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

Let the Hester games begin

The Scarlet Letter had its first rehearsal last night and, although we were missing three out of four ensemble members, the reading was much fun over all, aside from the monkeys and the Black Man. The former is a Kuzava gem. The latter is all Hawthorne.

I'm very tired today, my friends. The energy that buoys me is purely from that creative spirit that takes a hold so well. I don't know what it is, but I feel like I could delve into the soma pool for a couple of weeks and sleeeeep, sleeeeeeep with the poppies. I've a touch of the sleeping sickness. And some tummy trouble. I called off work yesterday to tend to it. It's still hanging out today along with this intense weariness I speak of.

Back to flowers: This lovely rose will be featured on the Scarlet posters, so keep your eyes open for technicolor thorniness coming to you soon, thanks to the ever fantastic Sarah Stec. Whenever she presents ideas to us, she gives us a few choices to pick from. And each choice has its distinct merit. She and the Mulchman both liked the same design, but I can't turn my eyes away from this Rose. I want to pick it and put it in my hair.

Doing a show right after the closing of our last one will be an intense challenge. We have helpers, oh yes, and they're wonderful, but a lot of the work is done by me and that Mulchman I mention now and again. So, jumping right up on that saddle again and riding away into the GreyZelda sunset will require much focus. Everything seems pretty organized. We're calling more meetings this time around and getting everyone on the same road. This one's going to be more technical than some of our other offerings, so we're having a design meeting Thursday night to discuss music, costumes, set, shadows, cloth, etc. We're also having a fundraising meeting on Sunday afternoon to get our summer fundraising plan going. So . . . busy, busy, busy. Father's Day is this Sunday. We mustn't forget.

And speaking of days not to forget: Happy Birthday, Darlene!!!! (Darlene is Chris's mommos. He sent flowers to her today and she'll be receiving her present soon.)

That's about it. I hope you all are well. If you want to offer your assistance to GreyZelda in anyway, shape, or form, please let us know. Feel free to ask what you can do to help if you're drawing a blank. We have lots of things. And we love our feeling of ensemble behind and in front of the curtain and are always looking for those people who just love doing it and being a part of it.

Beak, beak, beak,

Crow

Metromix audience Reviews of Desire

Last night's tonight! We'll have a great show! MK's feeling better! We'll go out afterwards for anyone who wants to join us.

Thanks for your support, everyone!

From www.metromix.com:

Most Recent Reviews:
May 22, 2006
Lois Foster Hillsdale, MI

This is a great story that is well presented. You will have an enjoyable evening. You will also hear the message and it will give you something to think about in the following days. Go see the show!

May 22, 2006
Derek
Chicago, IL

This is an excellent production that really strips away all excesses, leaving a very strong cast of characters and raw, unfiltered emotions. With the very intimate space used by the production, you can't help but be a part of everything that is going on.

May 21, 2006
Dora Chicago, IL

Definately a fine way to end your evening with a captivating cast sharing O'Neill's dramatic tale. I've followed Gray Zelda theater company's productions for several years, follwing their hits and misses. I feel that, without a doubt, Desire Under the Elms is their best work to date. The actor who played the father's character is intimidating and real- similar to a distant relative whom you have the misfortune of bumping into at annual family gatherings. Watching his family fall apart, unaware of his own part of the crumbling, the actor of Ephrim was memorable and powerful. As an audience member, being in the dark with this character is at times frightening and exhilirating. By all means, see this theater company's version of Desire Under the Elms. I feel that you'll get chills (like I did) as the play ends.

May 21, 2006
Sarah Chicago, IL

Greyzelda does it again! Desire Under the Elms is a collaboration of genuine talent—from the minimalist stage that truly captures the environment to the amazing actors that carry you through each emotional chapter. Come see what these creative minds assemble on limited budget with limitless talent and vision!

May 21, 2006
Tiffany Chicago, IL

A wonderfully rooted ensemble, coupled with clever staging and imaginative use of a small space. It's Chicago storefront at it's best.

May 14, 2006
John Marrick, IL
Waste of three hours. Melodramatic, overplayed. I should have left after the first intermission. Not reccomended.

Desire Nears Its Closing Hours

We sold out Wednesday and are sold out tonight and tomorrow. We could have been sold out last night, but dear Melissa Kuhlmann was sick and we had to cancel the show. We have a few 100% certainties with GreyZelda and Melissa is one of them. So . . . if MK can get so sick that we have to cancel the show, then it's just a friendly remember from Dame Fortune as to how frequently that wheel of life spins. We just have to hold on and enjoy the ride the best we know how.

We've loved producing this show. There have been some elements that have made it trying. More on that later. I keep saying that, but, there's a time and a place. If you must know all now, you can shoot us an email and we'll talk about this and that.

One thing I know is this: The Chicago Reader brought in our audiences. We polled our folks as they purchased their tickets, asking where they heard about the show. 99.9% have heard about it from the Reader. So. To those who sometimes bitch about the Reader, just know . . . that's where you're getting your audiences from, if our audiences are an example of the Chicago people's choices of publications and news of what theatre to see.

I love the Reader. Good reviews, bad reviews, I'm just happy that they've been the one consistent paper that has reviewed every single one of our shows from the beginning. We only had one reviewer for One Flea Spare. Mary Shen Barnidge. And it was such a pleasure having her there during our first show. It was great speaking Kafka with Jack Helbig after Metamorphosis. Jenn Vanasco was sick the first time she saw Thimbleberry and had to leave at the intermission. I quipped, "It's that bad, huh?", but she was as sick as dear MK. She came back and gave us a lukewarm review but nice things to say nonetheless. Zac Thompson didn't speak to us at all after Insanity. He didn't like the show, to say the least. From the jist of the review, it appeared that he had a problem with feminism, thus having a problem with the show altogether. And, now, we've come full circle with Mary returning for Desire. Very cool.

What's great about the Reader is their new system with the shows, letting readers know, just through a quick glance, what shows are Critic's Choice, Recommended, Opening, Closing, etc. They also keep a synopsis of the review throughout your show's run, which is nonstop press and updates for people. I really appreciate that. I mean, think about it - unless it's online, people who are picking up the Tribune and the Suntimes only have that issue for a day and then chuck it. That's it. Good review or bad. Please inform me if I'm wrong. Timeout is awesome and a classy magazine, but you have to pay for it. The Reader's free and is hefty enough to last for a week.

I love the Reader.

Have you ever checked out www.theatreinchicago.com? That's pretty cool, too, with their review roundups. It's very comprehensive and easy to navigate through, giving you the quick scoop on what show's to see or not see.

You know who needs to see a GreyZelda show? Chris Jones and Hedy Weiss. They seem tired of the H groups. They need to see fresh blood and what they've been unhappy with in their recent reviews of select current shows is something GreyZelda can fix. Or try to. Opinion is opinion, whether you're happy with a review or not. Speaking of - I don't think I ever included Kerry Reid's review here. I'm going to go over it with my Crow fork. I'm glad she came representing the Tribune, though, because to add fuel to my Reader fire - she also writes and works for the Reader.

Here it is:

Eugene O'Neill's 1924 New England tragedy "Desire Under the Elms," based on the Hippolytus and Phaedra (people keep throwing that around. We never released that with the press release. It's a time honored tale, yes, but it's our understanding that O'Neill wrote it because he dreamed it in its entirety one night. Maybe he was inspired by Phaedra tales. I don't know. I'm not as researched as some, I admit, and Phaedra's a hell of a heroine, but . . . it seems to quickly categorize the story into a Greek rip-off. Some people just want to sound very informed. . . ) story of a lustful woman and the stepson she ensnares, is tough going (Not really. Thanks for your concern, Kerry, but our actors really don't have a problem with that. We liked the womby feel of the whole thing. And I think our actors have been awesome with their use of the space. And the C-man has been awesome with his manipulation of the blocking. So, we don't find it tough. It's meaty, but not tough. Heh heh. ) in a small room. The titular (mmm, titular) elms in GreyZelda Theatre Group's production, directed by Chris Riter, are reduced to shadowy projections (it would have really been tough going if we had two draping elms - oh my gosh!!! Then there would have been no room, no sirree, bob jr. GreyZelda never likes to be blatantly obvious anyway. And when you're in a house, you don't see the elms directly. You see shadows in the room, so . . . that's what we simulated. She's a little pickyand not accounting for the fact of innovation-on-a-dime.) The over-the-top and across-the-board accents fall under the generic heading of Rural Bumpkin 101 (Doesn't this seem, once again, like she's attacking West Virginia? She can do no better than that sentence? We kind of wonder if people have read O'Neill's script and know that he wrote the dialect directly in there - h'aint is in there, whether or not you think it's a word or not . . . I admit that some of the accents aren't exactly on the nose, but the choice was made to not have that be the biggest concern. The C-Man wanted to tell the story and that technicality wasn't as important as some other things. Not that it's not important. Just a choice, and I think that the actors really pull the show off and do an admirable job with the dialect and what O'Neill wrote in the first place.) --while the central tragic romance, between Eben and his young stepmother Abbie, doesn't ignite with the all-consuming passion it requires. (Others have disagreed on that point as well. We disagree. Did you know Tom and Melissa are together? We think they achieved greater intimacy and hot and heavy passion than most actors can get to. Whatevah.) But at intermittent points, the actors find the wounded dignity that girds O'Neill's potboiler of a story, thanks mostly to Melissa Kuhlmann's quietly mesmerizing Abbie and to Aris Tompulis' ability to imbue Ephraim--her flinty old coot of a husband--with the wounded solitary pride that is the undoing of his troubled clan. (She liked Aris, which is awesome! We told you he rocks!!!! So, he got a shout out in the Tribune. Kick ass.)

So, you see, it's one of those lukewarm ones again. So it goes. I do think that for small theatre, the Reader is the one that prevails with helping to get folks in the seats. It didn't seem to matter one way or another that the Tribune came to the show. It was cool to finally get acknowledged by them and I hope our relationship can continue, but the Reader won this particular round.

We'll see what happens with Scarlet Letter.

Crow

The Scarlet Letter needs one more actor!

And this is a hell of a part . . . they all are.

The male ensemble member will be changing characters 3-4 times (and all the characters are very juicy - it is, after all, Hawthorne's text) and will constantly be moving with his fellow ensemble members to represent rose bushes, water, etc. He'll be creating shadows behind one of the four white curtains hanging.

It should be really exciting.

And he'll be acting with this assembled confirmed cast of actors: Ron Kuzava, Toby Minor, Elizabeth Styles, Meredith Lyons, Lisa Baer, and Derek Jarvis. - Awesome actors, yo!

And we'll be performing at StageLeft. Music composed by Robert Filippo. Set design by Kim Katona and Heath Hays. Graphics: Sarah Stec. Assistant Directed by Stace Barra. Movement assistance by Melissa Kuhlmann. General support for sanity by Chris Riter. Directed by me, BZ!

So . . . spread the word, my friends, that we're on the hunt for a man. Not just any man. A movement oriented, ensemble joining man who loves experimentation and exploration - (I should put an ad out in the Reader! Heh heh)
And he should be comfortable with an english accent and classical text.

Rehearsals will begin on June 5th. I'd like to not have to hold a general audition in such a short time but I'd like to read the person first, if I don't know him.

Thank you so much for your help!!!!!!! This should be an incredible process and experience.

Rebecca

Review from Stead Style Chicago

Melissa Kuhlmann electrifies . . . Even in an unseasonably chilly May, Kuhlmann makes us feel the steam and perspiration of a stifling hot summer, and just as her character Abbie stakes her ground on the Cabot family farm, so does this superb actress make O'Neill's saga of forbidden desire her own.

O'Neill borrowed the Oedipal legend from the Ancient Greeks, while keeping his play firmly rooted in early 20th Century rural Americana. Crotchety old patriarch Ephraim Cabot has just taken his third wife, a young woman named Abbie, who is anxious to take over the family farm and make a new home and life for herself. She will have quite a fight on her hands, though, with Ephraim's youngest son, Eben, who believes the property belonged to his late mother and that he is its rightful beneficiary.

To stake his claim, Eben pays off his elder half brothers Peter and Simeon, who plan to strike it rich in the California Gold Rush. And while Abbie and Eben grapple over ownership rights to the family homestead, the inevitable sparks begin to fly and the tragic wheels of lust and fate begin to turn. And what of old Ephraim? Will he just roll over for the young 'uns without a good fight? Don't bet on it.

While the play is ostensibly set in O'Neill's New England, Director Chris Riter's staging seems rooted in West Virginia. Tom Gordon's earnest and folksy manner is credible . . . But it is Kuhlmann who walks away with the acting honors in an earthy, ripe and sensuous performance that is fully committed and riveting. There are moments in this small black box staging that are stirring and powerful . . .Kuhlmann's work is unforgettable.

"Desire Under the Elms" continues through June 3, 2006 at Oracle Theatre, 3809 N. Broadway in Chicago. The play runs 2 hours 10 minutes with intermission. Performances are Wednesday through Saturday at 8:00 p.m. Tickets are $20 and may be reserved by calling (773) 267-6293 or visit www.greyzelda.com.

Reader Review - Highly Recommended

DESIRE UNDER THE ELMS
A domineering father, his calculating young bride, a resentful son, and a valuable estate create a situation ripe for uncontrolled greed and passion in Eugene O'Neill's 1924 shocker. Today the story risks coming off as hackneyed to audiences inured to steamy domestic intrigues. But under Chris Riter's perceptive direction, the GreyZelda Theatre Group uses its intimate storefront space to advantage, establishing the intensity of the characters' relationships. In a production running a tidy two hours with not a second wasted, Tom Gordon and Melissa J. Kuhlmann are suitably eros obsessed as the young lovers. But what rivets our attention is Aris Tompulis's bearish performance as the uncompromising patriarch. --Mary Shen Barnidge

And you know what people? After you see our show, go see Invasion of the Minnesota Normals. You might want to see a Graney wonder, a House rapteazler, but . . . there are other games in town, too.

Timeout Chicago's Review of Desire!

Review

Desire Under the Elms

By Eugene O’Neill. Dir. Chris Riter. With Tom Gordon, Melissa Kuhlmann, Aris Tompoulis. GreyZelda Theatre Group at Oracle Theatre.

NIGHTMARE ON ELMS STREET Kuhlmann and Gordon get to the dark heart of O’Neill.

Who knew that O’Neill’s rarely produced tragedy—written in 1924, set in 1850, and drawing on classics like Phèdre and Hippolytus (with a healthy dose of Freud’s version of Oedipus Rex)—could feel so contemporary? GreyZelda’s minimalist storefront treatment draws a direct line from O’Neill to more modern works like Shepard’s Buried Child and Romulus Linney’s dark Appalachian plays. O’Neill’s influence on said latter playwrights is clear in Riter’s bare-bones and basement-budget staging of the love affair between Eben (Gordon) and Abbie (Kuhlmann), doomed not least because Abbie’s the new wife of Eben’s hard-hearted religious tyrant father, Ephraim (Tompoulis), who’s built walls between himself and his son as impermeable as the stone walls surrounding his farm.

The leads in this romantic tragedy are both terrific, especially Kuhlmann, who can be simultaneously coldly determined and confused with passion. She maintains this multiplicity of emotion until Abbie’s climactic breakdown, when she goes blank and weary, as though she’s run out of feelings. The character of Ephraim feels more kinship with his stony land, his livestock, and his idea of God than with his human family, but Riter allows Tompoulis too much free rein; he makes Ephraim a cartoonish, sneering ape, and sinks so deep into O’Neill’s cotton-mouthed dialect as to be unintelligible. Still, Riter’s physical, fast-paced staging makes things fresh, and scenic designer Heath Hays gets extra credit for evoking the vastly oppressive New England farmland without the benefit of stones, walls or indeed those onerous elms.—Kris Vire

Desire in its Second Week!

Hi, everybody - We're coming upon the second week of Desire Under the Elms and we can't wait to see you in the audience. Our first week went very well - our audiences were decent and our actors and crew were dead on with their performances. I've said it before and I'll say it again - it's a beautiful show. O'Neill's story, the ensemble's acting, Heath's lighting and set, Robert's music . . . all of these aspects have combined to make something compelling and fascinating. To quote our friend, Lisa, it's "sickening . . . but in a good way. It'll stay with you for a couple of days." So, if that's the mark of a great show . . . come see Desire! (The GreyZelda crew has always been known for their morbidity. If we've been sickened, by god, our job has been done.) Or if "sickening" ain't your thang, gods forbid, there's a lot of luvvin', and kissin' and likker drinkin'. Fightin', funnin', and lolligaggin'. We feel it rocks, basically.

Word of mouth is key for any theatre company's success, so if you've seen the show and liked what you saw, tell everyone! If you've seen one of our shows in the past and were pleased you did, tell everyone! There are places online to do so as well - metromix, myspace, centerstage, etc. Let them know that you're GreyZelda fans! That's how the House does it . . . they've got tons of word of mouth power. . . and G comes before H, yo! I know that our GreyZelda Group can get the word out!!!!! Forward and paste this email anywhere you deem fit!!!! Talk about GreyZelda at work! Talk about the Group on the train! On your cell phone while you're on the train!!!! To your parents! To your grandparents! To anyone who watches crows as they fly by!

So, please call 773-267-6293 to make your reservations. Seating is very limited, so reservations will confirm that you'll get a seat.See you soon!

Rebecca and Chris
http://www.greyzelda.com/

Happy Birthday, TG!

Today is dear Tommy G's birthday. I'm sure he loves that I'm proclaiming it blog style. I was going to honestly write about how we're into Day 3 of Desire Under the Elms and post this picture along with it, but looking at him in the picture reminded me that May 12th is his birthday. We shall be celebrating tonight after the show whether TG likes it or not.

So, yes, it's Friday of Desire's opening week. It's going really well. Last night we had a small but very appreciative audience. Two of the audience members had seen the show posted on www.eoneill.com and are big fans of O'Neill. You might recall the distinction I wrote about yesterday about there being two types of people in the world? Well, maybe it's true. We do shows for those people. People who are familiar with the text. Who are literary. Who appreciate amazing works of literature. I think GreyZelda is really falling into our own by the fact that the author comes first with us. When we adapt literature to the stage, we stay true to the author's vision and intent through the words. And we do the same with playwright's. Like we always say, "If the writing's good, acting's good, and staging's good, you should be able to perform a play anywhere." And I think we prove that again with Desire. The space might be a storefront, but I truly don't feel that that detracts from the power of the show. It makes it more powerful.

On the subject of "new versus old" . . . we had a conversation with this girl a couple of weeks ago about casting for "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf". She had never seen the original movie with Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton, but felt qualified to say that she thinks Kathleen Turner and Bill Owens are probably better. She also was the type that thinks movie remakes of originals are ok. I disagree on all those fronts. I think that Taylor and Burton were cast perfectly and made Albee's script live like nobody's business. I agree that Turner and Owens are excellent actors, but better than the latter? Absolutely not. And movie remakes are for hacks.

But I am still chuckling about Tom's statement that Desire Under the Elms is one of O'Neill's little known works. Lord. I think Desire is in most college theatre textbooks and is often mentioned first when speaking of O'Neill. Funny, funny, funny to me.

I'll let you in on a secret. We don't like shows that are too frightfully modern and all the rage. For example, Sarah Kane. I appreciate certain elements but if a show opens with a guy cumming into a sock, honestly ... not interested. It's momentary. Flavor of the month stuff. Shock sock theatre. Give me the classics anytime. I want to see the show that withstands the test of time. We have living playwrights that are doing that: Kushner, Wallace, Churchill, etc. We even have groups here in Chicago creating original shows that could withstand 100 years. I think WNEP is a good example. I was extremely impressed with their Soiree Dada. They took an old element and brought it around once more to the masses. I think some loved it, some hated it. But, I love that they took the risk with something that others (Tom) would say should be shut back into the vaults. I think their new show would be great to see, but we're doing this one. We'll see if we can fit it in.

Anyway . . . have an excellent weekend. If you're looking for something to inspire you and make you feel smarter, please come see Desire Under the Elms. You can't go wrong with the classics.

Crow

Thoughts on Tom Williams's Review of Desire - Heh heh heh.

So, we got our first review in for Desire Under the Elms and I just wanted to comment on the various elements put down, as well as the inaccuracies. My notes are in italicized parentheses.

1.Running time is 2 hrs, 45 min with 2 intermissions - (It actually ran 2 hours and 5 minutes last night with both intermissions included. Tom arrived around 7:15, so he must have included his lobby time. The fact that we did O'Neill in such a short amount of time is pretty GD good. So, being that the time check is completely off, please read the rest with that grain of salt.)

Through June 3, 2006

O’Neill work suffers from dramatic overload

Classics like Eugene O’Neill plays are dangerous grounds for storefront theatres. (GreyZelda likes Danger!) Desire Under Elms, O’Neill’s dream inspired 1924 play is seldom produced and plays out as much too dramatic, stilted and over written. (I guess "Bacon's bacon" and "Ayah" is too overwritten?) This isn’t one of O’Neill’s landmark plays. (It isn't????????? Hahahahahahahahahhahaha.)

Gray (Grey) zelda’s production has several problems. First the decision to make the rural farm accents sound like West Virginian hillbilly (Why must people regard West Virginians as hillbillies, I ask you? What isn't remembered is that West Virginia is closer to New England than Chicago is. AND, people have said that the cadence in Appalachian speach is closer to what Shakespeare originally wrote for than most other dialects. And Tom never would have said this if he didn't know that the director prides himself on being from West Virginia. That really has nothing to do with anything. It's like a gay reviewer ripping on the feminism in Mary Girard. Not a needed comment.) instead of the New England accent O’Neill used in the script didn’t work for me. (The actors made a point to follow O'Neill's script exactly as written. There are a couple of moments where things might accidentally get southern because the characters are rural, but . .. they're pretty eastern, in our opinions.) The uneven accents diminished the power of O’Neill’s words. Next, the decision to have Aris Tompoulis play the father as an overwhelming, intimidating wound-too-tight emotionally explosive character gave an almost farcical tone to the work. Tompoulis so over plays Ephraim that he telegraphs his wickedness unrealistically. (That is just crazy. Aris is one of the best actors we've ever had the good fortune to work with. He plays Ephraim as O'Neill intended and fucking rocks!!!!!!!!! We are so lucky to work with this man and feel that everybody should come see the show simply because of him. He's amazing. Everyone else that has seen the show has been blown away by him.) One wonders what Abbie (Melissa Kuhlmann) saw in him besides his farm to get her to marry him? (Abbie does marry him for the farm, number one. Number two . . . ARIS ROCKS!!!!!!!!)

The slow pace (Again - 2 hours and 5 minutes? Not bad.) and labored (They're farmers. They labor.) performances made this relic tedious. I have problems with O’Neill’s script that stretches our suspension of disbelief. I liked Tom Gordon’s take on Eben, the son who struggles with lust and conviction as he attempts to capture the farm away from his hated father. The location, both as to geographic area and era (1850’s ?) was unclear giving a strangeness to the accents. (We wanted it to be anytime, but kept it in New England. It's stated in the program.) The melodramatic style worked against the production. (Doesn't Tom Williams like musicals? He also liked Mary Girard which was WAY more melodramatic than our version of Desire Under the Elms. Plus . . . here's the basic story line: Father brings hot stepmother home. She pretends to be the sons' new mother even though they're her age. She gets into the youngest son right under the old skunk's nose. Things get hot and heavy. She kills to get her way. There's a lot of melodrama.) I guess the real Eugene O’Neill fans will find this work engaging, I didn’t. (We also make a point to cater to literary types. If O'Neill fans like the show, we've done our jobs. I didn't know that there were two types of fans but now I do - those who like O'Neill and those who don't. It's kind of like the Rolling Stones/Beatles controversy. Cool!) It seemed over acted and stiff. (OK, OK, everyone's entitled to their opinions.)

Desire Under the Elms needs to be put back into the archives with other outdated works. (I strongly disagree. Great works should live. And GreyZelda will help them do so. We proudly live in the outdated. We will always make great literature live. Thank you, Eugene O'Neill!!!!!)

Not Recommended (GreyZelda recommends it!!!! As does great literature! If you want to sit at home and watch American Idol, please do so, but if you'd like to give your brain a good, pleasurable workout . . . come see this show!)

Tom Williams ( Tom's a great guy and we love him coming to our show, but I think this particular review is really off. I often don't argue with the reviews and just let them be, but . . . If you've seen the show and would like to discuss your opinions further with this critic - here's his email address:
Tom99@chicagocritic.com for comments

Make your reservations now for Desire Under the Elms!

Hello, everybody -
Our opening night went by without a hitch and we're proud of our actors for being phenomenal.

We encourage you to make reservations earlier in the run than later in the run because the seating is quite limited.

It's a good show! Great script! Great acting! Great directing! It's Eugene O'Neill, motherfuckers. Eugene O'Neill done in 2 hours and 15 minutes. The reviewers in the house last night commented us on that fact. O'Neill shows have a tendency to go on and on . . . not so with our version due to the staging.

So, come one. Come All!!!! Give me a call at 773-267-6293 with your reservations!

Rebecca

Desire Under the Elms opens tomorrow!

It's looking good, everyone. The acting is dead on. The lights and the costumes look terrific. The house appears as if it's going to fall down around the actors, as it should. The lines get my gut everytime I hear them. I mean, how can you go wrong with "Bacon's bacon"? Bacon is bacon and it always will be.

We're close to selling out for tomorrow. It's easy to do with limited seating, but, hey, I'd rather have a full house every night then empty seats. It's a hell of a show. We have a hell of a crew. And Mulch is a hell of a director. And a sexy one , too.

So, make your reservations, friends, family, and neighbors. You won't be disappointed. It's one of those special little packages that you'll remember for a long time, I hope.

And I dance drunk. Say no more. Say no more.

Crow

And I want to send a shout out to Brandon and Cheryle. They taught me many things today and I thank them for being friends that can go up, around, and back again with me. I can't wait to see them at the show.

Desire is almost ready!

Press photos for Desire. Melissa and Tom as Abbie and Eben.



We open May 10th. Coming up fast! Tonight's our last rehearsal at GreyZelda studios before moving into Oracle's space on Sunday morning.

Last night's rehearsal was amazing. The actors got to where they needed to be emotionally and were completely connected to each other. It turned into something absolutely fascinating and compelling. It's such a show that you might start laughing and then crying two seconds later. O'Neill was a powerhouse and we're lucky to be able to play with the show.

We can't wait to see you there. Call 773-267-6293 for reservations.

Crow

Congratulations to Rebekah Ward-Hays!!!!!

Rebekah got her first Jeff nomination for Best Actress. Her role as Sabina in Skin of our Teeth garnered her a nod and she definitely deserves it. She's a fireball of a person and an actor. If you know Mrs. Rebekah, please give her a hearty congratulations and know that she'll probably thank Natasha in her acceptance speech!!! For those of you who don't know Rebekah, you should. And for those of you needing more of an explanation . . .

Rebekah contacted us long ago and far away when we put an audition announcement out for Thimbleberry Gallows. She's a West Virginia girl, you see, and loved knowing that we were from West Virginia. We got to talking. I threw Denise Giardina out there for conversation's sake. She got what I was talking about. Seemed super keen. I wanted her to audition. Alas, she was in a wedding during the performance dates. (This girl has a lot of weddings to attend, let me tell you.)

So, we told her we'd keep in touch and vice versa. Fast forward to a month later. We were in need for a scenic designer. We heard from Mrs. Ward-Hays again and she nominated her husband, Heath, saying that he was an amazingly talented scenic designer and we would be fools not to use him. Well, she didn't say that exactly, but you get my drift. We called Heath up, met him for drinks, he pulled out his laptop and showed us some topnotch designs, and he was in. He created our tree landscape and Thimbleberry and the legend of Fanny Hooe thanks him.

We've become great friends with this power duo and I wish the best in everything for them. Great Happiness. Great Love. Great Success.

We're so excited for you, Rebekah!!!!! A little validation and acknowledgement for jobs well done go a million miles sometimes and this is the top honor here in Chicago. The sky's the limit!!!

Scarlet Letter Actor Call

Hello, everyone -

As some of you know, we're going to start rehearsals and experiments for the Scarlet Letter soon, which we're adapting straight from Nathaniel Hawthorne's tale. Missy Styles is going to be Hester Prynne and Meredith Lyons is going to be Pearl, Hester's daughter. All the other parts are completely up in the air, so that means we're looking for a Reverend Dimmesdale and Roger Chillingworth, plus 4 other actors who can play multiple roles like Mistress Hibbons, the various clergymen, the governor, townspeople, etc. We're looking for people with movement background and creators who love the process of discovery and exploration. A lot of stage time to be had by all. And, if you've auditioned for us before, we'd love to have you back!

Like Metamorphosis, this production is going to be VERY movement oriented, experimental, and representational with the set. Kim Katona is helping me come up with shadow effects that will make things very mysterious and haunting. There will be much fabric to play with and interweave from here to there and everywhere. Stacie Barra is helping me as assistant director and she's also already come up with super cool costume designs.

The process should be very enjoyable and all the actors will really help with the creative process. We love ensemble work, as a lot of you are aware. So . . . please let me know if you'd be interested and feel free to forward this to other actors that you think would like to be involved in our process. There will be some pay and we're always very generous at making everyone know how much we appreciate their hard work. We'll hold auditions if we don't get the response we're looking for this way. Either way, I'll need to have folks read for the part and also see how wonderfully they move.

The show will run for six weeks starting in August at StageLeft. I'm hoping to start rehearsals mid-May at our space on Ravenswood.

I look forward to hearing from you and am incredibly excited about this beautiful project.

Take care,
RebeccaRebecca Zellar and Chris Riter
The GreyZelda Theatre Group
www.greyzelda.com
www.myspace.com/mulchcrow

Desire

From The Doll's House: Volume 2 in the Sandman Series:

"There is only one thing to see in the twilight realm of Desire.

It is called the threshold. The fortress of Desire.

Desire has always lived on the edge.

The threshold is larger than you can easily imagine. It is a statue of Desire, him-, her- or it-self.

(Desire has never been satisfied with just one sex. Or just one of anything - excepting only perhaps the threshold itself.)

The threshold is a portrait of Desire, complete in all details, built from the fancy of Desire out of blood, and flesh, and bone, and skin.

And like every true citadel since time began, the threshold is inhabited.

There is only one occupant, at this time.

Desire of the Endless.

The threshold is far too large for just one person.

It contains two eardrums larger than a dozen marble ballrooms.

And empty, echoing veins, like tunnels. You will walk them until you grow old and die without once retracing your steps.

Given Desire's temperament, however, there was only one place in the cathedral of its body to make its home.

Desire lives in the heart."

- Neil Gaiman

GreyZelda Updates

Many of you already know this, but I'm putting this here for historical purposes . . . it's our GreyZelda newsletter . . . it's probably in your inboxes. Go check your email! Quick! Quick!

Hello, everybody -

I just wanted to write and let everybody know what's been happening in the land of the GreyZelda Theatre Group.

Front and Center . . . We'll be opening Desire Under the Elms by Eugene O'Neill a month from today - May 10 and it'll be the kick off of our third season in Chicago. The show will be at the Oracle Theatre on N. Broadway. Chris is directing and it should be a beautifully swell show. If I could play you the music, show you the set design, preview the acting, and pass along O'Neill's text, I would, but it'll be better for you to see for yourself.

I've been adapting the Scarlet Letter with the help of Stacie Barra. We're putting that up in August at StageLeft.

If you haven't seen it already, we've created a myspace account, which you can see at www.myspace.com/mulchcrow. Please feel free to add us as friends. We're friendly.

I also set up a cafepress account for us, where you can purchase GreyZelda items along the likes of . . . coffee mugs, bags, journals, stickers, underwear (yes, GreyZelda underwear. I can't wait to get mine.), tshirts, and hats. It's pretty cool. Sarah Stec did amazing work at coming up with a Branding campaign for us and her logos, designs, etc will be on each of the GreyZelda items. www.cafepress.com/greyzelda

And, speaking of Sarah . . . she helped us with business cards and bookmarks, so keep your eyes open all around town. She also helped us with a new website design, so check that out, too. And feel free to send me quotes to put in the Crow's beak day to day. www.greyzelda.com

That's about it on the GZ front. I hope you're all doing well and enjoying this gorgeous day!

Take care,
Rebecca

The phone . . .

I feel like I'm in a surreal movie where the phone is constantly ringing. Doesn't that happen in Mulholland Drive? I think so. Anyway . . . it's not our phone. It's a phone either above our apartment or the in the one across the hall. The phone has been ringing nonstop since 10:30am. It's now almost 12:00. I hope a neighbor isn't dead. We've had a neighbor die before. Ozzie. I should write about him sometime because he was a good man. But, I don't know the neighbors above or across from me. I don't think they're normally here at this time. But, somebody is insistant. And what will happen when the neighbor picks up the phone? I know not and I don't know if I want to know.

Maybe it's somebody's alarm clock set to go off like a phone. Do they make those? How annoying if they do. And it's like I'm Elaine in Seinfeld if that's the case for that happened to her and drove her slightly batty. It wasn't hard to drive Elaine batty, but . . . it was one of those episodes.

Someday the phone will be answered. Hopefully, it'll turn into a steady din. If I go batty, well . . . what's new, pussycat?

crow

Bookmarks and business cards . . .

We have received them in the mail. And they're amazing. Keep your eyes pealed. Very classy acoutrements. Thank you, S. Stec. We are incredibly excited to share these with Chicago peeps.

Caws in exultation!

Crowgirl