The 12th Annual Jubilee: A Festival of the Arts and Humanities at Nicholls State University, is scheduled for Monday, March 8, through Sunday, April 18.
“Jubilee is guaranteed to stimulate the minds and hearts of everyone who attends,” said Angela Hammerli, festival coordinator, distinguished service professor of education, Orleans Pitre Endowed Professor and associate professor of human performance education. “Every year, we strive to highlight the importance of the arts and humanities with a diverse assortment of events – and the 2010 festival is shaping up to be the best yet. We hope the people of the Bayou Region as well as the communities beyond will take advantage of everything this extravaganza has to offer.”
A complete schedule of Jubilee events follows. Many events are free and open to the public, but some require paid admission or advance reservations. Such instances are noted in the listing:
Monday, March 8 – Saturday, April 24
George Rodrigue: “The Saga of the Acadians”
Celebrated Louisiana artist George Rodrigue’s exhibit will feature 15 paintings from the series “The Saga of the Acadians,” painted between 1985 and 1989. They portray the story of the Acadians’ struggle following their exile from Canada.
Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve
- Monday – Tuesday, 9 – 7 p.m.; Wednesday – Thursday, 9 – 6 p.m.; Friday – Saturday, 9 – 5 p.m.; Closed Sunday; 314 St. Mary St., Thibodaux.
Monday, March 8 – Wednesday, June 2
Thibodaux Playhouse: 50th Anniversary
A display focusing on five decades of performances celebrates the 50th anniversary of Thibodaux Playhouse, the region’s foremost community theater organization.
Ellender Memorial Library, Archives and Special Collections
- Monday – Friday, 8 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. (9 p.m. Tuesday); closed weekends.
Monday, March 8
Singers of United Lands – S.O.U.L.
- 8:35 a.m., 10:45 a.m., 11:50 a.m., 12:55 p.m., Bollinger Memorial Student Union, Le Bijou Theater
S.O.U.L. is a unique quartet of four singers from Estonia, Haiti, Polynesia and Venezuela. They are touring the United States offering workshops, presentations, performances and lessons featuring native songs from their own countries and cultures. This event is presented with assistance by the National Endowment for the Arts.
Tuesday, March 9
Singers of United Lands – S.O.U.L.
- 7:30 a.m., 9 a.m., 10:30 a.m., Bollinger Memorial Student Union, Le Bijou Theater
- 11:45 a.m., Thibodaux Rotary Club, Envie Restaurant, 203 N. Canal Blvd., Thibodaux ($15 at the door for luncheon.)
- 6:30 p.m., Terrebonne Parish Library, Main Branch, 151 Library Dr., Houma
Nicholls Symphonic Band and Symphonic Winds
- 7:30 p.m., Lindsley Hall (Greg Torres, director)
Wednesday, March 10
Singers of United Lands – S.O.U.L.
- 1:15 and 2:15 p.m., Lafargue Elementary School, 700 Plantation Rd., Thibodaux
- 6:30 p.m., Bollinger Memorial Student Union, Plantation Suite (with Nicholls international students)
Thursday, March 11
Singers of United Lands – S.O.U.L.
- 10 a.m., St. Charles Elementary School, 1690 Highway 1, Thibodaux
- Noon, Bollinger Memorial Student Union, Le Bijou Theater
- 2 and 3 p.m., St. Genevieve Elementary School, 807 Barbier Ave., Thibodaux
Arts Alive, Downtown Thibodaux
- 5 – 7 p.m., 507 W. Third St., Thibodaux
Thibodaux’s finest artists gather downtown for a community art show and reception, with a performance by S.O.U.L. This event is sponsored by the Thibodaux Chamber of Commerce Business Card Exchange with the Lorio Foundation.
Friday, March 12
Singers of United Lands – S.O.U.L.
- 9 and 10 a.m., East Thibodaux Elementary School gymnasium, 802 E. 7th St., Thibodaux
- 11:55 a.m., Bollinger Memorial Student Union, Le Bijou Theater
- 1 and 2:15 p.m., St. Joseph Elementary School, 501 Cardinal Dr., Thibodaux
Louisiana Swamp Stomp Festival
- 3 p.m. – 9 p.m., John L. Guidry Stadium parking area
This festival on the Nicholls campus is a three-day celebration of south Louisiana culture featuring art, music and Cajun and Creole food. Call (985) 448-4518 or visit www.nicholls.edu/swamp_stomp for additional information. Tickets are $10 daily, $25 for the weekend and free for children 11 and under.
h2 Quartet
- 7:30 p.m., St. John’s Episcopal Church, 718 Jackson St., Thibodaux
This award-winning, all-saxophone ensemble has performed throughout the United States, Europe, Asia – and in venues from Walt Disney Hall in Los Angeles to the Canker Dom in Ljubljana, Slovenia. In 2008, the quartet released its debut album, Generations, on Blue Griffin Records. The h2 quartet has premiered new works by Jongyun Choi, Claudio Gabriele, Victor Marquez-Barrios, Matthew Schoendorff and Mari Takano.
Thibodaux Playhouse: Curious Savage
- 7:30 p.m., Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve, 314 St. Mary St., Thibodaux
Mrs. Savage has been left $10 million by her husband and wants to make the best use of it, in spite of the best efforts of her grown-up stepchildren to get their hands on it. Seeing they cannot get hold of it, the stepchildren commit her to a “sanitarium” hoping to bring her to her “senses.” The dominant mood is entertaining and fanciful high comedy. Call (985) 446-1896 for additional information. Tickets are $10 each – $8 for students.
Saturday, March 13
Louisiana Swamp Stomp Festival
- 11 a.m. – 10:30 p.m., John L. Guidry Stadium parking area; (Tickets are $10 daily, $25 for the weekend and free for children 11 and under.)
Thibodaux Playhouse: Curious Savage
- 7:30 p.m., Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve, 314 St. Mary St., Thibodaux; (Tickets are $10 each – $8 for students.)
Sunday, March 14
Louisiana Swamp Stomp Festival
- 11 a.m. – 10:30 p.m., John L. Guidry Stadium parking area; (Tickets are $10 daily, $25 for the weekend and free for children 11 and under.)
New Orleans Uptown Brass Band
- 3 p.m., St. John’s Episcopal Church, 718 Jackson St., Thibodaux
This brass quintet of professional musicians from the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra performs an eclectic mix of styles ranging from Dixieland to high Baroque, and they have great fun doing it. Tickets are $10 each – $5 for students.
Monday, March 15
Research Week at Nicholls – College of Arts and Sciences
All presentations in 114 Peltier Hall
- 11:20 a.m., Environmental Biotechnology Research at Nicholls – Dr. Raj Boopathy
- 11:40 a.m., Results Related to Lehmer Equation – Grant Boudreaux and Dr. Scott Beslin
- Noon, College Algebra, Technology, Math Anxiety – Dr. DesLey Plaisance
- 12:20 p.m., Reproductive Biomarkers in the BTES – Dr. Gary Lafleur
- 12:40 p.m., Diet of Spotted Gar – Dr. Quenton Fontenot
Fascinating discoveries are on the agenda for Research Week 2010 at Nicholls when faculty and students reveal the results of their latest research projects.
Tuesday, March 16
Research Week at Nicholls – University College and Ellender Memorial Library
- Noon – 1 p.m., 322 Ellender Memorial Library
Developing Library and Archival Exhibits – Cliff Theriot and Neil Guilbeau
Dance Halls of Lafourche – Anke Tonn
Culinary Internships: Pitfalls of Experiential Learning – Bill Thibodaux, assistant professor,
John Folse Culinary Institute
Research Week at Nicholls – Student Research Presentations and Judging
- 3:30 p.m., Bollinger Memorial Student Union lobby
Wednesday, March 17
Research Week at Nicholls – College of Business Administration
- 11:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m., 113 Powell Hall
Use of Communication Technology – Dr. Sonya Premeaux
State Retirement Plan Breakeven Rates – Drs. Norbert Michel, John Lajaunie and Shari Lawrence
Human Fertility – Drs. Bhavneet Walia and Shane Sanders
Analysis of Louisiana Community Banks – Drs. John Lajaunie, Norbert Michel and Shari Lawrence
Public Economics – Drs. Morris Coats and Shane Sanders, Christopher Boudreaux
Student Retention of COB Learning Goals – Drs. Betty Kleen, Randy Ryker, Chuck Viosca and Shari Lawrence
American Indian Renaissance: The Deep South Connection
- 2:30 p.m., Fletcher Community College, 310 St. Charles St., Houma
Jeanne Northrop, an American Indian literature and history scholar, shares a multimedia presentation about the renaissance in American Indian literature and how it has affected native writers and native peoples, especially those in the Deep South. Call (985) 857-3655 for additional information.
Research Week at Nicholls – Student Reception
- 6 p.m., Bollinger Memorial Student Union, Bowie Room
Thursday, March 18
Research Week at Nicholls – College of Nursing and Allied Health
- 8:30 – 10 a.m., Betsy Ayo Hall
Preventing Adolescent Tobacco Abuse (PATA) – Michelle H. Dufrene, RN, MSN; Pamela Breaux, RN, MSN; Amanda S. Eymard, RN, MSN; Kellie P. Graffagnino, RN, MSN.
Are We Failing Our Older Clients? – Amanda Eymard, RN, MSN
Literature Review: Medical Care in England – Simone Camel, MS, RD, CNSD
Research Week at Nicholls – College of Education
- 12 – 1:30 p.m., 125 Polk Hall
Influencing Students’ Attitudes Toward Science – Dr. Sumita Bhattacharyya and Dr. Tim Mead
Fluency Training in the College Classroom – Dr. Grant Gautreaux
Comprehensive Application of Behavior Analysis to Schools (CABAS) – Dr. Dolleen-Day Keohane
Classroom Social Skills Program – Dr. Lunn Singletary, Dr. Carmen Broussard and Meghan Lopez
EDFR 501 Emerging Research – Dr. Gregg Stall
Academic Progress Rates – Leslie Bourgeois and Andrew Kearney
Campus Crime – Craig Jaccuzzo
Academic Performance of Student Athletes – Jovan Lewis and Dementrius Hopson
Traditional Spelling Instruction – Shemera Bogen and Kiante Gunner
Predicting a School’s Academic Performance – Dr. Gregg Stall
Research Week – Presentation and Reception
- 6 p.m., Captain’s Room, Bollinger Memorial Student Union
What’s the Matter with Mother Earth? – Ed Hammerli, keynote speaker
The Good, the Bad, and Not So Ugly: Garfish, One of Louisiana’s Aquatic Treasures – Allyse Ferrara, featured speaker
Nicholls Players: The Diviners
- 7:30 p.m., Talbot Hall Theater
Directed by Stanley Coleman, this play by Jim Leonard Jr. is set in a rural Indiana town in the depths of the Great Depression. The play’s title takes its name from a word for people who search for water. A mentally challenged boy befriends a newcomer who is later revealed to be a former preacher who has abandoned his work. That knowledge brings about a crisis that leads to a horrible tragedy. The Diviners is considered a masterwork of American theatrical style. Call (985) 448-4586 for additional information. Tickets are $10 each – $5 for students.
Thibodaux Playhouse: Curious Savage
- 7:30 p.m., Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve, 314 St. Mary St., Thibodaux; (Tickets are $10 each – $8 for students.)
Friday, March 19
Research Week at Nicholls – John Folse Culinary Institute
(All cooking demonstrations will be hosted at Carmel Inn, 400 East 1st St., Thibodaux.)
- 9 a.m., Elements of Steaming – Randy Cheramie
- 10 a.m., Cuisine of the Caribbean – George Kaslow
- 11 a.m., Adventures in Tableside Cooking – Don Kasten
- Noon, Cold Soufflés – John Kozar
Call (985) 449-7114 for additional information and reservations.
Nicholls Players: The Diviners
- 7:30 p.m., Talbot Hall Theater; (Tickets are $10 each – $5 for students.)
Thibodaux Playhouse: Curious Savage
- 7:30 p.m. Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve, 314 St. Mary St., Thibodaux; (Tickets are $10 each – $8 for students.)
Saturday, March 20
Nicholls Players: The Diviners
- 7:30 p.m., Talbot Hall Theater; (Tickets are $10 each – $5 for students.)
Thibodaux Playhouse: Curious Savage
- 7:30 p.m., Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve, 314 St. Mary St., Thibodaux; (Tickets are $10 each – $8 for students.)
Sunday, March 21
Thibodaux Playhouse: Curious Savage
- 2 p.m., Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve, 314 St. Mary St., Thibodaux; (Tickets are $10 each – $8 for students.)
Nicholls Players: The Diviners
- 3 p.m., Talbot Hall Theater; (Tickets are $10 each – $5 for students.)
Monday, March 22
Lafourche Heritage Presentation
- 1 – 4 p.m., 322 Ellender Memorial Library
Dr. John Doucet of the Biology Department at Nicholls hosts a series of talks from the contributors to the forthcoming book Lafourche Country III.
Lafourche Heritage Society
- Program: 6:30 p.m., 322 Ellender Memorial Library; Reception: 7:30 p.m., Ellender Memorial Library Archives (first floor)
The Lafourche Heritage Society hosts a program spotlighting restored historic homes, and the presentation of preservation awards by Marge Barker.
Wednesday, March 24
Poetry Reading: Bill Zavatsky and Will Wright
- 6:30 p.m., 322 Ellender Memorial Library
Bill Zavatsky was awarded a Guggenheim Fellowship in Poetry for 2008-09 and teaches English at the Trinity School in Manhattan. Will Wright earned a Ph.D. in creative writing and literature from the University of Southern Mississippi. His book Dark Orchard won the 2005 Breakthrough Poetry Prize and he is co-editor of the Southern Poetry Anthology.
Thursday, March 25
Bonnie Bourg Lecture Series: Writing Women Back Into History
- 10:30 a.m., Le Bijou Theater, Bollinger Memorial Student Union
Join Michelle Benoit as she talks about telling women’s stories in film and her experiences as a female filmmaker. Bonnie Bourg was a distinguished and innovative teacher; a tireless defender of Nicholls students, faculty and staff; and a role model for women in education.
Women’s History Luncheon and Awards
- Noon, Cotillion Ballroom, Bollinger Memorial Student Union
Guest speaker Michelle Benoit is a writer, producer and director of numerous films and documentaries including Willie Frances Must Die Again, Haunted Waters Fragile Lands and Good for What Ails You. Visit www.nwhp.org/whm/index.php for information about the National Women’s History Project. Tickets are $15. Call (985) 448-4080 for reservations before March 18.
Tuesday, March 30
Buffalo Soldiers
- 10:30 a.m., Talbot Hall Theater
Actor-historian-artist Bob Snead delivers a lecture about the first all-black cavalry regiment of the U.S. Army and shows his original art.
Buffalo Soldiers
- 6 p.m., Terrebonne Parish Library Main Branch, 151 Library Dr., Houma
Sponsored by the Military Museum of Houma, actor-historian-artist Bob Snead discusses the first all-black cavalry regiment of the U.S. Army.
Thibodaux Playhouse Celebration
- 7:30 p.m., Ellender Memorial Library
Join the celebration marking the 50th anniversary of Thibodaux Playhouse, the region’s foremost community theater organization. A theatrical and musical presentation in the Ellender Memorial Library lobby is followed by a reception in the archives, where an exhibit about the group is on display through June 2.
Wednesday, March 31
Historical Drama – Held in Trust: The Story of Lt. Henry O. Flipper
- 7:30 p.m., Talbot Hall Theater
Actor-historian-artist Bob Snead presents an original one-man play that tells the story of the “Buffalo Soldiers,” the first all-black cavalry regiment of the U.S. Army, from the perspective of Lt. Henry Flipper, the first black Army officer. Snead’s original art will be on display.
Saturday, April 10
Seventh Annual Jubilee Jambalaya Writer’s Conference and Book Fair
- 8 a.m. – 7 p.m., Terrebonne Parish Library, Main Branch 151 Library Dr., Houma
Nicholls State University and the Terrebonne Parish Public Library present this annual event. The theme for 2010 is “A Gumbo for Writers.” Join fellow writers and readers in a wide-ranging discussion of the literary arts and the business of publishing, led by working authors, editors, agents and publishers. The keynote speaker is actress and writer Harley Jane Kozak, who starred in the films Parenthood and Arachnophobia and was featured in When Harry Met Sally. Her debut novel won multiple awards, and she is now a well-known mystery writer. Speakers will include writers Traci Hall, Sheila Goss, Catherine Savage Brosman, David Middleton, Mary Jane Ryals, Michael Trammel, Heather Graham, F. Paul Wilson and Cherry Adair. Also on the bill are Louisiana novelists Ronlyn Domingue and Diana Rowland, New Orleans “yat” wit Earl Higgins and authors published by Pelican Press of Gretna. Writers hoping to publish will learn from St. Martin’s Press editor Rose Hilliard; publisher and publicist Joan Schulhafer; and agent Paige Wheeler. Visit www.jubileewritersconference.org for information about the conference schedule as well as manuscript critiques and fiction and poetry contests. Deadine for advance registration and contests is March 26. Tickets are $35 at the door, $30 in advance.
Tuesday, April 13
Shakespeare on the Road
- 9:05 a.m., 10:30 a.m., Noon, 1:30 p.m., Le Bijou Theater, Bollinger Memorial Student Union
In their first “road” performance since the Katrina disaster, actors Rebecca Frank and Michael Santos of the Tulane Shakespeare Program present excerpts from the bard’s immortal works. This event is presented with assistance by the National Endowment for the Arts.
Wednesday, April 14
International Poetry Reading
- 6 p.m., Le Bijou Theater, Bollinger Memorial Student Union
Individuals whose native language is not English read poems in that language along with English translations. The readers explain what is relevant to the appreciation of the poem, including the poet’s life, the poem’s context and the nature of the language and wording. Readings will include Italian, German, French, Chinese and Nepalese.
Thursday, April 15
Film: God’s Architects
- 3 p.m., 210 Talbot Hall
In a prelude to Nicholls Art Day, April 16, Louisiana filmmaker Zach Godshall presents his film about several divinely inspired builders, including the enigmatic Kenny Hill, who created the Nicholls Sculpture Garden in Chauvin.
Classical Piano: Katya Grineva
- 7:30 p.m., Talbot Hall Theater
Classical pianist Katya Grineva tours worldwide, including annual performances at New York’s Carnegie Hall, and is known for her exceptional romantic-poetic expression. This event is presented with assistance by the National Endowment for the Arts.
Friday, April 16
Art Day at Nicholls
- Location and time TBA
Join the Nicholls Department of Art for an all-day immersion into the world of art, featuring lectures and workshops.
Master Class: Katya Grineva
- 10:30 a.m., Talbot Hall Theater
Classical pianist Katya Grineva offers insights about her career in music. This event is presented with assistance by the NEA.
Saturday, April 17
Honors Program Research Symposium
- 1 -5 p.m., Gouaux Hall Auditorium
The graduating seniors of the Nicholls Honors Program present their research projects in fields from literature to molecular genetics.
Sunday, April 18
Chauvin Sculpture Garden Picnic and Blessing of the Fleet
- 11 a.m., Nicholls Sculpture Garden and Folk Art Studio, 5337 Bayouside Dr., Chauvin
The day’s events include the age-old tradition of the blessing of the fleet on Bayou Petit Caillou at 12 p.m., art by Kenny Hill and others plus a showing of the Kenny Hill-inspired film God’s Architects at 3 p.m. Call (985) 594-2546 for additional information. Please bring a picnic lunch.
Tuesday, April 20 – Friday, May 7
Post-Jubilee Music Performances
Visit www.nicholls.edu/perform/calendar/ for details about a variety of performances by Nicholls Department of Music faculty and students.
Tuesday, April 20
Music Student Recital
- 7:30 p.m., Talbot Hall Theater
Saturday, April 24
Faculty Trombone Recital
- 7:30 p.m., Talbot Hall Theater
Sunday, April 25
Nicholls Chamber Singers
- 3 p.m., Talbot Hall Theater (Kenneth Klaus, director)
Tuesday, April 27
Blue Bayou Big Band
- 7:30 p.m., Talbot Hall Theater (Cristina Mendoza, director)
Thursday, April 29
String Studio Recital
- 7:30 p.m., Talbot Hall Theater
Friday, April 30
Nicholls Concert Choir
- 7:30 p.m., Talbot Hall Theater (Kenneth Klaus, director)
Tuesday, May 4
Nicholls Symphonic Band and Symphonic Winds
- 7:30 p.m., Talbot Hall Theater (Greg Torres, director)
Wednesday, May 5
Nicholls Percussion Ensemble
- 7:30 p.m., Talbot Hall Theater (Eric Gueniot, director)
Friday, May 7
Nocturne: A Fundraiser for Music Scholarships
- 6:30 p.m., Talbot Hall Theater
Jubilee sponsors include the National Endowment for the Arts; Barataria-Terrebonne National Estuary Program; Louisiana Division of Arts, Office of Cultural Development, Department of Culture, Recreation and Tourism in cooperation with the Louisiana State Arts Council and the Houma Regional Arts Council; Thibodaux Rotary Club; The Bollinger Foundation; Capital One Bank; First American Bank; Nicholls Student Programming Association; Friends of Terrebonne Parish Public Library; Thibodaux Music Club; and Total Graphics.
For additional information, call (985) 448-4273.
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