Southeastern NEWS

                                                       Southeastern Louisiana University
                                           Public Information Office
                                           publicinfo@selu.edu
                                           SLU 880, Hammond, LA 70402
                                           504/549-2341/fax 504-549-2061
    Date: 1/7/00
      Contact:                           Christina Chapple   52n

Editors: Photo accompanies release
DONNA GAY BORDEN ANDERSON TO HEAD SLU'S FANFARE
     HAMMOND -- Arts educator, agent and actor Donna Gay Borden Anderson of
Hammond, a 1981 Southeastern graduate, has been named director of Fanfare, Southeastern
Louisiana University's annual festival of the arts, humanities and sciences.
     Anderson succeeds Fanfare's founder and longtime artistic director Harriet Vogt, who
retired in March 1998, and Don Marshall, director of Southeastern's Clark Hall Gallery and
Cultural Resource Management Program, who was Fanfare's interim director in 1999.
     "I am very pleased that Donna Gay will be joining Southeastern as Fanfare director," said
John Miller, dean of Southeastern's College of Arts and Sciences. "She impressed the search
committee with her energy, creativity and enthusiasm."
     "Having grown up in Hammond and graduated from Southeastern, Anderson and her
family are well known for their longtime involvement and leadership in the arts," Miller said.
Anderson is the daughter of the late Vonnie Borden, who founded Southeastern's theatre
program and for whom the program's D Vickers Hall theatre is named. 
     "I am confident Donna Gay will provide the leadership needed to continue the great
Fanfare tradition at Southeastern," Miller said. 
     In addition to her bachelor's degree Anderson earned alternative teacher certification in
education at Southeastern in 1997. She also has a professional degree from the National
Shakespeare Conservatory in New York City. She worked as a professional actor in New York
City from 1984 to 1988 before joining the Gilla Roos Talent Agency, Ltd., as director of its
children and teens division.
     Returning to Hammond in 1992, she joined the faculty of St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic 
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ANDERSON HEADS FANFARE   Add One
High School where she chaired the fine arts department until May 1998. In addition to teaching
English, speech, drama and a popular fine arts survey course, she directed two annual full-scale
theatre programs and organized and chaperoned a yearly three-day trip for students and parents to
the Alabama Shakespeare Festival.
     In summer 1996 and 1997, Anderson also coordinated the Hammond Cultural
Foundation's Children's Summer Arts Camp, having 100 percent success rate on state and
federal grant applications.
     Anderson said she does not plan to make major changes in the philosophy of  education
and community outreach in the arts that she said has served Fanfare well for its 14 seasons. "I
would like to broaden the appeal of Fanfare to college students and teenagers," she said. "I have a
great respect for Harriet Vogt and her concept of Fanfare and I want to build on Fanfare's
excellent legacy."
     One of Anderson's first steps as Fanfare director will be to attend, along with assistant
director Keiron Couret,  the annual Association of Performing Arts Presenters conference in New
York City, Jan. 7-10. At the conference, she and Couret will meet with artists' agents and view
dozens of performances showcasing potential artists for the Fanfare 2000 schedule.
     She said she also is looking forward to Fanfare's active involvement in Southeastern's
year-long 75th anniversary celebration. 
                             -SLU-
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       www.selu.edu/NewsEvents/PublicInfoOffice/newsp00.htm