Straight Shooting

free every wednesday | Metro OKC’s Independent Weekly | August 15, 2018

Straight Shooting

Annie Oakley unveils its new album, Words We Mean.

By Jeremy Martin, P. 27

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inside COVER P. 27 With the forthcoming release of Words We Mean, the Oklahoma City-based Americana trio Annie Oakley takes a great leap forward in style and substance.

By Jeremy Martin Cover photo by Madi Jones

NEWS 4 Education John Rex Middle

School opens

local businessowners

8

Chicken-Fried News

6 Marijuana new regulations relieve

PLAYITLOUDSHOW.COM

10 Commentary Lori Walke

EAT & DRINK 11 Review Grill on the Hill

12 Feature Mamaveca Mexican and

Peruvian Restaurant

14 Feature Poke Loco

16 Gazedibles summer fun

ARTS & CULTURE 18 Theater The Foreigner at Jewel

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The Mercury Center

20 Community Kerr Park kickoff party 21 Culture Biting the Apple at IAO 22 Culture Monarch butterfly

migration through Oklahoma

24 Active American Cancer Society’s

Run for Hope at University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center

25 Calendar

MUSIC 27 Cover Annie Oakley prepares to

release a new album

28 Event AMP Festival on Film Row 29 Live music

FUN 29 Astrology

30 Puzzles sudoku | crossword

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e d u c at i o n

John Rex Charter School sixth-graders from left Adamari Hernandez, Jamya Boyd and Alyssa Penrod delivered the school’s creed to a crowd at the Aug. 2 unveiling of the new middle school’s classroom at Myriad Botanical Gardens. | Photo Nazarene Harris

Nature’s classroom

John Rex Charter School expands to Myriad Botanical Gardens with a new middle school addition. By Nazarene Harris

John Rex Middle School has no loud alarm that rings letting students know that it’s lunchtime and no locker doors slamming shut and echoing throughout the hallways. The 75 sixth-graders who belong to the new middle school do their learning in the spacious and modern interior of the lower-level Crystal Bridge Conservatory at Myriad Botanical Gardens with the sounds of nature abuzz.

John Rex Charter School and Myriad Botanical Gardens teamed up to allow for John Rex’s entire middle school to be housed at the garden permanently.

School director Joe Pierce said the partnership developed naturally. Myriad Botanical Gardens has been a field trip favorite among the elementary school’s students for years. The collaboration was possible due to a $1.7 million grant from Inasmuch Foundation.

The middle school will include a seventh grade in 2019 and an eighth grade in 2020. For now, the school is welcoming its first sixth-grade class.

The children are enjoying getting their hands dirty and exploring the gardens’ Alice in Wonderland-like terrain.

“We are the only botanical garden in the country that has an actual public school on its grounds,” said Myriad Botanical Gardens executive director Maureen Heffernan.

Aug. 8 marked the first day of school for John Rex’s sixth-grade class. The school’s elementary education began in 2014 and remains the only public charter school in downtown Oklahoma City. The school has grown in size and popularity since its inception.

According to Pierce, there are current4

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ly over 500 children on the school’s waiting list.

To prevent overcrowding, Pierce said school administrators developed categories of priority they use to determine enrollment eligibility.

Students who live in the school’s attendance boundaries have first priority while students who live within the Oklahoma City Public Schools district are the next to receive admission consideration. Based on classroom space, consideration is then given to children whose parents work within the school’s attendance boundaries, which fall between 13th Street to the north, Western Avenue to the west, Lottie Avenue to the east and the Oklahoma River to the south.

The school’s expansion into a middle school comes after years of planning by school board members and nudging by school parents.

“I was praying for this,” said Natasha Boyd, an Oklahoma City parent and nonprofit organization employee.

Boyd’s daughter, Jamya, is a sixthgrader at the school. Her mother said she has been at the school since it opened, when Jamya began second grade.

“We have always lived in Oklahoma City but chose to send Jamya to private school for her early education,” Boyd said.

Before the establishment of John Rex, when Jamya was just a toddler, her school closed unexpectedly and her parents chose to send her to their neighborhood’s public school.

“It was rough,” Boyd said. “Coming from private school, I think Jamya was ahead of her class. When she com-

plained of being bored, her teachers gave her busy work. I could tell that the teachers at her school were overwhelmed, and I felt guilty asking them to pay more attention to her. I began to sense that her education was lagging.”

Boyd began searching for other educational opportunities for her daughter.

She found John Rex and enrolled Jamya into the school’s first class as a secondgrader.

Four years later, Boyd and fellow John Rex parents Yvonne Penrod and Brenda Hernandez gathered at the unveiling of John Rex’s sixth-grade classroom at Myriad Botanical Gardens.

At the event, they met with their children’s teachers and heard from Pierce and Oklahoma City mayor David Holt.

“There is a great demand to get into John Rex,” Holt said. “That demand has caused families to move here, and the migration has sparked another chapter in the renaissance of downtown Oklahoma City.”

Educational priorities

Penrod, Boyd and Hernandez listened to the mayor’s remarks and proudly watched as their children took the microphone to recite the school’s creed.

The parents said the quality of the education their children receive is imperative.

“It means everything to me,” Penrod said.

Penrod is a molecular lab scientist at Oklahoma’s state department of health while Hernandez and her husband own a public relations business in Oklahoma City. The mothers echoed Boyd’s sentiments about John Rex. “There is so much diversity here,” Penrod said. “There is diversity of socioeconomic status, race, culture and religion, and there is also diversity of experiences. The children’s learning experiences are very hands-on.”

Pierce said students take at least one field trip every two weeks and any Oklahoma City venue is up for grabs due to the school’s enrichment program and its collaborations with Oklahoma City businesses and nonprofit organizations.

Students frequently visit Metropolitan Library System’s Ronald J. Norick Downtown Library, Oklahoma City Ballet, the Boathouse District and museums within walking distance.

The benefits students receive from the partnerships John Rex has made due to a fundraising need are more than just financial, Pierce said.

“There’s no doubt that our sponsors influence the educational opportunities our students are given and the way in which we teach. We see the benefits of having a hands-on approach to learning, of getting to know each student’s strengths and weaknesses,” Pierce, a former Edmond Public Schools administrator, said. “We value the quality of

their thinking more than the quantity of their work.”

Hernandez said her daughter receives life lessons from her teachers but also from classmates who represent diversity to its fullest.

“She is friends with children who are very privileged and with children who live in a local homeless shelter,” Hernandez said. “There is a wide range of students with different socioeconomic status, cultures and races. That’s an education in and of itself.”

Pierce confirmed that children who live at a downtown Oklahoma City homeless shelter attend John Rex. John Rex Charter School is both a charter school and a public school. As a public school, Pierce said, it receives the same federal and state funding that public schools receive and does not charge students for admission. The school also participates in federal initiatives like offering students free or reduced lunches. Because it is a charter school, it does not receive the local funding regular public schools receive.

To make up for the lack of local funding, school administrators like Pierce seek sponsors and partnerships that parents claim make all the difference.

Each year, John Rex administrators seek about $250,000 from sponsors, Pierce said. The school’s sponsors include University of Oklahoma, Inasmuch Foundation, Devon Energy, American Fidelity, Presbyterian Health Foundation of Oklahoma City and The Oklahoman. School administrators said they are hoping to open a John Rex Charter School high school in the future.

“It’s this model of partnership and community that amazes me, “Hernandez said. “The school administrators are resourceful in fundraising. Everybody is involved — the teachers, the businesses, the parents, the school board. And the result is a good education for our kids.”

Visit johnrexschool.org.

John Rex Charter School sixth-grader Adamari Hernandez looks through books stocked in her new classroom at Myriad Botanical Gardens as the school’s director of secondary education Patrick Duffy meets with teachers and parents. | Photo John Rex Charter School / provided

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NEWS

Home grown

Newly adopted medical marijuana regulations give local business owners relief. By Nazarene Harris

Mary Najar remembers the day before she and her husband opened their hemp oil and cannabidiol (CBD) products store in Paseo Arts District in the fall of 2017. Their store would be the first brick-and-mortar store to sell CBD oil in Oklahoma City. But it wasn’t nerves about opening day that kept Najar up at night. It was the fact that she was broke.

“We had $1.67 in our checking account,” she said.

Najar and her husband, Hector, own Herban Mother, a CBD products dispensary located at 607 NW 28th St. in Paseo Arts District and a new location opening Aug. 25 at 10717 N. May Ave. The couple had been selling produce from their farm and CBD oil at a local farmers market for years. When customers began raving about the healing effect of the oil, they felt a strong calling to open Herban Mother.

“Despite the fact that we were broke, we really didn’t do this for the money.

We did this because it felt like the right thing to do,” Hector Najar said.

The couple couldn’t get approved for a small business loan because they had little credit history and, Mary Najar said, possibly due to the fact that they were selling a substance that carried with it prejudice and controversy. With no financial assistance, the Najars sold everything of value they owned, including a gold ring that Hector’s grandfather passed down to him.

“We were all-in,” Hector Najar said.

“I have been all-in for a long time.”

A United States Air Force veteran, Hector Najar served in Desert Shield, Desert Storm and was stationed in Germany. Najar came back to the States, he said, with pride and pain.

“I had severe pain in my back from a degenerative disc and arthritis,” Najar said.

He was living with Mary in California when a local CBD oil vendor sprayed the substance on his back.

Within seconds, Najar said, he felt relief. His interest in CBD oil piqued.

The couple spent the next few years studying the benefits of medical marijuana and CBD oil.

“This stuff helps with just about any ailment,” Najar said. “It helps lower blood pressure, it can reverse the effects of diabetes, it’s an anti-inflammatory, it helps people manage rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, Parkinson’s disease — you name it. I’ve seen CBD products help people get off opioids, meth and heroine.

I believe this cures cancer.”

I knew some of the stuff that was proposed previously would not stand.

Christee Wittig That last part, Najar said, he came to believe too late. His mother died from a brain tumor before he became an expert in CBD oil. He wishes he had the opportunity to introduce her to CBD oil or to medical marijuana.

“To say I am an advocate would be correct,” Najar said. “But I am more than that. I’m a pissed-off advocate.”

It’s hard to imagine that his mother died prematurely because being politically correct in Washington mattered more to politicians than saving lives, Najar said. But it’s not unlikely.

“That’s likely exactly what happened,” he said. “The scientific comHector Najar showcases his CBD oil products wearing his grandfather’s gold ring. | Photo Nazarene Harris

CBD products at The Peak Plaza Dispensary in Oklahoma City’s 16th Street Plaza District. | Photo Nazarene Harris

munity has known about the benefits of cannabinoids for years, but only recently has that information become known to the public.”

Najar hopes the same politics that limited progress in Washington won’t manifest in Oklahoma. He said the new medical marijuana regulations that were signed by Gov. Mary Fallin on Aug. 1 are an improvement from a previous version announced by Oklahoma State Board of Health in July.

The new regulations strike down former rules that required dispensaries to have specific parameters, surveillance systems, alarm systems and pharmacists. The new regulations removed THC limits and allow for medical marijuana smokeables.

According to the board, dispensaries and patients will be able to apply for a license to sell or purchase medical marijuana by Aug. 25.

As soon as the application is available, Najar said, he’ll apply.

Big dreams

Christee Wittig knows what it’s like to sacrifice for a dream. The owner of The Peak Plaza Dispensary in OKC put all the money she and her fiancé saved for their wedding into opening their business.

“Right after voters approved of it, I just knew we had to open a dispensary,” Wittig said.

She currently sells CBD products but is prepared to sell medical marijuana as soon as possible — by November or December, she anticipates.

A few years ago, a routine doctor visit revealed that Wittig had precancerous cells growing in her body.

“I took my health into my own hands. I completely turned my life around,” she said. Wittig began eating whole and organic foods and tried CBD oil as well.

She became passionate about providing medical marijuana to those in need. She reached out to friend Corbin Wyatt to see if he could help with the marketing side of her business.

The Peak opened its doors and launched its website in June.

“As soon as we got our website up and running, we started getting phone calls, about 30 to 50 a day,” Wyatt said.

“These people are from all walks of life.

Of course, you’re going to have a handful of people calling to see if they can get marijuana to get high, but the vast majority of people we speak to want to know if medical marijuana can help them manage their pain.”

Wittig is excited to announce that her body is free of precancerous cells, and Peak will soon open a new dispensary that she said will be the largest one in the state. When and where the dispensary will open is under wraps for now.

“We want to be a part of this community,” Wyatt said. “Forty-two percent of Oklahomans don’t believe in this cause. I think there’s this preconceived notion that this is a shady business and that businesses like ours create shady neighborhoods. I want to do everything I can to prove that false.”

Wittig said her efforts to gain credibility began internally. Each of her employees is paid more than minimum wage. She also insists that the business recycles and uses only organic and pesticide-free products, a value shared by the Najars.

To give back to the OKC community, The Peak Dispensary is working on partnering with a local food bank and other nonprofit organizations.

The newly revised medical marijuana regulations give her cause to celebrate.

“I knew some of the stuff that was proposed previously would not stand,” she said.

Visit ok.gov/health for up-to-date information on the status of medical marijuana.

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chicken

friedNEWS

Party that cried ‘George’

Bad company

The connection between a GOP fundraiser and the biggest fish in the Oklahoma City Thunder’s offseason was too much to ignore, but the party might’ve overexaggerated Paul George’s involvement.

The state Republican Party sent out an invitation for its One Enchanted Evening August fundraiser saying that it would be held “in the beautiful showhome of Thunder Player Paul George.”

For a few brief moments, the headline hit Twitter and conservative Thunder fans were over the moon. Not only did George re-sign a four-year deal to stay in OKC, but he was supporting their party?

Well, not exactly. It’s his house, but he doesn’t live there anymore.

Oklahoma Republican Party chair Pam Pollard clarified to The Oklahoman that George was not making a political statement.

“From what I understand, he actually leases his house,” she said. “This is his seasonal home. We are renting it from the person that he actually leases it from.”

The Thunder and the managing real estate company that manages the $3.3 million home in Gaillardia said that George moved out of the home weeks ago, according to The Oklahoman.

The Facebook page for the event only shows less than 15 people have responded as “going,” and it has removed all references to George. Perhaps because there isn’t a chance to see one of George’s large bass fishing trophies in person.

It only takes a few seconds on Google to find that George probably wouldn’t be too happy about his connection to the GOP. Back in February, after Fox News commenters told LeBron James and Kevin Durant to “shut up and dribble” after they criticized President Trump, George responded: “People just view us as athletes and basketball players. We’re just part of what’s going on in this world and what’s going on in society just as much as anybody else. … for someone to go out and say, ‘Stick to dribbling the basketball,’ that’s pretty ignorant. That just goes to show you where we are as a country right now.”

You know what they say about congressmen: It’s all drugs, sex and rock and roll. Wait. Maybe that’s a step too far.

For congressmen, we suppose, it’s more like pharmaceutical drugs and insider trading, sexual harassment and fancy-schmancy parties on the lawn of the White House where it all goes down.

This week’s political scandal once again puts an Oklahoma congressman in the national spotlight.

U.S. House Representative and member of a health subcommittee Christopher Collins (R-New York) was arrested last week and charged with insider trading after he allegedly sold shares of MIS416, a drug that was developed by Australian pharmaceutical company Innate Immunotherapeutics (INNMF). Collins was on the board of the foreign pharmaceutical company when he was told by one of its chief members that MIS416 was unsuccessful in meeting its intending purpose (treating muscular sclerosis). After receiving the news, the congressman al-

legedly hustled to sell off the company’s bad stock before the information could go public. His scheme saved himself, his family and INNMF from suffering extreme financial losses.

In what can only be described as a an act of heroism, Collins was able to step aside from his mingling duties at a congressional picnic at the White House, receive the news that the drug was unsuccessful, get his son on the phone and save himself and his family from what might have been a hard financial blow.

News that the drug was unsuccessful came after Collins convinced several of his fellow congressmen to invest in it. One such congressman was Oklahoma’s own Markwayne Mullin, a Republican from Tulsa.

Mullin allegedly purchased 110 shares of the drug’s stock in an over-thecounter purchase in January.

Whether or not Mullin received a tip-off from Collins and sold his stock before it plunged is unknown.

Coincidentally, however, Mullin and Collins both sit on the House Committee of Energy and Commerce’s Subcommittee on Health. Before news of MIS416s’ failure hit Collins, he authored a section of the 21st Century Cures Act, which proposed expediting the drug approval process in the United States,

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a move that would no doubt benefit INNMF and its investors, should the company seek approval from the Food & Drug Administration. Mullin supported the proposal.

Frantic phone calls to spare oneself financial hardship, investing in foreign pharmaceutical companies, gaining leadership positions in the company in which one invests and using one’s position as a congressman to push for legislation that would benefit private business deals doesn’t sound too scandalous, does it? Collins was merely trying to benefit from his work. The only way this would be just plain wrong is if Collins was sworn into a public office to protect the public from private interests. Oh wait…

Collins used taxpayer dollars to push for legislation that would benefit his interests and potentially harm a public he swore to

protect. This guy’s track record stinks no matter how much Donald J. Trump Success cologne you spray on it. Spoiler alert: Collins was the first member of Congress to endorse Trump for president.

For Mullins’ sake and for the sake of our fellow Okies, our fingers are crossed that one is not the company they keep, because in a state that ranks 46th in overall health, we could sure use an advocate in Congress and not another guy whose head is shoved up — well, you get it.

High number

Lying happens all the time in 2018, often for political gain or just personal amusement, but ask any lawyer or good con artist and they’ll tell you that the last kind of lie you want to tell is one where the revelation of said lie is inevitable. Stitch it on a pillow, Grandma — it’s as true as Spandau Ballet.

Green the Vote, the recreational marijuana advocacy group that was gathering signatures for State Question 797 to be placed on the November ballot, found this out the hard way when two board members upwardly adjusted the number of signatures the group had gathered.

According to Tulsa World, board members Isaac Caviness and Dody

Sullivan hatched a plan to inflate the number of names on the petition to demonstrate success and encourage more reticent ganja-curious voters to jump on the 4:20 Express to Sativaville before it leaves Sticky Icky Station. On July 29, Green the Vote announced that it had gathered 132,527 signatures — a damned precise number and exactly 8,527 more names than it needed to submit to the Oklahoma Secretary of State’s office, or about the same number of joints smoked backstage during the recent 311 concert.

Well, the ruse lasted a little over a week. On Aug. 6, with just 48 hours to go before the petition deadline, Tulsa World reported that Sullivan found north on her “moral compass” and admitted that Green the Vote only had somewhere between 73,000 and 78,000 signatures — a damned impre-

cise range, somewhere between 47,000 and 52,000 less than the initiative petition required.

Green the Vote turned in its insufficient number of signatures on Wednesday.

Chicken-Fried News acknowledges the difficulty of finding north on a moral compass, mainly because none of the moral compasses we found on Amazon had navigation points on them, just stuff like “honor” and “truthfulness.”

Honestly, how did Caviness and Sullivan think that inflating the number would help? Everything CFN knows about human nature points to potential signatories just not worrying about it if Green the Vote had collected a surplus of names and SQ797 was in the bag. Maybe Green the Vote should hire a group of straightedge punks and Mormons to run their next campaign — clearer heads might prevail.

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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.

co m m en ta ry

On ICE

Family separations are not abstract — they are taking place in Oklahoma City.

By Lori Walke

Her perfect English put mine to shame.

So did her mastery of a smartphone. She is a straight-A fifth-grade student. She’s also under order of removal by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

We met in the parking lot of the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services building because immigration allies have discovered that having a white minister present improves outcomes for people who are undocumented. Her mother, who I’ll call Dee, didn’t have the luxury of waiting years to escape blood-chilling violence at home. So eight years ago, she fled with her infant daughter to the United States, where she made it to Oklahoma and started building a life.

Dee sent her daughter to school and found work to support her family. She welcomed another daughter, now 2 years old, who is an American citizen.

Like many women in Oklahoma, Dee is a survivor of domestic violence.

According to The Oklahoman, close to

four in 10 Oklahoma women have experienced physical violence by an intimate partner in their lifetime. The violence often escalates. Oklahoma has consistently ranked among the worst states in the nation for the rate of women killed by men. After finding the courage to report the crime, Dee was turned into ICE, which initiated removal proceedings for her and her 10-year-old daughter. ICE does not consider the 2-year-old their concern, so the toddler would be placed in our already-overwhelmed foster care system upon the deportation of her mother and sister.

This is why ICE’s “partnership” with local authorities makes our communities less safe. Reporting a crime means the separation of families, traumatization of children and the abdication of America’s promise to welcome “the tempest-tost” we read of in Emma Lazarus’ poem on the Statute of Liberty.

As I think of this full-of-potential fifth-grade girl whose only home is

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Reporting a crime means the separation of families, traumatization of children, and the abdication of America’s promise.

out. Our country is in the middle of a crisis. Family separation is not an abstraction. It is happening in our backyard. Our neighbors need us to advocate for immigration policies true to the Oklahoma Standard. Otherwise we need to stop patting ourselves on the back. At the end of the day, either all of us matter of none of us do. Let’s make sure all of us do.

Rev. Lori Walke, J.D., is associate minister of Mayflower Congregational UCC Church and a graduate of Oklahoma City University School of Law, Phillips Theological Seminary and Oklahoma State University. | Photo provided

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Oklahoma, I am reminded that I was in the fifth grade when a white terrorist bombed the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building. People around the world were amazed at our response, which is now known worldwide as the Oklahoma Standard. Conservatives and liberals alike proudly tout our compassion, generosity and service, but does it really apply to everyone?

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Taco salad also features chorizo. | Photo Jacob Threadgill

Decade strong

With fresh ingredients and loyal customers, Grill on the Hill watches as Capitol Hill grows.

By Jacob Threadgill

Grill on the Hill 324 SW 25th St. grillonthehillokc.com | 405-634-9866 What works: Fresh and house-made ingredients like chorizo and hand-breaded okra shine.

What needs work: The taco salad is somewhat clunky to eat.

Tip: Order fruit fritters to go with breakfast or lunch.

Nestled at the top of Commerce Street, Grill on the Hill celebrated its 10th anniversary earlier this year and has watched as the historic neighborhood has begun to revitalize around it.

Husband and wife Rory Carver and Norma Ooley-Ericson took over the restaurant space in 2008 when Rory was looking to become his own boss after years working in corporate environments at Olive Garden and The Cheesecake Factory.

When the couple moved into the restaurant, a year-round Christmas store sat intermittently vacant where a branch of Oklahoma City Community College now resides. Slowly but surely over the last decade, Capitol Hill has began to take the steps back to regaining its thriving main street of decades past.

“There used to be a bank down the street, and we have an architect’s office in there now,” Ooley-Ericson said.

“They’re buying up all the property and they are revitalizing everything. It’s crazy. There wasn’t much down here besides us, Coney Island and a few Mexican restaurants.”

Developers John Austin and Steve Mason are among those developers looking to bring vitality back to Capitol Hill, which was a thriving until the late 1970s and greatly affected during the 1980s oil bust, according to Capitol Hill Main Street.

“It’s exciting to see new businesses coming [to Capitol Hill],” Ooley-Ericson said. “I’ve had people ask if I’m concerned if other restaurants come down. ‘No; I was here first. I’ve already built my business. They have to worry about me.’”

Grill on the Hill has built a loyal customer base. Ooley-Ericson estimates that 75 percent of its customers are regulars. It was evident one afternoon as customers greeted her upon entrance and headed to the counter while yelling “half-pound down” in kitchen lingo for a half-pound hamburger.

Burgers come in one-third and halfpound sizes and reflect the biggest change to the restaurant since the Carver and Ooley-Ericson took over: a commitment to fresh food. They kept a popular Memphis burger ($6.49 single, $8.49 double) on the menu with a few tweaks. It is an open-faced hamburger topped with fries and smothered in a choice of brown, white or spicy Cajun gravy and cheese.

I was born in Memphis, and I can attest that I’ve never heard of such a concoction hailing from the Bluff City,

but that doesn’t mean it’s not a delicious mess of a meal.

The restaurant has added a chorizo Memphis burger ($6.99 single, $8.49 double) in recent months that is made with a chorizo patty and topped with spicy gravy, and an Indian taco burger (third-pound $7.49, half-pound $8.99) that tops a burger patty with chili, beans, lettuce, salsa, cheese, tomato, sour cream and onions and has quickly become a top-seller.

On Fridays, the choice of a jalapeño, mushroom or bacon cheeseburger is paired with fresh cut french fries and a drink for only $9.50.

The fried catfish platter (also available in a spicy version) and slow-cooked barbecue pork-stuffed baked potato ($7.29) are among Grill on the Hill’s other best-selling menu items.

In honor of the restaurant’s 10th anniversary, it began rolling out a new collection of menu items based around its in-house made chorizo, which has been a staple of its breakfast menu but now appears on a few new items like the aforementioned Memphis burger, chorizo tacos ($8.99) and taco salad ($8.59).

“The chorizo we were using was being bought prepackaged, and I read the package and I was like, ‘Oh we can’t serve this to our customer. Ew,’” OoleyEricson said.

The hand-breaded okra was a highlight of the meal.

Carver got to work on his chorizo spice blend to go with freshly ground pork shoulder. The end result is a smoky, spicy and a little sweet (thanks to a dash of cinnamon) chorizo that holds up much better than the prepackaged variety that often disintegrates when

put on heat.

The only other fresh chorizo of which I am aware in the metro area can be found at Café Do Brasil, and I think Grill on the Hill’s version is more substantial with sweet and spicy notes, while Café Do Brasil leans into paprika and allspice. Both are good, and I’d love to make it a quest to highlight every establishment in the city that is making its own chorizo.

I preferred the soft taco as a vehicle for the chorizo to shine in comparison to the taco salad. The bits of chorizo were hard to find among the layers of chips, lettuce and other accoutrements.

The hand-breaded okra was a highlight of the meal and served as an excellent replacement for Grill on the Hill’s fresh french fries.

Grill on the Hill serves breakfast and lunch 6:30 a.m.-3 p.m. Monday-Thursday and stays open until 8 p.m. on Fridays and is closed on the weekends.

If you have a sweet tooth, I highly recommend Grill on the Hill’s interesting and fun fruit-filled fritters. They also serve fresh apple pie and cobbler, but the fritters have been lodged in my memory since featuring them in Gazedibles a few months ago.

The fritters (2 for $1) are similar to doughnut holes in size, but much more substantial. The restaurant started with somewhat traditional apple-cinnamon and has expanded with interesting flavors like strawberry-pineapple, peach and my personal favorite blueberry-lime.

The dash of citrus highlights the blueberry for a treat that can be a sweet breakfast or finish to a meal.

Grill on the Hill has been busy every time I’ve entered the establishment, even at non-peak meal hours. It’s a testament to its commitment to serve fresh food at a reasonable price. (Everything on the menu is under $10.) If it has been awhile since you’ve eaten at Grill on the Hill, I recommend checking it out to see what else is happening in Capitol Hill.

Fritter flavors include apple cinnamon, blueberrylime, strawberry-pineapple and peach. | Photo Jacob Threadgill O kg a z e t t e . c o m | A u g u s t 1 5 , 2 0 1 8

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Dual identity

With a new Britton Road location, Mamaveca showcases Peruvian and Mexican food.

By Jacob Threadgill

AUGUST 16TH

WITH US!

EAT & DRINK

Four Paws

The sign outside Mamaveca Mexican and Peruvian Restaurant at its 2925 W. Britton Road location only tells half the story.

Drivers coming off nearby Highway 74 or May Avenue will see “Mamaveca: Mexican Restaurant,” and miss the smaller colorful sign promoting its Peruvian food.

The original Mamaveca opened in Norman, 2501 Hemphill Drive, in 2007 as a traditional Tex-Mex restaurant based on owner William Chunga’s decades of experience working for Mexican restaurants around the Oklahoma City metro like El Chico, the original Ted’s Café Escondido and Chelino’s Mexican Restaurant.

Presenting South America

As Mamaveca got its footing in Norman, Chunga and his wife wanted the menu to reflect the diverse and flavorful food of their native Peru. The couple didn’t want the Peruvian food just to be homestyle meals cobbled together from memory, so they sought to find a classically trained Peruvian chef.

They eventually found Renato Victorio, who trained with Le Cordon Bleu in Peru and was working in Miami, Florida, and convinced him to move to Norman to develop Mamaveca’s Peruvian menu. “[Victorio] presented our Peruvian menu, and we recognized pretty much everything, but we hadn’t been in Peru in awhile,” Chunga said, acknowledging that Victorio’s menu acted almost as a transporter, bringing back flavors he hadn’t tasted in years. “We started tasting it, and it was like, ‘Wow! This is great.’”

Victorio stayed at Mamaveca for about a year and half but eventually moved back to Peru. His recipes remain at Mamaveca.

The restaurant started to implement the Peruvian dishes by sliding a small addition into the Mexican menu.

Chunga and other staff members would order Peruvian food and sit in the front of the restaurant to catch other customers’ attention.

Slowly but surely, customers started trying the new menu. Chunga said the Norman location sells about 40 percent Peruvian food, but the Britton location, since opening in May, has sold a majority Peruvian food.

The name Mamaveca pays homage to Chunga’s mother-in-law, Juliana, who moved to the United States and helped his family open the restaurant.

The nickname developed from a child’s mispronunciation of “mama vieja” (old mother), and the name stuck. Chunga said that even family friends refer to Juliana as Mamaveca.

Diverse cuisine

From the coast to the mountains, Peruvian food is as eclectic as its different ecosystems. Ceviche is Peru’s national dish, as the lime-marinated seafood traces its roots to the Incan Empire, but years of immigration have altered the country’s cuisine.

Chinese and Japanese indentured servants flooded into the country in the early 20th century on 10-year contracts to work the fields, and as those workers and their families began serving street food from their native lands, they didn’t have access to all of the ingredients from home, so they

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incorporated local Peruvian ingredients to create completely new dishes.

Lomito saltado ($13.55) is perhaps the most popular example of Asian and Peruvian fusion. Thinly cut steak marinated in soy sauce is paired with french fries (Peru is home to over 4,000 varieties of potato) and served with jasmine rice.

Chaufas is Peruvian-style fried rice that Mamaveca serves in three varieties, and it also serves tallarin saltado, which is a noodle stir-fry with the customer’s choice of protein.

If you want to eat something different ... come to Mamaveca.

William Chunga Pasta is an important part of Peruvian food, highlighting the influence of Asian and Italian immigrants.

Mamaveca serves tallarin Alfredo, which is the South American version of fettuccini Alfredo. It also has tallarines verdes, which pairs breaded steak and potato with the Peruvian version of pesto. Traditionally, tallarines verdes has the building blocks of pesto alla Genovese — basil, garlic, walnuts and olive oil — but it replaces Parmesan cheese with queso fresco and adds spinach, red onion, evaporated milk and fresh lime juice.

“A younger guy came in and he was having lunch and went and asked for the manager, and I thought he was going to complain,” Chunga said.

“He said, ‘Let me tell you, I tried the tallarines verdes.

It was something I’d never had in my life, and it was so good that Peruvian ceviche mixto: a selection of fish, shrimp, mussels and calamari | Photo provided

Jalea Mixto is tempura-fried seafood with limemarinated onions. | Photo provided

I’m going to have come back again.’”

Chunga takes pride in Mamaveca’s ceviche. It serves marinated raw fish or a mixto option with fish, shrimp, mussels and calamari. Traditional Peruvian red and yellow chiles brighten the marinade with flavor and heat.

The seafood is served with sweet potato and choclo, giant puffed corn.

He said the secret to good ceviche, which he learned from Victorio, is to only squeeze the lime once.

“If you squeeze it more than once, it starts to become sour,” Chunga said.

While Mamaveca has a mix of Peruvian food from around the country, there is one noticeable omission: pollo a la brasa. Chunga said that Mamaveca’s kitchen setup doesn’t allow for enough room to cook the chicken, which requires a special charcoal grill.

“We could have more variety because Peru is incredible, and we don’t have the space,” he said. “It’s like having two restaurants in one kitchen. … Our Mexican is great and on par with any good Mexican restaurant. If you want a great Mexican restaurant, come to us. But if you want to eat something different that you can’t find any other place, come to Mamaveca.”

Visit mamaveca.com.

from left Mamaveca owner William Chunga and manager Jose Rios | Photo Jacob Threadgill

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Doughnut duo

Sweet Mini’s Donut Company adds the Poke Loco concept, a combination that diversifies its customer base. By Jacob Threadgill

At first glance, the combination of hot, fried mini doughnuts and raw, fresh fish might create cognitive dissonance, but owner John Shelton knows it is merely a way to accentuate an alreadypopular food trend with another.

Sweet Mini’s Donut Company opened at 14600 N. Pennsylvania Ave. over a year ago and added the Poke Loco concept to its store the last week of July.

The Sweet Mini’s sign that brought customers to the all-day doughnut shop has been replaced by a giant, black “Poke Loco” banner with a smaller doughnut sign near the entrance.

“The big decision was to change the signage,” Shelton said. “We had a huge Sweet Mini’s sign, and it made a big impact, but we took it down and put up the [Poke Loco] banner. [Poke] has more stability and long-term growth.”

When it comes to food trends in Oklahoma City in 2018, chief among them might be the Hawaiian-born concept of poke, which has exploded across the country and in Oklahoma

City over the last year. Okie Pokie opened in March, and two other standalone poke concepts will open on 23rd Street later this year. A lot of other restaurants have experimented with poke bowls as either a special or permanent menu item.

Shelton said he was introduced to the concept of poke through friends in Stillwater that operate Thai Loco, a Thai-taco fusion concept, when they introduced poke and sushi burritos about a year and half ago.

Shelton worked with the Thai Loco owners — the Rice family — when they operated Bangkok Restaurant in north Oklahoma City and Thai Stop on N. May Ave. After trying their poke in Stillwater, he worked out an agreement to use their recipes for the sauces used to top poke bowls and sushi burritos.

“It’s a big market out there for healthy eaters,” Shelton said. “If we make a great product and provide great service, it will attract people. It’s a A sushi burrito stuffed with crab | Photo provided

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A u g u s t 1 5 , 2 0 1 8 | O kg a z e t t e . c o m

Sweet Mini’s Donut Company offers 20 varieties of toppings, nine icings and three doughnut base flavors. | Photo provided

totally different crowd; we get kids for the doughnuts and millennials and young professionals with the poke.”

Poke has earned its footing in the mainland United States thanks to its raw, fresh and colorful ingredients that allow it to be healthy and perfect for being highlighted with an Instagram filter.

Derived from the native Hawaiian language, poke means “to slice” and dates to at least the 19th century, but with the arrival of Japanese workers in the late 1800s, tuna became the most popular ingredient, according to The Washington Post.

The concept of poke bowls — a mixture of Hawaiian flavors with Japanese rice bowls — is a relatively new phenomenon only a few decades old, even in Hawaii. On the Islands, poke bowls are typically more minimalist, but as the trend has caught on in the mainland, different proteins and mix-ins have come with it.

Poke Loco offers six pre-selected bowl options and a build-your-own-bowl option, which Shelton said is the most popular. Guests choose a base of sushi or brown rice or spring salad mix. They offer proteins of raw and baked salmon, raw and spicy tuna, shrimp, crispy coconut shrimp, crispy chicken and tofu.

would say it was the best doughnut they’d ever had when it was hot.”

Unlike Daylight Donuts, Sweet Mini’s doughnuts are cooked to-order.

A base of vanilla cake doughnut batter (chocolate and blueberry are available on weekends) is dropped into the automated fryer and travels along a conveyor belt of hot oil for about 90 seconds as an attendant makes sure they flip halfway through.

Doughnuts are then topped with nine icing options (vanilla, cream cheese, chocolate, peanut butter, maple, lemon, orange, strawberry or white glaze) or three buttercream flavors (vanilla, chocolate or salted caramel), 20 different toppings (everything from bacon crumbles to M&M’s and sprinkles) and drizzled with caramel, chocolate, raspberry and marshmallow sauces.

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John Shelton Bowls are then filled with a variety of fresh vegetables and sauces. Sushi burritos ($9.99) are like overstuffed cut rolls from a sushi restaurant. Five preselected burritos are available. Fully customizable bowls are assembled in front of customers, which is a calling card of Sweet Mini’s doughnuts as well.

Mini doughnuts have been a staple of state fairs and mall kiosks since Minnesota-based company Lil’ Orbits developed a mini doughnut fryer in 1974. The concept has gotten a boost in recent years with the invention of an automated frying system.

Franchises Peace, Love, & Little Donuts and The Dapper Doughnut have been founded within the last decade.

Shelton likes the mini-doughnut concept due to its convenience, customization and quick turnaround.

Shelton used to own Daylight Donut franchises but quickly fell in love with mini doughnuts after seeing other locations in Chicago and Florida.

“I had some traditional Daylight Donut shops, but it’s a lot of work because you have to start at midnight and cook all night because it’s a yeast product and it’s not just a simple cake,” Shelton said. “Daylight is a great product, and people would compliment you, but almost every day, someone

Nic’s Place

Poke Loco’s build-your-own-bowl and spicy tuna are its most popular options. | Photo provided

Shelton said this his favorite mini doughnut is the classic cinnamon and sugar, which along with powdered are top sellers, and chocolate buttercream and Boston Cream Pie. He envisions the store will eventually sell a majority of poke, but they’re in the process of creating a few savory mini doughnut options to round out the menu. Acai bowls give health-conscious eaters an option during breakfast while concepts like a mini doughnut grilled cheese provide an indulgent offering during dinner.

“This whole concept has been fun because you see different demographics,” Shelton said. “With a diversity in customer base, it inspires us to expand the menu a little bit.”

Visit sweetminisdonutcompany. com.

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15

g a z e di b l e s

eat & DRINK

Summer seasonal

Summer is peak time for produce and inventive menus across the city. These seven restaurants have had fun with food trends and local ingredients to create some memorable seasonal menu additions.

by Jacob Threadgill with photos by Jacob Threadgill and provided

The Hutch

6437 Avondale Drive, Nichols Hills hutchokc.com | 405-842-1000

Poke has officially become the hottest food trend sweeping Oklahoma City, as multiple standalone concepts are opening across the city and everyone else has seemingly experimented with a poke special. Chef David Henry adds a twist to the concept with watermelon poke that has tomatoes, both watermelon radishes and fresh watermelon, pickled onions, avocado puree, cucumber, black sesame seeds and a rice crisp.

Mary Eddy’s Kitchen + Lounge

900 W. Main St. maryeddysokc.com | 405-982-6960

Executive chef Jason Campbell has taken Nashville’s famous hot chicken sandwich and put an Oklahoma City spin on it. The chicken is fried and drenched in oil and spices but then slathered with ranch, cilantro and pickles and served on a fresh potato bun. Mary Eddy’s changes its menu every few weeks, but this sandwich has been a staple of its lunch menu for most of the summer.

The Jones Assembly

901 W. Sheridan Ave. thejonesassembly.com | 405-212-2378

The kitchen and bar at The Jones Assembly has had a busy summer, adding four summer cocktails, three pizzas, four dinner entrees and two salads to its menu for the season. The wood-fired chicken features roasted potatoes, seasonal summer vegetables, crispy skin and chicken jus with a softpoached egg. It pairs well with the I’ll Bee Drammed cocktail made with honeycomb-infused Famous Grouse Scotch.

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Ludivine

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The Ludivine menu changes by the week, and even by the day depending on what local produce is available. Its Sunday brunch menu, which is available through Labor Day, has a set list of menu items that might change slightly based on fresh vegetables. The lobster and grits is an elevated take on classic shrimp and grits, and the green chile sopes is good enough to cause self-reflection about why you aren’t eating it every day.

If the thought of eating a steaming bowl of ramen is difficult to visualize as outdoor temperatures push triple digits, Gorō Ramen has unveiled a chilled ramen with sesame dressing, shrimp, surimi, mustard greens, bamboo shoots, green onions and fried shallots. Continue to beat the heat with house-made miso ice cream served with blueberry compote and a cornflake crunch.

It has been a busy summer at one of Oklahoma City’s most popular breakfast restaurants. It unveiled a colorful new outdoor mural, new patio seating and new menu options. The tostones Benedict takes twice-fried plantains and tops it with marinated steak, two poached eggs and avocado hollandaise sauce. Also check out the Caribbean crabcake Benedict for another inventive take on a breakfast classic.

En Croûte unveiled a pair of summer salads including a pear, beet and goat cheese fritter salad (pictured) and an avocado wedge. Lobster-stuffed fried Fresno pepper tops its summer appetizer menu, but it’s tough to beat its wagyu tartare made with Dijon mustard, garlic, lemon aioli, fresh thyme, basil, parsley and shallots.

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17

ARTS & CULTURE

t h eater

Larry Shue’s The Foreigner, considered a challenging favorite for comedic actors, will be performed at Jewel Box Theatre. | Photo Jim Beckel / provided

Laugh passport

Jewel Box Theatre’s The Foreigner earns the laughter with both words and actions.

By Ian Jayne

There are comedies, and then there is the “laugh fest,” a distinctive sub-genre that leaves the audience in stitches from laughter. For Jewel Box Theatre director Chuck Tweed, The Foreigner definitely falls into the latter category.

Tweed will direct Larry Shue’s 1983 classic comedy for the fourth time Aug. 23-Sept. 16 at Jewel Box Theatre, 3700 N. Walker Ave. Tickets are $20-$25 and available for purchase (cash or check only) at the box office or by calling 405-521-1786.

Over the course of its two acts set vaguely in the “recent past,” The Foreigner follows Charlie Baker and Staff Sergeant Froggy LeSueur as they travel to a hunting lodge in Georgia to teach a demolition class. Painfully shy Charlie — an Englishman — finds an easy exit from anxiety-inducing conversations when his friend claims that he doesn’t speak English.

“While he’s sitting there, he keeps

hearing things that he should not have heard,” Tweed said. “He decides to go along with the charade and pretend he doesn’t know any English.”

An eclectic medley of secondary characters rounds out the cast and maximizes the zany hijinks that result from Charlie’s selective speaking: Betty Meeks, the lodge owner; an ex-debutante and her brother; and a pair of local Georgians.

“Charlie is the crux of it all,” Tweed said. “He’s causing everything to happen once he arrives.”

To keep up the act, Charlie even creates his own language.

“No one in the room has any idea what he’s talking about, but by the way his actions move, they can tell what he’s saying,” said Tweed.

For actor Barrett Davidson, who plays Charlie, the role poses its own uniquely enjoyable challenges. For much of the show, Charlie does not

speak, taking the role of an observer.

However, even this passivity is itself an illusion, a role within a role.

“The foreigner Charlie is acting like he doesn’t know,” said Davidson, who had discussions with the cast and crew about how to most effectively convey Charlie’s knowledge — or pretended lack thereof.

Such questions — when to glance at other actors and when to look away in disinterest — imbue the comedy with a layer of complex dramatic irony that propels the humor even as deeper themes of foreign identity and secrecy emerge.

“It sounds easy to just sit there and stare off, but it’s the first role like this that I’ve had,” said Davidson, who has both worked with Tweed on other shows and worked on a production of The Foreigner in California.

After 25 years of acting, Davidson said he has learned to trust the process and Tweed’s vision.

Longtime laughter

Although Tweed has directed The Foreigner three previous times, the last time he did so at the Jewel Box was in 2004. After 14 years, the perennial audience favorite will return to familiar faces and newcomers to the show, whose appeal extends far and wide.

“I have a friend who only directs dramas — won’t direct anything else,” said Jewel Box stage manager Jan Garrett. “But she said if she had an opportunity to direct The Foreigner, she would do it.”

That Garrett, Tweed and Davidson have all worked on iterations of The Foreigner speaks to both the show’s enduring appeal and their excitement at putting it on again.

“Every year that we’ve done it, our season ticket people get to vote for the best play, and this one has won three times,” said Tweed, who wanted to kick off this fall’s season with the show.

Part of the play’s joy, said Tweed, is all the humor that actors and directors can find that’s not on the page, from

outlandish bits to dramatic gestures.

Tweed said one word or one gesture can elevate the comic meaning of a sentence and it’s rewarding to watch different actors bring the show to life.

Because of The Foreigner’s delicate balance of dramatic irony, the show also requires a precise understanding of comic timing. Cast rehearsals have already made the actors laugh — always a good omen.

It’s sometimes said that comedy is harder than drama, and comedy performed “in the round,” as at the Jewel Box, requires even more spatial awareness, creating a sense of heightened and immersive realism for actors and audiences alike.

“It’s like real life,” said Tweed. “We don’t always stand together and face the front. Whatever show we’re doing at the Jewel Box, you are there. This is a lodge in Georgia; you’re sitting in the lodge. … That’s what I love about the round; there are people all around, and they are in whatever’s on stage.”

Unlike traditional proscenium theater, in which actors can sit and talk for long periods of time, working in the round also requires frequent movement to switch up audience members’ views and ensure a lively, dynamic performance.

“I’ve done a lot of shows here, and it’s always one of my favorite experiences,” said Davidson. “I love it because it frees you up as an actor.”

With its examination of what it means to be a “foreigner” — confronting mistrust, fear and prejudice — Davidson said Shue’s show is still relevant today.

Charlie’s arc moves from near-silence to driving the action, transforming the character and others around him.

“He comes out of his shell during the show, so at the end, he’s the brightest bulb in the package,” said Tweed.

Visit jewelboxtheatre.org.

The Foreigner Aug. 23-Sept. 16 Jewel Box Theatre 3700 N. Walker Ave. jewelboxtheatre.org | 405-521-1786 $20-$25

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ence as a festival attendee in 2008 was positive and encouraging. After watching Bag It, a documentary about plastic’s effects in waterways and ecosystems, Huck said she left feeling confident that she could take small steps to improve the impact she made on the world around her.

“That ended up becoming the impetus for changing my life, so I like to say I’m a poster child for what this can do,” Huck said. “When I walked out of that film, I didn’t think, ‘Oh, god.

There’s plastic killing our oceans, and you know, there’s nothing I can do.’ I walked out and it was literally an epiphany. I’ll never forget how I felt in that moment, like, ‘I can do that.’”

film

Beautiful disasters

Wild scenes Wild & Scenic Film Festival stops in the OKC metro. By Jeremy Martin

Environmental issues can be scary, but documentaries about them don’t have to feel like horror movies. Wild & Scenic Film Festival, advertised as “a festival by activists for activists,” showcases films about nature and the environment, including documentaries about current crises such as climate change and pollution, but Theresa Huck, sales manager for the festival’s touring component, said the films are selected and arranged to give viewers hope that progress and solutions are still possible.

“We see it as sort of an emotional journey they’re taking,” said Huck. “We don’t shove things down their throats, like, ‘The world is falling apart and we’re all gonna die.’ We will open with fun little energetic or beautiful openers and we’ll place those throughout the program so it really feels like entertainment. That’s the bottom line: It feels like entertainment, and it’s so enjoyable people come back for more. … We don’t want to overwhelm anyone.”

Produced by the South Yuba River Citizens League, Wild & Scenic is an annual festival held in Nevada City, California, since 2002. A touring version of the festival has been making stops across North America for the past 12 years, but Huck said its stop Saturday at The Mercury, 426 E. Main St., in Norman, will mark Wild & Scenic’s first appearance in the state.

“When I got here, my job was to look at the tour map and find all the places it wasn’t and bring it there,” Huck said. “I noticed Oklahoma was this gaping hole in the tour map, and as I started making sales calls, I realized it is because we are

an environmental- and conservationbased film festival and Oklahoma is the land of fracking, oil and gas. And I would hear everyone say when I would make calls, ‘Well, my family works in oil and gas, my husband works in oil and gas,’ and it went on and on and on, so I understand now that it has been a hard area to break into for anyone in conservation or the environment.”

Constructive lens

The festival’s Oklahoma debut is sponsored by environmental nonprofit Earth Rebirth and includes documentaries (unofficial) History of National Parks, During the Drought, and Valve Turners, a short-subject film about a group of activists who temporarily shut down five tar sand oil pipelines in an act of solidarity with Standing Rock protestors. Organizations hosting the festival can choose from Wild & Scenic’s library of more than 140 films, but Huck said festival organizers work with the organizations to create a schedule that emphasizes constructive actions taken by activists rather than dwelling on possible negative outcomes.

“We have a preference for sharing messages in a way that is positive, like, ‘This group, they fought a nickel mine and they won, and these folks, they did this and succeeded,’” Huck said. “That’s more the avenue we prefer to take. Now, we do have some dark messages here and there, but there’s a balance in how Chasing Wild: Journey Into the Sacred Headwaters, directed by Colin Arisman, Luke Kantola and Tyler Wilkinson-Ray | Photo Wild & Scenic Film Festival / provided

For Flint, directed by Brian Schulz, Will Taylor, Matthew C. Mills and Chris Vivion | Photo Wild & Scenic Film Festival / provided

you show those.”

Even the scheduled documentary For Flint, filmed in the city currently known for its ongoing water crisis, has a hopeful message at its core.

“That film is all positivity,” she said.

“For Flint is about three people who decided to use art to help the community recover. Now that doesn’t mean that we wouldn’t have a film that tells the stark story; we do that all the time. … [But] there’s a certain line we don’t cross with the darkness.”

While the films are carefully curated and scheduled to keep the audience from becoming depressed or giving in to despair, Huck said the process of selecting the films can be overwhelming due to the cumulative effect of watching so many films about environmental problems.

“You should see our film programming manager [Jess Swigonski],” Huck said. “There are days when you can see it weighing on her, and she’ll say, ‘I feel like I have the weight of the world on my shoulders.’”

But Huck added that her first experi-

In addition to curated scheduling, Huck said Wild & Scenic offers viewers another advantage over simply watching documentaries on the internet by vetting festival selections.

“When you stream a documentary on Netflix, you don’t know who made that film,” Huck said. “We follow the money on films regularly when we aren’t familiar with the source. That way we’re not spreading a message that isn’t entirely accurate or that is motivated by big money.”

Huck said the Wild & Scenic encourages local hosts to schedule speakers and discussion panels to provide further context and help audience members figure out what steps they might want to take next.

“One of the things we notice is that during the course of this journey, when it’s over, they have this desire to talk about it and process it,” Huck said.

“They also are very motivated to act in some way.”

The Norman tour stop features not only films about environmental issues and activism, but ones showcasing nature and outdoor activities such as Chasing Wild: Journey into the Sacred Headwaters, a short movie about a mountain biking and rafting expedition in British Columbia that showcases natural beauty but also documents the aftermath of a mining disaster.

We seek adventure films and have a relationship with a lot of adventure filmmakers,” Huck said, “but we tend to choose films that are along the lines of adventure with a purpose … which isn’t uncommon. If you love the outdoors, you have a tendency to want to take care of it.”

Wild & Scenic Film Festival is 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Saturday at The Mercury in Norman. Tickets are $15-$20. Visit earthrebirthnow.org.

Wild & Scenic Film Festival 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Saturday The Mercury 426 E. Main St., Norman earthrebirthnow.org | 405-358-3565 $15-$20

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Kerr package

Downtown’s Kerr Park gets a needed makeover.

By Heather Warlick

Downtown Oklahoma City’s Central Business District will unveil newly renovated Kerr Park at a kickoff party open to the public, many of whom had their say in what they wanted in an urban park.

The park, 102 Robert S. Kerr Ave., is designed with an emphasis on being inviting and comfortable, open to all and a hub for concerts, arts events, movie nights, pingpong and other uses.

The kickoff party is 11 a.m.-1 p.m.

Tuesday with a garland-cutting at noon.

Renovations including a covered pavilion were largely funded by Southwest Airlines’ Heart of the Community grant, which is awarded to three cities each year. This year’s $200,000 grants went to Oklahoma City; New Orleans, Louisiana; and Buffalo, New York.

“The grant itself is to transform a space in an urban area that is underutilized by the community and make it more people-friendly and active with programming and amenities,” said Jill DeLozier, vice president of Downtown Oklahoma City Partnership. “So last August, we pulled together some community engagement workshops and invited the public and a bunch of downtown stakeholders, neighbors, residents, employees — anyone who cared to participate, to come and give us their ideas and opinions on what they’d like to see happen at Kerr Park.”

More than 400 people responded to the community engagement efforts, including Urban Neighbors, the area’s neighborhood association. Several community partners joined in the planning and funding of the park, including New

York’s Project for Public Spaces, SandRidge Energy, Common Works Architects, Lingo Construction, the Oklahoma City Parks & Recreation Department and many other stakeholders and experts, DeLozier said.

“In downtown, other than Myriad [Botanical] Gardens and the upcoming Scissortail Park, we don’t have a lot of green space,” she said.

For years, Kerr Park was used by area workers for lunch and for occasional concerts but was otherwise unused.

“We’re trying to reiterate that Kerr Park is here and it’s not just for people to have their lunch break,” DeLozier said.

The park is .6 acres, and its update features a modern and cozy motif in shades of bright white, lime and purple.

The park will be outfitted with new furniture, including outdoor couches and chairs, end tables and benches that can also be used as play equipment. It will also feature a pingpong table.

Community-friendly

One of the concerns expressed by participants in the community engagement workshops was finding ways to make the green space more comfortable in Oklahoma’s extreme weather. The pavilion provides needed shelter, and the furniture is heavy enough to withstand the state’s wind as it whips through the urban corridors, but the pieces will be movable to accommodate activities and weather.

“We also had a ton of feedback about programming and special events ranging from yoga in the park all the way to the [Oklahoma City] Memorial Marathon finish line for the Kids Marathon,” DeLozier said. “Our strat-

Newly redesigned Kerr Park features comfortable seating and a new pavilion. | Photo provided

egy was to put in some furniture and shade structures and do quite a bit of additional programing, public art and basically make comfortable, inclusive gathering spaces for anyone who would like to use the space.”

The group plans to host movie nights in which films are projected on the Parkside Building, the exterior of which was designed with projection in mind.

“We’re particularly lucky in Oklahoma City to have the award-winning Myriad Gardens, and we’ve learned a lot of lessons just by watching how well they do things there,” DeLozier said.

She said no public space is ever done being improved.

“Making public spaces more peoplefriendly is an ongoing process, and the needs of the community may change,” DeLozier said. “I love that as MAPS has evolved, we’ve been adding sidewalks and trails and other health-related initiatives. We’re making sure people are going outside and spending time in our green spaces.

“It’s really filling in the gaps of all those big projects that we’ve accomplished. That’s where Downtown Oklahoma City Partnership sees its role: making sure all these big amenities are connected and that the pedestrian experience is really excellent when you’re traveling through downtown. We don’t want any dead spots. We want people to keep exploring every single block.”

Kerr Park will be available to reserve for special occasions by calling Oklahoma City Parks & Recreation Department.

Call 405-297-3995 or visit downtownokc.com.

Kerr Park kickoff party 11 a.m.-1 p.m. Tuesday Kerr Park 102 Robert S. Kerr Ave. downtownokc.com | 405-297-3995 Free

culture

Summer fruit

This year’s Biting the Apple show focuses on hot fun in the summertime. By Jeremy Martin

In the beginning was the Sleaze Ball, but spontaneous bob doesn’t recall anything before Biting the Apple.

“It started as the Sleaze Ball,” said Individual Artists of Oklahoma board president David Smith, who makes art under the name spontaneous bob, describing the origins of the erotic art show IAO holds as an annual fundraiser. “I have very little information on the Sleaze Ball. That was before my time.”

Sometime in the mid-’80s, IAO inherited the Sleaze Ball and renamed it Biting the Apple.

“It might have been an attempt to class things up a bit,” Smith said. “But why?”

Though the art show is definitely older than 18, Smith said he’s not sure exactly how old Biting the Apple is.

“I think there’s some sketchy numbers in our dark and sordid past,” Smith said. “I remember seeing the 30th anniversary posters, but according to math that I’m doing, it’s the 27th. So somewhere along the way, there’s a weird disconnect in the math.”

An internet search for “Oklahoma City Sleaze Ball” returns instances of local name-calling but no information on an erotic art show. Smith said he has been involved with IAO off and on since 1987.

The 27th/33rd annual Biting the Apple is 7-10 p.m. Friday and 8 p.m.-midnight Saturday at IAO, 706 W. Sheridan Ave. Because the show has been scheduled for August instead of the customary May date, this year’s theme is Summer Lovin’.

The show’s Grease-referencing theme directly inspired at least one of the art-

works being exhibited.

“We do have a cross-stitched ‘Home Sweet Home’-style image of Sandy getting it on with, definitely taking the dominating lead, in a little appeal with Danny,” Smith said. “It’s cross-stitch.

It’s kind of tongue-in-cheek. It’s definitely shocking. Well, not shocking.

Surprising, let’s say.”

There are a lot of pieces in the show that would be hard to show anywhere else in Oklahoma, certainly.

David Smith Another of Smith’s favorite pieces in this year’s show is a painting by Norman artist Laurence Myers Reese.

“It’s a very classic watercolor on paper, very traditional,” Smith said.

“There’s a lovely display of food, like someone has set out a picnic; there’s fruit and a plate and a drink, and a big feathered butt-plug right there among the food so you’re like, ‘Oh, OK. That’s happening.’

I like those with a little surprise.”

Questionable content?

Smith said part of Biting the Apple’s appeal for artists and patrons is that it offers a chance to exhibit artworks that might otherwise be rejected by local galleries.

“There are a lot of pieces in the show that would be hard to show anywhere else in Oklahoma, certainly,” Smith said. “Just because of the climate of the area and the nature of the work.”

While nude human figures have featured prominently in art for longer than recorded history, Smith said the show’s definition of erotic art is more specific.

“I think erotic art appeals more or relates more to physical and sexual feeling rather than just being physical form,” Smith said. “It actually has that sexual connotation to it, that physical desire.”

Within that definition, Smith said artists featured in this year’s show have created “big, big spectrum of artworks,” including “everything from very abstract, street-style work to acrylic or oil paintings on canvas.” Though Smith said there is a line between erotic art and pornography, no artworks were rejected this year for crossing the line. In recent years, possibly because of the uncensored nature of the internet, Smith said he thinks outrage over the show’s content has decreased significantly.

“We used to have protesters, and as much as I don’t want anyone being upset, it was great publicity,” Smith said.

“Obviously, you know, it’s all aboveboard and legal, the curtains are closed to the gallery so no one can look into the windows, and it’s 21-and-up, and it’s all on the up and up. It’s just a little sexy.”

Risque fundraiser

Biting the Apple serves as one of IAO’s largest fundraisers for the year. Smith said the funds will go toward sponsoring the gallery’s ongoing events including two monthly poetry readings and after-school art education programs for elementary school students.

“All of that is provided free to the artists and participants,” Smith said, “Bound for a New Day” by Jordan Michaels | Image provided

“Soft Violet” by Corrie Reagan | Image provided

“and all that is funded by these fundraisers, donations and memberships.

We do occasional film screenings and musical performances. We try to keep to as broad a reach as we can so we’re touching all the arts in Oklahoma.”

Previous Biting the Apple events have been held on a single night, Smith said, but this year, the show is spread out over two nights to better compartmentalize the art exhibition and party aspects of the event.

“The two nights are very distinct in their energies,” Smith said. “Friday night is primarily the art opening. The artists will be there to show their work.

We’ll have an erotic poetry reading with seven to eight poets reading throughout Friday night and acoustic music by Janice Francis-Smith, who is a local singer songwriter, and it’s more of a smooth sexy, if you will. Saturday is more the wild beach party with DJ Ostara. There will be dance music, we’ve got performers from Teaze Dance & Fitness and Oklahoma Showgirls. We hope to have some go-go dancers that pop up and dance on pedestals, male and female, a little swimsuit dancing.

We’ll have three different performance spaces. We have an aerial act going in one space. We have a drag performance and video screenings in the second area, and the main gallery is dancing, the visual art and some other surprises. …

In the past, we’ve tried to do it all in one night and you get the DJ going and then try to read a poem and it’s hard to reconcile. The pun around the table has been Friday is the ‘soft’ opening, and Saturday is the ‘hard’ opening.”

Tickets are $25-$30 and are good for both nights. Saturday night’s schedule of events includes a “sexy swimwear” competition with cash prizes, and beachwear is encouraged.

Visit individualartists.org.

Biting the Apple 7-10 p.m. Friday and 8 p.m.-midnight Saturday IAO 706 W. Sheridan Ave. individualartists.org | 405-232-6060 $25-$30 | 21+ O kg a z e t t e . c o m | a u g u s t 1 5 , 2 0 1 8

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ARTS & CULTURE

Winged migration Oklahoma Monarch & Pollinator Collaborative works to enable butterfly migration through Oklahoma. By Joshua Blanco

Conservation efforts to save the monarch butterfly from endangerment have become increasingly more common over the last few years. In Oklahoma, over 40 organizations have joined together in a true grassroots movement to create Oklahoma Monarch & Pollinator Collaborative, an awareness group working to preserve both the species and its ecosystem.

MonarchWatch, a research group that monitors the butterfly’s migration patterns, found a near 15 percent decrease in the amount of forest the monarchs occupy. This area is positively correlated with monarch prevalence, allowing researchers to reliably estimate fluctuations in population size.

Every spring, monarchs journey north from Mexico to escape the heat of the upcoming summer, making their way toward the northern parts of the United States and southern Canada.

These regions act as the butterflies’ seasonal nesting grounds until they are ready to make the return trip south in the fall.

“Oklahoma is centrally located in their migratory pathway,” said Katie Hawk, director of communications and external affairs at The Nature Conservancy of Oklahoma. “They migrate each year twice.”

In November 2016, Hawk attended a summit hosted by Oklahoma City’s Myriad Botanical Gardens for those interested in sustaining monarch populations. It was there that they drafted a three-year statewide action plan to do just that. The plan was officially launched this April.

“It outlines all the different ways that we here in Oklahoma — every Monarch butterflies migrate from Mexico through Oklahoma to the northern United States and southern Canada twice a year. | Photo bigstockphoto.com 22

a u g u s t 1 5 , 2 0 1 8 | O kg a z e t t e . c o m

Oklahoman — can help and what our challenges are,” Hawk said.

Eventually, the interested parties came to be known collectively as Oklahoma Monarch & Pollinator Collaborative (OMPC). Since its formation, the cooperative has introduced Okies for Monarchs, an initiative intended to expand public outreach.

“Our goal out of all this is to prevent the monarchs from going extinct and prevent the monarchs from being listed as threatened or endangered,” Hawk said.

Although the group lists a number of ways they plan to address the issue, their most notable contributions come in the form of gardening and education.

“Really the education committee is where we’ve dived in and done a lot more concrete work,” said Lily Christman, youth and school programs coordinator at Myriad Botanical Gardens. “It’s something that’s really important to us. We try to really infuse it in any way we can.”

Oklahoma Monarch & Pollinator Collaborative is working to help monarch butterflies in their twiceannual migrations through Oklahoma. | Photo Mike Fuhr / provided

Take Flight

Myriad Botanical Gardens is a member of OMPC and is scheduled to host a showing of Flight of the Butterflies 7 p.m. Sept. 6, just one example of the kid-friendly events used to educate visitors of all ages. A teaching session is also expected to be held in August to help educators incorporate monarch ecology into their lesson plans.

“We do also really try to promote the idea of monarch waystations, so we have a prairie garden here as well as a pollinator garden in our children’s garden,” Christman said. “As an educator, monarchs are a really great way to draw kids into the idea of conservation and of pollinators. What kid doesn’t like a monarch butterfly?”

Mary Waller, director of OMPC, advised those developing a waystation to exercise caution when gathering the plants. Paying close attention to the source is key, as some have been treated with pesticides that make their way into the nectar. A diverse garden could also make for a better habitat.

“They need fuel when they fly through our state,” Waller said.

The milkweed plant in particular serves as a host for the monarchs, and its inclusion is critical when developing a waystation for the winged migrants.

“Without milkweed, they would not survive,” Hawk said. “Milkweed is what they require in order to reproduce.”

Waller said these plants attract more than just butterflies.

“It is a native plant … that can support so many other things,” she said. “I’ve had swallowtails come and nectar on my milkweed, a number of different species of bees and wasps … and yesterday, I looked out and [a hummingbird] was nectaring not on the feeders that I put out for it, but on the milkweed. If you plant it, they will come.”

Even one plant is a valued contribution, and the benefits are not limited to the environment alone.

“It’s actually an economic interest,”

Waller said. “When we have a healthy pollinator system, we have a more productive and robust economy. It’s really about a healthy environment for everybody and a healthy economy for everybody.”

Butterfly effect

Their efforts appear to be highly regarded thus far.

“There’s not a day that doesn’t go by where someone isn’t calling and saying, ‘We want to help. What can we do?’”

Hawk said.

Ok la homa Depa r tment of Transportation even went so far as to rework its roadside mowing schedule to not disturb the monarch’s migratory schedule. But that’s not the only change they’ve made. They recently designated the Interstate 35 corridor Monarch Highway due to the amount of migratory traffic the area receives annually.

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Our goal out of all this is to prevent the monarchs from going extinct.

Katie Hawk Hawk said interstate collaborations seem to be abundant within the monarch preservation community, which have been spearheaded by National Wildlife Federation.

“We’re all focused on our own communities, but we do share information and then attend conferences together,” she said. “It’s an opportunity to connect anyone and everyone with nature.”

Hawk also mentioned a pending grant program with the U.S. Golf Association and, on the local level, a potential partnership with Oklahoma Association of Conservation Districts “to implement a pilot pollinator strip program for producers on farm and ranch land.”

In 2019, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will decide whether to classify monarchs as an endangered species.

“I don’t have memories of monarchs fluttering all around my backyard growing up as a kid. My parents do. I’ve met so many other people that do, and when I hear them, I’m like, ‘Wow! Really? You grew up as a kid horseback riding when there were monarchs flying off the ground all around you?

Unbelievable,’” Hawk said. “I would love for our future generations to be able to have that. I hope to see that someday while I’m still alive.”

Visit okiesformonarchs.org.

INGMAR BERGMAN’S CINEMA: A CENTENNIAL RETROSPECTIVE PRESENTED BY MUSEUM FILMS In commemoration of the 100th anniversary of Ingmar Bergman’s birth, Museum Films is proud to present a curated retrospective of the Swedish master’s most essential works, August 16-19!

SUMMER WITH MONIKA WILD STRAWBERRIES THE SEVENTH SEAL WINTER LIGHT PERSONA THE MAGIC FLUTE CRIES AND WHISPERS

Thurs., Aug. 16 | 7:30 pm Fri., Aug. 17 | 5:30 pm Fri., Aug. 17 | 8 pm Sat., Aug. 18 | 5:30 pm Sat., Aug. 18 | 8 pm Sun., Aug. 19 | 2 pm Sun., Aug. 19 | 5:30 pm

www.okcmoa.com/films

Flight of the Butterflies 7 p.m. Sept. 6 Devon Lawn Myriad Botanical Gardens | 301 W. Reno Ave. myriadgardens.com | 405-445-7080 Free

O kg a z e t t e . c o m | a u g u s t 1 5 , 2 0 1 8

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ARTS & CULTURE

co m m u n i t y

James Bost survived pancreatic cancer and will participate in American Cancer Society’s Run for Hope. | Photo Simon Hurst / American Cancer Society / provided

Great strides

American Cancer Society takes to the streets for its Run for Hope. By Jo Light

James Bost loves running. He approaches this pastime, and life in general, with an enthusiasm that bubbles over in conversation. His energy is infectious, and his optimism is inspiring.

Bost is a pancreatic cancer survivor.

He was diagnosed over six years ago and treated at Stephenson Cancer Center, which is part of University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center in Oklahoma City.

Since his diagnosis and recovery, he has run nine marathons. He admitted he wasn’t even a serious marathoner before his life-changing experience with cancer.

“So many people impacted by cancer, they don’t get to run again,” Bost said.

“I was very surprised that I did have a full recovery from pancreatic cancer.

And I can run. And that’s kind of a reason to run in itself, you know? It’s a celebration every day to be able to run.”

He credited his doctors, including his primary care physician Dr. Yen Dung (Titi) Nguyen at SSM Health Medical Group and surgeon Dr. Russell Postier at Stephenson Cancer Center, with being instrumental in his care and recovery.

Under Postier’s care, Bost underwent a 10-hour surgery known as a “Whipple procedure” or pancreaticoduodenectomy, during which his gallbladder, bile duct and portions of his pancreas and small intestine were removed. It is a risky procedure and can require a long recovery period, but Bost said he was out of the hospital in five days.

“I started feeling better, and better, and better,” he said. “It was like, ‘Oh, I think I can run.’ And then when you actually enjoy 24

a u g u s t 1 5 , 2 0 1 8 | O kg a z e t t e . c o m

running, mainly because you’re surprised you can, then you want to go really far.”

Long run

Bost insisted he’s not unique and didn’t do anything special beyond seeking the best care he could, which he was pleased to find in OKC. He pointed out that on May 2, Stephenson Cancer Center was named a National Cancer Institute Cancer Center, a designation that places the facility in the top 2 percent of cancer treatment centers in the U.S. Bost is now on the board of advocates at Stephenson, and he continues campaigning for cancer awareness in additional ways. He often speaks to others about his experiences whenever he’s recognized in public.

“I think that’s why we actually go through difficult circumstances,” Bost said. “It’s so that we can develop empathy and be of service to others when they have hard times as well.

That’s the point, I think.”

He said around a year ago, he was speaking to Lesa Foster, the executive director of American Cancer Society (ACS) in Oklahoma, when he brought up the possibility of having a fundraising run.

“Really, everyone knows someone with cancer,” Bost said. “Everyone is affected by cancer in one way or another, or will be. So I just thought maybe there’s a way to create awareness and really celebrate people or their lives, just through having a running race. That’s really how Run for Hope started.”

Alicia Jackson, community development manager at ACS, explained that the organization once held an annual 12-hour Relay for Hope, but after Bost’s brainstorming session, they decided to reformat and shorten the event, developing Oklahoma’s first Run for Hope instead.

The event is Aug. 25 at OU Health Sciences campus. Day-of registration begins at 6:30 a.m. The races include a 5K, a 10K and a fun run, which start at 8 a.m. near the Robert M. Bird Health Sciences Library. The route is a certified USA Track & Field course, and 500 runners are expected. Race participants are encouraged to wear colors representing the various types of cancer.

Cancer survivors and children may attend the event free, but if participants would like the Run for Hope shirt and medal, they will need to complete registration.

Jackson said there will be a pavilion where people can gather at the intramural fields, roughly a block south of the race starting line. ACS will provide a DJ, music, food, a photo booth and games. A special area will be designated for cancer survivors to meet.

The run’s registration fee of $35 goes toward ACS fundraising goals, but participants can also form fundraising teams and contribute additional donations through the end of the year.

Jackson said any funds raised during Run for Hope go directly toward research for all types of cancers. Fundraised money will also support the many free services ACS offers to local cancer patients.

For instance, the Road to Recovery program provides patients with free rides to and from cancer-related medical appointments. The Hotel Partners Program works with area hotels to provide weekday accommodations for patients seeking treatments. ACS is also planning to open a Hope Lodge in OKC within the next few years, which will offer full-time family-style housing for cancer patients.

Jackson said that although serious runners like Bost will be in attendance, all fitness levels are welcome at the event.

“You can walk it, you can run it, you can come and dance, you can come hang out,” she said. “Whatever floats your boat!”

Bost is running the 10K wearing purple, which represents pancreatic cancer. He expressed excitement for the race.

“I think any day running around is a good day,” Bost said.

Runners can register for the event or donate to ACS at runforhopeokc.org.

Anyone with questions about cancer or ACS may contact its 24-hour hotline at 800-227-2345.

Run for Hope 6:30 a.m. Aug. 25 University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center 1100 N. Lindsay Ave. runforhopeokc.org | 405-841-5832 Free

calendar are events recommended

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

Books Advanced Writer’s Workshop local author Constance Squires leads a discussion titled Tension Through Subtext: Writing to Be Read Between the Lines, 6-7:30 p.m. Aug. 16. Best of Books, 1313 E. Danforth Road, Edmond, 405-340-9202, bestofbooksok.com. THU Bard’s Book Club read plays by Shakespeare and several other authors and join a discussion about the characters, language, plot and more, 6-7:45 p.m.

Aug. 21. Shakespeare on Paseo, 2920 Paseo St., 405235-3700, oklahomashakespeare.org. TUE Books & Brews browse for books while listening to live music and enjoying craft beer from COOP Ale Works, 7-9 p.m. Full Circle Bookstore, 1900 Northwest Expressway, 405-842-2900, fullcirclebooks.com. SAT-FRI Brunching with Books a book club meeting every other week, with reading selections chosen by group preference, 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturdays.

Buttermilk Paseo, 605 NW 28th St., 405-605-6660, buttermilkokc.com. SAT Mid-Oklahoma Writers a meetup for local writers featuring guest speakers and literary discussions, 7-9 p.m. Eastside Church of Christ, 916 S. Douglas Blvd., 405-732-0393. WED Mongo Allen signing the author will sign copies of his sci-fi novel Petra: The Addiction Chronicles, 6-7:30 p.m. Aug. 21. Best of Books, 1313 E. Danforth Road, Edmond, 405-340-9202, bestofbooksok.com. TUE Sam Anderson signing the New York Times Magazine staff writer will sign copies of his nonfiction book Boom Town, which uses the Thunder to delve into Oklahoma City’s history, 6-8 p.m. Aug. 22.

Full Circle Bookstore, 1900 Northwest Expressway, 405-842-2900, fullcirclebooks.com. WED

Film Filmography: The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby:Him/Her (2014, USA, Ned Benson) two movies showing the male and the female perspective

of a relationship will be screened simultaneously, with the audience encouraged to watch whichever version they least identify with, 8-10 p.m. Aug. 17.

21c Museum Hotel, 900 W. Main St., 405-982-6900, 21cmuseumhotels.com. FRI The Great Escape (1963, USA, John Sturges) Allied prisoners plan a daring large-scale escape from a Nazi prisoner of war camp, 7 p.m. Aug. 21. Harkins Theatre, 150 E. Reno Ave., 405-231-4747, harkinstheatres.com. TUE The Last Picture Show (1971, USA, Peter Bogdanovich) young adults struggle to find meaning in a dying West Texas town, 1 p.m. Aug. 15. National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum, 1700 NE 63rd St., 405-478-2250, nationalcowboymuseum.org. WED Paid in Full (2002, USA, Charles Stone III) a man amasses great wealth and many regrets dealing cocaine in 1980s Harlem, 7 p.m. Aug. 15. Tower Theatre, 425 NW 23rd St., 405-708-6937, towertheatreokc.com. WED Texasville (1990, USA, Peter Bogdanovich) high-school friends reconnect after decades apart in this sequel to The Last Picture Show, 1-2:30 p.m. Aug. 22. National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum, 1700 NE 63rd St., 405-478-2250, nationalcowboymuseum.org. WED Your Name (2016, Japan, Makoto Shinkai) two strangers are determined to meet up after mysterious circumstances cause them to switch bodies, 7 p.m. Aug. 20. Tower Theatre, 425 NW 23rd St., 405-708-6937, towertheatreokc.com. MON

Happenings 21st Century Gardening: Strategies for Sustainability urban farmer and From Seed to Spoon app designer Dale Spoonemore discusses modern advances in food growing, 6-8 p.m. Aug. 16. Myriad Botanical Gardens, 301 W. Reno Ave., 405-445-7080, myriadgardens.com. THU 60th Anniversary OKC Sit-Ins commemorate the anniversary of the segregation protests with a procession of original participants, a reading from the play Brother President by civil rights leader Clara Luper,and a video message from Luper herself, 7-10 p.m. Aug. 18. The Douglass at Page Woodson, 600 N. High Ave., 405-6011989, facebook.com/thedouglasspagewoodson. SAT Affordable Meals Workshop a hands-on workshop offering instructions for making easy-toprepare, nutritious food on a budget, 6-8 p.m. Aug. 17. Myriad Botanical Gardens, 301 W. Reno Ave., 405-445-7080, myriadgardens.com. FRI Amplify a meetup for local musicians to discuss Oklahoma City’s music scene with keynote speakers and presentations, 6-7:30 p.m. Aug. 15. The Douglass at Page Woodson, 600 N. High Ave., 405-601-1989, facebook.com/thedouglasspagewoodson. WED Beer & Planting create a football beer garden themed terrarium over locally brewed craft beer, 7-9 p.m. Aug. 16. Anthem Brewing Company, 908 SW Fourth St., 405-604-0446, anthembrewing.com. THU Bikefest 2018 now in its 15th year, this fundraiser for the Downed Bikers Association features live entertainment from Dirty Ernie’s Scooter Rodeo, a poker tournament and more, noon Aug. 18-10 p.m. Aug. 19.

Margarita Island, 8139 NW 10th St., 405-225-6723, margaritaislandokc.com. SAT-SUN Deduct That? learn about tax write-offs and record keeping for small businesses from a licensed CPA,, Tue., Aug. 21, 6:30-8:30 p.m. South OKC Chamber of Commerce, 701 W Interstate 240 Service Road, 405-634-1436, southokc.com. TUE Depression Glass Workshop get a lesson in the history and identifying characteristics of Depressionera glass and have antiques and heirlooms appraised by professionals at this event sponsored by Oklahoma Home and Community Education, 9:30 a.m. Aug. 16.

Oklahoma County OSU Extension Center, 2500 NE 63rd St., 405-713-1125, okiemgs.okstate.edu. THU

Cat Video Festival Why don’t you put down that “smart” phone and play outside like the kids on old TV shows?

What are you even watching on there, silly cat videos or something? Sigh.

What if you could watch them on a big screen with a bunch of other people, possibly while dressed as a cat yourself?

Then would you leave the house? What if there are crafts and food trucks and cat-themed cocktails available? Just grab your ears and get in the car. The feline festivities start 7 p.m. Saturday at Myriad Botanical Gardens, 301 W. Reno.

Admission is free. Call 405-297-8912 or visit myriadgardens.com saturday Photo provided

Dog Days of Summer dog washes, microchipping, a best-dressed dog competition and adoption opportunities are all available at this pet-friendly event, 11 a.m.-2 p.m.

Aug. 18. Green Acres Market, 7301 S. Pennsylvania Ave., 405-681-6060, greenacres.com. SAT

Ingmar Bergman’s Cinema: A Centennial Retrospective Often imitated but never equaled, the Swedish director’s influence can be seen in everything from Bill and Ted’s Bogus Journey to Wes Craven’s The Last House on the Left and every depressing black-and-white student film you’ve ever been forced to sit through, but few since have made existential sorrow seem so beautiful.

Celebrate what would’ve been Bergman’s 100th birthday by watching some of his signature works (Seventh Seal, Persona) and even a couple in color (The Magic Flute, Cries and Whispers). The screenings run Thursday-Sunday at Oklahoma City Museum of Art, 415 Couch Drive. Tickets are $5-$9 per film.

Call 405-236-3100 or visit okcmoa.com. Thursday-Sunday Photo provided

Mysteries of the Mansion Tour learn about the history of the Overholser family and see stops not typically included on regular tours, 7-9 p.m. Aug. 16.

Overholser Mansion, 405 NW 15th St., 405-525-5325, overholsermansion.org. THU Norman Pride Fundraiser a beer pong tournament followed by a performance by Aerial Gym Dance & Fitness to raise money for Norman’s Pride festivities,, 5 p.m. Aug. 18, Frankie’s, 2807 NW 36th St., 405-602-2030, facebook.com/FrankiesOKC. SAT Oklahoma City Renovation & Landscaping Show learn from professionals about remodeling and landscaping with demonstrations and ideas for renovating your home, Aug. 17-19. Cox Convention Center, 1 Myriad Gardens, 405-602-8500, coxconventioncenter.com. FRI-SUN Orklympics compete in a variety of events in this competitive Warhammer tournament, 11 a.m.- 8 p.m.

Aug. 18. Games Workshop, 13801 N. Pennsylvania Ave., 405-286-0033, games-workshop.com. SAT Red Tent a safe space where women can connect and share; bring sacred objects, food for a potluck, and magazines and scissors for creating a vision board, 6-9 p.m. Aug. 18. Beautifully Connected, 13524 Railway Drive, Suite J, 262-753-6852, beautifullyconnectedwellness.com. SAT Saloon Series experience happy hour at a recreation of a vintage Wild West saloon with live music and whiskey flights, 5:30-7:30 Thursdays through Aug. 30. THU Senior Prom a Motown-themed dance and dinner for senior citizens age 55 and older, featuring a celebrity lookalike contest and karaoke, 7-11 p.m.

Aug. 18. Embassy Suites Hotel, 1815 S. Meridian Ave., 405-239-3901, embassysuites.hilton.com. SAT ShiftFaced End of Campaign Party a fundraising party for sci-fi feature film Shifter, with music, raffles, drinks and snacks, 7-10 p.m. Aug. 17. The Paramount Theatre, 11 N. Lee Ave., 405-637-9389, theparamountokc.com. FRI

Drag Bingo hosted by former Miss IGRA Luxx Bentley and featuring special guests, this night of bingo benefits Other Options, Inc. and Great Plains Rodeo Association, 7 p.m. Aug. 19. The Boom, 2218 NW 39th St., 405-601-7200, theboomokc.com. SUN

SMO 21 adults 21 and older are invited to this nighttime science-themed event that features food, drinks and planetarium shows, 6-9 p.m. Aug. 17, Science Museum Oklahoma, 2100 NE 52nd St., 405-602-6664, sciencemuseumok.org. FRI

Fit Friends OKC Vendor Fair shop for health and beauty products, jewelry, food and more 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Aug. 18. I Knead Your Body, 5480 Main St., Suite 105, 405-589-5988, ikneadyourbody.org. SAT

Volunteer Orientation Meeting learn about different opportunities to work with the arts center at upcoming events, 5:30 p.m. Aug. 22, Oklahoma Contemporary Arts Center, 3000 General Pershing Blvd., 405-951-0000, oklahomacontemporary.org. WED-SAT

History Comes Alive learn about Oklahoma’s past from a colorful cast of characters on this interactive ferry ride, 11:40 a.m.-1:10 p.m. Saturdays. Oklahoma River Cruises, 1503 Exchange Ave., 405-702-7755, okrivercruises.com. SAT Jon Mooneyham’s Dystopia Discotheque dance to krautrock, post-punk, industrial and other eclectic sounds, 9 p.m. Aug. 16. Bunker Club, 433 NW 23rd St., bunkerclubokc.com. THU Kick It & Create bring your own crafting or art supplies and snacks and get creative in a community setting, 6:30-9:30 p.m. Aug. 15. Resonator Institute, 325 E Main St., Norman, resonator.space. WED

Food Automobile Alley Walking Food Tour take a guided food-centric tour through a district that was once home to early pioneers and evolved into an auto-dealership hub, 11 a.m.-2 p.m. every other Saturday, through Nov. 24.

Automobile Alley, 1015 N. Broadway Ave., 405-4882555, foodiefoottours.com. SAT Moore Farmers Market shop for fresh produce and gardening products from a variety of local vendors, 8 a.m.-noon Aug. 4. Moore Central Park, 700

go to okgazette.com for full listings!

S. Broadway St., Moore, 405-793-5090, centralpark. cityofmoore.com. SAT Moveable Feast an Ernest Hemingway-inspired night of cocktails and food with an art auction benefitting Big Brothers Big Sisters of Oklahoma, 6:30-11 p.m. Aug. 18. Marriott Conference Center & Hotel, 2801 E. State Highway 9, 405-329-4532, cc.nced.com. SAT Natural Grocers 63rd Anniversary celebrate the anniversary of the grocery store’s founding with a 1950s-style ice cream social, 9 a.m.-8 p.m. Aug. 16.

Natural Grocers, 7013 N. May Ave., 405-840-0300, naturalgrocers.com. THU

Youth 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, 2100 NE 52nd St., 405-602-6664, sciencemuseumok.org. THU Explore It! get your questions answered of what, why and how about the natural world we live in, 11:30 a.m.

-noon Saturdays, through Dec. 29. Sam Noble Museum, 2401 Chautauqua Ave., 405-325-4712, samnoblemuseum.ou.edu. SAT Reading Wednesdays a nature-themed story time for children age 2-5 with songs and crafts, 10 a.m.

Wednesdays. Myriad Botanical Gardens, 301 W. Reno Ave., 405-445-7080, myriadgardens.com. WED Tag-Along Tours: Chihuly take a tour of the glassworks exhibit Dale Chihuly: Magic & Light with your 0-24 months old infant in tow; strollers and baby carriers encouraged, 10-11:15 a.m. Aug. 17. Oklahoma City Museum of Art, 415 Couch Drive, 405-236-3100, okcmoa.com. FRI

Performing Arts African Drumming Class learn percussion techniques at this introductory class for all experience levels; drums will be available if you don’t have your own, 7-8:30 p.m. Aug. 15. Norman Cultural Connection, 1017 Elm Ave., Norman, 405-201-9991. WED Arab After Hours a weekly belly-dancing performance featuring dancers from the Aalim Belly Dance Academy, 8:30-10:30 p.m. Tuesdays. Hubbly Bubbly Hookah & Café, 2900 N. Classen Blvd. Suite K, 405609-2930. TUE Bad in Bed Live! author Shelby Simpson adapts her humorous sex book into a live show with hip-hop and choreographed dance routines, Aug. 16-19, $35, Tower Theatre, 425 NW 23rd St., 405-708-6937, badinbed.live. THU-SUN Battle of the Corporate Bands music groups made up of co-workers and business colleagues compete for money for charities of their choosing, 6-9 p.m. Aug. 16. Belle Isle Restaurant & Brewing Company, 1900 Northwest Expressway, 405-8401911, belleislerestaurant.com. THU

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CALENDAR Gusto! Family Fun Ride a social group ride for all levels with pizza, 6:30-8 p.m. Aug. 13. Celestial Cycles, 2929 W. Hefner Road, 405-751-8809, celestialcycles.com. MON OKC Dodgers vs Iowa Aug. 17-19. Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark, 2 S. Mickey Mantle Drive, 405218-1000, okcballparkevents.com. FRI-SUN

RAINBOW KITTEN SURPRISE

08.21.18

RANDY ROGERS BAND

09.21.18

LAKE STREET DIVE

09.27.18

OKC Dodgers vs Omaha Aug. 21-23, 7:05 p.m.

Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark, 2 S. Mickey Mantle Drive, 405-218-1000, okcballparkevents.com. TUE-THU Yoga in the Gardens bring your mat for an alllevels class with Lisa Woodard from This Land Yoga, 5:45 p.m. Tuesdays. Myriad Botanical Gardens, 301 W. Reno Ave., 405-445-7080, myriadgardens.com. TUE

August 16-19 bAd in bEd - livE! August 24 GilliAn WElCH

FALL 2018 MAT KEARNEY

10.02.18

FATHER JOHN MISTY

10.11.18

COLONY HOUSE

10.19.18

ST. LUCIA

10.25.18

ANDY GRAMMER

10.28.18

HIPPO CAMPUS

11.05.18

DAWES

11.06.18

GREENSKY BLUEGRASS

11.14.18

KURT VILE

12.05.18

ROBERT EARL KEEN

12.18.18

TICKETS & INFORMATION AT

THEJONESASSEMBLY.COM 901 W. SHERIDAN, OKC

August 25 JOnATHAn TylER And THE nORTHERn liGHTs August 26 sunny sWEEnEy & WARd dAvis August 30 COOP sHOWCAsE August 31 THE MAvERiCKs

Tickets and Info TOWERTHEATREOKC.COM @towertheaterokc 405-70-TOWER | 425 NW 23rd St. OKC

Visual Arts

Bortle 8 The Bortle scale measures light pollution in the night sky, and Chris Davis’ one-man play Bortle 8, which uses concepts of darkness and clarity to analyze life and relationships, has played in many of the U.S. cities where Bortle 8 light pollution prevents amateur astronomers from making out deep space as well as the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. See actor and director Sheridan McMichael deliver his own interpretation of this personal and universal play with an original score played live by one-man band Jarvix. Singer/ songwriter Sarah Reid opens the show (maybe she’ll play “Permanent Light”) at 8 p.m. Friday at Perle Mesta Park Amphitheater, 1901 N. Lee Ave. Admission is free, but a $5 suggested donation is appreciated. Visit sheridanmcmichael.com. friday Photo provided

CALENDAR

continued from page 25 Benefit Concert For Migrant Families a fundraiser for the non-profit organization RAICES, with performances by Beau Jennings, Chelsey Cope, Joel T. Mosman and more, 8 p.m. Aug. 16. 51st Street Speakeasy, 1114 NW 51st St., 405-463-0470, 51stspeakeasy.com. THU

Dueling Divas & Dazzling Duets II singers compete head to head with the audience deciding the winners in this Opera on Tap event, 8-9:30 p.m.

Aug. 18. The Root, 3012 N. Walker Ave., 405-6555889, therootokc.com. SAT Method Acting Preview Class learn sense memory techniques developed by Lee Strasberg at this introductory lesson taught by Kathy Kelly Christos, 2-4 p.m.

Aug. 18. Modern Dance Arts, 1423 24th Ave. SW, Norman, 405-329-8982, moderndancearts.com. SAT Open Improv Jam an evening of improvisational comedy where anyone can play; hosted by the Okie Show Show podcast, 6:30-8:30 p.m. Aug. 15. 51st Street Speakeasy, 1114 NW 51st St., 405-463-0470, 51stspeakeasy.com. WED

No cover for ladies smoke-free karaoke | wedNesdays | 7pm

LIVE MUSIC THURSDAYS 8/16 - Banana Seat 8/23 - Stars 8/30 - Replay

9/6 - Dave and the Mighty Dance Band 9/13 - Replay

happy hour moNday-friday 4pm-8pm

th e l i sztok c . c o m

12000 North May Ave. OKC, OK The Shoppes at Northpark • 405-205-0807 26

a u g u s t 1 5 , 2 0 1 8 | O kg a z e t t e . c o m

Sense and Sensibilty adapted from Jane Austen’s classic novel about social mores in 18thcentury England, through Aug. 25. Shakespeare on Paseo, 2920 Paseo St., 405-235-3700, oklahomashakespeare.org. THU-SAT

Art Forum: Bryan Boone meet the current artist-in-residence and view some of his works in progress, 6:30-7:30 p.m. Aug. 16. [Artspace] at Untitled, 1 NE Third St., 405-815-6665, 1ne3.org. THU Back Roads and Dirt Roads photographs and collages by Stillwater artist Linda Guenther feature barns, windmills, livestock and other rural iconography, Thursdays, Fridays, and Sundays. through Sept.

2. Contemporary Art Gallery, 2928 Paseo St., 405601-7474, contemporaryartgalleryokc.com. FRI-SUN A Burst of Color artist Tim Kinney’s latest exhibition features brightly colored and thickly textured paintings, Mondays-Fridays. through Sept.

1. Norman Santa Fe Depot, 200 S. Jones Ave., 405307-9320, pasnorman.org. FRI Creative Visions Botanical Watercolor Class learn to paint flowers and other botanicals with artist Kiana Daneshmand, 4:30-6 p.m. Wednesdays.

Oklahoma City Museum of Art, 415 Couch Drive, 405-236-3100, okcmoa.com. WED Elevate Artist Talk: Romy Owens the Oklahoma based artist Romy Owens discusses the concepts behind her large-scale public art project Under Her Wing Was the Universe as well as the work exhibited at the museum, 6-8 p.m. Aug. 21.

21c Museum Hotel, 900 W. Main St., 405-982-6900, 21cmuseumhotels.com/oklahomacity. TUE A Few of our Favorite Things view a selection of artwork from the center’s collection, including contemporary and traditional works by Native American artists, through Oct. 31, Red Earth Art Center, 6 Santa Fe Plaza, 405-427-5228, redearth.org. WED Ink & Draw a weekly meet-up for illustrators, artists and comic book creators, 4-6 p.m. Sundays. The Paseo Plunge, 3010 Paseo Plunge, 405-315-6224, paseoplunge.org. SUN Isabelle de Borchgrave: Fashioning Art from Paper features l’œil paper works by Belgian artist Isabelle de Borchgrave showcasing four collections her work together for the first time, Through Sept.

9. Oklahoma City Museum of Art, 415 Couch Drive, 405-236-3100, okcmoa.com. SAT-SUN Space Burial an exhibit using satellite dishes as a burial object for a space-faring culture and facilitates the dead’s afterlife journey, through Sep. 2. Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art, 555 Elm Ave., 405325-3272, ou.edu/fjjma. TUE-SUN TESS Mission an interactive art installation inspired by NASA’s search for habitable alien planets, Mondays-Sundays. through Sept. 7. The Lightwell Gallery, 520 Parrington Oval, Norman, 405-325-2691, art.ou.edu.

MON-FRI

Welcome to the Traffic Jam an exhibition of recent mixed-media paintings by local artist Alexis Austin, 5-8 p.m. Aug. 16. Inasmuch Foundation Gallery at Oklahoma City Community College, 7777 S. May Ave., 4056827579. THU Workshop: Friday Night Clay make a mug for glazing and kiln firing at this pottery class for two; open to couples friends and family and all experience levels, but both participants must be at least 18, 6-8 p.m. Aug. 17. Oklahoma Contemporary Arts Center, 3000 General Pershing Blvd., 405-9510000, oklahomacontemporary.org. FRI

Third Thursday: Raise the Barre dancers from the Oklahoma City Ballet perform original choreography inspired by Isabelle de Borchgrave’s Fashioning Art from Paper, 5-10 p.m. Aug. 16.

Oklahoma City Museum of Art, 415 Couch Drive, 405-236-3100, okcmoa.com. THU Untucked Variety Show a variety show hosted by drag king Tucker Downtown, 10:30 p.m. Aug. 18.

Alibi’s, 1200 N Pennsylvania Ave., 405-604-3684. SAT Victim of Retirement a murder-mystery comedy produced by Whodunnit Dinner Theater and appropriate for all ages, 405-420-3222 whodunit.net, 6-9 p.m. Aug. 17, Cattlemen’s Steakhouse, 1309 S. Agnew Ave., 405-236-0416, cattlemensrestaurant.com. FRI

Active Express Yourself! Madonna’s 60th Birthday Flow celebrate the Material Girl’s b-day at this yoga session featuring her songs as the soundtrack, 6-7:05 p.m. 405 Yoga, 1004 N. Hudson Ave., 405778-8905, 405yoga.com. THU

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!

MUSIC

cov e r

Annie Oakley’s full-length debut, Words We Mean, is scheduled for an October release, but copies will be available at its release party 7:30 p.m. Friday at The Blue Door. | Photo Madi Jones / provided

Deliberate Words

Annie Oakley celebrates the upcoming release of its first full-length album, Words We Mean, at The Blue Door. By Jeremy Martin

They just turned 21 this month, but the Babb sisters have been making music together for about as long as possible.

“I remember singing with her very early, even in our cribs,” said Sophia about her twin sister Grace. “My mom and dad would always sing us to sleep with an ’Our Father’ song. It was the ‘Our Father’ prayer but put into song. I remember us putting on some nice shows for each other singing that song.”

In comparison, Nia Personette, their bandmate in folk trio Annie Oakley, got a late start. She didn’t begin playing violin until the age of 6 and wouldn’t see the sisters perform together for several more years.

“The first time I ever heard [them] sing,” Personette recalled, “I think it was sixth grade. I was 12, and they sang the national anthem at a school assembly, I think, and I was shocked because I did not know they could sing at all and everyone was like, ‘Oh my God, Grace and Sophie!’”

The Babbs invited Personette, who was classically trained and preferred Red Hot Chili Peppers and The Killers to folk music at the time, to join them in Annie Oakley in their freshman year of high school.

“I said, ‘Yeah,’ but I hadn’t ever improvised or anything like that before, so it took me a really long time to get into the swing of it,” Personette said.

“My first show with them was December of 2013. It was just this little cafe. It doesn’t exist anymore, but it was on Main Street in Norman. I got up and I played one song and I sat back down.”

Mature expression

Though their parents were mostly fans of popular country artists such as Tim McGraw, the Babb sisters became drawn to rootsier music after Sophia’s

guitar teacher introduced her to Bob Dylan, Gillian Welch and other folk and Americana artists.

“To me, roots and folk music just feels like the songs of the people,” Sophia said. “I remember listening to Alison Krauss when I was 13 and feeling close to tears just because of the passion she sang with in her music moved me, and I never felt that kind of same passion while listening to pop country. I didn’t feel like it was that honest.”

Annie Oakley, the band’s self-titled, self-recorded debut EP, was released in 2013, followed by two more EPs (2015’s Thought of You a God and 2017’s Lunar Manor Sessions). The band’s full-length debut, Words We Mean, is scheduled for release in October and features guest appearances by several Oklahoma musicians including John Calvin Abney, Kyle Reid and Cody Brewer.

“In the past, we were probably just trying out recording, trying out putting out music,” Sophia Babb said, “and this time, we said, ‘Hey, we want to record a full-length album, and we really want it to be deliberate and well planned out and thought out.’ … There’s nothing spontaneous on the album. It was all put together in a way that’s very composed.”

Grace Babb added that the maturity that has come with age has helped them be more confident in how they express themselves.

“We’ve definitely gotten older, and I think that shows,” Grace Babb said.

“We’ve gotten more selective about what notes we sing, what notes we play on the violin or guitar.”

Personette agreed.

“We had a really solid plan for exactly what we wanted to do,” she said, “and Grace Babb, Sophia Babb and Nia Personette have played in Annie Oakley since they were high school freshmen. | Photo Madi Jones / provided

nothing that’s on it was really very unplanned.”

The only unplanned aspect of the album is the delay in its release date, which forces the band to postpone touring to promote it until 2019 after they have graduated from college. The Babbs are currently studying journalism at Oklahoma City University, and Personette is double-majoring in letters and economics at University of Oklahoma. Sophia plans to spend the fall semester abroad in Germany. Grace, meanwhile, spent part of the summer as an instructor at Girls Rock Camp in California.

“I learned so much,” Grace Babb said.

“It’s strange because when you’re a teacher, I feel like 90 percent of teaching is just pretending that you know what you’re talking about, that you have it together so that they can respect you. So in doing that, I gained a lot of confidence in my own knowledge because I pulled up things from my mind that I forgot that I knew to share with these girls about singing and performing. So that really taught me what I already knew.”

Honest communication

The Babb sisters have rarely spent so much time away from each other.

“They are never apart by any normal human being standards,” Personette said.

Words We Mean might be the most confident, deliberate statement Annie Oakley has made to date, but that doesn’t mean the band lead by dual frontwomen operates from a singular point of view.

“I think we write completely different,” Grace Babb said, “and that might be where some of the big, obvious differences lie, is that it has been written by

two entirely different people. For me, I write songs like they’re poetry. I love rhyming. I love a rhythm of words, and I like a play on words. So I always focus on those three elements when I’m writing; like ‘Into the Light,’ that’s a good example of my style of song writing, where I have almost a theme of word choice and I come back to that continuously, to the structure of what it was.”

Her sister takes a different approach.

“For me, you can look at a song like ‘If I Were a Ghost,’” Sophia Babb said.

“That’s a good example of how I write.

It’s much more direct and, maybe, emotionally honest in a way that is less playon-words and more up front.”

This album feels like we’re kind of putting out into the world exactly what we meant to say.

Sophia Babb

The title track laments the lack of honesty in relationships, a theme common throughout the album.

“For the past two years, I feel like my social life and my romantic life have been dominated by communication issues,” Grace Babb said, “whether it’s on my end or the other person’s, and whenever someone is honest to me, I love it. That’s what I want from someone. That’s what I want to be to someone. It’s all honest, and this album has a lot of songs about that.”

The Babbs often use their music to express their true thoughts and feelings.

“And times when we weren’t honest and times when we didn’t say what we meant, eventually, we usually write a song about it, kind of in response,” Sophia Babb said. “So this album feels like we’re kind of putting out into the world exactly what we meant to say, and I feel like the next album we won’t have to touch on that subject anymore because we got it out this time.”

Though Words We Mean won’t be released until October, Annie Oakley will have copies available at album release shows Friday at The Blue Door, 2805 N. McKinley Ave., in Oklahoma City and Saturday at Tulsa’s Woody Guthrie Center.

Visit theannieoakley.com.

Annie Oakley CD release 8 p.m. Friday The Blue Door 2805 N. McKinley Ave. bluedoorokc.com | 405-524-0738 $10-$15

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MUSIC Shawnee’s Shoulda Been Blonde headlines this year’s AMP Festival. | Photo Sarah Zubair

come dressed up and have a good time.”

Odessa and her DJ create a themed introduction each time she raps live, choosing a song that sets the tone for her performance. She teased that her AMP Fest performance will likely reflect the feminine focus of the festival and the feminist lean of many of her lyrics.

She said she wants to inspire members of her audience and connect with them during her performance.

“If you see me, don’t be afraid to come up to me because I like to give people stuff,” she said. (Last year, she gave out fans with her face on them.) “I go and talk to as many people as I can after I perform. My rule is everybody gets something. I want everyone to remember me or get something to remember me by.”

EVE N T

Words and action

Strong women The third annual AMP Festival showcases female musicians and artists. By Jo Light

Film Row is about to get even more artsy than usual.

The third annual AMP Festival returns this Saturday, showcasing female musicians, artists and vendors in a celebration of creativity and community. This year, the fest will be held for the first time in the Film Row district in downtown Oklahoma City.

Organizer Tobi Coleman at Revolve Productions worked in nonprofits for over twenty years. From 2000 to 2008, she and her family held a homegrown music fest on her land near Yukon. A move to Texas put a hold on her festival ambitions, but after moving back and volunteering with Rock and Roll Camp for Girls OKC in 2015, Coleman was inspired to do an all-female event.

“I want to show little girls all the things they can do and be,” Coleman said.

The first two AMP Festivals, held in 2016 and 2017, were staged on Ninth Street in Automobile Alley, but Coleman

said the fest quickly outgrew that space.

They had over 4,000 visitors last year.

With their production offices moving into The Paramount OKC, she said Film Row quickly felt like home, and it made sense for the fest to move too. Oklahoma City Girls Art School, for which the festival raises money, also happens to be near The Paramount.

The goal of the festival, Coleman said, is to showcase a range of artists. Music genres represented this year include country, blues, rock and hip-hop.

“We try to get as many diverse music acts as we can, as far as different genres and different skill levels, even,” Coleman said.

AMPed up

The festival headliner this year is Shoulda Been Blonde, an all-female band from Shawnee. The band members are between the ages of 13 and 19, but lead singer Peyton Wilson’s vocals have

a mature resonance, lending weight to the group’s energetic alt-rock sound.

“One major thing that I think is amazing and unique about AMP is its driving factor of celebrating female artists and businesswomen,” said the band’s guitarist and co-songwriter Brenna Grein. “It’s very rare to find other all-female bands or even a band with more than one female member, and AMP Fest does a fabulous job of promoting these women and celebrating girl power.”

We try to get as many diverse music acts as we can.

Tobi Coleman Another musician performing a set on Saturday evening is local hip-hop artist Odessa I Reign. She has been rapping in the Oklahoma City music scene for about two and a half years but pursued music from a very young age.

She started writing songs in third grade.

She described her music as old-school hip-hop with a nostalgic ’90s feel. Her commanding rap verses are often layered over smooth, R&B beats. For example, her song “Mic’s Demise, I Reign’s Revenge” utilizes familiar hooks from Natalie Cole’s “This Will Be.” Odessa performed at 2017’s AMP Fest, impressing Coleman and festivalgoers.

“Her style and her flow is just awesome,” Coleman said. “And I think she’s got the ability to really go places.”

Odessa called the festival a “welcoming environment” and said the focus on female performers is important to her.

“There’s so many different things, like different artists, different vendors, different genres of music,” she said.

“And it’s really exciting to see everybody Hip-hop artist Odessa I Reign is a featured performer at Saturday’s AMP Festival. | Photo provided

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Music and art aren’t the only elements of the festival. Coleman said she tries to round out the lineup with performance artists other festivals might not include. One exclusive offering this year is spoken-word poetry by Dawn Terrell.

“Her spoken word was so impactful and powerful and so pro-feminine,” Coleman said.

She invited Terrell to the fest after they met at an International Women’s Day open mic.

The festival also provides other forms of family entertainment. Coleman said they have planned lawn games, face painting and art activities for guests.

Two yoga sessions will be held in The Paramount Room, and food trucks will be on-site. Festival sponsor Fowler Automotive will also be doing a giveaway.

Coleman called them “huge advocates” within the local artistic community.

Oklahoma City Girls Art School will have a booth to raise awareness and sell art from girls in its program, which provides after-school art classes to underserved girls in the Oklahoma City Public Schools district.

In addition, this year, the festival will hold its first after-party, starting 8 p.m. in The Paramount Room. Female DJ Afistaface from Tulsa will provide entertainment. Admission is free, although the party is for guests age 21 and up.

Coleman said she hopes the festival will continue to grow, and she is already making plans for next year to expand its creative offerings. She wants to someday involve deadCenter Film Festival and female filmmakers as well as members of The Chickasaw Nation.

AMP Festival is 12-8 p.m. Aug. 25 on Film Row. Visit ampfestokc.com.

AMP Festival noon-8 p.m. Aug. 25 Film Row Sheridan Avenue, downtown OKC ampfestokc.com Free

LIVE MUSIC These are events recommended

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

Randy Rogers Band, Cain’s Ballroom. COUNTRY

Hosty, The Deli. FOLK

Stewart Wolfs, Legacy on Main Street. COVER

Mountebank/New Time Zones/The Lunar Laugh, The Root. ROCK

Whitey Morgan and the 78’s, Diamond Ballroom.

COUNTRY

Wednesday, Aug. 15 Keith Williams & Highway 420, The Porthole. COUNTRY Mephiskapheles/The Big News, Chixs & Styxs. SKA Snailmate/Jarvix/dontblinkoryoulldie, The Deli.

POP/EXPERIMENTAL

Monday, Aug. 20

Saturday, Aug. 18

Elizabeth Speegle Band, Ambassador Hotel. JAZZ

Bad Influence, Brewskey’s. COVER

Jason Hunt, Sean Cumming’s Irish Restaurant. FOLK

Blake Lennon/Carrie Robison & Erick Taylor, Bedlam Bar-B-Q. ACOUSTIC

Tuesday, Aug. 21

The Flannels/The Shocker Boys, Oklahoma City Limits.

Country Clique, Friends Restaurant & Club.

COVER

COUNTRY

Howard Brady Band, Full Circle Bookstore. SINGER/

GOAT & Your Mom, 89th Street-OKC. PUNK

Thursday, Aug. 16

SONGWRITER

Adam Miller, Java39. SINGER/SONGWRITER

Kent Fauss, Lazy Circles Brewing. COUNTRY

SINGER/SONGWRITER

DayDream 2018 If you fantasize about epic drop beats and rattled dental fillings, the place with the most bass this week is more than likely this EDM fest presented

by Subsonix and featuring beatmasters Boombox Cartel, Eptic, Trampa, Wooli and more. Since it’s being held at a water park, you have no excuse not to stay hydrated. The beach party starts at noon, and the main stage show starts at 5:30 p.m. Saturday at Lost Lakes Amphitheater, 3501 NE 10th St. Tickets are $25-$50. Visit ticketfly.com.

Layken Urie, Newcastle Casino. SINGER/SONGWRITER

Orgy, Diamond Ballroom. ROCK

saturday Photo provided

Dion Warlocke, Sauced on Paseo. ROCK

Black Oak Shillelagh, Sean Cumming’s Irish Restaurant.

FOLK

Emily Elbert/Clayton Fike, The Blue Door. FOLK Heart of Hip Hop, Hubbly Bubbly Hookah & Café. HIP-HOP Koolie High & the Tap Band, Ice Event Center & Grill.

JAZZ

Slayer/Lamb of God/Anthrax, The Zoo Amphitheatre.

METAL

Friday, Aug. 17 Faster Pussycat/36 Inches, Oklahoma City Limits.

ROCK

Florida Georgia Line, WinStar World Casino. COUNTRY Net/Audio Book Club/Masterhand, 51st Street Speakeasy. ROCK On a Whim, Bossa Nova Caipirinha Lounge. JAZZ

Rainbow Kitten Surprise, The Jones Assembly.

LCG & the X, Blue Note Lounge. ROCK

ROCK

Lewis Brice, The Weekend Saloon. COUNTRY

Wednesday, Aug. 22

Next Halen, Belle Isle Brewery. COVER

Filth/VCTMS/All Seems Lost, 89th Street-OKC.

Ravens Three, Sean Cumming’s Irish Restaurant. FOLK

HARDCORE/METAL

Rousey, The Root. ROCK Smokey Motel/Bad Jokes/Swimfan, Opolis. ROCK Vince Gill, Civic Center Music Hall. COUNTRY

Sunday, Aug. 19 Edgar Cruz & the Brave Amigos, Myriad Botanical Gardens. ACOUSTIC

The Ragtown Chiefs, Chisholm’s Saloon. COUNTRY

Kyle Reid, Scratch Kitchen & Cocktails.

Eric Herndon, Full Circle Bookstore. ACOUSTIC

Randy Cassimus, Full Circle Bookstore. ACOUSTIC

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!

free will astrology Homework: Make a boast about how you’ll pull off a feat you’ve previously lacked the chutzpah to attempt. Testify at Freewillastrology.com.

ARIES (March 21-April 19)

“The prettier the garden, the dirtier the hands of the gardener,” writes aphorist B. E. Barnes. That’ll be especially applicable to you in the coming weeks. You’ll have extra potential to create and foster beauty, and any beauty you produce will generate practical benefits for you and those you care about. But for best results, you’ll have to expend more effort than maybe you thought you should. It might feel more like work than play -- even though it will ultimately enhance your ability to play.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20)

Author and theologian Thomas Merton thought that the most debilitating human temptation is to settle for too little; to live a comfortable life rather than an interesting one. I wouldn’t say that’s always true about you, Taurus.

But I do suspect that in the coming weeks, a tendency to settle for less could be the single most devitalizing temptation you’ll be susceptible to. That’s why I encourage you to resist the appeal to accept a smaller blessing or punier adventure than you deserve. Hold out for the best and brightest.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20)

“I’ve learned quite a lot, over the years, by avoiding what I was supposed to be learning.” So says the wise and well-educated novelist Margaret Atwood. Judging by your current astrological omens, I think this is an excellent clue for you to contemplate right now. What do you think? Have you been half-avoiding any teaching that you or someone else thinks you’re “supposed” to be learning? If so, I suggest you avoid it even stronger. Avoid it with cheerful rebelliousness. Doing so may lead you to what you really need to learn about next.

CANCER (June 21-July 22) Sometimes you make it difficult for me to reach you. You act like you’re listening but you’re not really listening.

You semi-consciously decide that you don’t want to be influenced by anyone except yourself. When you lock me

out like that, I become a bit dumb. My advice isn’t as good or helpful. The magic between us languishes. Please don’t do that to me now. And don’t do it to anyone who cares about you. I realize that you may need to protect yourself from people who aren’t sufficiently careful with you. But your true allies have important influences to offer, and I think you’ll be wise to open yourself to them.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22)

“Whoever does not visit Paris regularly will never really be elegant,” wrote French author Honoré de Balzac. I think that’s an exaggeration, but it does trigger a worthwhile meditation. According to my analysis of the astrological omens, you’re in a phase of your cycle when you have maximum power to raise your appreciation of elegance, understand how it could beautify your soul, and add more of it to your repertoire. So here are your homework meditations: What does elegance mean to you? Why might it be valuable to cultivate elegance, not just to enhance your self-presentation, but also to upgrade your relationship with your deep self? (P.S.: Fashion designer Christian Dior said, “Elegance must be the right combination of distinction, naturalness, care, and simplicity.”)

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22)

Many of us imagine medieval Europe to have been drab and dreary. But historian Jacques Le Goff tells us that the people of that age adored luminous hues: “big jewels inserted into book-bindings, glowing gold objects, brightly painted sculpture, paintings covering the walls of churches, and the colored magic of stained glass.”

Maybe you’ll be inspired by this revelation, Virgo. I hope so. According to my reading of the astrological omens, you can activate sleeping wisdom and awaken dormant energy by treating your eyes to lots of vivid reds, greens, yellows, blues, browns, oranges, purples, golds, blacks, coppers, and pinks.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22)

An astrologer on Tumblr named Sebastian says this about your sign: “Libras can be boring people when they don’t trust you enough to fully reveal themselves. But they can be just as exciting as any fire sign and just as weird as any

Aquarius and just as talkative as a Gemini and just as empathetic as a Pisces. Really, Librans are some of the most eccentric people you’ll ever meet, but you might not know it unless they trust you enough to take their masks off around you.” Spurred by Sebastian’s analysis, here’s my advice to you: I hope you’ll spend a lot of time with people you trust in the coming weeks, because for the sake of your mental and physical and spiritual health, you’ll need to express your full eccentricity. (Sebastian’s at http://venuspapi.tumblr.com.)

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21)

A blogger who calls herself Wistful Giselle has named the phenomena that make her “believe in magic.” They include the following: “illuminated dust in the air; the moments when a seedling sprouts; the intelligence gazing back at me from a crow’s eyes; being awaken by the early morning sun; the energy of storms; old buildings overgrown with plants; the ever-changing grey green blue moods of the sea; the shimmering moon on a cool, clear night.” I invite you to compile your own list, Scorpio.

You’re entering a time when you will be the beneficiary of magic in direct proportion to how much you believe in and are alert for magic. Why not go for the maximum?

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21)

Since 1969, eight-foot-two-inch-tall Big Bird has been the star of the kids’ TV show Sesame Street. He’s a yellow bird puppet who can talk, write poetry, dance, and roller skate. In the early years of the show, our hero had a good friend who no one else saw or believed in: Mr. Snuffleupagus. After 17 years, there came a happy day when everyone else in the Sesame Street neighborhood realized that Snuffy was indeed real, not just a figment of Big Bird’s imagination. I’m foreseeing a comparable event in your life sometime soon, Sagittarius. You’ll finally be able to share a secret truth or private pleasure or unappreciated asset.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19)

Activist and author Simone de Beauvoir was one of those Capricorns whose lust for life was both lush and intricate.

“I am awfully greedy,” she wrote. “I want to be a woman and to be a man, to have many friends and to have

loneliness, to work much and write good books, to travel and enjoy myself, to be selfish and to be unselfish.” Even if your longings are not always as lavish and ravenous as hers, Capricorn, you now have license to explore the mysterious state she described. I dare you to find out how voracious you can be if you grant yourself permission.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18)

According to my reading of the astrological omens, the coming weeks will be prime time to vividly express your appreciation for and understanding of the people you care about most. I urge you to show them why you love them. Reveal the depths of your insights about their true beauty. Make it clear how their presence in your life has had a beneficent or healing influence on you. And if you really want to get dramatic, you could take them to an inspiring outdoor spot and sing them a tender song or two.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20)

In her book Yarn: Remembering the Way Home, Piscean knitter Kyoko Mori writes, “The folklore among knitters is that everything handmade should have at least one mistake so an evil sprit will not become trapped in the maze of perfect stitches.” The idea is that the mistake “is a crack left open to let in the light.” Mori goes on to testify about the evil spirit she wants to be free of. “It’s that little voice in my head that says, ‘I won’t even try this because it doesn’t come naturally to me and I won’t be very good at it.’” I’ve quoted Mori at length, Pisces, because I think her insights are the exact tonic you need right now.

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.

O kg a z e t t e . c o m | a u g u s t 1 5 , 2 0 1 8

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puzzles 1

New York Times Magazine Crossword Puzzle GHOSTED

By Alison Ohringer and Erik Agard | Puzzles Edited by Will Shortz | 0812

aCROSS

1 Word repeated in “Mi ____ es

su ____” 5 Skipped town 9 Good name for a botanist?

14 Certain vacuum tube 20 Taiwan-based electronics giant 21 Per item 22 Shred 23 Make airtight 24 Caterer’s platter 26 Off 27 Director of “Eat Drink Man

Woman,” 1994 28 Morticia, to Fester, in 1960s TV 29 Expecting help?

31 Beat generation figure?

33 Tidy 35 ____ Muhammad, mentor to

Malcolm X 37 “Mm-hmm” 38 Reagan-era scandal 42 Old Germanic tribe 44 Passes out 48 Oral examination?

50 Initiations have them 52 Dish made from a fermented root 53 Grace’s surname on Will & Grace 54 Neutron’s home 56 Jazz singer who acted in the

Roots miniseries 59 Whopper maker 60 Hematite, e.g.

62 Like 100 percent inflation 63 ____ Kippur 64 Sorbet-like dessert originally

from Sicily 65 ____ port 68 Wrist watch?

69 Like this puzzle’s circled letters

vis-à-vis their Across answers 73 Brewer’s need 76 Long ____ 77 “Nuh-uh!”

78 “Horrible!”

81 Reaches 84 Nearest country to Cape Verde 85 Grammy winner Erykah ____ 86 Talkative sort 90 Competitor of Rugby 91 “Li’l” fellow 92 “I’m with ____” 93 Hell, informally

95 It might take only seven digits 97 Sampled 100 Be rumple-free 102 Leaves for baggage claim, say 103 Star followers 105 Vitamin B3 107 Prefix with normal 108 Cause of a tossed joystick, maybe 112 Block from getting close to the basket 115 Gridiron gains 118 Comic ____ Nancherla 119 Stage in getting a Ph.D. 121 Some rustproof rails 123 Chasms 124 Newsroom fixture 125 Frozen breakfast brand 126 “Let’s do it!”

127 Risks a ticket 128 Siddhartha novelist 129 In case 130 Washington team, familiarly

DOWN

1 ____ Crunch 2 Smoothie flavor 3 Tennis star’s feat 4 Place for exhibitions 5 Word with noodle or nurse 6 Viscount’s superior 7 Big scholarship awarder, for short 8 Mint-family herb 9 “Down goes ____!” (1973

sports line) 10 Mojito ingredient 11 Nail-polish brand 12 When jams are produced 13 Place for an altar 14 Long line in Russia 15 Let 16 “Amen to that” 17 Earthen pot 18 What it takes two to do 19 One-on-one Olympics event 25 Chuck in the air 30 Not mainstream, briefly 32 Separations at weddings?

34 Body work, in brief 36 Lead-in to boy or girl 38 Birthplace of the Renaissance 39 RCA component 40 Put claw marks in 41 Sharer of Russia’s western border

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72 Prayer ending?

73 Workplace for a cabin boy 74 Antiquated anesthetic 75 Pong creator 78 All-female group with the 1986

No. 1 hit “Venus” 79 One-named singer whose last

name is Adkins 80 Pitches 82 Albany is its capital: Abbr.

83 Gorsuch’s predecessor on 84 Two of diamonds?

85 Trusted news source in the Mideast 87 Friend of Descartes … or, in

English, question pondered by Descartes?

88 “What chutzpah!”

89 Early record holder 91 Puts to rest

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94 Pricey-sounding apparel brand?

96 Tinder, e.g.

98 Surface 99 “Well, I’ll be” follower 101 B’way buys 104 It covers a lot of ground 106 Recognition for a scientist 108 Comic’s offerings 109 Per item 110 Stud finder?

111 One wearing black eyeliner

and ripped jeans, say 113 Desire 114 Makes out?

116 Cause of some insomnia 117 Application figs.

120 Dummkopf 122 Boozehound

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A R M A N I S U I T

R E A D Y S E T G O

C R O P P I N G U P

T A B L E D H O T E

T P A R M E E N S E T A K R I A B L P E N R E R E V P I R I C A T A S H R P E S T D S R A E S W S

S E X Y T I M E S I R E S T R A D E S

A N T O I N E J O N E S B R I T I S H

S D A W E I L I E R N A L I N K D N A A R G P R O W O O S D E M M E U D E A F T G D F O R C E Y A L T S N O O T H A N X R U T E A T E M V E W A E G O T S C O N T T E R E Y L Y S

G A L U M P H A I M A T L A N T E R N

S F R C D O Y A L L L E L E T A G A N A L A I T E M N I S E N O D E N T R H A G A L F A T I A S S N H A T D L O A L O N T B G O A O W D

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New York Times Crossword Puzzle answers Puzzle No. 0809, which appeared in the August 8 issue.

W A I L

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Stumped? Call 1-900-285-5656 to get the answers to any three clues by phone ($1.20 a minute).

Sudoku very hard | n° 30239 Fill in the grid so that every row, column and 3-by-3 box contains the numbers 1 through 9. www.printmysudoku.com

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43 Setting for many GI stories 45 Much of Aries’ span 46 Postgraduation stressors, for some 47 Lengthy attack 49 Refining, as muscles 51 Lead-in to cone 55 “You only live once,” for one 57 Baked-beans flavor 58 Mötley ____ 60 Schedule-keeping org.

61 Team scream 64 “10-4” 65 Longest American north-south rte.

66 Fiddler on the Roof setting 67 In spades 69 Future attorney’s hurdle, for short 70 Memphis-to-Nashville dir.

71 2018 World Cup champs

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2018 740i Sedan | $1,069/month*

14145 North Broadway Extension Edmond, OK 73013 | 866.925.9885

2018 230i Coupe, 36-month lease, $2,750 down, MSRP $38,695, Standard Terms 2018 650i Gran Coupe, 36-month lease, $5,500 down, MSRP $95,695, Standard Terms 2018 X5 xDrive, 36-month lease, $3,500 down, MSRP $62,195, Standard Term

Web: www.cooperbmw.com Email: rkeitz@cooperautogroup.com

Standard terms & Tag, Tax. 1st Payment, Aquisition fee, processing fee WAC *See dealership for details — offers subject to change without prior notice. *August prices subject to change. European models shown.