APSU to host stage at Clarksville Parks and Recreation's final Riverfest
By: Ethan Steinquest August 21, 2023
Austin Peay State University’s College of Arts and Letters and the Center of Excellence for the Creative Arts will host a stage on Sept. 9-10 at Clarksville Parks and Recreation’s Riverfest, bringing the Govs into the final year of the city’s longest-running community festival.
The stage will feature a variety of dance, theatre and musical performances from Austin Peay students, alumni and community members. Broadway stars and APSU professors Deonté L. Warren (“Aladdin”) and Victoria Fowler (“Wicked”) will headline the festivities.
Austin Peay will also host a free activity area with a painting class for all ages, a make-your-own-print experience and an instrument petting zoo.
Performances
- APSU professors Deonté L. Warren and Victoria Fowler are bringing a piece of Broadway to Riverfest with a must-see musical performance. Warren recently performed on Broadway in Disney’s “Aladdin,” and Fowler is known for her role as Elphaba in “Wicked.”
- Stephanie Dugger and Raymond Deeren, CECA creative writing faculty and assistant professors in the Department of Languages & Literature, will captivate audiences with live readings of their own work. Watch and listen as literature comes to life.
- Department of Music students and alumni will rock the stage with performances from two different bands: Heads Against a Flower, a local rock band; and The Nashville Front Disco, an indie folk pop project.
- A cabaret showcasing the talents of musical theatre students from the Department of Theatre and Dance will bring a dynamic fusion of song and artistry to the stage.
- Students studying African American history will be in costume to bring a living museum of Black historical figures to Riverfest. Living museums vividly recreate historical settings, providing visitors with an experiential interpretation of a different time period.
- Feel the rhythm through performances from several local dance studios. Acro Dance Express, CAST & Crowns Performing Arts Center, Dance Force of Clarksville, Natalie’s Dance Network and Dynamic Dollz will each showcase their signature styles.
Free activities
- Painting class – Sarah Spillers, an alumna from the Department of Art + Design and Painting Instructor for the Community School of the Arts, will provide a free painting activity for all ages. Spiller currently works as an art teacher at West Creek Middle School and has won several awards in the Nashville area. Her work has been showcased in many galleries around Clarksville.
- Printmaking – Patrick Vincent, a printmaking professor with the Department of Art + Design, will walk patrons through the printmaking process so they can create their own exclusive Riverfest print to bring home.
- Instrument petting zoo – Professors and students from the music education program at Austin Peay will provide a hands-on workshop where eventgoers can stop to see, listen, touch and play instruments from around the world.
On-stage interview with APSU alumnus David Alford (Bucky Dawes from ABC’s “Nashville”)
Dr. Buzz Hoon, dean of the College of Arts and Letters, will interview Austin Peay alumnus David Alford, aka Bucky Dawes from the show “Nashville,” for the college’s podcast, Govs on the Go, which celebrates the stories of the college's graduates and highlights faculty accomplishments.
Alford is a writer, actor, director and teacher from Adams, Tennessee. He is a graduate of Austin Peay State University and the Juilliard School for Drama. In addition to his six seasons on “Nashville,” he is known for his local history plays, “Spirit: The Authentic Story of the Bell Witch of Tennessee” and “Smoke: A Ballad of the Night Riders,” which are produced yearly in his hometown.
Support your local Austin Peay artists and more
Festival attendees can also support aspiring artists from the Department of Art +
Design by purchasing their work and enjoy performances from additional local entertainers
on the Austin Peay Stage.
More information about this year’s Riverfest, including dates, times and locations for all performers and activities, will be released closer to the event.