Arts Council of Eagle Pass and the Myriad of Cultural Performances this year

November 14, 2006
By Diana Gonzales
Special to LIVE!

Try all you want to unnerve him – you won’t succeed. He’ll just smile that smile that’ll produce that laugh, and that’ll be the end of it. You lose! Accept it: Mr. F, as his students call him, is a mild-mannered, happy-go-lucky guy.

“Mr. F” was christened Adolfo Flores Jr. He teaches theater arts at C.C. Winn High School, sponsors the school’s Drama Club; is University Interscholastic League (UIL) one-act play director and speech coach for the Eagle Pass Independent School District; teaches the journalism (yearbook) class, advises the C.C. Winn High School yearbook staff; and is president of the Arts Council of Eagle Pass.

The San Antonio native is a graduate of Angelo State University in San Angelo. He moved to Eagle Pass in 1984 to teach high school journalism at Eagle Pass High School. Two years later, he met (and later married) the former Veronica Casarez, an Eagle Pass native, who currently teaches mathematics at Memorial Junior High School. Their daughter, Abigail, is a senior at C.C. Winn High School.

An award-winning journalist - he’s a former sports editor and city editor of the Del Rio News-Herald – Flores is a self-confessed workaholic. “Actually, it’s not really work if you’re having a good time - and I am,” he insists.

Though not as animated as most drama majors tend to be, Flores concedes to being a “ham” at heart. “But I project my love for the theater in a different way – through my students – vicariously. We share the applause, the accolades. Their success is my success,” he says.

He enjoys working with grown-ups, too.

Flores serves as president of the Arts Council of Eagle Pass (ACEP). The all-volunteer, non-profit organization was founded in 1967 by several Eagle Pass residents including Carolina Cerna, Morris Riskind, Dorothy Chittim, Hector Barrera and Lupita Carreon.

After Cerna resigned as president in the late 1980s Martha Bres, Esperanza Deutsch, Mary Jane Fletcher and Flores, respectively, have served as president from the 1990s to the present.

Currently under the direction of Flores, the ACEP is bringing an average of six shows a year to Eagle Pass.

“Over the years, the ACEP has brought many cultural programs and events including an annual visit by the Houston Opera Company during the 70’s and through the early 90’s. We also bring the San Antonio Symphony to Eagle Pass on a regular basis.

“We have a fantastic year of cultural events planned in Eagle Pass this year! The variety of programs we have is sure to satisfy the toughest critics in the area. We have acting, music, song and dance and we also have programs for the kids as well. Why tackle the traffic in the big cities when you can get some great entertainment close by?”

Flores adds that the presentations are partly funded by the Texas Commission on the Arts and the City of Eagle Pass Room Tax Committee.

“It is the intent of the Arts Council of Eagle Pass to develop a receptive climate for the arts through the conservation and advancement of our rich and diverse arts and cultures.

“ACEP makes possible artistic, educational, and cultural opportunities for area residents, thus ensuring that the arts continue to grow as a major contributor to the cultural and economic well being of our community and its residents.

“The organization believes that the purpose of public investment in the arts is to stimulate our economy, educate our citizens, promote cultural understanding and ensure that all people have access to high quality arts experiences in their communities. ACEP stands by its premise that ‘Art is for Everyone’. We achieve our mission by providing a myriad of artistic and cultural performances for a broad and diverse audience base that mirrors our population,” explains Flores.

Flores leads the Arts Council of Eagle Pass Board of Directors. Executive officers are William (Billy) Davis, vice president; Juanita Williams, secretary; Isamari S. Villarreal, treasurer; Dolores Rodriguez, historian; and Ramsey E. Cantu, sergeant-at-arms. Board members are Nena Ayala Bres; Toni Becker; Mario Fraga; Brian Harper; Major Gen. Homer D. Lewis; Juan Martinez; Ruben Martinez; Doris Miller; Gichi Becker Perez; and John Stockley.

Arts Council of Eagle Pass (ACEP) 2006-07 season offerings:: November 2006 Saturday, Nov. 25, 2006 “The Nutcracker” - Choreography by Stephen Mills; Music by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky 7: 30 p.m., C.C. Winn Auditorium, 1420 Eidson Road (Special Thanks to Ms. Sandra Riojas for assisting in the dance instruction of the local/area children participating in this performance as Angels and Bon-bons). December 2006 Pastorella Moderna: Los Diablos Tambien Lloran por La Camerte Teatral de Guadalajara Jan. 19, 2007 The San Antonio Symphony February 2007 Salute to Frank Sinatra 2nd Annual Rock & Jazz Fest March 2007 Simplemente Lara April 2007 Teatro De La Rosa Bilingual Theater May 2007 Noche Bohemia con Nena Ayala-Bres Tickets for all performances are available from any ACEP board member or any of the following locations: Davis Used Cars And Parts, Inc 2778 E. Main St. - (830) 773-2812 WCS Communications 2427 E. Main St. - (830) 757-4200 Eagle Pass Chamber of Commerce 400 E. Garrison St.- (830) 773-3224

“Ballet Austin’s ‘The Nutcracker’ will usher in the holiday season when it is presented on the day after the busiest shopping day of the season. The holiday favorite will open the 2006-07 season for the ACEP on Saturday, Nov. 25 at 7:30 p.m. in the C.C. Winn Auditorium, (1420 Eidson Road). Sharing the spotlight for the upcoming season for the ACEP will be the performance of the San Antonio Symphony on Friday, Jan. 19, 2007 in the C.C. Winn Auditorium,” Flores notes.

Advance ticket prices are $15 for adults or $20 at the door; advance tickets for students are $8 or $10 at the door. Tickets for all performances are available from any ACEP board member or at Davis Used Cars And Parts, Inc., 2778 E. Main St., (830) 773-2812; WCS Communications, 2427 E. Main St., (830) 757-4200; and at the Eagle Pass Chamber of Commerce, 400 E. Garrison St., (830) 773-3224.

Flores adds that season passes are available for the 2006-07 season. “The pass will include the performance by Ballet Austin, the San Antonio Symphony, Las Pastorleres in December, ‘A Salute to Frank Sinatra’ by Mario Fraga and friends in February, ‘Simplemente Lara’ in March, Fort Worth’s Teatro De La Rosa in April and Noche Bohemia with Nena Ayala in May.”

A season pass for the family costs $75, which includes two adults and two students. Interested persons may pick up the season passes at the Eagle Pass Chamber of Commerce, Western Communications and Davis Auto Parts and Used Cars or may call Flores Jr. at 830-773-3559 or ACEP Vice President Billy Davis at 830-773-2812 for more information.

Flores explains that 17 area children will join Ballet Austin during their performance in Eagle Pass on Nov. 25. Children from Eagle Pass and Piedras Negras auditioned in September and have been rehearsing with dance instructor Sandra Riojas for the past month.

“Ballet Austin projects a unique style of movement with a strong commitment to innovation,” says Flores. “The group, directed by Stephen Mills, focuses on the creation of new work and has earned Mills a series of international choreographic awards and multiple invitations to tour internationally. Ballet Austin’s repertoire includes full-length story ballets, special programming for youth and families, and cutting-edge contemporary works.”

Questions or comments may be addressed to the Arts Council of Eagle Pass, P.O. Box 2920 Eagle Pass, TX 78852, or you may visit the group’s website at: http://acep78852.tripod.com/id16.html