Eric Steele

The Verdigris: In Search of Will Rogers

A songwriter from Oklahoma, Beau Jennings spent the last few years writing songs about his boyhood hero and 'Oklahoma's favorite son' Will Rogers, the legendary Cherokee-Indian cowboy, vaudeville performer, newspaper columnist and movie star. As songs accumulated, Beau realized the need to further explore the source of his inspiration, and a plan was hatched to travel the U.S. retracing Will Rogers' footsteps, performing songs about Will at locations where significant events in his life took place. Beau decided that the performances should be filmed for the creation of a feature-length documentary film and accompanying album with the working title The Verdigris - a reference to the river that runs through Will's hometown of Oologah, OK and through Beau's hometown of Inola, OK.

Pit Stop

Openly gay Ernesto and closeted Gabe grapple with the sad tribulations of being gay in a small, working-class Texas town

Topeka

A young businessman from New York (Layne Edelman) visits a diner in Topeka while on a business trip through the Midwest. Layne quickly notices something 'unusual' about this diner as he eavesdrops on the townsfolk conversations. When he returns to his table to find his belongings stolen, Layne's 'small town experience' spins mercilessly out of control.