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INSIDE

An Original Music Docuseries

COVER P. 4 With the inauguation of Kevin Stitt as Oklahoma’s 28th governor, Oklahoma Gazette looks at specific issues and problems facing the state that should be on Stitt’s radar.

By Miguel Rios Cover illustration by Ingvard Ashby

NEWS

STARTS STREAMING JAN 25

PLAYITLOUDSHOW.COM

4 COVER what the new governor

should do

6 CITY Film Row’s breweries

8 STATE OETA vs. OETA Foundation 9 COMMENTARY student racism 10 CHICKEN-FRIED NEWS

THE HIGH CULTURE

FEB 9 7PM

13 GREEN GLOSSARY

14 MARIJUANA The Toke Board

14 MARIJUANA HempStaff training

ST AR TI N G AT

12 MARIJUANA Elijah Mothershed Bey

$55

EAT & DRINK 17 REVIEW Alley Café 18 FEATURE Chalk

A CONCERT BENEFITING

20 FEATURE local breweries and the

government shutdown

22 GAZEDIBLES snacks

ARTS & CULTURE

FEATURING

25 ART Mildred Howard at Fred Jones

Jr. Museum of Art

26 THEATER Todd Mosby at Oklahoma

City Community College

27 THEATER OKC Phil’s Independent

Creativity at Civic Center Music Hall

29 THEATER The Wolves at Oklahoma

City University

$10

GRAND EVENT CENTER

FEB

23

7PM

KALO TRAVIS LINVILLE MIKE HOSTY THE ALLIE LAUREN PROJECT

30 THEATER Barefoot in the Park at

Jewel Box Theatre

MARCH 1

31 COMMUNITY The Treasury

coworking space

32 SHOPPING Robinson’s Repurposed 33 CALENDAR

MUSIC 35 EVENT Applied Music Program,

Carly Gwin and The Sin and Lacey Elaine at 51st Street Speakeasy

36 FEATURE Connor Hicks’ Legacy 37 LIVE MUSIC

COMING SOON

CHRIS JANSON APRIL 20

PURPLE REIGN JUNE 14

TRACE ADKINS

FUN 38 PUZZLES sudoku | crossword 39 ASTROLOGY OKG CLASSIFIEDS 39 CORRECTION

In the Jan. 16 issue of Oklahoma Gazette (Arts & Culture, “Peaceful World,” Joshua Blanco), Richard Zielinski was incorrectly identified as Robert Zielinski. We apologize for the error.

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COV E R

NEWS

Oklahoma turnaround

Kevin Stitt has five pillars to make Oklahoma a top 10 state, but Oklahomans have their own ideas of what he should do. By Miguel Rios

Oklahoma’s 28th governor took the oath of office last week, right before giving an inaugural address that echoed many of his campaign promises. But beyond getting a fresh face, Oklahomans want Gov. Kevin Stitt to look at issues that might be outside his agenda.

Mary Fallin was Oklahoma’s governor for the past eight years. Much of the last decade involved Oklahoma struggling with budget crises that date back to the Great Recession, said David Blatt, executive director of Oklahoma Policy Institute.

“We saw a brief recovery but never saw funding levels recover to pre-downturn levels. Then we got hit with another round of severe budget cuts and shortfalls in 2016-2017,” he said. “Across state government, we have seen deep and repeated cuts which have really affected the ability of most agencies to meet their obligations and serve the people.”

Stitt is fortunate to be taking office at a time when the budget situation has improved due to a strong economy and bold decisions made by legislators last session, Blatt said.

“Really for the first time in almost a decade, the governor will not have to figure out how to scrape or pull together enough pennies from under the seat cushion just to pay the bills,” he said. “So we really have an opportunity now to do some positive things and tackle some problems that have been long unaddressed.”

Last year, during her final months in office, former Gov. Fallin topped the list of 10 least-popular governors in America with a 75 percent disapproval rating, according to a Morning Consult poll.

In some ways, Stitt still has a Mary Fallin agenda, said Richard R. Johnson, chair of political science at Oklahoma City University, but he is able to repack-

age it and talk about it in a more thematic way, especially as Stitt aims to make Oklahoma a “top 10 state.”

“Having somebody who is somewhat aspirational makes us feel better,” he said. “Mary Fallin was just never a real rah-rah person. She talked about aspirations, but she didn’t necessarily have the ability to get people to buy in, where Stitt seems to have a little charisma.”

Leave no family behind

In a broader sense, Blatt said the state’s budget cuts disproportionately affected those low-income families who might lack access to good-paying jobs, adequate health care, childcare and transportation.

“We’ve seen a significant share of the population that has been left behind that is really struggling to make ends meet and get by week to week, month to month,” Blatt said. “We haven’t really seen a concerted effort to address the barriers that many families face.”

Even in periods of economic prosperity, Blatt said certain groups of people continued to be overlooked. He said a focus on Oklahomans who have not benefited from periods of economic growth might be the most important thing for the governor.

“I think it’s been a long time since the governor has looked at the working poor in particular and come up with real solutions to come up with betterpaying jobs, improving skills and training, better access to child care,” he said.

“Those problems don’t just solve themselves during periods when the economy is going well. We would certainly encourage Gov. Stitt to put a focus on lowincome families and the working poor.

Ask the question, ‘What are the barriers and what is the strategy to tackle and solve them?’”

Another portion of the population Gov. Stitt should focus on is rural Oklahomans, Johnson said.

“With Stitt, one of the things that interests me from an electoral point of view is that he split the vote in Tulsa and Oklahoma City, but it’s the rural areas that really put him in place,” he said. “We have rural hospitals that are closing and Gov. Stitt has not talked about that specifically.”

Johnson pointed to Pauls Valley Regional Medical Center as an example.

David Blatt is executive director of Oklahoma Policy Institute, a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization that advocates for fair and responsible public policies. | Photo provided

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The hospital was Garvin County’s only hospital, and it closed Oct. 12.

“Now anybody who’s in that area who needs emergency services is more than 30 minutes away,” Johnson said. “I had a girl — I was talking about it in [a state and local government class] — who’s from Idabel, and she said they have to go upwards of an hour just to get something as simple as a bone set, and that’s scary. Drew Edmondson did talk about rural hospitals; Gov. Stitt didn’t — and, again, he sort of owes his election to the rural areas.”

One other rural Oklahoma hospital closed in 2018, bringing the total closures to four since 2010, according to Becker’s Hospital Review.

Educate

Andy Moore is executive director of Let’s Fix This, a nonprofit grassroots organization that aims to educate regular Oklahomans on the state’s laws and policies. Let’s Fix This is composed of people who want to better understand government and engage with state politicians to encourage solutions that benefit all Oklahomans.

In his role, Moore interacts with people who have varying knowledge on politics that want to better understand and engage with the government to advocate for those they care about. He said education, health care and criminal justice reform are some of the issues people raise often.

“I think this year, much like last year, education will continue to dominate the conversation,” he said. “Our state made huge leaps and gains last year on education funding and realizing that it needs to be a priority. I really applaud all the teachers and parents who got out there and did things that were hard or scary to try to shine that light. I think we’ll see some of that continue this year.”

In 2018, teachers walked out of their classrooms and gathered at the Capitol for about 11 days to advocate for better education funding. The walkout ended April 12 after teachers and support staff won $6,000 and $1,250 raises, respectively.

Though the state has made progress on issues surrounding education, particularly with pay, Blatt said there is still work to be done when it comes to class sizes and staff.

“The pay raise that the Legislature approved last session was a critical first step, but school districts are still receiving over $150 million less in state aid funding than they were nearly a decade ago while serving more than 50,000 more students compared to a decade ago,” Blatt said. “The first priority for education should be to increase money to districts so they can hire more teachers, more counselors, more librarians to reduce class sizes and to reduce some of the burden on teachers so we can recruit and retrain quality teachers.”

Though education will continue to be a crucial issue for Oklahomans, the discussion will likely evolve from what it has been in the past. Education is the state’s

Andy Moore is executive director of Let’s Fix This, a nonprofit organization dedicated to educating Oklahomans about government and helping them engage with local politicians. | Photo Alexa Ace

No. 1 function, Johnson said, and he would like to see a more concrete plan to addressing higher education in particular.

“One of the things I don’t think Gov. Stitt has really focused enough on is higher education,” Johnson said. “I mean, [University of Oklahoma] is kind of a mess right now, and if we want to do the top 10 aspirational sorts of things, one of the things I see lacking in his discussion is higher education. He tends to lump higher education in with, ‘We’re gonna do better with K-12’ and education in general when higher education could be part of what he wants to do in terms of business. One of the most consistent problems we have in terms of drawing business is that we don’t have enough college graduates, and that’s something I’d like to see him address more concretely.”

Protect & reform

Besides education, Blatt said the biggest issue for a lot of families is health care.

In 2017, Oklahoma had the secondhighest uninsured rate in the country, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

“We have missed the opportunity over the past several years to expand coverage to working-age adults like has happened now in three dozen states,” Blatt said. “Oklahoma has high rates of untreated mental illness and addiction, so we really need to expand access to health coverage.”

Stitt has raised the issue of health care like a “traditional business Republican,” meaning that he’s skeptical of the highrate increase in Medicaid outlays, Johnson said.

“One of the toughest issues for any governor is the Department of Human Services (DHS),” he said. “I mean, he talks about consolidating government, but perhaps DHS should actually be separated so we could actually look at its functions more specifically. It covers

so much area that I think it’s kind of like a forest-and-trees issue in terms of sort of deciding what has priority.”

Much of the population is only starting to see how big of an issue mental health is, especially in conjunction with high suicide rates nationally, Johnson said. He also said Stitt has not been specific when it comes to discussing justice reform.

“How is he going to link justice reform to changes in the Department of Corrections?” he asked. “Because that’s one of the areas, along with DHS, that’s probably most in need of an acute reorganization, not only for making sure you get the most bang for your buck, but also in terms of lines of authority.”

In 2016, voters passed State Questions 780 and 781, which worked together to reclassify certain property offenses and minor drug possessions as misdemeanors while funding rehabilitative programs like mental health and substance abuse treatment.

“With the passage of 780 and 781, I think we’ve made some great strides that that are very pro-Oklahoma in lots of ways and help better align our criminal justice system with the values of our state,” he said. “I think we’ll continue to see the evolution of that in the changes of penalties for certain nonviolent crimes, penalties for simple drug possession, especially around marijuana.”

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Govern effectively

Stitt based much of his campaign on the fact that he was a political outsider with more experience as a businessman leading his own mortgage company.

“It’s going to be a steep learning curve for the governor and his team to understand state agencies,” Blatt said.

“I don’t think that you can just come into state government and use lessons or practices from the private sector and just assume they will just work in government where you’re not driven by profit motive. … But if the governor is able to identify areas where there are opportunities for innovation — for different kinds of thinking — there’s certainly ways to make government perform better, certainly in Oklahoma.”

One of the issues Stitt has discussed in the past is accountability from state agencies. He has said he will ask the Legislature for more power over agency boards and commissions, including the ability to hire and fire leaders.

“What he’s called for is something every governor in the last 30 years has called for, which is more power to the governor to make appointments, more straight-line authority,” Johnson said.

“I can’t argue with that. I mean, Oklahoma governors are among the 20 percent of the weakest governors in terms of power. … If he doesn’t have the ability to hire and fire or some control

over the budget, he’s not going to be able to get the kind of influence he wants.”

There are people on both sides of the political aisle who hope Stitt will take a look at the business of the state and identify things that are working and things that are not, Moore said.

“Gov. Stitt has made a point to talk about improving the efficiency of government, and so I hope that means that we’re looking at the process of how the government works, looking for economies of scale, trying to leverage technology in ways we haven’t in the past,” Moore said. “I think the public kind of expects that, in the end, we will be able to do more with the money we have, and hopefully the economy continues to diversify and grow and we will have more revenue to spend.”

Having a political outsider who isn’t used to government could be a great opportunity to find ways to make Oklahoma work better, Moore said.

“After eight years of Gov. Fallin’s tenure here, I think it’s a great opportunity for our state to turn over a new leaf for Gov. Stitt to listen to the people and not just the parties,” he said. “I hope that means a turn towards openness and transparency. I hope it means a turn towards improving access to services and information that the public pays for. And I hope that means a focus on getting Oklahoma to where we want to

Richard R. Johnson, chair of political science at Oklahoma City University, has been a professor at the university since 1997 and teaches most of the core American government courses. | Photo Alexa Ace

be, not just next year but 10 or 20 years from now, and really improving on some of those state rankings that we seem to be habitually at the bottom of.”

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NEWS

CIT Y

Ross Harper, originally from Scotland, became known as the “Angry Scotsman” after telling his friends he was “pissed,” which can mean drunk or tipsy. | Photo Alexa Ace

Brewing district

With three new breweries opening soon and three already established, Film Row District is quickly becoming a craft beer destination. By Miguel Rios

Film Row was once home to major Hollywood film studio offices like Paramount Pictures and Warner Bros., but it has since been reborn into a mix of artistic businesses, restaurants and, of course, breweries and taprooms. The district is bound between Main Street, California Avenue, Walker Avenue and Classen Boulevard.

Last October, alcohol in Oklahoma changed forever, with a change in laws taking us from Prohibition-era regulations to a modern age of freedom for local brewers. Breweries can now sell full-strength beers in supermarkets, keep them cold in liquor stores and allow underage guests in taprooms that can now also stay open until 2 a.m.

Many local breweries actually surround the district, but they still attract patrons who might go to Film Row for 21c Museum Hotel or The Jones Assembly.

New brews

Three new breweries plan to open in Film Row District within the year: Core4 Brewing, OK Cider Co. and Lively Beerworks.

Core4 will be in the historic Paramount Building, 701 W. Sheridan Ave., something co-founder Buck Buchanan said happened by pure luck.

A friend told Buchanan that the Paramount had space available and things just “fell together” after that.

“It’s been right about a year that we started putting all this together,” Buchanan said. “We couldn’t ask for it to come together as well as it has.”

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Buchanan is in a band with head brewer and co-founder Marty Simon, who often brewed beer for band practices. Eventually, more people began drinking it, so they thought they should take it to the next level. Buchanan, his head brewer and their wives make up the “Core 4.”

“We’re kind of more of a microbrewery at only three and a half barrels, so we’re not concentrating so much on distribution like these bigger places. …

We’re going to be more taproom-influenced; we’re going to be more smallbatch-influenced,” said Buchanan. “We want to be that community central hub.

We’re really looking forward to being down in the Film Row District. We’re musicians, so obviously we’re going to bring in musicians, and we’re going to push the local music scene real heavy in our area.”

Core4 is currently in the build-out phase, and Buchanan hopes to be open by spring.

OK Cider Co. is in a similar situation and almost the same location at 705 W. Sheridan Ave. The cider brewery is also in the build-out phase, and co-founder Tim King hopes to be open by mid-tolate spring.

King and co-founder Luke Hadsall met in 2010 and started home brewing together. In 2012, King found out he was Anthem Brewing Company’s slogan comes from the lore that an alien came to Earth, taught a few humans how to brew beers and told them, if anyone asked, the beer was “Made on Earth by Humans.” | Photo Alexa Ace

gluten-intolerant, so he moved away from beer and started drinking cider.

He didn’t like most of them.

“About 2014, I started making my own cider, and it’s been moving towards doing this ever since,” he said. “On Luke’s 40th birthday, we were talking and he said he’d always wanted to start a brewery. I said, ‘You know, we can start a cidery; it’s a whole lot less expensive from startup costs.’”

So Hadsall made his first cider. He didn’t like it.

“He changed up the way he was doing things,” King said. “Since he was a brewer, he started making cider in the style of a beer. That’s where we got our tagline ‘Beer-Inspired Cider.’”

Typically, cider is fermented apple juice with either wine, champagne or cider yeast, but King and Hadsall use beer yeast to give the cider beer characteristics.

“A lot of times on cider, you get your flavor profile by mixing different types of apples. Instead of doing that, we’re using one single blend of juice and changing it up by the yeast we’re using,” King said.

Patrick Lively recently signed a lease for Lively Beerworks at 815 SW Second St., about three blocks south from OK Cider Co. and Core4.

Lively, who serves as board president for Craft Brewers Association of Oklahoma, started brewing professionally at COOP Ale Works before becoming president and head brewer of Anthem Brewing Company. But he wanted to start working for himself, and Lively Beerworks was the answer.

The building is currently under construction. The plan is to complete it in two phases, Lively said. The first phase is to get the production side set up within the next three to four months. The second phase is the taproom, which Lively said will probably open in the summer.

The three new breweries will join three already-established breweries serving the Film Row area. Lively said they are in a market that can support

all breweries.

“The craft brewing culture in general in our country, not just our state, is very congenial,” he said. “It’s more of a brotherhood than it is a competition.

Obviously, we compete, but it’s not a zero-sum game. I can succeed, and they can succeed too. We work to promote that, and from an economic standpoint, craft brewers nationwide hold about 12 percent of the beer market. That’s not very much. … There’s not a single brewery that’s holding a huge market share, so we’re all banding together just to grow the craft drinker share.”

Well-crafted

Three breweries are already established in the area: Angry Scotsman Brewing, Stonecloud Brewing Co. and Anthem Brewing Company.

Angry Scotsman had its first commercial beer hit the market in late 2017 but only opened up operations last October. Its building at 704 W. Reno Ave. is right around the corner from the Lively Beerworks location. It is still under construction, but more than half of the building is open to the public, owner Ross Harper said. The building currently houses a completely functional brewery station, a patio area and a taproom. Harper hopes to fully open

by March.

“I’m super, super excited for what the future holds,” he said. “If you look at the west downtown area, we’ve got some really cool, old manufacturing spaces, some old brick warehouses.

They’re really a blank space on the inside; that’s kind of why we fell in love with the building that we have. There’s so much potential.”

Despite being “less polished” than other areas, Harper describes the Film Row area and west downtown as the “final frontier” because going north, south and east doesn’t hold as many development opportunities.

Stonecloud is just north of Film Row in the historic Sunshine Building, 1012 NW First St., which was once home to laundry cleaners. The building was constructed in 1929 and sat vacant for 30 years after the cleaners closed in the 1980s.

Owner Joel Irby, who opened the brewery in 2017, said the historic building helps set Stonecloud apart from other breweries and businesses in the area.

“Having done the revitalization on the building, I think is really important to who our brewery is. I think we’re closely tied to the state,” he said. “I’m really, really excited about the area. …

It’s cool seeing what it was before we started renovating our building and what it’s kind of turning into.”

Despite some challenges in terms of location, Irby said he wouldn’t trade it for anything else.

“I really enjoy being in an area that still has a ways to go, just because it’s a little bit more exciting than moving into a spot where everyone’s already developed,” he said. “Obviously, it has its challenges, like people don’t just walk by our building and be like, ‘Oh, there’s a brewery here. Let’s have a beer.’ Anyone that comes to our brewery does so because they meant to. I’d love to have more foot traffic in the area.”

Anthem has occupied its building at 908 SW Fourth St. since 2012. It is the furthest brewery from Film Row in the area, standing about four blocks south of the district. But it still sees people make their way over before or after going out to Film Row, said Derek Duty, director of sales and marketing.

“With all this expansion, we’ll be more in the middle of things. We’re kind of a destination at this point, but a lot of people make the destination every day,” he said. “People kind of come and get a couple of beers before they go to dinner or before they go down to an event down there.”

Beer boom

Oklahoma had the third-largest growth in the number of craft breweries during the past four years, according to Forbes.

The state had a 39 percent increase, bringing it to one brewery for every 100,000 residents of legal age.

The Brewers Association currently lists 35 craft breweries in Oklahoma, 11 of which are in OKC. In 2014, there were only 10 in the entire state.

“People’s understanding and appreciation of craft beer as a product is totally different than it was long time ago. Now, it’s not just accepted; people go and hunt it out. I mean, thank God

Stonecloud owner Joel Irby’s beer style is “anything goes as long as it’s not boring.” | Photo Alexa Ace

for us,” Duty said. “You start seeing more local stuff around town, people start to ask for it. It becomes a thing that when the consumer demands it, you supply it.”

Despite being in competition for similar crowds, brewers from each company say there is more than enough room for each brewery in the area to do what they do individually while working to succeed together.

“It’s clichéd, but the phrase applies here definitely: ‘The rising tide lifts all boats,’” Harper said. “It’s one thing to be an isolated brewery out there by yourself … but once you go from being a single brewery to being a brewery destination, people will go to you and maybe they’ll pub-crawl down to the next one. You start to get known in the region, and so followers from one start to look at another.”

Harper doesn’t see the other five breweries as taking business away from him; he sees all breweries as part of the community.

“I don’t want to take business from Stonecloud, I don’t want to take business from Anthem; I want to take business from big beer conglomerates,” he said.

Because of all the breweries in the area and other developments taking place, Lively said Film Row has become a craft beer destination in Oklahoma that’s going to keep growing.

“That concentration of breweries in one district is going to provide a lot of synergy,” Lively said. “It’ll give the opportunity for people to do downtown brewery tours, to visit multiple breweries in one afternoon. I think it’s also going to encourage support businesses to pop up in that area, maybe a paid for brewery tour service where they drive you around. I think things like the bike bars and the pedicabs are going to start seeing more value in coming to the district because of the breweries.”

Film Row continues to grow, with business and residential developments brewing throughout. The district, already home to FlashBack RetroPub, recently welcomed a religious-themed bar named The Sanctuary Barsilica.

Both are owned by Jose Rodriguez, who has recently teased a third Film Row bar on Twitter.

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S TAT E

OETA Foundation was established in 1983 by OETA to raise private funds for the network. | Photo Miguel Rios

TV reality

After ongoing disputes in 2018, OETA and OETA Foundation are now fighting in court.

By Miguel Rios

Oklahoma Educational Television Authority (OETA) and OETA Foundation have been partners for more than 30 years, but mounting disputes have led to a legal battle between the two entities.

After about a year of arguments, the OETA board of directors voted Jan. 8 to cut ties with OETA Foundation, its charitable partner tasked with helping fund the network. Both OETA and the foundation have accused each other of lacking transparency when it comes to funds, refusing to attend negotiation meetings and attempting to gain more power over the other.

Established by OETA in 1983, the foundation has raised private contributions to fund the authority. In court documents, the foundation states they have provided more than $67.5 million since 1989.

“OETA is the broadcast side,” said Daphne Dowdy, president and CEO of the foundation. “The foundation is the money side. We are a 501(c)(3) — we’re a charity. We’re completely separate and independent of OETA, and we’ve been around for 35 years. We’re separate and independent, but we’ve worked together on lots of projects as partners because obviously we can do a better job raising funds and supporting OETA if they cooperate and vice versa.”

In 1992, the authority and the foundation entered into an agreement establishing that the foundation would provide and pay for public programming through funds from private donations. The agreement also established that OETA would have legal and “ultimate responsibility” for all operations and programming, granting them the right to reject or refuse any programs it finds unsuitable.

The agreement also states OETA and the foundation “are governed by their 8

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respective separate existing boards” and gives both parties the ability to terminate the agreement with 60 days written notice.

In May 2018, the OETA board approved a resolution to set forth a new agreement. The board agreed that the 1992 agreement should be replaced “as it is outdated and, further, does not provide a clear delineation of roles and responsibilities of the two legal entities,” according to the resolution.

Many of the new regulations listed in the proposed agreement would give more control to the authority, going as far as to say that all foundation communications, publications and events be submitted to OETA for review and approval. It gives the authority the ability to end the agreement with 30 days written notice, which would force the foundation to transfer all funds to OETA or a new organization designated by the authority.

The foundation rejected signing the new agreement, claiming that the authority was attempting to “obtain complete and unfettered dominion and control over the foundation.”

Communication breakdown

When asked for an interview, OETA responded through Gooden Group, a public relations firm, writing that they were not conducting interviews while the matter works through the courts. A Gooden Group representative offered to answer specific, written questions but ultimately responded with information from OETA’s website, where it published FAQs on Jan. 11 about the situation.

“Within the last five years, dissention arose between the two and the foundation began repeatedly attempting to interfere with OETA operations

and to unduly influence OETA’s state governing board. OETA tried to correct the problems through repeated meetings but the problems only grew worse,” the FAQs read. “Last month, the foundation sued OETA to try and seize even more control. OETA countered the suit in the courts, asking the judge to drop the frivolous claims made in the foundation lawsuit.”

The foundation’s lawsuit, filed in early December 2018, provided the court with the new agreement proposed

by OETA and listed grievances including negligent due diligence in hiring OETA executive director Polly Anderson, an unwillingness to accept funds and a refusal to provide financial data to the foundation, according to court documents.

The authority’s refusal to be transparent when asking for funds, Dowdy said, is the crux of the disputes.

“We had been working for a year to try to get OETA to just negotiate reasonably with us, and we just kept hitting a wall. So really, we just wanted the court to say that we were able to consider all this in our funding. OETA was trying to tell us, ‘Well, you have to just write us big checks,’” she said. “We’re trying to responsibly manage this funding. We want to fund OETA. Here’s what we’re dealing with.”

OETA submitted to the courts a motion to dismiss the foundation’s suit, saying it would “exacerbate, rather than resolve, the dispute between the foundation and OETA,” according to court documents. They also state there were “two methods available to remedy this impasse and neither require this court to make a legal determination:” negotiate a new agreement or terminate the current one.

“They have severed our working agreement,” Dowdy said. “What it means is OETA is essentially saying they don’t want to cooperate with us, they don’t want to work with us to raise funds on behalf of them. ... The foundation is, like I said, separate from OETA, so our mission doesn’t change. The money that has been contributed to the foundation to support programming has been and

will be used for that purpose just like always. We love OETA; we think it’s a state treasure, and we are committed to supporting it in good times and in hard times.”

Some of OETA’s funding comes from private donors, some of which Dowdy said have expressed discomfort in continuing their donations. The foundation provided to the courts emails from donors who state they have no interest in continuing to contribute if the foundation’s independence is usurped by the state or its agencies.

“We guarantee to our private donors that their funds will be properly stewarded,” Dowdy said. “We can no longer make that guarantee because we don’t know what’s going on. We very clearly stated to OETA, ‘Look, we don’t anticipate questioning how you’re using the money; we just need to know so that we can write it down and so our donors will know how our money is being used.’

These are not questions that are unusual in a foundation/charity-recipient relationship.”

Termination request

In OETA’s counterclaims, also filed in December, it asked the courts to allow it to designate another public nonprofit foundation, terminate their agreement with the foundation and request “all the funds, assets and property the plaintiffs has received and invested to be transferred to OETA’s designated public nonprofit foundation,” according to court documents.

“OETA has temporarily suspended accepting new donations as we finalize negotiating a relationship with the Friends of OETA, Inc. charitable organization,” read the authority’s FAQs. OETA filed a certificate of incorporation for Friends of OETA on Nov. 13, a month before the foundation filed a lawsuit. They filed an amended version Nov. 30, adding that if Friends of OETA were dissolved, all assets would be distributed to OETA. If this were to happen, Dowdy said private donor money intended to go to a nonprofit would potentially be going to a state agency. Despite OETA having the legal right to end their relationship with the foundation, Dowdy said she thinks it is a mistake.

“The outcome in an ideal world is that we can continue to support the public television service that we love,” she said. “I regret so much that people at home who love OETA have to read all of this back-and-forth and get confused.

I regret that this is happening, frankly.

It’s so complicated, I want to just call everybody and talk to them and say, ‘Here; let me show you,’ and I can’t do that.”

Litigation is ongoing between OETA and the foundation. The next court date is Feb. 22.

CO M M E N TA RY

NEWS

Mein campus

University of Oklahoma students’ racist viral video points to a larger problem of learned intolerance.

By George Lang

In the days preceding our national celebration of the life of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., both Oklahoma and the country at large demonstrated that wide swaths of our society require an emergency history lesson. Unfettered racism and enthusiastic ill was the leit motif for the entire week.

When University of Oklahoma student and member of the Theta Gamma Delta Delta Delta sorority Francie Ford posted video on Snapchat last week of her friend Olivia Urban wearing blackface and spouting racial epithets, the incident made national news and the clip went viral.

Well, so much for Snapchat video disappearing. The internet is eternal, Francie.

Ford was subsequently bounced from the sorority and castigated by sorority chapter president London Moore, and both Ford and Urban withdrew from the university on Monday. While OU president James Gallogly released a statement that called for campus community members to “each take the personal responsibility to create a welcoming and inclusive community,” asking students like Ford and Urban with provably attenuated world views to take the initiative toward inclusivity and acceptance will not work. Their behavior is symptomatic of a greater malaise, one that can manifest itself as a social media disaster or, if cultivated into the systematic degradation of an entire group, lead to human rights abuses and, indeed, the policies that are being carried out on our southern border.

The video, of course, was a toxic callback to the March 5, 2015 video of OU Sigma Alpha Epsilon members shouting racist lyrics to the tune of “If You’re Happy and You Know It” with their dates on a chartered bus. One of the great tragedies of our high-speed news cycle is that we often lose the details, so these are the lyrics that expelled former OU students Levi Pettit and Parker Rice led their housemates in: “There will never be a n----r at SAE, there will never be a n----r at SAE/ You can hang them from a tree, but they’ll never sign with me / there will never be a n----r at SAE.” Pettit did go on to meet with former state Sen. Anastasia Pittman, who facilitated some constructive dialogue with members of Oklahoma’s AfricanAmerican community, but the lessons of the individual that were learned in the spotlight of national shame did not resonate with Ford and Urban. In the Snapchat video, there is no evinced sense from them that what they are

saying and doing is grossly inappropriate or that Greek system minstrelsy has no place in 2019 social media or society at large.

I grew up not far from where Ford and Urban were raised in the south Tulsa/Bixby/Jenks area at a time when my high school was far more homogeneous than it is now. I understand the bubble of white privilege and how limited experience with other races and religions can result in terrible, uninformed attitudes. It is a cocoon from which to emerge, not to reside. Great privilege should come with great responsibility in an ideal world, but as other incidents from last week proved, such a utopia is not within our grasp right now.

During Jan. 18’s March for Life, an annual Washington, D.C., event in which Catholic school students are bused or flown in for a massive antichoice rally, chaperoned students from Covington Catholic High School in Covington, Kentucky, clashed with Native Americans demonstrating at the Interior Department for the concurrent Indigenous Peoples March.

With many Make America Great Again hats perched on privileged young heads, the confrontation grew ugly as the teens chanted, “build the wall” to the Native Americans and Covington junior Nick Sandmann, himself wearing MAGA headgear, stared down 64-year-old Vietnam veteran and Omaha tribe elder Nathan Phillips with a smug, rictus smile.

The Covington kids were clearly not instructed by either their faculty or parent chaperones that it is idiotic to chant “build the wall” at the descendants of the first people who lived in this country. It underlined the truth about President Donald Trump’s proposed border wall: Whether it is metal barrier or a concrete wall, Trump’s $5.7 billion boondoggle is a symbol of white exceptionalism.

Whatever Sandmann does with the balance of his life, the wire photos of this confrontation will be part of the history of how racial and social intolerance were ginned up to sow electoral divides in our country. They will reside forever with the other dark truths of our nation, alongside the photos of University of Nevada Reno student Peter Cvjetanovic marching at the 2017 Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, chanting “You will not replace us” and “Blood and soil” while wearing an Identity Evropa polo shirt.

A few days before Sandmann became the poster child for privileged ignorance

writ large, I was in my office, savoring the news that recently reelected U.S. Rep. Steve King, R-Iowa, had been stripped of his congressional committee duties after voicing some seriously unreconstructed racist attitudes in a Jan. 10 New York Times profile.

“White nationalist, white supremacist, Western civilization — how did that language become offensive?” King said. “Why did I sit in classes teaching me about the merits of our history and our civilization?”

House minority leader Rep. Kevin McCarthy, R-California, made the right decision to strip King of his committees, but it came only after years’ worth of similar white nationalist statements from King and, tellingly, an election in which King barely squeaked a victory by three points.

But as King was losing power in Congress, his Identity Evropa sympathizers were posting fliers and stickers in Oklahoma City’s Deep Deuce, the historically African-American district that served as the cultural and commercial epicenter for that community for much of the 20th century.

I saw the photos on Twitter Tuesday afternoon and immediately got in my car. I drove the two miles to Deep Deuce, took photos and then tore down the posters and stickers. Simple as that.

Since then, more posters have gone up at Oklahoma State University’s Oklahoma City campus and at Northwestern Oklahoma State University in Alva.

People who believe in a just, fair and gracious society should exercise the same First Amendment rights that allow Identity Evropa to post its fliers and take them down. If the incidents in Norman and Washington, D.C., have told us anything, it is that impressionable young people are falling prey to hate rhetoric. And when Identity Evropa posts on college campuses, it is a strategy.

George Lang is editor-in-chief of Oklahoma Gazette and began his career at Gazette in 1994. | Photo Gazette / file Opinions expressed on the commentary page, in letters to the editor and elsewhere in this newspaper are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of ownership or management.

O KG A Z E T T E . C O M | J A N U A R Y 2 3 , 2 0 1 9

9

chicken

friedNEWS

Sooner grown

Among the Oklahoma-centric news alerts this month were the all-too-usual national embarrassments: fracking-induced earthquakes, negligent parenting, prison violence and Kevin Stitt sworn in as governor. But a closer look at Oklahoma’s mentions revealed something unexpected: In at least two areas, our state is something of a progressive trendsetter.

A Jan. 9 Associated Press story on Arkansas’ medical marijuana licensing pointed out that the slow progress toward actually enacting the constitutional amendment voters approved in 2016 is made more apparent by the Sooner State’s relatively quick implementation following voters’ approval of State Question 788.

“Adding to the frustration is neighboring Oklahoma,” AP reported, “where medical marijuana is already available to patients months after voters approved its legalization.” The article failed to mention Oklahoma’s own bureaucratic bedcrapping in response to SQ788, but let’s give ourselves credit for changing the sheets faster.

And in the high fashion hotbed of Los Angeles, educators are actually taking cues from Oklahoma teachers (as well as those from several other states, but again, just let us have this) by demonstrating in demand of better salaries and smaller class sizes. The issues are largely the same, but AP pointed out, “Unlike protests that closed schools last spring in states including West Virginia, Kentucky, Oklahoma and Arizona, the strike that began Monday is unfolding in a liberal-leaning state and one of the country’s biggest cities.” Thanks to modern technology, Oklahoma educators have the chance to see how a strike plays out with union support in a blue state without having to Grapes of Wrath themselves across the country.

One more bit of shockingly good news for Oklahoma: The story about the woman banned from Walmart for drinking wine from a Pringles can in the parking lot actually took place in Wichita Falls, about 15 miles south of the border. That one’s on you, Texas.

Bats crazy

Oklahoma Department of Transportation (ODOT) has a project to rebuild a stretch of Oklahoma Highway 16 between Okay and Wagoner, and (surprise) it's going to take longer than anticipated.

But this time, bats are to blame. Kind of.

Although ODOT studied the Highway 16 project and took precautions years before, some factors like Oklahoma’s rainy fall meant the water impacts needed to be looked at again, spokeswoman Kenna Mitchell told Tulsa World.

Officials want to evaluate if runoff from the job site affects water quality near a population of endangered gray bats.

“So we stopped the project and re-evaluated everything, and that includes the water quality and what it means for the bats,” she said.

The project has been on hold for about a month now as transportation officials look into the water quality. Studies so far show little impact on the surface waters, but the final report is not out yet.

Mitchell estimates they can get the worksite up and running within the next two months if the water quality remains unaffected.

It might sound crazy, but this is actually a good reason to pause the

highway project. If nearby surface water quality is affected, the bats’ main source of food — aquatic insects — won't be attracted to areas where they forage. And if the endangered gray bats don't get food, they won't have energy to migrate or reproduce, which could be a detriment to their overall survival.

It's an odd time in Oklahoma when we're glad a highway project is being stalled, but that is where we are at, folks. We at Chicken-Fried News are not particularly big fans of bats, but they eat mosquitoes, so kudos to ODOT for taking steps to protect their survival.

Now if they could just hurry up and finish Oklahoma City Boulevard.

True pastime

Although baseball is still referred to as “America’s pastime,” the metrics surrounding the game’s star power are reaching crisis levels. Last year, ESPN released its ranking of the 100 most popular athletes in the world, and it did not include a single baseball player. (Russell Westbrook checked in at No. 34.)

All Press.

No Release.

OKG never publishes press releases as news.

Because we’re, you know, real journalists.

OKG-19-001 Release Page.indd 1O M 10 J A N U APress RY 23 , 2 0 1 9 |Half O KG AZETTE .C

1/20/19 5:59 AM

The proverbial “hot stove” of offseason transactions has slowed to a thaw as generational talents like outfielder Bryce Harper and infielder Manny Machado are still unsigned as pitchers and catchers report to spring training in less than a month.

While the sports world has a only a passing interest in the fact that Harper and Machado are still unsigned, it is University of Oklahoma quarterback Kyler Murray that is generating the most baseball discussion nationally. Of course, Murray was drafted by Oakland Athletics No. 9 overall in the 2018 Major League Baseball Draft and given a $4.8 million signing bonus while being allowed to return to Norman to become the starting quarterback for the Sooners, where he set records and became the university’s second consecutive Heisman Trophy winner.

The Oakland A’s knew the risk of taking Murray, but the franchise was desperate for a star because it took Murray higher than he was projected to go in the draft, perhaps

thinking it could woo him with some quick cash. It turns out that riding the bus in the minor leagues isn’t quite as appealing as becoming a National Football League star quarterback.

Before Murray declared for the NFL draft last week, Major League Baseball sent marketing personnel with A’s executives to meet with Murray because he would instantly become one of the most popular baseball players in the league, even while working his way to the majors.

There’s nothing preventing Murray from playing both sports, but that hasn’t been attempted since Deion Sanders two decades ago.

Although baseball has the ability to offer bigger contracts than the NFL, it would take Murray six to eight years to earn the kind of money he’d make as a rookie first-round NFL draft pick. It should be concerning for Major League Baseball that even with all of the controversy surrounding football and brain injuries that Murray wants to stay on the gridiron, which still remains the country’s true pastime.

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M A R I J UA N A

THE HIGH CULTURE

Gentle warrior

Cannabis Aid co-owner Elijah Mothershed Bey’s murder leaves a community shaken and saddened. By Matt Dinger

It was a sunny, warm October day when Cannabis Aid, 1612 NE 23rd St., began selling the products that gave the dispensary its name, but the rain is unending and the skies a deep dull gray on the first day doors open after the murders of founder Elijah Malachi X Mothershed Bey and his family.

The shock and disbelief on customers’ faces were the same on opening day, but joy has been replaced by sorrow.

One woman who comes to purchase flower walks into the store sniffling. She wipes one tear, then another from her cheek as she makes her selection. By the time she leaves, she is weeping openly.

Another woman comes in for confirmation. A couple others drop by for details on where to send donations.

Co-owner Sam Hill and one of Elijah’s sons, 23-year-old Xavier Schucker, are behind the counter that Friday. The sullen expressions drift toward smiles when jokes are cracked, stories are told and industry banter is shared around the store.

But the smiles quickly melt when a memory, a reminder or another mourner comes to give condolences.

The doorman who was mixing with customers on opening day sits quietly at his post through the duration of the afternoon, often staring out into the rain steadily falling on the sidewalk. Where his vision lands, Elijah stood but two short months ago, buying copies of The Black Chronicle at twice the cover price from a street vendor. He gave them to a group of friends and employees taking a break in the crisp autumnal air.

Elijah, 44, his girlfriend Carnesha Patrice Powell, 35, and her 15-year-old daughter, Roshawna Stevens, were found slain inside their home, 1129 N. Standish Ave., police said.

Cannabis Aid still stands, but its “gladiator for justice and peace” is gone forever.

Hill said Elijah and Powell left Cannabis Aid to run an errand in the late afternoon on Jan. 6.

That was the last time anyone saw them alive.

Two weeks later, no arrests have been made. An inventory of items recovered from the home, which might Elijah Mothershed Bey’s murder is still under investigation, but Oklahoma City Police Department has not yet identified a suspect. | Photo Alexa Ace

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reveal a motive, has not been publicly released. Whether this was a robbery related to his business, a random home invasion or prompted by something else entirely, only the killer or killers know for now.

“I’ve met Elijah before, and I know that he was a mentor of young men, believing in them regardless of what mistakes they’ve made in their life,” Oklahoma City police chief Bill Citty said at a press conference held at the Capitol three days after the murders. “I probably have more admiration for individuals who are willing to take their own time — not necessarily their money — but their own time, to try and help others, and Elijah was one of those individuals.

I’m very, very sorry for your loss. I’ve seen way too many mothers in my lifetime that have lost children, and it’s one of the most difficult things you can see or witness.

“I wish I had better news for you. I wish I could tell you that we have a suspect in custody. I wish I could tell you we even have a suspect identified.

The police can’t solve this. The community solves it. People solve it. We get information, and we put it

together, but it takes a community to solve this for this family.”

Almost no information about the crime has been released by police.

“If we don’t know who the suspect is, and we really don’t have any witnesses to it, it’s going to be imperative that whoever we talk to can tell us specifically what happened, and a lot of evidence needs to be kept confidential so we know that person is telling us the truth,” Citty said.

In a bizarre twist, 64-year-old Wanda Skanes was found slain inside the same house 11 months ago to the day. Her murder also remains unsolved.

Mission interrupted

Elijah’s mother, Evelyn Abdullah, also spoke about her son’s life at the press conference organized by state Rep. Jason Lowe, D-Oklahoma City. She took the same podium and addressed the media in the way she did last summer after State Question 788 passed. Then she urged the state health department not to create barriers so another son with bone cancer could receive medical marijuana while undergoing chemotherapy. The last time she spoke in that room, Elijah stood by her side.

“My son’s mission in life was to uplift men, poor people, his family and his c o m m u n i t y,” Abdullah said.

“He was one of the most loving that I know. He would hug a homeless person or a person panhandling.

He’d go by and try to encourage them. He

would do sleepovers at churches with young men to teach them how to dress, how to apply for a job, how to tie a tie, how to eat at a restaurant — stuff that you don’t think [about] with the man gone from the home. You don’t think they need that, but he wanted to correct that. He wanted everybody to share in the economic growth that cannabis could do, for not just him.

“He was always the one son that I had that would call and say, ‘How are you doing, mommy? Did you sleep well?

You okay? You sure? Is there anything I can do?’ And he would do that almost daily until he got his business. He got busy. Sometimes I would call him, and he wouldn’t return it right away and I’d say, ‘You forgot your mommy,’ and he’d say, ‘No, I’m working hard to buy my mommy a home and to leave some legacy for my children.’ It wasn’t ever about the money for Elijah. It was about what he could do for this community, no matter what color you were.”

Life of service

In 2010, Elijah founded the Made Aware Now (M.A.N.) 101 program, a mentorship program that aims to help young men better themselves or escape criminal pasts. Part of Cannabis Aid’s business plan includes diverting some profits to continue the program.

That mission will continue, Hill said.

Hill and Elijah met in 2012 when their social circles converged on a mutual project. Those projects kept overlapping. Eventually, they decided to go into business together as a CBD shop, then a medical dispensary.

“When I think about Elijah, the first thing I think about is community, whether it’s simple things like community cleanup, harder things like community social justice reform or programs for the community. ... No matter what I’m saying right now, you always hear that one word: community,” he said. “If Elijah would have continued the path he was on, the impact he probably would have left on this world would have resounded off of every continent on this planet. The Oklahoma City community and the black family has lost one of its greatest warriors.”

On the morning of his funeral, gray skies gave way to sunshine while mourners packed the church for a twohour service. More than a dozen people spoke at the funeral, including Lowe, former state Sen. Connie Johnson and Oklahoma City Ward 7 councilwoman Nikki Nice.

“We’re recruiting gladiators today.

Elijah is standing here, and he wants to know who’s ready to fight,” the Rev. Christine Byrd said during her eulogy.

“Save that eulogy for someone who’s dead. Elijah lives on.”

Anyone with information regarding the murders should contact the Oklahoma City police homicide tip line at 405-297-1200. Donations can be made in his name at BancFirst.

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THE HIGH CULTURE

M A R I J UA N A

Tending flower

A national recruiting and training company prepares candidates for jobs in the hemp and cannabis industry. By Matt Dinger

How does one become a budtender?

Some start their own dispensaries.

Others know people who do it. Some patients parlay their knowledge of the medicine into a job opportunity. But others are looking for any chance to get their foot in the door, and HempStaff aims to help.

The company will be holding two of its four-hour workshops in Oklahoma City on Saturday at Embassy Suites, 1815 S. Meridian Ave. James Yagielo, the CEO and cofounder, started the company in April 2014. He spent two decades in the in-

formation technology industry with an emphasis on recruiting, while his wife has 25 years experience in hospitality industry recruiting and training.

“One of the needs we found right away was the need to have trained people when you were opening a dispensary,” Yagielo said. “Since they were interacting with the medical patients, it was quite important to have someone knowledgeable, and a lot of dispensaries were struggling with that, so we partnered with some people in the industry.

Some dispensary managers created our curriculum. Since then, it’s been revised

THC

HempStaff provides training for individuals interested in working in the hemp and cannabis industry. | Photo bigstock.com

by a cannabinoid doctor, actually, and we, to date, have trained over 6,500 people in 20 states.”

This will be the third Oklahoma date for HempStaff. The first, in Oklahoma City, and the second, which was held in Tulsa, have both sold out. Each class is capped at 75 students.

“Not everyone passes the course, but we’ve probably certified in the first classes 200 to 250 people,” Yagielo said.

Each of HempStaff’s trainers has at least five years in the cannabis industry, with at least two years of managerial experience.

“It’s a four-hour crash course to get someone interview-ready to work in a dispensary,” Yagielo said. “As you know, there’s almost 850 dispensary licenses that have been given out so far, so there’s gonna be a lot of jobs for people to work in dispensaries. Not all of them are

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going to be able to survive. So the ones with the best employees are going to have the best chance of surviving. No one wants to go in there and know more than the person that works there. And unfortunately, that happens a lot if they’re not trained properly.”

The course begins by discussing a state-customized set of regulations and the qualifying conditions to obtain a license, Yagielo said. Oklahoma has no qualifying conditions.

“We then move on to the history of cannabis, how we got to where we are today, and then we get into the nittygritty, which is, you know, we cover the top dozen cannabinoids there in cannabis and what each does to help the body, how it helps the endocannabinoid system in the body, discovering the different terpenes there in cannabis and cannabis products and how those medicinally help the body,” he said. “And then we cover about the top two dozen cannabis products that you might see in the dispensary. Everything from the basic flower and, you know, shatter and dabs and all that down to the ones people aren’t aware of, like topicals and transdermal patches and suppositories even, so we really cover the whole gamut so that when they get an interview for a dispensary, they can speak intelligently to the dispensary owner or manager and show their passion for cannabis.”

There is a 20-question test at the end of the course that must be passed with a 75 percent or better score to get one of HempStaff’s internal certifications.

“If people don’t pass, we allow them to come back to a future class at no charge, attend and take the class again,” he said.

Another advantage is that any previous student can attend any future class at no charge in any state.

“So even if you move to, say, Arkansas, you can attend the Arkansas class to get the regulations you didn’t get in Oklahoma,” Yagielo said.

Every class is about 10 to 15 percent different based on the state. Budtenders are not required to have a patient license in Oklahoma, nor are they required to be certified by a state agency or private company before dispensing medical marijuana. The only criteria is that they

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WE’RE SOCIAL. are at least 21 years old.

“It’s a free market state at this point,” Yagielo said. “There’s 850 dispensaries, and even if you had the best patient count out there, there’s no way that that many can survive on a ratio of 20 patients per dispensary. So it’s really going to create the ‘best dispensary wins’ scenario, where in other states with limited licenses, if it’s a crappy dispensary, there’s only four in the state, they’re going to stay open.

We really cover the whole gamut so that when they get an interview for a dispensary, they can speak intelligently to the dispensary owner or manager.

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James Yagielo “We also do a little resume review in our class, and we give them a template to use for the cannabis industry and they can fill out information and they can send it to us and we’ll critique it.

And what we say is, use our training course as talking points. So never admit to anything illegal, but if you say something that you know you’re knowledgeable about, you can always say, ‘You know, here’s another thing I’ve learned in training courses’ and apply the knowledge that way. But you can’t ever really say you have hands-on knowledge.

A lot of employers will just eliminate you immediately if you admit to illegal activity. Once you get the job and you’re on the job, you can then show your skills, and in this industry, promotions happen very quickly.”

Yagielo said that when dispensaries come to them for employee recommendations, they put their students first.

However, HempStaff cannot guarantee placement for every student who takes the course.

Yagielo said he anticipates as a conservative estimate between 1,500 and 2,000 budtender positions in the state at the end of 2019.

“No one has gone exactly about it like Oklahoma, so it’s hard to say, but the patient count to dispensary count is definitely not normal. In most states, you’re probably looking at about 1,000 patients per dispensary,” he said. “It’s definitely a very good experiment. If it goes well, I think other states are going to copy the model. Oklahoma is the first one to do it. It stops all the lawsuits.

Everyone has a chance.”

In 2019, HempStaff also plans to begin online courses for the hemp industry and an advanced course for budtenders.

Classes are 8 a.m. and 1 p.m. Saturday and cost $249 per class.

Visit hempstaff.com.

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REVIEW

EAT & DRINK

Uptown misstep

Alley Café isn’t as bad as its low Yelp scores, but it’s a misuse of one of the city’s best locations.

By Jacob Threadgill

Alley Café 447 NW 23rd St. | 405-225-1058 WHAT WORKS: What’s billed as an Italian beef sandwich actually works as a pot roast sandwich.

WHAT NEEDS WORK: The menu doesn’t always deliver what is advertised, like the sushi, which are actually spring rolls.

TIP: Ring the bell for service.

Alley Café opened in August last year in the heart of the trendiest part of Uptown 23rd District, and it’s almost an act of cognitive dissonance as you drive and see it positioned between The Drake Seafood & Oysterette and Bunker Club.

It’s two upscale and sleek concepts sandwiching Alley Café, 447 NW 23rd St., with its white sandwich board and minimalist signage that is like stepping into a time portal taking you to the 23rd Street that existed before Cheever’s Cafe and Big Truck Tacos helped usher in the modern era of foodie eateries on that once left-for-dead part of the city.

The husband and wife who own the building operate the Alley Café, and the other half of the structure is occupied by Truong Thanh Supermarket that has been boarded up since I moved to Oklahoma City in 2017. I get the impression that the owners got tired of seeing their space go unused as more development is pumped into the area.

In our sister publication, OKC Talk, there are stories of the owners taking exception with patrons parking outside their boarded-up business and going

elsewhere in the city, even though it is public street parking.

The whole venture seems odd, and it’s only exacerbated by its offerings. The menu is a haphazard collection of classic French-American dishes like Italian beef sandwich and steak au poivre with Korean and Vietnamese elements like spring rolls, Vietnamese pancakes, Korean soups, short ribs and stir-fries. It suffices to say the cognitive dissonance doesn’t end when you enter the restaurant.

After I noticed that all three of Alley Café’s Yelp reviews gave the restaurant one lowly star, I pitched a potential review to my editors with the question: Is this the worst restaurant in the city? The reaction has not been good beyond some sanitized Google reviews. I have never seen it very busy when I drove past, and it didn’t seem as if its owners were operating with the intention of serving the best quality food, merely hoping to profit off the area’s growth or hope that someone stumbles in after a night at Bunker Club.

I went to Alley Café recently, right at noon. As the surrounding restaurants like Scottie’s Deli, HunnyBunny Biscuit Co., Ur/bun and The Drake attracted solid lunch crowds, I was the only customer in Alley Café for my entire 45-minute visit.

Alley entrance

I walked in and wondered if they were open for business, perhaps in spite of the flashing neon “open” sign because there were no employees present. I then noticed a bell on the bar with a note asking to ring for service. I’m not sure why they can’t install a bell on the door, but things were not getting off to a promising start.

After one of the owners came out and sat me in a booth near the entrance, I ordered food and began the wait. During the 22-minute wait, which I passed by listening to the always-entertaining Rewatchables podcast on The Ringer network, I began to wonder if anyone else would enter the restaurant.

I got excited as a man with a long

beard and a full backpack approached the door. “All right; another customer. Maybe he’s a regular,” I thought to myself. The man propped the door open and gestured to me. I took my earphone out, and he said, “I feel compelled to tell you that God doesn’t want you to be judgmental.”

I didn’t know what to do except give him a thumbs-up. Instead of a customer, he was just the kind of guy who looks like he might spend his days telling strangers about the word of God. It should be noted that while most people know John 3:16, the following verse is “For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.” Jesus was not here to pass judgment, and I was not expecting such a metaphysical experience, especially since it’s my job to provide restaurant criticism for the city. I take pride in providing honest feedback. How can you trust me to tell you that a restaurant is good if I don’t also tell you when one delivers a subpar experience?

I was the only customer in Alley Café for my entire 45-minute visit.

After the interaction with the stranger, which did leave me wondering if it was some elaborate way to try get a good review (even though I keep an anonymous profile), I did re-evaluate my expectations for Alley Café. I cleared my mind of those one-star reviews and continued waiting.

I ordered the “Italian” beef sandwich with fries ($9.99) and “sushi” ($7.99), which is a totally normal combination to order at a restaurant (looks at the imaginary camera like Jim on The Office). The beef sandwich was advertised on the menu as one of the restaurant’s most popular items. I included quotations around each item because neither item delivered exactly what was advertised.

The sandwich was actually a pot roast sandwich that had a few stewed carrots, white American cheese and au jus for dipping. It did not have the marinated mixture of vegetables, giardiniera, required to truly be an Italian beef sandwich. The only place in the city I know that serves a true Italian beef sandwich is the Callahan’s Chicago Dogs food cart, which I profiled last year after they went viral on Twitter. It is usually set

Alley Café is located next to Bunker Club at 447 NW 23rd St. | Photo Jacob Threadgill

up at the corner of NW 122 Street and Rockwell Avenue during lunch and routinely serves at Edna’s, 5137 Classen Circle, on the weekends.

As a pot roast sandwich, it was perfectly serviceable and the beef was tender.

The fries were OK, but the house sushi that I ordered came out as spring rolls wrapped in rice paper instead of seaweed.

When I inquired about the difference, the owner said that people enjoyed it more served like a spring roll despite the fact spring rolls are listed separately on the menu. The roll itself lacked the punch of cilantro and fell flat with some bland iceberg lettuce, extra rice noodles and cucumber. The crab and shrimp were of low quality, and it didn’t spark any joy in my life — the central tenet of Marie Kondo’s hit Netflix organizing reality show Tidying Up with Marie Kondo.

Overall, Alley Café was not the worst experience I’ve had while on review at a restaurant. I’ve found hair in my food, been overwhelmed by bad technique and too much grease at El Toro Chino in Norman and been severely disappointed for what was delivered at its price at The Manhattan, where subsequent trips have ably rectified that one bad experience.

I’m sure if you hunted on Alley Café’s menu, you might find something really good. The owners could not have been more friendly and the beef sandwich delivered, but Alley Café just feels like a missed opportunity in such a prime real estate.

left The “Italian” beef sandwich from Alley Café was actually a pot roast sandwich. right Alley Café serves spring rolls advertised as sushi. | Photos Jacob Threadgill

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Local viewing

Chalk aims to reinvent the local sports bar with interactive viewing and an elevated but familiar menu. By Jacob Threadgill

The operators of the new Chalk sports bar, which hosts its grand opening in Chisholm Creek Feb. 3 following initial service that began last week, want to alleviate the biggest concern of trying to watch a specific sports event right as the customer enters the door.

The 7,500 square-foot two-story restaurant and bar with 100 video screens has two entrances at its 1324 W. Memorial Road location that feed into a circular concierge desk where guests will be able to request a seat near the game of their choice or get a personal television switched to a desired channel.

The group behind Chalk includes operating partner Chad Ford and general manager Ben Mason among a group of nearly lifelong friends who grew up designing elaborate college football Saturday setups through the years and felt there was a void in the Oklahoma City market for a hospitable environment to watch a game with a menu that focuses on local ingredients that includes bar favorites and elevated entrees.

“As customers, there are times when you go out to a place for what you’d think is an obvious sporting event that should be on a television, and it wasn’t,” Mason said. “When you try to nicely ask them to change, you get a body language of annoyance because they’re dealing with the process of being busy. Here, someone asking to change the channel to a certain game is just a compliment. They’re choosing to come to our place to watch a sporting event with us, and nothing could be greater. We’ve talked with our staff that there has to be a sense of urgency to get it switched over. … It’s as important as asking for a beer as asking for a sporting event.”

Guests walk down an entryway lined

The meat-and-cheese plate features Oklahoma sausage, mustard and in-house brined and smoked pastrami. | Photo Alexa Ace

with real-time betting lines and up-todate live scores on the way to the concierge desk, which has the ability to control individual 55-inch televisions (84 in total) near every table through a Microsoft tablet. There are multiple video walls ranging from 10 by 5.6 feet to 14 by 8 feet for featured games. The total square feet of screen surface is 1,600, which in total is more than the 1,085 square-foot 31- by 35-foot video board in Chesapeake Energy Arena.

Chalk is the culmination of years of watching sports on the weekends for the group of owners, who all graduated from Deer Creek High School in Edmond. Ford graduated from University of Oklahoma in 2007 and he started his professional career at SandRidge Energy. He parlayed his success opening a liquor store to start his own land brokerage company, Stable Energy Resources.

Ford and partners raised $250 million in private equity to start the oil and gas exploration company PayRock Energy, which they sold to Marathon Oil Company for $888 million in 2016. Ford and partners started PayRock Energy II, where he now serves as board member and executive vice president.

Chalk is the first foray into the restaurant industry for his CJ Land Investment and Dining Technology.

“This is a passion project for us,” Ford said. “Me, Ben and the other partners in this venture have all been friends since Little League, basically. We’d always done the same situation, where when it was a big game, where do I need to be? Our entire conversation always

came back to Ben’s house. He always had four or five TVs set up in there. We grew up in college and went to different schools, but we always made time on Saturdays and everyone would bring a TV or two, we’d hook up the splicers and we’d watch eight different games on eight different screens.”

Mason said Chalk is the evolution of his original college house, but much nicer, as they’ve tried to replicate the high-end luxury service aspect of Las Vegas with a more intimate environment.

Over the years, his personal gamewatching setup has gotten more and more elaborate. He built stadium seating with multiple couches to be able to host as many people as possible. When he got his own house a few years ago, he and his stepfather installed five flat-screens in an ultimate “man cave” situation.

“We’re trying to reinvent the way people view sports bars,” said Mason, who has a background in restaurant management and with Stable Energy. “We love going to Vegas, and no one gets hospitality like Las Vegas. We wanted to bring that experience here.”

Ownership brought in first-time executive chef Adam Schiller, who is a graduate of the culinary arts program at Oklahoma State University Institute of Technology. After serving in Iraq as a member of the Air National Guard, Schiller got his start in fine dining at Tulsa’s Stonehorse Café. He was sous chef at Oak Tree Country Club before opening Wes Welker’s Sports Bar and a Pub W in the same location.

All of the sauces on the menu are made in-house, and Schiller places an emphasis on Oklahoma ingredients on the meat-and-cheese plate, which also includes a 10-day house-brined and

from left Chalk partners Ben Mason, Phil Mason, Chad Ford and Joel Knight | Photo Alexa Ace

smoked pastrami. The bar features nine Oklahoma breweries on tap.

“This is my first opportunity to 100 percent make the menu, and it’s a lot of fun,” Schiller said. “I would like to share my passion for food. I love to cook and do different things, but to be able to educate our consumers about the quality of the product is my goal. Anyone can grab stuff and throw it into the fryer.”

Appetizers include sweet tea-brined chicken wings finished in the fryer with a classic Buffalo sauce, but there is also white wine poached mussels finished in a garlic and shallot cream sauce ($15).

There are 15 slider-type sandwiches called “Chalkers” ranging $5-$7 apiece with hamburger, chicken, meatball, vegetarian and seafood options. Entrees include pork osso bucco topped with apricot gremolata served with rainbow carrots, fried grit cake and pan sauce ($22) and a mushroom risotto ($15).

Desserts include bread pudding, churros and sopapilla nachos ($10), which are Schiller’s ode to a classic apple pie topped with cheddar. House-made sopapillas are cut into chips, fried and topped with apple chutney and aged white cheddar.

“We want to have traditional bar food.

We have cheese fries, nachos and wings, but we also wanted classy and luxury elements. It’s a hybrid,” Mason said. “This is a great sports city, and we wanted a place that is up to that passion.”

“To come back to a city that invested in us is big for us,” Ford said. “It’s fun to watch the city grow as it is. You see what the Thunder has done to grow the city where it is awesome.”

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Collateral effects

Oklahoma breweries big and small are affected by the prolonged federal government shutdown.

By Jacob Threadgill

In early December 2018, Jake Keyes fulfilled a lifelong dream of opening his own commercial brewery — Skydance Brewing Co. — at Brewers Union with the news of a potential federal government shutdown looming, but its potential effect on his new business didn’t hit home until it was too late.

As the federal shutdown, which began Dec. 22, and the dispute over border wall funding drags on as the longest shutdown on record, the closure of the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau is affecting the approval of new labels.

Skydance was able to get the proper clearance to sell its first two beers, Oklahoma Gold ale and Skydance IPA, but only through kegs, leaving its only market the competitive restaurant taps and the taproom of Brewers Union, 520 N. Meridian Ave. “The biggest thing is that we were a little behind getting our cans designed and developed, so those haven’t been submitted,” Keyes said. “It’s tough because that means I have to buy $7$8,000 worth of kegs to keep going.”

Keyes said the burden would begin to

mount if the shutdown lasts a few more weeks, which made him worried after President Trump said that the shutdown could last six months to a year.

“It will really hurt us because we can’t just keep putting 30 barrels of beer into kegs,” Keyes said. “Draft accounts are harder to get. It’s a lot easier to go sell beer in a liquor store. There is more competition for a restaurant that’s only got six tap handles, and you’ve got more breweries than that just in Oklahoma City. We need to get half of our beer into cans.”

Keyes said he first began to join his father’s homebrewing attempts when he was just a teenager, joking that he’d say he was helping, but in likelihood just getting in the way. By the time he was of age to drink, he got a job at Coaches Restaurant & Brewery in Norman, where he fell in love with craft beer. He and his father began to dream about opening a brewery, but his father got sick about six years ago and entered a nursing home.

After his father died, he wanted to open a brewery in his honor. He joined with Nick Hodge, former president of Red Earth Brewers homebrewing club, to create Skydance. They originally

Skydance Brewing owners Nicholas Hodge and Jake Keyes at Brewers Union | Photo Alexa Ace

wanted to build their own brewery, but as potential costs began to rise, three tenants at the Brewers Union left to open their own standalone breweries, opening space for Skydance.

“It was time to get us going and get our feet on the ground before we find our own location,” Keyes said. “Hopefully, before it’s time we’re packaging our next beer, [the department] will be back open.

We know they’re going to be backlogged, so we’re going to get stuff in the system.

Hopefully we’re not too far behind.”

I just want to be able to get these labels approved to sell my beer and keep making new jobs, keep growing the company and doing cool stuff.

Zach Prichard There are more than 30 breweries operating in Oklahoma, and its largest brewery — Prairie Artisan Ales, based in Krebs where it has a production facility, including another in McAlester in addition to taprooms in Tulsa and Oklahoma City, 3 NE Eighth St. — is heavily impacted by the shutdown due to its reliance on monthly specialty beers.

Prairie Artisan Ales owner Zach Prichard appeared on MSNBC Jan. 8 after the company’s Twitter tweeted at the president, “We are an Americanowned company and we want to distribute a new beer, but the shutdown includes the Alcohol Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau … so we currently can’t move forward. Please help. The people want the beer.”

Prichard told MSNBC anchor Craig Melvin that Prairie stands to lose between $500 and $550 thousand in revenue due to the delay in release of a new Imperial stout Oh! Fudge made with brownies.

“For the first quarter of this year, we always do a lot of specialty releases, new beers,” Prichard said to Melvin. “Over the course of this year, we were planning on about half of our sales to come from those new beers. For the first quarter, it is even higher, 60-65 percent of sales we were planning through these new beers, and we don’t have approval for them yet because of the shutdown.”

Prichard noted that Prairie has grown from a handful of employees to now employing 75 people.

“These are big numbers for us and have a lot of impact on a number of

people’s lives,” he said. “I just want to be able to get these labels approved to sell my beer and keep making new jobs, keep growing the company and doing cool stuff.”

Other local breweries like Roughtail Brewing Co., Elk Valley Brewing Company and Vanessa House Beer Co. said the shutdown hasn’t affected them because their core line of beers are approved but expressed concern if the shutdown continues to linger and affect the release of summer beers.

Patrick Lively, Lively Beerworks owner and president of Craft Brewers Association of Oklahoma, said that the backlog created at the ATTB will likely push what was normally a 20-day approval process to 40 or 60 days.

“That’s just time that you’re basically losing on that product,” Lively said. “The shutdown affects real people’s lives. Our small businesses are affected; obviously, there are hundreds and thousands of federal employees not getting paychecks, which in the grand scheme of things is probably a little bigger deal than our labels getting approved.”

Lively encouraged people to contact their elected officials to let them know the impact of the shutdown on everyday lives and businesses.

In neighboring Colorado, U.S. Senator Michael Bennet sent a letter to Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin on behalf of the state’s nearly 400 breweries, which are part of the country’s craft brewing industry that he said represents $76.2 billion and 500,000 jobs in the U.S. economy, according to The Denver Post.

Late last week, the IRS recalled 46,000 furloughed employees, a little over half of its workforce, to work for free to help process income tax refunds. No such movement has been made at the Treasury Department.

Skydance is only able to sell its beer at the Brewers Union taproom and through the competitive draft beer market during the federal government shutdown. | Photo Alexa Ace

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GAZEDIBLES

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Small plates

When you are feeling hungry but you’re not exactly sure what you want to eat, these seven restaurants will let you try a lot of different options with friends and family for a great time to socialize.

ByJacob Threadgill with photos provided and Gazette / file

En Croûte

Snack Attack

Social Deck + Dining

The trained staff at En Croûte is always keeping its fromagerie stocked with a great selection of new and exciting cheeses, making it one of the best places in the city for a charcuterie and cheese plate with a glass of wine. Check the board for its daily offering or turn it over to the cheesemonger for a le loup plate and enjoy a selection of cheeses, meats and housemade sauces and crackers.

This new concept out in Yukon comes from the owners of a neveria in Oklahoma City who are looking to take their snack shop with plenty of homemade ice cream, fresh fruit crêpes, marinated fruit cocktails and much more to a wider audience.

There aren’t many places in the city to get a variety of homemade ice creams, especially ones you can pair with an overstuffed baked potato and nachos.

The menu at the new Social Deck + Dining, which took over the old Chae Modern Korean location in December, is divided into two sides: “Let’s share” and “All mine.” Owners want to promote shareable appetizers like the smoked salmon board or lamb kefta (meatballs) that also comes as an entrée with Middle Eastern-style baked eggs.

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Bar Arbolada

637 W. Main St. facebook.com/bararbolada 405-601-8659

The staff at Bar Arbolada continues the tradition started by co-owner and Oklahoma City ex-pat Dustin Lancaster, who operates some of Los Angeles’ top bars and restaurants. Since it opened in the Arts District last year, the cozy spot has become one of the best places in the city to grab a drink and peruse a small plate menu that includes fried Spanish potatoes, a pot of pimento cheese, a curated cheese plate and much more.

Ok-Yaki

Sidecar Barley & Wine Bar

9 E. Edwards St., Edmond facebook.com/okyakiedmond 405-285-6670

If you only thought of Edmond’s The Patriarch as an opportunity to sip on craft beer and wine, then you haven’t been there since Jonathon Stranger’s yakitori concept opened in a shed on the property’s backyard. It’s an affordable way to taste a bunch of different marinated meat and vegetable skewers, but don’t sleep on the oversized sliders like chicken karaage.

1100 N. Broadway Ave. sidecarbarleyandwine.com 405-421-0203

The menu at Sidecar should be eaten in small bites between sips of a house cocktail or wine. There are flatbreads and sandwiches on the menu, but its appetizers, like stuffed mushrooms and smoked trout dip, are the stars. Its butcher board is a steal at $13; you get meats and cheeses with vegetables, fig preserves and an olive tapenade.

The Pritchard

1749 NW 16th St. pritchardokc.com | 405-601-4067

Executive chef Shelby Sieg is always coming up with inventive and tasty small plates to pair with a fantastic wine selection at The Pritchard, but there is one dish that will never be pulled of its rotating menu or there will be riots on 16th Street: roasted Brussels sprouts with chorizo. Even when you think we’ve reached peak Brussels, these will always hit the right spot.

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J A N U A R Y 2 3 , 2 0 1 9 | O KG A Z E T T E . C O M

ARTS & CULTURE

Hard truths

ART

else thinks,” Howard said. “What I would hope is that what I make will bring a sense of curiosity and a sense of wonder. …

That’s after the fact because when you’re Mildred Howard’s current exhibit at University working, you’re going through this process of trying to make that which you of Oklahoma explodes with a sense of true social are working on work compositionally and justice. By Jeremy Martin all the traditional things that go into the art-making process. I’m not making it to say, ‘Will people think this, or will people Writers often expend considerable wore to perform at the 2016 Super Bowl think that?’ I hate to say it, but that’s not chunks of their word counts describing halftime show over a Civil War-era ilmy job to figure out what people are going Mildred Howard’s work, but she classifies lustration of Confederate troops standto think.”

Her “Volume I & II: The History of everything she has created in her decadesing for inspection. “Memory Garden” long career in one syllable, three letters.

(1989) is a house-shaped structure made the United States with a Few Missing “I make art,” Howard said. “I make from wood and empty glass bottles.

Parts” (2007) presents two American whatever I’m interested in at the time.”

According to a museum press release history books that are literally full of The Oakland, California-based mixed for the exhibition, “Howard’s work inholes, and the social commentary the media artist is scheduled to lecture work seems to suggest was comabout her art and career 7 p.m. pletely unintentional.

Thursday in Mary Eddy and Fred “That was by happenstance. I Jones Auditorium at University of was building a totem of books and Oklahoma, 555 Elm Ave., in drilling holes in it, just random Norman. Howard is the university’s placement of holes, and when I got to that one, I opened it, and it has seventh Jerome M. Westheimer Sr. & Wanda Otey Westheimer the quote that’s on the Statue of Distinguished Visiting Artist Chair, Liberty on one side,” Howard said. and her lecture will mark the The holes surround Emma Lazarus’ poem calling for the opening of a public exhibition of her “huddled masses yearning to be work, which will remain on display free” to seek out Lady Liberty’s through April 7 at Fred Jones Jr. lamp “beside the golden door,” Museum of Art. In a 2012 article on the Joan which the history book, The United Mitchell Foundation website, States Since 1865, quotes in referHoward estimated that she “could ence to immigration restrictions fill several floors of a museum and instituted in the U.S. during the still have work left over” with her 1920s. “Now,” the authors write, art, which includes collages, sculp“the door was all but closed.” tures, installation art made from “For me, that piece is particufound objects and more. larly important because of what’s “Many people think about art, happening now with the borders,” and for some, it’s just one media for Howard said. “When Trump said a lifetime,” Howard said. “For me, the criminals are coming here, bullshit. It’s bullshit. They’re it’s doing what my interest is at the time. … The same thing applies to “Casanova: Style, Swagger, and the Embracement of the Other – I” already here, and he’s the biggest

by Mildred Howard. | Image Magnolia Editions / provided material. I work in everything from one. People have to work without bronze and glass to found and acpay. … Look what’s happening to the quired objects. For me, making art is young people in our schools. They’re corporates a variety of media to create making art. … I like making things. I not from out of the country. They’re nuanced examinations of gender, race, like using, making and thinking about politics and other issues central to conright here.”

Though the holes were created with art … and I’m continuously trying to temporary society.” perfect that.”

The artist herself, meanwhile, said a drill, they could easily be mistaken for Howard’s collage “I’ve Been a she is not attempting to make any spelarge-caliber bullet holes. Howard Witness to this Game I” (2016), for cific statement in her work. created another of her works, “Ten example, superimposes a black-and“When I’m making art, I don’t make Little Children Standing in a Line (One white image of Beyoncé in the art and say, ‘Oh, I’m going to make this Got Shot and Then Were Nine),” in 1991, Dsquared2-designed leather jacket she political, or I’m going to make this that but it was inspired by the Soweto way,’” Howard said. “Being the Uprising of 1976, in which South African maker is one thing; being the specpolice opened fire on a crowd of schooltator or the viewer is another. Art children demonstrating for the right to does not say, ‘Oh I’m political.’ Art continue learning their lessons in does not talk. It doesn’t have feelEnglish in opposition to a new mandate ings. … A painting is an inanimate under apartheid. A photo of a 13-yearobject. A sculpture is an inanimate old boy killed by the police incited object, but what does it do to the further protests and drew internationviewer and to the spectator? That’s al attention to the incident, resulting in the larger question.” the economic sanctions that would cripple South Africa’s apartheid-supArtful juxtaposition porting government.

Ultimately, the beholder’s perception In Art of Engagement: Visual Politics is outside of her control and doesn’t in California and Beyond, author Peter figure into her creative process.

Selz writes, “In her solemnization of “I can’t determine what someone anger, grief and mourning, Howard presents us with a large number of opened hands made of copper. …

“Memory Garden” by Mildred Howard | Image Anglim Gilbert / provided Arranged around a large cross on the

Mildred Howard, named Westheimer Distinguished Visiting Artist Chair by University of Oklahoma, will speak 7 p.m. Thursday at the opening of an exhibition at the university’s Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art. | Photo Chester Higgins / provided

floor, the hands stand in front of a seemingly abstract geometric design, which is actually a wall composed from thousands of bullet casings.”

Howard said she had the idea for the piece after finding glove-shaped molds many years after the events, but it remains relevant today.

“It was 15 or 20 years after the Soweto massacre that I was able to even deal with that one,” Howard said. “Because you want to learn to speak a different language, you’re going to be massacred?

Look what’s happening in this country right now. Right now. What’s wrong with speaking several languages?”

As detailed in Pam Uzzell’s 2018 documentary Welcome to the Neighborhood, Howard moved to Oakland after she was priced out of her native Berkeley, California, when the rent on her studio went up by 50 percent as a result of gentrification. The documentary discusses the artist’s work along with the work of her mother, community organizer Mabel Howard, who fought against dividing the city along racial lines. Though Mildred Howard does not consider herself an activist, she said in the documentary that her relationship to her work mirrors her mother’s feelings about her own work for equality.

“Art is a blessing and a curse,” Mildred Howard told interviewers. “It’s a blessing because I can do it, and it’s a curse because I can do it.”

Admission to the lecture and the exhibition is free. Visit ou.edu/fjjma.

The Jerome M. Westheimer, Sr. & Wanda Otey Westheimer Distinguished Visiting Artist Chair: Mildred Howard Thursday-April 7 Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art University of Oklahoma 555 Elm Ave., Norman | ou.edu/fjjma 405-325-3272 Free

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T H E AT E R

Todd Mosby leads New Horizons Ensemble. | Photo Jerry Nauheim / provided

Musical magic

New Horizons Ensemble aims to inspire and transform audiences with its contemporary acoustic performances. By Ian Jayne

Music has the power to inspire, shape careers and take listeners on journeys, as is the case for New Horizons Ensemble, a six-person contemporary acoustic group coming to Oklahoma City Community College (OCCC) Jan. 31.

The concert is at OCCC’s Visual and Performing Arts Center Theater, 7777 S. May Ave., at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $10-$25 and are available at tickets. occc.edu.

The ensemble incorporates a vast array of musical genres into performances, including pop, New Age, American jazz and folk. New Horizons performs original compositions but also classics from cultural icons such as James Taylor, Joni Mitchell and Neil Young. This distinctive and multivalent sound is shaped by the award-winning members of the instrumental lineup: Todd Mosby (guitar), Jeff Haynes (percussion), Michael Manring (fretless bass), Premik R. Tubbs (woodwinds and lap steel) and Lola Toben and Bryan Toben on vocals with instrumentation on piano and guitar, respectively.

New Horizons emerged after Mosby recorded his first album with producer Will Ackerman, which brought him into contact with people he had met in St. Louis, Missouri, where he is based, including former classmates.

“It turns out that all the people that were on [the album] were also available for touring as well,” Mosby said. “They 26

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believed in the music. All the players are top-flight.”

Mosby has been on his own musical journey since he was a child. His musical beginnings started around age 6 and were informed by curiosity and a desire to learn new instruments.

“I came up in the era when musicals were still on television, so I started by listening to Broadway musicals early on,” Mosby said. “When I heard The Beatles, I got a guitar, did that route, then later I heard Herb Alpert and the Tijuana brass when I was 13, and I started playing trumpet.”

By 14, Mosby had switched back to guitar and began playing in acoustic string bands while he was still in high school. He also credits Will the Circle Be Unbroken, a 1972 album by the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, as opening up the world of bluegrass and musical improvisation — style that would continue to shape Mosby’s musical stylings during the 1970s and beyond.

His path would eventually take him to study at Berklee College of Music and win two Global Music Awards (GMAs) in 2016 for his album On Eagle Mountain.

In addition to his Western musical stylings, Mosby is also interested in Eastern music and is a member of Imdad Khani Gharana, a sitar-based musical tradition that dates back to the early part of the 20th century.

Because he works with so many differ-

ent types of music, Mosby said his composition process varies greatly. He previously composed music for film, theater and television but said ideas can also come more organically, stemming from practice sessions and developing ideas.

When he works on cerebral composing — without instruments — Mosby said the music score becomes like a canvas on which to splash sound and visualize ideas. In contrast, when he’s working with an instrument, the process of composition functions at a tactile level.

“There’s another process where I’m actually on the instrument, molding sound like a sculptor molds clay,” he said. “You’re working with sound in real time, in your hands, and that directs a different sort of compositional process.”

Mosby described the process as being similar to impressionism, in the tradition of Claude Debussy — one of his major musical influences — fundamentally based on rich harmonies and strong melodies.

“You get a cool-sounding chord or you get a cool melody … and then you start harmonizing it, breaking it apart like that to really crack open the nut,” Mosby said of his compositional process.

By focusing in on one element of sound like a chord progression or melody, Mosby aims to see what he can do with it and how far he can develop the music.

“If I’m dealing with Eastern music, it starts a lot with melody first, and then chords on top of that,” he said. “Each process has its own kind of pathway in.

Sometimes you just sit and around and play and come up with something.”

Transformative moments

These layered processes of composition manifest in New Horizons Ensemble’s

performances, all of which are meant to take the audience on a musical journey, replete with moments of auditory magic.

“What I look for is an engaging performance that will actually take the listener from point A to point B,” Mosby said.

But this journey from A to B is anything but static or rigidly linear. Mosby compared a concert to a road trip wherein the fastest and most efficient route is not always the most scenic.

New Horizons Ensemble’s performances are like musical meanderings, like those road trips where the goal is to experience as much beauty off the beaten track as it is to arrive.

“It’s like a person on a bus,” Mosby said. “You can take the straight routes in, or you can take the side roads, check out the really interesting sights. Then you come back down before you hit your main destination.”

In order to meet the high bars that the ensemble sets for itself, Mosby said the performances are stacked so that each tune has its own definitive moment and each moment has its place in the set.

Mosby said audience members have come up to him after a concert and told him the music helped create some sort of musical insight, whether they were having difficulty at work or struggling to solve a problem.

“By the end … they are totally transformed,” Mosby said. “Because each tune has its own special place inside the set, I create an arc of music through which the listener can just travel.”

Inspired by a vast array of instrumentation and musical styles, New Horizons Ensemble intends to do the same for its audiences by offering up the kind of moments of insightful transformation that can only come during the enchantment of a live performance.

For Mosby, this kind of performance is the true mark to which musicians should aspire, which he views as a lost art form. Another way the ensemble reaches out musically is through various workshops and private lessons.

“We all do outreach at all levels,” Mosby said. “We all come at it with a pretty broad spectrum.”

Mosby has authored four books on guitar technique and taught privately and at the university level for over three decades. Manring hosts seminars on fretless bass, and Lola Toben leads singer-songwriter and lyric workshops.

Tubbs, Jeff Haynes and Bryan Toben also participate in outreach endeavors.

Visit toddmosbymusic.com.

New Horizons Ensemble 7:30 p.m. Jan. 31 Visual and Performing Arts Center Theater Oklahoma City Community College 7777 S. May Ave. | tickets.occc.edu 405-682-7579 $10-$25

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One Eno

Oklahoma City Philharmonic expands its musical horizons in its latest program. By Jeremy Martin

Freemason symbolism and a spacey soundtrack created by an “ambient god” are included in Oklahoma City Philharmonic’s upcoming concert celebrating artistic freedom. Independent Creativity 8 p.m. Saturday at Civic Center Music Hall, 201 N. Walker Ave., features Leonard Bernstein’s “Three Dance Episodes” from On the Town, Brian Eno’s “An Ending (Ascent),” Jennifer Higdon’s Concerto for Harp and Orchestra and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s Symphony No. 41 in C major (Jupiter).

Alexander Mickelthwate, artistic director of OKC Phil, said Mozart’s symphony is “entrenched in Freemason symbolism.” While Freemasonry is most commonly known in the 21st century as the subject of Illuminati conspiracy theories, in 1788, when Mozart composed the symphony, the secret society was known for encouraging freethinking and equality. Along with Mozart, several of America’s Founding Fathers, including George Washington and Benjamin Franklin, were members of the organization.

“Nowadays, it has a very different connotation, but at that time, it was actually illuminated,” Mickelthwate said. “It was a secret society, but one with really intelligent people. … If you think about it, at that time in Europe, you were either Protestant or Catholic, and everybody was that, so it was deeply entrenched in religion and not so much in science. But if you were to look at the symbols [of the Freemasons]

Artistic director Alexander Mickelthwate will conduct Oklahoma City Philharmonic in Independent Creativity, a concert featuring works

by Brian Eno and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. | Photo Oklahoma City Philharmonic / provided

… they were about scientific instruments and natural phenomenon and Egyptian history. If you compare this with religion, it was many steps forward. People in the lodge sat equally next to each other, so the gardener or the local person could run the lodge and a noble person could be sitting at the same table.”

The references to the secret society’s symbolism can be found by carefully studying the construction of the composition, Mickelthwate said. The number three, prominently used in Masonic rituals, can be frequently found in the work, for example, and the key of C major, which includes no sharps or flats, “represents the resurrection of the enlightened man to the rank of Master,” according to the “Music and Masons” series produced

by British Columbia’s Ashlar Masonic Lodge No. 3. For non-Masons, the composer’s belief in equality is much easier to hear, Mickelthwate said.

“In the last movement of that symphony, there’s two famous passages where he layers five or six voices on top of each other like a canon where each voice is equal, where not one voice sticks out,” Mickelthwate said.

“Everybody is individual but equal. It’s

Lisa Hoke (American, b. 1952), Come on Down Oklahoma (detail), 2015.

Cardboard packaging, glue, and hardware. Museum commission with funds from the Carolyn A. Hill Collections Endowment, 2015

continued on page 28

O KG A Z E T T E . C O M | J A N U A R Y 2 3 , 2 0 1 9

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ARTS & CULTURE

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TODD MOSBY NEW HORIZONS ENSEMBLE

Thursday, January 31, 7:30 pm

A six member contemporary acoustic instrumental super-group creates the perfect blend of new acoustic music with timeless classics by Joni Mitchell, Neil Young, James Taylor and more. Come aboard a transformative musical ride filled with special moments. Each song has its own story, in its own path, leading the listener through a musical arc which will leave them wanting more!

OCCC Visual and Performing Arts Center Theater 7777 South May Avenue tickets.occc.edu • Box Office: 682-7579 • www.occc.edu/pas

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J A N U A R Y 2 3 , 2 0 1 9 | O KG A Z E T T E . C O M

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maybe not something one would recognize if you don’t know about it, but if you know about it, it’s like, ‘Whoa.’ Suddenly it opens up. It’s a kind of miracle the way he wrote it.”

The composer and the Founding Fathers held many common beliefs, Mickelthwate said, though Freemasonry would be outlawed in Mozart’s native country.

“In a way, Mozart would’ve been a perfect American,” Mickelthwate said.

T H E AT E R

The

continued from page 27

About Town

Born in Lawrence, Massachusetts, in 1918, Bernstein also believed in equality, Mickelthwate said.

“The original idea of America, I think, comes through in Bernstein’s writing,” Mickelthwate said. “It’s not for the king. It’s not for some snobby art person. It’s for everybody.”

“Three Dance Episodes” is taken from the musical comedy On the Town, the story of three sailors on shore leave in New York City during World War II, which was later adapted into a film starring Gene Kelly and Frank Sinatra.

Bernstein helped popularize classical music in the U.S. by composing musicals such as West Side Story and scores for films such as On the Waterfront and conducting televised Young People’s Concerts from 1958-1972, but traditionalist composers were not impressed by Bernstein’s populist approach.

“In the ’60s and ’70s, the famous living composers in Europe at that time all dismissed Bernstein,” Mickelthwate said. “They thought, ‘Gosh. This is not really art what he’s doing.’ And he was like, ‘What? Are you crazy? I’m composing for myself and the people.’”

English producer Brian Eno, meanwhile, is a self-described “non-musician” who helped codify and popularize ambient music in the 1970s with albums Discreet Music and Ambient 1: Music for Airports. His “An Ending (Ascent)” comes from the 1983 album Apollo: Atmospheres and Soundtracks, which provides the score for a documentary about the Apollo moon missions.

“He’s, of course, this kind of ambient god in music working with a small group of musicians,” Mickelthwate said. “Originally, this was not written for orchestra, but it has been adapted two or three times, I think, for classical instruments. … They took that recording and just literally rewrote it bar by bar for orchestra.”

Though Eno might not consider himself a composer, his ambient work is influential in contemporary classical music.

“You were almost allowed to play nothing, and it became music,” Mickelthwate said. “There’s a whole bunch of musicians now coming from minimalism and from noise, and there’s a whole bunch that crisscross into classical. It’s awesome — I love it.”

Norman native Yolanda Kondonassis performs Jennifer Higdon’s Concerto for Harp and Orchestra with Oklahoma City Philharmonic. | Photo Oklahoma City Philharmonic / provided

Though it was intentionally composed for an orchestra, Higdon’s Concerto for Harp and Orchestra has two elements that aren’t incredibly common in the symphony: a harpist (Norman native Yolanda Kondonassis) and a female composer.

“Now there are actually more female composers, but it is still a big deal, I think,” Mickelthwate said. “During Mozart’s time, there wasn’t really anybody. It wasn’t really until the 1980s that it started.”

Historically, compositions by women can be dated back to 12th-century religious works by Hildegard von Bingen, female composers such as Fanny Mendelssohn, Clara Schumann and Amy Beach are not as commonly known and their works are not as often played as many of their male counterparts.

Higdon’s work, which has won two Grammys and a Pulitzer Prize, is “engaging and beautiful” and “classically based,” Mickelthwate said, but it also features contemporary elements.

“There’s something with Jennifer’s music always that is very powerful,” Mickelthwate said. “I don’t want to say ‘masculine’ because it makes you play with both sides, I feel. … It’s steeped in classical tradition and trying to go with that tradition into the 21st century and expanding it. … She embraces her history and takes those tools and uses them like an architect. She’s putting together a piece in a similar way to when Beethoven would put it together but with a little different language and creates something that way that is really classical but of the 21st century.”

Tickets are $19-$83. Visit okcphil. org.

Independent Creativity 8 p.m. Saturday Civic Center Music Hall 201 N. Walker Ave. | okcphil.org 405-594-8300 $19-$83

T H E AT E R

ARTS & CULTURE

Pack mentality High school soccer players struggle to process the world beyond suburbia in The Wolves. By Charles Martin

The Wolves pounces from the opening lines with a flurry of overlapping conversations about Nuon Chea, the 90-year-old right-hand man to Khmer Rouge leader Pol Pot, who was responsible for the Cambodian genocide of over a million people. All while casually getting ready for a soccer match within their stretch circle.

The innovative play about nine fiercely competitive high school soccer players often reads like a shotgun blast of dialogue, but it is an astonishingly nuanced series of character studies written by Sarah DeLappe that earned a 2017 Obie Award (off-Broadway theater award) for ensemble performance. Nominated for a Pulitzer Prize, The Wolves focuses on realistic dialogue intentionally written to be somewhat clumsy and inelegant, similar to Mamet Speak, the term coined for David Mamet’s rapid-fire playwriting style.

Though untraditional, DeLappe’s story is approachable for its abundant humor, heart and of-the-moment subject matter.

“It’s not really a #MeToo play, but it does deal with sexism and inequity in how women’s sports are treated in regards to supplies and options available when compared to men’s sports,” said director and Oklahoma City University assistant professor Courtney DiBello. “The teen girls are also discussing things like refugees coming up to the southern border trying to get asylum and how they are treated in the camps.”

The Wolves’ characters are known primarily by their jersey numbers, and names are only revealed intermittently within dialogue. It makes the audience feel apart from the group, ignorant of the rich lives and relationships, and only able to piece some of their back-

stories together through hints dropped in the script. The experience is more like eavesdropping rather than having a story carefully doled out. Dialogue also is not listed one line at a time in the script, but often there are as many as three columns of dialogue going at one time, which presents a huge challenge for the director.

“Sarah DeLappe described it as being like making music,” DiBello said. “The dialogue on the left side of page is the primary melody and the dialogue to the right is more supplemental, ornamental elements. She doesn’t intend the secondary dialogue to be as well heard as the primary dialogue. The trick for us is to make sure that the audience doesn’t miss anything, so if you slow down your mind and try to take it all in like you would music, you won’t miss a thing.”

So DiBello is almost conducting the play as if she were standing before an orchestra. Another catch to the script is those secondary dialogue elements are revealing character motivations, fears and quirks that help explain the complex chemistry of the group as a whole. Even the lines that fade more into the background aren’t considered throwaways. Interwoven in all the crests and troughs of the conversations are the small details that add illumination to the array of personalities on the team.

“The playwright created this Easter egg hunt for us,” DiBello said. “There isn’t a single place to get all the info where the story and the characters are broken down for us. We had to go through the script with a comb, looking for clues like Sherlock Holmes, and only after the umpteenth read did we start to get all the nuance.

“From an audience perspective, it’s lovely because you are having all this revealed to you over time. It can be frustrating from a performance side because none of this information is spelled out for us. I have a few actors in this play who’ve been in it before who are just now realizing things about the play. It’s crazy that you can go through an entire rehearsal period and still come back a second time to find new things.”

The play is broken up into singlescene acts set during six weeks in an indoor soccer league. The players are trying to attract college scouts ahead of their senior year of high school, so stakes are high. They talk in the familiarity of a developmental team that has played together as one unit since they were children. Not all of the players are friends, not all of the players even like each other, but they respect one another’s commitment to the sport and are very suspicious of any coach or new player that might disrupt their team chemistry.

Fortunately for DiBello and the cast, there are no scenes involving actual soccer play. The script is difficult enough as it is to cast with nine fully realized characters all demanding equal time on stage, but finding nine elite soccer players able to handle the character complexity would be nearly impossible, even for off-Broadway theater.

“The playwright was quite kind that the skills that the actors are being asked to do are achievable so I’m not having to find high-level soccer players,” DiBello said.

The production enlisted the help of Nathan Doll, an assistant coach of the OKCU women’s soccer team, to help instill some authenticity into the program, both by going over the drills shown in the play, but also to advise on some of the aspects of elite soccer that might only be known by those within that culture.

“Nathan helped us all the way down to the small nuances of the captain always has the soccer ball with them and the goalie doesn’t ever take her gloves off for some reason, even when

running,” DiBello said.

But the cast does not ever have to perform soccer skills more trying than basic passing drills and stretching because this is not really a play about soccer. The Wolves is more about teenagers learning how to process the world in the only way they know how: talking, listening and watching within their peer group. Though it might come off as chatter, the play makes it clear that these nine characters are all coming from nine unique perspectives and aren’t fully formed as adults. When they talk about genocide, sexism, racism, political correctness, they are testing reactions, pushing boundaries and learning together. They might not understand why it’s offensive to use the term “retard” until they get a negative reaction. Or why it’s not appropriate to reveal a trusted secret. Or how to deal with death.

The play might be set on a soccer field among elite athletes, but DiBello thinks the way the group is sorting out emotions collectively is universal among teenagers.

“Soccer is just the reason they are there; you could retell this story in any group activity of teenage life,” DiBello said. “Dancers getting ready for competition. Basketball. Band students getting ready for a performance. The story would still ring true.”

So when a player trips up and says something the group rails against, that is part of the learning experience inherent in the teen years when social boundaries aren’t always so obvious.

“Thank God there was no social media when I was that age,” DiBello said. “So all that dumb stuff I said back then won’t be displayed in the digital universe forever.”

Visit okcu.edu/theatre.

The Wolves Jan. 31-Feb. 3 The Burg Theatre 2501 N. Blackwelder Ave. okcu.edu/theatre | 405-208-5227 $15

top left to right Amanda Kronhaus, Bailey Huerta, Dani Pike, Emma Grey, Jaqueline Bennett, bottom left to right Kaiden Maines, Kelsey Bray, Olivia White of The Wolves | Photos Oklahoma City University / provided

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Simon’s stories

Jewel Box Theatre’s upcoming production of Neil Simon’s seminal Barefoot in the Park brings the realistic, relevant, relatable romantic comedy to life. By Ian Jayne

First comes love, then comes marriage, then comes … a disastrous first apartment. Or at least that’s the case in Neil Simon’s 1963 classic Barefoot in the Park, which runsThursday-Feb. 17 at Jewel Box Theatre, 3700 N. Walker Ave. Performances will take place 8 p.m.

Thursdays-Saturdays and 2:30 p.m.

Sundays. Tickets are $20-$25 and are available for purchase by calling 405521-1786 or visiting the box office.

Barefoot in the Park, which began its successful run on Broadway in 1963 and has been adapted for film and television multiple times, follows newlyweds Corie and Paul Bratter as they move into a New York brownstone that perfectly encapsulates the thrills and anxieties of major life changes.

Paul, an attorney, is highly strung, while Corie is more of a free spirit. Together, they take on their new life and the attendant problems of a cramped apartment. They don’t have a bathtub or heat. A broken skylight lets snow fall into their apartment, and the closet has a leak — all issues that might make a New York winter (especially the first winter as a married couple) interesting, to say the least.

Set against this host of problems are compelling interpersonal dramas — Corie and Paul’s new marriage and the attemptPaxton Kliewer and Korri Werner star in Barefoot in the Park. | Photo Jim Beckel / provided

ed romance between Corie’s mother, Ethel Banks, and another resident of the Bratters’ building, Mr. Velasco.

Fresh perspective

Director Wil Rogers is no stranger acting at Jewel Box, where he has performed for over two decades (while also working at Shakespeare in the Park for 15 seasons), but Barefoot in the Park marks his directorial debut at the theater. He was drawn to the show by the script, which showcases Simon’s legendary comedy.

“It’s kind of the original The Odd Couple,” Rogers said, referring to Simon’s 1965 play and 1968 film. “It’s one of my favorite Neil Simon plays because I think it’s a very cute romantic comedy. I was fortunate to be given it because it’s going to play through Valentine’s Day, and also in light of [Simon’s] passing this last year, it’s a real honor for me to be able to direct it.”

It’s one of my favorite Neil Simon plays because I think it’s a very cute romantic comedy.

Wil Rogers Rogers praised Simon’s quick wit and penchant for great dialogue — especially between Paul and Corie — as well as the show’s distinctly 1960s aesthetic.

“That was a very attractive aspect of it for me,” Rogers said. “I love old comedies like The Philadelphia Story and comedies that have an older, classic sensibility to them.”

In order to make it look like the actors have taken a step back in time, Rogers said he looked to productions like Mad Men when it came to inspiration for style, clothing and kitchen furnishings.

As much as any good romantic comedy prioritizes its settings, the genre also calls for distinct ways of acting and interacting, which Rogers wanted his actors to connect with through mannerisms and stage work.

“People carried themselves a little differently 50 years ago,” he said.

For Lilli Bassett, playing Ethel Banks, Barefoot in the Park transcends its immediate temporal setting to remain fresh today in 2019.

“It really holds up very, very well,” Bassett said. “There’s a couple of refer-

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ences that I think people will giggle about, but other than that, just the relationships and the dynamics of the two couples — it’s still very, very relevant and very pertinent.”

Bassett, who studied theater at University of Oklahoma (OU) and who has worked extensively in community theater, said the mother-daughter relationship in Barefoot in the Park is one of care and love. In order to bring Ethel to life, Bassett said she was able to tap into her own experiences as a mother and the inevitable process of letting one’s children grow up.

“My kids are probably about the same age as Corie in the play,” Bassett said.

“She’s reached that point in motherhood where, OK, they’re grown up, they’re out there on their own and I just have to stand back and let them be grownups. … You just have to let them find their way in the world.”

Korri Werner, who shares a name (albeit spelled differently) with her character, Corie Bratter, similarly drew on her own previous experiences as a newlywed in a big city. After studying acting at Oklahoma City University, Werner and her husband moved to Chicago in 2010, where they lived for six years before coming back to Oklahoma.

“It’s a very contemporary script; they’re having very real conversations with some crazy hijinks thrown in,” Werner said. “I remember being a newlywed, and we moved to Chicago into this tiny apartment immediately after we got married, and so I relate to this.

You get into this New York City apartment, and it’s not really what you expected; it’s small and a nightmare and things are broken. … We’re newlyweds; how do we navigate this?”

Barefoot in the Park asks such questions of its characters. How do they deal with the mundane stresses of married life? Are people static, or do they change? Can they run, carefree, barefoot in the park?

Staging Simon

Paxton Kliewer, a junior acting major at OU, remembers reading Barefoot in the Park for a school assignment.

“From the first time I read it a couple

from left Korri Werner, Lilli Bassett and Paxton Kliewer appear in a scene from Barefoot in the Park. | Photo Jim Beckel / provided

of years ago, I was like, ‘Wow! This would be a really fun role.’ With Neil Simon, it’s really easy to bring it to life. … Getting the opportunity to work with this material has been really, really wonderful.”

For Kliewer, getting into character is all about closely reading the script and examining past interpretations of the role in relation to one’s own ideas.

He said that working with comedy — specifically the intricacy of Neil Simon romantic comedy — also requires a keen sense of the timing that goes into talking to one’s new spouse.

Another element that affects any play at Jewel Box is working in the round, where the audience surrounds a central stage. Fortuitously, as both Rogers and Bassett pointed out, the stage at Jewel Box is roughly the same size as Corie and Paul’s New York City apartment would be, replete with landings and stairs.

Bassett said that working in the round offers a kind of actor’s freedom, offering up an organic, realistic way to move around the stage.

“That’s a lovely thing about Jewel Box,” Rogers said. “It’s so intimate that you’re kind of in the apartment with them.”

For Rogers, Barefoot in the Park also creates another kind of intimacy — that of its nostalgic relatability.

“Corie and Paul, I think, make us all harken back to our first relationships or the beginnings of our marriage,” Rogers said.

Visit jewelboxtheatre.org.

Barefoot in the Park Thursday-Feb. 17 Jewel Box Theatre 3700 N. Walker Ave. jewelboxtheatre.org | 405-521-1786 $20-$25

CO M M U N I T Y

Working women

The Treasury is a new coworking space on Film Row that caters to professional women. By Jo Light

Hannah Schmitt is editor of the local parenting magazine Metro Family. As her own boss, she chose to work from home for the past four years. She called this set up “kind of fine” until she and her husband Brian Schmitt had their son two years ago.

Suddenly, lines between work, family and the home became muddled.

Assignments crowded the family’s dining table. Going out to coffee shops for a change of pace was too difficult with a toddler. She knew something had to change.

“We started tossing around the idea of me having an office to do the magazine work,” she said, “but private offices are really expensive, and it still wasn’t solving the problem of feeling isolated and lonely working from home.”

While she loved the flexibility of her job, she missed having social interaction while working.

“You don’t ever have anybody to throw ideas at,” she said. “You never have anybody to get feedback if you’re having an issue with your boss or an issue with a client or anything like that.”

At the time, Hannah Schmitt was helping host the Oklahoma City chapter of the Creative Mornings lecture series.

Through the series, she met fellow female professionals who expressed similar frustrations with their work lives.

The architecture in The Treasury incorporates elements of the original MGM building in Film Row. | Photo Alexa Ace

She was also involved in the online platform Stories and Work. Although the platform began with a general focus on entrepreneurs in 2015, in 2017, she shifted to interviewing female entrepreneurs exclusively. The site was created as a way to share stories and foster an online community. Hannah Schmitt said she often heard the same things from her interview subjects.

“And then over time, it just got to be more and more evident that women in Oklahoma City needed a place,” she said. “That I was not the only one who would be able to use something like this.

And Brian totally agreed with that.”

She said when they decided to move forward with the creation of their coworking space, The Treasury, 10 N. Lee Ave., their arrangement was perfect because she serves as the “heart” of the business while he’s the “brain.” Brian Schmitt currently works for Devon Energy as an engineer.

“So it was just like all the stars aligned,” she said. “I needed it, I kept hearing [from] other women who needed it, and so here we are.”

Hannah Schmitt said having the space has helped her set necessary boundaries between work and home.

“It has been incredibly helpful over this past month for me to come here, open my laptop, get things done and then really close it and go be present in the other areas of my life,” she said. “I think all women struggle with that.”

Although she acknowledged that boundaries look different for each person, The Treasury does not offer evening hours to discourage working constantly.

Coworking is an idea that has become more popular in recent years, and several local coworking spaces have already sprung up in Oklahoma City.

But Hannah Schmitt decided she wanted theirs to be female-only.

“Having a baby two years ago, I think I realized that the challenges that women face in the workplace are even more different than I ever thought before,” she said. “Women just have a lot on their plate.”

Creating community

She said she wants the space to be one where “women can learn from other women specifically,” which echoes her efforts with Stories and Work and Creative Mornings.

Creating a professional community and opportunities for connection are additional goals of their new endeavor, so hosting events for women is another focus of The Treasury.

“The events that The Treasury hosts are important to us,” Hannah Schmitt said, “because one thing we wanted to be really intentional about was not just offering the space and saying, ‘Come in here and work,’ but [offering] more of a community.”

She pointed out that in the corporate world, networking and continued education are often built into jobs.

“When you are self-employed or you’re employed in something more flexible, that’s on you to do, usually,” she said. “And so we’re trying to build that for people.”

The Treasury has hosted a lunchand-learn series called Premium in Practice, panel discussions about navigating multiple roles and jobs and group yoga. Potential additions include a running club and a book club. They also recently held a Working Mom Summit.

Members of The Treasury can attend

The Treasury coworking space for women features offices, meeting rooms and communal areas. | Photo Alexa Ace

events for free. Members of the public are welcome also but must purchase a ticket.

“Overall, I think we want our lives to be led by investing in other people and realizing life’s not just only about us,” Brian Schmitt said. “And also providing an opportunity for other people who are like-minded and want that same thing. To pour into others and also to be poured into.”

The Schmitts also hope to eventually provide scholarships to female entrepreneurs who might not be able to afford the membership fee. They said growing their community will also be a major goal in the new year.

The coworking space was opened at the beginning of November and is in the newly renovated MGM building on Film Row. The Schmitts and developer Eric Fleske took great care to preserve the building’s original architectural details.

The main workspace is wide and open, with plenty of seating. A half-wall along the interior has incorporated the building’s old windows as a unique feature.

The workspace connects to an area they call the “living room,” which is a slightly more relaxed space that can be used for taking meetings or phone calls.

The Treasury’s formal conference room features exposed brick walls and beautifully restored crown molding, which is original to the building.

It shares the back part of the building with Sage Realty Partners, whose offices are partially housed in the former film vaults. The original doors to the vaults still remain.

The space already has several coworking members, including professionals in areas of design, writing and realty. Members are provided parking, a mailing address and office amenities.

As mentioned, The Treasury also functions as an event space after hours and the main area and amenities are available for rent.

Visit thetreasury.work.

O KG A Z E T T E . C O M | J A N U A R Y 2 3 , 2 0 1 9

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ARTS & CULTURE

SHOPPING

In addition to furnishings, Robinson’s Repurposed features locally made fashion. | Photo Alexa Ace

Design rewind Robinson’s Repurposed brings a fresh look to vintage furnishings. By Jo Light

Robinson’s Repurposed in Norman bills itself as an “eclectic marketplace.” And certainly, if you step into the shop at 114 S. Porter Ave., you’ll find a mix of refurbished furniture in various styles, numerous knickknacks, local art pieces, rare antiques and more.

Owner Laura Robinson insisted that the store was messier than she preferred as the staff performed inventory, but there is a charming sense to its organization. Electric teakettles are arranged under a display of collectible beer steins and glasses. A bundle of fencing foils stand near a table covered in old film cameras.

The larger furniture pieces, like the art deco buffet just inside the door, are mostly arranged near the front. Dig deeper and you’ll find paintings by local artists like Sam Douglas and Saumo or modern barware and wall hangings. A sharp eye will spot the wooden icebox from 1822, complete with original fixtures and a delicately painted lion on its front panel.

Robinson said she was working as an interior designer and accumulating pieces for her clients’ spaces when she decided to open the store in 2012.

“They come to me and say, ‘I’m looking for a mid-century modern Drexel desk with leather top,’” Robinson said by way of example. “It kind of just falls in your lap. So eventually I kept finding things and finding things, and it just evolved into what we are now.”

The store was originally located on Main Street in downtown Norman, but about a year ago, it moved into its bigger warehouse location on Porter Avenue.

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Robinson is mother to six children and said she always had a passion for interior design. Her interest began with art, and while living in Dallas, she would go to estate sales. As a young mother with a growing family, she sought out highgrade furniture to put in her spaces.

“I didn’t want to have college furniture,” she said. “I wanted something different because I was already a mom and [creating] a home.”

She called Oklahoma City an artsy area with excellent estate sales. The store’s inventory is filled via these sales as well as through purchases from Robinson’s existing customers who might be downsizing or remodeling.

The store finished 2018 with over 270,000 items in its inventory.

“What would guide me to buying something would be maybe a client that I’m designing a house for,” Robinson said, “or if I feel like you couldn’t buy it in Oklahoma. I always try to achieve that goal. Something very unusual, like this 18th-century bronze monk statue.”

She gestured to the impressive Asian statue nearby.

“Every piece that we acquire almost always has a story,” she said.

Robinson continues to offer design services for personal or business clients, all while maintaining the retail side.

“What I try to start with is the things that they have in their home,” she said.

“And then [give] it a new, fresh look. And Laura Robinson opened Norman-based vintage store Robinson’s Repurposed in 2012. | Photo Alexa Ace

when I say ‘new, fresh look’ I do not mean going out to buy new items. It’s more allowing that client to appreciate what they have in a different setting.”

For those who do want new pieces in their space, Robinson can pull from the store inventory or seek out unique, hard-to-find pieces that will fit a client’s personality and tastes.

Robinson also is available to design spaces for events, including photo shoots, weddings, art gallery openings or private and corporate parties.

Furniture from the store is available for rent during these events.

“For the past holiday season, I put up 22 Christmas trees,” she said, giving another example of where her decorating expertise is often needed.

Robinson said the design work is most fulfilling because she gets to be part of her clients’ lives. Since she is constantly busy, she would need to be booked a couple of weeks in advance for any of her interior design services. Potential clients should call the store to inquire about her availability.

Furnishing school

With Norman being a college town, Robinson’s Repurposed also caters to an ever-changing student population. Often, Robinson is asked to design and select pieces for student apartments, providing stylish, functional décor on a budget.

“I think it helps mom and dad as well,” she said. “‘At least I know my kid has a dining table.’ I think we all think of college living as cinder blocks and wood. I think it gives some of them a peace of mind, that you can afford it.”

Overall, the store’s clientele is as diverse as the pieces inside it.

“It could be a student,” she said. “It could be a first-time homebuyer. It could be an art collector or a watch collector.

It could be someone who’s separated.”

No matter the background, Robinson pointed out that her customers all agree

on the idea of “global goodwill.” She doesn’t like to call it recycling, but instead described the sensibility as an appreciation for high-quality vintage pieces that have functioned for decades and now bring life to new spaces.

“When you have a vintage marble coffee table, you know someone has already accumulated that in the ’70s,” she said. “You’re just passing on that style.”

At one point, Robinson was also selling on consignment, but the inventory got too big and overwhelming for her to keep up with. Now she focuses on maintaining her own extensive inventory.

That inventory includes a large collection of local art. The store represents 35 local artists and continues to seek new pieces every month.

“We feel that we offer an opportunity for their art to be seen a lot more than your standard gallery setting,” she said.

In the past, Robinson’s Repurposed has participated in Norman Art Walk, and it continues to be involved in Norman city activities and festivals. Robinson said she also often donates furniture to organizations like Habitat for Humanity.

Robinson’s Repurposed offers refurbishment ser vices, too. Laura Robinson’s husband, Robert Robinson, runs Robert L. Studios and is available to strip, sand, repaint or restain furniture pieces. Most of the time, they are simply cleaning up and repairing pieces so they retain their original character.

Robert Robinson also builds large-scale pieces like kitchen islands and dressers.

The store works with many other local makers to create other pieces.

Additionally, the store sells OkieSky bath products, which are made in Bixby, and Oklahoma-themed shirts from Harvey Nicole & NME American Fashion Co. Of course, the inventory is always evolving and growing, and customers can find unique treasures amid the maze of chairs, sofas, tables and bookshelves.

“I feel like we always have things on the horizon,” Robinson said. “We always have projects going on.”

Visit robinsonsrepurposed.com.

CALENDAR are events recommended

by Oklahoma Gazette editorial staff members For full calendar listings, go to okgazette.com.

BOOKS Brown Bag Book Club bring your own lunch to this discussion of Sonja Sadovsky’s book The Priestess and the Pen, exploring ways fantasy writers have shaped the way women are depicted in popular culture, 11:30 a.m.- 1:30 p.m. Jan. 23. Labyrinth Temple, 417 NW 25th St, facebook.com/labyrinthtempleokc/. WED

FILM Almost Famous (2000, USA, Cameron Crowe) a straitlaced high school student gets the chance to cover a rock band for Rolling Stone in the early 1970s; screening followed by a discussion hosted by local podcasters from Cinematropolis, 7-9 p.m. Jan. 25. Tower Theatre, 425 NW 23rd St., 405-708-6937, towertheatreokc.com. FRI Stan & Ollie (2018, UK, Jon S. Baird) the iconic comedy duo Laurel and Hardy embark on a farewell tour at the end of their careers in this bio-pic starring John C. Reilly and Steve Coogan, Jan. 25. Rodeo Cinema, 2221 Exchange Ave, 405-235-3456. FRI

3840 N. St. Clair Ave., 405-982-7686. FRI Mindful Yoga Happy Hour practice mindful meditation with Bhante Santhapiya, followed by coffee, tea and conversation, 5-7 p.m. Fridays.

Oklahoma Buddhist Vihara, 4820 N. Portland Ave., 405-810-6528, okbv.org. FRI Moore Chess Club play in tournaments and learn about the popular board game at this weekly event where all ages and skill levels are welcome, 1-4 p.m.

Sundays. Moore Library, 225 S. Howard. SUN Paper Sack Project prepare sack lunches to pass out to people on the streets at this event hosted by Debate Night OKC, 10:30 a.m.-1 p.m. last Sunday of the month. NE OKC Community & Cultural Center, 3815 N. Kelley Ave., 405-401-3350. SUN Queen Mariah’s Variety Show a monthly stage show featuring various drag performers, 10:30 p.m.

Saturdays. Frankie’s, 2807 NW 36th St., 405-6022030, facebook.com/frankiesokc. SAT Reiki/Energy Share learn about reiki healing and share good vibes at this community get-together, 6 p.m. Fridays. Beautifully Connected, 13524 Railway Drive, Suite J, 262-753-6852, beautifullyconnectedwellness.com. FRI RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars 4 Watch Party meet up with other fans to watch the popular reality show paired with a live drag show featuring local performers, 7-9 p.m. Fridays. The Boom, 2218 NW 39th St., 405-601-7200, theboomokc.com. FRI

HAPPENINGS

Toastmasters Meeting hone public speaking and leadership skills in a move-at-your own pace environment, 7-8:30 p.m. Thursdays. McFarlin United Methodist Church, 419 S. University Drive, 623-8100295. THU

Board Game Brunch play board games while enjoying a variety of food and beverage options, 11 a.m.-5 p.m. last Sunday of the month. The R&J Lounge and Supper Club, 320 NW 10th St., 405-6025066, rjsupperclub.com. SUN

Vietnamese New Year celebrate the arrival of the Year of the Pig at this annual event featuring traditional dance performances, live music, games, and more, noon-5 p.m. Jan. 26. Biltmore Hotel, 401 S. Meridian Ave., 405-947-7681, biltmoreokc.com. SAT

Board Game Day enjoy local craft beer while playing old-school board and arcade games with friends, 5-8 p.m. Sundays. FlashBack RetroPub, 814 W. Sheridan Ave., 405-633-3604, flashbackretropub.com. SUN

Wednesday Night Trivia test your knowledge on various subjects for the chance to win prizes, 8 p.m. Wednesdays. The Garage Burgers and Beer, 1117 N. Robinson Ave., 405-602-6880, http:www. eatatthegarage.com. WED

Chicago Steppin Class learn how to do the popular dance at this free weekly class, 7-9 p.m. Thursdays.

L & G’s on the BLVD, 4801 N. Lincoln Blvd., 405-5242001, facebook.com/landgsontheblvd. THU Cocoa and Komodos visit the animals in Sanctuary Asia expansion and hear Greg Heanue, chief marketing executive for the zoo discuss marketing strategies at this event sponsored by Ad 2 OKC, 6 p.m. Jan. 24. The Oklahoma City Zoo, 2000 Remington Place, 405-424-3344, okczoo.com. THU Conversational Spanish Group Meetup an opportunity for all experience levels to practice speaking Spanish, 7 p.m. Tuesdays. Full Circle Bookstore, 1900 Northwest Expressway, 405-842-2900, fullcirclebooks.com. TUE Fuzzy Friday a monthly happy hour meet-andgreet hosted by the Bears of Central Oklahoma, 5:30 p.m. Fridays. Apothecary 39, 2125 NW 39th St., 405-605-4100. FRI The Impact of Islamophobia author Khaled Beydoun will discuss his book American Islamophobia, which examines growing anti-Muslim attitudes in the United States, 6:30-9:30 p.m. Mercy Food Pantry,

YOUTH Baby Signing Time: Series 1 an American Sign Language class with songs, stories and activities for children 0-3 years old and their parents, 11 a.m.-noon Fridays through Feb. 1. Thrive Mama Collective, 1745 NW 16th St., 405-356-6262. FRI Curious George: The Golden Meatball the inquisitive primate takes a trip to Italy in this familyfriendly musical adventure, Jan. 23-Feb. 17. Lyric Theatre, 1727 NW 16th St., 405-524-9310, lyrictheatreokc.com. WED-SUN Early Explorers toddlers and preschoolers can participate in fun scientific activities they can repeat later at home, 10-11 a.m. Thursdays. Science Museum Oklahoma, 2020 Remington Place, 405-602-6664, sciencemuseumok.org. THU Reading Wednesdays a weekly story time with hands-on activities, goody bags and reading-themed photo ops, 9:30-10:30 a.m. Wednesdays. Myriad Botanical Gardens, 301 W. Reno Ave., 405-445-7080, myriadgardens.com. WED

Enchanted Forest Ballet Prom If the word “prom” brings back memories of throwing up strawberry Boone’s Farm in the back of a borrowed station wagon, rest assured this fundraiser benefitting Oklahoma City Ballet’s outreach programs will probably be a decidedly classier and more grown-up affair complete with hors d’oeuvres, prize raffles and decorations inspired by August Bournonville’s La Sylphide, OKC Ballet’s upcoming production, which is also one of the oldest surviving ballets, dating back to 1836. (And you thought you didn’t want to tell people when you graduated.) As at most proms, a king and queen will be crowned, but you can leave the Everclear at home because there is no need to spike the punch; cocktails will be readily available. The evening begins 8:30 p.m. Friday at Oklahoma City Ballet’s Susan E. Brackett Dance Center, 6800 N. Classen Blvd. Tickets are $50-$75.

Call 405-848-8637 or visit okcballet.org. FRIDAY Photo provided Storytime Science the museum invites children age 6 and younger to hear a story and participate in a related scientific activity, 10 a.m. Tuesdays and Saturdays. Science Museum Oklahoma, 2020 Remington Place, 405-602-6664, sciencemuseumok.org. TUE

Othello’s Comedy Night see professionals and amateurs alike at this long-running weekly open mic for standup comics, 9 p.m. Tuesdays. Othello’s Italian Restaurant, 434 Buchanan Ave., Norman, 405-7014900, Othellos.us. TUE

Trey Hays book signing the Tishomingo author and elementary school teacher will read from his children’s book Little Loksi (Little Turtle), which includes Chickasaw names for animals, 3-5 p.m. Jan. 26. Full Circle Bookstore, 1900 Northwest Expressway, 405-8422900, fullcirclebooks.com. SAT

Poetry Night read from your own work or that of one of your favorite poets, 6-11 p.m. Jan. 24. Opolis, 113 N. Crawford Ave., 405-673-4931, opolis.org. THU

PERFORMING ARTS

Red Dirt Open Mic a weekly open mic for comedy and poetry, hosted by Red Dirt Poetry, 7:30-10:30 p.m. Wednesdays. Sauced on Paseo, 2912 Paseo St., 405-521-9800, saucedonpaseo.com. WED

All Ladies Night of Comedy see standup from Julie Drake, Meghan Welch, Georgina Adjaye and Melissa McGiniss at this show hosted by Angel Hamilton, 8-9 p.m. Jan. 26. The Paramount Room, 701 W. Sheridan Ave., 405-887-3327, theparamountroom. com. SAT Augustin Wiedemann the award-winning classical guitarist will perform, 8 p.m. Jan. 26. Catlett Music Center, 500 W. Boyd St., Norman, 405-325-0538, musicaltheatre.ou.edu/facilities/catlett. SAT Comedy Fight League: Taunting, Slanders & Chairs local comics trade insults at this professional-wrestling-inspired roast battle; BYOB, 8 p.m.

Jan. 26. New World Comics, 6219 N. Meridian Ave., 405-721-7634, newworldcomics.net/. SAT Divine Comedy a weekly local showcase featuring a variety of comedians from OKC and elsewhere, 9 p.m. Wednesdays. 51st Street Speakeasy, 1114 NW 51st St., 405-463-0470, 51stspeakeasy.com. WED Don Quixote Open Mic a weekly comedy show followed by karaoke, 7:30-9 p.m. Fridays. Don Quixote Club, 3030 N Portland Ave., 405-947-0011. FRI Joel Forlenza: The Piano Man the pianist performs variety of songs made famous by Elvis Presley, Frank Sinatra and of course Billy Joel, 5:30-8:30 p.m.

Tuesday-Saturday. Othello’s Italian Restaurant, 434 Buchanan Ave.. TUE-FRI Lumpy’s Open Mic Night play a song of your own or just listen to the performers at this weekly show hosted by John Riley Willingham, 9 p.m.

Wednesdays. Lumpy’s Sports Grill, 12325 N. May Ave., 405-286-3300, lumpyssportsgrill.com. WED The Nightmare After Xmas a charity drag show featuring Tape, Shalula, Kadabra and more and raising money for #YesLoveOKC, 10 p.m. Jan. 26. Kat’s Tavern, 901 NW 64th St., 405-753-4287, facebook. com/katstavern. SAT

Academic Enrichment Reading Clinic Students in grades 1-12 are invited to attend these weekly tutoring sessions that include instruction in school subjects like reading, math, music and history as well as chess and more abstract skill sets such as logic, nonviolent conflict resolution and successbuilding personal habits. The reading clinic starts 11 a.m. followed by a book and essay club beginning 2 p.m. Saturdays through April 27 at Nappy Roots Books, 3705 Springlake Drive. Attendance is free, but parents are requested to accompany their children on their first visit to sign them up. Call 405-8960203 or email nappyrootsbooks@gmail.com. SATURDAYS Photo/provided

OKC Improv performers create original scenes in the moment based on suggestions from the audience, Jan. 25-26. Oklahoma City Improv, 1757 NW 16th St., 405-456-9858, okcimprov.com. FRI-SAT The Root Open Mic hosted by Elecktra, this open mic has an open-stage, almost-anything-goes policy and a booked feature act, 6-11:30 p.m. The Root, 3012 N. Walker Ave., 405-655-5889, therootokc.com. MON Triple’s Open Mic a music and comedy open mic hosted by Amanda Howle, 7:30 p.m. every other Wednesday. Triple’s, 8023 NW 23rd St., 405-7893031. WED

GO TO OKGAZETTE.COM FOR FULL LISTINGS!

Public Access Open Mic read poetry, do standup comedy, play music or just watch as an audience member, 7 p.m. Sundays. The Paseo Plunge, 3010 Paseo Plunge, 405-315-6224, paseoplunge.org. SUN

Sanctuary Karaoke Service don a choir robe and sing your favorite song, 9 p.m.-midnight Wednesdays and Thursdays. Sanctuary Barsilica, 814 W. Sheridan Ave., facebook.com/sanctuarybarokc. WED Shelly Phelps Blues Revue a monthly variety show featuring music, comedy, performance art, drag and more, 7-10 p.m. Sundays. Frankie’s, 2807 NW 36th St., 405-602-2030, facebook.com/ frankiesokc. SUN The Skirvin Jazz Club a weekly live jazz show presented by OK Sessions, 7:30 p.m. Fridays. Park Avenue Grill, 1 Park Avenue, 405-702-8444, ParkAveGrill.com. FRI Tinder Live! With Lane Moore the comic and writer presents an interactive comedy show based around the popular dating app, 8-10 p.m. Jan. 26. Tower Theatre, 425 NW 23rd St., 405-708-6937, towertheatreokc.com. SAT Transcendental Drumming bring percussion instruments to participate in an all-experience-levels meditative drum circle around a fire pit, 6-8 p.m.

Jan. 27. The Diversity Center, 2242 NW 39th Street, 405-252-0372. SUN Trouble in Tahiti 1950s suburban life doesn’t hold all it promises for Sam and Dinah in this Leonard Bernstein opera presented by Painted Sky Opera, Jan. 25-27. Civic Center Music Hall, 201 N. Walker Ave., 405-297-2264, okcciviccenter.com. FRI-SUN

ACTIVE Co-ed Open Adult Volleyball enjoy a game of friendly yet competitive volleyball while making new friends, 6-8 p.m. Wednesdays. Jackie Cooper Gymnasium, 1024 E. Main St., Yukon, 405-350-8920, cityofyukon.gov. WED Full Moon Bike Ride and Run enter a 5K run in scenic downtown or bring your bike for a leisurely ride as the sun sets, Last Tuesday of every month, 8 p.m. Myriad Botanical Gardens, 301 W. Reno Ave., 405-445-7080, myriadgardens.com. TUE Monday Night Group Ride meet up for a weekly 25-30 minute bicycle ride at about 18 miles per hour through east Oklahoma City, 6 p.m. Mondays. The

continued on page 34

O KG A Z E T T E . C O M | F E B R U A R Y 2 1 , 2 0 1 8

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C A L E N DA R

CALENDAR Bike Lab OKC, 2200 W. Hefner Rd., 405-6037655. MON

the US effort in World War I at this exhibit featuring military, rodeo and other historical memorabilia from the time period, through May 12. National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum, 1700 NE 63rd St., 405478-2250, nationalcowboymuseum.org. SAT-TUE

and sculptural artist creates works that explore socio-political topics such as sexism and racism in unconventional ways, Jan. 25-April 7. Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art, 555 Elm Ave., Norman, 405-3253272, ou.edu/fjjma. FRI-SUN

Open Badminton hit some birdies in some morning pick-up games of badminton with friends, 10 a.m.-noon Saturdays. Jackie Cooper Gymnasium, 1024 E. Main St., Yukon, 405-350-8920, cityofyukon.gov. SAT

Elevate Artist Talk: Angie LaPaglia the local artist and poet will discuss her work, including the Passages installation currently on display, 6:30-8 p.m. Jan. 30. 21c Museum Hotel, 900 W. Main St., 405-982-6900, 21cmuseumhotels.com. WED

Whiteout at Campbell Art Park an outdoor artwork made by hundreds of transparent white spheres embedded with white LED lights and animated in large-scale patterns, through March 31.

Oklahoma Contemporary Arts Center, 3000 General Pershing Blvd., 405-951-000, oklahomacontemporary.org/exhibitions. WED-SUN

continued from page 33

Inspirations from Nature an exhibition of abstract paintings by Anthony Dyke and Susan Morrison-Dyke celebrating the beauty of nature and architecture, through Jan. 31. Myriad Botanical Gardens, 301 W. Reno Ave., 405-445-7080, myriadgardens.com. TUE-THU

Wheeler Criterium a weekly nighttime cycling event with criterium races, food trucks and family activities, 5-8 p.m. Tuesdays. Wheeler Park, 1120 S. Western Ave., 405-297-2211, okc.gov. TUE Yoga Tuesdays an all-levels class; bring your own water and yoga mat, 5:45 p.m.-7 p.m. Tuesdays.

Myriad Botanical Gardens, 301 W. Reno Ave., 405445-7080, myriadgardens.com. TUE

VISUAL ARTS American Indian Artists: 20th Century Masters an exhibition of Native art from the Kiowa Six, Harrison Begay, Tonita Peña and more, through May 12. National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum, 1700 NE 63rd St., 405-478-2250, nationalcowboymuseum.org. SAT-TUE Beautiful Minds: Dyslexia and the Creative Advantage an exhibition of artworks created by people with dyslexia including students from Oklahoma City’s Trinity School, through July 14.

Science Museum Oklahoma, 2020 Remington Place, 405-602-6664, sciencemuseumok.org. FRI-TUE Contemporary Impulses an exhibition of works

by Rea Baldridge, Marc Barker, Kathleen Blake, Lance Griffin and more, through Jan. 28. JRB Art at The Elms, 2810 N. Walker Ave., 405-528-6336, jrbartgallery.com. THU-MON Copperplate Etching Workshop learn how to etch copper plates for screen printing projects at this instructional session lead by Emma Difani, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Jan. 26. [Artspace] at Untitled, 1 NE Third St., 405-815-9995, 1ne3.org. SAT Cowboys in Khaki: Westerners in the Great War learn about the ways Westerners contributed to

It Ends in a Pie Fight In case there’s any doubt about what is in store, the flyer for It Ends in a Pie Fight helpfully adds: “We’re not kidding.

Dress for a pie fight.” So a spoiler alert would seem silly, but so does basically everything about this show presented by ClownLife Arts and featuring NYC transplant Uncle Joey NotThatOne. In addition to the promised titular dessert fracas, we are told to expect elements of circus and drag performance, magic, games and a healthy dose of surrealism you might not get from The Bozo Show.

Clown attire encouraged. The show starts 10 p.m. Friday at The Root, 3012 N. Walker Ave. Admission is $7.

Call 405-697-0718 or visit facebook. com/therootokc. FRIDAY Photo provided

Joan Faught view paintings inspired by the Hubble Telescope, through Jan. 31.

Porcelain Art Museum, 2700 N. Portland Ave., 405-521-1234, wocp.org. TUE-THU Pop Stars! Popular Culture and Contemporary Art an exploration of contemporary pop art inspired by Andy Warhol, Nick Cave, R. Luke DuBois and others, through Feb. 28. 21c Museum Hotel, 900 W. Main St., 405-982-6900, 21cmuseumhotels.com.

SUN-THU

Resistance an exhibition of artist Don Holladay’s works created from burlap, string, house paint, joint compound, sand, collaged photographs, gravel and clothes pins, Jan. 11-Feb. 24, Through Feb. 24. Norman Santa Fe Depot, 200 S. Jones Ave., 405-3079320, pasnorman.org. FRI-SUN Testimony: The Life and Work of David Friedman an exhibition of portraits, landscapes and more by the artist and Holocaust survivor, Jan. 24May 26. Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art, 555 Elm Ave., Norman, 405-325-3272, ou.edu/fjjma. THU-TUE Welcome Home: Oklahomans and the War in Vietnam explores the impact of the war on Oklahoma families as well as the stories of Vietnamese families relocated to Oklahoma, through Nov. 6.

Oklahoma History Center, 800 Nazih Zuhdi Drive, 405-521-2491, okhistory.org. MON-TUE Westheimer Distinguished Visiting Artist Chair: Mildred Howard the mixed-media

Submissions must be received

by Oklahoma Gazette no later than noon on Wednesday seven days before the desired publication date.

Late submissions will not be included in the listings.

Submissions run as space allows, although we strive to make the listings as inclusive as possible. Fax your listings to 528-4600 or e-mail them to listings@okgazette.com.

Sorry, but phone submissions cannot be accepted.

For OKG live music

see page 37

GO TO OKGAZETTE.COM FOR FULL LISTINGS!

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EVENT

MUSIC

Fully Applied

Applied Music Program, Carly Gwin and The Sin and Lacey Elaine fill a strong bill at 51st Street Speakeasy. By Jo Light

Oklahoma music fans will have the rare opportunity to see several local bands perform together at an upcoming show at 51st Street Speakeasy, 1114 NW 51st St., on Feb. 2. The bands include Applied Music Program, Carly Gwin and the Sin and Lacey Elaine.

The occasion is something of a rarity because several of the musicians involved tend to be exceptionally busy, and they get together in these particular configurations only once every few months. The members cross over, perform in additional bands or are involved in other areas of the Oklahoma music industry. This results in some full schedules.

Formed in 2012, synth-pop band Applied Music Program consists of Andy and Marian Nunez, Becky Carman, Tommy McKenzie, Matt Duckworth and Zach Nedbalek. Some band members rotate instruments, but for the most part, Carman and the Nunezes provide the group’s vocals.

A.M.P.’s sound is unique and full of interesting sonic texture. In one song called “Pockets,” heavy, groovy bass lines carry light synth flourishes layered with handclaps and Carman’s dreamy vocals.

The tune has an ’80s influence that doesn’t feel tired or dated.

Many of the A.M.P. band members are longtime fixtures of the Oklahoma music scene. For instance, Andy and Marian Nunez are former members of the indie band Starlight Mints and also have owned and operated Opolis in Norman, 113 N. Crawford Ave., for 17 years. Duckworth has been a drummer for The Flaming Lips since 2014.

The Starlight Mints dispersed in 2009. Andy Nunez said he and his wife Marian decided to focus on family and

their music venue but shortly felt the itch to perform again.

“Next thing you know, little by little, other people started playing with us,” Andy Nunez said.

A.M.P. has been fluid since its inception, with several different drummers sitting in depending on their availability and musical parts getting filled as needed.

“People kind of come and go,” Andy Nunez said. “It’s not like a regular band, trying to do regular band stuff.

Everyone just treats it as a good time.”

Nunez said he sees the band as a lifelong project that he hopes to give more focus as his teenage daughter gains more independence. The group has new songs and music videos in the pipeline, and they usually travel at least once a year on a combination vacation/tour.

Nunez said they hope to get into some music festivals this year.

The Speakeasy show is A.M.P.’s first 2019 gig, and Andy Nunez called it one of the best venues in the city.

“Years ago, when we were younger, we’d go to New York City and play in places like that,” he said. “It really reminds of the bigger-city vibe, the dark, old bar kind of vibe. I love the vibe in there.”

He acknowledged the deeply communal and supportive quality of Oklahoma music and said the collaborative nature of their band is one of its most gratifying aspects.

“You know that you’re going to know these people for the rest of your lives,” he said. “Because you guys all share this curse/passion of wanting to make some noise.”

Sin sounds

Performing along with A.M.P. at Speakeasy is Carly Gwin and her

backing band, The Sin. The group includes Patrick Roberts, Kevin Fries and A.M.P. drummer Nedbalek.

Early on, when Gwin performed as a solo artist, Nedbalek said he and Fries declared jokingly they would one day play in a band for her. Gwin and Nedbalek have performed in a ’90s tribute group, My So Called Band, since 2010, but about three years ago, Gwin decided she wanted a more personal project. The parts of her new group fell into place.

“The first time we ever played together, we sounded pretty good, I think,” she said. “It was like they completed the missing puzzle pieces of my songs.”

Carly Gwin and The Sin is another group that defies traditional genres since Gwin pulls from influences like country, Americana, classic rock like Fleetwood Mac or alternative artists like Fiona Apple.

“Patrick’s guitar solos are really crazy weird in the best way to me,” Gwin said in an attempt to describe their style.

“Zach does some cool drum parts. Kevin plays insane bass lines.”

“I don’t ever know what to tell people,” Nedbalek said. “The Sports Animal made fun of us because we call ourselves ‘flower rock’ on our Facebook page.”

However listeners want to label it, the group’s songs feature crisp instrumentation under morose lyrics conveyed in Gwin’s rich vocals. Gwin teased that they have a new single, “You Can Feel Sad,” and an accompanying music video coming the end of February.

“That’s my specialty, sad songs,” Gwin said.

Although her early songs were predominantly personal, Gwin has shifted toward writing songs outside her own experiences. For instance, she said 2018’s “It’s All Your Fault” was written from the perspective of a conservative male politician.

Both Gwin and Nedbalek said The Sin doesn’t get to play as many shows as their other band, but they approach the group as more of a fun outlet, which is similar to A.M.P.’s attitude.

“I’m so happy that the two of these bands are playing on the same night

from left Tommy McKenzie, Becky Carman, Marian Nunez, Zach Nedbalek, Andy Nunez and Matt Duckworth are Applied Music Program. | Photo provided

because it’s a dream for me,” Nedbalek said of the Speakeasy show. “The two original music bands that I’m in get to share a stage and have fun on the same night.”

Gwin said their songs often provide a nice break for the ear, and listeners can expect “chill-ass music” at the show.

“I think that one of the charms is that my songs start out super simple and basic, and it’s sometimes nice to hear that in a world full of crazy, intricate music all the time pumping in your ears,” she said.

Bass lift

The evening’s third featured artist is Lacey Elaine, an alternative musician who has been performing for several years, including time as bassist in Oklahoma City rock band Cherry Death.

Elaine has released a few solo tracks through Old Blood Noise Endeavors.

These are compact, fast, punchy songs that go heavy on the bass, often doubling up the instrument for a unique sound.

“The wonderful thing about playing live is that when a set is over, it’s over,” Elaine said via email. “There’s a finality that’s not achievable while writing or recording. What a great way to practice living in the present, yeah? I crave that when I’m not performing consistently!”

The Speakeasy show starts at 9 p.m. on Feb. 2. A cover charge of $3 is required for entry. The show is open to guests 21 years old or older.

Visit 51stspeakeasy.com.

Applied Music Program, Carly Gwin and the Sin and Lacey Elaine 9 p.m. Feb. 2 51st Street Speakeasy 1114 NW 51st St. 51stspeakeasy.com | 405-463-0470 $3 21+

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F E AT U R E

MUSIC

Living Legacy

A collection of Connor Hicks’ previously unreleased songs provides a glimpse into the late Oklahoma musician’s potential. By Jeremy Martin

Shortly after midnight on Dec. 18, 2017, 20-year-old Ada-born musician Connor Hicks died in a traffic accident on a foggy two-lane road in Seminole County. A little over a year later, Legacy, a collection of his previously unreleased songs, gives listeners one more chance to hear new music from Hicks.

“We actually had a few of the songs already mixed and mastered, and we were planning on releasing them before he passed away,” said Jacob Mann, Hicks’ manager and friend. “And I knew that there were more of them that we had gone over. I didn’t know that there were as many as we were able to find.”

Mann worked with local musicians including Chavez Soliz and Garrison Brown to complete the five original songs included on Legacy.

“We got a lot of them off of his laptop, but they all were in various stages of doneness,” Mann said. “I heard most of them, but there were several that I hadn’t heard and some that I heard that I loved that we couldn’t put on the record because they were just so simple. One of the things that we didn’t want to do was try to fill in the blanks of what we just imagined Connor would have done because nobody could do that. … We tried to get the stuff that was mostly there, and there wasn’t a ton, obviously. But we’re happy with what we got. If there was a remote possibility of us being able to release something, we made it happen with this record. Everything else was really just not at a point where it could

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be touched, unfortunately.”

Lead single “When We Had the Fire,” which Mann called the “truest representation” of Hicks’ most recent musical evolution, was the only song completed and ready to release at the time of his death. Attempting to recreate what Hicks might have intended to do with the other four original songs proved difficult, but Mann said having musicians who worked with Hicks helped.

“It was really hard,” Mann said. “I think that what made it a lot easier was just getting Connor’s closest friends who were all musical influences for him ... all these guys that really worked with him a lot, and having those guys work on the record, they were able to all collectively make some good decisions on what they thought Connor would like and how they felt like Connor would’ve gone, but it’s really hard to replicate a guy like that. I mean, it’s impossible. He was always growing and always evolving, so it’s really not possible to know that’s what he would have wanted, but we think this was close, as close as we could comfortably say we got it.”

Hicks, who constantly pushed himself to improve, enjoyed collaborating with other artists to gain new perspective on his own work, Mann said.

“He was extremely critical of everything that he did before,” Mann said. “He was always ready to do the next thing. He was always ready to write a better song than the one that he had before. … That was something that he liked about working together. He was able to get out of his own head a little bit and let

somebody else tell him, ‘Hey, this is a good song. This is worth hearing.’”

David Broyles, a member of the faculty at Academy of Contemporary Music at University of Central Oklahoma (ACM@UCO) and frontman for the band Dr. Pants, taught Hicks in music theory and songwriting classes. As a student, Hicks was obviously talented, Broyles said, but he also “encouraged other people in their art and wanted to help people out wherever he could.”

“Occasionally, we’ll get a student who will show up at ACM, and they already have a, maybe not fully formed, but sort of a fully formed kind of thing that they are putting forth musically, and he was one of those guys,” Broyles said. “It wasn’t that he was already like, ‘I’m a badass. Look at me.’ He wasn’t like that at all. It was like, ‘This is my thing. This is what I love to do.’ … He’d pick up his guitar and play this really great blues riff or this really cool chord progression thing that had a great rhythmic feel to it, or whatever. That kind of stuff just came really naturally to him, and everybody just dug it.”

Happyland

One of Mann’s favorite songs on the album is the instrumental “Happyland,” taken from a demo Hicks composed on his laptop. The original demo is also included on the album.

“All these guys were able to take this idea that Connor had written on his computer with just software instrumentals and record it and do it live, and they intentionally left space in that track for where Connor would have been, where his guitar would have been,” Mann said. “So it’s this really amazing, ambient thing but it’s also kind of still reverent.”

While Mann said working to finish and release his friend’s music provided some catharsis, the project was also a constant reminder of the lost life and potential.

“You’re just faced with the

Legacy, compiling Hicks’ debut EP Savior and several previously unreleased songs, was released in December. | Image provided

realization every day that you’re working on this super talented guy’s music, and the record’s really cool and everyone’s so receptive, and you’re just like, ‘Man, he’s not here. He’s not here to make the amazing music that that he undoubtedly would have made,’” Mann said. “That was tough, but it definitely feels good. I think everybody feels like we were able to come together and honor him in the community, and it’s really exciting.”

Hicks’ debut EP Savior, originally released in 2016, is included at the end of Legacy, but Mann said the new songs that precede it on the album are a better indicator of the “more mature” sound Hicks was working toward the end of his life.

“That Savior EP, that was definitely an earlier iteration of his musical development, and it was probably not along the same lines as what he was doing at the end,” Man said. “The [Legacy] songs are all the very first steps in what was going to be a really pretty different change of direction, I think. ... He was in kind of this total overhaul, writing brand-new material, and this material we’re releasing was meant to be this transition into this new space.”

Visit soundcloud.com/connorhicks-6.

Musician and Ada native Connor Hicks died Dec. 18, 2017 at the age of 20. | Photo provided

LIVE MUSIC These are events recommended

by Oklahoma Gazette editorial staff members. For full calendar listings, go to okgazette.com.

Note Lounge. ROCK

List your event in

Indigos/The Daydrinkers, The Deli. FOLK/ROCK Monica/Keyshia Cole, The Criterion. R&B The Red Plains/Rousey/Lunar Division, Your Mom’s Place. ROCK

Submissions must be received by Oklahoma Gazette no later

WEDNESDAY, JAN. 23

SUNDAY, JAN. 27

Brad Fielder/Clint Hardesty/Willie Mansour, The Deli. FOLK/BLUES/ROCK

Bottle Rockets, The Blue Door. FOLK

publication date. Late submissions will not be included in

Chris Knight, The Blue Door. FOLK

the listings. Submissions run as space allows, although we

Elizabeth Speegle Band, The R & J Lounge and Supper Club. JAZZ Kelly Hunt, The Blue Door. SINGER/SONGWRITER Schat & The Skeleton Trees/Abbigale Dawn, Life Organics Cannafe. ROCK

THURSDAY, JAN. 24 Amilia K. Spicer, The Blue Door. SINGER/SONGWRITER

Griffin House, Norman Santa Fe Depot. SINGER/

than noon on Wednesday seven days before the desired

strive to make the listings as inclusive as possible.

SONGWRITER

Peter Murphy/David J, Tower Theatre.

ROCK

Ruston Kelly, 89th Street-OKC. FOLK

Submit your listings online at okgazette.com or email them to listings@okgazette.com.

Sorry, but phone submissions cannot be accepted.

MONDAY, JAN. 28 The Damn Quails, The Deli. FOLK

As It Is/Sharptooth/Hold Close, 89th Street-OKC. ROCK Felina & the Feels/When Particles Collide, Resonator. ROCK

Jason Hunt, Sean Cumming’s Irish Restaurant. FOLK

TUESDAY, JAN. 29

Shelly Phelps and Dylan Nagode, Jazmo’z Bourbon St. Café. JAZZ

Country Clique, Friends Restaurant & Club.

FRIDAY, JAN. 25

Ghost Atlas/Landon Tewers, 89th Street-OKC. ROCK

Diregnome/Analgesic/Treason 58, Resonator.

ROCK

Dream Eater/Sour Candy/Audio Book Club, The Deli. ROCK John Calvin Abney/Christy Hays, The Blue Door.

COUNTRY

Kyle Reid, Scratch Kitchen & Cocktails. SINGER/

SONGWRITER

WEDNESDAY, JAN. 30 Abbigale Dawn & the Make Believe, The Deli. FOLK

SINGER/SONGWRITER

Magic Munchbox OKC’s Magic Munchbox is a band in the tradition of Butthole Surfers, Diarrhea Planet and Throbbing Gristle. That’s not to say the ’Box sounds anything like any of those bands but that its four members have hit upon one of those names so bad it’s kind of brilliant because it will forever be branded on your brain, and significantly faster than the music will start sticking. And that’s not to say the ’Box isn’t full of tasty licks and well-crafted grooves but that the only people who might describe the 7-minute knotty prog tangle “A Day in the Garage” as “catchy” are probably the same people who don’t understand why Frank Zappa’s “Valley Girl” was a bigger hit than his “Peaches en Regalia.” OKC’s Off Brand and Tulsa’s All for More share the bill. The show starts 8 p.m. Friday at 89th Street OKC, 8911 N. Western Ave. Admission is $10. Visit 89thstreetokc.com.

FRIDAY Photo provided Kite Flying Robot/Gum/Sam Regan, Opolis. POP/ROCK Sarah Reid/Young Readers/The Indigos, 51st Street Speakeasy. FOLK/ROCK Tribesmen/Dresden Bombers, Blue Note Lounge. ROCK

SATURDAY, JAN. 26 Abbigale Dawn/Bailey Gilbert, Bluebonnet Bar. SINGER/SONGWRITER

The Big News/The Normandys, 89th Street-OKC. PUNK Dream Eater/Spinster/Super Sharp Snakes, Blue

Live music submissions must be received by Oklahoma Gazette no later than noon on Wednesday seven days before the desired publication date.

Late submissions will not be included in the listings. Submissions run as space allows, although we strive to make the listings as inclusive as possible.

Fax your listings to 528-4600 or e-mail to listings@okgazette.com.

Sorry, but phone submissions cannot be accepted.

GO TO OKGAZETTE.COM FOR FULL LISTINGS!

PARKER MILLSAP 7p.m. Wednesday, May 1, 2019 · $10 All Performance Lab tickets available at eventbrite.com

ACM@UCO PERFORMANCE LAB 329 E Sheridan Ave, Oklahoma City, OK 73104

UP NEXT AT THE LAB:

Feb 9: Literati Variety Show Feb 15: Horton Records - Helen Kelter Skelter / Shelter People / Golden Ones March 3: Noname with Original Flow & The Fervent Route April 27: The Tallest Man on Earth

(405) 974-4711 | acm-uco.com

Metro Music Series Sponsors

O KG A Z E T T E . C O M | J A N U A R Y 2 3 , 2 0 1 9

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PUZZLES NEW YORK TIMES MAGAZINE CROSSWORD PUZZLE

QUESTION OF RESPONSIBILITY | 0127

By Richard Crowe Puzzles edited by Will Shortz

ACROSS 1 Moolah 6 Measured with steps 11 Part of a chapel 15 Bits of roasted cocoa beans 19 Lays into 20 Act over the top 21 Executor 22 Natl. Audubon Society concern 23 Copy editor 25 Going coast to coast, maybe 26 Like many a distance runner 27 Spanish pastries often dipped in chocolate 28 Emmy, Grammy and Academy

Award winner 30 “Agreed!”

32 Straight 33 Political strategist 35 Feb. 13, e.g.

36 Some punches 38 Yelled “S, P, I, R, I, T! — spirit!” say 39 Make toast?

40 Laundry basketful 41 The “Odyssey,” for one 45 Museum curator 51 The, in Milan 54 When doubled, a dessert 55 Provinces 56 Toffee-nosed sorts 57 Sartorial choice for Lieutenant Columbo 59 “O.K., I see” 61 Major California paper, for short 62 It may have corn on the side 63 Football line judge 67 Get situated, in Britspeak 69 Cell material 70 Teensy bit 73 Shoulder muscles 74 30-year investments, informally 77 Cartoon style 78 One of the fish in Italy’s Feast of the

Seven Fishes 79 Monopoly foursome: Abbr.

80 Maternity room nurse 82 “The ____ in love with you”

(misheard lyric in a Herb Alpert hit) 84 Influence on Castro and Mao 85 Gendered suffix 86 Classic song with the lyric “I love

your kiss” 90 Secret store 92 Actress Blanchett 96 Parasitologist 100 How Vito Corleone treated Tom

Hagen in The Godfather 102 Pretty up, as a photo 103 Geraint’s love in Idylls of the King 104 Menace with teeth exposed 105 “____ Dinka Doo” (theme song of

Jimmy Durante) 106 Cognac letters 108 Baseball scorekeeper 110 Banking org. since 1933 111 Ohio nine 112 Place for a candidate to speak 113 Stock-valuation phrase 114 What hearts do when things look bad 115 Website for handmade items 116 Southwest tribe 117 Blooms

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43 Dress like for a Halloween bash 44 Up the ____ 45 Hansel and Gretel character 46 ____ Valley, Arizona 47 Moistened finger in another’s ear 48 Pouch at the bottom of an armoire 49 “Honest!”

50 Provoke 51 SpongeBob’s pet snail 52 Line at an awards show 53 Cruel 57 Issa who wrote The Misadventures

of Awkward Black Girl 58 Talking to a baby, maybe 60 Moving about 62 Money in Geneva 64 ____ Bridge (historic span across

the Mississippi) 65 Duane and Reade, in NYC 66 Years, in Madrid 67 Poems of admiration 68 Stink 71 Non-____ (food label) 72 “Yuck” 74 High chair?

75 Be unrealistic 76 Destiny and fate, e.g.: Abbr.

80 “So ____” (words of agreement) 81 Under control 83 Hinder 84 Techniques 87 Georgia, once: Abbr.

STAFF REPORTERS Jacob Threadgill Jeremy Martin Miguel Rios

PHOTOGRAPHER/ VIDEOGRAPHER Alexa Ace

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DOWN 1 In style and letting everyone know it 2 Whipped 3 Sharp-minded 4 Twins Phil and Steve who won gold

and silver in Sarajevo 5 Fab Four name 6 Subject of early genetics research 7 Letters on some bowling lanes 8 Duke basketball legend, informally 9 Draws on glass, say 10 Frighten (from) 11 ____-compliant 12 Not yet proven 13 Boil 14 Occasional aid in crossword solving 15 Ones handing out cigars, stereotypically 16 More aloof 17 Title film character with the

catchphrase “Very nice!”

18 How cheaters deal cards 24 One of Goldilocks’ complaints 29 Some drone missions, in short 31 Parrot 33 Year of the ____ (2018) 34 Thick rug style 37 Thrilled cries 39 Shame 40 Where to get the latest poop?

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88 Work of a lifetime 89 Kind of hound 90 Traditional religion of Japan 91 Unclutter 92 Job at a drive-in joint 93 Not level 94 Unanimously 95 Writes in 96 Homeless children 97 Language from which “dungarees” comes 98 Alan of The In-Laws 99 Grind 101 Turn down an offer 104 Concessions 107 “Gangnam Style” rapper 109 Royalty-focused grp.

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FREE WILL ASTROLOGY Homework: Write yourself a nice long love letter full of praise and appreciation. Send a copy to me if you like: FreeWillAstrology.com.

ARIES (March 21-April 19)

We might initially be inclined to ridicule Stuart Kettell, a British man who spent four days pushing a Brussels sprout up 3,560-foot-high Mount Snowden with his nose.

But perhaps our opinion would become more expansive once we knew that he engaged in this stunt to raise money for a charity that supports people with cancer. In any case, the coming weeks would be a favorable time for you, too, to engage in extravagant, extreme, or even outlandish behavior in behalf of a good or holy cause.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20)

home in the Galapagos Islands. By some accounts, evolutionary superstar Charles Darwin picked her up and carried her away during his visit there in 1835. I propose that you choose the long-lived tortoise as your power creature for the coming weeks. With her as inspiration, meditate on questions like these: 1. “What would I do differently if I knew I’d live to a very old age?” 2. “What influence that was important to me when I was young do I want to be important to me when I’m old?” 3. “In what specific ways can my future benefit from my past?” 4. “Is there a blessing or gift from an ancestor I have not yet claimed?” 5. “Is there anything I can do that I am not yet doing to remain in good health into my old age?”

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22)

The Taurus guitar wizard known as Buckethead is surely among the most imaginative and prolific musicians who has ever lived. Since producing his first album in late 2005, he has released 306 other albums that span a wide variety of musical genres — an average of 23 per year. I propose that we make him your patron saint for the next six weeks. While it’s unlikely you can achieve such a gaudy level of creative self-expression, you could very well exceed your previous personal best in your own sphere.

John Lennon claimed that he generated the Beatles song’ “Because” by rendering Beethoven’s “Moonlight Sonata” backwards. Even if that’s true, I don’t think it detracts from the beauty of “Because.” May I suggest you adopt a comparable strategy for your own use in the coming weeks, Leo? What could you do in reverse so as to create an interesting novelty? What approach might you invert in order to instigate fresh ways of doing things? Is there an idea you could turn upside-down or inside-out, thereby awakening yourself to a new perspective?

GEMINI (May 21-June 20)

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22)

Novelist Arthur Conan Doyle created Sherlock Holmes, a fictional character who personifies the power of logic and rational thinking. And yet Doyle was also a devout spiritualist who pursued interests in telepathy, the occult, and psychic phenomena. It’s no surprise that he was a Gemini, an astrological tribe renowned for its ability to embody apparent opposites. Sometimes that quality is a liability for you folks, and sometimes an asset. In the coming weeks, I believe it’ll be a highly useful skill. Your knack for holding paradoxical views and expressing seemingly contradictory powers will attract and generate good fortune.

CANCER (June 21-July 22) In 2006, a 176-year-old tortoise named Harriet died in an Australian zoo owned by “Crocodile Hunter” and TV personality Steve Irwin. Harriet was far from her original

The Tsonga language is spoken by more than 15 million people in southern Africa. The literal meaning of the Tsonga phrase I malebvu ya nghala is “It’s a lion’s beard,” and its meaning is “something that’s not as scary as it looks.” According to my astrological analysis, this will be a useful concept for you to be alert for in the coming weeks. Don’t necessarily trust first impressions or initial apprehensions. Be open to probing deeper than your instincts might influence you to do.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22)

The old Latin verb crescere meant “to come forth, spring up, grow, thrive, swell, increase in numbers or strength.”

We see its presence in the modern English, French, and Italian word “crescendo.” In accordance with astrological omens, I have selected crescere and its present participle crescentum to be your words of power for the next four

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weeks. May they help mobilize you to seize all emerging opportunities to come forth, spring up, grow, thrive, swell, and increase in numbers or strength.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21)

When animals hibernate, their metabolism slows down.

They may grow more underfur or feathers, and some add extra fat. To conserve heat, they may huddle together with each other. In the coming weeks, I don’t think you’ll have to do what they do. But I do suspect it will be a good time to engage in behaviors that have a resemblance to hibernation: slowing down your mind and body; thinking deep thoughts and feeling deep feelings; seeking extra hugs and cuddles; getting lots of rich, warm, satisfying food and sleep. What else might appeal to your need to drop out of your fast-paced rhythm and supercharge your psychic batteries?

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21)

When people tell me they don’t have time to read the books I’ve written, I advise them to place the books under their pillows and soak up my words in their dreams. I don’t suggest that they actually eat the pages, although there is historical precedent for that. The Bible describes the prophet Ezekiel as literally chewing and swallowing a book. And there are accounts of sixteenth-century Austrian soldiers devouring books they acquired during their conquests, hoping to absorb the contents of the texts. But in accordance with current astrological omens, I suggest that in the next four weeks you acquire the wisdom stored in books by actually reading them or listening to them on audio recordings. In my astrological opinion, you really do need, for the sake of your psychospiritual health, to absorb writing that requires extended concentration.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19)

Among the top “how to” search inquiries on Google are “how to buy Bitcoin,” “how to lose belly fat fast,” “how to cook spaghetti in a microwave,” and “how to make slime.”

While I do think that the coming weeks will be prime time for you to formulate and launch many “how to” investigations, I will encourage you to put more important questions at the top of your priority list. “How to get richer

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quicker” would be a good one, as would “how to follow through on good beginnings” and “how to enhance your value” and “how to identify what resources and allies will be most important in 2019.”

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18)

A motivational speaker and author named Nick Vujicic was born without arms or legs, although he has two small, unusually shaped feet. These facts didn’t stop him from getting married, raising a family of four children, and writing eight books. One book is entitled Life Without Limits: Inspiration for a Ridiculously Good Life. He’s a positive guy who has faith in the possibility of miracles.

In fact, he says he keeps a pair of shoes in his closet just in case God decides to bless him with a marvelous surprise. In accordance with current astrological omens, Aquarius, I suggest you make a similar gesture. Create or acquire a symbol of an amazing transformation you would love to attract into your life

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20)

About 11 percent of the Philippines’ population is comprised of Muslims who call themselves the Bangsamoro. Many resist being part of the Philippines and want their own sovereign nation. They have a lot of experience struggling for independence, as they’ve spent 400 years rebelling against occupation by foreign powers, including Spain, the United States, and Japan. I admire their tenacity in seeking total freedom to be themselves and rule themselves. May they inspire your efforts to do the same on a personal level in the coming year.

Go to RealAstrology.com to check out Rob Brezsny’s expanded weekly audio horoscopes /daily text message horoscopes.

The audio horoscopes are also available by phone at 1-877-873-4888 or 1-900-950-7700.

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