C2 - THE JOURNAL, Thursday, February 7, 2013
Entertainment
PICKS OF THE WEEK
"The Perks of Being a Wall-
flower" (PG-13) -- Charlie
(Logan Lerman) is a lonely
10th-grader just hoping to
make it through the school
year. He has no close friends,
and no hopes, of finding any
joy in his teen years. Char-
lie's perspective changes
after he gets swooped up by
two seniors (Emma Watson
and Ezra Miller) who show
him that life is bigger than
our insecurities.
The film is based on a novel
by Stephen Chbosky, who
adapted it for the screen --
and directed it himself. And
it totally works. The movie
is funny, heartfelt and sensi-
tive. Anybody who has been
or still is a teenager can find
something in this story that
speaks to them.
"The Sessions" (R) -
- Mark (John Hawkes) is
a writer who can't write.
Since he caught polio as a
child, he's spent most of his
time in an iron lung (a giant
tube that helps him breath),
and the rest of his time on his
back, hardly able to move.
He's also 34 and a virgin.
After talking it over with
his caregiver and his priest
(William H. Macy), Mark
gets the blessing to see a
sex therapist (Helen Hunt),
a licensed professional who
can walk him through his
first few times. It's a heart-
wanning, grownup movie
about sex. The experience is
funny, relatively easygoing
and rather uplifting.
Ezra Miller, Emma Watson in 'qhe Perks of Being a
Wallflower"
"Bully" (PG-13) -- This
documentary explores what
bullying does and has done to
the youth of America. Imme-
diately, the stakes are set high.
Documentarian Lee Hirsch
finds two families who have
lost children to suicide after
they were buUiecL The movie
also follows Alex, a boy who
is bullied every day because
of the way he looks. The film-
maker goes up close with kids,
parents and administrators to
see how bullying is handled.
The message at the core of
the movie is that not enough
is being done. Rather than
explore the causes of bully
behavior, the film focuses on
how school officials, legisla-
tors and communities have
shrugged off the effects of
bullying, while children still
endure senseless cruelty every
day.
"The Man with the Iron
Fists" (R) -- This is a cheesey,
overdone pile of kung-fu
runoff -- and it's all clearly
made with love. Thank writer,
director and star of the film,
RZA. The movie is an obvious
love letter to the bargain-bin
action movies of his youth. In
19th-century China, a remote
village is prey to a band of
vicious outlaws. It's up to
the town blacksmith to lead a
curious band of unique fighters
through a series of confusing,
cluttered and ridiculous action
scenes. It's gory, it's action-
packed, and it's hard to follow
-- in a fun way.
(c) 2013 King Features Synd Inc.
Pawnee Bill Ranch to Host a
Primitive Bow-Making Workshop
On Saturday, February
9, 2013, the Pawnee Bill
Ranch will host a primi-
tive bow-making workshop
in the historic big barn,
according to Erin Brown of
the Pawnee Bill Ranch.
Experienced bowyer
Tommy Leach, of Stillwa-
ter, will teach participants
the step-by-step process of
crafting a self-bow. "He
will show bows in various
stages of completion and
discuss everything from
selecting the appropriate
materials to finishing the
bow" Brown said.
The process of creating a
bow takes several months,
but the finished project is
unlike anything you can
purchase. This will be the
9th year that the Ranch has
offered this popular class,
she explained.
"The primitive bow-
making class is intended
for hunters, re-enactors, or
anyone interested in primi-
tive skills."
The class, scheduled
from 9:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m
costs $25.00, including
lunch. Space is limited so
pre-registration and pre-
payment is required.
For more information or to
pre-register, please call the
Pawnee Bill Ranch at (918)
762-2513 or email ebrown@
okhistory.org. The Pawnee
Bill Ranch is located
mile west of Pawnee on
Hwy 64.
The Pawnee Bill Ranch is
a member of Green Country
Marketing Association, one
of 11 multi-county organi-
zations working with the
Oklahoma Tourism and
Recreation Department, the
Oklahoma Travel Industry
Assn and the other multi-
county associations to
promote the state tourism
industry.
Your Local Ii~dependent Agent
We've Got
Don ,oldridge, Agent
505 E. 33 * Perkins
547-2900
'Greater Tuna' opens tonight
Stillwater's Town and
Gown Theatre brings to
life the third smallest town
in Texas with its produc-
tion of Greater Tuna, Feb,
7-10, and 14-17. Kyle
Shifflett and Seth Philips
reprise their roles from
Tuna Christmas playing
almost the whole town of
Tuna. Patt Ward Curtin
directs.
The two men play 20 resi-
dents. In the course of one
day we meet Aries Struvie,
Thurston Wheelis, Aunt
Pearl, Petey Fisk, Phinas
Blye and Rev. Spikes, just
some of the upstanding cit-
izens of Tuna Add in smut
snatchin' Vera Carp, pistol
peddlin' Didi Snavely and
Bertha Bumiller's misfit
family--- Charlene, who
has been denied the title
of cheerleader for seven
years, Stanley, the M &
M juvenile delinquent,
and Little Jody, the dog
addict son. Racism, big-
otry and big hair, violence
and fanaticism are the
bread and butter of the
"red-blooded American"
residents of the town of
Tuna and the main course
of the entire comedy,
"It wouldn't be comedic
satire without these small
town stereotypes, their
prejudices, quirks, and
pretensions. The residents
of Tuna, Texas are exag-
gerated versions of the
things Americans don't
like about themselves, and
that makes them the prime
target for satire. Charac-
ters like Bertha Bumiller
and Didi Snavely may be
backward, mouthy, and
crass, but they are without
any sort of facade or pre-
tentious front. As soon as
something is in their heads,
it exits their mouths, which
is strangely endearing and
sets the stage for humor.
In spite of this, it is almost
impossible to walk away
without a fondness and
affection for the people
who live in Tuna. But the
playwrights take advantage
of the residents' flaws to
magnify and comment on
social mores. Everyone
and everything is fair
game. That's the nature of
satire," director Patt Ward
Curtin said.
Playwrights Jaston
Williams, Joe Sears, and
Ed Howard knew these
characters warts and all
from their own small
towns (Sears grew up in
Bartlesville and graduated
from Northeastern State
University, Tahlequah).
Shifflett from the tiny
town of Fay, Ok, and just
up the road from Watonga,
Curtin's former home, and
Philips from Morrison,
identify.
Although this is Curtin's
directing debut at Town &
Gown, she has directed over
60 plays. She moved here
18 months ago after retiring
as a Watonga AP English,
Theatre, and Humanities
teacher to become the
House Director for Kappa
Kappa Gamma Sorority at
OSU. She has also taught
and directed for South-
western State University,
Weatherford, and directed
shows in various Oklahoma
towns.
"Directing shows around
the state, teaching acting
workshops, and work-
ing summer camps every
summer is how I helped put
my three children through
college," Curtin said. All
of them have some kind of
theatre experience; commu-
nity theatre was our family
sport. It's what we did for
fun." In addition, she has
adjudicated state, regional
and national theatre venues,
and published six weekly
newspapers. Her graduate
degree in theatre is from
OSU.
In real life, Shifflett is
a staff attorney for the
Oklahoma Supreme Court,
and Philips is a marketing
strategist for Cox Commu-
nications in Tulsa.
"In addition to the come-
dic satire, it's the quick
change gimmick, which
propels the play where
the two actors must play
twenty characters---men,
women, and children of all
ages, attitudes, and body
types, and sometimes two
or three characters in a
single scene, changing
costumes, hair-dos, and
visions of the world.
For the audience, the
quick costume changes
promote a great deal of
the fun.
"Town and Gown" has
a secret weapon in the
form of Shifflett, "Curtin
explained. "He's the cos-
tume designer, and in this
play, his costumes not only
have to reflect the resi-
dents' personalities and just
the right amount of "Texas
Tacky", but they also have
to be built for speed."
Shiftier and Philips aren't
alone backstage waiting to
get on Paul Weber's well-
designed set and clever
rendition of an Air Stream
trailer park.
"I wanted a set that was
fun, functional, and non-
confining as far as the
space goes, and that's
what he and builders Tim
Wilson, Susan Weber, and
Keith Sheets gave us,"
Curtin said.
Each actor is aided
by two dressers, Susan
Weber, Dawn Wilson,
Cindy Sheets, and Valerie
Kisling, who help them
strip off one costume and
slip into the next one,
sometimes in a matter
of seconds. Ronda Plake
acts as a "floating"dresser
where ever she's needed.
"We have to make sure
the wigs are tugged down
and that the bosoms are
straight," dresser Cindy
Sheets said.
In addition to helping
them change clothes, the
dressers also remind the
actors of where they are in
the show and what comes
next-,a very big deal in a
fast-paced show
Show magic also
comes from sound and
lights. Cody Whittenbm' g
designed the sound for the
town "where Patsy CIi fe
never dies." Sound
operator is Tiara Young:7
Lights were designed.by
Keith Sheets.
Cast photographer is
Philip Whitacker and
graphic artist is Valerie
Kisling.
Greater Tuna has per-
formances at Town &
Gown, 3524 S. Perkins
Road, Feb. 7-10, and Feb.
14-17. The box office
opens Monday, Feb. 4,
(405) 372-9122 or vi'sit
www.myticketscene.com.
Moreinformationis available
at www.townandgown.org.
Shows start at 7:30 Thurs-
day through Saturday with
two Sunday matinees ;af2:
30. Ticket prices are $14for
adults and $12 for students.
Seniors can take advantage
of a $12 ticket price at both
matinees.
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