Assistant Director, Centre for Global Competency at the University of Central Oklahoma
Is there a fashion icon or someone whose style you admire most? Daniel Craig. His sense of style is very simple. Nothing too complicated, but it could deliver a strong fashion statement.
What was your first fashion moment? When I decided to wear bright colored pants – green, orange, yellow and blue.
What is your favorite article of clothing? Sunglasses.
What designers/stores do you admire most? Valentino. Although mainly focused on women’s fashion, I admire his vision, class and love for helping individuals to look fantastic.
What is your favorite accessory? Coats and suit jackets.
Do you prefer to dress up or dress down? Dress up. It was how I was raised by my mother. I remember dressing up even if I was going to travel by plane.
Scene: August in northeast Oklahoma. Lights come up on the Boulanger House, a historical landmark just north of Pawhuska. Enter Benedict Cumberbatch, Meryl Streep, Julia Roberts, Juliette Lewis and many more stars.
Welcome to the film set of August: Osage County, which was shot in the northeast part of the state during summer and fall of 2012. The movie is based on the acerbic-yet-emotive play of the same name and chronicles the bittersweet lives of the Weston family. Oklahoma playwright Tracy Letts garnered the 2008 Pulitzer Prize in Drama for his script, and together with director John Wells, helped bring the film version to life, as well.
Jill Simpson, director of the Oklahoma Music and Film Office, was one of the most passionate advocates for August: Osage County to be filmed on the author’s home turf.
“When I heard that the Weinstein Company had optioned the movie rights to the play back in 2009, I made it my goal to connect with the playwright, Tracy Letts, to make the case for filming in Oklahoma,” Simpson says.
Over the next couple of years as the project developed, Simpson stayed in continuous touch with her contact at the Weinstein Company, keeping tabs on the status of the production. She then flew to Burbank, Calif., to pitch to Wells and his team that they should film in Oklahoma.
“All the while, Harvey Weinstein was interested in filming in Georgia due to their strong incentives program, large crew base and well-developed infrastructure for the film industry,” Simpson says. “Georgia had even submitted a house that he was very high on. We had our work cut out for us.”
But Simpson and her Oklahoma cohorts also had found a stunning house to use as the central focus of the film’s action: the landmark Boulanger House near Pawhuska. When Wells and his crew at last came to scout Oklahoma locations in April 2012, Simpson says, “They fell in love with many of the locations we presented in the Bartlesville and Pawhuska areas along with the Boulanger House, which happened to be on the market.”
Simpson says they made the pitch to the Weinstein Company to purchase the historic home rather than build a set. “Having the filmmakers on our side and being able to offer a good incentives package really helped seal the deal with the Weinstein Company,” she says.
The cast and crew made their home base in the nearby town of Bartlesville, where the citizens were no strangers to a large film production. Shortly before Wells and his crew came to shoot August: Osage County, filmmaker Terrence Malick had come to film To The Wonder, starring Ben Affleck and Javier Bardem.
“It helped that we had already been through it recently,” says Maria Gus, executive director of the Bartlesville Convention and Visitors Bureau. “At least the idea wasn’t completely foreign to them. I think the community felt as if we had another opportunity to show our hospitality, and we must have done something right the last time. Of course there were those that had a hard time controlling their excitement, but overall everyone was great. Our community was professional, friendly and definitely knew when to help the cast and crew let their hair down.”
Gus says that during the filming, which began setting up in July 2012 and lasted until November of that year, the film brought a definite boom to the local economy.
“There was a significant impact on local business,” she says. “Not only did the cast and crew need expected goods and services, but also anything else a large group would need while away on a business trip. Obviously, hotel rooms were a necessity, but also local catering for parties, medical care, entertainment and grocery shopping … In addition, the locals were out and about a lot more often. Some may have been hoping for a celebrity sighting, and many others were just eager to get out in the community and talk about the excitement. Overall, I think it was a very positive experience for the businesses in Bartlesville. The electricity was contagious for the community.”
Talmadge Powell, founder of Talmadge Powell Creative, was the force behind the film’s official wrap party in downtown Bartlesville. Powell says that utilizing local goods and businesses was important to achieve the Oklahoma feel of the party.
“We capitalized on local flavor and food,” Powell says. “They really wanted us to take advantage of all the Oklahoma kinds of things. We had stations with Oklahoma comfort food and live entertainment. We transformed the place into an Oklahoma autumn feel, bringing in trees and shrubs and dark woods. Chef Justin Thompson was the caterer for the party. We went to local stores and purchased Oklahoma props and things that would relate to the actual time period of the movie and also who we are as Oklahomans.”
“Make no mistake: Having a large production in your community is work,” Gus says of the entire experience. “The cast and crew work long days and are focused on getting a lot of work done in a short amount of time. But at the same time, if the community and the production have a good way to communicate and a team of people working together to make sure needs are met and the public is informed, the whole experience can be a fantastic success.”
“The August: Osage County production team was top notch,” Simpson says. “Not only were they talented, they were lovely to work with. Most importantly, they were mindful of our locals and our culture, and took great care of our Oklahoma crew. They left our filming locations in as good, if not better, shape as when they arrived. That is a testament to their professionalism. I would welcome any of this team back to Oklahoma any time.”
If you’re looking for a little tradition in your holiday shopping, Tulsa has two markets that combine old with new and homespun flair.
The German-American Society of Tulsa opens its Christkindlmarkt 2013 this weekend. Modeled on outdoor holiday markets found throughout Germany, Christkindlmarkt runs from Friday, Dec. 6-Sunday, Dec. 8 at the German-American Society of Tulsa building on the northwest corner of 15th Street and Lewis Avenue. Enjoy a market filled with imported German gift items as well as the flavors of tasty traditional foods. Admission is free, but take some cash to enjoy a schnitzel sandwich and apfelstrudel. See www.gastulsa.org for more information.
The Tulsa Herb Society brings back the holiday gift market Carols & Crumpets: An Herbal Wonderland from 8 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 7. This event has become a tradition for Tulsa and shoppers looking for something truly unique to give and decorate the home. Because everything has an herbal component, you’re sure to find plenty of soaps, candles, handmade ornaments, candies and other handmade goodies at the vendors’ tables. Look for it at the Tulsa Garden Center, 2435 S. Peoria Ave. Admission is free, but lunch at the Snowflake Café isn’t. Read more at www.tulsaherb.com.
Of all the great contemporary authors in the world, the U.K.’s Kazuo Ishiguro was named the winner of the 2013 Peggy V. Helmerich Distinguished Author Award. If you’d written novels like The Remains of the Day, Never Let Me Go and The Unconsoled, you, too, would have been considered for this prestigious honor from the Tulsa Library Trust. Enlightening on human vulnerabilities and set against war or extraordinary circumstances, Ishiguro’s novels have made him one of the most celebrated fiction writers today. But you can hear about all these things plus what encourages him to continue writing such striking character studies. The author will speak and sign copies of his books at the Hardesty Regional Library’s Connor’s Cove theater, 8316 E. 93rd St. at 10:30 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 7. Before Ishiguro speaks, Teresa Miller, executive director of the Oklahoma Center for Poets & Writers at OSU-Tulsa, will be inducted into the Library Hall of Fame. The day is made for reading. Learn more at www.tulsalibrary.org.
Winter in Oklahoma is filled with innumerable rides on the Doppler roller coaster. One day you’re walking the dog in shorts (like Monday) and days later, you’re hauling kitty litter to the trunk of your car (um, today). The snow is on its way, but hopefully it won’t thwart the efforts of one Colleen McCarty, a communications specialist at Bama Companies, blogger and now author of her first book Mounting the Whale, set for launch Friday, Dec. 6, at an event from 8-10 p.m. Describing her book, McCarty asks if you like “awkwardness, taxidermy, overlapping kisses, fraught sea-travel adventures and kidnapping plots.” The answer: Yes. Friday’s scheduled launch party includes prize giveaways (an Amazon Kindle, antique whale harpoon, gift card bouquet and pieces from White Faux Taxidermy among them) and goodie bags. Head for The Phoenix at the corner of Sixth Street and Peoria Avenue to get in on the fun. For more, visit McCarty’s blog at www.colleen-mccarty.com.
Fans of Austin’s glamtastic duo Ghostland Observatory will know where we’re coming from: Although we’ve yet to see Aaron Behrens’ new outfit play live, we’re super thrilled our favorite wriggly performer has decided to make his way back to Cain’s Ballroom, 423 N. Main St., and Tulsa. Aaron Behrens and The Midnight Stroll plays at 8 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 7, with guests Nic Armstrong & The Thieves and Leo Rondeau. He may have cut those luscious braids and put his techno-funk club rhythms temporarily to the side, but Behrens is every bit as charismatic in his bluesier, howling-soul rendition of folky rock with just the right touch of flash and a cowboy hat to boot. Get your boots there: Tickets are $12-$15 at www.cainsballroom.com.
You only wish you were in Margaritaville this weekend, a place where Jimmy Buffett and his perennial suntan lounge away the days of tropical, salt-rimmed bliss. Lucky for us, Buffett and the Coral Reefers are bringing the beach to Tulsa and the BOK Center, 200 S. Denver Ave. Show is scheduled to start at 8:10 p.m., but doors open at 7 p.m. And for those diehard Parrotheads, Landshark hosts a pre-party tailgater at 11 a.m. in a heated tent at the corner of Third Street and Denver Avenue with a cash bar, cheeseburgers and hot dogs. Live music starts at 5 p.m. Show tickets are $36.50-$136.50 at www.bokcenter.com.
Anyone with arthritis will tell you that cold days are the worst to bring on aches and joint pain. Living with arthritis can be so severe, in fact, it can be downright debilitating. That’s why events like the Tulsa Jingle Bell Run for Arthritis are important. Take your mark Saturday, Dec. 7, at the Tulsa Community College Metro Campus on Boston Avenue and Tenth Street. The morning begins with registration at 8:30 a.m. and the Snowman Shuffle at 9:30 a.m. followed by the 5k walk and run at 10 a.m. Wear you’re running gear or a costume, just be sure to dress warm. Enjoy the festivities, food, drinks, live music and dogs in costume. Register at www.tulsajinglebellrun.org.
Living Arts of Tulsa brings its The Four Elements to the floor of its gallery space this weekend. Five artists exhibit pieces from clay, fiber, metal and wood for the annual show that interprets nature in surprising and beautiful ways. The show opens Friday, Dec. 6, with a reception with the artists from 6-9 p.m. at Living Arts, 307 E. Brady St., in the Brady Arts District as part of area’s December arts crawl. Artists participating are Milissa Burkart, Peggy Upham, Teresa Wilbur, Frank Campbell and Barbara Buell. The Four Elements continues through Dec. 21. Visit www.livingarts.org for a gallery schedule and more information.
