Everything Nac

The SFA Lumberjacks are set to kick-off against Northwestern State at 3:05 p.m. at Homer Bryce Stadium in Nacogdoches on Saturday, Nov. 17. The game was originally scheduled to be played at 6 p.m., but was pushed up to accommodate the regional telecast.

The Southland Conference Television Network will televise the coverage beginning at 3 p.m., CST.

SFA and Northwestern battle annually for Chief Caddo, college football’s largest trophy. Northwestern State leads the Chief Caddo series 28-17-1, though SFA has won Chief Caddo in the last three consecutive years.

Alumni Corner will be held in the usual spot, on the corner of Raquet and Hayter streets, from noon to 2:30 p.m. Come out and join fellow alumni and friends during the last tailgate of the season for a catered meal and beverages. The menu, ‘Home on the Range,’ will feature carved herb-roasted pork loin with a Dijon white wine sauce, roasted potatoes, green beans and whole baby carrots.

Please contact (936) 468-3407 or visit www.sfaalumni.com for more information.

NACOGDOCHES, TEXAS – As part of a nationwide, month-long script reading program presented by the New York-based company No Passport, the Stephen F. Austin State University School of Theatre will present a special staged reading of the new play “Spark,” written by OBIE-Award winning playwright Caridad Svich. The reading will be presented at 7:30 p.m. Monday, Nov. 26, in the Downstage Theatre on the SFA Campus. Admission is free.

“Spark” is about three sisters, one of whom has just returned to her small town from five years of serving in the military, said SFA Professor of Theatre Jason Davids Scott, who will be directing the staged reading.

“It is an intimate and intense family drama that not only explores a returning soldier’s homecoming, but the ways in which military service has a profound effect on those left behind at home,” Scott said.

Svich notes that the national script-reading scheme, presented the same month as Veteran’s Day and in the shadow of the national elections, “has been developed to honor U.S. war veterans, shed light on the plight of female veterans in particular, and to raise increased awareness for their stories,” she said.

Scott, who recently directed the SFA School of Theatre Summer Repertory production of “Steel Magnolias,” agrees that the timing of the play makes it all the more powerful.

“This is not a play that takes sides or tries to be political,” he said. “It’s an honest look at an American family during wartime. Most of us have family and friends who have returned from military service or are currently serving. ‘Spark’ brings to light a number of emotional and interpersonal issues that are often overlooked in our more abstract public discussions about the military and foreign policy.”

The cast of “Spark” includes new professor Laura Rikard, who will be seen in a small part in the upcoming film “Lincoln,” alongside SFA School of Theatre students Kurt Bilanoski, Molly Dyer, Ingunn Kristjansdottir and Corinne Shady. SFA alumnus and acting teacher Brad Maule will also perform in a key, supporting role.

The play, presented in two-acts with five characters, focuses on poverty in America, what happens when soldiers come home, and the strength of family. It will be presented in more than a dozen U.S. theatres and venues and at more than 15 universities.

For more information about “Spark,” visit www.nopassport.org/spark. For information about the SFA reading on Nov. 26, contact the SFA College of Fine Arts Box Office at (936) 468-6407 or (888) 240-ARTS (2787).

NACOGDOCHES, Texas—The Center for Regional Heritage Research at Stephen F. Austin State University will host an opening for the exhibit “The Railroads of Nacogdoches County,” at 6:30 p.m. Friday, Nov. 16, at the Nacogdoches Historic Depot, 101 Old Tyler Rd.

After an opening reception, featured guest speaker Dr. Tom McKinney, visiting assistant professor of history at SFA, will highlight the history and impact of railroads on Nacogdoches County. The presentation will feature several railroad lines in the region, including the Houston, East and West Texas, the Texas and New Orleans, the Nacogdoches and Southeastern, and the Angelina and Neches River.

McKinney received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from SFA, where he wrote his thesis on Nacogdoches and the Southeastern Railroad. He later received a doctoral degree from the University of Houston. He began working with the Center for East Texas Studies on a variety of East Texas projects, including a history project on the Angelina and Neches River Railroad during its 100th anniversary.

The exhibit will continue through Jan. 25, 2013. Hours are 11 a.m. until 3 p.m. Tuesdays through Thursdays, and Friday hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The event is free and open to the public. For more information, call (936) 560-5426.

NACOGDOCHES, Texas – The Stephen F. Austin State University Pineywoods Native Plant Center will offer two birding programs the weekend of Nov. 16-17.

“Feathered Friends,” a family outdoor event will be held from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday, Nov. 17, at the Jim and Beth Kingham Children’s Garden, located at the pavilion on East College. The “Feathered Friends” event, sponsored by Nacogdoches Naturally, will feature activities appropriate for all ages designed to increase knowledge and appreciation of our feathered friends. A variety of booths will be set up in the garden for families to practice using binoculars, develop their bird identification skills, go on bird hikes, engage in a bird Olympics and make bird-related crafts. The Pineywoods Audubon Society will be on site offering their knowledge and support. Stations will be set up so families may come and go throughout the morning.

The cost for the event is $10 per family. For information, call (936) 468-5586 or email lemonkb@sfasu.edu. Nacogdoches Naturally Family Outdoor Adventures is sponsored by SFA Gardens and funded through a “More Kids in the Woods” grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture U.S. Forest Service.

The same weekend, the Pineywoods Native Plant Center also will host a two-part garden seminar for adults, “How to Identify and Attract Backyard Birds,” from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Friday Nov. 16, and from 8 to 11 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 17. On Friday, participants will meet at the Pineywoods Native Plant Center, located at 2900 Raguet St., and enjoy a Friday evening lecture with Cliff Shackelford, ornithologist with Texas Parks and Wildlife, regarding identification of common local birds. On Saturday, Shackelford will lead a birding stroll through the plant center property and to the nearby Shackelford home to visit the family’s backyard made “for the birds.”

Shackelford is a seventh-generation Texan and began bird watching at age 9. He holds both a bachelor’s degree and master’s degree in biology, with an emphasis in avian ecology, from SFA, and has authored more than 60 publications on birds and birding. He is lead author of the book “Hummingbirds of Texas (2005, Texas A&M University Press).”

The cost for this event is $20 for members of SFA Gardens Friends and $25 for non-members. To register, call the SFA Gardens Education Office at (936) 468-1832 or email erodewald@sfasu.edu.

For all events participants should wear comfortable walking shoes and weather-appropriate clothing.

NACOGDOCHES, TEXAS – Hours for the Cole Art Center @ The Old Opera House in downtown Nacogdoches have been extended during the Thanksgiving weekend, according to John Handley, director of galleries for Stephen F. Austin State University.

The Cole Art Center, located at 329 E. Main St., will be open regular hours on Friday, Nov. 23, and Saturday, Nov. 24. The center is open each week from 12:30 p.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday.

Exhibitions now on display through Jan. 12 include The World of William Joyce showing in the Ledbetter Gallery. This exhibit was organized by the National Center for Children’s Illustrated Literature, Abilene, Texas. Joyce is an author and illustrator of more than 50 children’s books. Showing in the Reavley Gallery is Todd Slater: The Art of Rock. Slater, an SFA graduate, displays 25 examples of his original silkscreen posters featuring a who’s who of rock and roll band performances.

These exhibitions are featured as part of the SFA College of Fine Arts’ University Series.

For more information, call (936) 468-1131 or visit www.finearts.sfasu.edu.

NACOGDOCHES, TEXAS – Each spring, the Congressional Institute sponsors a nationwide high school visual art competition to recognize and encourage artistic talent in the nation and in each congressional district. The competition provides an opportunity for members of Congress to encourage and recognize the artistic talents of their young constituents.

This year, the artwork submitted for the competition by students living within U.S. Rep. Louie Gohmert’s congressional district will be displayed in Griffth Gallery on the campus of Stephen F. Austin State University.

The entries will be exhibited beginning Monday, Nov. 19, and will be displayed until winners are announced in an awards ceremony at 3 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 2, in W.M. Turner Auditorium followed by a reception in Griffith Gallery.

First place winners will also be recognized at an awards ceremony in Washington, D.C.

Since it began in 1982, more than 650,000 high school students have participated. Students submit entries to their representative’s office, and panels of local artists in each district select the winning entries.

First place winning entries will be displayed in the hallway of the U.S. Capitol; second place winning entries will be displayed in Gohmert’s office in Washington; and third place winning entries will be displayed in Gohmert’s district office in Tyler.

NACOGDOCHES, TEXAS – Stephen F. Austin State University’s Wind Ensemble will present “A Musical Passport” at 7:30 p.m. Monday, Nov. 19, in W.M. Turner Auditorium on the SFA campus.

The concert will showcase travel and destinations with pieces from Australia, England and America. Among the pieces to be performed, “Manhattan Roll” by Robert Beaser demonstrates the influence of the legendary New York Philharmonic conductor and composer Leonard Bernstein, according to Fred J. Allen, SFA director of bands and of the Wind Ensemble.

“Like Bernstein’s music, this upbeat piece shows jazz influence and the vitality of the American music scene,” Allen said. “This piece was chosen to challenge our players and to inspire the audience.”

Tamey Anglley, SFA assistant director of bands, will guest conduct “Spin” by Kris Maloy, while Jonathan Sweet, SFA graduate student from LaGrange, will guest conduct “Noisy Wheels of Joy” by Eric Whitacre.

The Wind Ensemble’s performance is part of the SFA College of Fine Arts and School of Music’s Concert Series. Turner Auditorium is located in the Griffith Fine Arts Building, 2222 Alumni Dr.

Tickets are $5 for adults, $4 for seniors and $2 for students. For tickets or information, visit www.finearts.sfasu.edu or call (936) 468-6407.