Ryan Gosling stars as Ryland Grace in PROJECT HAIL MARY, from Amazon MGM Studios; photo by Jonathan Olley, 2025 Amazon Content Services LLC. All Rights Reserved.
March has arrived, and with it, more movies. There are plenty of fun options this month, so it’s time to head out to the theaters and eat too much popcorn!
First off, a monster film that looks like no other: The Bride! Written and directed by Maggie Gyllenhaal (The Lost Daughter), the story is a retelling of Mary Shelley’s 1818 novel Frankenstein: or, the Modern Prometheus, also drawing inspiration from the 1935 film Bride of Frankenstein. It stars Jessie Buckley (Hamnet) as the Bride and Christian Bale (Dark Knight) as Frankenstein’s Monster, along with Peter Sarsgaard (The Batman), Annette Bening (American Beauty), Jake Gyllenhaal (Prisoners) and Penelope Cruz (Blow). The aesthetic of 1930s Chicago is striking in the trailers, so hopefully the story can match the production value when it hits theaters on March 6.
For a big science fiction adventure, check out Project Hail Mary. Based on the 2021 novel of the same name by Andy Weir, the story follows Dr. Ryland Grace (Ryan Gosling) as he awakens on a spacecraft with no memory of his mission. Written by Drew Goddard, who previously adapted another Weir book The Martian, the film has potential to be another certified hit with a stellar cast and interesting sci-fi concepts. The directors, Phil Lord and Christopher Miller, have not helmed a film since 2014’s 22 Jump Street, so with any luck, they’ll be in top form when this releases on March 20.
If you want a violent sequel I really didn’t think would ever happen, don’t miss Ready or Not 2: Here I Come. Following the first installment from 2019, Grace MacCaullay (Samara Weaving, Borderline) is captured and set back up for another night of “games” with the wealthiest families in the world. This time, however, she has her younger sister Faith (Kathryn Newton, Lisa Frankenstein) there to help, whether she wants to or not. The original premise was a fun and bloody time, with this trailer indicating that the brutality is still the primary focus. Elijah Wood also shows up as a lawyer and looks to be having the time of his life chewing every scene he’s in. It drops on March 27.
For a second helping of excessive violence, make sure to see They Will Kill You. When a woman answers a help-wanted ad to be a maid at an upscale building in Manhattan, she’s thrown into something much more sinister than she could imagine. Starring Zazie Beetz (Deadpool 2), Myha’la (Industry), Tom Felton (Harry Potter franchise), Heather Graham (Parenthood) and Patricia Arquette (Severence), the movie seems to go hard and fast with the murder, done in what appears to be a fun ’70s throwback with all the excessive blood splatter. Maybe a double feature with Ready or Not 2 is in order when this hits theaters on March 27.
Lastly, a buddy action comedy with a bizarre premise and title: Mike & Nick & Nick & Alice. Starring Vince Vaughn, James Marsden (Enchanted), Eiza Gonzalez (Baby Driver) and Keith David (Hazbin Hotel), the story follows two gangsters and the woman they love trying to survive an incredibly dangerous night … but also a time machine is involved? The cast and set-up have promise, so we’ll see if it’s worth the price of admission when it lands on March 27.
Thomas Hill III leads Kimray, an Oklahoma City-based manufacturer of oil and gas equipment that employs more than 600 people nationwide. The grandson of the company’s founder, Hill’s early pursuit of success ultimately led to a personal rock bottom, followed by a hard-won journey of recovery that transformed his life and leadership. Today, he is a passionate advocate for healthy workplace culture, mentoring emerging leaders through his book Recovering Leadership and his foundation, the Kimmell Foundation for Recovering Leadership. We caught up with Hill and got his thoughts on…
… his early understanding of ‘success,’ and how it’s changed.
Growing up as the grandson of Kimray’s founder meant I had success defined for me before I could even spell it. My family valued achievement, results and excellence. Everything got measured and compared. And somewhere along the way, I internalized the belief that my worth was tied directly to my performance.
That framework worked great until it didn’t. When I went through recovery, I discovered something uncomfortable: I had no idea who I was separate from what I could accomplish. Today, my definition of success looks radically different. It’s less about what I do and more about who I’m becoming. It’s showing up honestly in relationships. It’s being present with my kids without constantly thinking about the next work task. It’s leading from vulnerability instead of projecting confidence I don’t actually feel. The irony is that when I stopped trying to prove my worth through achievement, I became a better leader.
… how his recovery has reshaped his leadership.
Recovery taught me that you can’t separate who you are at work from who you are everywhere else. For years, I thought I could compartmentalize and be one version of myself in the office and another version at home or with my friends. That was exhausting and ultimately impossible. When I started doing the hard work of getting honest about my own struggles, everything shifted.
At Kimray, that transformation showed up in how we think about psychological safety. I realized that as a leader, I hold enormous power over people’s lives. And if I’m leading from a place of my own unexamined insecurity or ego, I’m going to damage people without even realizing it. So, we started building a culture where it’s safe to tell the truth. We talk openly about mental health. We invest in counseling resources. We’ve learned that people perform better when they feel safe and when they’re treated like whole human beings instead of just production units.
… advice he would give to young leaders.
Do your own work. Get into therapy. Find a good counselor, spiritual advisor, mentor, or someone who will tell you the truth about yourself even when it’s uncomfortable. Too many young leaders think they can muscle through on talent and ambition alone. But sustainable leadership requires ongoing personal growth.
The other piece I’d add is to focus on being responsible to people, not for them. That distinction matters because when you try to be responsible for people, you end up micromanaging or rescuing or enabling. Real leadership empowers people to own their work and their growth and then supports them in that process.
… a truly healthy workplace culture.
A healthy workplace starts with trust. Not trust as a vague concept, but trust as a daily practice. It means your people believe you’re going to tell them the truth, even when it’s hard. It means they know you care about them as individuals, not just as contributors to the bottom line. In practice, that looks like leaders who do their own work first. You can’t create a healthy environment for other people if you’re operating from your own unexamined baggage. Then it extends to how decisions get made. We push authority to the people closest to the work instead of hoarding it at the top of the organizational chart. It means clear expectations paired with genuine care. We call that healthy accountability. Healthy culture also requires rhythms of rest. Our people can’t operate at full capacity all the time without burning out. You can’t just tell people to work smarter or be more efficient. You have to actually structure the work so people can sustain it over the long haul.
… the Kimmell Foundation.
The Kimmell Foundation came out of a realization that what we’d built at Kimray shouldn’t stay inside our four walls. We have spent years figuring out – sometimes quite painfully – how to create a culture where people are valued, where mental health matters, and where trust drives everything. I kept meeting other leaders who wanted the same thing for their organizations but didn’t know where to start.
The inspiration really came from the recovery community. In 12-step programs, there’s this principle that you can’t keep what you have unless you give it away. I’d received so much help, so much grace, and so many second chances. The Foundation became a way to pass that forward. We wanted to create a space where leaders could be honest about their struggles, where they could find community, and where they could access practical tools for building healthier organizations.
… finding empathy and purpose in a ‘traditional’ industry.
There’s an assumption that technical industries like ours need hard-driving, old-school leadership, like the command-and-control approach where the boss has all the answers and everyone else just executes. But that model is fundamentally broken. It kills innovation because people are too scared to speak up with new ideas. It destroys retention because talented people leave toxic environments. And it’s completely unnecessary.
At Kimray we’ve proven that you can be technically excellent and relationally healthy at the same time. Actually, those things reinforce each other. When people feel valued and safe, they bring their best thinking to work. They’re willing to experiment, to fail, to try again. They collaborate better because they’re not competing for political survival. Our innovation doesn’t come despite our people-first culture—it comes because of it.
We’ve also learned that purpose matters more than people realize, even in manufacturing. Our team members aren’t just making valves and pumps. They’re providing a good living for themselves and their families. They’re ensuring safe, efficient energy production that powers homes and businesses. They’re making a difference through hundreds of non-profit and educational organizations that Kimray supports.
… the future of Kimray, and who will lead it.
I am excited that we’re building something sustainable. Not just financially sustainable, though that matters. I mean culturally sustainable. We’re creating a leadership pipeline where the next generation isn’t just inheriting our systems but understands the why behind them. They’re being mentored in trust-first leadership. They’re learning to lead from self-awareness rather than ego. They’re being equipped to steward what we’ve built and make it even better.
The leaders we need going forward are people who’ve done their own inner work. They can’t lead others into health if they’re not pursuing it themselves. They need to be comfortable with ambiguity and complexity, because the challenges we’re facing don’t have simple answers. They need to value relationships over results, even though results still matter. They have to understand that their primary job is creating the conditions where other people can flourish, not being the hero who solves every problem.
I’m also excited about the technical innovations we’re pursuing—the products we’re developing, the problems we’re solving, and new ways we’re serving our customers.
… advice he would give to young leaders.
Do your own work. Get into therapy. Find a good counselor, spiritual advisor, mentor, or someone who will tell you the truth about yourself even when it’s uncomfortable. Too many young leaders think they can muscle through on talent and ambition alone. They believe leadership is about having the right answers, projecting confidence, and being impressive. But sustainable leadership requires ongoing personal growth, and you can’t do that work alone.
I spent years trying to be a good leader while ignoring my own brokenness. I thought I could compartmentalize and keep the messy parts hidden while performing well at work. That approach eventually imploded. I had to learn the hard way that who you are in private is who you are in public, even if nobody else sees it yet. Your unexamined insecurities leak out in how you manage people. Your ego shows up in how you make decisions. Your fear of failure drives you to control things that aren’t yours to control.
The other piece I’d add is to focus on being responsible to people, not for them. You’re responsible for creating clear expectations, providing resources, removing obstacles, and giving honest feedback. You’re not responsible for their happiness, their choices, or their outcomes. That distinction matters because when you try to be responsible for people, you end up micromanaging or rescuing or enabling. You take away their agency. Real leadership empowers people to own their work and their growth and then supports them in that process.
If I could go back and tell my younger self anything, it would be this: Your worth is not tied to your productivity. You don’t have to prove yourself. You’re already enough. Lead from that place of security instead of trying to earn approval through performance. That’s when you’ll stop using people as tools for your success and start serving them. That’s when leadership stops being about you and becomes about them. And paradoxically, that’s when you’ll become the kind of leader people actually want to follow.
Members of the town council in Boley – an all-Black town in Oklahoma – pose for a photo in the early 1900s. All photos courtesy the Oklahoma Historical Society unless otherwise marked
Oklahoma wouldn’t be what it is today without the countless contributions of Black Americans. However, many of their stories are omitted from history textbooks. Celebrated every February, Black History Month aims to address this erasure, acting as a time to re-examine the past and celebrate the achievements of Black visionaries throughout history.
David J. Turner on the steps of Farmers and Merchants Bank in Boley, early 1900s
“As a historian, I have the fortune of studying these histories year-round,” shares Matthew Pearce, Ph.D., who serves as the State Historian at the Oklahoma Historical Society. “But I think it’s important that we commemorate Black History Month as a way to come together and acknowledge Black history and its importance to both Oklahoma and U.S. history.”
African American Settlement in Indian Territory
Oklahoma has a unique history of African American settlement. The Trail of Tears, which is known for its connection to the Five Tribes, is also the reason the first African Americans arrived in present-day Oklahoma.
Enslaved by the Five Tribes, Black Americans were forced to make the harsh journey along the Trail of Tears to Indian Territory with their slaveholders.
“We know a good deal about Native American history, but even that can sometimes not always be fully appreciated, especially the intersection of Native and Black history here,” reflects Raymond Doswell, Ed.D, a public historian, educator and the executive director at Greenwood Rising in Tulsa. “I think it’s something that visitors – and I’ll say for myself too – find surprising.”
During the Civil War, many enslaved people fought for the Union, forming four All-Black calvaries and infantries. Dubbed “Buffalo Soldiers,” these regiments represented 10% of the army’s effective strength and were pivotal in defeating the Confederacy.
Students stand at Lone Oak Separate School, aided by the Rosenwald Fund; photo courtesy the Ardmore Public Library/OHS
The Rise of Oklahoma’s All-Black Towns
Following the Emancipation Proclamation, many Freedmen migrated from the Deep South to Indian Territory, participating in the Oklahoma Land Runs.
“It became an area where Black town promoters like E.P. McCabe pointed to Oklahoma territory as a potential haven for Black settlers,” explains Pearce.
Between 1865 and 1920, more than 50 all-Black towns formed across the state. Among these towns, Boley was one of the largest, featuring a teeming business district with banks, cotton gins and a Grand Masonic Temple.
Boley also became the birthplace of the oldest all-Black rodeo in the United States. Founded in 1903, the Boley Rodeo continues every Memorial Day weekend, paying tribute to the town’s rich Black American roots.
Located in Oklahoma City, the Oklahoma History Center’s exhibit Realizing the Dream highlights the state’s African American history, including the rise and fall of Oklahoma’s All-Black towns, 11 of which still exist today.
John Hope Franklin during the first annual Heritage Conference in Rentiesville, 1999
Remembering the Rosenwald Schools
During the 20th century, nearly 200 educational institutions for Black schoolchildren were constructed across the state. These schools were made possible by the Rosenwald Fund, a philanthropic program that was established by Julius Rosenwald.
At least 11 of Oklahoma’s all-Black communities built schoolhouses through this program, including the Rosenwald Hall in Lima. Built in 1921, the Rosenwald Hall served as the community’s only elementary school for 45 years.
Now defunct, the school is one of the only Rosenwald institutions that still stands. In 1984, the building was added to the National Register of Historic Places, and the community undertook efforts to raise $1.5 million to fully restore the school in 2023.
The Legacy of Dr. John Hope Franklin
The Rosenwald Fund also created fellowship grants for African American artists, scientists and scholars. Among its recipients was Oklahoman historian John Hope Franklin, Ph.D.
Born in 1915, Franklin was the son of E.B. Franklin, a survivor of the Tulsa Race Massacre. Dedicated to education and public policy, Dr. John Hope Franklin worked as a member of the research team in the landmark Supreme Court case Brown v Board of Education.
In honor of his legacy, the John Hope Franklin Center for Reconciliation was founded to promote reconciliation through community engagement and scholarly work. The center manages the John Hope Franklin Park in Tulsa, which serves as a memorial for remembering Oklahoma’s complex heritage.
Greenwood Rising; photo courtesy Greenwood Rising Inc.
In December, the nonprofit launched a capital campaign to raise funds for the construction of a new facility in Tulsa’s Historic Greenwood District. The facility will provide a permanent space for hosting exhibitions and community events that retell a fuller story of Oklahoma history. To learn more, check out jhfcenter.org/capitalcampaign.
Tulsa’s Historic Greenwood District
Welcoming 40,000 visitors annually, Greenwood Rising is dedicated to educating the public about Tulsa’s Historic Greenwood District. The award-winning museum accomplishes this by taking visitors on a narrative-driven, immersive experience that recounts the history of Tulsa’s “Black Wall Street.”
“This is a history that many Oklahomans don’t know in spite of the fact that it happened in their home state… It’s quite eye-opening for them,” says Doswell.
To further drive awareness, the museum has partnered with the Tulsa Police Department and Tulsa Public Schools to educate both police cadets and all eighth-grade TPS students about the creation, destruction and lasting impact of Greenwood.
In celebration of its fifth anniversary, the museum will expand its community outreach and offer discounted admission to visitors on select days. To learn more, go to greenwoodrising.org.
“In a climate where we’re trying to homogenize history, it’s important to understand and realize the diversity of stories in our histories,” says Doswell. “It’s not a pretty history in some respects, but there are some triumphs in there as well, and we need to embrace it all.”
Featured photo credit: Members of the town council in Boley – an all-Black town in Oklahoma – pose for a photo in the early 1900s. All photos courtesy the Oklahoma Historical Society unless otherwise marked
One of the most iconic neon signs on Route 66 is the Meadow Gold display, beaming from 11th Street and Quaker Avenue in Tulsa. Photo by Rhys Martin, Cloudless Lens Photography, courtesy the Tulsa Oklahoma Route 66 Association
Neon signs are some of the world’s most beautiful – and underappreciated – forms of art. First showcased back in 1910 by Georges Claude at the Paris Motor Show, neon signs have had an ever-expanding presence across the country for decades. The hub of the art form’s restoration and preservation, however, is found right here in Oklahoma.
“Neon artists are called ‘glass benders’ because that’s literally what happens – heating up glass tubes and bending them into shapes,” says Rhys Martin, president of the Oklahoma Route 66 Association. “Restoring vintage neon takes a lot of work. Some of these old signs haven’t been lit in decades, and there are limited resources available to show what the colors originally were.”
Environmental conditions can play a factor, as well as the sad truth that trained professionals are simply hard to come by.
“I’ve known some businesses that have had to hire shops hundreds of miles away. Some of these old signs aren’t the size you can just load into a truck bed,” says Martin.
The Tower Theatre in OKC’s Uptown 23rd District is one of several eye-catching neon signs in Oklahoma. Photo by Rhys Martin, Cloudless Lens Photography
Thankfully, plenty of Oklahoma signs have been restored over the past few years with the help of grant funding.
“Under the City of Tulsa/Route 66 Commission’s neon sign grant program, four of the eighty-five signs awarded grants since 2019 have been restorations in anticipation of the Route 66 Centennial,” says Autumn Tiller, an urban design planner at the Tulsa Planning Office. “Total cost for restoration of these signs total approximately $30,000. Signs brought back to their former glory include Billy Ray’s BBQ, Interparts of Tulsa, Thelma’s Bar and Circle Cinema.”
Martin says the beauty of these signs was just one reason he got interested in the art form.
“I originally got into Route 66 as a photographer, and the old neon was one of my favorite subjects,” he says. “I marveled at the signs that had survived the coming of the interstates, but also loved capturing the ghosts of once magnificent buzzing beacons. It’s been so wonderful to not only see old signs restored these last few years, but see newer business owners get the opportunity to add neon signage to their little slice of the Mother Road.”
While the neon is a great way to slip back into nostalgic times, it also serves as a tourism booster for the state.
“The grant program has increased the inventory of neon signs in Tulsa and provides attractions for locals, Route 66 enthusiasts and neon fans alike,” says Tiller. “Some commercial property owners along the Route include it as a condition within their business leases to encourage investment and participation in the program.”
Martin agrees: neon signs are more than a beautiful thing to observe.
“A signature piece of art like a neon sign not only helps you stand out but calls to that particular flavor of traveler that seeks out these signs so that they can see them lit up,” he says. “That means they have to stay until the sun sets … and that means at least a meal and probably a hotel room. Great for economic development and great for local pride of place, too.”
Dr. Angie Debo, a groundbreaking scholar, was one of the first major historians to document injustices against Native tribes in Oklahoma. Photo by Dean Hale courtesy OHS
Grace Hopper – a U.S. Navy rear admiral, mathematician and computer scientist – believed that the most dangerous phrase was: ‘We’ve always done it this way.’ Oklahoma trailblazers like Angie Debo, Ph.D., and Ada Lois Sipuel Fisher embodied that same forward-thinking mindset, paving the way for women to dare to achieve something greater.
Ada Lois Sipuel Fisher (left) sued OU for entrance into their law school and won. Her advocacy paved the way for other landmark cases including Brown v. Board of Education. Photo by Joe Miller, courtesy OHS
Debo, an innovative scholar, was one of the first major historians to document injustices against Native tribes in Oklahoma. Born in 1890 in Beattie, Kansas, Debo moved to Marshall, Oklahoma Territory, with her family when she was nine years old. She graduated from the University of Oklahoma in 1918 with a degree in history, received her master’s degree from the University of Chicago in 1924, and earned her doctorate from OU in 1933.
In addition to teaching, she was a pastor and the director of the Federal Writers Project in Oklahoma. Debo authored nine books, edited three, co-authored another, wrote many chapters, articles and forewords, and presented numerous papers on Native Americans and Oklahoma history. She also lectured and traveled.
Debo served on the board of directors of the Oklahoma Chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union and the Association on American Indian Affairs. She made surveys for the Indian Rights Association and lobbied for land rights for Indians in Alaska and for water rights for the Havasupai and Pima in Arizona.
Debo was not often publicly commended because during her lifetime, her work challenged state and federal officials, blacklisting her from academic jobs. Some colleges wouldn’t hire her on as a professor simply because she was a woman. Despite this, Debo’s research shaped modern scholarship on Native history, and Oklahoma State University maintains an archive in her honor.
Ada Lois Sipuel Fisher was born in 1924 in Chickasha. She was an excellent student — graduating from Lincoln High School in 1941 as valedictorian and enrolling at Arkansas A&M College, attending for one year. Sipuel transferred to Langston University in Oklahoma to study English and graduated with honors in 1945, but she dreamed of becoming a lawyer.
At the time, Oklahoma was segregated, but Sipuel sought admission to the University of Oklahoma’s College of Law anyway. She was denied admission due to her race. A three year legal battle with the district courts, Oklahoma Supreme Court and the U.S. Supreme Court ensued with the support of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) and civic leaders across the state.
Ada Lois Sipuel Fisher; photo by Claude Long, courtesy OHS
Fisher and her team ultimately won the case, and she was able to enroll in the University of Oklahoma’s law school. Her case was groundbreaking — paving the way for desegregation in higher education in 1948. However, her story was overshadowed by the Brown v. Board of Education case, which ruled that U.S. state laws establishing racial segregation in public schools violate the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment.
Despite this, Fisher’s fight and win had a ripple effect for future students of color: the University of Oklahoma’s law school created a scholarship and lecture series in her name.
Digital matchmakers like Tinder, Bumble and Hinge are certainly holding onto relevance – yet some soulmate searchers are telling dating apps: “It’s not me, it’s you.” Indeed, America’s top three dating apps report losing more than 100,000 users last year.
Fewer than one-quarter of Gen Z adults met their partner through a dating app, social media or online community, according to a Hims study. So some folks are putting their own twist on seeking true love.
For example, an Oklahoma man recently stenciled his phone number and “Man seeks a wife,” on a placard and posted it along a rural road. And a California bachelorette is fielding 35,000 applications after using digital billboards to encourage gentlemen to fill out her online dating questionnaire.
Other date seekers are taking classes in art, cooking, photography, dancing, yoga or rock climbing to find “the one.” They’re visiting arcade bars, dog parks, libraries or churches. Some are even helping at animal shelters or food banks.
Whether you connect through social media or real life, here are some guidelines to help keep dating safe and fun.
First Date Safety Tips
Give your date a cursory internet search before you agree to go out. Check out LinkedIn for authenticity and TruthFinder for criminal activity.
Agree on a casual daytime public venue, such as a coffee shop, brewery or park.
Arrange your own transportation and don’t reveal your address.
Punctuality sets expectations for the date’s pacing and vibe – so avoid being late and always text if you’re running behind.
Let friends and family know of your date and pre-plan an exit strategy using a text code.
Keep an eye on your drink and food.
Trust your gut. If something seems off, therapist Pamela Garber says you can simply say, “Sorry, it’s not a match,” and leave.
First Impressions
Research shows you have a tenth of a second to make a good impression. So just relax and follow Louisiana Sen. John Kennedy’s advice:
“Always be yourself,” says Kennedy, “unless you suck.”
Assuming you don’t fall into that category, confidence is your dating superpower, says dating expert Matthew Hussey. Potential partners are not seeking someone who just needs a relationship, he says. The secret is showing up as your confident, authentic self, and bringing your own value to the table. Stop seeking mass approval, and look for someone who specifically appreciates your value.
Meanwhile, be aware that communication reveals critical psychological traits.
“Boundaries, focus on the past, presentation of self … are all indicators of who the person is,” Garber says, “and potential for compatibility.”
Avoid knucklehead questions like: How much money do you make?
“I do think a well-meaning but verbally clumsy person is better than one who is verbally appropriate but masking issues under the surface,” Garber says.
Conversation Starters
Research suggests that being a good conversationalist can be more appealing than physical attractiveness. So, here are some questions to get you started:
RACE Dance Collective based in OKC highlights underrepresented dance genres, creates professional development opportunities for local dancers and removes barriers to participation.
Photos courtesy RACE Dance Collective
Smaller performing arts groups in Oklahoma are as unique and diverse as our landscape – gaining a foothold in the state’s cultural scene and working hard to reach their audiences.
Although they lack the funding of their larger counterparts, these small but mighty companies have programming that is just as engaging.
“What distinguishes RACE from … larger institutions is not what we do, but how we do it,” says Sheri Hayden, executive director of RACE Dance Collective based in OKC. “Our scale allows us to remain highly responsive, community-embedded and artist-centered. We prioritize underrepresented dance genres, create professional development opportunities for local dancers and remove barriers to participation through accessible initiatives.
“While larger institutions serve important roles within the regional arts ecosystem, RACE complements that work by centering access, representation and workforce development for artists and audiences who are often excluded from traditional dance spaces,” Hayden continues.
Kelli McLoud-Schingen, the founding artistic director of World Stage Theatre Company based in Tulsa, says that smaller organizations like hers have more freedom to explore more non-traditional spaces and subjects.
“Our audience includes people who enjoy thought-provoking stories that linger long after the performance, those interested in stories from around the world, and individuals who may not be traditional theatre-goers but are drawn to the stories we tell,” she says.
Of course, being a smaller organization often means working on a tighter budget.
“Our marketing reach is primarily limited to word of mouth, social media and printed postcards and posters,” says McLoud-Schingen. “We do not have access to paid radio or television advertising, nor the large-scale promotional resources available to larger organizations. Our funding initially came solely from ticket sales, but over the past three to four years, we have also benefited from grants from local philanthropic organizations and individuals.”
Hayden agrees that word of mouth is powerful, “given our strong, connected community of dancers, students and families. Many audience members discover us through friends or relatives who take classes or perform with the company. We also use social media platforms, send digital newsletters and partner with local TV stations for interviews around major events.”
Since the pandemic, World Stage Theatre Company has grown.
“We became the first theatre company in the city to operate a storefront performance space, expanded our board, secured new grant funding and strengthened our youth summer camp program,” shares McLoud-Schingen.
RACE has also experienced positive upticks post-pandemic.
“When the pandemic began, RACE was still operating in a grassroots phase,” says Hayden. “The organization was entirely run by independent contractors and volunteers, programming was more limited, and there was not yet a consistent base of grant or donor support. As a result, when funding priorities shifted, RACE was not disproportionately impacted by the loss of contributed revenue. While earned income declined, leadership quickly pivoted and reimagined programming to remain active, connected and financially viable during an unprecedented time.
“Since then, RACE has continued to survive and grow by intentionally creating safe, welcoming and community-centered spaces for dancers. As people returned to movement and in-person connection, RACE became a place where artists felt supported, seen and valued, regardless of background or experience level. The organization has expanded its programming, strengthened partnerships and built steady relationships with local and state funders.”
When the weather cooperates, there’s nothing quite like being outside on an afternoon in Oklahoma. One of the many ways people like to pass the time, especially when the wind is perfect, is by flying a kite.
“Kite flying has been around for over 3,000 years,” says Larry Stiles, president of Tulsa Wind Riders, a passionate club of kite-flying enthusiasts. “It started in China, where they used paper and bamboo. As for me, it started in 1980 with stunt kites.”
The Tulsa Wind Riders meet up around 43rd and Garnett to fly kites together. “We don’t have dues,” says president Larry Stiles, “The wind is free!” Photos by Tom Wallbank
Similar to regular kites, stunt kites have multiple lines and can be maneuvered in the air with more precise control.
A beautiful thing about kite flying? Age simply doesn’t matter when you’re getting into it.
“The age range is all ages,” says Stiles. “Younger kids like the stunt kites, whereas the older people like the single line kites. Just put them up, stake them down and let them fly.”
Whether you’re looking for a leisure activity or a fun way to alleviate stress and appreciate the Oklahoma skyline, kite flying is a hobby for everyone. If you’re not sure where to start, Stiles has some suggestions.
“You can purchase good quality kites all over the Internet or from kite stores,” says Stiles. “Here in Oklahoma, you can purchase kites from me, Lala’s Kites, on Facebook. I carry all kinds of colorful and unique [options].”
If you’re heading out to fly for the first time, the easiest tips for a good experience are making sure the kite is put together correctly and that the wind isn’t too strong.
“Keep your back to the wind,” Stiles advises. “You don’t need a whole lot of wind to fly, just a good wind around eight miles per hour. Many people think the windier the better, but that’s not true. Too much wind pressure will push your kite down.”
Another pro of kite flying is that the hobby can be as active – or as sedentary – as you wish.
“You don’t have to run with your kite. Just let the line out instead of pulling on it,” says Stiles.
Lastly, make sure you’ve picked the right spot to get the best uninterrupted wind.
“Stay away from trees and power lines,” he says. “Select a good open area to fly. Buildings and trees can disrupt the wind flow.”
If you’re looking to enjoy the hobby with a friend, a club is a fast and easy way to meet other likeminded kite enthusiasts. Stiles says that the Tulsa Wind Riders often meet up at East 43rd and South Garnett Road, and regularly update their Facebook with information.
“We don’t have dues, the wind is free,” he says. “Just come out and join us!”
And what makes kite flying so appealing to such a wide range of people? According to Stiles, it’s all about calmness and relaxation.
“Just put your kite up,” he says, “and let your worries fly away.”
At Edmond Gymnastics Academy, children as young as 18 months can attend classes. Many athletes from the Academy have gone on to compete on the collegiate level. Photo courtesy Edmond Gymnastics Academy
By the time Deana Martinez was three years old, “I was climbing all over everything,” she says. “So my mom put me in gymnastics.”
She thrived in the sport, and as a teenager started coaching as well as competing. She’s now been coaching for 30 years and owns Edmond Gymnastics Academy, where her students start as young as 18 months in the parent and tot classes, and often go on to compete at the collegiate level.
Martinez is head coach of a team that competes in club gymnastics, traveling to meets from December through May. The training is rigorous.
“They sacrifice a lot,” she says. “Most have to work out a minimum of four and a half hours a day, at least five days a week. Some do two-a-days.”
But there is a payoff.
Martinez says as she reflected on the women she competed with and against, “I realized that these women are very successful, and gymnastics has been the vehicle. I realized that the women that come out of gymnastics can pretty much accomplish anything they want to accomplish.”
Gymnastics, she says, “sets a child up for success in everything, including life. It helps with time management and goal setting.”
Her training helps kids who compete in other sports, Martinez says.
“For any sport they will be stronger, have better balance. The foundation of gymnastics leads to excelling in every sport.”
Her students usually know by their pre-teen years if they want to continue to the competitive level.
“Gymnastics has fear,” she acknowledges. “Because you are going to jump backwards on a beam. You need a certain amount of power and flexibility, and some of those things are genetic.”
Edmond Gymnastics competitors have earned scholarships to colleges across the nation. And the programs at the University of Oklahoma play a role in enthusiasm for the sport, even if not a lot of Oklahoma gymnasts are able to compete for their home state.
“OU has to recruit some percentage out of Oklahoma, but they are taking the very top in the nation,” Martinez says.
OU has won 12 national championships, tied for the most nationally, says Mike Houck, senior associate athletic director for the university.
“Since 2000, the Sooners have claimed nine NCAA team titles, 19 conference championships, 278 All-Americans and 41 individual national titles. Combine that with multiple Olympians and the most Nissen-Emery winners all-time, and you have the country’s premiere college program,” Houck says.
The women have racked up seven national championships. OU has advanced to the NCAA championships every year since 2004 and has produced a total of 136 individual conference champions, 227 NCAA All-Americans and 22 individual national champions all-time, Houck says.
Michael Kimball, an OU graduate, says his family started attending gymnastics meets after joining the Sooner Kids Club.
“The women’s gymnastics meets are definitely a favorite for both of my girls, and my wife and I love them too,” Kimball says. “The atmosphere is super family-friendly. There’s tons of action, and obviously the student-athletes are at the peak of their sport, including some former Olympic medalists we’ve seen compete in Norman.”
As a father of daughters, Kimball says, “one of the most important things to me is that there are thousands of fans in the stands — my daughters will grow up knowing it’s totally normal for thousands of paying fans to be at a women’s sporting event.”
Kimball says when they attended a women’s basketball game at Lloyd Noble Center for the first time, his older daughter asked, “Oh, does OU play basketball in the gymnastics arena?”
From left: Buck Atom, Rosie the Riveter, Meadow Gold Mack and Stella Atom stand guard over Route 66 and reflect the city’s blend of nostalgia, artistry and community pride. Photos by Gerardo Gonzalez
Over the years, the two best-known nicknames for Tulsa have had to do with petroleum: the Oil Capital of the World and the Magic Empire – the latter allegedly bestowed by the famous American General John J. “Black Jack” Pershing to reflect his perception of the city as an oil boomtown.
There’s another one making the rounds these days: Land of the Giants. And if it takes hold, it’ll be in great part because of the entrepreneur and businessperson Mary Beth Babcock. Back in 2019, she was responsible for bringing the 21-foot-tall statue of a space cowboy she named Buck Atom to Tulsa and getting it placed beside her Route 66 shop, Buck Atom’s Cosmic Curios, where it has since stood, a true example of a genuine roadside attraction.
Buck Atom was the first giant to land here; he was not the last. These days, four more of them adorn sections of the old Mother Road, ready to be discovered, visited, and photographed by local sightseers as well as by the increasing number of travelers rolling down the nostalgic highway during its centennial year.
If you’re from northeastern Oklahoma, you probably remember Babcock’s former store, Dwelling Spaces. Located on a corner in downtown Tulsa, it was around for a decade, offering all kinds of items, from clothing to books to music, with a big emphasis on material from local creators. In 2016, Dwelling Spaces closed its doors, and, for a year or so, Babcock applied herself to various retail and other jobs.
Then came an epiphany, helped along by either an amazing coincidence or some sort of cosmic synchronicity.
“I woke up one day and I said to myself, ‘What is it that you really want to do?’” she recalls. “I’d made things happen before, and I was confident enough in myself to think that if I went after what I really wanted, I could make it work. So I thought, ‘What is it? What do I want?’ And the answer was that I wanted to do retail, but something small.”
From left: Buck Atom, Meadow Gold Mack and Rosie the Riveter, alongside Stella Atom (main image) stand guard over Route 66 and reflect the city’s blend of nostalgia, artistry and community pride. Photos by Gerardo Gonzalez
Just about a half-hour later, as she recalls it, she was looking at Facebook and ran onto a picture of a building in Tulsa that had, in the 1950s, housed a PEMCO filling station. “Immediately, when I saw it, I said, ‘That’s it! I want a souvenir shop, in a gas station, on Route 66.’ It couldn’t have been more perfect. I asked, and there it was.”
And she did indeed make it work. But from the beginning, she felt that the place needed a mascot, something to draw the attention of passersby.
“When I was at Dwelling Spaces, I had an artist named Jeremy Luther create a character for the shop, an outer-space cowboy,” she says. “For a while he just lived in my computer, and then when the [PEMCO building] spot became available, I was like, ‘Oh, gosh, I can bring that space cowboy to life.’ He had to have a name, so ‘Buck’ was for the cowboy side and ‘Atom’ for the space side. I knew that a character like that could be so much fun to work with – to come up with a story for him and create merchandise.
“At that time, I had no clue he would become a 21-foot-tall roadside attraction,” she adds. “But once I got open, got the logo, got the merchandise in – well, I knew I needed some kind of attraction, because I was on historic Route 66.”
Although she didn’t quite connect it at the time, she remembered a long-ago visit to another Mother Road business – the Pops Soda Ranch in Arcadia, with its 66-foot soda-bottle sculpture out front.
“I thought then, ‘Man, this is so brilliant. It’s a new Route 66 attraction. The road’s been around for a lot of years, but this is new.’”
She also recalled a giant figure that had graced the city of Enid, her dad’s hometown, before moving down the road about 40 miles, where it towered over a business called Bud’s Salvage. Crafted to resemble the legendary strongman Paul Bunyan, axe in hand, it had been created from the mold of what fiberglass-statue aficionados know as the Muffler Man. Originally made in the ’60s for Phillips 66 gas stations, these figures had become iconic pieces of American pop culture.
Unfortunately, when Babcock’s brother David made a call to the salvage yard, it was no deal. The Bunyanesque figure was, Babcock recalls, “bringing too much traffic into their business.”
Then, one day, she was talking to Rhys Martin, president of the Route 66 Association, about the whole roadside-attraction idea. He put her onto a man in Illinois named Joel Baker – “the guru of all the giants,” she says – and he, in turn, introduced her to Mark Cline of Natural Bridge, Virginia, who had a mold available of the original Muffler Man. Sure, he could make one to her space-cowboy specifications. And in May of 2019 – following a significant amount of fundraising on Babcock’s part – the giant Buck Atom took his place on the Mother Road.
Muffler Men weren’t the only giant-sized fiberglass figures to come out of the ’60s. There were also what are known as Uniroyal Gals, originally created for the tire manufacturer. Since it only seemed logical to Babcock that Buck should have a female counterpart, Stella Atom arrived from Virginia a few years later to take her place on America’s Main Street.
“I got to design her, and she was like a giant paper doll for me,” says Babcock. “I wanted to throw in some memory of my mom, and every time I see a yellow butterfly I think of her, so there are yellow butterflies on Stella’s boots.”
Stella Atom arrived in town in June of 2024. Since then, Babcock’s retail outlets have expanded down the Mother Road to Tulsa’s old Meadow Gold Building, which houses some 66 local artists and their work, as well as the former Hardesty Press building across the street, where she now runs a store called Buck’s Vintage. And, as all this was going on, up went more statues: Meadow Gold Mack, Cowboy Bob and Rosie the Riveter. The latter, she says, was created in honor of Tulsa developer, Meadow Gold District Association member, and statue supporter Aaron Meek, whose mother was an actual “Rosie the Riveter” factory worker during World War II.
And, while the statues were all overseen by Mark Cline and shipped to her from Virginia, Babcock has made sure they also reflect local artistry. Such accoutrements as Stella’s ray gun, jet pack and bracelet and the rocket Buck holds, for instance, were done by Tulsa-area creators.
Babcock laughs when asked if more big statues could be on the way to the Land of the Giants.
“Ooh, that is yet to be seen,” she says. “But I’ve seen the magic that Buck brings, the people taking pictures with him, making memories with their families. Of course, back in the day these statues were made to reel people into your shop and, yes, people do come into the shop and want to buy a little souvenir. But I didn’t even know what I wanted when I started this. I just know that what the statues are doing now is filling my heart. And what’s beautiful is that they’re not only helping me, but they’re helping my neighbors. They’re helping the city. They’re helping the state. I just met with [the tourism and convention bureau] Visit Tulsa, and they want to talk about using Rosie and Stella for a women’s program. So it’s neat how they’re influencing people and getting them to be creative.
“You know,” she adds, “people over the past couple of years have been saying to me, ‘What are you doing for the [Route 66] centennial?’ And so I thought, ‘Well, I’m going to make more giants, create more experiences for people traveling Route 66.’ That was actually another motivation. I just thought, ‘Why not?’”
