Everything Nac

There’s a line in the show: ” … the best camouflage of all, in my opinion, is the plain and simple truth. Because nobody ever believes it.”

Dr. Richard Jones had long forgotten that line in Max Frisch’s play “(Biedermann and) The Firebugs,” but he remembered this theme from when he first read the play more than 30 years ago.

“I was thinking about some specific episodes in my own life, but especially about the political climate today,” he said. “Ultimately, I was intrigued by the fact that the major surprise in this play is that there are no surprises in this play.”

Jones, professor of theatre at Stephen F. Austin State University, will direct “(Biedermann and) The Firebugs” when the School of Theatre presents it as part of this year’s Mainstage Series.

According to Jones, businessman Gottlieb Biedermann opens the play muttering about how arsonists (“firebugs”) have had so little trouble finagling their way into people’s houses, only to burn them down. And then the doorbell rings…

“Really, everyone knows what’s going to happen within the first 10 minutes,” he explains. “The play is not so much about where we’re going as how we get there.”

The play was originally written as a response to Nazism/Fascism, Jones explained.

“It comes from a moment in time when absurdism took on a political element and, in this case, overlapped with the more overtly political form of epic theatre,” he said. “Playwright Max Frisch was not infrequently accused of Communist sympathies. Certainly his politics leaned a little to the left, but he was really more anti-Nazi than pro-Marxist.”

The play presents its share of challenging moments for a director, Jones said, one of which is that it moves in and out of presentational vs. representational style.

“That is, there are moments when the characters explicitly acknowledge the audience, and moments when the actors pretend not to notice the audience at all,” he said. “It’s also a very funny play, but if it lapses too far into farce, the themes of ethical behavior, moral courage and critical thinking are subordinated.”

Jones said another challenge is the number of new theatre students the play will feature in its cast.

“It’s always a challenge to work with new people,” he said. “I’ve previously directed only two of the 13 actors in this play, and over half the cast wasn’t at SFA a year ago. The newcomers are all great to work with, but it inevitably takes a little more time for them to know what to expect from me, and for me to figure out how help them do their best work.”

Student actors will learn from the mix of styles in the play, and from the many lines (more than usual, according to Jones) that can be interpreted in fundamentally different ways.

“That’s especially challenging, because the temptation is to split the difference, and we end up losing the sense of the moment altogether,” Jones said.

Jones hopes the audience will appreciate and enjoy the humor in the play.

“I hope they have a good time and share a few laughs with us,” he said. “If they leave a little more likely to confront their fears and do the right thing, even at a risk, so much the better.”

The play is appropriate for all ages. However, young children probably would not understand it, but those in mid-teens and up would comprehend its themes.

“(Biedermann and) The Firebugs” will be presented at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday, Feb. 27 through March 3, in W.M. Turner Auditorium in the Griffith Fine Arts Building, 2222 Alumni Drive, on the SFA campus.

Single tickets are $15 for adult, $10 for senior and $7.50 for student/youth. For tickets or more information, call the SFA Fine Arts Box Office at (936) 468-6407 or visit www.theatre.sfasu.edu.

More than 100 Stephen F. Austin State University students enrolled in the School of Human Sciences applied their skills during the annual “Chairished” Blessings fundraiser, which was held Feb. 2 at the Nacogdoches Exposition and Civic Center.

Interior design, merchandising and hospitality students were among the participants during this year’s event and played active roles in making it a success.

Interior design students refinished furniture for a design competition. Both interior and fashion merchandising students created table centerpieces, and hospitality administration students prepared and served the meal. All majors from the School of Human Sciences assisted that evening greeting, taking tickets, selling and serving cakes, and selling and working the door prizes and raffle tickets.

“One of the reasons we get all of the students in the School of Human Sciences involved is because we want them to know what it’s like to be active in their community,” said Sally Ann Swearingen, associate professor in the School of Human Sciences. “We are not just teaching a major. We are teaching students how to incorporate their talents and skills to serve others.”

The annual fundraiser benefited Love in the Name of Christ, a nonprofit Christian organization in Nacogdoches dedicated to serving local citizens in need. Chairished Blessings featured dinner, a silent auction and a design competition.

“This event’s goal is to raise money for the projects Love INC provides for the community,” Swearingen said. “One of the projects is raising money to help construct a shower and laundry facility.”

Prior to the event, SFA students helped set up tables by creating centerpieces. Many also helped assemble gift baskets as auction items.

“Working this event has taught me a lot about what goes on behind the scenes of a project,” said Calli Blankenship, senior interior design major from Livingston, Texas. “Making connections and networking with people to help you is so important.”

Blankenship has participated in Chairished Blessings before and said this year she helped the interior design students refinish furniture for the design competition. However, for Houston senior Yessenia Ramirez, a hospitality major focusing on travel and tourism, this was her first time to participate.

“The tourism industry is all about bringing people to visit different communities, so I feel hosting an event as big as this one is a great way to do that,” Ramirez said. “Hospitality involves service to people, and this is a great example of what we will be doing later and a great experience for us.”

By Kasi Dickerson, senior marketing communications specialist at Stephen F. Austin State University.

Stephen F. Austin State University education seniors Ben Dickey of Austin and Melissa Caruso of Mineola, along with Emily Fulmer of Dallas, (not pictured), will present their research, “How Can Pre-Service Teachers Engage English-Language Learners in Production Struggle?” at the National Council on Undergraduate Research Conference in April.

Their case study recorded and analyzed the types of questions pre-service teachers asked as they tutored fourth grade English-Language Learners in mathematics.

The Stephen F. Austin State University School of Theatre hosts the 2018 UIL One-Act Play Festival Thursday and Friday, Feb. 8 and 9, in Griffith Fine Arts Building on the SFA campus. Ten East Texas area schools are participating in the event, which includes storytelling, stage combat, lighting design, makeup and other workshops. The festival allows the high school theatre students to “practice perform” their one-act plays, which are critiqued by SFA theatre faculty, before students compete in UIL events later this semester. School of Theatre Director Cleo House Jr. offers suggestions to Central High School students following their performance of “Hansel and Gretel” Thursday morning. The festival also serves as a recruiting tool, and students have the opportunity to audition for admission to the School of Theatre at the festival’s conclusion.