Things to Do in Choctaw

For either $15 or $20, today's side deal scores you a general-admission ticket to see an opening-week performance of the Lyric Theatre's Driving Miss Daisy at the Lyric at the Plaza (a $30 or $40 value, depending on the night).

At Teaze Dance & Fitness, instructors draw from history to inform many of their classes—that's why you might see students channeling Bettie Page's famed burlesque twirls, or rehearsing disco moves on roller skates. During photo shoots, subjects drape themselves in feather boas and unfurl fans on antiquated furniture, emulating vintage pinups without enduring an old-timey cameraman's requests to smile and say "transcontinental railroad." Even the studio's performing troupe, the Oklahoma Showgirls, traverses time with their cancan, cabaret, and mod go-go routines. Just as they span the century with their titillating teachings, they welcome visitors of all ages and builds to participate, allaying anxiety with the fact that most of their students are beginners.

However, the staff embraces modern rhythms as well. They welcome guests to access their sultry side on 14 studio poles, where seven levels of pole-dance classes reveal techniques from basic spins to competition choreography. Their private parties entertain groups with empowering lessons on pole-, chair-, and lap-dances, and fitness options cover Pilates and barre workouts.

For 10 years, this critically acclaimed film festival, the largest in Oklahoma City, has attracted filmmakers from around the world to showcase eclectic creations of independent-film arts. The name "deadCENTER" refers to Oklahoma City's geographic location in the center of the United States, along with the festival's central setting within OKC. There are seven locations that will be showing the fest’s documentaries, animated shorts, narrative features, kids shorts, midnight movies, comedy shorts, and Oklahoma-centric work. Hold tight to BMX legend Mat Hoffman’s handlebars for a wild ride in The Birth of Big Air (June 9 at 9:30 p.m., June 11 at 5:30 p.m.) or get an insider’s look into the meticulous process of movie reviewing in For the Love of Movies: The Story of American Film Criticism (June 12 at 2:00 p.m.). DeadCENTER will also be showing the silent-film epic Metropolis (June 11 at 5:30 p.m.) in its recently discovered and restored version. Click here for a full list of all of the films in the festival and be sure to check the schedule to find out when they’re showing.

While chatting on the phone with a friend, Katrina Uhls had a startling realization: her kids had been playing video games for hours. She discovered that by effectively “unplugging” her kids, she could steer them toward more creative, introspective pastimes.

Now, as the owner of Unpluggits Playstudio, she fosters a safe, welcoming space where all kids can "unplug" and explore their artistic sides. Kids will find shelves stocked with play-doh, stamps, stencils, and other craft supplies. They can don smocks and wield nontoxic paints at miniature easels. Paint’n take projects give them personalized crafts to take home, such as picture frames and piggy banks useful for saving up to buy new toys or a gold-plated piggy bank. For more active playtime pursuits, kids can gambol toward the indoor playground, which features slides, a pirate ship, and air-hockey tables.

As kids explore the 3,000-square-foot studio, parents are welcome to cruise free WiFi or monitor tykes from the snack bar, which serves freshly ground organic coffee, juices, and soda. Special workshops open the space for toddler-specific activities, adults-only craft time, and parents' nights out.

At RedPin Restaurant & Bowling Lounge, servers carry nacho orders over to lanes. Yet, these aren’t your typical pile of stale tortilla chips slathered in lukewarm cheese or Cheeez™—the squeezable pouch of dairy that kidz crave—these are pulled-beef nachos, homemade chips covered in ranch-raised chuck that's been slow roasted for hours. These kinds of delicious upgrades typify the venue's upscale bowling experience. The staff waits on players from the moment they're seated at 1 of 10 alleys, delivering their shoes and typing their names into the scoring system. As guests wait their turn, they can switch segments of a 60-foot video wall to broadcast their favorite shows or explore the three lounges spread throughout the game area.

Posh geometric furniture dots the entire space, from circular ottomans to the luminous, spherical pendants of the chandeliers. Embedded fragments of recycled red glass turn the bar top into a mosaic stage for martinis and pins trying to pass as oversize beer bottles. With its scenic views of the Bricktown Canal, a private room, and event dining plans, RedPin also hosts memorable special events for groups of varying sizes.

All meals arrive from the The Basement Modern Diner. Its menu highlights made-from-scratch, modernized renditions of bowling-alley cuisine: panko-parmesan breading surrounds the onion rings, and handmade burgers lead to desserts of whoopie pies and spiked milkshakes.

After building a successful inflatable-delivery business, the family that owns and operates Dawn to Dusk Inflatables decided to open two locations where their air-filled attractions remained permanently fixed to the ground—Bouncin Craze and Bouncin Craze II. There, kids experience the thrill of the bounce on boat-, slide-, and superhero-shaped inflatables that staffers regularly sanitize to prevent the spread of germs. While kids challenge gravity and explore the game room, parents access free WiFi and nosh on items from the snack bar, or brush up on their air hockey at the complimentary tables.

Families celebrate birthdays or their toddler’s first successful juggling routine within the centers' private party rooms, which can be decorated with balloons that are conveniently available in-house. The Oklahoma City location's Art in Craze also allows families to create masterpieces together using nontoxic paint, stamps, and play-doh.