Everything Nac

The Stephen F. Austin State University School of Theatre and Dance will present the student-directed full-length, dark comedy “The Motherf**ker with the Hat” by award-winning playwright Stephen Adly Guirgis at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Feb. 16, and at 2 and 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 17, in the Black Box Theater in the Griffith Fine Arts Building, SFA campus.

Directed by Dallas senior Mariano Aguirre Jr., “The Motherf**ker with the Hat” explores the tumultuous journey of Jackie, a recovering addict determined to stay on the straight and narrow. His world is turned upside down when he discovers a mysterious hat in the apartment he shares with his girlfriend Veronica, sparking a series of events that unravel secrets, betrayal and unexpected alliances. Set against the gritty backdrop of New York City, this explosive tale of love, loyalty and the pursuit of redemption will keep audiences on the edge of their seats, questioning the blurred lines between right and wrong, according to Aguirre.

The cast includes Houston freshman Ashland Anderson as Veronica; Houston sophomore Xavier Sanchez as Jackie; Houston sophomore Erik Colbert as Ralph D.; Brownsboro junior Sarah Cook as Victoria; and Houston junior Eric Sosa as Cousin Julio.

The crew includes Whitney Posey, senior from Hawkins, stage manager; Osvaldo Matute, freshman from Magnolia, assistant director; Jonathan Leatherman, junior from Dayton, scenic designer; Dylan Manning, freshman from Allen, costume coordinator; Jade Hushaw, sophomore from Killeen, lighting designer; Marwa Habibi, freshman from McKinney, sound designer; and Ashley Camarillo, senior from Yoakum, props designer.

Aguirre is a Bachelor of Fine Arts candidate whose past directing credits include Jesse Cameron Alick’s “for colored boys …,” Carl(os) Roa’s “Spanish for Estranged Latin Kids,” Luis Valdez’s “Los Vendidos” and more. Assistant directing credits include Robert O’Hara’s “Bootycandy,” August Wilson’s “The Piano Lesson,” and the upcoming SFA Mainstage production of “Real Women Have Curves” by Josefina Lopez. Aguirre is also a member of the Multicultural Ensemble.

The play is recommended for mature audiences. Faculty production advisor is Cleo House-Keller.

Tickets are $5 for SFA students and faculty/staff and $8 for adults and youth not affiliated with SFA. To purchase tickets, visit the SFA Fine Arts Box Office online at sfasu.edu/boxoffice or call (936) 468-6407. Available tickets may be purchased at the door. Griffith Fine Arts Building is located at 2222 Alumni Drive. For more information about the play, call the School of Theatre and Dance at (936) 468-4003 or visit sfasu.edu/theatre-dance.

Venezuelan percussionist Alirio José Torrealba will perform at 6 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 14, in Cole Concert Hall on the campus of Stephen F. Austin State University.

His recital will feature performances of “Entrevero” for Maracas and Tape by Guasaka4; “Pajarillo Flamenco” by Juan Carlos Contreras; and “Temazcal” (maracas and tape) by Javier Alvarez. He will also conduct a maracas master class for SFA’s percussion studio.

Torrealba studied at the Simon Bolivar Conservatory of Venezuela and the Latin American Academy of Percussion. His passion for Venezuelan folk music led him to author “The Art of the Maracas” and establish the iPlayMaracas Academy. “The Art of the Maracas” is an introductory book designed to inform percussionists how to play “cross-stick maracas.”He has presented master classes in Amsterdam, Brussels, Munich, Paris, Madrid, Rome, Bogota and other parts of the world.

Admission to the concert is free. For additional information, contact the SFA School of Music at (936) 468-4602.

Stephen F. Austin State University’s Center for Applied Research and Rural Innovation, in association with the Texas Forest Country Partnership and Texas Forest Trail Region, will host the Rural Texas Travel and Tourism Conference March 7 in the Baker Pattillo Student Center Grand Ballroom on SFA’s campus.

The purpose of the conference is to educate and promote economic development opportunities through travel and tourism in Texas. Moreover, attendees will have the opportunity to acquire certification and knowledge of best tourism industry practices and will hear from expert speakers, according to Mary Ann Rojas, CARRI executive director.

“The conference will provide a forum for rural communities to showcase tourism attractions and entrepreneurship in rural Texas,” Rojas said. “It also will help build local capacity and strengthen networks among tourism and community champions. The conference also will act as a stage to showcase and highlight existing events that have benefited communities in rural areas and inspired others to learn from each other.”

The keynote speaker for the event will be Jonas Arjes, interim president and chief executive officer of the Branson Lakes Area Chamber of Commerce, who will present “A book, a river, and a hole in the ground: A Branson story.” During the presentation, Arjes will discuss his experience with the transformation of Branson, Missouri, into an international destination. He also will share knowledge of the community challenges, infrastructure, workforce, and social and economic impacts of growth.

“SFA’s CARRI exists to provide and support rural communities through the leveraging of university resources, talent and research,” Rojas said. “We recognize the economic development opportunities and challenges facing rural deep East Texas. We also recognize and advocate supporting tourism as a positive economic driver in our region.”

The conference is open to the public and encourages SFA students, as well as practitioners and community leaders, to attend. Cost of attendance is $100, and registration is open until the day of the event. To register, visit gosfa.com/tourismconf.

For more information about CARRI, visit sfasu.edu/carri.

ABOUT STEPHEN F. AUSTIN STATE UNIVERSITY

Stephen F. Austin State University, the newest member of The University of Texas System, began a century ago as a teachers’ college in Texas’ oldest town, Nacogdoches. Today, it has grown into a regional institution comprising six colleges — business, education, fine arts, forestry and agriculture, liberal and applied arts, and sciences and mathematics. Accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, SFA enrolls approximately 11,000 students while providing the academic breadth of a state university with the personalized attention of a private school. The main campus encompasses 421 acres that include 37 academic facilities, nine residence halls, and 68 acres of recreational trails that wind through its six gardens. The university offers more than 80 bachelor’s degrees, more than 40 master’s degrees and four doctoral degrees covering more than 120 areas of study. Learn more at sfasu.edu.

By University Marketing Communications

A solo exhibition of works by Candace Hicks, associate professor of art in the School of Art at Stephen F. Austin State University, will open in mid-February in the The Artspace Gallery, North Las Vegas campus of the College of Southern Nevada.

Hicks’ exhibition features work from her series “Notes for String Theory.” The show runs Feb. 16 through April 20. An artist talk and reception is planned for 6 p.m. Monday, Feb. 26.

Hick explains that her work centers on “being a reader of fiction.”

“Literature informs every project,” she writes. “Artist’s books and writing complement imagery and objects. Text allows me to explore in depth the ways we construct meaning from mundane coincidences.”

Inspired by genre fiction, Hicks said she critically assesses the morality of one’s obsession with murder mysteries and investigates the ways that science fiction “has a hold on collective imagination to a greater extent than fact.”

“To complicate the reader/viewer experience, I encode text within interactive exhibits, populate dioramas with invisible ink clues, and create baffling optical illusions,” she said. “Privileging craft traditions, I employ embroidery, quilling and paper constructions to illustrate interconnected stories. Regardless of medium, I am forever exploring our complex relationship with storytelling.”

For more information about the Las Vegas exhibition, call (702) 651-4146 or visit www.csn.edu/artgallery. Hicks can be reached at hicksc1@sfasu.edu.