Everything Nac

A cast of dozens of absurdly charming characters. A revolving castle. A bombastic pit orchestra playing a tongue-in-cheek score. French soldiers and killer rabbits.

All of this can add up to only one thing – Monty Python’s “Spamalot.”

Stephen F. Austin State University’s Schools of Theatre and Music will present “Spamalot” by Eric Idle, John Du Prez and Neil Innes at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday, Nov. 18 through 22, in W.M. Turner Auditorium on the SFA campus. A 2 p.m. Saturday matinee performance is also scheduled.

“Spamalot” is the Tony Award-winning musical adaptation of the 1975 classic “Monty Python and the Holy Grail.” Angela Bacarisse, professor of theatre at SFA, is director and choreographer, and Dr. Stephen Lias, SFA professor of composition, serves as musical director.

“In their quest to find the grail, King Arthur and his knights cross paths with the most absurdly charming characters, including the enchanting Lady of the Lake and the outrageous Knights who say Ni in a story that is sure to delight any audience,” Bacarisse said in describing the musical.
“Spamalot” was selected as one of the School of Theatre’s Mainstage Series productions this year because its humor and style “are things that I am comfortable with,” Bacarisse said, “and I felt it was within my capabilities” as a director. Among her challenges in directing “Spamalot” is the large number of cast members.
“The sheer size and scale of it all … we have 24 in the cast, and at several moments they are all on stage dancing,” she said. “Now, add a revolving castle and an orchestra … it’s not a small undertaking.”

Student actors will also find a number of challenges in performing in “Spamalot,” including being tasked with mastering several dialects, from cockney to French to Scottish.

“And they not only speak in them but sing in them, also,” Bacarisse said. “Another challenge besides singing in a musical is that this is a very ‘dancy’ musical. Some of the students are tap dancing for the first time. They have been great about practicing outside of rehearsal, and at the end of just one week, we were looking pretty good.”

But as funny and entertaining as it is, “Spamalot” isn’t for everyone, Bacarisse said.
“This production retains the humor of the irreverent Monty Python, and as such it is recommended for those who are not easily offended by sarcastic humor about religion, history, sexual stereotypes and scatology,” she said. “I, for example, am allowing my 9-year-old to see the production, but we have talked about how certain words and phrases are not appropriate for him to repeat, and about the meaning and use of sarcasm. I would rate the show PG-13 and ask that people use their discretion.”

A content advisory is available at theatre.sfasu.edu.

But those who attend the SFA production of “Spamalot” will leave the performance with catchy tunes in their heads and, hopefully, the message of the Lady of the Lake in their hearts.
“I hope they leave with the theme of the show as sung by the Lady of the Lake,” Bacarisse said, “that ‘life is really up to you, you must choose what to pursue. Set your mind on what to find, and there’s nothing you can’t do!’”
“Spamalot” is also a feature of the SFA College of Fine Arts’ 2014-2015 University Series, “Connect.” Tickets range from $7.50 to $20, with discounts available for seniors, SFA faculty/staff, students and youth. For tickets or more information, visit www.finearts.sfasu.edu or call (936) 468-6407 or (888) 240-ARTS.

The Stephen F. Austin State University Board of Regents approved faculty and staff changes during its quarterly meeting Monday.

The following faculty appointments were approved for the James I. Perkins College of Education: Terry Overton, professor of human services and director of the school psychology program; Patrick De Walt, assistant professor of elementary education; Sarah Drake, clinical instructor of human sciences; Elizabeth Gound, visiting instructor of secondary education; Jennifer Newquist, visiting assistant professor of human sciences; and D’Anna Mae Nowack, clinical instructor of human services.

Appointments within the College of Liberal and Applied Arts include: Kristin Bailey-Wallace, James Morris and Ann Wilder, assistant professors of social work; Eralda Lameborshi, visiting assistant professor of English; Jonathan Quam, visiting lecturer of mass communication; and Austin Roche, visiting lecturer of psychology.

Other faculty appointments approved Monday include: Ashley Hall, visiting lecturer of business communications and legal studies in the Nelson Rusche College of Business; Alexander Amato, lecturer of music, and Daniel Anguiano, visiting assistant professor of art, in the College of Fine Arts; Shelby Laird, assistant professor of forestry in the Arthur Temple College of Forestry and Agriculture; and Crystal Talavera, clinical instructor of nursing in the College of Sciences and Mathematics.

The Board of Regents approved staff appointments within the Perkins College of Education, including: Ashley McFarland, Elaina Schultheis and Blake Winfield, charter school teachers. Regents also approved the following staff appointment within the College of Sciences and Mathematics: Rebecca Self, assistant lab coordinator in the Richard and Lucille DeWitt School of Nursing.

Staff appointments within the Department of Athletics include: Kail Kaiser and Dylan Lockwood, athletic team operations coordinators; Brian Newton, athletic media relations assistant director; Michael Courtney, assistant track coach; Thomas Howe, assistant football coach; and Peter Suarez, assistant softball coach.

Additional staff appointments include: Kara Haney, Channing Moore and Nancy Perez, admissions counselors; Heather Hawkins, assistant director for alumni affairs; Kimberly Cobb, accountant II in the Controller’s Office; Shelby Hayes, assistant director of Human Resources; Preston Cooke, network support specialist I, and Robert Thompson, network support specialist II, in information technology services; Terri Ford, compliance coordinator in the Office of Research and Sponsored Programs; Brandon Douglas, hall director, and Travis Hardwick, area coordinator, in the Residence Life Department; and Ryan Perry, marketing communications specialist in the Office of University Marketing Communications.

Regents approved the following changes of status within the Rusche College of Business: Todd Brown, from associate professor and chair of economics and finance to associate professor and interim associate dean; Jack Ethridge, from professor of accounting to professor and director of the Master of Public Accounting program; Mikhail Kouliavtsev, from professor of economics and finance to professor and director of the Master of Business Administration program; Matthew Lindsey, from associate professor of management, marketing and international business to professor and interim chair of business communication and legal studies; Ryan Phelps, from associate professor of economics and finance to professor and assurance of learning coordinator; Michael Stroup, from professor of economics and finance to professor and interim chair of economics and finance; and S. Ann Wilson, from professor and chair of general business to professor, chair of general business and interim associate dean.

Changes of status within the Perkins College of Education include: Adam Akerson, from assistant professor of elementary education to professor and Early Childhood-6 coordinator; Neill Armstrong, from associate professor of secondary education to professor and coordinator of undergraduate certification program; Michael Bobo, from professor of kinesiology and health science to professor and dance program co-coordinator; Susan Casey, from assistant professor of elementary education to professor and coordinator of Master of Education in Early Childhood program; David Goodman, from lecturer of kinesiology and health science to lecturer and program coordinator; Paula Griffin, from instructor of elementary education to instructor and Early Childhood-6 online coordinator; Patrick Jenlink, from professor of secondary education to professor and coordinator of doctoral program; Davanna McAninch, from lecturer of elementary education to lecturer and resource room director; Jana McCall, from charter school teacher to teacher and academic coordinator; Lisa McCleary, from assistant professor of human services to professor and doctoral supervisor; Monique Nunn, from project CONFIANZA coordinator to project CONFIANZA director; Elizabeth Rhodes, from professor of kinesiology and health science to professor and dance program co-coordinator; Lydia Richardson, from clinical instructor of human services to instructor of human services; and Dawn Williams, from associate professor of elementary education to professor and middle-level grades online coordinator.

Additionally, the following changes of status were approved in the College of Fine Arts: Tim King, from professor of music to professor and choral activities director; Scott Lagraff, from associate professor of music to professor and associate director of the School of Music; Bradley Meyer, from visiting assistant professor to assistant professor of music; and Gary Wurtz, from professor of music to professor and associate director of the School of Music.

The Arthur Temple College of Forestry and Agriculture has the following changes of status within the college: Jamie Bouldin, from assistant director of student engagement to academic adviser; Dean Coble, from professor of forestry to professor holding the Minton Professorship; Kenneth Farrish, from professor of forestry to professor holding the Arnold Professorship; Gary Kronrad, from professor of forestry to professor holding the Bonehill Professorship; Brian Oswald, from professor of forestry to professor holding the Denman Professorship; and H. Michael Williams, from professor and associate dean of forestry to professor and associate dean holding the Nelson Professorship.

Regents also approved the following changes of status within the College of Sciences and Mathematics: Norman Markworth, from professor of physics and astronomy to professor and co-director of the teaching excellence center; John T. Moore, from professor of chemistry to professor and interim chair of biology; Deborah Pace, from professor and chair of mathematics and statistics to associate dean; Stephanie Perry, from adjunct faculty member in mathematics and statistics to visiting lecturer of mathematics and statistics; Clint Richardson, from associate professor of mathematics and statistics to professor and interim chair; Nola Schmidt, from director of Project CONFIANZA to Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics curriculum coordinator; and Victoria Shimer, from temporary administrative assistant to science and math project coordinator.

Other changes of status at SFA include:

Academic Affairs – Dana Cooper, from associate professor of history to professor and academic innovations officer;

Academic Advising Center – Brittany Fish, from admissions counselor to academic adviser;

Information Technology Services – Melinda Colby, from assistant director of Banner project office to director of Information Technology Services project office;

Library – Michael Gillen, from programmer/analyst I to library database administrator; and Zachary Wisniewski, from library assistant II to assistant manager of library access services;

Procurement and Property Services – Amberr Melo, from secretary in the SFA Early Childhood Lab to contracting specialist;

Student Publications – Katy Crawford, from assistant to the executive director of alumni affairs to student publications coordinator.

The Board of Regents also approved the following retirements: Geralyn Franklin, associate dean, and M. Gail Weatherly, assistant professor of general business, in the Rusche College of Business; and David Treadaway, co-director, and Jo Treadaway, co-director, of the Pineywoods Conservation Center.

The Stephen F. Austin State University School of Theatre will present the student-directed “Blood Relations” at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Nov. 7, and at 2 and 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 8, in the Downstage Theatre on the SFA campus.

Senior Austin Holt of Weatherford directs Sharon Pollock’s full-length play that retells the story of Lizzie Borden, the American woman known for being tried and acquitted for the axe murders of her father and stepmother in Fall River, Mass., in 1892.

“Lizzie and her friend, the Actress, act out the events that led up to the death of Lizzie’s stepmother and father,” Holt said in describing the play. “The Actress tries to figure out the answer to whether or not Lizzie Borden killed her parents.”

The cast includes Paris junior Shelby Gilliam as the Actress; Frisco junior Shelby Gilliland as Lizzie Borden; Arlington junior Joshua Lopez as Harry Wingate; Beaumont freshman Kate Shirley as Emma Borden; West senior Brianna Veselka as Mrs. Borden; Redcar, England, exchange student Jamie Pew as Mr. Borden; and Longview sophomore Tanner O’Neal as Dr. Patrick and the Defense.

The production staff includes Monika Zimmermann, Singapore junior, as stage manager; Kara Bruntz, Southlake sophomore, assistant stage manager; Marley Graham, Port Neches junior, assistant director; Connor Clark, Mesquite senior, and Kindle Bonner, Lufkin junior, scenic designers; Brian Butler, Plano senior, costume designer; Ross Dennison, Houston junior, lighting designer; and Elyse Dishman, Beaumont senior, sound designer.

Faculty production advisor for the play is Rick Jones.

Holt directed “No Exit” and “The New Land” at SFA. Her stage management credits include “Romeo and Juliet,” “Godspell,” “bobrauschenbergamerica” and “The Madwoman of Chaillot.” She has designed sound for “Trojan Barbie,” “Blood Wedding (assistant),” “Language of Angels” and “Lone Star.” She was a company management intern at the Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey.

Tickets are $6. For tickets or more information, call the SFA Fine Arts Box Office at (936) 468-6407 or visit www.finearts.sfasu.edu. “Blood Relations” is recommended for mature audiences (teens or older).

The SFA Percussion Ensemble will perform its annual fall concert at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Nov. 7, in Cole Concert Hall on the Stephen F. Austin State University campus.

Directed by Brad Meyer, the ensemble’s performance will feature the entire gamut of percussion studio instruments. The most intense piece is Steve Reich’s “Mallet Quartet” played on two marimbas and two vibraphones, according to Meyer.

“Reich is known for using fast rhythms and large musical structures to create monumental works for percussion,” Meyer said.

The concert will also feature “Pulse,” a fun and exciting marimba quartet that features parts that interlock together to create an intricate web of melodies, and “Hands Up,” which is for six performers, each performing on one conga.

“This piece is rhythmically driving and uses different traditional conga patterns that have been orchestrated across all six players,” Meyer said.

“Highlife” is the largest ensemble piece on the concert, and it uses “a massive amount of instruments and players,” Meyer explained.

This concert is a joint presentation of the College of Fine Arts and School of Music and is part of the Cole Performing Arts Series.

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.

To find out more information about the SFA Percussion Studio, visit/subscribe/”like” their online presence at:
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