Everything Nac

Anyone who likes warm-hearted dramadies about family and the struggles and joys of making a small business work will love the Stephen F. Austin State University School of Theatre and Dance’s presentation of “Real Women Have Curves” by Josefina López.

Celebrating the immigrant experience, body positivity and the wisdom and strength of Latinas, “Real Women Have Curves” will be presented at 7:30 p.m. Thursday through Saturday, April 18 through 20 and April 25 through 27 and at 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, April 20 and 21 and April 27 and 28, in the Black Box Theatre in Griffith Fine Arts Building on the SFA campus.

“Real Women Have Curves” is making SFA theatre history as the first Mainstage show to have an all Latina cast, and it’s the first Mainstage to be presented in the new intimate Black Box Theatre, putting the audience almost within reach of the performers, according to Dr. Slade Billew, professor of theatre at SFA and the play’s director.

“Our season is built from proposals by faculty and students,” Billew said, “and I think we got close to 10 proposals from students for this show. So, it was clearly a show that has meaning especially to our Latinx students. Also, we wanted the first season in our new Griffith Fine Arts Building to be composed of shows that would be known to the broader Nacogdoches community, and this show has that.”

The show follows a group of Latinas working in the garment district in Los Angeles in the 2010s. The point-of-view character Ana is the youngest and is rebelling against her mother and sister who have more traditional plans for her life.

“She wants to become a writer, and she feels like she understands life and the world better than the more old-fashioned women who work in the factory,” explains Billew. “Over the course of the play, Ana both learns to respect them, but also teaches them to respect her.”

With a small cast of only five actors who are on stage almost the whole time, “Real Women Have Curves” requires “a lot of work and attention for student actors,” Billew said.

“The show is very emotionally intimate,” he said, “which can be challenging when the audience is so close.”

The play challenges not only actors but also designers, who are learning to work in the smaller Black Box space not typically used for this larger yet intricate level of design. The characters have complex interpersonal dynamics, because as family, it should appear that most of them have known each other for some time.

“Finding that kind of depth of relationship can be challenging,” Billew said. “The characters also spend significant time sewing, which is a skill some of the actors came into rehearsal with, but others did not. The show is also bilingual with characters switching fluidly between English and Spanish.

“I hope the show gets audiences to think about their relationships with their families and the struggles of pursuing the American dream,” he added.

General admission ticket prices are: adult, $15; senior (62+), $10; youth (high school and younger), $8; SFA faculty/staff, $8; non-SFA student, $8; and SFA student, $5. For ticketing information or to purchase tickets, call the Fine Arts Box Office at (936) 468-6407, or visit sfasu.edu/boxoffice. For information about the play, call (936) 468-4003 or visit sfasu.edu/theatre-dance.

The Micky Elliott College of Fine Arts and the School of Music at Stephen F. Austin State University will present acclaimed trombonist, composer and producer Delfeayo Marsalis in a compelling performance with SFA’s Swingin’ Axes jazz band at 7:30 p.m. Friday, April 19, in W.M. Turner Auditorium on the SFA campus.

The final University Series event of the 2023-24 Centennial Season, the concert provides an exciting opportunity to see and hear this renowned New Orleans musician as he takes the stage with SFA’s outstanding jazz musicians. The concert is sponsored in part by Etech.

“The Marsalis family is modern jazz royalty, so any time you have the opportunity to hear one of them in concert, you are in for a treat,” said Dr. Gary Wurtz, dean of the Elliott College of Fine Arts. “Ellis Marsalis, the father of the four famous brothers, was a legendary jazz pianist. Following in his footsteps, Wynton, Branford, Jason and Delfeayo have all made their own name and mark in contemporary jazz, which is a remarkable achievement for one family. Our students will spend a couple of days with Delfeayo, as he teaches and performs with them, and it will be something they will never forget.”

A member of the legendary Marsalis family of musicians, Delfeayo was destined to a life in music, touring internationally with jazz legends such as Ray Charles, Art Blakey, Max Roach, Elvin Jones and Slide Hampton, as well as leading his own groups. He has founded three nonprofit organizations that strengthen the arts community in New Orleans: Uptown Music Theatre, Uptown Jazz Orchestra and Keep New Orleans Music Alive.

“We’re so thrilled to have Delfeayo Marsalis coming to work with our students,” said Dr. J.D. Salas, director of jazz studies at SFA and director of the Swingin’ Axes. “On top of his wealth of musical talent, Marsalis is an incredible advocate for jazz education and has also branched out to include work as a producer for other jazz artists. This makes him an ideal guest artist for the Swingin’ Axes, which has students majoring in performance, education, and sound recording technology. In addition to performing with the Axes, he will host a master class and a question-and-answer session with our students.”

Following the performance, the audience is invited to a reception to honor the guest performer and event corporate sponsor.

Turner Auditorium is located in Griffith Fine Arts Building, 2222 Alumni Drive.

Single event tickets for the Swingin’ Axes with Delfeayo Marsalis are adult, $20; senior (62 or better), $16; SFA faculty/staff, $10; non-SFA student/youth, $8; SFA student, $3. To purchase tickets, call the Fine Arts Box Office at (936) 468-6407 or visit the sfasu.edu/boxoffice. The Fine Arts Box Office is located in the second floor lobby, Griffith Fine Arts Building.