The Tulsa Voice | No. 6 Vol. 16

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Tickets On Sale Now dr. ken jeong aug 10 nickelback aug 16 vince gill aug 17 chris isaak aug 22 mary j. blige aug 23 pepe aguilar sep 5 pat benatar & neil giraldo sep 6 sebastian maniscalco sep 12 dwight yoakam sep 19 gabriel “fluffy” iglesias sep 20 midland sep 21 tony lewis of the outfield sep 23 southern momma / cledus t judd comedy experience sep 27

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August 7 – 20, 2019 // THE TULSA VOICE

WINESDAY

AT THE TAVERN H A L F- P R I C E B O T T L E S O F W I N E E V E RY W E D N E S DAY

4 PM - CLOSE NO ST R INGS. J U S T D E L IC I O U S , H A L F - P R I C E W I N E .

TAV E R N T U L SA .C O M

THE TULSA VOICE // August 7 – 20, 2019

CONTENTS // 3

August 7 – 20, 2019 // Vol. 6, No. 16 ©2019. All rights reserved.

PUBLISHER Jim Langdon EDITOR Jezy J. Gray ASSISTANT EDITOR Blayklee Freed DIGITAL EDITOR Kyra Bruce

SET THE STAGE

CREATIVE DIRECTOR Madeline Crawford GRAPHIC DESIGNERS Georgia Brooks, Morgan Welch

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PHOTOGRAPHER Greg Bollinger

BY TTV STAFF

AD SALES MANAGER Josh Kampf

Your 2019 fall performing arts guide

CONTRIBUTORS Alicia Chesser Atkin, Cydney Baron, Jessica Brent, Matt Carney, Barry Friedman, Charles Elmore,

WIZARDS IN THE WINGS

Alexandra Robinson, Joseph Rushmore, Andrew Saliga, Paul Shinn, Terrie Shipley, Cristian Solano-Córdova, Jessica Vazquez, Valerie Wei-Haas

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FOOD & DRINK

NEWS & COMMENTARY 7 BIG LITTLE BUDGETS

B Y PAUL SHINN Smaller agencies need more funding to help Oklahoma thrive

8 STANDING WITH TYRANTS

B Y BARRY FRIEDMAN

Oklahoma lawmakers at the shipyard

16 THE EMPEROR’S NEW CLOTHES

BY TERRIE SHIPLEY

18 MORE MINGLING, LESS MIXING

BY ANDREW SALIGA

10 #CLOSETHECAMPS

B Y JESSICA VAZQUEZ Immigrant rights protestors return

to Fort Sill

12 CHOOSING SIDES

B Y CYDNEY BARON Abortion clinic volunteer protects patients

14 FAMILY MATTERS

B Y CRISTIAN SOLANO-CÓRDOVA

Living undocumented in Trump’s America

16 NO HOME HERE

B Y BLAYKLEE FREED Community responds to a rash of hateful vandalism

4 // CONTENTS

Mandarin Taste expands the map

How to batch cocktails and host like a pro

MUSIC 40 WITH THE BAND

B Y KYRA BRUCE Tom Skinner’s Skyline Music Festival returns to support musicians in need

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Barkingham Palace turns to the community for a helping hand

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ARTS & CULTURE 34 HARD PASS

B Y MATT CARNEY

An elegy for Russell Westbrook

36 DUSTING OFF A DIVE

B Y JESSICA BRENT The ReVue at Thelma’s brings LGBTQ+ nightlife to Kendall Whittier

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TV & FILM 44 DIRECT ADDRESS

B Y ALEXANDRA ROBINSON

Fleabag takes on the ‘tragic woman’ trope

45 GOLDEN AGE

B Y CHARLES ELMORE Quentin Tarantino’s latest is his most sincere, heartfelt offering in decades

ETC. 6 EDITOR’SLETTER 38 THEHAPS 42 MUSICLISTINGS 46 THEFUZZ + CROSSWORD

ART WORK

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FA L L P E R F O R M I N G ARTS GUIDE

LIVING UNDOCUMENTED

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ON THE COVER Wardrobe supervisor Tori Highfill, scenic designer Aaron Kennedy and stage manager Susan Fenrich PHOTO BY VALERIE WEI-HAAS August 7 – 20, 2019 // THE TULSA VOICE

THE TULSA VOICE // August 7 – 20, 2019

CONTENTS // 5

editor’sletter

O

n Saturday, a white supremacist walked into a Walmart Supercenter on the east side of El Paso and shot 22 people to death with an AK-47-style assault rifle. In his manifesto, the terrorist said his killing spree was “a response to the hispanic invasion of Texas.”

If that language sounds familiar, it’s because you’ve heard it from the President of the United States. The former host of NBC’s The Celebrity Apprentice, who accused our first black president of being a foreign-born enemy of state, built his political career stoking the fears and grievances of alienated white men.

“You look at what is marching up—that is an invasion,” the billionaire barked to cheers from a frenzied crowd before last year’s midterms. “They don’t like it when I say it,” he later nudged.

“But we’re being invaded.”

The president cribs the bloodand-soil rhetoric of white nationalists, like the “very fine people” who marched on Charlottesville in 2017, because keeping his coalition intact means keeping white men angry and afraid.

“We are going to fulfill the promises of Donald Trump,” former KKK grand wizard David Duke threatened at the aforementioned neo-Nazi rally in Virginia.

“That’s why we voted for [him]: because he said he’s going to take our country back.”

This is why the president uses words like “invasion” when talking about non-white migration. It’s why he describes Mexican immigrants as “rapists” and “criminals,” despite the fact that they commit crimes at lower rates than people born in the United States. It’s why his administration

instituted a policy of snatching children from their families—the youngest, baby Constantin, was four months old—and caging them like animals in squalid border camps.

“I’m not part of some invading army fighting against America.

I’m here fighting for the American ideals I know we can live up to.”

That’s Cristian Solano-Córdova, who was brought to this country by his mom when he was just three years old. You can read his story about living undocumented on page 14.

We’ve also got a photo essay on the July 20 demonstration against migrant detention at Fort Sill in southwestern Oklahoma, part two of our dispatch series from Jessica Vazquez (pg. 10).

You’ll also find Barry Friedman’s take on the tepid reaction to the president’s racism from

Oklahoma lawmakers, whose responses range from blasé to bizarre (pg. 8).

As we reckon again with the American ritual of bloodshed, I’m thinking today of Cristian’s mother—not a criminal, not an invader, but an inspiration: “I’ve never forgotten the look on my mom’s face, as she walked into the darkness of an unknown country. That is when I first realized that the meaning of courage is not to pretend to be immune from fear, but rather to calmly and steadily take action in spite of it.” a

JEZY J. GRAY EDITOR

He Built the Taj Mahal for Her. 1,200 years of Islamic Art. NOW ON VIEW!

Unknown artist from India. Double portrait of Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan (1592–1666) and Empress Mumtaz (1593–1631), late 19th century. Painting: colors and gold on ivory; frame: gold, wood, and brass, 2 ½ × 3 ¼”. Newark Museum, Bequest of J. Ackerman Coles, 1926, 26.1133.

6 // NEWS & COMMENTARY

August 7 – 20, 2019 // THE TULSA VOICE

okpolicy

L

BIG LITTLE BUDGETS

Smaller agencies need more funding to help Oklahoma thrive

by PAUL SHINN for OKPOLICY.ORG

THE TULSA VOICE // August 7 – 20, 2019

arge state agencies and the big problems they address—including education, health care and mental illness—naturally get most of the attention (and money) at budget time. But smaller agencies also provide services that are equally important to our state’s people and future. They investigate crimes and operate courts; they care for the environment; they collect taxes and administer government. If they are not adequately funded, we all suffer.

All agencies faced repeated and serious budget cuts over the past decade in Oklahoma, but small agencies were hit hardest.

The 2019 Legislature started restoring funds for some of these agencies, but most small agencies still receive less funding than they did in FY 2009. The state must increase funding for these agencies and their programs.

The share of appropriations for the ten largest agencies in FY 2020 is the smallest in over a decade, at 87.9 percent. Thirty-five of Oklahoma’s smallest agencies will receive less funding than they did 11 years ago, even without accounting for inflation or population growth. Twenty-two (20 percent) have been cut by 20 percent or more. For example, since FY 2009, we have seen a: • 56 percent reduction in the Office of Emergency Management and a 64 percent decline in the Governor’s Emergency Fund, both with responsibilities to help recover from wildfires in 2018 and flooding in recent months; • 19 percent decline in the budget of the Health Department, the agency whose responsibilities include responding to West Nile and measles outbreaks; • Reduction of 56 percent in the Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs in the face of an opioid crisis; • Decline of 23 percent in the Council on Law Enforcement Education and Training, while the number of officers and public expectations upon them are growing;

• 31 percent decrease in funding for the Department of Tourism at a time when high employment and low gas prices will have record numbers of families on the road looking for new adventures; and • 38 percent reduction in the Department of Libraries, which serves the lowest income and least connected Oklahomans with internet access and literacy and General Education Development (GED) courses.

Economic growth and revenue increases adopted in 2018 provided the opportunity to begin restoring smaller agencies’ budgets by $140 million. This will make Oklahoma safer, invest in our future, promote innovation and hold government more accountable.

The FY 2020 budget promotes public safety in additional funding for firefighting efforts for the Department of Agriculture; increasing staffing and materials for the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation; water quality and laboratory improvements at the Department of Environmental Quality; and flood control in the Conservation Commission.

It invests in Oklahoma workers and their families through the Physicians Manpower Training Commission; increases economic development funding for the Department of Commerce; and allows the Commission for Children and Youth to better coordinate their work.

The state can further increase smaller agencies’ budgets with little budget impact. An additional $110 million in funding—1.4 percent of overall state appropriations—will restore smaller agency budgets to the FY 2009 level. This small investment will pay off many times over in a healthier environment, safer communities, a better quality of life and a stronger economy. a

Paul Shinn is the Budget and Tax Senior Policy Analyst at Oklahoma Policy Institute (okpolicy.org).

NEWS & COMMENTARY // 7

Standing with tyrants Oklahoma lawmakers at the shipyard

by BARRY FRIEDMAN

I

t was 1934, and August Landmesser was in love. He had just met Irma Eckler and they planned to marry, but Eckler was Jewish, and Landmesser was a member of the Nazi party. This was, of course, not allowed, for Jews weren’t people. They were interlopers, vermin. Not only was their wedding application rejected by authorities, Landmesser was thrown out of the Nazi party for simply asking, for loving the wrong kind.

Still they married.

A baby girl arrived soon.

In 1937, the family tried to leave Germany and settle in Denmark, but they were arrested.

Landmesser was charged with “dishonoring the race” and jailed.

At trial, he lied about being aware of Eckler’s Jewish heritage. Inexplicably, the ruse worked and he was freed, albeit temporarily, for he was sent to prison a year later for 30 months for not abandoning his wife. She, too—now pregnant with their second child—would be arrested.

The Landmessers would never see each other again.

After giving birth to another child, she was sent to (and would later die in) what the Nazis referred to as a “euthanasia center.”

But this is a story about what happened in 1936.

In June of that year, Adolf Hitler came to the Blohm + Voss shipyard, where Landmesser worked, to speak at the unveiling of a new fighter plane, the Horst Wessel, that had just been completed. His co-workers—the company had thousands of employees by then—both surprised at and intimidated by Hitler’s appearance, cheered and gave the Nazi salute when he began to speak.

One man, with his arms crossed, did not cheer.

Landmesser.

8 // NEWS & COMMENTARY

Then there’s Second District Congressman Markwayne Mullin: “Our president isn’t always politically correct, and I like that. … The fact is, what he says is still meaningful. If you don’t like the foundation that this country is built upon, then go live underneath the style of country you choose to. … I support the president 100 percent.”

(Tulsa World) Workers at the Blohm + Voss shipyard salute Adolf Hitler in June 1936. All except one.

PUBLIC DOMAIN/WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

So interesting to see “Progressive” Democrat Congresswomen, who originally came from countries whose governments are a complete and total catastrophe, the worst, most corrupt and inept anywhere in the world (if they even have a functioning government at all), now loudly ... and viciously telling the people of the United States, the greatest and most powerful Nation on earth, how our government is to be run. Why don’t they go back and help fix the totally broken and crime infested places from which they came?

That was the July 15 tweet of the President of the United States.

There it is, in the last line: the belittling bigotry, the dog whistle of xenophobia and exclusion, and the willful, arrogant manipulation of facts and emotions. Three of the four congresswomen Trump mentioned were born in America; the other, Minnesota Representative Ilhan Omar, from Somalia, spent four years in a Kenyan refugee camp. She became a U.S. citizen when she was 17, almost 20 years ago. She has been an American citizen longer than Melania Trump.

Our Oklahoma representa-

tives, over these past few weeks, like those workers at Blohm + Voss, stood for the president and signaled their support.

Worse, they stood up for him.

Speaking in our name, here’s how they reacted.

Sen. James Lankford: “As a nation, we can and should debate ideas and policies, but we should also acknowledge that we are all Americans. Both sides of this situation should choose to work on building trust instead of seeking to ‘oneup’ each other with increasingly caustic and racially charged comments. The American people sent us to Washington to stand up for their values and actually solve the problems we face.

Escalating personal attacks do not help that already difficult process.” (Fox 25)

Sen. Jim Inhofe was even less committal. Glazing over the president’s racist trope, Inhofe waxed on wall-building and “asylum abuse,” reiterating that he is “proud to work with President Trump.”

In a Facebook post, First District Congressman Kevin Hern focused his ire on the four congresswomen for “normalizing radical views.”

Notice the conflation, the both-sider-ism, the Aw shucks, he’s just being Trump, the victim blaming, the hiding behind clichés, and yes, the fear to say anything against the leader of their party lest he aim his tenuous, almost comical grasp of the English language in their direction.

Obsequious, flaccid puppets they were.

And for good measure: The Oklahoma Republican Party, in a statement first reported by KTUL, said it is “deeply proud” of Trump and supports his tweets. (Tulsa World)

Tell me again about the good people on both sides.

No matter how disgusted you get, you can’t keep up.

President Donald Trump attacked another prominent African American lawmaker [Elijah Cummings] on Saturday, tweeting that his Baltimore district is a “disgusting, rat and rodent infested mess.” (CNN)

Whatever you think of Senators Jim Inhofe and James Lankford, Representatives Kevin Hern and Markwayne Mullin—whatever you think of Representatives Ilhan Omar (D-MN), Ayanna August 7 – 20, 2019 // THE TULSA VOICE

Pressley (D-MA), Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), Rashida Tlaib (D-MI), and Elijah Cummings (D-Maryland)—keep this in mind: They are all colleagues.

Equals. They all swore to uphold the constitution of the United States, not feed the ravenous ego of a president.

And this, of course, is just a coincidence: A South Florida man was arrested Friday after being accused of threatening to kill several high-profile Democratic lawmakers, specifically citing his support for President Donald Trump and his disdain for Rep. Ilhan Omar in light of her comments about the 9/11 terror attacks.

(USA Today)

Thanks to Godwin’s law, Hitler analogies to Trump are aplenty on the internet, with a virtually endless arsenal of memes comparing the two. Over the top, sure, but Hitler wasn’t Hitler until he was Hitler. Each tyrant has his own unique stamp on a generation, and we should be able to hold two evils in our minds simultaneously without subordinating one to the other. The U.S. Customs and Border Protection facility in Clint, Texas is not the killing fields of Babi Yar in Ukraine, but Babi Yar was once just a suburb of Kiev.

On a related subject, Sen. Lankford went down to inspect the Rio Grande Valley Centralized Processing Center and wrote on his website: I visited supply rooms at each facility, and they were well stocked. This supply room was at the Donna soft-sided facility …

I saw toothbrushes, toothpaste, and other hygiene products available at these facilities. I also saw people brushing and waiting to brush their teeth.

Do what you will with the following: The Nazis staged social and cultural events for the visiting dignitaries.

Prisoners planted gardens, painted housing complexes, renovated barracks, and developed and practiced cultural programs for the enterTHE TULSA VOICE // August 7 – 20, 2019

tainment of the visiting dignitaries to convince them that the “Seniors’ Settlement” was real … a soccer game in the camp square complete with cheering crowds; and a performance of the children’s opera, Brundibár, performed in a community hall built specifically for this occasion. (U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum encyclopedia)

How about this: Teens terrorize family of undocumented immigrants with BB guns in metro neighborhood …

Quintero tried to get him to report the crime to police or let her take them to the hospital but he refused. The family is from Honduras. Because they’re undocumented, he didn’t want to involve authorities for fear of deportation.

(KFOR)

This is what happens when a nation proudly loses its way and those in power speak to the darkest, damaged angels screaming their approval in midsized arenas.

Send her back! the crowd yelled in Greenville, North Carolina, while a president stood soaking in the refrain and watching them gorge themselves on the rhetorical red meat he had tossed them. So smug.

He then lied about trying to stop it. So typical.

For our Oklahoma congressmen, this moment in America isn’t life or death—far from it. Had they expressed their revulsion—if they were revulsed—what would have happened? They would have been subject to insane tweets, a primary opponent, even the loss of an election?

So be it.

Sen. Inhofe, who has served in the Senate longer than Nebuchadnezzar II was king of Babylonia, could have literally ridden out his retirement on his horse Speck in every Oklahoma Christmas parade until Jesus returns.

Sen. Lankford, former evangelist specialist (yes, that was his title) at the Baptist General Convention, who continues to have good will on both sides of the Senate, could write books and make the Sunday morning talk shows, lecturing us on the breakdown of civility.

Rep. Mullin, a member of the Cherokee Nation—who should be more sensitive to racist chants, and who never wanted to be in politics anyway—could return to his plumbing and ubiquitous red trucks and no longer have to deal with the indignity of people thinking they’re paying his salary.

And Rep. Hern, who always thought of elected office as a bauble, could return to pushing cheeseburgers and bloviate on conservative talk radio about how the government makes it hard to be an entrepreneur.

Even Rep. Kendra Horn, the Democrat from Oklahoma City, who was supposed to make us all proud we had turned a political corner in the state, only attempted a weak swing, saying she was “troubled” by the president’s remarks.

Their outrage is the arf-arf-arfing of small dogs.

Once upon a time in America, they told the Irish, the Germans, the Jews, the Italians and the Poles to go back, too.

August Landmesser died in a concentration camp before the war ended.

He refused to salute.

Was it worth it?

Who knows? But we are talking about him today, so perhaps that is how history tries to apologize.

In 1951, years after the Landmessers had been killed, the city of Hamburg, Germany recognized their marriage. And there is that picture of him in a sea of sycophancy.

It’s what courage looks like.

Croatian novelist Slavenka Drakulić wrote in her book They Would Never Hurt a Fly, “The more you realize that war criminals might be ordinary people, the more afraid you become.”

It was not that Inhofe, Lankford, Hern and Mullin stood like trained seals barking, winking, nodding and dutifully repeating bankrupt talking points. It was that nobody in America seemed surprised. a

TULSA’S ONLY MODERN JAZZ CLUB DuetJazz.com

UPCOMING SHOWS

downstairs

Collective Improv Jam Night with Josh Westbrook August 7

Jack Cheatham August 8

Brian Gorrell August 9

Matt Hayes - 3H Trio August 10

Johnny Mullenax August 14

Drew Thomas Quintet August 15

Free Samples August 16

Off Beat: Hilarious True Stories Presented by Blue Whale Comedy Fest and Story Club of Tulsa

August 17

Brad Henderson August 21

Neutral Colors August 22

Jeremy Thomas Quartet August 23

The Zuits - Big Band Swing Dance Party August 24

For complete citations, visit the hyperlinked version of this article at thetulsavoice.com.

NEWS & COMMENTARY // 9

statewide

Ashley Nicole McCray, 2018 candidate for Oklahoma Corporation Commissioner, speaks to a crowd of protestors beneath a highway overpass outside of the Fort Sill Army installation in southwestern Oklahoma.

PHOTO ESSAY

#CloseTheCamps Immigrant rights protestors return to Fort Sill

by JESSICA VAZQUEZ

10 // NEWS & COMMENTARY

O

n July 20, more than 400 protestors marched to Fort Sill Army installation in southwestern Oklahoma to condemn the Trump administration’s detention of immigrants and asylum seekers. This was the second action since the June announcement that more than 1,400 migrant children were scheduled to be held at the military base where Japanese Americans and indigenous families were one incarcerated.

The protest included members and organizations of communities who have been historically affected by federal policies such as immigrant, black, indigenous, Japanese American, and Jewish communities.

The action was organized by numerous local and national organizations, including Dream Action Oklahoma and United We Dream.

Just two days after the protest, U.S. Sen. James Lankford told reporters Fort Sill would not be used until Fall 2019—if at all—given a dramatic decrease in border crossings since May, according to The Oklahoman.

The reversal was welcome news to many immigrant rights activists in Oklahoma. But Evelyn Stauffer, a spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security, said the military base will remain on “warm status,” meaning the fight may just be beginning. a August 7 – 20, 2019 // THE TULSA VOICE

LEFT TO RIGHT Protestors led by immigrant youth block traffic at Sheridan Road outside the gates of Fort Sill. • Although the temperature was in the hundreds, some wrapped themselves in foil emergency thermal blankets like those given to migrants held in detention centers. • In a final show of force, demonstrators take over the area under a nearby highway overpass. • Indigenous Oklahomans lead a lively circle encompassing the intersection at Sheridan Road and Snow Road. • A child in a thermal blanket stands with demonstrators before the march to Fort Sill. • Tsuru for Solidarity, a group of Japanese Americans fighting against the incarceration and separation of migrant families and children, returned to lead a paper crane ceremony in honor of those who lost their lives in “U.S. concentration camps.”

THE TULSA VOICE // August 7 – 20, 2019

NEWS & COMMENTARY // 11

community

Choosing sides

Abortion clinic volunteer protects patients

by CYDNEY BARON | photos by JOSEPH RUSHMORE

T

hey yell into megaphones, the word murder echoing between parked cars.

They’re carrying crosses and waving posters featuring images of oversized “embryos,” scrawled with provocative messages like Child sacrifice happens here.

Three mornings a week, Susan Braselton stands between the line of screaming abortion protestors and the women seeking the services of the Tulsa Women’s Clinic.

“I’m just here to shield you from some of that hatefulness,” Susan tells each of the women who, in shock, attempt to navigate their way inside. She places herself squarely between the women and the protest line, ready to defend the choice of the former.

Braselton has been the volunteer coordinator for Peaceful Presence since 2015. In addition to her own three-day schedule, Braselton coordinates a network of volunteers every day the clinic is open. “I have been passionate about re-productive justice as long as I can remember,” she said. “I lived a privileged life, for the most part, and I didn’t even realize it. I wanted to use it for good.”

The Peaceful Presence Program, which is affi liated with the Oklahoma Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choices, focuses on promoting a safe environment for clinic patients. Volunteers are tasked with making patients feel safe and comfortable as they make their way from their cars into the clinic. Briefi ng volunteers, Braselton stresses discretion, compassion and safety.

She helps direct traffic into the parking lot, past the protestors lining the street with misleading signs: Women’s Clinic patients start here. Braselton says they do this to confuse clinic patients into stopping at the wrong place, taking their literature and hearing their 12 // NEWS & COMMENTARY

Clinic Escort volunteers use umbrellas to block the view of forced-birth activists, who yell various religious diatribes, as a woman walks into the Tulsa Women’s Clinic. | JOSEPH RUSHMORE

message. She said the protestors have started wearing vests to mimic the volunteers. They swarm cars in the street. It’s enough to confuse and overwhelm anyone, according to Braselton.

“They’re just deceptive,” she said. “So we help get them into the right parking lot, offer them a smile and a ‘Good morning,’ and escort them into the clinic through the taunts and the verbal assault from the curb.”

Braselton enforces the property line: Protestors on one side of the curb, clinic patients and volunteers on the other.

Braselton said protestors have been present for as long as she has been volunteering. “Their main goal is to intimidate, and I’ll be damned if I’m going to be intimidated,” she said. “So I’m out here, just as vocal as they are.”

“The women love that we’re here. They love that we’re supportive and they are really appreciative of us being here,” she continued. “They don’t realize what

goes on—the deception and condemnation and judgment they’ll get. I think they’re told there will be protestors, but they’re dealing with so much when they call to make an appointment that it doesn’t resonate.”

She said she’s seen and heard it all from protestors.

“I’ve been yelled at and cussed at. I’ve been body slammed by that man there,” she said, pointing to an aging white man, dressed in khaki shorts and a button-up shirt, his foot propped up on the curb marking the property line.

“He was so adamant to get his literature to the woman I was escorting across the parking lot that he body slammed me to get me out of the way.”

But as long as the women still need her, Braselton will keep coming back: “I’ll say it again.

I’ll be damned if I’m going to let them intimidate me.”

Braselton said if she could make the activists listen, she would simply remind them:

It’s a woman’s choice, not yours.

About half of the volunteers are people who have come to the clinic for services, according to Braselton. “But you don’t have to have had an abortion to support a woman’s right to choose one,” she said.

“One in four women have had an abortion and whatever their reason is for having one is none of my concern. It’s none of the protestors’ concern.”

She added: “They act like they care, but they don’t … their lies are the most frustrating part. They give misinformation. They have misleading signs. They intimidate women by yelling. They even tell us, the volunteers, that we’re going to hell. They call us wicked; they call us Jezebels and harlots. They call us murderers, just for walking a woman to the door.”

She said most of the signs and megaphone messages are based in religion, but their approach differs depending on the patient.

“If there’s a man walking in with a woman, they target him.

They say, ‘Be a hero’ and ‘Don’t let your woman do this—be a man.’ With white women, they make it a moral issue. With black women, they make it financial and offer a free ultrasound.”

But mostly they use religion.

“It’s getting much, much worse. And it’s getting louder,” Braselton said. “This minority is getting emboldened. The average human being, the average citizen of the United States supports abortion. I know I’m on the right side of history,” she said.

And in a message to the women daunted by the task of wading through the picket line, Braselton said: “Stand tall and be convinced that your decision for your life is the right decision. The decision is yours to make. Just don’t let the bastards get you down.” a August 7 – 20, 2019 // THE TULSA VOICE

Susan Braselton

THE TULSA VOICE // August 7 – 20, 2019

NEWS & COMMENTARY // 13

community EDITOR’S NOTE: This story comes from the Association of Alternative Newsmedia Conference in Boulder, Colorado, where four undocumented presenters with Motus Theater’s UndocuAmerica podcast series shared their experiences with journalists from alternative newspapers across the country, including The Tulsa Voice. The following transcript has been edited for print.

WHEN I WAS MY BABY SISTER’S AGE, just 11 years old, I didn’t have any worries. It’s funny because my sister is a U.S. citizen, so things should be easier for her.

But they’re not. Not right now. Because the people she loves the most in this whole entire world—our mom, my other sister, and me—we’re all undocumented. And when we’re threatened, she’s threatened.

I remember election night 2016. My mom and I were in complete shock, trying to figure out what had just happened to the country, trying to strategize about certain possibilities. I remember frantically Googling, What happens to a U.S. citizen child if an undocumented parent is deported?

My dad died young, so I needed to assure myself that if anything happened to my mom, my other sister and I could take care of [my younger sister] if all of us were deported.

My mom and I totally lost track of time in our election night panic. So when I came downstairs hours later, I was surprised to see my baby sister sitting alone in a corner, crying. Red-faced with puffy eyes. With my dad gone, I always had to be a father figure since my mom was always working—helping with homework, reading bedtime stories, playing games, trying to answer those unanswerable types of kid questions.

I tried to comfort my baby sister, but she was scared. And I wasn’t used to having to comfort somebody when in reality I needed so much comforting myself. I just remember tilting her chin, listening through her streams of tears, looking into those deep brown eyes, and trying my best to give her easy answers to difficult questions. Just repeating, Don’t cry, don’t cry, it’s going to be okay, I promise.

I continued: Why would you be deported? Do you know what that word means? You shouldn’t have to. Listen to me—you are an American citizen, and you will never be deported.

And you’re right, I’m not a citizen, but I have DACA, they can’t deport me. I know Mom doesn’t, but she’s going to be okay.

She’s lived here for decades.

Whatever happens, we’ll be together, I promise. I’ll be there to put Band-Aids on your scraped knees, to help with your school projects. Yes, we’re going to finish reading Harry Potter together, and I’ll be there when you’re ready to apply for college 14 // NEWS & COMMENTARY

ing around in tall grass on their hands and knees. But the ground was covered with cactus thorns, and I didn’t have any shoes.

While everyone crawled, my mom stood up, carrying both me and my sister in her arms, and she just started walking.

At first, I thought she was giving up— we’d surely be seen, since everybody else was crawling on their hands and knees.

But she stood up tall, and walked with a defiant pep in her step, as if she belonged right there where she stood.

Cristian Solano-Córdova tells his story at the ACLU’s centennial commemoration in Denver.

RICK VILLARREAL

FAMILY MATTERS Living undocumented in Trump’s America

by CRISTIAN SOLANO-CÓRDOVA and when you fall in love for the first time. … I’m going to walk you down the aisle one day, and it doesn’t matter where, as long as we’re together. And of course the puppy’s coming with us if we go. He’s part of this family too, I’ll have you know.

That’s the dimple-y smile I like to see.

It’s going to be OK. At least that’s what I told her. I did my best to offer her what I wanted to hear, what I wanted to believe—both for her and for our entire family. Because how do you talk to a child about being taken away from their parents or siblings without terrorizing them? Without stripping them of their innocence?

With each day of this administration, the increased deportations of people like my mom, the attempts to end the DACA program, the willingness to end rules for how long children can be detained, and even threats to strip children of their citizenship—these mounting threats against our family—it feels increasingly cruel to offer my baby sister what amounts to a fairy tale, when in reality she may need great strength to overcome great threats.

So today, I offer you another story, and this story won’t kiss it and make it all better—but I hope it will help us stay strong, regardless of any challenges that we might face.

I was three years old and my other sister was just one when we crossed the border with our mom. We walked with a group of people, maybe 10 or 15, across the desert for hours. We were out in the middle of nowhere following some dim silver light in the distance. We finally got to the road, and to avoid being seen, we crossed through a drainage tunnel. My mom had me walk in front of her while she crawled behind me, my sister in a shawl.

I remember I was wearing those little kid light-up shoes that everyone was going crazy over that year. My mom had saved up a lot of money to buy them, because we were going to be seeing my dad after he was here on his own for over a year. She wanted us to look our best. Those shoes were actually super helpful in that drainage tunnel to light the way for my mom and all the other people crawling on their hands and knees.

But of course, in the desert, in the dead of night, they were a dead giveaway.

When we were finally able to see the light and get a breath of fresh air, the coyotes asked that we take off our shoes.

There was a border patrol car outside the gas station where the drainage tunnel let out. The officers were inside, we assumed, so we waited a little while for them to get back in their car and drive away.

Nobody was coming out, but the coyotes were impatient and told everyone to move.

In the chaos, everybody scrambled, crawl-

That night is when I first realized that my mom hadn’t given up. That she had faith.

Walking quietly was her best strategy to protect us. She was resolved that somehow, somewhere, we would be OK, and that we would find a home where our family could thrive. I’ve never forgotten the look on my mom’s face, as she walked into the darkness of an unknown country. That is when I first realized that the meaning of courage is not to pretend to be immune from fear, but rather to calmly and steadily take action in spite of it.

Our current president may characterize my three-year-old self as a diseased criminal murderer gang member in the making.

He may try to scare people who don’t know any undocumented immigrants into thinking that a mother carrying her children to safety is nothing less than an invasion.

But my sister and I, we grew up to be beloved members of our communities. We both went to college. I became the student body president of my university. I’m not part of some invading army fighting against America. I’m here fighting for the American ideals I know we can live up to.

They may want to take away my baby sister’s right to citizenship, but I remain hopeful that she or some other young girl might be our future president—and might actually lead us to a future of liberty and justice for all. But that reality is going to take a lot of hard work, and not just on my part or the part of the immigrant community. It will take every single one of us.

As Anne Frank once wrote in her famous diary: “How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world.” a Cristian Solano-Córdova is the communications manager for the Colorado Immigrant Rights Coalition (CIRC) and a Motus Theater UndocuMonologist. You can hear his story read by Latin American journalist Jorge Ramos, along with a song recorded by musical great Yo-Yo Ma just for Cristian’s story on the upcoming podcast, ShoeBox Stories which premieres on Oct. 2. For more information, visit motustheater.com.

August 7 – 20, 2019 // THE TULSA VOICE

community

WORKS/IN/

PROCESS SERIES After a vandal defaced the Lynn Riggs Memorial mural, someone covered up the graffiti with a positive message | MORGAN ALLEN

No home here Community responds to a rash of hateful vandalism

DOZENS GATHER OUTSIDE THE DENNIS R. Neill Equality Center on July 28, sharing precious shade cast by the squat building as the relentless July sun slouches westward overhead. A pop-up tent and a microphone await voices eager to speak out against the hateful vandalism of the Lynn Riggs Memorial Mural on the south side of the black box theater bearing his name.

A vibrant spectrum of color fills the space behind a portrait of world-renowned poet and playwright Lynn Riggs, a Claremore native and gay man who died in 1954, gazing kindly on passersby through his round spectacles. Erratic slashes of black spray paint cover his mouth. The word abomination appears beside him, a slipshod job with halting letters varying between capital and lowercase.

With a repertoire of Broadway plays and screenplays for blockbuster films, Riggs isn’t primarily remembered as a poet even by many literary scholars. But the man behind Green Grow the Lilacs, the play that inspired Rogers and Hammerstein’s Oklahoma!, also wrote scores of beautiful poems.

Riggs’ poetry took center stage at the Equality Center event, as community members signed up for a round-robin reading of verse from his two poetry collections—The Iron Dish (1930) and the posthumous This Book, This Hill, These People (1982)— along with unpublished works from the writer’s archive.

“He’s a master sonneteer,” says Todd Fuller, curator of the Western History Collections at the University of Oklahoma and co-organizer of the reading. “This guy could’ve been in that pantheon of modernist poets.”

“When we saw this defamation, we were offended to our core that something like this could happen,” Fuller continues.

THE TULSA VOICE // August 7 – 20, 2019

“This act is an abomination against art and against Lynn and his memory, and we refused to let the metaphor over Lynn’s mouth take hold, so we speak for him today.”

Poet Quraysh Ali Lansana, one of a handful of Tulsa Artist Fellows in attendance, takes the mic. “Hate is lazy. Love is work,” he tells the crowd before launching into a powerful reading of Riggs’ “Wonder.”

Some readers are poets like Lansana. Some are teachers, like education professor Crag Hill from the University of Oklahoma or playwright Bill McLoud from Rogers State University. Others are simply allies and bookworms from around town; one person introduces herself as simply “an angry grandmother.”

The defacement of the Lynn Riggs mural is the second instance of minoritytargeted vandalism in Tulsa since early July, when the words HOMEGROWN TERRORISM were sprayed across a billboard advertisement for Philbrook Museum’s Wondrous Worlds: Art & Islam through Time & Place, the most comprehensive exhibit of Islamic art ever displayed in Oklahoma.

“We stand united with our friends at the Equality Center against any forms of intolerance and hateful acts,” Philbrook Executive Director Scott Stulen said an email.

On Twitter, the Museum’s official account responded swiftly: “Let us know how we can help with the mural!”

At the reading celebrating Riggs, speakers illustrate how our response to such public acts of hatred will shape the future of our city. “It’s important that we are here to support this center and [the] woke, conscious human beings who change the world,” Lansana tells the crowd.

“Starting with our block. Starting with this block.”— BLAYKLEE FREED

Tulsa Artist Fellowship’s WORKS/IN/PROCESS is a concentrated series of diverse programs led by Tulsa Artist Fellows. The Tulsa community is invited to attend any/all of the free events and contribute to what’s being created in and around our table.

Find more information on Tulsa Artist Fellowship’s Facebook Event Page. Questions: info@tulsaartistfellowship.org THURSDAY, AUGUST 15 “Beginnings” Workshop // 3-4PM // The Lodge, 20 S. Lewis Ave. // Led by Tulsa Artist Fellow Simon Han “Sequential Circus” // 5-6PM // Woody Guthrie Center, 102 Reconciliation Way // Led by Carl Antonowicz + Tulsa Artist Fellows Melanie Gillman, Sophie Goldstein, Arigon Starr & Olivia Stephens Untitled (Poetry and Dance) // 6:30-6:50PM // Fly Loft, 117 N. Boston Ave. // A collaborative performance

by Ari Christopher + Tulsa Artist Fellow Candace G. Wiley Translation Now! Symposium // Reading // 7-8:30PM Fly Loft, 117 N. Boston Ave. // Led by Tulsa Artist Fellow M.L. Martin // Panelists: Kareem James Abu-Zeid, Johannes Göransson & Kelsi Vanada FRIDAY, AUGUST 16 LA Cryptoparty Workshop // 12-3PM // Fly Loft, 117 N. Boston Ave. // Led by Dan Bustillo, Jennifer Moon + Tulsa Artist Fellow Lucas Wrench Translation Now! Symposium // Panel Talk // 4-6PM // Fly Loft, 117 N. Boston Ave. // Led by Tulsa Artist Fellow M.L. Martin + Kareem James Abu-Zeid, Johannes Göransson & Kelsi Vanada Melville at 200: A Bicentennial Bio-Bibliographical Benediction 6:25-7PM // Fly Loft, 117 N. Boston Ave. // Led by Tulsa Artist Fellow Rhett McNeil Process Group + Han Karaoke // 7:30-10:30PM The Lodge, 20 S. Lewis Ave. // Hosted by Jennifer Moon + Facilitated by Tulsa Artist Fellow Lucas Wrench We welcome people with disabilities. For questions about accessibility or to request an accommodation, please email caroline@tulsaartistfellowship.org or call 918.591.2461.

Requests should be made at least one week prior to the event.

With the belief that arts are critical to the advancement of cultural citizenship, Tulsa Artist Fellowship supports both local and national artists while enriching the Tulsa community. Tulsa Artist Fellowship is a George Kaiser Family Foundation initiative.

Find out more www.tulsaartistfellowship.org NEWS & COMMENTARY // 15

citybites

The Emperor’s New Clothes Mandarin Taste expands the map

by TERRIE SHIPLEY

C

oming home is one of the most delicious human experiences, and it’s all the sweeter when accomplished through food. After a decade of searching for a local restaurant that hearkened back to my Chinese mother’s cooking, I’m happy to report I’ve found it.

When I fi rst arrived in Tulsa 10 years ago, the food scene was new and exciting. But like any college freshman knows, the orientation phase is soon followed by a wave of homesickness. As the red dust settled, my tastebuds began yearning for my mother’s home cooking.

An immigrant from Guangzhou (formerly Canton, where Cantonese cuisine originates), my mother would make such staples as beef and broccoli, rice porridge with various accoutrements, spicy clay pot chicken and rice, and steamed fish in a gingerscallion-soy sauce.

With cravings like that, P.F. Chang’s and Egg Roll Express couldn’t hold a candle.

And so, foaming at the mouth, I began to obsess over where the good Chinese restaurants were— the hunt was on.

A decade earlier, Sally Yau, then an international student from Beijing, was wondering the same thing. “Twenty years ago, there was nothing,” Yau said. “Even now, there are not that many.”

Yau subsequently met her husband and decided to stay in Oklahoma, raising two girls (now aged 14 and 11), and a third baby: Mandarin Taste, which she opened in 2013.

Like me, she’d been longing for what her mom cooked. However, she needed northern food while I needed southern food.

16 // FOOD & DRINK

Cilantro shredded beef at Mandarin Taste | GREG BOLLINGER

In broad strokes, northern (Mandarin) food is contrasted with southern (Sichuan) food in this way: Mandarin cuisine is food fit to please an emperor, having originated in Beijing’s Imperial Court. While saltier, its overall flavors are milder, more delicate in efforts to showcase the high quality of the ingredients.

Southern cuisine is like heavy metal to the north’s classical. It focuses on packing each dish

with more flavor and heat. (My mother gave herself a peptic ulcer due to her addiction to spicy foods; I recall many a night in which, after feeding us kids, she’d sit at the kitchen table sweating over a chili-laden dish.)

The closer to the equator a place is, the more likely its cuisine has this in common.

The distance from Beijing to Sichuan is 1,970 miles; the vertical length of the U.S. is 1,582 miles.

The likelihood of a northerner eating the same cuisine as a southerner in China is equivalent to a Yankee having a regular breakfast of Cajun shrimp and grits.

For this reason, I wrote off Mandarin Taste. Though high-quality and authentic, it was not what I ached for. I visited a few times, enjoying the fun and communal hot pot addition to their menu in 2015. Still, I kept pining for a place that served my favorites from home or a Chinatown restaurant—something spicier, or some classically Cantonese flavors.

But things changed after a renovation last July, when Mandarin Taste rolled out an extensive and satisfying new menu.

With flavors from all over the map, Yau has doubled-down on creating an authentic, panChinese experience.

“I want [guests] to know the real Chinese food,” Yau said.

Mandarin Taste has cranked up the heat by offering numerous Sichuan-style options, expanded their hot pot offerings by creating a sauce bar (ubiquitous in China), and even added such Canto favorites as a dim sum platter and egg tarts—flaky, creamy, delicate and perfect.

They can be purchased at the new café counter, along with fruit drinks (such as a zingy lemon-mint tea), traditional milk teas, cream puffs, and even Chinese cakes, which are characterized by being less dense, not cloyingly sweet like their Western counterparts, and fi lled and/or topped with fruit such as berries, kiwi, and yes, Mandarin oranges.

Fresh Chinese bakery items in Tulsa—for that, I’ll give a yee haw! a August 7 – 20, 2019 // THE TULSA VOICE

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downthehatch

MORE MINGLING, LESS MIXING How to batch cocktails and host like a pro

by ANDREW SALIGA

T

he food you’ve prepared is not quite ready, but at least all six of your guests have a drink in hand. The fi rst round included two old fashioneds (one with rye and the other with bourbon), two beers, something “light and fruity” and a daiquiri—not to mention something for yourself. Opting for the simplest choice, you pour yourself a glass of whiskey, neat.

You’re scrambling to put the fi nishing touches on the food, and empty glasses begin to abruptly raise, requesting the next round. As the clear cubes clink around the empty glasses you realize that with this frenetic rhythm, you’ll be caught up mixing rather than mingling.

There has to be a better way.

Fortunately, a round of cocktails able to rival any craft cocktail bar can be created in batch with a few simple tips. Forget about terrible concoctions calling for soda, juice and a bottle of cheap vodka.

The following tips and recipes will elevate your hosting skills.

The most important element tends to be forgotten when batching cocktails: water. Ice is responsible for both diluting and chilling the cocktail—two key components that need to be incorporated into the batching process. A good rule of thumb is to use 1/6 cup of water per serving for stirred cocktails and 1/6 to 1/8 cup of water per serving for shaken cocktails.

It’s important to use good-tasting water and fresh ice.

Chilling the cocktail to the proper temperature will take 18 // FOOD & DRINK

several hours, and individually chilling ingredients prior to combining can expedite this process. Stirred cocktails tend to be higher in alcohol content, so those batches can be chilled in the freezer. Shaken cocktails can be stored in the refrigerator and poured over ice when it’s time to serve.

Juices should be added fresh, a couple of hours before serving.

Fresh fruit juices have a brightness to their flavor that begins to decay over time.

Garnishes should also be prepared as part of the batch. Citrus wheels and wedges can be stored in an airtight container. Fresh herbs can be stored upright in a glass with water, and citrus peels can be stored between two damp paper towels. When it comes time to party, it’s as simple as pouring and garnishing. Which leads to the final and one of the most important tips.

While you’re the best judge of how many drinks your guests will consume, a simple way to ensure you don’t run out of drinks early is to provide a properly sized glass. I’d advise against providing standard sized red Solo cups.

Allow the cup’s size to communicate serving size.

Two excellent recipes to kick off your next party this summer are the Porch Swing at Sundown and Happiness. For more batch cocktail recipes, Maggie Hoffman’s latest book, Batch Cocktails: Make-Ahead Pitcher Drinks for Every Occasion, is an indispensable resource. a

The Porch Swing at Sundown is the perfect summer drink—citrusy and bright with tequila | ANDREW SALIGA

PORCH SWING AT SUNDOWN Servings: 12 This tequila-based cocktail is refreshingly bright and citrusy thanks to the combination of Aperol and fresh lime juice. The yellow Chartreuse provides both sweetness and herbal complexity. Don’t be intimidated if you’re not familiar with all the ingredients–this crowd-pleaser is the perfect companion to tacos.

1 ½ cups blanco tequila 1 ½ cups yellow Chartreuse 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons of Aperol 6 tablespoons of maraschino liqueur ¾ cup of water 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons of lime juice Cilantro sprigs for garnish 1. Combine tequila, yellow Chartreuse Aperol, maraschino liqueur, and water in a 2-quart pitcher. Stir and chill.

2. 2 hours before serving, add lime juice and return to refrigerator to chill.

3. Serve in a rocks glass over ice and garnish with a cilantro sprig.

Recipe by Julia Momose from Maggie Hoffman’s Batch Cocktails: Make-Ahead Pitcher Drinks for Every Occasion, Ten Speed Press, 2019.

HAPPINESS Servings: 8 This cocktail is technically a reverse Manhattan, which means instead to the standard of two parts whiskey and one part sweet vermouth, it’s 2:1 vermouth to whiskey. While you could use a good entry-level sweet vermouth like Dolin, this recipe will benefit from using vermouth with some added complexity. For those who prefer rye over bourbon, I’d suggest Cocchi Vermouth di Tornio in place of Carpano Antica. Since this cocktail does not contain any fresh juices, it’s also the perfect candidate to store in a 1-liter swing-top bottle in the freezer.

2 cups Carpano Antica sweet vermouth 1 cup bourbon 3 teaspoons Angostura bitters ½ cup water Orange twists for garnish 1. Combine all ingredients in a 1-liter swing-top bottle, seal, and invert to mix.

2. Chill for a minimum of two hours in the freezer.

3. Serve in a rocks glass over a single cube and garnish with an expressed orange twist.

Recipe by Mark Sassi from Maggie Hoffman’s Batch Cocktails: Make-Ahead Pitcher Drinks for Every Occasion, Ten Speed Press, 2019.

August 7 – 20, 2019 // THE TULSA VOICE

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THE TULSA VOICE // August 7 – 20, 2019

PIRATE BOMB AT PRAIRIE BREWPUB is a 14% ABV imperial stout aged in rum barrels with coffee, cacao nibs, vanilla beans and chillis added.

FOOD & DRINK // 19

Everyone is Welcome.

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Join us at both our Archer and Cameron Studio locations for open studios, group exhibitions, pop up performances and more.

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20 // TULSA ARTS DISTRICT GUIDE

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FOOD & DRINK // 21

10

SET THE STAGE YOUR 2019 FALL PERFORMING ARTS GUIDE

BY TTV STAFF

From smash Broadway hits to locally-produced gems, theatrical thrills abound on stages all across our fine city. Whether you’re hoping to score tickets to Hamilton, experience incredible world premieres by hometown choreographers or take in a symphony under the stars, we’ve got you covered with our annual guide to the best musicals, recitals and concerts coming this fall to a Tulsa-area theater near you.

AN ENCHANTING EVENING OF INDIAN CLASSICAL MUSIC An evening of Indian Classical Music featuring a vocal performance by Shubhangi Sakhalkar.

TULSA PAC - LIDDY DOENGES THEATRE SOUTH ASIAN PERFORMING ARTS FOUNDATION 20 - SEP T. 8

HAMILTON The smash hit musical about America’s Founding Father Alexander Hamilton comes to Tulsa.

TULSA PAC - CHAPMAN MUSIC HALL CELEBRITY ATTRACTIONS 22 - 25

HELLER SHORTS 2019: NOW AND TEN Ten short plays will be performed: some old, some new.

LYNN RIGGS THEATER, DENNIS R. NEILL EQUALITY CENTER HELLER THEATRE COMPANY

23 - 25

TULSA BALLET II: ON YOUR RADAR The second company of Tulsa Ballet comes together to perform the choreography of esteemed artists: Daniel van de Laar, Ma Cong and Jimmy Orrante.

TULSA BALLET’S STUDIO K THEATER, ANNE & HENRY ZARROW PERFORMANCE STUDIO, TULSA BALLET HARDESTY CENTER FOR DANCE EDUCATION TULSA BALLET

SEPTEMBER 4

BROWN BAG IT: BRANJAE Branjae brings her genre bending Soul, Funk and R&B sound to the PAC’s free noontime concert series.

TULSA PAC - WESTBY PAVILLION TULSA PAC TRUST 5 - 8

EV ERY SAT U R DAY

THE DRUNKARD AND THE OLIO Tulsa Spotlight Theatre presents the longest-running play in the country, The Drunkard, along with the Olio variety show every Saturday—a tradition since 1953.

SPOTLIGHT THEATRE

AUGUST 7

BROWN BAG IT: TULSA PAC STAFF This free noontime concert series features the Tulsa PAC Staff and some of Oklahoma’s finest professional musicians performing songs from the season.

TULSA PAC - WESTBY PAVILLION

22 // FEATURED

9 - 11, 16 - 18

THE WIZARD OF OZ The time-honored classic comes to life on the stage.

BROKEN ARROW COMMUNITY PLAYHOUSE 9 - SEP T. 1

MAMMA MIA! On the eve of her wedding, a young woman searches for her birth father on a Greek island paradise in this show enjoyed by more than 60 million worldwide.

TULSA PAC - JOHN H. WILLIAMS THEATRE THEATRE TULSA

SHE LIKES GIRLS A moving piece about forbidden love in a small conservative town.

TULSA PAC - LIDDY DOENGES THEATRE OK WORLD STAGE THEATRE COMPANY 6

SYMPHONY IN THE PARK Tulsa Symphony performs under the stars, ending with a bang of fireworks.

GUTHRIE GREEN TULSA SYMPHONY 6 - 7

WONDERFUL MUSIC OF OZ Signature Symphony and vocalists performs selections from selections from Wicked, The Wiz and The Wizard of Oz. VANTREASE PACE SIGNATURE SYMPHONY

6 - 8, 13 - 15

FAIRYTALE MISFITS Bring the kids for a whimsical trip to the Land of Rejected Fairy Tale Characters.

SPOTLIGHT CHILDREN’S THEATRE 8

SECOND SUNDAY SERIES Each month, five short plays are performed; the Top 3 (as voted by the audience) advance to the next month, where the audience will see what happens next in each story.

STUDIO 308 HELLER THEATRE COMPANY 12 - 22

CREATIONS IN STUDIO K Step into the Studio and experience exciting world premieres and dynamic works by choreographers Ma Cong, Garrett Smith and Val Caniparoli.

STUDIO K THEATER TULSA BALLET 13 - 22

PICASSO AT THE LAPIN AGILE From the mind of Steve Martin: Albert Einstein and Pablo Picasso meet at the Lapin Agile in Paris before either of their mainstream successes.

TULSA PAC - LIDDY DOENGES THEATRE THEATRE TULSA 14

OPENING NIGHT GALA CONCERT WITH RACHEL BARTON PINE World-renowned violinist Rachel Barton Pine joins the Tulsa Symphony to open its season.

TULSA PAC - CHAPMAN MUSIC HALL TULSA SYMPHONY 20 - 21

PROJECT ALICE Portico Dance Theatre celebrates its 10-year anniversary with a re-staging of its inaugural production.

TULSA PAC - JOHN H. WILLIAMS THEATRE PORTICO DANCE THEATRE 21 - 22

AMERICAN BRASS QUINTET The American Brass Quintet brings vibrant harmony and power to the PAC. TULSA PAC - JOHN H. WILLIAMS THEATRE CHAMBER MUSIC TULSA 24 - 29

LES MISÉRABLES This classic tale of lost dreams, passion and sacrifice is given new life with reimagined scenery and new staging.

TULSA PAC - CHAPMAN MUSIC HALL CELEBRITY ATTRACTIONS 27, NOV. 8

PETER AND THE WOLF A performance for the whole family, featuring characters children know and love.

STUDIO K THEATER, ZARROW STUDIO, TULSA BALLET

August 7 – 20, 2019 // THE TULSA VOICE

THE TULSA VOICE // August 7 – 20, 2019

FEATURED // 23

MAMMA MIA!

HAMILTON

MISS NELSON HAS A FIELD DAY Kindhearted Miss Nelson tries to coach her school’s football team to victory with the help of her alter ego, the ill-tempered Miss Viola Swamp.

TULSA PAC - JOHN H. WILLIAMS THEATRE IMAGINATION SERIES, TULSA PAC TRUST, YOUNG AT ART SERIES

THE DROWSY CHAPERONE A down-on-his-luck musical theatre fan plays the record from his favorite (fictional) show in this parody of American musical comedy of the 1920s.

TULSA PAC - JOHN H. WILLIAMS THEATRE THEATRE TULSA

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CLASSICS - TCHAIKOVSKY 5 Featuring Glinka’s Ruslan and Lyudmila Overture, Midkiff’s Mandolin Concerto From the Blue Ridge, and Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 5 in E minor.

VAN TREASE PACE SIGNATURE SYMPHONY

LYSANDER PIANO TRIO Itamar Zorman (Violin), Michael Katz (Cello) and Liza Stepanova (Piano) deliver innovative programming of master works.

AHHA (10/11), TULSA PAC - WESTBY PAVILION (10/12), TULSA PAC JOHN H. WILLIAMS THEATRE (10/13) CHAMBER MUSIC TULSA

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18 - 19

MERI AWAAZ HI PEHCHAAN HAI A tribute to vocalist and music director, Bharat Ratna Lata Mangeshkar.

TULSA PAC - JOHN H. WILLIAMS THEATRE SOUTH ASIAN PERFORMING ARTS FOUNDATION

OCTOBER 2

CARMEN

BROWN BAG IT: MOSAIC TRIO Maureen O’Boyle, Pete Peterson and Lorelei Barton bring their 38 years of performance experience to Westby Pavillion for the free noontime concert series.

TULSA PAC - WESTBY PAVILLION TULSA PAC TRUST 4 - 6, 11 - 13

WAR OF THE WORLDS: THE PANIC BROADCAST This radio play within a radio play depicts the fictional story read on air and the ensuing off-air panic.

BROKEN ARROW COMMUNITY PLAYHOUSE GISELLE

5

DEBUSSY’S IMAGES Ron Spigelman conducts this classics concert.

TULSA PAC - CHAPMAN MUSIC HALL TULSA SYMPHONY 5

HARLEM QUARTET

11 - 20

RIOULT DANCE NEW YORK This esteemed modern dance company presents the sensual and musical works of its artistic director Pascal Rioult.

TULSA PAC - JOHN H. WILLIAMS THEATRE CHOREGUS PRODUCTIONS 8 - 13

CATS Andrew Lloyd Webber’s wildly popular musical descends on Tulsa. Based on the T.S. Eliot book, Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats.

TULSA PAC - CHAPMAN MUSIC HALL CELEBRITY ATTRACTIONS

11 - 13

POPS - THE GOLDEN AGE OF GREENWOOD Tulsa native Ernie Fields Jr., saxophonist and inductee into the Oklahoma Jazz Hall of Fame, performs his father’s music.

VAN TREASE PACE SIGNATURE SYMPHONY 18 - 26

WHAT THE BUTLER SAW This Joe Orton piece deals with affairs, blackmailing and plenty of twists and turns—all for a job as a secretary.

TULSA PAC - JOHN H. WILLIAMS THEATRE AMERICAN THEATRE COMPANY 24 - NOV. 3

LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS This horror comedy rock musical centers around a mild-mannered floral assistant who discovers a new breed of plant that will make him famous, as long as he feeds it blood.

TULSA PAC - LIDDY DOENGES THEATRE TULSA PROJECT THEATRE 25 - 27

CARMEN A fiery, independent woman drives a Spanish solider to choose between duty and freedom. Sarah Mesko, makes her Tulsa Opera debut as Carmen, and former Tulsa Opera Young Artist Alexander Birch Elliott, returns to sing the role of Escamillo.

TULSA PAC - CHAPMAN MUSIC HALL TULSA OPERA 26

CHORAL COLORS OF THE CONTINENTS Choral Music from North America, South America, Europe, Asia, Africa and Down Under.

CASCIA HALL 31 - NOV. 3

GISELLE One of the most performed classical ballets in the world, Giselle must decide between forgiveness or vengeance.

TULSA PAC - CHAPMAN MUSIC HALL TULSA BALLET

NOVEMBER 1 - 2, 8 - 10

THE DEATHS OF SYBIL BOLTON An expansion of the play Four Ways To Die

by David Blakely.

LYNN RIGGS THEATER, DENNIS R. NEILL EQUALITY CENTER HELLER THEATRE COMPANY 2

CLASSICS - MOZART PRAGUE SYMPHONY This concert includes Haydn Violin Concerto in C major, Schubert Mass No. 2 in G major, and Mozart Symphony No. 38 in D major.

VAN TREASE PACE SIGNATURE SYMPHONY 5

BANDSTAND From Hamilton choreographer Andy Blankenbuehler, this 1945 American musical explores the highs and lows of post-WWII America.

TULSA PAC - CHAPMAN MUSIC HALL CELEBRITY ATTRACTIONS 6

BROWN BAG IT: CHEROKEE NATIONAL YOUTH CHOIR The Cherokee National Youth Choir performs traditional songs in the Cherokee language as part of the free noontime concert series at the Tulsa Performing Arts Center.

TULSA PAC - WESTBY PAVILION TULSA PAC TRUST 7 - 17

LOVE, LOSS, AND WHAT I WORE This play by Nora and Delia Ephron, based on the bestselling book by Ilene Beckerman, consists of monologues and ensemble pieces about women, clothes and memory.

TULSA PAC - LIDDY DOENGES THEATRE OK WORLD STAGE THEATRE COMPANY 8

DRAGONS LOVE TACOS AND OTHER STORIES This musical revue of beloved contemporary children’s books features excerpts from Dragons Love Tacos, Interrupting Chicken, The Dot, Mercy Watson Goes for a Ride, and Cowgirl Kate and Cocoa: School Days.

TULSA PAC - JOHN H. WILLIAMS THEATRE IMAGINATION SERIES, TULSA PAC TRUST, YOUNG AT ART SERIES 8 - 10

HARLEM QUARTET Classical, Latin and jazz are all included in the Harlem Quartet’s performances.

DUET JAZZ CLUB (11/8), TULSA PAC - WESTBY PAVILION (11/9), TULSA PAC - JOHN H. WILLIAMS THEATRE (11/10) CHAMBER MUSIC TULSA

MISS SAIGON 24 // FEATURED

August 7 – 20, 2019 // THE TULSA VOICE

MAMMA MIA!: JOSH NEW/COURTESY THEATRE TULSA; HAMILTON: JOAN MARCUS/COURTESY CELEBRITY ATTRACTIONS; CARMEN: COURTESY TULSA OPERA; GISELLE: JEREMY CHARLES/COURTESY TULSA BALLET; HARLEM QUARTET: AMY SCHROEDER/COURTESY CHAMBER MUSIC TULSA; MISS SAIGON: MATTHEW MURPHY/COURTESY CELEBRITY ATTRACTIONS

27

THE ANNIE MOSES BAND • KRISTIN CHENOWETH • SANDI PATTY • THE COLOR PURPLE • VOCTAVE • KELLI O’HARA • THE CHOIR OF MAN • FINDING NEVERLAND

THE

2019-2020 SEASON

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UNFORGETTABLE UNFORGETTABLE 2019 –2020 SEASON 2019 –2020 SEASON

SEPT

6–7

SEPT 2019

6–7

2019

OCT

THE WONDERFUL MUSIC OF OZ THE WONDERFUL With Scott Coulter MUSIC OF OZYork’s and a trio of New top Withvocalists Scott Coulter and a trio of New York’s top vocalists THE GOLDEN AGE

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13–14 IN TULSA CHRISTMAS With Sam Briggs, winner of the 2DEC 019 2019TULSA Tulsa Sings! competition, 13–14 IN 2019

and the Signature Chorale With Sam Briggs, winner of the 2019 Tulsa Sings! competition, and the Signature Chorale

With LaKisha Jones

YOU’RE DOIN’ FINE, OKLAHOMA! YOU’RETulsa DOIN’ Sings FINE, OKLAHOMA! Rodgers and Hammerstein Tulsa Sings Rodgers and Hammerstein

SEPT

S I G NATU RE CL A SS I CS S I G NATU CL ABEETHOVEN SS I CS 5 TCHAIKOVSKY 5 RE MAR

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With Jeff Midkiff, mandolin

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With Jeff Midkiff, mandolin

SEPT 2019

TCHAIKOVSKY 5

2 019 NOV

MOZART PRAGUE SYMPHONY MOZART PRAGUE With Alejandro Gómez SYMPHONY Guillén, conductor, and

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With Stephen Goforth, BEETHOVEN 5 trumpet With Stephen Goforth, trumpet

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THE TULSA VOICE // August 7 – 20, 2019

FEATURED // 25

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26 // FEATURED

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10

ANNIE MOSES BAND This blend of classical and folk is sure to please the whole family.

BROKEN ARROW PERFORMING ARTS CENTER THE SPOTLIGHT SERIES

12 - 23

A CHRISTMAS CAROL Robert Odle and Richard Averill’s musical adaptation of Charles Dickens’ novella has been a Tulsa tradition for more than 40 years.

TULSA PAC - JOHN H. WILLIAMS THEATRE AMERICAN THEATRE COMPANY

20

KRISTIN CHENOWETH & SANDI PATTY CHRISTMAS Two powerhouse vocalists come together to perform classic Christmas carols.

BROKEN ARROW PERFORMING ARTS CENTER THE SPOTLIGHT SERIES

15 - 17

LEGALLY BLONDE The musical adaptation of the blockbuster movie following Elle Woods as she goes from sorority girl to all-star law student.

TULSA PAC - JOHN H. WILLIAMS THEATRE THEATRE TULSA 16

MOZART’S PIANO CONCERTO NO. 24 IN C MINOR Guest artist Robin Sutherland joins Tulsa Symphony to perform Mozart’s Piano Concerto in C Minor, led by Gerhardt Zimmermann.

TULSA PAC - CHAPMAN MUSIC HALL TULSA SYMPHONY

13 - 14

POPS - CHRISTMAS IN TULSA Holiday favorites performed by the Signature Chorale and the 2019 winner of the Tulsa Sings! competition.

VAN TREASE PACE SIGNATURE SYMPHONY

31

MISS SAIGON A young Vietnamese woman is orphaned by war and forced to work in a bar. There she meets and falls in love with an American G.I. only to be torn apart by the fall of Saigon.

TULSA PAC - CHAPMAN MUSIC HALL CELEBRITY ATTRACTIONS a

30

GRADY NICHOLS CHRISTMAS This smooth Christmas concert features traditional and contemporary tunes to benefit ALS Patient Services Outreach.

TULSA PAC - CHAPMAN MUSIC HALL ALS PATIENT SERVICES OUTREACH

DECEMBER 4

BROWN BAG IT: TULSA FESTIVAL RINGERS Tulsa’s only auditioned community handbell ensemble performs Christmas favorites.

TULSA PAC - WESTBY PAVILION TULSA PAC TRUST 4

YALE UNIVERSITY WHIFFENPOOFS The world’s oldest and best known collegiate a cappella group comes to Tulsa.

CHOREGUS PRODUCTIONS 6 - 8, 13 - 15

MIRACLE IN BEDFORD FALLS Frank Capra’s It’s a Wonderful Life gets a second act in this holiday stage adaptation.

BROKEN ARROW COMMUNITY PLAYHOUSE 7 - 21

THE NUTCRACKER This classic production will soon be retired, so make sure you see it this season.

TULSA PAC - CHAPMAN MUSIC HALL TULSA BALLET 7

THE PETERSONS BLUEGRASS CHRISTMAS This Branson family band brings their alternative Christmas tunes to Tulsa.

TULSA PAC - LIDDY DOENGES THEATRE

THE TULSA VOICE // August 7 – 20, 2019

FEATURED // 27

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New York Philharmonic with Kelli O’Hara | OCTOBER 11-13 Jonathan Biss | SOLD OUT The Phantom of the Opera | OCTOBER 31 Chamber Music Festival | NOVEMBER 9-10 Cirque Mechanics | NOVEMBER 22-23 Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer | DECEMBER 12 Preservation Hall Jazz Band | JANUARY 30

View the full Inaugural Season lineup at McKnightCenter.org | Box Office: (405) 744-9999 705 West University Avenue Stillwater, OK 74078

28 // FEATURED

August 7 – 20, 2019 // THE TULSA VOICE

WIZARDS IN THE WINGS Behind the curtain with Tulsa’s backstage talent

BY ALICIA CHESSER ATKIN PHOTOS BY VALERIE WEI-HAAS

T H E WARDROBE SU PERV ISOR In the old days, this job was called “wardrobe mistress,” and she who held it was feared and honored in the extreme.

(You really don’t want to offend the person whose job it is to make you not be naked onstage.)

Tulsa boasts a long lineage of revered wardrobe supervisors. The latest person to fill these shoes at Tulsa Ballet is Tori Highfill, who for almost four years has overseen the creation of costumes that can withstand sweat and spotlights and also flex and float in any choreography.

Highfill earned a B.A. in theatre at Oklahoma State University. “I was involved in my high school’s drama department but never really thought about going into technical theatre,” she said. “After I took my first costume tech class in college, it all fell into place.”

Working in Seattle after graduation gave Highfill seven years of experience in costume shops and backstage on shows such as Memphis, Shrek! The Musical, and Catch Me If You Can. For Tulsa Ballet, she’s worked on Dracula, The Green Table and Tchaikovsky, among dozens more.

A wardrobe supervisor manages huge projects and tiny details all at once. Each existing costume must be altered to fit each new dancer who wears it. “We build new costumes throughout the year for original works as well,” Highfill said. “And I do a lot of the pattern manipulation, cutting, stitching and dye work.

“At the theatre, I help with the laundry and maintenance, and make sure everyone has everything they need. I do most of the principal dancers’ quick changes, and sometimes they are quick.”

In any show, but particularly in a dance performance, costume malfunctions are a clear and present danger.

Highfill’s main job during a show? “Lots of mending in the dark! I keep a threaded needle with me in my apron at all times.”

THE TULSA VOICE // August 7 – 20, 2019

YOU’RE SETTLED INTO A THEATER, waiting for a show to start. You adjust a little in your seat, check the program, get ready to relax and enjoy. What you don’t see all around you, in the walls and wings and ceiling, are the people who, almost in secret, have been preparing this moment for months—waiting, like a troupe of wizards with gaff tape and sewing kits, to unfold a whole new world.

Welcome to backstage, where arts workers with prodigious talent, education and experience make realities exist that didn’t exist before. These people make their living making worlds in which we can escape and be illuminated, connected, transformed. Just as much as the actors in the spotlight, these are the people whose work really makes the magic.

Put another way: Magic is work. And theatre is indisputably a job- and revenue-creating industry. (Data compiled

by Oklahomans for the Arts showed that Oklahoma arts and culture nonprofits generated $872,830,632 in economic activity in fiscal year 2015.) Alongside those we spoke to, there are dozens more across the city whose income comes from theatre organizations that turn right back around and engage the community—both locals and tourists, both economically and culturally.

They are problem-solvers. Collaborators. Researchers. They are indispensible members of the teams that make the shows that make life, for a few short hours, a thing of beauty, hope and heart.

FEATURED // 29

THE STAGEHAND Matt Morton has worked in what he calls “the hidden side of the art” for over 25 years. “I have built scenery and props from Ohio to New Mexico.

I have painted scenery for opera, ballet, film, television and countless plays. Each of these venues presents its own challenges and perks. I have designed scenery, lighting, props, costumes, and have directed. Any of these jobs would fill this piece with what the work entails.”

Morton wasn’t a kid who liked being in shows, finding building and drawing more to his taste. He tried architecture and graphic design in college at Henderson State University in Arkansas, but it wasn’t until he took a theatre lighting course that “it started to feel right,” he said. “Once I was immersed in the production world, I saw no other alternative.” With an MFA in scenic design and scenic art from Ohio University, Morton works for the stagehand union (which entails everything from rigging and set management to electrical work and sound assistance) on Tulsa’s many touring

30 // FEATURED

shows, at Tulsa Ballet, and as a designer for local companies in productions such as Peter and the Starcatcher and I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change. Most memorably for him, he worked as a scenic artist on the film August: Osage County, where—in a classic problem-solving moment— he offered his own 1992 Toyota when the film crew needed an extra car for a shot.

“Honestly, the point of most of what we do is solving challenges onstage,” Morton said. Asked for an example, he responded: “[That’s] like asking a fireman to give an example of one time he got sweaty.

“Joking aside,” he continued, “that is the game. We backstage are the ones that ensure the audience can experience the actors, and our job is to help that happen any way we can. Even as a painter I see that. I have had to add grit to paint to make it less slick on a stage,” he said. “Crushed walnut shells ended up being the best option that time.”

August 7 – 20, 2019 // THE TULSA VOICE

THE STAGE MANAGER Though it’s a notoriously hard-to-quantify role, just about everyone involved in theatre would agree: Without the stage manager, even the most brilliantly constructed show would find itself in chaos.

“Stage managers are like the moms who are able to juggle 28,567,983 things at once and still manage to look cute that day and feed the children,” actor Kia Hightower said.

But what exactly do they do? The short answer is: keep the train on the rails, from calling cues that tell the sound operator it’s time for the music to fade out, to keeping track of how the actors move onstage. “If there are transitions where set pieces need to be moved, I’m the one who organizes those,” stage manager Susan Fenrich explained. “If there are any issues between anybody on the team, I’m there to help resolve them.

“Basically, I keep track of everything in productions, get information to the correct people, and make sure the show is running as smoothly as possible.”

Fenrich has the effective stage manager’s two most important characteristics: sheer unflappability and insane attention to detail. (So many highlighters. So many spreadsheets. So much punctuality.) But it hasn’t all come easily.

“I was one of those kids who would hide behind their parents’ legs when a stranger talked to them,” Fenrich said. “I’ve had to make myself be firm. I think I just told myself one day, ‘You’re the stage manager now. People are going to be coming to you for anything and everything. You can’t be quiet and timid anymore.’”

Studying theatre at Northeastern State University in Tahlequah gave Fenrich the chops to deal with whatever comes up. In the past 18 months, she’s helped shows from Shakespeare in Love (American Theatre Company) to the 25-Hour Play Festival (Heller Theatre Company) go off without a hitch. But one of her favorite moments happened when things weren’t going as planned.

“A lot of things [went] wrong during this particular show and I was freaking out inside, thinking it was ruined,” she remembered. “Then I heard the audience laugh and I realized the show wasn’t ruined at all. The audience was still engaged in this show. They were just enjoying the moment. That’s when I realized I needed to focus on the big picture. Not every show is going to be perfect. Things are going to happen that are out of your control, but as long as the audience is still having a good time, that’s all that matters.”

THE SCENIC DESIGNER THE TULSA VOICE // August 7 – 20, 2019

With a mix of practical mechanics and a visual artist’s eye for balance and dimension, the scenic designer expands a world created in the privacy of rehearsals into a world that everyone can enter.

Aaron Kennedy got in through what must have been an especially dynamic production of Bandit Ben Rides Again, in second grade, and has never really left. Originally from Kansas, he earned a BFA in theatre at Emporia State University and a MFA in scenic design at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He’s been in Tulsa for two years, serving as assistant professor of theatre and technical theatre at TCC Southeast. He’s currently working on The Wizard of Oz for Broken Arrow Community Playhouse and will design the set for the upcoming TedX event at TCC Metro’s Center for Creativity in the fall.

Kennedy explained that a scenic designer is many things: “Part architect, part engineer, part inventor, part sculptor, part painter, part storyteller. The scenic designer needs to turn a director’s words and ideas into a physical and aesthetic environment that solves all the practical problems that are presented in the script, aligns with the director’s vision, and is interesting for the audience and the performers. Then there are the practical skills a designer needs like drawing, painting, drafting, and increasingly the use of digital technologies like Photoshop, animation, video editing, and projection mapping.”

But the main skill a scenic designer needs to bring to the table,

Kennedy said, is collaboration. Throughout any production process, he meets with just about everyone on the team. “In the end, all the elements are dependent on each other to tell one cohesive story,” he said.

The scenic designer’s work isn’t necessarily finished just because the curtain’s going up. Kennedy remembered a notable moment during opening night of a production of South Pacific.

“In one of the early scenes, a desk that we had put on casters had one of its legs crack, and the wheel came off. That desk was supposed to be in several other scenes, so between fly cues, the shift crew ran the desk into the workshop behind the stage. In time with the music and applause (to try to hide the noise), I welded up a sort of brace for the cracked leg, then I welded the caster back to the bottom of the leg, and tried to grind off the sharp edges as best I could. All this happened in approximately five minutes, and the desk made it on for its next scene.”

No sweat. But what difference does it really make? Whether the audience knows it or not, every detail of the set—like every member of the team—is working together to create that magical experience.

“As a scenic designer, my favorite moment of any production is sitting in the audience on opening night and seeing all the weeks and months of work come together for the first time with an audience,” Kennedy said. “It still gives me chills every time.”

FEATURED // 31

THE ACTOR Acting may what we think of first when we think about theatre, but it’s not enough to make a show complete. Actor Kia Hightower put it like this: “Without designers, stage management, and tech crew, all theatrical productions would look like children tried to put on a show alone without the help of any adults. Tech members are the glue that keep the show together.”

The people who do so much to make this sort of magic usually don’t get (or even want) the glory that comes with the spotlight. But that doesn’t mean they don’t deserve it. “We cannot do a show without them,” Hightower said. “If nothing goes wrong in a theatrical production, it’s because the tech crew is doing their job.

“I’ve seen crew members crawling upstage to fix lights or wiring without audiences seeing them,” she continued. “I’ve seen crew members running around backstage looking for actors who are about to miss their cue to go on stage. It’s insane and a special skill.”

Hightower started acting as a freshman at Booker T. Washington High School. A B.A. in theatre from OSU launched her toward her current position as the speech and drama teacher at Glenpool High School and her work as an actor in Tulsa productions such as “Heller Shorts,” Cabaret, Ragtime, Neat and Beauty and the Beast.

Hightower said the experience of walking into the theater and seeing for the first time what the backstage crew has been creating can be summed up in one word: magical. “The stage managers and directors always explain what the set is going to look like, but it’s not the same as seeing it in person,” she said.

As you watch actors take their bows at the end of a show, you may see them point to the booth at the back of the theater and applaud. They’re thanking the backstage crew. “These humans deserve as much applause from the audience as the actors get,” Hightower said. “If not more.” a

32 // FEATURED

August 7 – 20, 2019 // THE TULSA VOICE

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THE TULSA VOICE // August 7 – 20, 2019

JENNIFER MARSHALL

GOLDBERG

3/4/19 1:21 PM

FEATURED // 33

sportsreport

Hard pass

An elegy for Russell Westbrook

by MATT CARNEY

ESTBROO

ketball came to a hard stop last month. Sam Presti punched the brakes in July when he traded Paul George to the Clippers for a massive haul of assets and promptly sent Westbrook to Houston to play alongside former Thunder teammate James Harden. (By chance Westbrook happened to be in Tulsa the night he was traded, appearing on the bill for a comedy show hosted by a childhood friend at Cain’s Ballroom.)

I honestly didn’t think Presti had the stones to do it. Now we are forced to consider life after Russ. What did he mean to us?

What’s his legacy? How deeply weird is it to see him wear a red jersey?

I’ll start with the obvious: Russell Westbrook probably fucking sucked to play against. For a decade he victimized undersized point guards and snatched rebounds from All-Star bigs, scowling and stomping his way across every court in the league.

K

34 // ARTS & CULTURE

W

E

verybody who lived in Oklahoma City anytime between 2009 and 2019 has a Russell Westbrook story.

Here’s mine.

It’s May 14, 2012. I just moved to the city from Norman and lucked into a ticket to my first NBA playoff game. The two-time champion Kobe Bryant Lakers are in town and they’re old, but still dangerous. They enter a second-round series against the Thunder with a worse regular season record and way more playoffs experience. Outside the Chesapeake Arena, it’s humming. Inside, a stick of dynamite could’ve exploded in Loud City and the crowd would’ve barely registered it.

The Lakers grab the tipoff, bring the ball up the floor and swing it around the perimeter to Bryant. Except it doesn’t get to him. A 23-year-old Westbrook gambled off his assignment, intercepted the pass and turned it into two transition points quicker than I’d previously thought humanly possible. A baby fanbase spent the rest of the game cheering its impossibly young heroes, watching a historic collection of talent throttle a Lakers squad two seasons off a championship. We were young and unstoppable. Things were looking up.

What followed was nearly a decade of record-setting basketball and all manner of locker room intrigue. Unforgettable slugfest playoff series against the Grizzlies and Spurs. A very early visit to the NBA Finals. One budding superstar traded as two others made professional leaps to their full potential. Repeat trips to the Western Conference Finals.

Kevin Durant’s defection. The triple-double made routine.

The first era of Thunder bas-

In an era when superstar players merely act their kayfabe night to night, Russ sincerely believed his own, cutting a hard confrontational stance more reminiscent of the NBA’s past than its direct message-happy present.

He also worked his ass off on the court. For a while, there wasn’t a starting center or power forward in the league he feared at the rim. Opposing coaches would load players up in the paint to counter his explosive athleticism and still he’d rebound an opponent’s missed shot, sprint the floor and try to stuff a nuclear-grade dunk before the defense could set.

In his tandem years with Durant, the duo drew so many fouls and were so consistent from the freethrow line that a coherent offensive scheme often wasn’t necessary until the playoffs.

When Nick Collison retired he said he played his best basketball with Harden. The duo used to run a gorgeous two-man

ballet off the bench that typically ended with Harden yamming off a backdoor cut. After Presti traded Harden, Collison was never featured in the Thunder’s second-team offense so prominently—the partner who brought out the best in him gone.

I feel the same way about Durant leaving sometimes. Russ’s game always thrived in the improvisation of fast breaks, offensive rebounds and the broken plays he often willed back to life with hustle. What better complement to a 6-foot-3 chaos machine than a nimble, 7-foot scoring savant?

The league’ll never see a pairing of talent like it again.

Russ also gets credit for stabilizing the franchise with a herculean MVP effort that fi lled a massive usage vacuum the season after Durant left. You’re not supposed to make the playoffs when a guy that good leaves. (See last season’s 19-63 Cleveland Cavaliers.) Convincing Paul George to commit to a big contract after the 2017-18 season was huge too, proving that the Thunder could woo a premier talent in free agency. Keeping it around is a different story, it seems.

But I’ll always love Russ for his fearlessness. He had the courage to make big mistakes, and didn’t shrink away from them after the fact. And his always-on court presence exacted a kind of cosmic pressure on opponents. You’d recognize their same I can’t believe this motherfucker is coming at us again body language late in regular season games. As a fan, it was an incredible thrill.

I’ll be back in the fall with a primer for the 2019-20 season, but until then let’s all build a little room in our hearts to cherish Russ and the great years of basketball he gave us. a August 7 – 20, 2019 // THE TULSA VOICE

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THE TULSA VOICE // August 7 – 20, 2019

ARTS & CULTURE // 35

onstage

Dusting off a dive

The ReVue at Thelma’s brings LGBTQ+ nightlife to Kendall Whittier

by JESSICA BRENT

A

good bar is bigger than the four walls that contain it—it’s the embodiment of a community, the beacon shining at the end of a long work day. A good bar is a place you can count on for cold drinks and familiar faces.

Deb and Lynn Starnes, owners of the The ReVue, understand this. When they talk about their patrons, they refer to them collectively as a revered community which they serve. In mid-July, Deb and Lynn announced they would be closing the doors of their existing bar and relocating The ReVue to Thelma’s, the historic dive bar in the Kendall Whittier district—a move they hope will bring them even closer to their community.

Though the move may seem sudden, Lynn says it was their intention to locate The ReVue in a historic district from the beginning. When the perfect location eluded them, they settled for a site of historic significance for Tulsa’s LGBTQ+ community—the location that had housed Maverick’s for so many years.

“While 822 (S. Sheridan Rd.) was good to the community and to Maverick, those who have been with us understand that the neighborhood has changed,” they explained on their Facebook page.

“Tulsa has changed as well. Historic districts and downtown rule these days. We have an incredible opportunity to be part of that movement.”

The new location on Admiral Boulevard between Utica and Lewis avenues will position them along historic Route 66 and within the vibrant and growing district of Kendall Whittier.

36 // ARTS & CULTURE

The ReVue recently relocated to the Kendall Whittier district in a historic space formerly home to Thelma’s dive bar | GREG BOLLINGER

“We’re really excited to have them move in and add to the nightlife that we already have going on,“ says Jessica Jackson, executive director of Kendall Whittier Main Street. “‘I think they’re going to be a great anchor for that west side.”

While the neighborhood has come a long way, the bar itself needed some love. Built in the 1950s, Thelma’s has always been Thelma’s. Legend has it Thelma herself was a feisty woman who worked as an accountant by day and ran the bar by night. The bar has closed and re-opened with new management over the years, accumulating grit that has only

added to its allure as a true dive bar. Long, smoke-fi lled, alcohol-fueled days (the most recent operator opened the doors as early as 6:30 a.m.) left a patina that was hard to polish.

As Lynn and Deb began tidying up for their move, they discovered the bar top, worndown and brown in color, was still the original teal tufted leather.

Wanting to honor the history of the space, they didn’t subject Thelma’s to a major renovation.

They cleaned the bar, painted and updated some fixtures. The vibe has been described as a steampunk speakeasy.

It will now be a non-smoking

bar, but they have been approved for two patios, one of which will be for smokers. The drink menu will center around martinis.

But what of Thelma’s iconic neon sign? It will be restored so the neon glows but the wellearned patina still marks the passage of time. Henceforth, Thelma’s and The ReVue will merge together in temporal space and in name: It will be called The ReVue at Thelma’s.

The new space is nearly half the size of the original ReVue but owners and patrons alike view the change as a good thing. “It’s going to be a much more intimate-type bar where the bartender knows you by name, knows your favorite drink,” says Jan Rogers, a ReVue regular.

The stage, a centerpiece of the former location, will be a much smaller floor stage. The design will lend itself to laid back happy hours and when entertainers can work the room and interact with the audience with ease. “Deb and Lynn are really good at making their audience comfortable,” says Vicki Williams, another loyal patron.

The Starneses expect that the community will follow them to the new location while attracting a new audience. With a regular line-up of entertainment from burlesque to karaoke, drag shows and country nights, they hope the bar has something for everyone.

“I think the future holds a more diverse crowd,” says Williams. “But it’s important for the gay community to know this is a bar they can be comfortable in.”

“Everyone is welcome,” the ReVue staff likes to say. “Unless you’re an asshole.” a August 7 – 20, 2019 // THE TULSA VOICE

SATURDAY AUGUST 24

SUNDAY AUGUST 25

18+ TO ENTER EVENT

OK MEDICAL CARD HOLDERS GAIN ACCESS TO CANNABIS EXHIBITOR VILLAGE AREA

THE TULSA VOICE // August 7 – 20, 2019

ARTS & CULTURE // 37

MISFEST SONGWRITING WORKSHOP Thursday, Aug. 15, 7 – 8:30 p.m. $10 ($7 with a student ID) Fair Fellow Coffee Roasters Learn the art of songwriting from Tulsa’s own Kalyn Fay and Jerica Wortham. Participants will incorporate what they learn into an original song they will get a chance to perform with a live band.

Kalyn Fay | JUSTIN RUCKER

MUSIC FEST

LANGUAGE

More than 45 musicians descend Aug. 18 on SoBo for a night of live music in honor of Tom Skinner for the Tom Skinner Skyline Music Fest. To learn more about the fest, read our story on pg. 40. reddirtrelieffund.org/skyline

Translation Now! Is a two day Symposium moderated by Tulsa Artist Fellow M.L. Martin from Aug. 15–16. The talk and reading present an in-depth look at how translation, and the translator, can impact how we view foreign cultures.

SUSTAINABILITY

WALK AROUND

Heirloom Rustic Ales hosts a class on Sustainable Land Management on Aug. 12 at 6 p.m. Participants will learn to design and maintain a property that reduces watering, fertilization and chemical use. heirloomrusticales.com

Every second Thursday from May–October Kendall Whittier After Five brings music, vendors, art, food and more to the Kendall Whittier District. Aug. 8, 5:30 p.m. visitkendallwhittier.com/afterfive

CONCERT

DANCE PARTY

Barkingham Palace is asking for some help from the community through a benefit show with Shoog Night, Tell Lies, and Acid Queen on Aug. 17. Read more about the show on pg. 40.

It’s Leo season and Mojo Movement Studio is hosting a Zodiac Dance Party at 8 p.m. on Aug. 10. It’s time to celebrate your season by shaking your stuff!

All signs are welcome.

FULL EVENTS CALENDAR: THETULSAVOICE.COM/CALENDAR 38 // ARTS & CULTURE

August 7 – 20, 2019 // THE TULSA VOICE

BEST OF THE REST EVENTS

Jewelry Workshop // 8/10, 1 p.m., 108 Contemporary, $10, 108contemporary.org

2 Step Dance Lessons with Bill and Bonnie // 8/7, 7 p.m., Track 5, hardrockcasinotulsa.com

Art Start: Ojos de Dios // 8/10, 10 a.m., Gathering Place ONEOK Boathouse, facebook.com

Dude Perfect // YouTube personalities come to the BOK Center. // 8/8, BOK Center, $28 - $58, bokcenter.com

The Dirty Pour Painting Class // 8/10, 11 a.m., Soul City, $75, tulsasoul.com/the-music

Kendall Whittier After Five // 8/8, 5:30 p.m., Kendall Whittier District Renaissance Neighborhood Meet & Greet // 8/9, 4 p.m., Renaissance Brewing Co. Pow Wow of Champions // 8/9–8/11, 6 p.m., The Maybee Center, mabeecenter.com Chokes & Barley // 8/10, 11 a.m., Cabin Boys Brewery Sitting with the Soul Meditaion // 8/10, 10:30 a.m., Dennis R. Neill Equality Center

Bob Dylan | THE BOB DYLAN ARCHIVES

JOAN OSBORNE SINGS THE SONGS OF BOB DYLAN Sunday, Aug. 11, 7 p.m. $30 - $45 Cain’s Ballroom, cainsballroom.com Joan Osborne comes to town to sing our favorite Bob Dylan songs. Brun Co. Barbeque will be open for the show and proceeds from this event go to the music education programs at the Woody Guthrie Center.

Zodiac Birthday Dance Party // 8/10, 8 p.m., Mojo Movement Studio, $10 2nd Saturday Tulsa Underground Tunnel Tour // 8/10, 9 a.m., Philcade Building, $18 Lucy Furr presents: Some Like It HOT! // 8/10, 7 p.m., The Fur Shop, $12 - $22 Clothing and Stuff Swap // 8/11, 6 p.m., Mojo Movement Studio A Celebration of Joy Harjo // 8/11, 6 p.m., Oklahoma Jazz Hall of Fame, facebook.com Sustainable Land Management Class // 8/12, 6 p.m., Heirloom Rustic Ales Scifi /Fantasy Book Club: Good Omens // 8/12, 7:30 p.m., Whitty Books, facebook.com Supermatch Showdown Series - WAL 505 // 8/15, 7 p.m., Cain’s Ballroom, $25, cainsballroom.com MisFEST Songwriting workshop // 8/15, 7 p.m., Fair Fellow Coffee Roasters, $10, eventbrite.com

JOY-FUL CELEBRATION

The Oklahoma Jazz Hall of Fame hosts A Celebration of Joy Harjo at 6 p.m. on Aug. 11. It will be an evening filled with music, poetry readings, book signings and more in celebration of U.S. Poet Laureate and Tulsa Artist Fellow.

GET REAL

The Real Talk event series continues at the Woody Guthrie Center at 2 p.m. on Aug. 17 with Teacher’s Lounge, a back-to-school discussion with educators and students. woodyguthriecenter.org/events

WRITING

Beginnings is a workshop led by Tulsa Artist Fellow Simon Han centered around creating an impactful beginning in a fiction and creative non-fiction piece.

Aug. 15, 3 p.m.

POW WOW

Pow Wow of Champions is a three-day celebration of Native American culture from Aug. 9–11 at the Mabee Center. One-day tickets are $8, and $15 gets you access all weekend. mabeecenter.com/event/ powwow2019 THE TULSA VOICE // August 7 – 20, 2019

Translation Now! Symposium // An in depth look at how translation, and the translator, can impact how we view foreign cultures. // 8/15–8/16, Flyloft, facebook.com Beginnings // A Workshop // A workshop centered around creating an impactful beginning in a fiction and creative non-fiction piece. // 8/15, 3 p.m., TAF Lewis Project Space, facebook.com Sequential Circus // 8/15, 5 p.m., Woody Guthrie Center L.A. Cryptoparty Workshop // 8/16, noon, Flyloft, facebook.com Wondrous Worlds Festival // 8/16, 6 p.m., Philbrook, $15, philbrook.org Tulsa Bead Market // 8/16–8/17, 10 a.m., Tulsa Expo Square, thebeadmarket.net

Printmaking // Open labs at Ahha allow anyone to come in and work on their prints, or learn the craft! // 8/11, 1 p.m., Ahha Tulsa Art Focus // Individuals with early-stage Alzheimer’s disease and their caregivers engage the mind and imagination through hands-on art activities. // 8/13, 10 a.m., Philbrook, philbrook.org Darkroom Photography // 8/18, 1 p.m., Ahha Tulsa

COMEDY Triple Feature Extravaganza // 8/7–8/10, The Loony Bin, tulsa.loonybincomedy.com The Summer Job Tour // 8/7–8/10, The Loony Bin, tulsa.loonybincomedy.com VFW Centennial Lounge Comedy Night // 8/7, 8 p.m., VFW Centennial Lounge Ok, So Story Slam - Theme: Band // 8/8, 8 p.m., IDL Ballroom Dry Bar Comedy Tour // 8/8, 8 p.m., The Loony Bin, tulsa.loonybincomedy.com Whose Line Rip Off Show // 8/9, 8 p.m., Rabbit Hole Improv, $10, rabbitholeimprov.com/shows Ken Jeong // 8/10, 8 p.m., Paradise Cove, $30 - $40, riverspirittulsa.com Comfort Creatures // 8/10, 8 p.m., Rabbit Hole Improv, $10, rabbitholeimprov.com/shows Red’s Comedy Open Mic w/ Shawna Blake // 8/13, 8 p.m., Reds Bar Laughing Matter Improv // 8/14, 6 p.m., PH Community House Tony Tone // 8/14–8/17, The Loony Bin, tulsa.loonybincomedy.com Whose Line Rip Off Show // 8/16, 8 p.m., Rabbit Hole Improv, $10, rabbitholeimprov.com/shows Off Beat: Hilarious True Stories // 8/17, 8 p.m., Duet Jazz, duetjazz.com Busted! // 8/17, 8 p.m., Rabbit Hole Improv, $10, rabbitholeimprov.com/shows Terry Fator // 8/17, 8 p.m., The Joint, $60 - $80, hardrockcasinotulsa.com Talk Show Incorporated Live Taping // 8/18, 8 p.m., Nightingale Theater

SPORTS Tulsa Drillers vs Springfield // 8/7, 7:05 p.m., ONEOK Field, milb.com/tulsa

Hamilton Wine Dinner at Gilcrease // 8/17, 5:30 p.m., Gilcrease Museum, $85 - $105, gilcrease.org

XFN 361 // 8/8, 6 p.m., Paradise Cove, $45 - $105, riverspirittulsa.com

Chili on the Green Cook-Off Championship // 8/17, 11 a.m., Guthrie Green, chilionthegreen.com

Tulsa Drillers vs Springfield // 8/12, 7:05 p.m., ONEOK Field, milb.com/tulsa

Real Talk 3: “Teacher’s Lounge” // 8/17, 2 p.m., Woody Guthrie Center, woodyguthriecenter.org

Tulsa Drillers vs Springfield // 8/13, 7:05 p.m., ONEOK Field, milb.com/tulsa

True Crime Book Club: Orange is the New Black // 8/1, 7:30 p.m., Whitty Books, facebook.com

Tulsa Drillers vs Springfield // 8/14, 7:05 p.m., ONEOK Field, milb.com/tulsa

VISUAL ART Oh, Tulsa! // The opening reception of the Living Arts’ biennial that celebrates arts in Tulsa. // 8/9, Living Arts, livingarts.org Community Conversation: Dr. Ricco Wright // 8/9, 7 p.m., Philbrook, $19, philbrook.org

Tulsa Drillers vs Springfield // 8/15, 7:05 p.m., ONEOK Field, milb.com/tulsa Roughneck Roller Derby vs Roe City Rollers // 8/17, Rhema Ninowski Rec Center, roughneckrollerderby.com Tulsa Elite vs Roe City Rollers // 8/17, Rhema Ninowski Rec Center, roughneckrollerderby.com/ schedule Tulsa Drillers vs Amraillo // 8/20, 7:05 p.m., ONEOK Field, milb.com/tulsa ARTS & CULTURE // 39

musicnotes

WITH THE BAND Scott Evans, Mike McClure and Paul Benjaman (right to left) perform at Mercury Lounge at Tom Skinner’s Skyline Music Festival in 2018. | KATIE DALE

Tom Skinner’s Skyline Music Festival returns to support musicians in need

by KYRA BRUCE “IT’S BEEN SAID MUSICIANS DON’T HAVE insurance—they host benefits.” That’s how the Red Dirt Relief Fund (RDRF) frames their mission to help vulnerable musicians in times of need. Since 2012, the 501(c)3 non-profit has offered financial relief to help Oklahomans in the music-making business through emergency situations ranging from chronic illness to natural disasters.

Local musician Paul Benjaman is one of the many artists thankful for the RDRF. “They are a support system intact for those who have spent night after night providing the music that facilitates a life worth living in our state,” he said.

Tom Skinner’s Skyline Music Festival, one of the biggest RDRF fundraisers of the year, returns to Tulsa on Aug. 18. For one night, more than 40 artists will take over Tulsa’s SoBo district for a celebration that’s a regular who’s-who in Oklahoma roots music.

“There’s some honky tonk, soul, blues, a little funk mixed in there. If you want a taste of what Oklahoma music really has to offer. It’s a great chance to do that because it is such a varied line up,” RDRF executive director Katie Dale said.

The lineup may be varied, but the festival centers around the late Tom Skinner, who passed away in 2015, and his contribution to the Tulsa sound. “[He] was such a fixture in Tulsa and really inspired, mentored and influenced so many songwriters,” Dale said. “And this was his home … it just made sense that we should honor him because he’s such an influence.”

Performing in Skinner’s honor is meaningful to musicians like Benjaman, who will be closing out the night with Randy Crouch 40 // MUSIC

& the Flying Horse Band at The Shrine.

“Tom Skinner blazed his own trail,” he said.

“He created the Science Project at a time when there wasn’t a strong songwriter scene in Tulsa. Through his kindness and songwriting style that examined the hard truths of life, he fostered a scene that continues on to this day.”

Skinner even inspired the fest’s VIP brunch, hosted at Burn Co. BBQ, which draws from the gospel set he performed Sundays at the Stone River Music Festival in Chandler. Now in its second year, the brunch helps offset the cost of the general festival—and with John Fullbright on board to perform this time around, tickets are going fast.

“We want everyone to be able to experience the joy of this kind of family reunion and celebration of Tom,” Dale said. But even if you’re not steeped in Tulsa music history, Dale urges you to come out to the festival and see what it’s all about.

“I promise you’ll be surprised,” she said. “I promise you’ll fall in love with a new sound or a new musician, you’ll have new music that you wanna go home and listen to, and you’ll probably make a few friends along the way.” a

TOM SKINNER’S SKYLINE MUSIC FESTIVAL Sunday, Aug. 18, 12:30-10:15 p.m.

Burn Co. BBQ, 1738 S. Boston Ave. Venue Shrine, 112 E. 18th St. Mercury Lounge, 1747 S. Boston Ave. $12 advance / $20 day of show / $50 VIP

Yung Trunkz performs at Barkingham Palace on Feb. 16. | ALEXXUS BROWNING

RUFF STUFF Barkingham Palace turns to the community for a helping hand

by KYRA BRUCE KEEPING THE LIGHTS ON AT A DIY VENUE is no easy task, even in the best circumstances. But after this summer’s historic flooding damaged the basement at Barkingham Palace, operator Yjessika Rondi— whose employer recently shuttered its doors—learned just how tough it can be.

She checks off the list of equipment needs: mics, cables, and a power pusher to start. “I’m not in a spot where I can get these things right now,” she said. “But I don’t want to stop having these shows for the time being because Barkingham is a really important space for a lot of younger kids.”

Barkingham has hosted free, all-ages shows—featuring everything from folk to punk to hip-hop—since 2012. But the venue can only function for so long without bringing in revenue, especially after the setbacks of recent months, so Rondi and company are enlisting the help of the community through a benefit show on Aug. 17.

Britton Morgan knows firsthand how much Barkingham means to the community, and vice versa. He previously lived in the house venue and ran sound at shows.

His band Shoog Night is playing the benefit alongside Tell Lies, Acid Queen and more to be announced.

“Yjessika pretty much pays for everything out of pocket ... for everything that goes into keeping up the venue like sound and repairs and stuff like that,” he said.

“It’s pretty difficult to pay for all of that.

Every once in a while you need the community to help out a bit.”

That community spirit is whole reason Rondi moved to Tulsa in the first place. She wanted to recreate the same sense of community she felt in her hometown of Battle Creek, Michigan.

“We had a couple all ages venues in my town,” she remembers. “I’m realizing how important it was for me as a kid and teenager to be going and seeing a bunch of live bands and being allowed to be myself.

I learned a lot about who I was and what I care about by going to these shows. I met a lot of great people that definitely had a big influence on me growing up. It just really opened my eyes at a young age to see how important community was.”

Rondi has fostered those same experiences in Tulsa, striving to bring people together around live music night after night. She hopes the same community served by Barkingham Palace will turn out on Aug. 17 with donations in hand, so the venue can continue to build community for those who may otherwise feel isolated and alone.

“We’ve all been in a spot where we feel like we don’t have a lot of friends, or like things just aren’t going well. This space provides a safe haven,” she said. “Come out, be yourself, and meet new friends.” a

BARKINGHAM BENEFIT SHOW Barkingham Palace, 412 S. Phoenix Ave. 9 p.m., donations encouraged August 7 – 20, 2019 // THE TULSA VOICE

musicnotes

The project delivers “docuconcerts” of Tulsa artists, mixing live performances and interviews to help viewers get to know the people behind local musical acts—at least enough to offer a friendly wave next time you see them on the street. These interviews often revolve around the artist but also include discussions on the Tulsa music scene at large:

What makes it so special? What problems does it have, and how we can fix them together?

People To Wave To has already featured local acts like The Lukewarm, Charlotte Bumgarner, Zunis, Ramona and the Phantoms, The End Timers, and Tom Boil. You can find those on YouTube, along with a long-form documentary about the extreme music

community in Tulsa, a few full live performances and much more to come.

We’re thrilled about this partnership, and we can’t wait to bring you brand-new interviews and performances.

Watch this space along with our website and social media channels for updates on new videos. You might just meet your new favorite artist. a

Oh, hello PEOPLE TO WAVE TO BRINGS LOCAL DOCU-CONCERTS TO TULSA VOICE READERS

by TTV STAFF

I

t’s no secret that we at The Tulsa Voice love local music—like, a lot. Whether crate-digging at Starship or front-and-center at The Vanguard, supporting music in our city is important to all of us here. With this in mind, we’re thrilled to announce a holy union between TTV and local music mini-documentary YouTube channel, People To Wave To. The video series was created by Kyra Bruce, our new digital editor, in February of 2018 as she was getting more involved in the Tulsa music scene. Inspired by the boundary-pushing music coming out of the city, she wanted to make Tulsa’s underground scene more accessible to those outside the inner circle.

THE TULSA VOICE // August 7 – 20, 2019

MUSIC // 41

musiclistings Wed // Aug 7 Cellar Dweller – Grazz Trio – 8:30 p.m.

Duet Jazz – Collective Improv Jam Night with Josh Westbrook – 9 p.m.

Josey Records – Flowers For Algebra, John Paul Ratliff – 6 p.m.

Los Cabos - Broken Arrow – Daniel Jordan – 6 p.m.

Margaritaville - 5 o’Clock Somehwere Bar – Jacob Dement – 9 p.m.

Oklahoma Jazz Hall of Fame – Eicher Wednesdays – 7 p.m.

Soul City – The Marriotts – 5 p.m.

Soul City – Wednesday Soul Service: Jared Tyler Band – 8 p.m. – ($5) Soundpony – *North by North, Oceanaut, Plastic Psalms – 10 p.m.

The Colony – Tom Skinner Science Project – 8 p.m.

Track 5. – DJ Mib – 5 p.m.

Thurs // Aug 8

Dead Armadillo Brewery – Desi & Cody Happy Hour – 7 p.m.

Los Cabos - Broken Arrow – Local Spin Trio – 6 p.m.

Los Cabos - Owasso – Barrett Lewis – 6 p.m.

Margaritaville - 5 o’Clock Somehwere Bar – DJ 2 Legit – 9 p.m.

Mass Movement – *Modern Color, Downward, My Heart and Liver are the Best of Friends, Maewyn, Treading Water – ($8) Riffs – Ayngel & John – 4 p.m.

Riffs – DJ Mib – 5 p.m.

Riffs – Zodiac – 7 p.m.

Soul City – Don White Trio – 8 p.m. – ($5) Soundpony – Bodeen – 10 p.m.

The Colony – David Hernandez Happy Hour – 6 p.m.

The Colony – Jacob Tovar’s Western Night – 9 p.m.

The Hunt Club – Neal Johnston – 9 p.m.

The Shrine – Mac Sabbath, Okilly Dokilly – 8 p.m.

– ($20) The Vanguard – *You Bred Raptors – 8 p.m. – ($10) Track 5. – DJ Demko – 5 p.m.

Utica Square – Doctors of RePlay – 7 p.m.

Fri // Aug 9

473 – The David Horne Fun Fun Fun Show – 9 p.m.

Blackbird on Pearl – Jack Waters and The Unemployed, Zac Wenzel – 9 p.m.

Duet Jazz – Brian Gorrell – 8 p.m. – ($10) Gathering Place – DJ Ramal, New Orleans Suspects TRIBAL GOLD, Rebirth brass Band – 6:30 p.m.

Los Cabos - Broken Arrow – Honey Badgers – 7 p.m.

Los Cabos - Owasso – HiFi Hillbillies – 6 p.m.

Margaritaville - 5 o’Clock Somehwere Bar – HiFidelics – 9 p.m.

Margaritaville - Landshark Pool Bar – Morgan Band – 7 p.m.

Margaritaville - Volcano Stage – Travis Kidd – 10 p.m.

Marshall Brewing Company – Rich Ferrell – 12 p.m.

Mercury Lounge – Billy Kiesel Osage Casino & Hotel – Sara Evans – 7 p.m.

Rabbit Hole Bar & Grill – That One 70s Party in Tulsa? With Acid Queen and American Shadows – 8:30 p.m.

Riffs – Ben Neikirk – 5:30 p.m.

Riffs – DJ 2 Legit – 6:30 p.m.

Riffs – After Party – 9 p.m.

Soul City – Susan Herndon’s Fighting the Forces of Evil – 5:30 p.m.

Soul City – Robert Hoefling with Desi & Cody – 9 p.m. – ($10) Soundpony – Afistaface! – 10 p.m.

Spinster Records – Ear Slips – 10 p.m. – ($5) The Hunt Club – Straight Shot – The Max Retropub – dj Kylie The Vanguard – *The Odyssey - End of Summer Bash – 8 p.m. – ($10) 42 // MUSIC

The Wine Loft – Michele Warren – 8:30 p.m.

Track 5. – DJ Demko – 6 p.m.

Track 5. – Aaron Kantor – 8 p.m.

Whittier Bar – Grand Commander – 7 p.m.

Sat // Aug 10

Bad Ass Renee’s – Lady Sin, Phetch, Carcinogen Daily – 8 p.m.

Cellar Dweller – *Grazz Trio – 8:30 p.m.

Duet Jazz – Johnny Mullenax – 8 p.m.

Los Cabos - Broken Arrow – Rockwell – 6 p.m.

Margaritaville - 5 o’Clock Somehwere Bar – Jacob Dement – 9 p.m.

Oklahoma Jazz Hall of Fame – Eicher Wednesdays – 7 p.m.

Soundpony – Colours of Monochrome, Goodfella, Christopher Murdock – 10 p.m.

The Colony – Tom Skinner Science Project – 8 p.m.

Track 5. – DJ Mib – 5 p.m.

473 – Count Tutu – 10 p.m.

473 – Table Talk – 4 p.m.

Bad Ass Renee’s – KRASHKARMA, The Salesman, Fist, AlterBlood, T.K. Porter – 8:30 p.m. – ($5) Barkingham Palace – *The Rackatees, One Finger Discount, Hummin’Bird, On Holiday – 8:30 p.m.

Duet Jazz – 3H Trio – 8 p.m.

Elwood’s – Jake Marlin with Zac Wenzel – 7 p.m.

Los Cabos - Broken Arrow – Steve Liddell Band – 7 p.m.

Los Cabos - Owasso – FM Pilots Duo – 6 p.m.

Margaritaville - Landshark Pool Bar – DJ Ecog – 2 p.m.

Margaritaville - Landshark Pool Bar – DJ Banana – 6 p.m.

Margaritaville - 5 o’Clock Somehwere Bar – Stars – 9 p.m.

Margaritaville - Volcano Stage – Morgan Band – 10 p.m.

Mercury Lounge – Greyhounds Riffs – Kalo – 5:30 p.m.

Riffs – DJ Mib – 6:30 p.m.

Riffs – Hook – 9 p.m.

Soundpony – Soft Leather – 10 p.m.

The Fur Shop – Saturday Night Lights – 9 p.m.

The Hunt Club – RPM – The Max Retropub- DJ AB The Shrine – Grind Album Release Show with: Scattered Hamlet, Dryvr, Crashing Cranes, Stellar Ascent – 7 p.m. – ($10) The Vanguard – *New Time Zones, When The Clock Strikes, All For More, Girls Club – 8 p.m. – ($10) The Wine Loft – Hi-Fidelics – 8:30 p.m.

Track 5. – DJ Demko – 6 p.m.

Sun // Aug 11

Bad Ass Renee’s – Broken Skulls, Stays In Vegas, Harakiri, Second Glance – 8 p.m.

Blue Rose Café – Polly O’Keary and the Rhythm Method – 7 p.m.

Cain’s Ballroom – Joan Osborne Sings the Songs of Bob Dylan – 7 p.m. – ($30 - $45) Los Cabos - Broken Arrow – Jacob Dement – 6 p.m.

Los Cabos - Jenks – The Fabulous Two Man Band – 6 p.m.

Margaritaville - 5 o’Clock Somehwere Bar – Jesse Weaver – 9 p.m.

Soundpony – The Creepy Jingles, All For More – 10 p.m.

The Colony – Paul Benjaman’s Sunday Nite Thing – 10 p.m.

Track 5. – Casey Edgar – 6 p.m.

Mon // Aug 12 Hodges Bend – Mike Cameron Collective – 9 p.m.

Margaritaville - 5 o’Clock Somehwere Bar – Andrew Harmon – 9 p.m.

Rabbit Hole Bar & Grill – Saints & Sinners, The Penny Mob – 9 p.m.

Soundpony – Sun Rot, Plastic Psalms – 10 p.m.

The Colony – Seth Lee Jones – 9 p.m.

Tues // Aug 13 Margaritaville - 5 o’Clock Somehwere Bar – Travis Kidd – 9 p.m.

Marshall Brewing Company – *TuesJay Night: Dennis Roper – 6 p.m.

The Colony – Deerpaw – 6 p.m.

The Colony – Chris Combs Trio – 9 p.m.

The Shrine – Faster Pussycat with Bang Tango – 8 p.m. – ($20)

Wed // Aug 14

Thurs // Aug 15 Blackbird on Pearl – Hank Wilhelm and Kevin Price – 8 p.m.

Duet Jazz – Drew Thomas Quintet – 8 p.m.

Los Cabos - Broken Arrow – Hi-Fidelics – 6 p.m.

Los Cabos - Owasso – Weston Horn – 5 p.m.

Margaritaville - 5 o’Clock Somehwere Bar – DJ 2 Legit – 9 p.m.

Riffs – Lemonade Guru – 4 p.m.

Riffs – DJ Mib – 5 p.m.

Riffs – Time Machine – 7 p.m.

Soundpony – Aaron Cohen, Jabee – 10 p.m.

The Colony – David Hernandez Happy Hour – 6 p.m.

The Colony – Jacob Tovar’s Western Night – 9 p.m.

The Hunt Club – Songswappers with Jimmy Taylor The Shrine – Afton Music Series: BBGyungguap, Blue Crush, CB, CJ, Comandante, Crooked Boy, Foevakyi, Jackaz03 and more – 6 p.m. – ($15) Track 5. – DJ Demko – 5 p.m.

Track 5. – Pumpkin Hollow Band – 7 p.m.

Utica Square – Grady Nichols – 7 p.m.

Whittier Bar – *Kira Jari, Lizard Police, Hummin’ Bird

Fri // Aug 16 Cabin Boys Brewery – Giakob Lee – 7 p.m.

Cain’s Ballroom – *Flatland Cavalry – 8 p.m. – ($18 - $33) Duet Jazz – Free Samples – 8 p.m. – ($10) Los Cabos - Broken Arrow – Stereo Type – 7 p.m.

Los Cabos - Owasso – RockFisch Duo – 6 p.m.

Margaritaville - 5 o’Clock Somehwere Bar – Jason Young – 9 p.m.

Margaritaville - Landshark Pool Bar – Chris Hyde – 7 p.m.

Margaritaville - Volcano Stage – Ayngel & John – 10 p.m.

Marshall Brewing Company – Paul Gehring – 12 p.m.

Mercury Lounge – Johnny Chops – Paradise Cove – Nickelback – 8 p.m. – ($100) Riffs – Caleb Fellenstein – 5:30 p.m.

Riffs – DJ 2 Legit – 6:30 p.m.

Riffs – Rapture – 9 p.m.

Soul City – Susan Herndon’s Fighting the Forces of Evil – 5:30 p.m.

Soul City – Jason Scott with Robert Hoefling – 9 p.m. – ($10) Soundpony – DJ Burak – 10 p.m.

Spinster Records – *Birds Beak – 10 p.m. – ($5) The Colony – Jacob Tovar & Big Cedar Fever – 10 p.m. – ($5) The Hunt Club – The Brothers Moore The Max Retropub- Boo ya ft DJ Moody The Shrine – Arkansauce – 8 p.m. – ($15) Track 5. – Tyler Hammond – 8 p.m.

Sat // Aug 17 Bad Ass Renee’s – Jack Ketch & The Bilge Rat Bastards, PittersplatteR, Stellar Ascent, Timbo Kelly – 9 p.m.

Barkingham Palace – *Barkingham Benefit Show: Shoog Night, Tell Lies, Acid Queen – 9 p.m.

BOK Center – Back to School Bash with Why Don’t We, Ally Brooke, Bryce Vine, Jake Miller – 6 p.m.

– ($10) Cabin Boys Brewery – Final Days of Summer with Mrs. Holliday and the So-N-So’s – 2 p.m.

Delta/Echo Club on Richard L Jones Airport – *Weston Horn & the Hush Album Release Show – 6:30 p.m. – ($25) Juicemaker Lounge – Branjae – 9 p.m.

Lefty’s on Greenwood – Damion Shade Trio – 10 p.m.

Los Cabos - Broken Arrow – Str8ght Shot – 7 p.m.

Margaritaville - 5 o’Clock Somehwere Bar – Usual Suspects – 9 p.m.

Margaritaville - Landshark Pool Bar – DJ Good Ground – 2 p.m.

Margaritaville - Landshark Pool Bar – DJ Banana – 6 p.m.

Margaritaville - Volcano Stage – Chris Hyde – 10 p.m.

Marshall Brewing Company – Warren Stewart – 12 p.m.

Mercury Lounge – Poolboy, Hummin Bird, Spinster Osage Casino & Hotel – Spin Doctors – 7 p.m. – ($5 - $150) Paradise Cove – Vince Gill – 8 p.m. – ($75) Riffs – Jedi – 5:30 p.m.

Riffs – DJ Mib – 6:30 p.m.

Riffs – Rapture – 9 p.m.

Soundpony – Pony Disco Club – 10 p.m.

The Colony – Desi & Cody – 10 p.m. – ($5) The Fur Shop – Saturday Night Lights – 9 p.m.

The Hunt Club – Hosty The Max Retropub – DJ AB The Shrine – Bo Phillips Band – 9 p.m. – ($10) The Wine Loft – Lost Dog – 8:30 p.m.

Track 5. – DJ Demko – 6 p.m.

Track 5. – Travis Gibson – 8 p.m.

Sun // Aug 18 18th & Boston – *Tom Skinner Skyline Music Festival – 12:30 p.m.

Cain’s Ballroom – Senior Star Round-Up with Cowboy Jones, The Round Up Boys – 2 p.m. – ($10) Juicemaker Lounge – *Branjae – 1 a.m.

Los Cabos - Broken Arrow – Weston Horn – 6 p.m.

Los Cabos - Jenks – The Fabulous Two Man Band – 6 p.m.

Margaritaville - 5 o’Clock Somehwere Bar – Jesse Weaver – 9 p.m.

The Colony – Paul Benjaman’s Sunday Nite Thing – 10 p.m.

Track 5. – Laredo – 6 p.m.

Mon // Aug 19 Hodges Bend – Mike Cameron Collective – 9 p.m.

Margaritaville - 5 o’Clock Somehwere Bar – Andrew Harmon – 9 p.m.

The Colony – Seth Lee Jones – 9 p.m.

Tues // Aug 20 Margaritaville - 5 o’Clock Somehwere Bar – Travis Kidd – 9 p.m.

Marshall Brewing Company – TuesJay Night: Lost Dog – 6 p.m.

Rabbit Hole Bar & Grill – *Deceased, Savage Master, Blind Oath, Herserker – 7 p.m.

The Colony – Deerpaw – 6 p.m.

The Colony – Chris Combs Trio – 9 p.m.

The Vanguard – Big Business – 8 p.m. – ($12) Whittier Bar – Tuesday Bluesday – 7 p.m.

August 7 – 20, 2019 // THE TULSA VOICE

THE TULSA VOICE // August 7 – 20, 2019

MUSIC // 43

popradar

Direct address

Fleabag takes on the ‘tragic woman’ trope

by ALEXANDRA ROBINSON

“I

also sometimes wonder if I’m a tragic figure,” my friend said the other night over drinks. It was less of a dramatic or vulnerable admission and more a response to the laundry list of concerns I’d laid out for her examination: Why do I feel like I’m failing in my career? Why don’t my relationships ever seem to last? Why do I have a constant sinking feeling that I’m a rotten piece of shit?

It was a simple but disarmingly profound observation. As late20-something single women with generous amounts of privilege, many of my friends and I spend time in an odd paradigm. In one moment, we’re trying to be the type of people who are smart and conscientious—“good friends” and “good feminists,” “women without our heads stuck in our asses.” In the next we’re sipping some $15 cocktail on a patio parsing our place in the world, discussing whether or not getting waxed is indeed succumbing to the patriarchy—because though it’s 2019, our culture still isn’t quite sure what to do with a single woman in her late 20s or 30s, and sometimes we aren’t sure what to do with ourselves.

Fleabag, the cuttingly hilarious and dark British series created by and starring Phoebe WallerBridge, begs the same question my friend posed the other night—“Am I a tragic figure?”

The first season details the sexual misadventures and hilariously dark familial moments of a British woman in her 30s (unnamed but hereafter known as the titular Fleabag) dealing with some seriously repressed grief and trauma,

44 // FILM & TV

Phoebe Waller-Bridge in Fleabag | STEVE SCHOFIELD / AMAZON STUDIOS

consistently pausing to break the fourth wall and include us, the audience, in the delightful horror of it all.

Fleabag season two, recently released to American audiences via Amazon Prime, begins over a year after season one in the aftermath of our heroine’s attempts to better herself, grow business at the guinea-pig-themed café she runs in London, and navigate her broken relationships to the best of her abilities. Waller-Bridge spends more time this season writing comedy gold for her incredible ensemble, a genius she flaunts from the get-go in the opening episode of the new season, or as

I call it, The Best Episode of Television I’ve Ever Seen.

Waller-Bridge’s genius is supported by a flawless cast: Fleabag’s tightly-wound and repressed sister Claire (Sian Clifford), her sister’s slimy husband Martin (Brett Gelman), her condescending and snide soon-to-be stepmother (Olivia Colman), and the unnamed “Hot Priest” she falls in love with (Andrew Scott).

I’ll admit that I’ve spent a lot of time processing my experiences and worldview in front of the TV. I found myself looking my own caricature in the face during season two of Fleabag, when our protagonist attends

a spiritual meeting with aforementioned “Hot Priest” and blurts out “I sometimes wonder if I’d be such a feminist if I had bigger tits.” Fleabag is a show that uses this humor to make you weak in the knees, and once you’ve lowered your defenses, it knocks you out with hard-truthone-two-punch lines: “I have a horrible feeling that I’m a greedy, perverted, selfish, apathetic, cynical, depraved, morally bankrupt woman who can’t even call herself a feminist,” she confesses to her father (Bill Paterson).

The emotional waters might run deep, but Fleabag is absolutely hilarious. The second season builds upon the first’s unique style of examining the human psyche through Fleabag’s direct address to the audience. Waller-Bridge employs the device by giving us a particular role: We, the viewers, are Fleabag’s vehicle of dissociation with her own life in its most humorous, overwhelming and devastating moments. We are the out she needs when she can’t cope.

Phoebe Waller-Bridge— dubbed “the British Lena Dunham” by Julia Raeside at The Guardian—has confessed that she worries about “doing this right.”

In many ways, she does. But like Dunham’s Girls, the conversation framed by Fleabag is largely white and heteronormative. Despite that narrowness, what Fleabag does so well is honor the dark, complex, tragic and hilarious reality of being human: Yes, maybe I am a rotten piece of shit; maybe I am a woman with her head stuck up her proverbial ass; maybe it does hurt and maybe it is funny. a August 7 – 20, 2019 // THE TULSA VOICE

YOU’RE INVITED

onscreen

Lemon-Aid’s 25th Anniversary Celebration!

GOLDEN AGE Brad Pitt and Leonardo DiCaprio in Once Upon A Time … in Hollywood | COURTESY

Quentin Tarantino’s latest is his most sincere, heartfelt offering in decades “MANY PEOPLE I KNOW IN LOS ANGELES believed the ‘60s ended abruptly on Aug. 9, 1969.” Joan Didion wrote these words following the infamous slaying of Hollywood actress Sharon Tate who, in the twilight of the swinging ‘60s, was brutally murdered with three others by members of the Charles Manson family. It was a gruesome killing that seemed by all accounts to signal the end of the countercultural ideal of the ‘60s and gave way to a darker, more unpredictable time.

Once Upon A Time … in Hollywood, written and directed by Quentin Tarantino, is a slice-of-L.A.-life, served up Altman-style, following Rick Dalton (Leonardo DiCaprio), a former leading man of the fictional TV western Bounty Law, who finds himself on the waning end of his career. Rick’s stunt-man and chauffeur Cliff Booth (Brad Pitt) takes life as it comes and is more at peace with his own downward trajectory in Hollywood.

The two-plus hour film may catch die-hard fans of Tarantino’s more pulpy, visceral stylings off-guard. You won’t find the vulgar shock of The Hateful Eight or the pop-comedy violence of Kill Bill. Rather, you’ll be treated to Tarantino’s romantic love letter to the heyday of Hollywood, just before the golden age of cheap Westerns and studio musicals became casualties of a rapidly-changing culture.

In Once Upon a Time, Tarantino yearns for a time when leading men still had swagger and gravitas, not to mention heaping piles of crippling self-doubt and loathing—when young ingenues, stars in their eyes, stole the scenes from booze-soaked THE TULSA VOICE // August 7 – 20, 2019

celebrities like Dean Martin and the movie industry still resembled the industrial fantasy complex that filled so many with hopes and dreams of fame and stardom.

Tarantino has always gotten accolades for his keen eye for casting. But with Once Upon a Time, he’s dealing with a bona-fide A-List cast. Leonardo DiCaprio, probably at the peak of his talent, delivers one of his most nuanced and vulnerable performances since Catch Me If You Can. Pitt plays Booth with a little Aldo Raines and a heaping spoonful of True Romance’s Floyd, Pitt’s first-ever go at an iconic Tarantino character. And in her role as Sharon Tate, Margot Robbie gives us a glimpse of a Tate, so earnest and modest, that we were perhaps robbed of ever getting to witness after that sweltering, fateful night in August.

With what will be, by his own admission, his penultimate film before retiring, obsolescence seems front and center of Tarantino’s mind. A student of Hollywood, both fringe and mainstream, Tarantino weaves a nostalgic tale that, unlike his previous films, seems far less concerned with wrapping his cinephiliac pop obsession in the guise of one of his deep-cut genre retreads. Instead it’s the magical, kaleidoscopic backdrop of a mythological Hollywood of the ‘60s itself that Tarantino treats as his playground to explore the notion of relevance, self-worth and fate—a character study of a time and place on the verge of upheaval, and the people who propel themselves blindly towards an unknown future, oblivious to their fates. — CHARLES ELMORE

Lemonade, Music, Games, Arts & Crafts and More Benefitting the Tulsa Day Center for the Homeless Who: Everyone and anyone!

What: It’s been 25 years and the world has certainly changed, but the goodness and simplicity of a lemonade has not. For Labor Day Weekend 2019, we want to celebrate Lemon-Aid’s 25th anniversary with a revival of — and unique twist — on the original city-wide event.

When: Labor Day (Monday, September 2) from 11am - 4pm Where: Guthrie Green (111 E. M.B. Brady St.) Why: 25 years ago, Tulsa kids showed the city how to give back through a simple childhood tradition: a lemonade stand. And now Tulsa is going to teach the world how to give back through this same good ol’ fashioned tradition in a new fashioned way. All money raised will benefit the Tulsa Day Center for the Homeless.

How: More details can be found at thelemonaidproject.org or email us at lemonaidproject25@gmail.com.

B O N U S

There will be Lemon-Aid stands and volunteers located throughout Tulsa and the surrounding areas selling lemonade for the Day Center over Labor Day Weekend.

Look for the yellow t-shirts and posters! If you want to join the fun and volunteer for a stand yourself, visitthelemonaidproject.org/ volunteer.

FILM & TV // 45

THE FUZZ THE TULSA VOICE SPOTLIGHTS: TULSA SPCA

2910 Mohawk Blvd. | MON, TUES, THURS, FRI & SAT, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. 918.428.7722

SCHOONER has spent much of his life in foster homes where he became acclimated to many different people. He is adventurous, loving and playful! He is the only one of his litter with a full tail. Schooner is about 3 months old.

ACROSS 1 Start of a multisection test 6 Fire ___ (bright gem) 10 Strong fragrances 15 Proud leaders, astrologically 19 Consumed 20 Like the White Rabbit 21 Prank 22 Ohm, for one 23 Annoying person 24 Downer 25 Alligator or snake?

(Hint: Read letters 4-8 last!)

27 Less rapid rapids? (letters 4-7) 29 Angelina of “Maleficent” 30 Train travel 31 Decade divisions (Abbr.)

32 Before, to a poet 33 Knows about 35 Large wasp 37 Twitch 39 Leave out 40 It has a charge 41 Water, in Paris 42 Bad place to camp when it’s raining? (letters 4-7) 46 One saving you from checkmate? (letters 3-7) 49 Fraction of a gig 50 23andMe sample 51 Aliens, briefly 52 Actress Bo 53 Flower bit on a wedding aisle 54 Fixed, as a stallion 57 Ignoramus 59 Air freshener target 60 Fizzy drink 61 Top clock numeral 63 British isle 64 Cape between Ann and May 67 Terrible, as weather

MINKA is a very friendly and affectionate 8 month old rescued from the flooding in Bartesville. She is the first to greet you in our Cat Colony Room and demands attention! She would make a great fit for almost any home.

68 Device for catching the newspaper? (letters 5-8) 71 “Stay in your ___!”

72 Talk conference 73 Shipwreck plea 74 Dawn of Greek civilization?

75 Lamas’ continent 76 Willy in “Free Willy,” e.g.

77 In the bag, with “up” 79 And others, to Octavia 81 Take a pledge 82 More like Antarctica 85 Tool with a curved head (var.)

87 Prepared a menorah 88 Remote battery 89 Piece of Simba’s mane, to Nala? (letters 4-8) 92 Black sheep, at times? (letters 5-8) 94 Brown delivery-truck letters 95 Comic Schumer 96 Gyro pocket 98 Tom of “The Seven Year Itch” 99 Fits’ companions 101 A cannonball makes a big one 103 Guitar, in slang 104 Under-cover clothes, for short?

107 Dr. Orchid’s board game, as of 2016 108 Carols 109 Pixar film about emotions, or an alternate title for this puzzle 112 Casserole in the fridge, say? (letters 5-8) 114 Former leader of Iran

115 Undeveloped seed 116 Cover with tar 117 Jeans cloth 118 Bear with hot porridge 119 Belong 120 Tech-support caller 121 Word after “bar” or “crime” 122 Slightly 123 Attack viciously DOWN 1 Gullible person 2 Battling 3 Coral fish habitats 4 Surf go-with 5 Gala outside?

6 Where many saloons operated 7 Scale (down) 8 Video game pioneer 9 Chair support 10 Of a fraternal order 11 Get ready to shower 12 White shirt woe 13 “Go fly a ___!”

14 Swarthmore, e.g.

(Abbr.)

15 Type of probe 16 One can be civil 17 Teapot Dome scandal subject 18 Pig’s digs 26 Attached, as a patch 28 Sumatran ape, informally 29 Funny Jefferies 34 “Alas!”

35 Big pig 36 Narwhal protrusion 37 Beatified mother 38 First Ford 40 Up state?

42 Emerge suddenly 43 Antsy 44 Like classic jokes 45 Remove cargo from

The Tulsa SPCA has been helping animals in our area since 1913. The shelter never euthanizes for space and happily rescues animals from high-kill shelters.

They also accept owner surrenders, rescues from cruelty investigations, hoarding, and puppy mill situations. Animals live on-site or with foster parents until they’re adopted. All SPCA animals are micro-chipped, vaccinated, spayed/neutered, and treated with preventatives. Learn about volunteering, fostering, upcoming events, adoptions, and their low-cost vaccination clinic at tulsaspca.org.

SMITTY KITTY is an older girl that knows exactly what she wants—a comfy indoor home where she can be the center of attention! A very laid back, affectionate, and easy cat, 8-year-old Smitty would fit well into almost any home without dogs.

47 20 dispenser 48 Dancer Goodman 54 Doesn’t play one’s hardest 55 Live and breathe 56 Dah’s counterpart 58 Indian music genre 60 Cawing bird 62 Francia neighbor 64 Life line?

65 Ready and waiting 66 Major way to pay 69 A Pep Boy 70 “Am I the one?”

71 Lite 73 Like bread knives 77 “Go!” lead-in 78 One offering toothpaste samples (Abbr.)

80 Sporty Spiders 81 Left port 82 Former radio host Don 83 Online tests of humanity 84 “Eek!” follower 86 Early airmail craft 88 ’90s soccer star Lalas 90 Letters from mom?

91 Verbal facepalm 93 “They tricked me!”

97 Figs. with office hours 100 Measuring stick 101 Herr’s heirs?

102 Drum kit part 104 In a mood 105 Roberts of “Pretty Woman” 106 Artery insertion 108 Very short time, for short 110 West Coast wine mecca 111 Twin type 112 PC core 113 Teens may carry fake ones 114 Resort with robes

ROSEMARY is a sweet and gentle kitty who hasn’t always been treated very well. Since being rescued, she has healed beautifully and has maintained her love of people. Rosemary is about 2 years old would love a home of her very home that will always keep her safe!

UNIVERSAL SUNDAY CROSSWORD HEART IN THE RIGHT PLACE

By Stu Ockman, edited by David Steinberg

© 2019 Andrews McMeel Syndication 46 // ETC.

ANISE and all of her siblings are all named after spices. Granted they should have been named after sugars for as sweet as they are. Anise is one of the most lively and playful kittens in our kitten room. Anise is about 3 months old.

8/4 August 7 – 20, 2019 // THE TULSA VOICE

The Tulsa Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals is proud to announce its involvement in the national Clear the Shelters event on Saturday, August 17, 2019, from 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. The Tulsa SPCA will adopt dogs and cats on a “name your price” system in the hopes of emptying the shelter of adoptable animals.

“Our entire organization looks forward to Clear the Shelters every year. The opportunity to see kennel after kennel empty is an amazing gift,” said Tulsa SPCA Executive Director Mindy Tiner. “Knowing this is a national movement and thousands of animals across the country will find their forever homes is even more inspiring.”

NBC-and Telemundo-owned stations are teaming up with hundreds of shelters across the country to host Clear the Shelters, a nationwide pet adoption drive on Saturday, August 17 to help find loving homes for animals in need. More than 250,000 pets found their forever homes on Clear the Shelter days since 2015.

“Every year we have people who worry about low-cost adoptions, but we want to assure them the research shows adoption fees don’t predict better homes,” Tiner said. “We want everyone to know we still follow our normal application process.”

Although adoption fees are waived for Clear the Shelters, the Tulsa SPCA spends on average $1,000 per animal to get them ready for new homes.

“We appreciate when adopters choose to make a donation to help cover those costs,” Tiner said.

Currently, 23 animal organizations in Northeastern Oklahoma are joining the Tulsa SPCA in Clear the Shelters.

...love is of God 8/4 Bible Lesson: Love 8/11 Bible Lesson: Spirit

FIRST CHURCH OF CHRIST, SCIENTIST Tulsa’s independent and non-profit art-house theatre, showing independent, foreign, and documentary films.

924 S. Boulder Church & Sunday School • 10:30am Wednesday Meeting • 6:00pm Reading Room • One hour after services

IN SUPPORT OF “CLEAR THE SHELTERS,” THIS MESSAGE SPONSORED BY:

“Every dog deserves a home, and every home deserves a dog.”

1778 UTICA SQUARE | 918-624-2600

WE’RE GIVING AWA Y

FREE STUFF!

JOIN THE FIGHT FOR ALZHEIMER’S FIRST SURVIVOR.

A U G U S T G I V E A W AY :

UP WITH PEOPLE CONCERT & DINING PACKAGE Package includes Family Four pack for the UP WITH PEOPLE CONCERT on September 7, plus a $100 gift certificate for The Spudder Restaurant!

R E G IS T E R B Y A U G . 25 A T

THE TULSA VOICE // August 7 – 20, 2019

the tu ls avo ic e .c

At the Alzheimer’s Association Walk to End Alzheimer’s®, people carry flowers representing their connection to Alzheimer’s — a disease that currently has no cure. But what if one day there was a white flower for Alzheimer’s first survivor? What if there were millions of them? Help make that beautiful day happen by joining us for the world’s largest fundraiser to fight the disease.

Register today at tulsawalk.org.

om

Walk to End Alzheimer’s - Tulsa Veterans Park September 21 Party starts: 7:30 am Ceremony/Walk starts: 9 am ETC. // 47

TERRY FATOR

SATURDAY

08.17

THURSDAY

8PM

BRIAN SETZER’S

08.22 ROCKABILLY RIOT 8PM

THURSDAY

09.19

BUDDY GUY

8PM

TURN IT ON, TURN IT UP SCAN TO PURCHASE TICKETS

Schedule subject to change.

CNENT_67786_HR_Aug_TulsaVoice_9x12-25_1927961.indd 1

Pleas e re cycle this issue.

8/1/19 8:24 AM