Everything Nac

Hosted by Stephen F. Austin State University’s Department of Languages, Cultures and Communication, Utz Rachowski, a prominent voice in contemporary German literature, will give two presentations to the SFA and Nacogdoches communities on SFA’s campus.

Rachowski’s first presentation, “The Poet as Political Prisoner: Personal Experiences in a German Dictatorship,” will be at 5:30 p.m. Monday, April 9, in Dugas Liberal Arts North, Room 102. His second presentation, a bilingual poetry reading alongside Dr. Scott Shattuck associate dean of the College of Fine Arts, will be at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, April 10, in Dugas Liberal Arts North, Room 142.

Rachowski, whose writing deals with the oppression in the former German Democratic Republic known as East Germany, was arrested in 1979 for “subversive agitation” for distributing his own poetry as well as texts from other well-known dissident writers of the time. Rachowski remained in prison until 1980, when he was released from an East German prison through the help of Amnesty International. He then relocated to West Germany where he studied art history and philosophy in West Berlin.

Since his release, Rachowski has been a freelance writer of prose, poetry and radio plays. He was co-editor of the literary journal “Ostragehege” from 1993 to 1999. Since 2003, he has worked part time with the Saxony State Commission for the Stasi Files to help provide rehabilitation counseling to victims of the East German dictatorship.

Rachowski has published 15 books, including short stories, essays and poems, which have been translated into English, Polish, French, Spanish, Serbian and Finnish. He has performed readings of his works throughout Europe, the United States and parts of Africa. He also has received numerous awards from around the world for his work.

Dr. Louise Stoehr, SFA associate professor of German, is thrilled to have Rachowski present at SFA. She believes that having a distinguished author such as Rachowski is a significant opportunity for the community.

“Utz Rachowski is a representative of the first generation that was ‘born into’ the former German Democratic Republic,” Stoehr said. “He did not set out to be a representative voice of the young dissident poets of the time. Today, Rachowski is considered one of the foremost voices of his generation, as his writing seeks to come to terms with the difficult past in the former East Germany.”

Both presentations are free and open to the public. For more information about the events, contact Stoehr at lstoehr@sfasu.edu.

By Emily Brown, marketing communications specialist at Stephen F. Austin State University.

Acclaimed art critic and author Jed Perl will serve as juror for the 24th annual Texas National, Stephen F. Austin State University’s acclaimed art competition and exhibition, which opens Saturday, April 14, and runs through June 10 in The Cole Art Center @ The Old Opera House, SFA’s historic art gallery in downtown Nacogdoches.

Texas National features an assortment of art, including photography, painting, sculpture and mixed media, according to John Handley, director of SFA galleries. This year’s exhibition includes more than 65 pieces of art by 65 artists from 19 states.

This year’s exhibition will also include entries by four current SFA art students, Austin Cullen, Jacob Moffatt, Tracey King and Erik Ordaz, whose work Perl selected for the competition.

The School of Art’s annual juried competition and exhibition attracts entrants from across the United States, providing artists an opportunity to have their work juried by highly regarded artists and critics, such as Perl, Handley said.

“Texas National is about as wide open as you can get, and it is always exciting to see, not only the diversity of works, but how each exhibition is entirely different due to the individual juror’s tastes,” Handley said.

The event opens with the juror’s talk at 5 p.m., followed by a reception from 6 to 8 p.m., during which time competition winners will be announced.

“The competition is open to all media except for video and performance,” Handley explained. “The juror is tasked with sifting through an enormous amount of entries to select up to 100 works of art for the exhibition.”

The exhibition is chosen from online entries. However, the winners are chosen by the juror in person, and the top three receive cash prizes.

Perl, a regular contributor to The New York Review of Books, has been called by poet John Ashbery “an almost solitary, essential voice.” And a reviewer in the Atlantic, writing about “Magicians and Charlatans,” Perl’s most recent collection of essays, observed that he “may be the finest American critic at work today in any field.”

Perl was the art critic for The New Republic for 20 years and a contributing editor at Vogue for a decade. Among Perl’s many books are “Antoine’s Alphabet: Watteau and His World,” “Eyewitness: Reports from an Art World in Crisis” and “New Art City: Manhattan at Mid-Century,” which was a 2005 New York Times Notable Book. He is also the editor of “Art in America: 1945-1970,” a 900-page anthology that he edited and introduced, published by the Library of America. He has written for The New York Times Book Review, Harper’s, The New Criterion, The Threepenny Review, The Yale Review, Salmagundi and many other publications.

He is the recipient of awards from the Guggenheim Foundation, the American Academy in Rome, the Leon Levy Biography Center at the City University of New York, and the Ingram-Merrill Foundation. He has appeared on “Charlie Rose,” “The McNeil/Lehrer NewsHour” and CNN, as well as National Public Radio. He is a professor of liberal studies at The New School in New York City where he lives.

The exhibition and reception are sponsored in part by the SFA Friends of the Visual Arts, Nacogdoches Junior Forum, The Flower Shop and R&K Distributors, Inc.

The Cole Art Center is located at 329 E. Main St. For more information, call (936) 468-1131.

A fairy tale for all ages is what the Stephen F. Austin State University School of Music and School of Theatre promise when they present W.A. Mozart’s “The Magic Flute” as this year’s SFA Opera Theater.

Taking the stage at 7:30 p.m. Thursday through Saturday, April 12 through 14, in W.M. Turner Auditorium, “The Magic Flute” is a perennial favorite for audiences and musicians alike, according to Dr. Deborah Dalton, associate professor of voice at SFA and stage director of the opera.

“In the 2015-16 season, there were more than 500 productions of ‘The Magic Flute’ worldwide, totaling more than 3,000 performances,” Dalton said. “The fairy tale story with prince and princess, magical creatures, and familiar themes of good versus evil appeals to all ages.

As Mozart’s final opera – its premiere was two months prior to his death – the musical score is varied and beautiful, Dalton said.

“It requires virtuosic singing from the highest female voice (Queen of the Night) to the lowest male voice (Sarastro),” she said. “It has been on my wish list for many years, and we finally had the right combination of voices to mount a production.”

“The Magic Flute” is a Singspiele, a form of German light opera with both singing and spoken dialogue that was popular in the late 18th century, Dalton explained.

“It was written in collaboration with Emanuel Schikaneder for his theatre and is noted for its Masonic elements,” she said. “Both Mozart and Schikaneder were Freemasons.”

In the opera, the Queen of the Night persuades Prince Tamino to rescue her daughter, Pamina, from captivity under the high priest, Sarastro. Tamino accepts the quest, but when he learns the high ideals of Sarastro’s community, he seeks to join it. Separately, then together, Tamino and Pamina undergo severe trials of initiation, which end in triumph, with the Queen and her cohorts vanquished. The bird catcher, Papageno, who accompanies Tamino on his quest, fails the trials completely but is rewarded anyway with the hand of his “pretty bird,” Papagena.

Scenic design for “The Magic Flute” is by theatre faculty member Kenneth Verdugo. The design is influenced by ancient Egypt and features temples, palm trees and rocky elements. A false proscenium frames the stage and highlights important elements of the story, Dalton explained.

Angela Bacarisse, professor of design and arts management in the School of Theatre, designed the costumes that Dalton described as a mix of fairy tale and “The Arabian Nights.”

“The large chorus posed a particular challenge: 28 to 30 identical costumes that will look good on everyone and fit our limited budget,” Dalton said. “Angela came up with a brilliant solution. I won’t give it away, but it is stunning!”

Other music faculty members in key roles include Nita Hudson, voice and opera instructor, assistant director; Dr. Gene H. Moon, director of orchestras, musical director and orchestra conductor; and Dr. Tod Fish, associate director of choral activities, chorus master.

“This is truly a fun show for all ages that has something for everyone – comedy, majesty and great beauty,” Dalton said. “SFA Opera Theater continues to feature beautiful voices accompanied by an SFA orchestra in the pit. This production, designed and built by the SFA School of Theatre, has Egyptian elements, a Queen of the Night (Superstition), the Temple of the Sun (Enlightenment), and a monster!”

Tickets are $15 for adults, $10 for seniors and $7.50 for students and youth. For tickets or more information, visit www.finearts.sfasu.edu or call the SFA Fine Arts Box Office at (936) 468-6407.