FILE:MEMPHIS by R. Köhler

FILE:MEMPHIS April 2014

ON STAGE Musical theater students perform at the University of Memphis

ECOFRIENDLY FUN Memphis discovers bike riding

FAMILY BUSINESS

A ring-shaped success story

Masthead FILE:MEMPHIS by Robert Kรถhler

Final project in JOUR 4140 News Design (Spring 2014) Matthew J. Haught, Visual communication professor Department of Journalism at the University of Memphis

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Editor

Robert Kรถhler @rmkoehler

Contributing editors

Daniel Blum @Garniel

Marion Ziegler

@marion_tseeglur

Design

Robert Kรถhler Contributing photographers

Daniel Blum Marion Ziegler April 2014

contents Whatever Lola Wants Lola Gets

Expectations to live up to:

It is her last performance on stage before graduation. University of Memphis student Fiona Battersby plays the “sexy bombshell“ in “Damn Yankees“.

A ring-shaped success story

Sprinkles & glaze:

It is all about the ring-shaped pastries at Gibson’s. The family business has been known for its donuts for decades. The store is a local hot spot around-the-clock..

Bike to the future

Eco-friendly activities:

Memphis is serious about bike riding. There are many ways to explore the city by bicycle. So, leave your cars parked. The next fun bike ride is just around the corner!

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Sexy bombshell: Fiona plays the iconic role of Lola the seductress.

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Whatever Lola Wants Lola Gets Text & photos by Marion Ziegler “Nice to meet you, Joeee Chaaaardy”, yells the woman in the corset with a strong South American accent. She tries to seduce Joe Hardy – to no avail. She goes on by performing an odd burlesque dance. But the decent young man withstands all of her efforts. That is how Lola realizes that none of her disguises will make Joe Hardy break faith to his true love. Lola might be the most interesting character in the 1955 play “Damn Yankees”. That is why Fiona Battersby auditioned for the role in February. She got the part in the short play at the University of Memphis campus theatre. It will be her last performance before graduation. “Damn Yankees” tells the story of an aged fan of the Washington Senators baseball team. His greatest wish is to see his team once defeat their nemesis, the New York Yankees. He makes a pact with the devil and is transformed into the young talented baseball player Joe Hardy – supposed to lead his team to the long-yearned-for triumph. Joe enjoys his stardom but soon

part with so many expectations to regrets to have abandoned his wife. The devil, however, hopes Joe live up to. But: “I liked getting to will back out at the last second be- play an iconic role.” And playing the fore the last big game against the “sexy bombshell” – as Fiona puts it Yankees leaving his team chance- – was a big change compared to her less. Thus, the hopes of thousands last role as a 10 year old girl. Graduation is just around the of fans would be crushed – producing heart attacks, suicides, nervous corner for the theatre student. “I breakdowns – and the devil would absolutely don‘t know how it will get thousands of new souls. Mean- go on from now”, Fiona admits. She while, the devil’s assistant Lola does not yet have a job lined up. But makes a journey from insolent se- her future plans are very precise: ductress to a compassionate friend She wants to perform on cruise ships for a few years at least. Auof Joe Hardy. With the actors, a band, a tech- ditions for the highly competitive nician and the director, the cast cruise jobs usually take place in Chiand crew totals 20 people. Having all of them work toA unique pressure to play a part with gether as a team so many expectations to live up to was a pleasure for director Swaine Kaui. “Theater is the most collab- cago, New York or Florida. “Having orative art form there is”, he says. a cruise job would allow me to be Rehearsals were scheduled for no paid to travel and perform, which longer than three weeks total. Prep- are my two favorite things”, Fiona arations and showings of the one says. Graduate school might be an hour long play both took place in option in a few years. “Well maybe it‘s the real thing. the same small room in the University theatre building. Maybe there is such a thing as true A lot of people in musical the- love” – this is what Fiona’s charatre are familiar with the role of Lola acter Lola learns in the end of the and the outstanding song “Whatev- play. It is to be hoped for Fiona er Lola Wants Lola Gets”. For Fiona that she will find her “real thing” it was a unique pressure to play a and get a job on a cruise ship.

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The playâ&#x20AC;&#x2DC;s costumes on a coat rack

Fiona picks up her stuff after the rehearsals.

Musical director Jeff Brewer at the piano. Three rows of chairs are already set up for the performances but stay empty during rehearsals. Director Swaine Kaui discusses choreography with one of the actors.

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15 cast members are performing in the play. Pact with the devil: One of the actresses kisses a skull.

Disguised as SeĂąorita Lolita Banana: Lola tries to seduce Joe Hardy.

Seductress: Fionas corset stands out of the playâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s costumes

Strong spotlight on the announcer.

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n i r g -s A

More than 15 years ago, the DeWeese family bought a small donut store in Memphis. Adhering to the founderâ&#x20AC;&#x2DC;s traditions and plenty of new ideas, they continue the success story of a local business.

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Text: Robert Köhler Photos: Marion Ziegler

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Around midday, Louise Rooke generally sets out for an ordinary low-rise building in East Memphis, not far away from her home. She typically takes a seat at a large, wooden table. And allows herself a cup of coffee, as well as one of those ring-shaped pastries that are sold in there. And so is she doing this Saturday. She is wearing glasses and a patterned blouse under a light blue jacket. Her long, grey hair is tied back, bringing out her small, elegant earrings. Louise is 90 years old, but doesn‘t appear like that at all. She comes over to Gibson‘s Donuts almost every day. It has been a habit for ten years. The family business has been known for its donuts for decades. Although or even due to the fact that nothing really changed since the store‘s opening, it can successfully keep up with large companies that also sell the popular fried dough. With a 24/7 service, some extraordinary donut creations, and a low price sale at night, the owners attract their customers from near and far. Today is game day. The professional basketball teams from Mem-

phis and Oklahoma City will meet dark in the local arena later this day. The green upcoming sports event is already shorts, apparent in the stretched glass dis- a belt with play in the store: Dozens of donuts the Memphis are covered with yellow, dark and Grizzlies‘ mascot as buckle, and the light blue sprinkles, the Grizzlies‘ same blue fan polo as his father. team colors. “We sell these donuts In 1996, when Britton was in whenever they play”, says store high school and didn‘t imagine runowner Don DeWeese, wearing white ning a donut shop one day, his father shorts, a blue Grizzlies polo, having bought the store from Lowell Giba full head of grey hair, and being all son. Lowell founded it in 1967, at the smiles. He is running around perma- very same place where the pastries nently, talking to all sorts of people are sold until today. “Mr. Gibson coming in through the door. started having health probHe obviously pulls the lems, but didn‘t want strings at Gibson‘s. to sell it to just anyHowever, the one”, says Britton. donut store is Don and Lowell a real family were close, the business. Don‘s former owner son Britton knew that his has cooked in friend wouldn‘t kitchens since change anyhe was 15 years thing, and keep old. He worked the store what it in restaurants, and was. su cooked donuts for gar g To this day, the l az e an his father‘s store. Nowastore‘s front solely cond b a c on days, he runs the company‘s sists of an old glass facade. Orday-to-day operations. He knows ange walls create a cozy atmosphere inthis donut place from childhood. side. Numerous picture frames tell the “When I was a kid, I came in here ev- family‘s history, and show what they ery weekend, that was our tradition are proud of. Entering the store is like after church”, says Britton, wearing- entering the DeWeese‘s living room.

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Behind the display‘s curved glass, plenty of donuts gleam on green, yellow and orange sheets that are stapled in four layers. A large glass panel brings out the kitchen in the back of the store. Some donut holes lie on the tiled floor, few of them trampled down. Flour hovers the air, as well as heated oil. The dough mixer struggles with a batch of mass that contains flour, yeast, water, among others. Two men hurry rolled out dough through a moulding cutter, that divides it up into single donut shapes. A load of apple fritter is frying. Completed donuts wait on stapled iron sheets in storage shelves to find the way to the shop in the front. It takes around three hours to complete a normal, glazed donut. The cooks let their dough rise three times, only in the proofing box it sets about 30 minutes. But generally there are no strict recipes, because the combination of ingredients depends on different criteria, among them the weather. “The more humid it is outside, the less water will be in the dough”, says Britton. The Gibson‘s donut kitchen is busy almost all day. “We cook from about ten o‘clock at night until two or three o‘clock in the afternoon”,

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says Britton. On average, their customers buy a little over a thousand dozen donuts in total - every day. Despite the multitude of varieties, the simple plain glazed donut, 66 cents each, is the most popular. During the daily peak time between six and ten o‘clock in the morning, the line is so long sometimes, that people wait outside on the sidewalk. But also around midnight, the place is often packed full.

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people joined her, most of them e r gu are retired as well, like R e g ula John, a former truck driver, and Jim, a chemical engineer. Louise worked as a ballet teacher at St. Mary‘s Episcopal School in Memphis for over thirty years, until she retired in 1989. In the middle of the 1980s, she first came to Gibson‘s. And remains loyal to it since then. “The people I am chatting with here, I met them all at People in Memphis are this place”, Louise says. Regular customers like very loyal to local products. Louise and her friends “Because we put everything on sale make up a large part of the Gibson‘s from eleven to one o‘clock at night, clientele. “People in Memphis are for 25 cents one piece”, says Britton. very loyal to local products”, says Whatever is left over after that, will Britton. His donut spot is popular be thrown away, and the cooks start with people of all ages, for example with students from the nearby Unibringing out the fresh donuts. Louise is still sitting at the versity of Memphis. Tourists and wooden table. A couple of other guests from afar are also among their

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“We eat barbecue all days, so I came up with the idea to make a bacon donut, and take it to my barbecue team”, says Britton. “We didn‘t even sell them in the store at this time.” But people saw a photo of this creation on the Gibson‘s Facebook page, and started asking for it. “We got so many requests that I finally did it as a donut of the month, and it literally blew up on me”, says Britton. The new variety survived a month, the bacon donuts are still part of the assortment. Today, the Gibson‘s cooks utilize around five pounds of bacon every day to make these kind of pastries. One of the shop assistants is refining a batch of red velvet donuts in the kitchen. With a scraper she takes some cream cheese out of a big bucket, and spreads it on top of the dark red, ball-like pastries. After decorating it with this white topping, she ranges it accurately on a green plastic tray. The donut cooks at Gibson‘s create new varieties of donuts permanently. e in g

Donuts shop opened only three blocks away from Gibson‘s. Nevertheless, Britton doesn‘t see these giants as competitors for his small family owned store: “Comparing our donuts to Dunkin‘ is like comparing your Mom‘s homemade lasagna to frozen lasagna you bought in the grocery store.” There is an enormous mix of different donut varieties at Gibson‘s. Sometimes, customers ask for the pecan

p p l e fr i t t e r

Comparing our donuts to Dunkin‘ is like comparing your Mom‘s homemade lasagna to frozen lasagna you bought in the grocery store.

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donuts. Those with the reddish brown bits in the sugar glaze. “But what people consider as nuts sometimes, are no nuts at all”, says Britton. “It‘s bacon.” According to him, the bacon donut is probably the weirdest variety he ever created. “I actually made it as a joke.” Three years ago, Britton took part in the World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest, that takes places in Memphis every year.

Starti ng f rom scr at ch :t he

customers. “We have people here from St. Louis, Chicago, or Florida”, says Britton. Furthermore, there are hotel operators who pick up donuts every day, and schools that order the pastries for events. The DeWeese family doesn‘t fear big food chains or franchises like Dunkin‘ Donuts and Krispy Kreme. These companies run stores and coffeehouses all over the country, so in Memphis. Two years ago, a Dunkin‘

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“Lemon New Orleans” is the current donut of the month. “This one is almost to the point where I might have to bring it permanently”, says Britton, “because it is so popular.” Britton started the donut of the month in order to try out different new flavors and toppings. In this way, the red velvet, the bacon, and the Oreo donut moved on from a monthly offer to a permanent place in the range of products. “I also think about doing a peanut butter and jelly donut”, says Britton. However, there is at least one person that the cooks cannot inspire with all these new varieties: regular customer Louise Rooke. Sprinkles or cream cheese do not impress her. Although she comes here every day, she remains true to her favorite type of the pastry: the simple, common chocolate glazed donut. “I never tried anything else”, says Louise.

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A family rides across the elevated bridge through the marshes.

Bike to the

future How Memphis is heading towards a great future for cyclists Text & photos by Daniel Blum

Cyclists at Overton Park Bike Gate

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The weeks and days around April 22 are usually packed with several events celebrating Earth Day. Whether is a 5K run, some recycling awareness lectures or garbage collecting, America turns green for a few days. Though, it might seem a little surprising for a car crazy nation like the United Statesâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;where pick-up trucks and SUVs dominate the streetscapeâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;to celebrate an occasion like this, there are actually a lot of eco-friendly fun activities to do. One of which is bike riding. Anyone who is now thinking of bike tours on distant vacations through

A mural on the Greenline.

At the visitor center bike riders can get all the information about Shelby Farms Park they need. scenic landscapes might be wrong. Remember, it is Earth Day. So, leave your cars parked. The next fun bike ride is just around the corner, even in the City of Memphis. And Memphis is serious about bike riding: The future is ’bike’. Only a few days ago, the city formally de-

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Cycling through green tunnels shaped by trees and bushes

dicated and opened the Overton Park Bike Gate, which welcomes bike riders to Overton Park and its many attractions like a golf course, the Memphis Zoo and Levitt Shell. Located on the east side of the park, the bike gate is easily visible from East Parkway and Sam Cooper Boulevard. Sculptor Tylur French designed the massive archway covered in multicolored recycled bikes, of which every one was donated. During the assembly in February, he told the Commercial Appeal: “What I designed, was basically a symbol or an icon that the city could reco-

gnize as the bike trails entrance into the park.” Once the connecting trail is completed, the Overton Park Bike Gate soon marks the beginning of the Shelby Farms Greenline, a 6.5 mile bike route connecting Midtown to Shelby Farms Park. The Greenline runs like a green thread through the city. For many bike riders, joggers or strollers it is the most obvious choice to escape the noise of the city for a while. Cycling through the green tunnels shaped by the trees and bushes is a great contrast to the rubbishstrewn main roads like Poplar or Union Avenue, where speeding gas guzzlers pass and honk at you every second. But the Greenline is not just trees left and ride. There are different sights to explore along the way. A popular place to take a break

Cyclist and runners immerse likewise in the green tunnel.

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Patriot Lake at Shelby Farms Park is the perfect location to take a break.

is the bridge across Wolf River. It is a common sight to see people leaning over the handrails to get a good look at the river wildlife. Spotting the occasional fish or turtle is no rarity. Just a few minutes down the road takes you through some swampy marshes on an elevated bridge. It is nature at its finest only a stone’s throw away. Riding along the Greenline, you encounter all sorts of people from runners, to families taking a bike trip, to groups of cyclists practicing their formation for the next race. They all head towards the same destination: Shelby Farms. Shelby Farms Park—the selfproclaimed “largest park of its kind in the country”—is located east of Memphis between Cordova and Germantown. The possibilities are almost endless, whether it is seeing

back on the bike and ride home with a balmy breeze to cool you down. The Overton Park Bike Gate and the Shelby Farms Greenline are only two examples that the City of Memphis is changing to a more bike friendly place. Both are considered milestones and only foreshadow Memphis’ future plans. During the next three years the city expects to add 150 additional miles of trails and bike lanes. Kyle Wagenschultz is the city’s pedestrian and bicycle director. He also emphasizes on the progress that has been made up to now. During the opening of the Overton Park Bike Gate he told Daily News: “We’ve doubled the number of miles of new trails and bike lanes in the city over the last three years. We have five times the number of people bicycling every day in Memphis, and we’ve seen bicycle acciBoth are considered miles- dents drop by 35 percent.” As mentioned earlier, tones and only foreshadow the City of Memphis is serious about bike riding. Memphis’ future plans. There are many ways to a live herd of bisons, playing frisbee explore the city by bicycle. Memgolf or renting a paddleboat at Pat- phis is heading towards a great riot Lake. The park is so vast that it future for cyclists. A future where has its own visitor center to get the hopefully people won’t need excuneeded information. It is the perfect ses like Earth Day to get on their place to take a break after a long bike bikes. Once the necessary infraride in the sizzling heat of the sun. structure is provided, more and There are only a few things more more people will tend to use their relaxing than grabbing a water ice, bikes more often. Memphis is dositting on the lakeside and watching ing the right thing. With investthe ducks and geese swim by. Once ments in bike lanes the city is turthe sun is setting, it is time to get ning Earth Day into Earth Year.

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Shelby Farms Park is the most popular destination on the Greenline. The Overton Park Bike Gate offers a colorful display of recycled bikes. A paving stone welcomes bike riders at the Overton Park Bike Gate.

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