See The Giver

This weekend, and this weekend only, JSU’s Alpha Psi Omega (APO) presents the stage adaptation of “The Giver,” Lois Lowry’s Newberry Award winning book. We asked student Director and APO President Alexis Loren Robinson to share about this upcoming production.

Tell me about APO and this weekend’s production selection.
We are a theatre honor society. We are a group of theatre artists dedicated to spreading theatre as far as we can within our community. Each year we do a children's show to reach local youth, and this year, that show is The Giver.

As President of APO, what do you love most about theatre & how did you get into JSU’s drama department?
I love that theatre has a story for everyone. I am actually a transfer student. I initially went to Berry College in Rome, Georgia, but never felt quite at home there, so I transfered here on word of mouth and never looked back!

As the director, what about “The Giver” story do you enjoy most?
I have always loved The Giver. I read the book around age 11 and have always held it dear to me heart. I think Jonas' determination to see the world change is what I love most about this particular story.

What do you want audiences to gain by seeing a performance?
I want them to understand someone else's perspective a little better after watching this piece.

What’s been your favorite element of production development for “The Giver?”
My favorite part has been watching my actors figure out this strange world in which the play is set. There are so many things, pieces of information, that paint a bigger picture that becomes pretty disturbing the more you look into it.

What’s the biggest thing you’ve learned through this production?
I have learned that all good things take time. This is my first mainstage show, and all of the technical elements have been theoretical up until recently. It is so rewarding to see something that you've seen in your head, for months, come to life before your eyes. It is pretty magical.

Why should visitors and residents come to Stone Center this weekend and see the show?
This show has heart. It is designed to make you look through a child's eyes at the promise of a new tomorrow. The messages in this show ring true for all ages.

Get your tickets for April 20-21 at 7:30 PM or April 22 at 2:30 PM at JSU's Ernest Stone Performing Arts Center, 11th Street NE, in Jacksonville.

Sounds of Fall

For 60 years, as football season approaches, the echos of the drumline signal the Jacksonville State University Marching Southerners are ready to take the field. Some locals "sneak" into practice to admire the sound of around 500 musicians, color guard and marching ballerinas, or drive around town with their windows down to take in the sounds of the Southerners.

Although the first band for JSU was formed around 1923, and the first full time band director did not start until 1948, in the fall of 1956, the Marching Southerners and Ballerinas made their official debut.
The Marching Southerners' unique sound reminds one more of a orchestra than a typical marching band. Their unique sound is packed with trumpets, bass trombones and 20-J tubas. Their look is military-like in precision and artistic in formations.

The Marching Southerners have played in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, Queen Elizabeth II's Diamond Jubilee and on the U.S.S. Missouri for the 75th Anniversary of Pearl Harbor. Crowds rise to their feet in applause after each and every performance. Once you see them perform, in person, you'll understand why they're regarded as one of the best marching bands in the land.