Everything Nac

Guest artist Jiles King will direct American playwright Lynn Nottage’s “Intimate Apparel” when the Stephen F. Austin State University School of Theatre presents the award-winning play in five nightly performances Feb. 28 through March 4 on the SFA campus as part of the school’s Mainstage Series.

One of Nottage’s best-known plays, “Intimate Apparel” was co-commissioned and produced at Baltimore’s Center Stage where it premiered in 2003. It was highly acclaimed in its Off-Broadway production in 2004, starring Viola Davis.

King describes the play, which is set at the turn of the 20th Century as “a beautiful story of love and acceptance.” Esther, a black seamstress, lives in a boarding house for women and sews intimate apparel for clients who range from wealthy white patrons to prostitutes. Her skills and discretion are much in demand. In its review of the play, Variety wrote: “The play offers poignant commentary on an era when the cut and color of one’s dress – and of course, skin – determined whom one could and could not marry, sleep with, even talk to in public.”

“Nottage poetically introduces us to a resilient yet lonely seamstress, who falls in love with a Barbadian laborer site unseen,” King said. “This seamstress weaves in and out of bedrooms, sewing delicate apparel for both the rich and the impoverished. It is in those bedrooms that her dreams are both lost and found.”

As the title implies, “Intimate Apparel” uses costuming as another means of communicating the complex elements of the story, King said.

“The elaborate and intricate corsets, dresses and suits in the production will be stunning and help to propel the story,” he said. “Also, true to the time period, music will play an integral role in establishing mood, time period and the world of the play.”

True to the 1905 time period in which the play is set, women characters wear elaborate yet restrictive corsets.

“1905 is a completely different time period than 2017,” King said. “Many of the social norms, clothing, class distinctions and race relations have lessened greatly. The actors will have to learn to breathe, walk, sit and, most importantly, project while wearing corsets.”

Two of the characters have distinct accents – one Barbadian and the other Romanian.

“It will be a challenge to ensure the integrity of the accent is preserved while ensuring the audience understands the actor fully,” King said.

King believes that each audience member will be able to relate to a piece of each character.

“We’ve all wanted someone to love or someone to love us,” he said. “We’ve all worked hard to pursue our dreams. We’ve all made decisions that we knew we might regret. We’ve all experienced great joy and great pain. This play delves into all of those experiences and more.”

King founded 7th Stage Productions in 2005 to address the lack of diverse arts in his hometown of Dallas. He served as the first chief executive director for the Black Academy of Arts and Letters in Dallas. Working with TBAAL, King worked with an impressive list of artists, including Diahann Carol, Debbi Morgan, Fantasia, Ledisi, Loretta Divine, Malik Yoba, Malcolm Jamal Warner and the late Ruby Dee.

A 2003 graduate of Morehouse College, King recently earned a master’s degree in fine arts theater producing and management from Columbia University. While in New York, he worked on Broadway with Disney Theatrical Group and served as an associate producer with the Tony Award-winning Negro Ensemble Company, Miller Theatre, Harlem School of the Arts and several other Off-Broadway companies. He has worked in many facets of theater, including as a director, producer, playwright, marketing director, costume and set designer, stage manager and graphic designer.

Winner of the 2004 New York Drama Critics Circle and the Outer Critics Circle Awards,

“Intimate Apparel” will be presented at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday, Feb. 28 through March 4, in W.M. Turner Auditorium in the Griffith Fine Arts Building on the SFA campus. The play is recommended for mature audiences. A content advisory may be viewed at www.theatre.sfasu.edu.

Single tickets are $15 for adult, $10 for senior and $7.50 for student/youth. For tickets or more information, call the SFA Fine Arts Box Office at (936) 468-6407 or visit www.theatre.sfasu.edu.

Future college students will have the opportunity to experience a taste of campus life during a free, action-packed open-house Saturday, Feb. 18, at Stephen F. Austin State University in Nacogdoches.

Prospective students will have the opportunity to visit with university faculty and staff members, tour the campus and residence halls, and preview academic programs during the SFA Showcase Saturday event.

“There is no better time than Showcase Saturday to visit the beautiful SFA campus and witness firsthand what it’s like to be a Lumberjack,” said Jessica Maynard, assistant director of SFA’s Office of Admissions.

“Guests are encouraged to visit one-on-one with our faculty members to learn more about our quality, personalized academic programs, and our staff members will be available to answer questions about everything from admission requirements to financial aid to residence life,” Maynard added.

SFA is a comprehensive, residential university located in the heart of Texas Forest Country. Approximately 13,000 students attend SFA, which is within a few hours’ drive of Texas’ major metropolitan areas.

Showcase Saturday event registration will begin at 11:45 a.m. on the first floor of the Baker Pattillo Student Center and will remain open until 12:45 p.m. Each person who registers will receive an information packet. The opening program begins at 12:45 p.m. and will provide an overview of the day’s events.

Guests will then be able to visit with representatives of the academic departments until 4 p.m. at the Academic Fair in the Student Recreation Center. A Student Services Fair will be held from 2:30 to 4:30 p.m. on the first floor of the Baker Pattillo Student Center.

Campus and residence hall tours will begin at 1:30 p.m. and continue until 5 p.m. Campus tours will take students on a guided walk of the SFA campus, while the self-guided residence hall tours will showcase several halls on both the north and south ends of campus.

Admissions counselors will be available to discuss admission procedures and requirements from 1:30 to 5 p.m. in the Rusk Building, Room 206, and at several freshman and transfer admissions sessions held throughout the day.

Financial aid information sessions will be held at 2:30, 3:15 and 4 p.m. in the Baker Pattillo Student Center’s Twilight Ballroom. Residence Life information sessions will be held at 2:30, 3:15 and 4 p.m. in the Baker Pattillo Student Center Theater on the second floor.

Participating prospective students will receive a free SFA T-shirt after completing an evaluation form in the tent located in the courtyard area of the Rusk Building.

For more information about SFA’s Showcase Saturday, contact the SFA Office of Admissions at (936) 468-2504 or email admissions@sfasu.edu.

Stephen F. Austin State University’s online master’s degree program in early childhood education has been ranked one of the top 20 best online programs in the nation for 2017 by BestColleges.com, a website connecting students to schools and programs that suit their educational needs.

“Our program promotes excellence in early childhood instruction while benefiting students in an online environment,” said Dr. Susan Casey, program coordinator at SFA. “As professors, we strive to meet the needs of students through an interactive environment, and I’m pleased our efforts are being acknowledged.”

The ranking is based on courses the school offers, available specializations, student outcomes, career support services and additional criteria used to determine academic excellence.

SFA’s Master of Education in early childhood education takes 36 credit hours to complete and is designed to meet the specific needs of individuals who work with children from birth through age 8.

Additionally, the program is designed to develop specialized competency in organizing programs for young children and families through in-depth study and research related to child growth and development, theoretical underpinnings of classroom practice, development of learning strategies and sociological and psychological factors influencing behavior in young children.

Courses are offered completely online through SFA’s online learning management system, Desire2Learn, and are taught in half-semester formats. Students may determine the pace at which they progress, but generally, it takes two years to complete the program.

For more information, visit http://www.sfasu.edu/elementaryed/103.asp.

Several Stephen F. Austin State University students studying in the hospitality administration program recently traveled to Waco to attend the Texas Association of Convention and Visitor Bureaus mid-winter conference.

Each student received a scholarship to attend the conference, which was made possible through sponsorships and coordinated by Sarah Page, executive director for TACVB, Elizabeth Eddins and Shane Sorenson, student/mentor coordinators.

Dr. Chay Runnels, SFA hospitality program coordinator, said she was thrilled the students had this opportunity to represent SFA.

“It was a great event, and our students were good representatives of our program,” Runnels said. “I am so glad we are able to provide these real-world opportunities for our hospitality students.”

During the conference, students attended sessions and networked with tourism industry professionals from across the state. Session topics ranged from tragedy response and handling negative press events to dealing with ad fraud and how to use persuasion in marketing. Additional topics included the value of services, digital marketing and others.

Mackenzie Tarter, SFA Mesquite senior, said one of the highlights was listening to former NFL coach Daron Roberts discuss leadership.

“He brought to life what it means to stand out as a leader — not just within the hospitality industry but within any industry,” Tarter said. “One key point I took away from him was when I enter my field I hope to start with empathy and vulnerability.”

The conference also introduced students to various issues within the industry.

“The biggest way the conference helped me with my career is it brought to reality issues I didn’t know the industry faced. It also taught me new technology the industry is bringing into the field and it revamped my passion,” Tarter said. “I cannot wait to enter into this amazing world of hospitality and work alongside people like those I met during the conference.”

Dana Sorey, SFA Huntington senior, agreed the conference helped shed light on the hospitality industry and said one of the main lessons she learned was to never stop learning.

“You always hear people say that, but in the hospitality industry, there is no truer phrase. It is fast paced and everything changes quickly,” Sorey said. “There were experienced CEOs, directors and experts who came to learn more, share their own issues and find solutions through other CVBs.”

Networking was a main component of the conference. Each student was assigned an industry mentor who shared industry knowledge and real-world experiences.

“That was one of the best parts,” Sorey said. “It was nice to have an experienced mentor tell me about her real-world experience. She was extremely helpful when discussing steps I should take after graduation. It was my first conference, and I will never forget it.”