Everything Nac

Virtual-only performances of Jean-Paul Sartre’s play “No Exit” Sept. 24 through 26 will open the 2020-21 Mainstage Series presented by the Stephen F. Austin State University School of Theatre.

“No Exit” finds three strangers encountering one another in a strange room and trying to make sense of their new surroundings and the lives that have led them to this place, according to Dr. Inga Meier, assistant professor of theatre at SFA and the play’s director. She said she selected “No Exit” last spring to be included in this year’s Mainstage Series lineup for a number of reasons, the most important of which being the uncertainties of the pandemic and the ability of the play to translate well into a virtual format.

“Not knowing what the state of the pandemic would be in the fall, I wanted to err on the side of caution and plan for the show to be virtual from the beginning,” she said. “I also wanted to make sure that if students elected to not return in the fall, they would still have an opportunity to audition and participate in the season.”

In having made that decision, Meier began looking for shows that could not just work in a virtual setting, but that would actually benefit from one.

“‘No Exit,’ which is set in hell, proved a perfect choice, as the virtual space can actually function to enhance the play’s setting,” she said, adding that she was also influenced in selecting the Sartre play by two recent television shows – “The Good Place” and “Upload” – the first of which was inspired by “No Exit.”

“Both define hell in interesting, innovative ways that defy expectations,” Meier said. “Placing the characters within the confines of a zoom setting, I think, will open up similar opportunities.”

Even with the strides made in recent months to teach and perform in remote environments, making the technology of a virtual performance work the way you want continues to be a challenge.

“Obviously, we’re going to have to wrestle with technology in innovative ways,” Meier said. “However, the Festival of New American Plays in the spring, and ‘The Tempest’ in the summer (both of which were presented virtually), made some really great inroads in this regard that we hope to build on and develop further.”

Meier said that the performance style required by Zoom and YouTube is different from a theatrical one. There are always going to be differences when you introduce a camera, “especially if that camera is attached to a computer,” she added.

“On the other hand, the camera itself will also constrain the acting space itself, which will also impact the performances,” Meier said.

Finally, because theatre is essentially based on the fundamental premise of the interaction between actor and audience, actors’ performances tend to rely on audience feedback, whether it be laughter, silence or something else, Meier explained.

“The Zoom space does not allow for that direct interaction, and actors will face challenges navigating the absence of that feedback,” she said. “All of that being said, students who earn degrees in theatre may later find themselves working in film or television, and this show provides an excellent opportunity to help them develop some of those skills.”

Although the play explores mature themes, “No Exit” will appeal to a wide audience, Meier said.

“The play is set in hell, so the characters are obviously flawed and perhaps best understood by audiences that would be considered PG,” she said, “but the questions it explores regarding the lies we tell ourselves are universal ones.

“Ideally, theatre entertains, enlightens and teaches us something about ourselves,” she added. “I think this play has the capacity to do all of those things. However, with so much going on in the world right now, I also hope that it provides a respite for people to be transported for one to two hours.​”

The virtual performance is at 7:30 nightly for the three-night run. To purchase online access, which starts at $7.50 with additional donations accepted, visit boxoffice.sfasu.edu , or call (936) 468-6407 Monday through Friday for online purchasing questions. Livestream access sales end at 1 p.m. daily during the run, and links are emailed after 4:30 p.m. each day. For more information about the School of Theatre, visit theatre.sfasu.edu.

The Stephen F. Austin State University College of Fine Arts Dean’s Circle will recognize outstanding students during the presentation of the annual Dean’s Awards at 5:30 p.m. Friday, Sept. 25, in Kennedy Auditorium on the SFA campus.

Two new awards were added this year – the John N. and Margaret Staley Scholarship in Fine Arts and the Ruth Buzzi Honorary Dean’s Award in Filmmaking – to bring the total of Dean’s Awards to six, according to Dr. A.C. “Buddy” Himes, dean of the College of Fine Arts.

The Staley award was given in memory of Nancy Delaney, daughter of John and Margaret Staley. Her husband, Creighton Delaney, was formerly the chairman of the art department at SFA.

“Although this is actually an endowed scholarship that will rotate among the disciplines of art, music and theatre, we decided to include it the in the ceremony, since the amount of $3,000 is the same as the Dean’s Awards, making this equivalent to the highest award a student can receive in the College of Fine Arts,” Himes said.

The Buzzi Dean’s Award in Filmmaking was provided by the Nacogdoches Film Festival to honor Ruth Buzzi, most well-known for her work on the TV series “Rowan and Martin’s Laugh-In,” which aired from 1968 to 1973. Buzzi now lives with her husband, Kent Perkins, on a ranch near Stephenville. She starred in the 2017 SFA summer feature film “Glenn’s Gotta Go!” The School of Art film was produced by Brad Maule. Buzzi will present the award via video.

Award recipients include Mason Cullen, art major from Cypress; Kurt Swisher, music major from Tyler; Jasmin Limqueco, music education major from Plano; Bayley Owen, theatre major from Royce City; Jose Homero Gutierrez, art major from Chihuahua, Mexico; and Daina Phillips, filmmaking student from Wylie.

Award recipients are selected annually by the faculty of their respective schools on the basis of their potential to further develop their artistic goals and serve as role models, according to Himes. The Dean’s Awards not only recognize the recipients for what they have already accomplished, but the awards are also designed to inspire them to reach deep from within to aspire to a higher level of excellence, Himes explained. The awards were established by the Dean’s Circle, an external support organization of community members founded in 2008 and “dedicated, in part, to nurturing potential young artists within the College of Fine Arts,” Himes said.

Cullen, who received the Ed and Gwen Cole Memorial Dean’s Award in Art, is pursuing a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree with a focus in photography and a minor in printmaking. He is president of the SFA Photography Club, which has participated in public events such as the Día de los Muertos Festival. Since coming to SFA, he has participated in two study abroad programs. In May of 2019, he and 12 other students studied Italian Renaissance art in Florence and Rome. Previously, he was among 10 students selected to attend an artist’s residency at the Baer Art Center in Iceland. This residency resulted in the exhibition “Radljost” in which participants’ artwork was displayed. In 2019, Mason’s work was selected from 1,000 entries to be among 51 artists’ work to be displayed in the Texas National exhibition at Cole Art Center. Mason is a recipient of the Academic Excellence Scholarship and has stayed on either the Dean’s list or President’s list since his first semester at SFA. Upon graduation, he intends to either attend graduate school or pursue a career in teaching.

Swisher, who received the Dean’s Circle Dean’s Award in Music, is a junior music education major specializing in percussion and studying under Dr. Brad Meyer and Dr. Ben Tomlinson. He has been on the Dean’s list or President’s list every semester while at SFA. He has been a member of the Wind Ensemble, SFA Symphony Orchestra, Swinging Aces Jazz Band, Percussion Ensemble, Steel Band and Lumberjack Marching Band. He has performed at TMEA as well as at the chamber competition at Percussive Arts Society International Convention. Kurt is a member of the Honors College and is a Smith-Hutson Scholar. He has been a member of the Drum Corps activity with Genesis Drum and Bugle Corps and the Boston Crusaders Drum and Bugle Corps. He has taught with various East Texas drumlines is currently techs for Hudson High School’s indoor drum line and marching band. Kurt has served as drum captain and section leader for Lumberjack Marching Band.

Limqueco, who received the Sidnell Memorial Dean’s Award in Music Education, is a three-year member of the Wind Ensemble and the SFA Symphony Orchestra, currently serving as principal flute in both. Jasmin also participated in various chamber groups, such as the SFA flute choir and Extempore duo, and she played piano as a student accompanist for two years. She is a member of Tau Beta Sigma, an organization dedicated to serving bands, and has been a music theory tutor for two years. Jasmin has been the recipient of additional awards, such as the Academic Excellence and Lumberjack Leverage scholarships, a band scholarship, the Colvert Family Scholarship, and she recently won first place in the Denise Jennings undergraduate division flute competition. She has also been on both the Dean’s and President’s lists since her first semester at SFA.

Owen, who received the George and Peggy Schmidbauer Dean’s Award in Theatre, is pursuing a Bachelor of Arts degree with an emphasis in performance and a minor in marketing. During his time at SFA, Bayley has acted in several productions, including “Tartuffe,” “Biedermann and the Firebugs,” “Oklahoma!,” “Tales of Neverland,” “Titus Andronicus” and most recently “Pride and Prejudice.” He has also worked as an assistant hair and makeup designer for “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof,” wig master for “Titus Andronicus,” and he coordinated publicity for more than 15 School of Theatre productions. Bayley received Irene Ryan Acting Nominations from Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival for his roles in “Oklahoma!” and “Titus Andronicus.” Bayley is a member and officer of the Beta Phi Cast of Alpha Psi Omega, the National Theatre Honor Society. He is also a member of the School of Theatre Peer Mentor program.

Gutierrez, who received the John N. and Margaret Staley Scholarship in Fine Arts, is an exchange student who previously was a student at the Universidad Autónoma de Chihuahua (the State University of Chihuahua), where he graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts with a concentration in sculpture and ceramics. He also studied as an exchange student at the University Center of Art, Architecture and Design in Guadalajara, Mexico, searching for new technical approaches in the field of ceramics. While studying in Chihuahua, Homero participated in exhibitions featuring ceramic art, drawing, engraving, sculpture and woodcarving. In 2018 Homero was awarded the Mexican 2018 National Prize for Ceramic Sculpture. Homero is now pursuing an M.F.A. degree at SFA with a concentration in sculpture and ceramics. He is a graduate assistant under the tutelage of Piero Fenci, head of the ceramics program.

Phillips, who received the Ruth Buzzi Dean’s Award in Filmmaking, is a senior specializing in editing and camera operation with a minor in mass communications, focusing on radio and television. She began school at SFA in 2016 with plans of graduating in December 2020. She has been on the President’s Honor Roll list for the past three semesters. Daina has worked as video director and editor for Her Campus SFA magazine and briefly for the Pine Log campus newspaper and KSAU 90.1 campus radio station. She has worked as a crew member for numerous SFA film productions, including the graduate film, “Alone in the Dark,” a music video vignette “Genius of Love,” and her own short film, “Remedy of the Parallel,” which she wrote, directed and edited. Daina enjoys being a part of creating motion pictures and can’t wait to create more in the future.

The student awards are made possible because the Dean’s Circle believes in investing in the future and is willing to contribute and raise the money needed to fund these $3,000 individual awards each year for a total of $18,000, Himes said. For more information about the Dean’s Circle, contact Himes at himesac@sfasu.edu or at (936) 468-2801.

Vocal instruction in the COVID-19 world has taken on a new look, and choral instructors and voice students at Stephen F. Austin State University are following the newest guidelines that have emerged from scientific studies worldwide.

Over the summer, the SFA School of Music voice faculty closely monitored emerging studies and best practices from all over the world, according to Dr. Michael Murphy, director of choral activities at SFA. In late July, the results of a long-awaited study – Reducing Bioaerosol Emissions and Exposure in the Performing Arts: A Scientific Roadmap for a Safe Return from COVID19 – were made public.

“The results from that study gave us a blueprint in producing safety protocols for both faculty and students,” Murphy said.

Students are being asked to take their temperature before leaving their residences each morning. Students will wear appropriate Centers for Disease Control and Prevention-approved face masks when arriving on campus as well as in the voice studio and rehearsal rooms, Murphy said. For ensembles like a Cappella Choir and Chamber Singers, each student’s temperature is taken again before rehearsal begins.

Faculty studios and rehearsal spaces have been reorganized to follow the recommended 6-to-10-foot distance. High touch surfaces are sanitized regularly. All teaching studios are equipped with HEPA filter air purifiers, and each large space will be regularly sanitized with room sanitizing foggers. Indoor rehearsals will stop after 30 minutes to allow for one-to-three air changes, and outdoor rehearsals will stop at 30-minute intervals for a five-minute period for aerosols to disperse.

The A Cappella Choir and Chamber Singers collaborated with Dr. Dan Bruton, professor in the Department of Physics and Astronomy, who made face shields for each singer to wear in addition to their face masks when indoors, Murphy said.

“For students, a variety of delivery modes are being used for instruction, including face to face, hybrid and utilizing Zoom,” Murphy said. “The greatest challenge in music is not to lose the community and connectedness that is inherent when studying the arts.”

Murphy thanked the College of Fine Arts and School of Music, along with SFA President Dr. Scott Gordon and his leadership, for providing large tents for outdoor rehearsals.

The music-making at SFA will not stop, but live musical performances open to the public – with the exception of singular student recitals with limited audience seating – have been put on hold for the time being.

“Ensemble performances will be live streamed without an audience,” Murphy said. “For vocalists who are giving their recitals, only family and voice faculty will be in attendance. Most students are planning to live-stream their concerts and recitals to allow for more friends and family to take part in these great accomplishments.”

Live streaming can be accessed free of charge at the School of Music website at music.sfasu.edu.