ARTifacts 4/19/13

Storytelling event set for May 17

"An Evening of Storytelling with Regina Carpenter and Jim May" will be presented at 7 p.m. May 17 in the Bedell Performance Hall at Southeast Missouri State University's River Campus. Carpenter made her debut Cape Girardeau performance at the October 2011 Ghost Storytelling event. May performed at the 2012 Storytelling Festival. Tickets are available by calling 651-2265 or by visiting the special events page at RiverCampusEvents.com.

'Bluer Than Blue' closes jazz series

Southeast Missouri State University's Jazz Series will close with "Bluer Than Blue" at 7:30 p.m. Thursday in the Bedell Performance Hall at Southeast's River Campus. This concert will feature local tenor saxophonist Chris Deusinger, along with members of Southeast's two jazz ensembles and jazz combo. The concert will open with the Jazz Lab Band, which will play jazz in an assortment of styles, and close with the Southeast Jazz Ensemble, which will perform jazz compositions from some of the greats in big band jazz. Highlighted in this concert will be "Nice N Juicy" from the Maynard Ferguson Library, "Bluer than Blue" from Don Sebesky and "Summertime," which will feature vocalist Brittany Graham. Tickets may be purchased by contacting the River Campus Box Office, located in the Cultural Arts Center, 518 S. Fountain St., from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekdays, or by calling 651-2265. Tickets may also be purchased online at RiverCampusEvents.com. For more information, contact Robert Conger at 651-2398.

Southeast presents award-winning comedy

The Department of Theatre and Dance at Southeast Missouri State University will perform Dr. Kenneth Stilson's original dark comedy, "Murphy's Law," through April 28 in the Rust Flexible Theatre at Southeast's River Campus. Productions are scheduled for 7:30 p.m. through April 27 and 2 p.m. April 27 and 28. These shows will be the world premiere of Stilson's work. "Murphy's Law" recently won first place in the Southwest Playwriting Competition at Stage West Theatre in Fort Worth, Texas. David Starwalt, who has spent his entire career in the entertainment industry and is a veteran of both television and film in Los Angeles, will direct "Murphy's Law." This is his second directing stint at Southeast Missouri State University. Tickets may be purchased by contacting the River Campus Box Office, located in the Cultural Arts Center, 518 S. Fountain St., from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekdays, by calling 651-2265 or online at RiverCampusEvents.com.

Shawnee hosts historic Ozark Tours exhibit

HARRISBURG, Ill. -- The Shawnee National Forest Headquarters Office is hosting a new photograph exhibit prepared by Charles H. Hammond of Southern Illinois' historic Ozark Tours. In 1931 Lindolph Oscar Trigg, a Southern Illinois newspaper editor, developed an idea to highlight the potential for tourism in Southern Illinois. Trigg called upon family, friends, local dignitaries and politicians to participate in a three-day camp-out across Southern Illinois. At the time of the first tour in 1931, Trigg had begun to lobby the U.S. Forest Service hard for a national forest in Southern Illinois, while also building local support. The Ozark Tours continued until Trigg's death in 1949 and intermittently after that. The influence these tours had on the establishment of the Shawnee National Forest was vital. The Shawnee National Forest Headquarters Office is open from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. For more information concerning the exhibit or regarding Trigg's work, contact Mary McCorvie, heritage program manager, at 618-253-7114. To learn more about the Shawnee National Forest, visit fs.usda.gov/shawnee.

'Extreme Makeover' to hold casting event

For the first time, ABC's "Extreme Makeover: Weight Loss Edition" will be casting for its fourth season in the St. Louis area. The event will from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, at Lifetime Fitness, 3058 Clarkson Road, in Ellisville, Mo. Those interested in being cast must be a legal United States citizen, and 18 years of age or older as of May 25. They must also have at least 50 percent of their body weight to lose. Candidates are asked to bring a nonreturnable photograph with them to the casting call. Those who can't attend in person may submit a video audition. For more information, go to extrememakeovercasting.com.

Piazzi releases new CD

Matthew Piazzi, son of Southeast Missouri State University vocal music instructor Judith Farris, has released a new CD with his music project Matthew Piazzi and the Debonairs. Piazzi, whose talents include celebrity impersonation, singing and commercial voice-over work, was a finalist on "America's Got Talent." Piazzi describes the musical project as a nostalgic journey to the era of the birth of rock 'n' roll. The CD is available on Amazon.com, iTunes and CD Baby.

Russian National Ballet to perform 'Swan Lake'

The Russian National Ballet Theatre will perform "Swan Lake," at 7:30 p.m. April 26 in the Bedell Performance Hall at Southeast Missouri State University's River Campus. The ballet tells the story of Odette, a princess turned into a swan by an evil sorcerer's curse. The Russian National Ballet Theatre was founded in Moscow during the transitional period of Perestroika in the late 1980s. Tickets for "Swan Lake" may be purchased by contacting the River Campus Box Office, located in the Cultural Arts Center, 518 S. Fountain St., weekdays from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., by calling 651-2265 or online at RiverCampusEvents.com.

Cache River Nature Fest set for May 11

CYPRESS, Ill. -- The 12th annual Cache River Nature Fest, featuring a variety of programs that include live animal exhibits and hands-on activities for persons of all ages, will be from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. May 11 at the Cache River Wetlands Center, 8885 State Highway 37 South, in Cypress. The theme for the festival is "Keepers of the Cache," focusing on the future of the Cache River Wetlands and individual action to protect it. Guided hikes, canoe and bike tours are scheduled all day. All activities are free. However, proceeds from the sale of T-shirts and merchandise and donations will go toward restoration and education projects within the Cache River watershed and surrounding area. The Friends of the Cache River watershed also will sponsor a silent auction during the day. Check out the event website at cacherivernaturefest.org for more information about auction and sale items.

Kow Pasture Klassic slated for April 27

NEW HAMBURG, Mo. -- The 28th annual Kow Pasture Klassic, a benefit for the Kenny Rogers Children's Center and Missouri Veterans Home, will be from 6 a.m. to 5 p.m. April 27 at Schindler's Tavern in New Hamburg. Teams of four will play a unique game of "golf," using beer cans for tees, tennis balls for golf balls and anything a player chooses for golf clubs. Players must bring their own tennis balls. The event is sponsored by Schindler's Tavern, Kohlfeld Distributing, Stag/Pabst Brewing and Mike's Hard Lemonade. The entry fee is $100 per team. For more information about registration or the event, contact Rick and Heather Lawson at Schindler's Tavern, 573-545-3709.

-- From staff reports