OU FACULTY SCREEN DOCUMENTARY FILM ON SICILIAN-AMERICANS

Texas Tavola: A Taste of Sicily in the Lone Star State

In a small town in Texas, a single Sicilian-American family hosts nearly 1,000 guests in honor of St. Joseph. A new documentary film produced by two University of Oklahoma professors captures this remarkable event, known as a Tavola di San Giuseppe. A free screening of the 35-minute film, “Texas Tavola: A Taste of Sicily in the Lone Star State” is set for 7 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 20, at the Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History on the OU Norman campus.

“Texas Tavola” was co-produced by OU faculty members Circe Sturm, associate professor of anthropology; and Randolph Lewis, associate professor in the honors college. With rare historic photos and traditional Sicilian music complementing the video footage, it explores the tavola’s deep importance to Sicilian-American communities in East Texas. These communities often have been overlooked as part of the Italian-American experience, but their vibrancy and a sense of Italianitá remain strong even after three generations in the Lone Star State.

“Both anthropologically and visually, the event is remarkable to witness, with hundreds of hand-made breads and cakes, elaborate religious rituals and beautiful prayers spoken in Sicilian dialect with a Texas accent,” said Sturm. “Our film traces one particular tavola back to three small villages in western Sicily – Poggioreale, Salaparuta and Corelone.”

The producers of the film will be available following the screening for a question-and-answer period. Admission is free and open to the public.

Additional information about this and other programs at the Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History are available on the Web at www.snomnh.ou.edu, or by calling (405) 325-4712. The museum is located at 2401 Chautauqua Ave.