” Thoreson said. “We have sort of a skyway that goes out and gives you a view from part of the way down, but it’s just not the same as being below the falls.”
By capturing 360 video and audio from this position, Thoreson said people unable to make the hike down will still have the opportunity to fully immerse themselves in the experience of the 77-foot waterfall.
Thoreson presented his idea to regional managers within the Oklahoma State Park system, and he is currently collecting 360 video at select parks.
“We have to determine what things different demographics want to see and ensure it is speaking to their emotional health.”
This focus on improving mental health through virtual immersion in nature is of great significance, especially considering the growing body of research indicating that time in or exposure to nature can improve emotional health and well-being.
While 360 video is available on platforms such as YouTube and other social media sites, Thoreson hopes to expand this initiative by using more immersive virtual reality suites that are equipped with multiple viewers, phones and a server to allow large numbers of people to experience the footage together.
Thoreson said tools like this allow parks to expand their reach and impact by taking the footage directly to those physically unable to visit the park due to health, economic or transportation limitations.
“They can put on a viewer in the comfort of home to experience the park,” Thoreson said. “It’s a driving interest of mine — to be sure I can take the parks to the people.”
To learn more about this and other research, visit atcofa.sfasu.edu.
Story by Sarah Fuller, outreach coordinator for Stephen F. Austin State University’s Arthur Temple College of Forestry and Agriculture. Contact information: (936) 468-1185 or fullersa@sfasu.edu.
Jason Wright, a Stephen F. Austin State University alumnus, entrepreneur, small business owner and East Texas regional director for U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, recently visited the university’s campus to discuss career success with students in the Rusche College of Business.
March 5, 2019 Nacogdoches — Imagine receiving a letter explaining you’ve just inherited $5 million from a mystery donor. The inheritance comes with one stipulation: You must travel to Paris, France, and share the money with a person you don’t know but who has been preselected. Where would be the perfect place to introduce yourself?
Jason Wright, a Stephen F. Austin State University alumnus, entrepreneur, small business owner and East Texas regional director for U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, recently visited the university’s campus and detailed the above scenario. He then asked students in the Rusche College of Business which location in Paris they would choose to meet.
Several students had an instant answer, “The Eiffel Tower.” Wright said the students’ immediate response is exactly how they should want potential employers to react to them. “You want to be the first person who comes to their mind when they have a job to fill,” Wright said. “You want to stand out.”
Wright, who purchased his first real estate company at age 28, has spent more than a decade owning and operating multiple businesses, including restaurants and construction companies. A confident speaker and published author, Wright is a first-generation college student who graduated from SFA with his bachelor’s degree in 1997.
Wright recently returned to SFA to discuss career success with students participating in the Rusche College of Business’ Career Success Passport, a program that helps them build their skills while competing for scholarships.
“You have to become the linchpin, the critical or vital piece, of an organization,” Wright said.
During his presentation, Wright advised students on how to prepare themselves for career success. He recommended working harder than anyone around them, asking more questions, knowing the job expectations and becoming an expert in a specific area. He also stressed the importance of interpersonal communication and encouraged students to practice interviewing for a job as often as possible.
Throughout the semester, the Career Success Passport program hosts several events for business students to learn new skills and network with professionals in various fields. Gina Small, career success specialist, helped organize Wright’s presentation and works closely with students in the passport program.
“Our Career Success Passport program provides a platform for experts, like Jason, to come share their experiences with our students,” Small said. “Jason is not only a very successful entrepreneur and businessman, he also is relatable to students. His real-world suggestions and strategies will help our students navigate the transition from college to the professional world with confidence.”
For more information on SFA’s Rusche College of Business, visit sfasu.edu/cob.
February 28, 2019 Nacogdoches – The combined choirs and orchestra at Stephen F. Austin State University will present “War and Peace” at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, March 9, in W.M. Turner Auditorium on the SFA campus.
Conducted by Dr. Michael Murphy, director of choral activities at SFA, the masterwork concert features Franz Joseph Haydn’s “Mass in Time of War” and Ralph Vaughan Williams’ “Dona Nobis Pacem.”
“The subjects of war and peace have always occupied the great themes of literature and music,” Murphy said. “From the Old Testament and the epic stories of Homer and Virgil down to the writings of many 19th and 20th century authors like Walt Whitman and Wilfred Owen, the emotional and physical turmoil of war and the hope of peace emerge as leading preoccupations of the human race.
“As in literature, war and peace in music is often conveyed either through the glorious exploits of conquests or the realistic brutality that war brings to all,” he said. “That stark duality is explored in our concert.”
Murphy directs SFA’s A Cappella Choir; Dr. Todd Fish, associate director of choral activities, directs the Men’s Choir and Women’s Choir; and Dr. Pierre-Alain Chevalier, visiting director of orchestral activities, directs the Orchestra of the Pines.
Soloists include voice faculty members Prof. Debbie Berry, Prof. Nita Hudson, Dr. Ric Berry, Dr. Scott LaGraff and Dr. Chris Turner.
Prior to the concert, a lecture will be presented at 6:30 p.m. in the Griffith Art Gallery (FA 208) by Dr. Samantha Inman, assistant professor of music theory, and Dr. Jamie Weaver, associate professor of music history. The gallery is located across the hall from Turner Auditorium.
The concert is a joint presentation of the College of Fine Arts and School of Music.
Tickets are $8 for adults, $6 for seniors and $3 for students and youth. For tickets or more information, call the SFA Fine Arts Box Office at (936) 468-6407 or visit www.finearts.sfasu.edu.
A free, one-night screening of the documentary “Koo-Hoot Kiwat: The Caddo Grass House” will be at 7 p.m. Friday, March 1, in The Cole Art Center at The Old Opera House.
February 21, 2019 Nacogdoches – The Stephen F. Austin State University School of Art and the Friends of the Visual Arts will present a free, one-night screening of the documentary “Koo-Hoot Kiwat: The Caddo Grass House” at 7 p.m. Friday, March 1, in The Cole Art Center at The Old Opera House in downtown Nacogdoches.
In the PBS film, which is directed by Curtis Craven, a Caddo tribal elder and his apprentice return to their ancestral homeland in East Texas to direct the construction of a traditional grass house.
The film is being shown in conjunction with an exhibition of Caddo Nation artists showing through March 24 in The Cole Art Center. “Caddo Contemporary: Present and Relevant” is an exhibition of ceramics, paintings, beadwork, stonework and drawings by seven living Caddo artists. The exhibition is a collaborative presentation of the SFA School of Art and Art Galleries and the Caddo Mound State Historic Site in Alto.
“Caddo Contemporary: Present and Relevant” is sponsored in part by William Arscott, The Flower Shop, Nacogdoches Junior Forum, Humanities Texas and Friends of the Visual Arts. Admission is free.
The film screening is part of the School of Art’s monthly Friday Film Series and is sponsored in part by William Arscott, Nacogdoches Film Festival, Karon Gillespie, Mike Mollot, David Kulhavy, John and Kristen Heath, Galleria Z, Jill Carrington, Jean Stephens, Jim and Mary Neal, Richard Orton, Nacogdoches Junior Forum and Main Street Nacogdoches.
The Cole Art Center is located at 329 E. Main St. For more information, call (936) 468-1131.
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