The Delicateses de la Selva is a combination of Juane, Cecina, Tacacho and Chorizo. Photos by Natalie Green.
The Delicateses de la Selva is a combination of Juane, Cecina, Tacacho and Chorizo. Photos by Natalie Green.
If you’ve lived in one of the larger eastern U.S. cities during the past decade and liked to chase down exotic cuisines, you probably remember the endless hunt for the rarest of them all: Peruvian food. You might have been haunted by visions of purple and green castles sculpted of herbs and potatoes and topped by a fiery red sauce; of fragrant, savory peanut stews invented 500 years before Shakespeare was born; of a shockingly bright yellow concoction invented in the 1790s by French chefs fleeing the guillotine and made with chicken, walnuts, cheese and a kind of pepper found only in Peru.
Yes, the food of Peru is exotic, seductive, eye-popping and wildly creative. And, if you’re lucky enough to live in Tulsa, you can sample the cuisine at its finest with no more inconvenience than a short car ride, all thanks to a woman named Kelly Tandazo.[pullquote]When I was a child, I learned to cook from my mother, my sisters, my whole family,” she recalls, “and this is just the way they served it at home. [/pullquote]
For Tandazo, the foods of her homeland are a source of endless fascination. The terrain of Peru varies from seacoast to mountain to the unexplored rainforest of the Amazon, and the food varies with the land. She grew up in Iquitos, a rich boomtown in the Amazon jungle that has the dubious distinction of being the world’s largest city unreachable by road. She married an oilman from Lima, and his job took her to all the regions of Peru and the surrounding countries of South America.
The flags of all those nations flap proudly atop the long, one-story building that houses Tandazo’s restaurant in south Tulsa: Mi Tierra. Step inside, and you’ll see bright walls, immaculate, white-starched tablecloths and ample light streaming in to spotlight paintings by Tandazo’s Brazilian friend F. Thompson. Sultry cumbia music plays on the sound system, and it dovetails with Tandazo’s upbeat mood. She’s excited about the new décor – there’s a coffee pit in the back, with comfy sofas, Alpaca rugs and even a Wi-Fi connection – and menu.
The Passion Fruit mousse is a sweet and creamy treat.
“We’re serving breakfast now, every day at 9,” she says. “You get your choice between Brazilian, Colombian and, of course, Peru.”
She’s excited about finding a fish called arapaima, native to Peru.
“We eat it in my hometown,” she says. “It grows to be seven feet long and weighs more than 200 pounds. I’ll cook it for you just the way we do in Iquitos!”
She’s excited about everything in life, and her joie de vivre is infectious.
But who can stay unhappy when those purple, green and bright yellow towers, named Causa Limena, all sculpted from potatoes, arrive at your table? Who can be sad after tasting the bright, bracing treat known as ceviche, one of Peru’s best-known culinary gifts to the world?
And if you come on a weekend, even more treats await. Perhaps you’ll delight in a half-avocado topped by an artfully arranged mound of shrimp surrounded by a golden lake of Huancaina sauce, a sophisticated, rich French sauce made from Peruvian yellow peppers. Or slender cucumber rolls stuffed with pabellon stew from Venezuela. Or, if you’re lucky, you’ll have sudado de pescado, fish served with a rich sauce made from chicha de jora, a lightly fermented corn beer; a kind of pumpkin found in Peru; vinegar; and many more ingredients.
“And here’s the fish I told you about,” she exclaims.
Tandazo proudly carries a huge platter holding enormous cubes of lightly fried arapaima, cassava mounded into little balls, fritters made of plantains and an intricate yet sprightly salad of hearts of palm and shiitake mushrooms.
“Not exactly like our Amazon mushrooms,” says Tandazo, but close.
“When I was a child, I learned to cook from my mother, my sisters, my whole family,” she recalls, “and this is just the way they served it at home.”
When Tandazo first opened Mi Tierra, it was a small grocery store, jammed with rack after rack of jams, spices and canned stews, all from Peru. But, Tandazo recalls, her South American patrons begged her to open a restaurant.
“We can’t find our food anywhere,” they’d say.
And so, she jammed a few small tables in between the shelves, put up a blackboard with a menu scrawled in Spanish and started cooking. 6703 E. 81st St., Tulsa. 918.477.7155.
Patrick Lively, president and brewmaster of Anthem. Photo by Brent Fuchs.
Anthem Brewing Company
“Our beers are our anthem to the world,” says Patrick Lively, president and brewmaster of Anthem Brewing Company.
Anthem opened in 2012, manufacturing beers at OKCity Brewing, a brewers’ cooperative that housed three brewing companies.
“Brewing is our passion, so when the opportunity came up to make that our profession we jumped,” says Lively.
The company’s logo, a big-eyed creature with a star-shaped mouth, is called an imp. The company considers it to be “a representation of perfection in imperfection.” It is a symbol for the individual taste they seek in their beers, and those tastes are catching on.
“The response has been incredible,” Lively says. “Our community has really embraced our products.”
In May 2013, Anthem announced that they would be moving by the end of that summer. Later that month, a tornado hit the OKCity Brewing facility, shutting down production for all involved. Fortunately for Anthem, the brewery was already making moves to open a building of its own.
Two months earlier, they had purchased a 15-barrel brewhouse in Chicago that they brought to Oklahoma on three semis and a rental truck. Anthem now brews in a space called the Urban Farmhouse Brewery. In this building, Anthem is able to distribute its beer in bottles and cans instead of just kegs. There’s also room to expand production to make more types of beer.
“Currently, we have four year-round beers, and in addition, we will release 12 barrel-aged beers throughout the year,” says Lively. “With the beginning of every year, we are going to set goals for production growth that will allow us to continue to reach out to new customers while maintaining our current customers.”
Anthem now has the freedom to brew exactly how it wants, including the use of open fermentation, a traditional way to brew beer that uses wide, shallow containers rather than enclosed tanks.
“All of our beers are flavor-forward and brewed with the highest standards of quality,” he says. “We are very proud of our commitment to our product and to our community.”
Golden One, a Belgian-style golden ale, is currently the company’s most popular brew. Anthem aims to create interesting beers that pair well with different types of food.
Lively says there is a lot of hard work that goes into running a brewery, but their motivation remains simple: “We make beer because we like to drink beer.”
Brad Stumph, co-owner of Black Mesa Brewing. Photo by Brent Fuchs.
Black Mesa Brewing
Black Mesa Brewing was named for the state’s highest point, and although the company does not brew out of the panhandle, the owners hope it inspires others to discover everything the state has to offer.
“We think the name issues a challenge to explore all corners of the state, especially those that might be blank spots on the map in terms of your own experience,” says co-owner Brad Stumph. “Of course, we hope that adventurous spirit carries over to your palate.”
For Stumph, that spirit was necessary to risk his career in the environmental field to open a brewery. Three years later, Black Mesa has proven worth the risk.
“The smell of a brewery on brew day, tasting beer out of the fermenter, the thought of having something you made with your own two hands at a pub your friends and family frequent, that’s gratification,” he says. “Craft brewing is also a relatively young industry in Oklahoma. There is a certain excitement about being part of a small group of entrepreneurs helping to foster Oklahoma’s craft beer culture.”
Stumph says Black Mesa’s beers are inspired by Old World brews. It is a style that he believes may be overlooked by new generations of beer-drinkers.
“At a time when IPAs in all their glorious bitterness are the bestselling craft beer style, we feel it gives us a unique and clear perspective,” he says. “We are trying to reach craft beer drinkers who feel that Old World styles are under-represented by American craft brewers as well as introduce Millennials, who came of age during the height of the IPA, to our favorite styles and encourage them not to overlook some of the classic European beers.”
Black Mesa currently brews its batches in O’Fallon, Mo., where the brewery moved after a tornado destroyed the OKCity Brewing Cooperative, where they began. The owners hope to move back to Oklahoma soon, but in the meantime, Stumph and co-owner and head brewer Chris Sanders are focusing on what they love most about running a brewery.
“Chris would tell you it’s recipe development,” he explains. “After we have identified a style, we like to gather a small round table of friends and ask them to bring one or two examples of their favorite brews in that style. We drink. We discuss. Chris furiously scribbles recipe notes. He brews. For the next 21 days during fermentation and conditioning, we can only hope the beer will taste like the symphony the group imagined. For [me], the joy is in sharing. There are so many great beer-tasting events across the state. To get to share our beer and our brewing perspective and have it be well received is really energizing.”
Blaine Stansel, co-owner of Roughtail. Photo by Brent Fuchs.
Roughtail Brewing
Blaine Stansel and his business partner, Tony Tielli, had been home brewing for several years when they decided to start Roughtail Brewing in Oklahoma City.
“The opportunity presented itself, and we both obviously really like craft beer,” Stansel says. “We made a really good team. I handle all the business stuff, and he handles all the brewing. It just kinda worked.”
Roughtail specializes in hoppy, west-coast style beers. The Roughtail IPA is the most popular brew, but the Hoptometrist, a double IPA, is quickly gaining ground now that it has earned a year-round release.
Roughtail’s beers can be found across Oklahoma, and with craft beer fans spreading the word about Roughtail brews, more locations are likely to pop up soon.
“Microbreweries are a little bit unique in the fact that most of our marketing is going to be all from word of mouth,” says Stansel. “We rely heavily on local people enjoying our beer and telling someone else, because we don’t have the budget to go do Super Bowl ads.”
For Stansel, time with the public is extremely valuable to the growing company.
“My favorite part of the business is just going to events and having people sample our beer and getting feedback,” he says. “Even if the feedback is negative but constructive, that allows us to go back and refine what we’re doing a little bit.”
The brewery’s most recent addition is a citrusy pale ale that will replace Red Republic, one of its older beers.
“It’s a real traditional west-coast style pale ale,” Stansel explains. “We’re using a new strain of yeast on it, so it’s going to be a little bit different than what we’ve been doing in the past. I think it’s going to be really good, and everyone so far has just loved it.”
Roughtail is planning bigger changes as well. Its current rental location will soon be too small to accommodate growing production. In a couple years, the owners plan to build a new facility.
“Our landlords have been great, but at some point we do want to expand and grow the business,” says Stansel. “So it’s off on the horizon, but it will be coming up. Two years will fly by like nobody’s business.”
In the meantime, the pair will continue to hone their products and develop more.
“At the end of the day it’s a manufacturing business,” Stansel says. “It’s not as glamorous as everyone pictures, just sitting around drinking beer while we make beer. There’s just a ton of work involved.”
Chase Healey, co-owner and Brewmaster Of Prairie Artisan Ales. Photo by Brandon Scott.
Prairie Artisan Ales
Brothers Chase and Colin Healey started Prairie Artisan Ales in 2012. They began brewing their farmhouse beers at Choc’s brewery in Krebs, Okla., but have recently moved into their own building in Tulsa.
“I’ve been in the beer industry for seven years now, so opening a brewery has always been the plan,” says brewmaster Chase Healey. “I got into beer as a college student and haven’t looked back.”
Just three years after Prairie began operations, it is already a popular name in the business.
“I wanted a name that represented our part of the world. I feel like the prairie defines us in a way that a drinker in a place far away like Japan can still relate to,” says Healey. “Prairie might be local to Oklahoma, but we sell beer all over the country and around the world.”
Healey says the company focuses on staying true to their brand of bold beers rather than bending to what is popular.
“We try to make most of our beers a drinking experience over just a casual beverage,” he says. “Most of our beers are very dry and more wine-like.”
Healey says the response from the community has been great.
“People love to come to our events and tastings,” he says. “I think our brand has been something that people in Oklahoma like to be able to brag about to their friends around the country.”
Prairie Bomb! is the current fan favorite.
“It’s a big, thick stout infused with espresso beans, ancho chilies, vanilla beans and chocolate,” he says. “We made it once thinking that would be it. For the last two years we haven’t stopped making it.”
Prairie has several brews in its lineup, and Healey hopes to develop more while retaining that hometown-brewer feel.
“We are always working on new beers and exciting projects,” says Healey. “We aren’t trying to be a huge brewery, but adding tanks for more beer is something we are always looking into.”
Healey appreciates the process of making the beer, all the steps that are necessary to get to that tasty bottled beer.
“The hardest worker in the brewery is the yeast,” he says. “Without it, beer wouldn’t exist.”
There is an art to making beer, and at Prairie Artisan Ales, the brothers care about doing it right.
“The moment that the liquid starts to fill the bottom of the brew kettle, you know a beer is soon to be born,”he says.
Mike Sandefur, pictured with his son, Jordan, is owner and brewmaster of battered boar. Photo by Brent Fuchs.
Battered Boar Brewing
Mike Sandefur’s passion for brewing began as it does for many craft beer enthusiasts: at home.
“The first year I started brewing, I made over 200 batches,” he says. “As time passed I wanted to bring some of my best beers to the public. I wanted to push the limits of the beers I saw in the market.”
The inspiration for his brewery’s name, Battered Boar Brewing Company, came from a more unconventional source.
“Years ago I went on a knife-only wild boar hunt,” he explains. “I killed a 475-pound Russian boar with a knife. At the time it was just a smart-ass name for my home brew. It ultimately turned into the name for our brewery.”
He describes Battered Boar’s brews as “tasty, thought-provoking and unique.” The most popular beer is a farmhouse ale called LaPadite. However, Sandefur is proud of all Battered Boar’s products.
“Our beers are like our kids, we love ‘em all,” he says.
Sandefur says in a time where talented brewers are all around, Battered Boar’s focus is on what makes it unique.
“We are always curious about the ingredients that make a great beer. If we can clearly articulate our vision of the beer and adequately produce it, we will,” he says. “We don’t follow trends or brew a style for the sake of brewing it. Our ideas are hard-fought and have to pass through our own scrutiny before they leave our brewery.”
Battered Boar’s slogan is “little brewery, big beer,” but because of recent expansions, the brewery is a bit less little than it once was.
“We’re about five times the size we were before,” Sandefur says. “Our brewery is in the middle of regional expansion as well. It’s really exciting for us. We’re very blessed. It’s taken a lot of work to make this happen, and we’re about to see the fruits of our labor.”
Sandefur says his favorite part of the brewing process is sharing their beers with the public.
“For me, the best part of my job is pouring someone a beer, a beer that we’ve worked hard to produce, and watching their reaction as they try something they’ve never had before,” he says. “When that thing is one of our beers and we see the smile on their face, we know we did our job. That’s the best feeling in the world. I always say, ‘You can’t help but smile when you taste a great beer, and you can’t make yourself smile at a bad one.’”
Built-in cabinets in the formal living area are from Pohlenz Cucine Moderne.
All furnishings, rugs, lighting and wall finishes are new to the home.
Light Update
Photography by Nathan Harmon
When the owners of this south Tulsa home called Ginni Jacobs and Jolene Stevens, partners of Broken Arrow’s Ginni & Jolene Designs, to assist with the residential update, the designers were already familiar with the project.
“We started working with the family over 15 years ago,” says Jacobs.
The first remodel doubled the size of the house to 7,000 square feet. The unfinished attic provided enough space to add an apartment, including a bedroom, living area and kitchenette, in addition to another family room with a pool table, a gym, sauna and massage room.
The majority of the existing carpet was replaced with wood floors, and the terra cotta tile was also removed. Travertine tile was installed using an epoxy grout that was buffed and polished, making it appear to be one piece. Ordinary sheetrock-coffered ceilings were detailed with painted wood and beams, while an original pantry is now a wine cooler with a custom iron door. An impressive set of wood-carved arched doors lead to the wife’s office, where a brick fireplace wall was replaced with chiseled quartz.
Landscape architect Kristin Jacobs, owner of KJ Designs, transformed the basic back yard into a luxury spa environment with a full outdoor living area that includes a fireplace, kitchen and bathroom.
Carpet was ripped out and replaced with wood floors throughout the home.
Kristin Jacobs, landscape architect and owner of KJ Designs, transformed the outdoor space.
The attic apartment, complete with kitchenette, was updated in the remodel.
The goal of the newest renovation was to update the older, darker, traditional finishes and furnishings with a lighter, more simplified, transitional style. Virtually all of the furnishings, area rugs, window coverings, lighting and wall finishes in the home are new.
The latest renovation – 18 months long – involved numerous construction changes, including replacing cabinetry in the upstairs kitchenette and the downstairs wet bar area.
“We took a small closet and half-bath to create a large master closet for the husband,” says Stevens.
The master bathroom was completely gutted.
“Instead of a pair of sinks on one side of the room, there are now separate vanities,” she adds.
The original half-vaulted ceiling didn’t work with the new layout, so wood trim was added around the arched window to frame the view from the new bathtub. The more symmetrical new ceiling was sprayed with metallic paint. The countertops are gray marble, and the flooring is a cross-grain travertine tile.
The focal point of the newly redesigned master bath is the arched window trimmed in wood.
A powder room was updated as part of the whole-house renovation.
Burl wood wall sculptures hang in the living room.
Steven Curtis, owner of Homeworks, custom-fabricated all the cabinets and wood details and also crafted several pieces of furniture throughout the house, including headboards, night stands and the dining room table.
Jacobs, an accomplished artist, worked with the homeowners to curate a personal art collection, including the stunning burl wood wall sculpture in the living room. Jacobs’ own art hangs across the living room over the fireplace. She also created custom pieces for the master bedroom and other areas throughout the house.
A specially designed bedroom and bathroom renovation means the homeowners’ grandchild can visit frequently.
It took three months and thousands of votes, but the readers of Oklahoma Magazine have spoken. The following pages are full of the best of everything, from pediatrician to paint store, steakhouse to staffing agency. You’ll find out where our readers like to shop, where they travel and even where they go for a little TLC. Hundreds were named The Best of the Best 2015, from small, locally owned stores to major corporations. People and businesses take pride in a job well done, and we are happy to honor those who create a pleasant and meaningful experience for our readers.
The Carillon Hotel & spa is situated in Miami Beach, with the Atlantic ocean on one side and the Biscayne Bay on the other.
The Carillon Hotel & spa is situated in Miami Beach, with the Atlantic ocean on one side and the Biscayne Bay on the other.
If you need a vacation that pampers, we have the perfect destination. Let us help you plan a trip to Miami. We’ll take care of all the details – where to stay and where to explore.
Miami’s Magnetism
If not only for its position on the southern shores of the Atlantic, where a warm breeze visits all year long, get away to Miami for its culture, flavor, relaxation, innovation, wildlife, art and, of course, beaches.
An enticing entryway into the United States for Caribbean and Latin American cultures, Miami is a diverse and eclectic city, a quality that can be explored through the tastes, arts and entertainment and fashions that engulf its visitors.
Stay Relaxed
Situated in Miami Beach, separated from the mainland by the Biscayne Bay, stunning views while staying at The Carillon Hotel & Spa are inescapable. If you’re in the need to completely detoxify, this one-of-a-kind luxury wellness hotel and spa welcomes guests to relax and renew with spa treatments, delicious and healthy cuisine and wellness and fitness services. Experiencing full relaxation alongside the sights and sounds of the sea doesn’t get any better.
Carillon serves award-wining cuisine that is both healthy and delicious. Photos courtesy Carillon Hotel & Spa.
Taste
Rejuvenation is amplified with Carillion’s award-winning, healthy cuisine. Meet with experienced professionals who will assess your current health and lifestyle and send you home with customized plans and personal goals that keep you on the path to optimal health.
Shop ‘Til You Drop
Just a short drive from the Carillon, two fashion havens entice with their selections.
The Miami Design District is home to more than 60 fashion luxury boutiques that include Loewe, Max Mara, Billionaire Italian Couture, Chernaya Bridal House, Rick Owens and Harry Winston; make sure you leave extra room in your suitcase for your purchases when packing.
With more than 100 high fashion finds including staples like Fendi, Chanel, Oscar de la Renta and Nieman Marcus, Bal Harbour is also home to boutiques with limited U.S. storefronts, including 100% Capri, Roger Vivier and Richard Mille.
Louis Vuitton’s Miami Design District Store lights up at night. Photo by Robin Hill.
Reinvigorate
Continue your full body renewal with fitness classes and activities Carillon offers. Each day, more than 40 indoor and outdoor classes are offered, including beach boot camp, Qi Gong, yoga, boxing, indoor rock-climbing, Kinesis and more. Relax and unwind in its four pools and accompanying hot tubs, or get your blood flowing at the Atlantic pool with group classes or lap swimming.
Relax your mind on Carillon’s rooftop.
Bal Harbour Village
Another beachside oasis, Bal Harbour, about 15 minutes north of Carillon Hotel & Spa, entices guests with stunning hotels and resorts, sandy beaches and designer fashion. Stroll the shoreline or browse the Bal Harbour Shops. When you’ve finished the unique shopping experience Bal Harbour offers, enjoy its culture with year-round art, music and entertainment events. Windsurfing, parasailing and snorkeling are popular activities off its coast.
Bal Harbour welcomes visitors to its shops and shoreline. Photo by Doug Castanedo, courtesy Bal Harbour.
Wine And Dine
Your taste buds will delight in the cuisines Miami’s rich culture offers. In the Miami Design District, coffee shops, cafes, pizzerias, chocolate shops, delis and fine-dining establishments flourish, including three restaurants by James Beard Award-winning chef/restaurateur Michael Schwartz. Mandolin Aegean Bistro brings its Greek island flavor to the district, serving guests the age-old creations that Mandolin is known for on its beautiful outdoor patio.
At The St. Regis Bal Harbour Resort, experience the delicately crafted cuisine at J&G Grill.
Enjoy Mandolin Aegean Bistro’s Mediterranean cuisine on its patio. Photo courtesy Miami Design District.
Downtown Miami offers guests Tamarina’s sprawling but intimate space designed by David d’Almada of Sagrada in London, Tamarina’s decor dazzles along with its delicious Italian dishes.
At the Mandarin Oriental Hotel, La Mar by Gaston Acurio pleases with its Peruvian fare, while Azul’s cuisine is French- and Asian-inspired.
Seasalt and Pepper, with nautical inspirations, is a popular spot for celebrities, serving succulent seafood on its deck along the Miami River.
At the southern most part of Miami Beach, experience Siena Tavern’s tastes of Italy, and back on the mainland, Sugarcane serves some of Miami’s best oysters, tapas and sushi in its South American, Colonial Spanish-style dining room and on its 850-square-foot terrace.
Nipper’s Little Free Library is located on the curb of her west Tulsa property.
Photo courtesy Clara Nipper.
Nipper’s Little Free Library is located on the curb of her west Tulsa property. Photo courtesy Clara Nipper.
Clara Nipper keeps two refurbished newspaper distribution boxes at the curb in front of her property. The boxes, part of the Little Free Library initiative, house books for both adults and children and are free for those passing by to take.
The Little Free Library is a nonprofit organization whose mission of providing access to books for both adults and children began in 2009 in Wisconsin. Since then, more than 25,000 of these DIY libraries have popped up all over the country. Nipper’s Little Free Library was the first in Tulsa.
Nipper began constructing her LFL more than a year ago. Located just down the street from Wright Elementary School, she hopes to attract children who are walking to and from school to partake in LFL’s “take a book, return a book” mission. Her inspiration for participating in the LFL program stems from a love of books and of spending countless hours at Tulsa City-County Library’s Central Library during her childhood years.
“I couldn’t get enough books when I was a small child, and my parents were too busy to chauffeur me to the library often enough,” she recalls. “So one Saturday morning, when I was 7 years old, my father took me by the hand and walked with me from home to the Central Library downtown [Tulsa], a distance of approximately three miles one way. So from then on, I walked to the library by myself as often as I liked and stayed as long as I wanted. … So I know the significance of stories, especially to children. And I want to share that gospel.”
Both children and adults are encouraged to take a book when visiting an LFL. Once finished, they return the book to the library and take another. Books can also be donated to the LFLs by anyone who wishes. LFLs are located throughout the state and, though affiliated with the national organization, run independently. For more information and to view a map of LFL sites, visit www.littlefreelibrary.org.
Playwright Nikkole Salter recently presented a play based on the 1921 Tulsa Race Riots. Photo courtesy Bret Adams Ltd.
Playwright Nikkole Salter recently presented a play based on the 1921 Tulsa Race Riots. Photo courtesy Bret Adams Ltd.
Nikkole Salter has never been to Oklahoma.
“Nor do I have any connections other than my interest in the historic event of the Tulsa Race Riot,” she says.
In 1921, a mob of more than 200 white Tulsans attacked the black community in the Greenwood neighborhood of Tulsa. Erupting the evening of May 31 and continuing through the night and into June 1, smoke filled the sky as fires throughout the neighborhood blazed. More than 16 hours of conflict left thousands of black residents homeless, 42 city blocks reduced to ash and hundreds of black lives lost. This year marked the 94th anniversary of the tragedy, one that many believe has never gotten the historical attention it deserves.[pullquote]Can inherited wounds be healed? What is our responsibility to do so? Is there such a thing as an injury that cannot be repaired? What is the nature of apology? What are the costs of admission? The costs of denial?[/pullquote]
“Before writing [Repairing A Nation] I had never heard of the Tulsa Race Riot,” Salter said in a video interview with Crossroads Theatre Company. “[I] didn’t know what it was or how it existed. … Though the play doesn’t teach about the Tulsa Race Riot, the context of that is very much alive, and I find that people do learn about the event in ways they didn’t know before.
“I used the event as a context of a play that explores reparations, inherited wounds and the nature of relationship between apology and reconciliation,” Salter says. “I want [the audience] to have the riot brought to their awareness as an important part of the American narrative. I also would like for them to consider why the topic of reparations is so complex.
Salter, a Los Angeles-born playwright, writer and OBIE Award-winning actress, has written six full-length plays. Her latest, Repairing A Nation, saw its first production in February and May of this year on the Tony Award-winning Crossroads Theatre’s stage in New Brunswick, N.J.
Under the spotlight, the Davis family, “embodiments of the different arguments surrounding the theme of reparations,” Salter says, gets together during a holiday in their home town of Tulsa. Set 80 years after the Tulsa Race Riots, Lois Davis insists the family join a class-action lawsuit for reparations.
“[It’s based off] Johnny Cochran and Charles Ogletree’s suit against Oklahoma state,” Salter says. “Many of the details were fudged for dramatics, but the case is based on their efforts.”
In 2003, Chohran and Ogletree were part of the legal team that represented five survivors of the riot and filed suit against the city of Tulsa and the state of Oklahoma. The case was dismissed, citing statute of limitations.
“Can inherited wounds be healed? What is our responsibility to do so? Is there such a thing as an injury that cannot be repaired? What is the nature of apology? What are the costs of admission? The costs of denial?” are some of the questions Repairing A Nation addresses, according to Salter.
