JUNE WAS BUSTING OUT ALL OVER -- BUT NOBODY GOT HURT...AAAY!

Arigon is back from her road trip and has exciting road stories.

Putting out a new CD is a lot of work! "It was one thing to get the CD recorded, designed and manufactured -- but now it's promotion time!" smiled our Kickapoo Diva, Arigon Starr. She is also doing triple duty as a playwright and actor. Arigon's ten-minute comedy script "Super Indian" was part of the annual National Audio Theater Festival. [Pictured above are L-R: Rose-Yvonne Colletta (writer of "Melba's Medicine"), Arigon, DJ Jade Ganadonegro, videographer Patty Gomez and in front Rhiana Yazzie (writer of "The Best Place To Grow Pumpkins") at the NATF Conference in West Plains, Missouri.]

Arigon and Geronimo The National Audio Theater was but one stop on Arigon's action-packed radio tour. Arigon drove from Los Angeles to West Plains -- and all the way to Newport, Kentucky, Nashville, Tennesee and back. "On the first day, I visited my friends at KTNN 660 AM (Jay Allen, Ray Tsosie, L.A. Williams) in Window Rock, Arizona and then swung way north to beautiful Dulce, New Mexico to visit KCIE-FM (hooray for Romaine Wood!) in Jicarilla Apache country," said Arigon. She also visited with the fabulous Susan Braine in Albuquerque. "Susan shared a really cool audiobook with me about a girl's basketball team in the early 1900's -- awesome," said Arigon. "Audiobooks rock on a long drive!"

Arigon's next stop was Lawton, Oklahoma to visit with her friends Travis, Michelle and Ashley Bennett. "Travis is a 20-year Army veteran and treated me to a visit to Fort Sill, where legendary Apache leader Geronimo is buried," said Arigon. Arigon, Travis and Ashley also visited the spectacular Medicine Bluff, which is also on base at Fort Sill. "That place has some real power," she marveled. [That's Arigon in the well-kept graveyard at Fort Sill.]

Terry Wilson, Sue Alford, Janene Alford Arigon then drove on to Tulsa, Oklahoma. She arranged an acoustic concert at the Nightingale Theater, with the help of Thunder Road Theater's Julie Little Thunder and Jana Roads. "Amber and Jeff Whitlach at the Nightingale really worked hard to promote the show and I was amazed at all the family, friends and local folks who came out to the theater," smiled Arigon. [That's Arigon's cousin Terry Wilson, Aunt Susie Alford and Janene Alford at the Absentee Shawnee Pow-Wow.]

Karen Shade of the Tulsa World wrote a nice feature on Arigon for the paper which added to the excitement of a Diva Show in T-Town! Even Arigon's Aunt Olelah Morris and cousin David drove in from Lawrence, Kansas! "It was so great to be back home with my kin. There is nothing like sitting around a table at the Village Inn or I-Hop laughing with my Cousins and Aunties," she grinned. "Good thing they put us off in our own room! Our laughter could probably be heard all the way to Oklahoma City!" The morning after the successful Tulsa show, Arigon did a live interview with Dr. Hugh Foley on his Native American music show on KUSH-AM in Cushing, Oklahoma. Dr. Foley is also on staff at Rogers State University in Claremore. "It was fun to talk on the air with him. I'm always pleasantly surprise when folks know my music!" And now a short break for the much-discussed....

FRYBREAD PHOTO ESSAY!

	CREEK NATIONAL FESTIVAL -- OKMULGEE, OK -- SAMPLE NUMBER ONE This delectible sample is your basic Creek frybread. "There were buttermilk top notes, with a a slightly smoky aftertaste. Plain Creek frybread at it's best." -- Junior Frybread, Starrwatcher Online Food Critic
	CREEK NATIONAL FESTIVAL -- OKMULGEE, OK -- SAMPLE NUMBER TWO A Full On Indian Taco. A bargain at the cost of $5.00. Photographed but not sampled. The big, burly man who bought it nicely allowed this photo to be taken.
	IOWA POW-WOW -- PERKINS, OK From an Iowa Tribe camp table overflowing with traditional goodness. "Not as tangy as the Creek frybread and more manageable in size. Even though these doughballs of goodness had been fried earlier in the day, they still retained a crisp outer and soft, squishy inner. Delightful!" -- Junior Frybread, Starrwatcher Online Food Critic
	IOWA POW-WOW -- PERKINS, OK "When Bad Things Happen To Good Frybread" -- on the next episode of The Etta Walters Show on KTOK-AM. Listen as callers reveal their frybread obsessions and the passion that erupts over a frybread done wrong. You will never look at a piece of run-over, squashed frybread the same again!
	ABSENTEE SHAWNEE POW-WOW -- SHAWNEE, OK "Some the hottest, greasiest frybread on the planet. If you haven't already made plans to attend next year's Absentee Shawnee Pow-Wow to sample this amazing bread, you must not be Indian. AAAY!" -- Junior Frybread, Starrwatcher Online Food Critic
Photos Courtesy of Junior Frybread ©2006
Photos Courtesy of Junior Frybread ©2006

Now, back to our regularly scheduled program!

West Plains Civic Center Theater Arigon's next adventure took place at the annual National Audio Theater Festival. The Festival has been ongoing, but this is the first time that a significant number of Native American actors, writers and production staff have been involved. Thanks to the efforts of John Gregg, Jean Bruce Scott, Shirley Sneve and Randy Reinholz, Native folks from all over the United States were encouraged to attend the conference. The annual conference took place at the West Plains Convention Center for an entire week -- which included a keynote speech from National Public Radio personality/reporter Frank Stasio, workshops on everything from voice-overs to field recording, and the excitement of casting, rehearsing and performing radio plays. [That's the theater in West Plains as the show was being set on June 23rd.]

As you know, Arigon submitted her comedy script "Super Indian," which had a healthy cast of eleven actors! "It was a real challenge to find the right actors -- and then we had to fight for them," laughed Arigon. The other radio plays were competing with each other for talent -- and luckily nobody got hurt in the process. We'll have some more fun with "Super Indian" in the near future. Arigon has been drawing the characters - and she recorded a theme song for the piece which we will have exclusively here on Starrwatcher Online!

Arigon with Marssie Mencotti "Super Indian" had a super cast -- which included Rose-Yvonne Colletta, Jade Ganadonegro, Kalani Queypo, Robert Vestal, Randy Reinholz, Richard Fish, Angel McFarland Sobotta, Brian Wescott, Bruce Crespin, Will Robbins and Arigon. "There was so much to love about this group. Some of these folks had never "acted" before and it was fun to see them loosen up and be themselves," said Arigon. Carolyn Dunn directed the piece and the fabulous Marssie Mencotti. "I felt so lucky to have Marssie in my corner during the entire process. She really helped keep the project on course and put together some outstanding sound effects," Arigon recalled. Another person who greatly helped was radio producer/guru Dirk Maggs. As many of you know, Dirk is a world-famous radio producer for the BBC and has worked with everyone from George Lucas to Brian May! "I'm so glad that Dirk found time to touch the 'Super Indian' production with his greatness!" smiled Arigon.

BACK TO THE TOP