4th of July. Red Fireworks. Red

Hello, everyone -

It's been a while since I updated the GreyZelda blog and for that I sincerely apologize. I've written over at myspace, which is a psychotic mistress. You can see some of my goings on at www.myspace.com/mulchcrow .

The Scarlet Letter

Rehearsal has been going extremely well. Sometimes I feel nervous when it's moving along like this. We've gotten about half of it blocked and will carry the tourch on to the final staged scene in the next week or so. Ben of Miranda Sex Garden has given us permission to use some of their music in the show, which is awesome. I've been waiting to hear what Robert may have come up with, but, unfortunately, he's moving in the next couple of days, so . . . Miranda Sex Garden has been providing an aural backdrop of gothic splendour.

Our actors have been phenomenal. They only need a little bit of direction and just start running with it. This production is very movement oriented and with simply reading aloud out of Hawthorne's text, extracting abstract themes and images, and combining a safe, ensemble atmosphere where all is permitted to be tried at least once, we've really come up with gorgeous compositions which will only get bigger and better as rehearsal moves forward.

Our production team has been a huge treat this time around, as well. Stacie Barra and Melissa Kuhlmann have been working very closely with me during rehearsals and we've had awesome collaborations of the mind. We all seem to be speaking the same language. This has been a female-led undertaking all the way around and it's just been a joy every night. I may be tired when I get home from work, but once we start rehearsal, the energy comes right back.

Thank you, everyone, for making this process a lovely one.

Don Hall

Don has a blog at www.donhall.blogspot.com . He rants, discources, discusses, and tells it as he deems fit on it almost daily. He recently resigned as Executive Director of WNEP and we wish him the best of luck. We're not "friends", per se, for we've only talked once or twice in the last couple of years, but I admire what he stands for, what he's done with his theatre company, and how he goes about acheiving his goals while doing what he wants to do. I hope I never resign from GreyZelda, being a founding member. 'Twould make me heartsick. But, if it's in GreyZelda's best interests that I ever do such a thing, well . . . decisions have to be made. A person's heart has to be in it, though. That's the only thing that keeps most of us trucking in this town and in this art form. If that starts to fade, then it's hard going. It's fucking hard, yeah. But, that pony is always there to ride. And it's good to know that there are helping hands if you fall.

Anyway.

I hope you all have a wonderful Holiday weekend. Go see fireworks. Eat corn on the cob. Drink pink lemonade.

Freedom.

Crow