The Red Road - Arigon Starr

Arigon Starr stars as the population of Sapulpa, Okla., in
her one-woman musical show ‘The Red Road,’ at the Autry
National Center.
The Red Road
(Wells Fargo Theater at the
Autry National Center; 250 seats; $20 top)
A Native Voices at the Autry presentation of a musical play in one act, written and performed by Arigon Starr.
Directed by Randy Reinholz. Sets, Craig Dettman; lighting,
Leigh Allen; costumes, Christina Wright. Opened March 30,
2006; reviewed April 2. Runs through April 30. Running
time: 1 HOUR, 15 MIN.
Population of Sapulpa, Okla..............................Arigon Starr
By JULIO MARTINEZ
N
ative American singer-songwriter Arigon Starr
channels all the denizens of the All Nations Cafe in
Sapulpa, Okla., in this witty, insightful dissection of
Native American activism, racial stereotyping, tribal
infighting and small-town politics. Helmer Randy
Reinholzʼs active staging occasionally rushes the action, but Starr displays a facile ability to flow
from character to character, assisted by Christina
Wrightʼs minimal costume accents. Also enhancing her
perf are Craig Dettmanʼs colorful cafe setting and the
mood-enhancing lights of Leigh Allen.
Accompanying herself nicely on acoustic guitar, Starr
wends her way through 18 character-driven tunes that incorporate an eclectic range of styles as she relates the doings at
the cafe during a visit from country music star Patty Jones.
As Jones prepares to broadcast a live TV special from this
old Route 66 truck stop, a colorful menagerie of locals and
visitors endeavor to promote their own agendas.
With minimum exposition, Starr exposes the yearnings
and hang-ups of such townsfolk as put-upon cafe owner
Verna; her chronically depressed 13-year-old niece, Loretta;
Vernaʼs good-looking brother, Merle Jr.; staunchly loyal fry
cook Emmitt and his precocious 9-year-old, Beatles-loving
son Desmond; outrageous local Creek Indian DJ Clyde; and
the insufferably Iʼm-more-Indian-than-thou activist team of
siblings Richard and Bonnie Doolittle. Added to the mix is
oddball English rocker Danny Dacron, whoʼs passionately
inspired by all things American Indian while still wary of
stray tomahawks.
Starr takes a jaundiced view of many aspects of modern
Native American activism and how her people are viewed by
the outside world. She pointedly takes on the pecking order
of tribal politics as Bonnie asserts that Native American status should be rated by geography, claiming Minnesota-based
tribes are the only remaining “real Indians.”
Another hilarious segment focuses on Dannyʼs myopic
musings on the transcendent status of Indians as icons of the
Old West.
Starrʼs songs underscore this tunerʼs thematic throughline. They include punk rocker Dannyʼs over-the-top “Indian
Eyes”; Emmittʼs homage to the diner, “The Menu Song”;
Richardʼs attention-seeking, Elvis Presleyish “Baby, Youʼre
the Best”; and country singer Jonesʼ penchant for trucker life
(“A Truckerʼs Bride,” “A Truckerʼs Widow”).
The hard-driving, rap-tinged “Choctaw Blues” and Western swinger “Sapulpa Boogie” also are musical highlights.
Starrʼs guitar work offers more than adequate accompaniment, incorporating some dazzling solo licks that serve to set
up and highlight her vocals. But an accomplished onstage
backup band would do much to free this power-lunged performer and give “The Red Road” a much-deserved chance to
move on to a larger venue.