The award-winning Bits n Pieces Puppet Theater brings their delightful marionette performance of The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood to the 250-seat University Center at South Florida State College on Saturday, May 4 at 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. Funded by a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts, this musical performance is ideal for children ages 4 to 10. After each 45-minute performance, master puppeteer Jerry Bickel will explain the art of marionettes to the audience.
“What a fun, free family outing,” said Cindy Garren, director of cultural programs at SFSC. “We also are offering free puppet-making workshops at three local libraries where children can perform a puppet show with Hollie Rubin of Bits n Pieces Puppet Theater.”
The free puppet workshops for children are scheduled for Hardee County Library in Wauchula on Tuesday, April 23 at 4 p.m., Sebring Library on April 24 at 11 a.m., and Avon Park Library on April 24 at 4 p.m. Please call the library in advance to register and ensure there are puppet-making materials for all children. The workshops are funded by a grant from South Arts and recommended for children in grades 1–3.
Bits ‘N Pieces Puppet Theatre is dedicated to influencing the world of tomorrow by enchanting the children of today. Through the theatrical retelling of classic children’s stories, each with its unique life lesson and moral, Bits ‘N Pieces brings to life the magical wonderment of children’s fantasy and reinforces the core values long told and emphasized by great storytellers.
To reserve free seats for the performance of Robin Hood, visit sfscARTS.org or call the SFSC Box Office at ext. 7178.
SFSC alumnus, Nick Stanley, was recently named the new manager of the Carolina Mudcats baseball team for the 2024 season.
The Carolina Mudcats are a minor league baseball team, part of the Carolina League, and a single-A affiliate of the Milwaukee Brewers. The team’s home games are held at Five County Stadium in Zebulon, N.C., a suburb of Raleigh.
The Mudcats opened the 2024 season in Roanoke, Va. on Friday, April 5, in a game against the Salem Red Sox. Stanley’s first home game with the Mudcats was on Tuesday, April 9.
Like most professional ball players, Stanley’s interest in baseball began early on. “I loved the game as far back as I can remember,” he said. “I just loved watching the game and playing the game. I never really wanted to do anything else. I was all in on baseball from the time I could walk, and I’m still doing it now at 36 years old.”
Stanley, who is originally from St. Petersburg, Fla., graduated from SFSC in 2007 with an Associate in Arts. During the SFSC Panther Baseball team’s spring 2006 and 2007 seasons, he was the catcher and played first base on occasion. He went on to play baseball for North Carolina State University, then transferred to Florida Southern College. In 2009, Stanley was drafted to play professional baseball by the Houston Astros, where he was the first baseman.
In 2011, Stanley was offered an opportunity to head overseas and coach baseball in New Zealand. “It’s a small, growing, grassroots program,” he said. “Me and a few other people I know got plugged in with their national program. Several young players from the program have gone on to play baseball in the United States. One of them was Connor Gleeson, a New Zealand kid, who I coached.” Gleeson played as a right-hand pitcher for the SFSC Panthers Baseball team during the spring 2019 and 2020 seasons. Continue Reading