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ALERT

Weather Alert

...AIR QUALITY ALERT IN EFFECT FROM 10 AM TO 10 PM CDT FRIDAY...

The following statement was issued by the Oklahoma Department of
Environmental Quality.

An Air Quality Alert for Ozone has been issued for Friday, August 28
for the Oklahoma City Metropolitan area due to expected high
concentrations of ozone.

Public Health Recommendations: Persons with existing heart or
respiratory ailments should reduce physical exertion and outdoor
activity.

The general public is encouraged to help alleviate the problem by
reducing vehicle miles traveled by riding the bus, carpooling, or
avoiding unnecessary trips. The public is also asked to avoid
refueling during the morning and early afternoon hours, and to avoid
the use of two cycle engines such as lawn mowers, motorcycles, weed
trimmers, and outboard engines. It is also advised to limit outdoor
burning.

To view the latest air quality map, visit airnow.gov or the AirNow
app.

For hourly updates on concentrations and possible health warnings,
telephone the Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality at
405-702-4100. For more information on health effects, call the
American Lung Association of Oklahoma at 405-748-4674

Q&A with student-director of 'The Drowning Girls,' OU Student Theatre Initiative production

Drowning Girls

"The Drowning Girls," presented by Student Theatre Initiative and directed by sophomore Grayson Merchant, will run Feb. 2 and 3.

 Provided by Grayson Merchant

The idea of the theater is organically complex — hours of rehearsal, striking sets and large ensembles typically make up a show. With the ideals that naturally surround the theater, not many people will envision an entire production composed of just three stage props and three actors. “The Drowning Girls,” a show by OU Student Theatre Initiative, is just that.

Grayson Merchant, scenic design sophomore and director of the show, answered a few questions about his production and the statement he hopes to make.

Q: Can you tell me a little bit about the story?

A: I don’t think it’s a traditional show in any way. "The Drowning Girls" is a story about three women, all considered old maids. The same man comes into each of their lives and marries them. He ends up killing them and taking their money. "The Drowning Girls" isn’t necessarily the story of that, but rather the girls processing and filling out what happened and how it happened.

Q: What do you enjoy most about this story?

A: I’m drawn to work that’s minimalistic and simple. The story, at the end of the day, is basically about suppression and society’s standards for women or minorities. Right now, we’re so lucky to be in a time where that stuff is coming to light and we’re growing as a society, but it also reminds us that we haven’t grown enough.

Q: Why is this an important story for you to tell?

A: Once it’s done, this story kind of preaches a political activism as well, and I really appreciate that.

Q: The stage setup is very simple, intimate almost. How do you think this helps better convey or illustrate the message of the play?

A: I think storytelling can flourish within an intimate space and in a simple setting. The story calls for three bathtubs, and we have three bathtubs, but I don’t think you would need those bathtubs. I think you could do this with three chairs and the message would still stay intact because these characters are so three-dimensional.

***

“The Drowning Girls,” while unconventional in the world of traditional theater, is in the hands of a director determined to make a statement using the intimacy of the story and the relevance of its message.

The show runs at 10:30 p.m. Feb. 2 and 3 in the studio theater of Beatrice Carr Wallace Old Science Hall. Tickets are $5 at the door and can be paid either by check or in cash.