Everything Nac

The Stone Fort Museum on the campus of Stephen F. Austin State University will serve as the venue for a St. Patrick’s Day concert by local band El Camino Real de Nacogdoches from 3 to 4 p.m. Saturday, March 16.

According to band members Paul Driver, Jon Hall, Charlie Jones, Mark McLain, Robbie Roach, Craig and Michelle Smith, and Jesse Tingle, the band is East Texas’ answer to The Old Crow Medicine Show, an Americana string band based in Nashville, playing old-time acoustic music using the fiddle, guitars, mandolin, banjos and percussion.

“Just as hands-on activities at the museum help learners, young and old, connect to their studies in new ways, performances relative to the musical heritage of Texas make history come alive,” said Carolyn Spears, curator of the Stone Fort Museum.

The St. Patrick’s Day musical celebration will showcase Celtic, as well as bluegrass, traditional country, Appalachian, folk and other music genres.

“The Irish brought their traditions to Nacogdoches early on,” Spears said. “The 1850 census listed more than 1,400 Irish living in Texas, and there were more than 3,000 listed by 1860. This concert will allow us to enjoy traditional music from Ireland, as well as music that celebrates the rich history of Texas.”

El Camino Real de Nacogdoches formed in 2002. The band has played at a variety of art, theatrical and musical events associated with SFA. It also has been featured during Nacogdoches’ annual Blueberry Festival, Old-Time Christmases at Millard’s Crossing and The Pine Knot Music Co-op. In 2017, the band released it first CD, “Camino Real: The Nacogdoches Sessions.”

The concert is free and open to the public. Weather permitting, the band will perform on the downstairs porch. Light refreshments will be served and include traditional Irish treats.

For more information, contact Spears at (936) 468-2408 or cspears@sfasu.edu.

SFA Gardens will host its annual Little Princess Tea Party at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. Saturday, March 30, in the Ruby M. Mize Azalea Garden on the campus of Stephen F. Austin State University.

Make plans to join charming butterfly fairies for a delightful party with treats, fairy gardens, magic and merriment among the enchanting pines and azaleas.

“The Little Princess Tea Party has become a popular tradition at SFA Gardens,” said Elyce Rodewald, SFA Gardens education coordinator. “This event provides an opportunity for children to experience the outdoors in a unique way and spend quality time with family members. It definitely encourages creativity and imagination, and I think the adults have as much fun as the children.”

Princesses are encouraged to wear their favorite princess or fairy apparel and enjoy a magical day in the garden. This event is recommended for princesses ages 3 to 10 who are accompanied by an adult. Tickets cost $35 per person and can be reserved online at sfagardens.sfasu.edu. Seating is limited.

For more information, contact SFA Gardens at (936) 468-1832 or sfagardens@sfasu.edu.

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.

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.

Students in the Stephen F. Austin State University School of Theatre earned prestigious honors and made impressive presentations at the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival for Region VI held recently in Abilene.

Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, New Mexico and Texas comprise KCACTF’s Region VI, and students in junior colleges, colleges and universities competed against one another for awards.

The Irene Ryan Acting Scholarships provide recognition, honor and financial assistance to outstanding student performers wishing to pursue further education. Since 1972, the Irene Ryan Foundation of Encino, California, has awarded scholarships to the outstanding student performers at each regional festival. These scholarships are made possible by the generosity of the late American actress Irene Ryan who is best remembered for her portrayal of the lovable and feisty Granny Clampett in “The Beverly Hillbillies.” All student actors in both participating and associate productions are eligible for consideration for these $500 regional scholarships.

This year’s Irene Ryan acting competition consisted of 162 teams (student actors are nominated based on their work in a theatrical production) vying for the first place spot. Earning first place allows the winner to go to Washington, D.C., to compete and represent the region against the rest of the nation, according to Cleo House Jr., director of the SFA School of Theatre.

SFA submitted three teams of two, including sophomore theatre major Kaitlyn McDearmont of Sulpher Springs and her scene partner, junior theatre major Triston Haq of Baytown; sophomore theatre major Crayten Clendion of Cypress and her scene partner, junior theatre major Kiara Hawkins of Tyler; and senior theatre major Ga’Brielle Charlot of Houston and her scene partner, senior theatre major Alex Duty of Needville.

Charlot and Duty advanced to the semifinals where the teams were whittled down from 162 to 32. The SFA representatives then advanced to the final round for further elimination.

“Charlot and Duty won first runner up, just one team away from going to D.C.,” House said. “This is an excellent opportunity for our students, as both Charlot and Duty will now be able to skip the prescreening process at the United Resident Theatre Association auditions in 2020 where they can audition for graduate schools and professional theatre companies.”

Copperas Cove senior theatre major Sarah Wiseman’s “The Game” was chosen from more than 60 one-act plays to be one of six given a concert-style staged reading at the festival. Each play received a half-hour response from two professional playwrights and will be considered for nomination to the national festival in Washington, D.C.

“This type of recognition by the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival will assist Wiseman tremendously in application to graduate schools where she will be a candidate for an M.F.A. in playwriting,” House said.

The School of Theatre’s devised theatre group, Speak Up, performed at the festival, as well. Additional student presentations were made in the area of lighting design by senior theatre major Mia Lindemann of Prosper and in stage management by junior theatre major Katie Irwin of Tyler.

“This is SFA’s second year participating in KCACTF and the second year we’ve had a student team make it to the finals in the Irene Ryan Acting Competition,” House said.

House and fellow theatre faculty member Dr. Slade Billew coached the Irene Ryan teams. Faculty member Jackie Rosenfeld is the chair of the National Playwriting Program.