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

A GreyZelda Blog coming at you . . .

Just to catch you all up on the current status of what GreyZelda and its members are up to at the moment:

Mulch has started directing Desire Under the Elms and it's all going exquisitely well. Crow has not gotten to see a rehearsal yet, but all the feedback coming from the Mulchman is excellent and exciting. Can she use any more "ex" words, you ask? Heath will be unveiling his set design tomorrow night at rehearsal. We're hoping to be able to work a thrust stage idea out with Oracle. He'll just need to send over the design to Aaron Shapiro, Oracle's main contact person, and we'll hope for the best. Heath has an incredible idea that will really bring underlying feelings of O'Neill's text to the front and center. We'll update you soon and I'll try to get the Mulch Man on here to give you more of the innerworkings of the show. Crow will be saying a couple of lines in Act 3 which I'm excited about. There's another "ex" word.

Stacie Barra and I have been working on getting the straight dialogue from the Scarlet Letter onto paper. That's where we're starting from. She did the first act. I'm doing the second. It hurts arms typing so much, but it must be done. It's such a beautiful book and the ideas are abounding in my brain. Shadowboxes. Ribbons. Thornbushes. Embroidered A's. Stacie and I will be meeting tomorrow night to start discussing initial imaginings and abstract thoughts on the show. Always the best place to start. The rawest place.

We'll have bookmarks and business cards next week, so keep your eyes pealed. Sarah Stec also has the poster for Desire Under the Elms ready to go.

Oh, my gosh!!!!! GreyZelda has a new Business Director!!!! We're very lucky and thankful to have Sir Derek Jarvis join us in this role. Already, things feel more organized and controlled. I know he'll do an awesome job with it. So, if you know Derek, congratulate him. We're really happy about it.

What else, what else?

You can find out more silliness about Crow and Mulch at www.myspace.com/mulchcrow.

Crow's going to be helping LZ out with a performance art piece in May. I'll get to work with some talented gals and think it will be a good time.

We're seeing Dresden Dolls next Friday. I love Dresden Dolls.

Take care, dear cats,
Ms. Crow

The Desiderata

I posted this on our myspace account, which you can check out at www.myspace.com/mulchcrow. I want to post it over here in GreyZelda land, as well, because it spills over into how I like to conduct myself professionally with our actors, friends, and crew. Anyway . . . here it is for your perusal.

(And we're in the second week of rehearsals for Desire Under the Elms. The cast is jumping right in and their instincts are dead on. They're asking great questions, grabbing ahold of the dialect and dialogue, and it's going really well. We're going to possibly plan a field trip to my hometown and surrounding scenery because there are some great photo ops for the show.)

Posted to the myspace blog:

Mike, Missy's man, came to our wine party on Saturday and caught sight of this hanging on our bathroom wall. Why keep something so pretty on your bathroom wall, you ask? Because it's something I like to look at everyday and even multiple times a day. What better place to do that then your bathroom? I can read it while brushing my teeth, brushing my hair, zipping my pants . . . you know the bathroom drill. Anyway . . . the Desiderata became special to him, too, and we had a nice discussion about it.

My mom gave this to me when I graduated from high school . . . or sometime during college. I love it and it gets me through my life quite well. It puts the world into perspective. I hope you enjoy it as well.

Desiderata

Go placidly amid the noise and haste,and remember what peace there may be in silence.As far as possible without surrenderbe on good terms with all persons.Speak your truth quietly and clearly;and listen to others,even the dull and the ignorant;they too have their story.

Avoid loud and aggressive persons,they are vexations to the spirit.If you compare yourself with others,you may become vain and bitter;for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself.Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans.

Keep interested in your own career, however humble;it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time.Exercise caution in your business affairs;for the world is full of trickery.But let this not blind you to what virtue there is;many persons strive for high ideals;and everywhere life is full of heroism.

Be yourself.Especially, do not feign affection.Neither be cynical about love;for in the face of all aridity and disenchantmentit is as perennial as the grass.

Take kindly the counsel of the years,gracefully surrendering the things of youth.Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune.But do not distress yourself with dark imaginings.Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness.Beyond a wholesome discipline,be gentle with yourself.

You are a child of the universe,no less than the trees and the stars;you have a right to be here.And whether or not it is clear to you,no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.

Therefore be at peace with God,whatever you conceive Him to be,and whatever your labors and aspirations,in the noisy confusion of life keep peace with your soul.

With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams,it is still a beautiful world.Be cheerful.Strive to be happy.

Max Ehrmann, Desiderata, Copyright 1952.

Here's that Cast List we were talking about . . .

Desire Under the Elms by Eugene O'Neill to be performed at the Oracle Theatre located on N. Broadway from May 10 - June 3rd, 2006.

Cast:
Ephraim Cabot - Aris Tompulis
Eben Cabot - Tom Gordon
Simeon Cabot - Robert Oakes
Peter Cabot - Ben Veatch
Abbie Putnam - Melissa Kuhlmann

And there we have it, folks! Yippee!

Mulch is directing, Derek Jarvis will be assisting in all things, Crow will be adapting the Scarlet Letter and helping with whatever needs help. Heath Hays is designing the set and Robert Filippo is writing the music. Sarah Stec will be designing the advertisements and image for the show.

We're set y'all.

See you in May!

crowjane

Maddie Goss

Our friends, Dave and Lori Goss, have a new little bean who is mighty precious. Take a look and meet Miss Madeline Marie Goss, birthday 2/19/06.

GreyZelda.Com has a new look . . .

Hello, dear readers . . .

How goes it on this Tuesday? I've been working on the website the last couple of days with the graphic support of Sarah Stec (I like throwing her name from here to there so you all can call her up when you need graphic support of your own.) I like it. The crow will certainly symbolize certain GreyZelda aspects and we're going to put a quote from reviews, friends, GreyZelda, etc every day or so. Or so will probably be more like it because I jump on the "every day" train pretty easily but then jump right off of it again.

Mulch has been working on getting Desire Under the Elms cast. We still have one role up in the air but the rest of the people should be killer. And one of them is a killer in the play, but you'll have to see the show to determine who that is.

So, we have a few other blogs out in the internet desert. I have to always remember what is appropriate for GreyZelda. She keeps me in line. I have some things I'd like to go off about but this is GreyZelda's blog. Other rantings can go into other blogs. GreyZelda has crow wings so she can embrace all things . . . perferably of the darker, more dramatic persusasion, but, dammit, she embraces all things. Thank you for your velvet curtain, GZ.

So, onto my other blogs . . .

crow

I just thought of high school and how when we auditioned, the cast and crew would be announced outside of Mr. Oakley's french classroom. We would be stalking the doors like rabid hyenas all day. And then he would whip that scotch tape out and put the printed words outside the door. There would be tears. Drama. Excitement.

So cheesy.

Yet, all we had and knew.

Fun. We had auditions for Desire Under the Elms this evening and I would like to put the cast list up. But . . . we have to confirm that people will accept the role. And then we'll need their initials before we can move any further.

Heh heh.

bz

Desire Under the Elms auditions

Hello, and how goes your Sunday?

We're having auditions for men folks tonight for Desire Under the Elms. It's a purty play. We read some fellas a couple Thursdays ago and they did an excellent job. We're just going to add some more people into the mix to see what happens. Melissa is going to be Abbie and she will do a phenomenal job in our projections.

We're going to have a new look to the website soon. I'm going to be fiddling with things to see if I can get a more streamlined affect. Keep your eyes open for an ad campaign coming soon with Sarah Stec in the lead. We're really excited about it.

Sometimes, I don't have a whole lot to say when there's much to say. I'll elaborate soon.

Yours,
crow

Don Knotts

Don Knotts passed away today at the age of 81. Mulch and I actually have been in several discussions about Don Knotts because we've been waiting for his approval on myspace to be added as one of our friends. We thought Don Knotts would be a nice online friend to have, if his site was truly Don Knotts' site and not someone pretending to be Don Knotts. Am I saying Don Knotts too much? Mulch says I am. Anyway, we feel a little sad about this. He was a Morgantown boy. He had a very lovely career. He made us laugh. He was a brilliant comedian.

Ethan Tucker

Isn't he funny and cute? Crow needs to get to Hillsdale to see this boy and his mom and dad soon and that's the word. And to see her mom and dad and fam, of course. This is Ethan Tucker Amburgey, progeny of Emily and CW Amburgey, two of our dearest friends in the world. Crow can safely say that Emily is her bestest friend. Aw, I'm feeling sentimental. Anyway, isn't he funny and cute?

Love,
crow

Mulch Man

Mulch n [ perh. irreg. fr. E dial. melch soft, mild ] ( 1675 ) : a protective covering ( as of sawdust, compost, or paper ) spread or left on the ground to reduce evaporation, maintain even soil temperature, prevent erosion, control weeds, enrich the soil, or keep fruit ( as strawberries ) clean - mulch vt

Quotes on this Sunday . . .

I believe in God, only I spell it Nature.
Frank Lloyd Wright

In the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends. -Martin Luther King

Lead me, follow me, or get out of my way. - General George Patton

It's kind of fun to do the impossible. - Walt Disney

When you come right down to it all you have is yourself. The sun is a thousand rays in your belly. All the rest is nothing. - Pablo Picasso

To err is human, to forgive, divine. - Alexander Pope

Imagination is the one weapon in the war against reality.
Jules de Gaultier

Am I not destroying my enemies when I make friends of them?
Abraham Lincoln

Forgive your enemies, but never forget their names.
John F. Kennedy

I'd rather be a failure at something I enjoy than a success at something I hate.
George Burns

Squirrels Gone Wild!!!!!!!!

It is squirrel Saturday, ladies and gents! Mulch and I have been looking out the window watching squirrels going nuts. No pun intended. There are close to 15 squirrels running around, through parked cars' tires, up and down trees, hanging precariously from branches as other squirrels attempt to dislodge them. There's nothing worse than walking along the concrete paths and seeing a perfectly intact squirrel, back down, dead, knowing that he misjumped plunging to his death, snapping his back or breaking his neck. "And will my eyes be closed or open . . ."

My sister found it shocking that I was looking out the back windows at a group of deer coming to eat the leftover pumpkins under the snow that my family puts out for them. Like I've never seen deer before because I live in a city. I grew up on a farm and in my rural town of Hillsdale,MI. Why would I not be refreshed seeing deer that I used to see all the time? I don't see deer in Chicago. I have always liked deer. A deer stepped on my toe long ago and far away. And it hurt. But, it wasn't the deer's fault. I shouldn't have been wearing toeless sandals. I like nature wherever you place it. I do grow mighty weary of the manmade sites and sights of Chicago. So, yes, I will take the chance to watch the deer come and have leftover gourds. And I like spying squirrels, bunnies, woodpeckers (still on the hunt for him, but I know he's there), raccoons, possums, alleycats, CROWS, and leashed dogs that make up the population of the windy city as well.

(This was a good week for GreyZelda studies. More on that later, in case you were wondering why this isn't a GreyZelda blog. It's a Grey Squirrel-a blog instead.)

Happy Saturday!
Crow

Sunday projections . . .

The Steelers will win!

But, that's not the projections I wanted to speak about today. Really, I just wanted to touch base - first, second, or third is fine with me.

We're going to be meeting with Sarah Stec on Tuesday night to talk about a GreyZelda branding campaign, amongst other things I'm sure. On Wednesday, Robert Filippo and I will going to an advertising meeting being held at the Atheneum theatre. Lawrence Bommer, a Chicago critic, will be there discussing eyecatching press releases, how to get your show to the people, etc. So, this upcoming week will be advertising week. I think it's good to get this stuff taken care of in the down time between shows.

Derek Jarvis is helping us with the 501c3 shtuff. Thank you, Derek. We've got the creating thing down. It's this other bureaucratic, paperwork game that gives us pause. Definitely our weakest part of the game. So, in this down time, that's what we're working on.

And then, bim bam boom! We'll have the summer of passion with Desire Under the Elms and the Scarlet Letter. Rock! Desire will be at Oracle Theatre and Scarlet will be at StageLeft. It'll be a lot of output all at once, but I think we're up for the challenge. We surround ourselves with wonderful people that make the whole process move in beautiful ways. Thank you, wonderful people.

So, again, just touching base on this snow touched Sunday. We went to the Ethiopian Diamond to celebrate Robert's birthday last night with dear friends who came back to our pad to continue conversations and rolling American Spirit cigarettes. We saw David Cronenberg's The Brood yesterday afternoon. Yikes. See it. It's very David Cronenberg. There are these creepy Teletubbie children . . . anyway. See it. A 1979 film. It's not out in theatres. It has Damien's nanny from the Omen. Very scary woman.

And, that's about it all around. Crow was going to do something very special for herself on Tuesday afternoon, but Manpower boxed her right out of it. There might be more info about that on ZeldaZee's blog.

Mulch is going to make my favorite breakfast mess in a little bit. Mmmmm. Potatoes, onions, peppers all mixed together topped with melted cheese and eggs with a side of refried beans and tortillas. It's awesome.

Caw from the darkside,
Crow

Derek Jarvis - the blog king extraordinaire

Derek helped us with all thing theatrical when we put up "One Flea Spare" a while back. He was a great asset to the company and will hopefully help us out this spring when we put up Desire Under the Elms in some way or another. check out his blog!

www.livejournal.com/users/uberredbeard/

Killoggs

Hello -

My blog-pointing-out continues with the following:

The first -

Meredith Lyons pointed me in the direction of this bobble headed site. www.killoggs.com. It's much fun. She knows these people who know these people . . . they say many intelligent, witty things and she even has a cartoon head of her own complete with pigtails. Meredith was Grete in Metamorphosis and she's a dear friend.

Check it out. Good people.

SheandHe

Here is the main website for our friends, Robert Filippo and Kristen Strezo, the musicians that make up SheandHe.

www.sheandhemusic.com

You'll be able to listen to some of their music, read their blog, and find out more about this wonderful duo. They have helped create music for our last three shows and their friendship is invaluable to us. They're two of the most creative people we know and we love them.

Goss Country

Our friends, Dave and Lori Goss, have a very nice website www.gosscountry.com which includes a blog that Dave updates every day religiously. I wish I could be so good. Hey, I'm at two days in a row right now. It's how I was when I was little. I tried so hard to do the whole Dear, Diary thing. I even called it Dear, Cody because I named everything Cody then. My imaginary horse, Ken dolls, dogs, kittens, you name it, it was Cody.

Anyway, Dave Goss is an old college friend who has been associated with WNEP Theatre here in Chicago. He's truly one of the outright nicest people I've met and he's consistently "been there" for me and mine throughout the years whether we're seeing each other often or every few months or every few years. Hopefully, he'll be in our next production of The Homecoming if the cards play out right. Lori is fantabulous as well. We are getting to know her and like what we're getting to know. They're expecting a baby girl, soon, by the name of Maddy, which is very exciting.

And, speaking of babies . . .. GreyZelda, Crow, and Mulch would like to announce the birth of one Ethan Tucker Amburgey!!!!!!! Play the trumpets! Smash the cymbals (but not too loud, he's probably sleeping.)!!!! Throw the confetti!!!! My bestest friend, Emily and her guy, also a dear friend, CW had their first boy and I can't be more happy about it. He was born on December 6th in Hillsdale, MI. I can't wait to officially meet his acquaintance. Christmas can't come soon enough! And, I might call him ET, after a very cute extraterrestrial. Emily and CW might not love it, but . . . . we will see, we will see.

OK. I hope to let you know of good blogs to check out recommended by GreyZelda. Goss Country. Check it out.

crow

Chillin' like a Villain

GreyZelda has a new computer. I love this keyboard. It's snaps to very nicely. Thank you, Charles.

We've just been nesting down for the winter, but the winter's much fun. There are inches of white stuff on the ground which I like to tromp through.

Mulch and I are starting to assemble the necessary pieces for our next production which will be the Homecoming by Harold Pinter. We're seeing what actors may be interested, secured the space at the Oracle Theatre on Broadway, and will soon talk to our group of designers. Bzzzz. Bzzzzz.

I'm also starting work on adapting a well known piece of literature, but I want the suspense to build before we decide to unveil it. It's beautiful. Thorny as a rose bush placed upon a scaffold bearing its singular creation. It should go up this summer and we're going to look for a place soon.

I also want to start a branding initiative and we're going to be looking for help on the advertising front soon. We'll hold a meeting in our very chilly Ravenswood space. We're trying to get the heat on. People's Gas sucks. Criminal, I think, to keep warmth from people. And we don't even live there. What of the families who are faced with freezing cold conditions? It's taken us three weeks to get this thing rolling with them and we have renters who are having to make due with space heaters. Crap.

Anyway, I must prepare for a Manpower Holiday party in Gurnee. We'll just bundle up together like two birds of a feather on our sleigh ride by way of the interstate.

Talk to you soon, gentle readers,
crow

A letter from Crow's grandfather

my god I'm impressed to think I would know personally theatre personalities in positions of authority. my wife and I congratulate you on your achievements and have agreed to donate the sum of $30.00. I do hope such a large sum does not disrupt your way of life.

our location makes our attendance impractical though we travel on occasion. we are considering buying a horse to be named "occasion". Perhaps we shall encounter you during the holiday season, I do hope so.

our very highest regards,
Grampy and Grammy Brown
william/virginia brown

this machine keeps making modifications to this note