Everything Nac

The musical/comedy “[title of show]” is set to take the stage April 20 through 23 in Kennedy Auditorium on the campus of Stephen F. Austin State University. With music and lyrics by Jeff Bowen and book by Hunter Bell, the production provides great growth opportunities for college students who are learning the intricacies of acting, singing and dancing at the same time, according to Kristen Blossom, assistant professor who teaches acting, voice and musical theatre at SFA and the musical’s director.

“[title of show]” is about Jeff and Hunter, two struggling writers, who hear about a new musical theatre festival. However, the deadline for submissions is a mere three weeks away. “[title of show]” follows their journey through the gauntlet of creative expression, and is, above all, a tribute to musical theatre and the joy of collaboration.

One of the standout features of this production is the use of mirrored choreography, where two actors perform choreography as if they are looking into their own reflection, with the other actor mirroring the other’s movements. This choreography concept adds depth and complexity to the performances, as the actors navigate their characters’ worries, insecurities and questions about working with each other in a song within the show.

Blossom explains, “The actors aren’t aware of the mirror; it’s just a choreography concept. It’s a challenge to ensure that the choreography matches the music, so that the actors can juggle three balls at the same time – singing, dancing and acting – without one aspect getting in the way of the other. But it’s all about finding the harmonious balance between the three elements and making it work seamlessly.”

The musical’s music, not an easy feat to tackle, has been expertly guided by music director Jay Teamer, a senior music education major from Lewisville. The complex harmonies and demanding vocal parts have been diligently taught to the actors, showcasing their talent and dedication to their craft.

The power of muscle memory is a crucial aspect of the production, Blossom said. Drawing from her own experience during undergraduate years, Blossom recounted a moment when she had to switch from a high soprano part to a mezzo part in a song, but had to continue performing the choreography for the original part. “That’s when I realized the true power of muscle memory,” she recalled.

Blossom said that her co-choreographer Heath McCormack, who is also a professional dancer and has spent time performing in New York City, has been “essential for me to bounce ideas off of throughout this process,” taking her requests to combine stage combat and choreography into an energetic and innovative routine.

One of the show songs, “Die, Vampire, Die,” has been an audience/fan favorite musical number in every mounting of the show since the original production debuted at NYMF (New York Musical [Theatre] Festival) in 2006. The character Susan explains: “A vampire is any person or thought that stands between you and your creative self-expression.”

“Personally, I have always identified with Susan – a role which is divinely sung by our cherubic Riley Spencer,” McCormack said. “Perhaps it is Susan’s dry, sardonic wit that tickles me, or maybe it is the similarities in our lives, but whatever the reason, the message in ‘Die, Vampire, Die’ is one to which every human being in the auditorium can relate. Everyone has been affected, in some way, by a metaphoric vampire.

“Has a person ever said something that made you doubt your own knowledge or capabilities?” McCormack asks. “Have you ever been criticized in a way that was not productive or helpful to you at all? Has a person ever been negative to you just for the sake of being negative? We have all experienced that sort of negativity, be it from another person or inside our own head. Thankfully, Susan teaches us how to take control over our own self-doubt, spot, and eliminate those confidence-draining ‘vampires.’

“Choreographing this number to tell the story in a fun and energetic way was intensely personal,” McCormack added. “I am so grateful for the opportunity to show my chops and showcase the amazing talents on stage in this show.”

The production of “[title of show]” is a collaborative effort, with the Blossom, McCormack, Teamer, stage manager Snyder O, and assistant director Maggie Jordan, all working in sync to bring the vision to life. “They all typically get the same idea at the same time, which is lovely,” Blossom said.

“We’re really excited about ‘[title of show]’ and getting the chance to introduce to our audience a show they might not be familiar with,” said Cleo House Jr., director of the SFA School of Theatre and Dance. “Musical theatre remains the most popular field of study for students and typically is the largest draw for audiences. This is why the SoTD’s commitment to musical theatre in the form of our upcoming new minor (beginning fall 2023) in musical theatre is so important. As students’ desire to study musical theatre increases, we are preparing to meet that need head-on through production and training.”

“[title of show]” performances are at 7:30 p.m. Thursday through Saturday, April 20 through 22, and at 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, April 22 and 23. General 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 (888) 240-ARTS, or visit boxoffice.sfasu.edu. For information about the play, call (936) 468-4003 or visit sfasu.edu/theatre-dance.

A film by Armando Silvas Jr., graduate student in the Stephen F. Austin State University School of Art’s filmmaking program, has been selected to be produced as the 2023 SFA summer feature.

Silvas’ “The Russian at Christmas” is a feature-length action/comedy holiday film about a Russian hitman who tracks down a mall Santa on Christmas Eve. The film is set to be shot throughout the month of June in Nacogdoches in conjunction with SFA’s filmmaking program. Silvas wrote and will direct and edit the film.

A previous Micky Elliott College of Fine Arts Dean’s Circle award winner, Silvas has worked on four feature films and has written and directed more than 10 short films of his own. He’s worked as a camera assistant, camera operator, director of photography and media manager. “I’ve watched other filmmakers, and I’ve worked with and seen them both succeed and fail,” Silvas said. “I’ve learned from their mistakes and their triumphs equally. Now I’m taking the lessons I’ve learned from those experiences and putting them to use.”

The costs of crew and equipment for the summer film are covered by SFA. “These are all things that can drive up the production budget of any feature film,” Silvas said. “With that weight off our shoulders we’re focusing on two important areas: the cast and the art direction.” To cover those added costs in the production of “The Russian at Christmas,” Silvas has created an Indiegogo website to help fund the project.

In “The Russian at Christmas,” Frank, a recently fired mall Santa, is trying to survive Christmas Eve with his friend, Todd, a low-self esteemed man stuck in a loveless relationship. Then, Frank witnesses a murder committed by a Russian hitman. Frank is dealing with the recent loss of his dad who passed away on Christmas. Frank’s dad was a Mall Santa, and Frank wants to keep the tradition going, so he does the same. It turns out Frank isn’t cut out for it, and he gets fired with the reminder that he’ll never be like his dad. To make matters worse, Frank learns that his ex-girlfriend has found someone new and that there are loan sharks that are trying to collect the money that Frank owes, or else. Along the way, Frank and Todd meet several colorful characters, such as some backwoods loan sharks, two goofy police officers, a one-eyed ex-police officer who is fueled by revenge, an overly eccentric mall manager, and of course, The Russian, who has a deadly passion for hating Christmas and even engages in a musical number.

The film includes over-the-top action with absurd humor while keeping the underlying theme throughout that no one should be alone on Christmas. The film is also inspired by films such as “Silent Night, Deadly Night” and “Pineapple Express,” according to Silvas.

Co-producer is film director, screenwriter, editor, producer and SFA alumnus Derek Wayne Johnson, known for his work on “John G. Avildsen: King of the Underdogs (2017),” “40 Years of Rocky: The Birth of a Classic (2020),” and “Stallone: Frank, That Is (2021).”

“I’ve recently had the pleasure of working with Derek on a feature film last year,” Silvas said. “Derek will be returning as an SFA alumnus to help teach and mentor the undergraduate students throughout the duration of the shoot.”

The rest of the crew will be comprised of undergraduate students from the filmmaking program who will work on the film for credit towards their degree. The film program at SFA produces a feature length film every summer, and the students working on the film spend the school year prior learning and building their skillset to work on these feature productions.

For more information about how to help support the summer film project, visit

https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/the-russian-at-christmas-a-holiday-feature-film#/.

For more information about SFA’s filmmaking program, contact the School of Art at (936) 468-4804.

The self-reported overall health and wellness of the student body at Stephen F. Austin State University is largely on par with national averages and better than average in key areas related to drug and alcohol use, according to the results of a recent survey.

The National College Health Assessment survey, which is administered by the American College Health Association, is the gold standard for higher education health assessments, according to Dr. Andrew Dies, SFA’s associate vice president of student affairs and dean of students.

“The NCHA is a nationally recognized research survey that helps institutions collect specific data about our students’ health habits, behaviors and perceptions,” he said. “This data can help inform us on the current state of our students’ health and on the implementation of or changes to programs and services.”

The survey asks about nutrition, health care utilization, impediments to academic performance, tobacco and alcohol use, and mental health and well-being, among other topics.

Alcohol and drug use rates among SFA students fell below national averages, with SFA’s rate for students who claimed to have consumed alcohol in the last three months falling 11% lower than national figures. Likewise, cannabis use among SFA students within the past three months was nearly 6% lower than national averages. While positive overall, the survey found a higher prevalence of SFA students who drove within six hours of using cannabis.

“This was a surprising result for me,” Dies said. “The national data set was 30.8% and ours was 48.6%. This indicates some necessary education on the effects of marijuana and how it can impair an individual.”

Many areas where SFA’s numbers negatively diverged more than 5% from the national average were related to mental or emotional health. The pandemic is not solely responsible for the gap, Dies said, but COVID-19 exacerbated mental health issues.

“The numbers in reference to stress and anxiety were the least surprising,” Dies said. “We know our students experience this, as do students across the nation. The Dean of Students Office works with our students who are experiencing these issues to help them identify resources and continue in their success. These data underscore how important student wellness and well-being initiatives are at SFA.”

Nearly 50% of respondents indicated that they felt students’ health and well-being is a priority at SFA, which is almost 5% more than the national average. However, 11.5% more SFA respondents self-reported feelings of anxiety and 13.8% more reported feelings of depression than national averages.

On-campus initiatives have been in development to address known issues within the student body over the past few years. In 2022, SFA employees in the Division of Student Affairs responded to a growing pandemic-related spike in mental health issues by creating the Lumberjack Wellness Network. This holistic take on health services combined and streamlined all resources available to students in one location.

The Health and Wellness Hub was also created last year to centralize available health-related services into one building.

Within the past year, they also expanded access to counseling by growing their Counseling Services staff and by partnering with TogetherAll, which provides virtual peer-to-peer mental health and well-being support.

“Results of this study provide an opportunity for SFA to focus on populations in need to help them identify the resources, both internal to themselves and within the institution, that can help,” Dies said. “Counseling Services continues to identify different group options for students to join so they can realize they may not be alone.”

Additionally, to address the survey’s findings and develop next steps, the Dean of Students Office formed a committee comprising staff members from across campus. The group has met multiple times since the results were released in the fall. They identified areas where SFA diverged most from national figures and discussed both existing services and potential new educational and outreach programs.

“This isn’t something that could or should happen overnight,” Dies said. “Planning has already begun for certain areas under our Student Wellness umbrella, and we will start to see deployment of these in fall 2023. Other areas will take more time. We need to know what resources will be available as we become part of The University of Texas System so we may take advantage of them effectively and efficiently.”

This first survey’s data is just a starting point — Dies said he hopes to conduct the same survey every two years so that administrators can eventually create programs and initiatives based on year-over-year comparative analyses.

By Christine Broussard, assistant director for strategic communications at Stephen F. Austin State University