Ahem, Ahem, A Meme, A Meme

Paul Rekk tagged me for a meme about my area of expertise ... in answer to the questions of "What's a meme anyway?" I would have to say that maybe it stands for Me Me for these things allow to elucidate on myself for a while. Me, myself and I have always enjoyed myself.

Moving on.

The purpose of this meme is to get people talking about their passion in life. It’s called the 5/5 meme. Five questions, then pass it to five people. “Expertise” could be your profession, hobby, or area of intense interest.

Name your area of expertise/interest:

DIY Theatre. Directing.

How did you become interested in it?

My mother sensed I had a bit of a bug when I went nuts for her record of "The Phantom of the Opera". I always liked to act and sing along to most things and was known to pretend to be a Solid Gold dancer when I was around 5. I would jump up on the stairs, pretending they were my stage ... I always loved the Muppet Show, as well, giving me a taste of vaudeville done with pigs, frogs, weirdos and chickens. Kinda like the peeps I hang out with now.

When I first went to college, I was convinced I would become a Tony/Oscar award winning actress until I took my first directing class and the paradigm shifted. My teacher, Frank Rutledge of Michigan State University, really argued points home to me. One of his key phrases was "Either that's the biggest piece of shit I've ever seen .... or you're a genious."

How did you learn to do it?

By doing and observing those who do it. I learned to read when I was three and loved reading outloud, varying the characters, messing with my voice. I adapted plays from Archie comic books. I wrote plays for my siblings to perform for the family. I sang along to musicals. Saw the musicals and acted them out in my bedroom. I was in my first "official" community theatre production when I was in sixth grade where I played Gladys Herdman in "The Best Christmas Pageant Ever" and continued being in 2-3 plays a year until I graduated high school. Went to Stephens College for acting, went to Hillsdale College for theatre, went to MSU for theatre where I acted in lots of things and started directing. Went to West Virginia University for a little over a year for graduate acting. Dropped out, thank god, learning that you can only learn so much on the university circuit. Moved to New Orleans, joined a little theatre company down there, decided I could do something better. Learned that living the real life is the best teacher out there. Moved to Chicago, acted a little, decided to start my own theatre company with my husband and have been doing it ever since. Just do it. Only way to get your feet wet.

Who has been your biggest influence?

My husband, Chris Riter. He and I met at West Virginia University and he's taught me how to live. If it were up to my folks, I'd still be in school learning which made me incredibly unhappy after a while. Chris has always understood my way of thinking, encourages me to try whatever I might like to try, challenges me, argues with me, inspires me ... he writes, acts, directs, knows how to put up lights and build sets and is incredibly handsome while doing everything. He's truly a renaissance man and an artistic soul mate.

And anybody who ever told me "No."

What would you teach people about it?

You can only learn so much from me ... go do it. Live the life. Get a business degree along side your theatre degree while you're still in school. Try to avoid grad school, if you can help it. Get as much experience as you can and don't stop believing. Go to museums. Go to rock and roll shows. Go to the cirkus. Meet artists outside your circle. Work a day job or twelve. You make your own way and don't let anyone tell you otherwise. Always be happy. If theatre and the artform don't give you pleasure, it's ok to stop. It'll find you again and you it, if that's in the cards.

I'm now going to pick five people to join in the Do-Re-Meme: Lisa Wilson, The Olde Gentleman, Strezo, Jay Raskolnikov and Dave Lykins.

The Skriker Reading

Good day, dear people.

Our reading of A View from the Bridge went beautifully (read about it here) and we're excited to announce our second reading of The Skriker by Caryl Churchill.

The reading, which, again, will be ultra casual, will be taking place this Saturday, June 30, 2007 at 5pm at the Casa GreyZelda. We'll be supplying drink, food and good company.

Our readers:

The Skriker: Lisa Wilson
Josie: Tiffany Ross
Lily: Patrycja Rynduch

If you'd like to attend, please give us a call at 773-427-1935 and we'll be able to discuss locale and any questions you might have.

Take care,
Rebecca

A View from the Bridge Reading

Heigh ho, friends -

We're going to be having a super casual reading of Arthur Miller's A View from the Bridge at the Casa GreyZelda this Saturday, June 23rd primarily to hear the play outloud and also to touch base with some of our GreyZelda peeps. We'll be serving some Italian tapas, wine, and Scotch in honor of the Carbone family in Brooklyn, NY.

The reading's going to start around 5pm. If you'd like to attend, we'd love to see you. Please give us a call at 773-427-1935 for location or send a message if we can expect you.

Auditions will happen during the early fall, so please stay tuned for announcements. The role of Eddie has already been cast with one of our favorite actors, Aris.

Our Readers:
Aris Tompoulis - Eddie
Nicolle Van Dyke - Beatrice
Morgan Manasa - Catherine
Gene Van Dyke - Alfieri
Ben Veatch - Marco
Tom Gordon - Rudolpho
Aaron Preusse - Louis, cop

We've got a lovely patio to hang out on, weather permitting. We look forward to seeing you!

We Belong to Something Greater than Ourselves

Did you see the space shuttle and space station flying by in tandem above the Chicago sky last night between 9:31 and 9:36pm? Chris and I stepped out to the patio, faced Northwest and saw the two lights approaching and continue moving East Southeast. It was really cool.

It reminded us of how absolutely small we are here on Earth. We waved to the astronauts but I have a distinct feeling we weren't seen. We waved anyway and talked about the view those chaps up there were seeing ... clear night ... they could probably see our landmass and say, "Hey, Cap'n, we're over Chicago right now ... there's the Great Lakes!"

There's a lot of fatalistic conversation in the theatrical blogosphere as of late and, I admit, I take part of it on a daily basis and ask myself the eternal questions of Why and How. The discussions help firm up my own philosophies about our chosen artform.

.... and then I see a celestial occurance ... reminding me that the stars whose light we're seeing out there may well have died thousands or millions of years ago .... and I ask myself the questions all over again ... thinking about the galaxy always sends my brain a-whirlin' on an unanswerable, unfathomable trip ... and I remind myself of our own little microcosms, our own bubbles and it's these little things that keep us all moving.

___________________________________________________

Tony Adams over at http://www.jayraskolnikov.blogspot.com/ posed the "Why do you do it and how does that shape your work?" question ... Here was my reply:

"My motivations have changed from year to year. I'm going to try to be point blank.

I create theatre because I feel I don't have another artistic medium to use that I'm able to do well and this is the one that makes the most sense to me, that I consistently get personal satisfaction out of at the end of the day. My grandfather is an artist and architect and uses his hands to create a picture. I like to paint pictures on stage using people, words and collaboration. I'm happy just sitting home with a glass of wine reading a play out loud. I've been doing that since I could read. (Not drinking wine, of course ...)

My father didn't want me to go to school for theatre and always discouraged my growing fascination with it, so that was a motivation to continue with theatre to prove him wrong because theatre was always a part of what I've wanted to do. I haven't spoken to my father since I graduated high school and he's never seen my work. My mother pointed out that a lot of the plays GreyZelda has chosen to do involves a character that is looking for acceptance against many odds and will do the worst or have the worst done to them just to see if others will abandon them or stay true.

A friend said that she thinks I'm motivated by "obstacles" and "anger". If someone tells me "NO", I get up in arms and, instead of doing nothing, I create theatre.

I like the fire.

I want to communicate. I want to prove my point. I love that spark of inspiration. I'm addicted to it. I love seeing an artistic plan come together. I love the synergy of an amazing cast and collaboration. I love people and I love it when people leave the theatre and the process feeling different then when they came in ... preferably feeling good, but I like reaction either way.

And, I think, like a lot of theatre folks, I love the sense of family that comes with creating theatre."
_______________________________________________

Now, to leave you all with a quote from a movie that always gives me a little charge ...

Ellie Arroway: I... had an experience... I can't prove it, I can't even explain it, but everything that I know as a human being, everything that I am tells me that it was real! I was given something wonderful, something that changed me forever... A vision of the universe, that tells us, undeniably, how tiny, and insignificant and how... rare, and precious we all are! A vision that tells us that we belong to something that is greater then ourselves, that we are *not*, that none of us are alone! I wish... I... could share that... I wish, that everybody, if only for one... moment, could feel... that awe, and humility, and hope. But... That continues to be my wish.

I think Elvis said it best

This is why he's King after all ...

"A little less conversation, a little more action please
All this aggravation ain't satisfactioning me
A little more bite and a little less bark
A little less fight and a little more spark
Close your mouth and open up your heart and baby satisfy me
Satisfy me baby

Baby close your eyes and listen to the music
Drifting through a summer breeze
It's a groovy night and I can show you how to use it
Come along with me and put your mind at ease

A little less conversation, a little more action please
All this aggravation ain't satisfactioning me
A little more bite and a little less bark
A little less fight and a little more spark
Close your mouth and open up your heart and baby satisfy me
Satisfy me baby

Come on baby I'm tired of talking
Grab your coat and let's start walking
Come on, come on Come on, come on Come on, come on
Don't procrastinate, don't articulate
Girl it's getting late, gettin' upset waitin' around

A little less conversation, a little more action please
All this aggravation ain't satisfactioning me
A little more bite and a little less bark
A little less fight and a little more spark
Close your mouth and open up your heart and baby satisfy me
Satisfy me baby"

I love the proactive and dissonent conversations on the web about the state of theatre on comment boxes and blogs. I love participating in them, as well, but what I really want to do is take some action the only way I know how especially when I'm sensing too much conversation going down and not enough proactive resolution .... All I can do is to make good theatre and make it great, to quote Rob Kozlowski, a local playwright in town. I can't care about anybody else and what they'll say about my efforts. I can't compare myself to anybody else and I can't listen to those who choose to put GreyZelda in the all-consuming box. All I can do is what I love to do, what I'm trained to do and what I must do.

If people want to come to our theatricals, I will welcome them with open arms and a smile. If they don't, that's fine, too. I know the rest of our company feels that way. We will march to our individual drum, we will dance to our type of music and if others want to be there to witness our cadence, to witness our whirling dervish, then we will open the circle to say "Thank you and welcome." We want the people to be there, but you have to be ok when they're not. The artist must love the process enough to trust that the people will be there for the final stage if the passion is there. The audience will always sense that and feel that spark of magick for that's what the audience craves. That's what I crave, anyway, and I'm an audience member.

Word of mouth is powerful once that magick is witnessed. The bloggers are starting to dialogue beautifully on Chicago's theatre scene and it inspires me. The people I've linked to the right of these words are, indeed, doing it.

RebeccaZ

True Colors

Rebecca's going to the True Colors Tour show tonight at the Auditorium Theatre and writes:

"Freedom. Liberty. Music. Voices lifted in song. Color. Truth. Illumination. Dignity.

Heaven."

GreyZelda agrees.

To read more, please visit www.myspace.com/greyzelda

Nostalgia in Eight

Originally posted by Rebecca on Lady Crow's myspace.

Don Hall tagged me on the "Name Eight Things About Yourself that No One Knows" blogger meme, so here I am a-playin'. I've done this before but the narcissist in me insists I play again and name eight more things. Mirror, mirror on the wall ... you can go back through some of my older blogs to find the original where I discuss Blow Pops and farms. I think this one's going to be about creativity and my childhood ...

The rules are as follows:

(I ended up breaking the rules because I posted 10 random facts about myself. My self-absorption knows no bounds, Billy!!!!!)

Bloggers must post these rules and provide eight random facts about themselves. In the post, the tagged blogger tags eight other bloggers and notify them that they have been tagged.

1. Sometimes, when I secretly think about GreyZelda, I imagine myself as a warrior who has carried a flag through the deserts, streams and prairies, all in the name of my queen, GreyZelda. Which is maybe why Chris and I picked the names "Lady Crow" and "Sir Mulch". I feel I've carried this flag - call it "creativity" if you will - for years and I refuse to set it down. If I set it down, all will be lost. I like imagining I'm an epic heroine on a quest as I travel through the mundane trials of day to day existence. I'm Roland, Atreyu and Alice rolled into one with a splash of Valkyrie in my own mind. Or certifiable ... take your pick.

2. My stepdad's a farmer, as well as a retired educator. When I was little, he used to find creatures to bring home to me while he was plowing and combining ... I had pet salamanders, luna moths, field mice and a shot woodchuck to keep me company every so often. If we could, we would let them go, but sometimes they would die ... like those moths and shot woodchucks. My grandpa would also bring home cut-off squirrel tails which I liked to stick in my pants and pretend that they were my tails. (I didn't really roam around with that shot woodchuck but I looked at it a lot and felt really bad that it had been killed.)

3. I really love bugs. I collected them when as a kid ... I would roam around, collecting butterflies, stink bugs and praying mantises and stick them in left over baby food jars ... again, they all died because I had no idea how to sustain them being that I was six (I poked holes in the lid, but that was about it. Bugs are super cool. Roaches really freak me out, though.

4. I used to create plays to put on in our backyard after the family would get together for summer holidays and birthdays ... the most popular one and most requested by the family (aka my parents and grandparents) was entitled "Cowboy Joe" which starred my 7 year old brother, Andrew, as the title character. I was the narrator - around 12 - a beautiful Western belle with a parasol and bonnet. My sister, who was around two, would be the villain with a ridiculously long black cape. She often started crying during the performances, but Andrew and I continued on. Very monologue based, "Cowboy Joe" was. Good stuff. Quality theatre. We used our swingset as the primary backdrop, so when Alex, the two year old villain, would make her entrance, I had her come down the slide. We were also known for our rendition of Andrew Lloyd Webber's "The Phantom of the Opera" where I played Christine and Andrew was the Phantom. Alex didn't really enjoy acting in our rendition and as soon as she heard the opening theme she would run - crying, as per usual -away in terror. This one was done in the living room because we used pillows as our primary stage accessories.

5. I once made my Barbies have a Boob size competition where Ken had to pick the Barbie with the best breasts. Thank you, media, for warping my young mind. My Strawberry Shortcake dolls were often considered slaves of Barbie because they were short with bulbous heads and colored legs. I also always hated it when other girls weren't nice to their Barbie dolls and never brushed their hair or colored on them with markers and who often just played with them naked without their clothes on. I tried not to let them play with my Barbies if I could help it. My Barbies often would get naked based on the situation and the soaps I watched that day with my mom but I didn't make them naked all the time. Yes, I also made them "hump". Heh heh.

6. I briefly was able to listen to Poison's "Look What the Cat Dragged In" when I was in fourth grade, but my real dad made the tape disappear because he thought it was offensive. I kind of think that maybe he thought Poison was a girl band, initially, based on the tape cover and when he actually heard the songs, he was most offended. We also almost walked out of "Back to the Future" when it was first in movie theatres because he thought there was too much swearing. Thank God, they went back in time to the fifties. Sheesh.

7. I was nuts about Archie comicbooks and often came up with puppet shows based upon the story lines. It truly is a Betty vs. Veronica world.

8. I'll always take the villains over the good guys any day. Unless you're an anti-hero, like Roland. I often stalked around my backyard imagining I was a Disney villainess. They always had great makeup and outfits. Melificent from Sleeping Beauty? Kick ass.

9. I liked it when my dads (I had two) would hit flyballs to me. I loved playing catch. I had a great arm. Maybe I still do, but I don't really play baseball or softball any more. There's nothing like the smell of a leather baseball glove. I liked kicking up dirt on a diamond on a summer day and sitting in dugouts with the team.

10. If I could go back in time to any one day and place, I would always pick my farmhouse in Hudson, around 10 years old maybe, on a summer day, playing catch with Andrew, writing a play to perform after dinner of barbecue chicken with pink lemonade and biscuits with my family and grandparents (who are no longer alive), playing with my black cat, Amos, feeding the bunnies, and helping in the garden. No question.

I'm now going to choose eight folks to play this fun game ... if you've done it before, go on and do it again.

Ladyflash *M*, The Olde Gentleman, Von, Crow's Feet, Red Dragon, Ed French, Lizarinny and Pryce.

GreyZelda Announces 2008 Season

Hello, friends -

Here it is!!!!

The third show will probably be The Mystery of Irma Vep or an original piece written by a new playwright. We've yet to decide for sure. So, if you're a playwright and you'd like to submit a play for consideration, please let us know!

GreyZelda Announces 2008 Season

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: May 31, 2007

CHICAGO - The GreyZelda Theatre Group, NFP would like to formally announce our 2008 season that we look forward to sharing with Chicagoland audiences. The season will revolve around collaborations with multi-media artists nationwide and will continue GreyZelda's commitment to great literature and experimentation.

A View from the Bridge
by Arthur Miller
January 3 - Feb 2, 2008
Stage Left Theatre
Directed by Chris Riter

A View from the Bridge tells the story of Eddie Carbone, a Brooklyn longshoreman, whose desire for his adult niece leads to disaster in his community and home. GreyZelda will work with a New York filmmaker to move Miller's play into our new millenium, giving the work a fresh spin and making it immediately recognizable to audiences becoming more and more obsessed with the media's parasitic view of tragedies.

The Skriker
by Caryl Churchill
Spring 2008
Directed by Rebecca Zellar

The play tells the story of the Skriker, "a shapeshifter and death portent", as it pursues and stalks two young women in London. Churchill's text is rich, moving and made for those who love difficult and challenging works. This will be Zellar's second time directing the piece and she will be incorporating the talents of dancers, gymnasts, aerial artists, etc to create an underworld seeping into the present day.

Third Show - TBA
Fall/Winter 2008

Broadway in Chicago Emerging Theatre Award!

I am not at all surprised to announce that the first ever winner of the Broadway in Chicago Emerging Theatre Award goes to everyone's favorite theatre company, The House!

Congratulations, you wacky people you.

The criteria for the award was ... your theatre company had to have been in existence for at least three years and not more than ten. The company had to be a member of the League and also had to provide certain information including budget, marketing info, history, mission, letters of recommendation and what the company would do with the money.

GreyZelda was nominated for the award and member Lisa Wilson and musician Kristen Strezo wrote wonderful letters for their consideration but our l'il theatre company wasn't moved forward into the final eight that members could vote on. I had a distinct feeling after dropping our little packet off for consideration that The House would win. I wish I could have placed a bet. The final eight were:

BARREL OF MONKEYS
COLLABORACTION
SILK ROAD THEATRE PROJECT
THE GIFT THEATRE
THE HOUSE THEATRE OF CHICAGO
THE HYPOCRITES
THE UTOPIAN THEATRE ASYLUM (T.U.T.A.)
TIMELINE THEATRE COMPANY

We're League members for all the little good that's done our small theatre company (each year the renewal comes up and each year we wonder if it's worth it - it still hasn't proved to be that great on the small theatre end, but we're patient people however pessimistic we might appear) and were able to vote for the winner. We voted for the Gift Theatre. They're located in our new neighborhood and seem to have an interesting body of work to their name. They start with a 'G'. Ah, well. Maybe next year!

What's amazing though, folks, is ... when we found out that we wouldn't be a part of the final eight and thought that particular window was closed ... a financial door was opened from a private donor allowing us to move forward with our next show! Wonderfully wonderful. Season annoucnment coming any minute!

We're Almost There - You Wanna Go for a Ride?

Hi, GreyZeldaland creatures ...
We're almost there. The season is on the tip of our tongues ... one show is 99.9% confirmed and the other needs to solidify itself in our coartistic directors' guts ... Chris and I are the coartistic directors if you're new to the program.

Pretty cool. Major announcements are coming soon with a few press releases to follow.

----------------

To all those who have ever worked or never worked with GreyZelda and were kinda-sorta intrigued and wondered what we're all about ... now's a time to really come on forward and say, "Hey! I'm interested and available! Here's what I do - how can I be of assistance?" You can write to us at greyzeldatheatre@yahoo.com and we can start talking about this and that ... we do like to talk, yes indeed. And, we'd like to get to know you if you'd like to get to know us.

Be well and stay tuned.

Rebecca

Myspace Land

Hello, Reader(s) ... (We hope there are more than one out there, but you never know ...)

As a reminder, please check out our respective myspace pages for all of the new updates:

www.myspace.com/greyzelda

www.myspace.com/mulchcrow
(Rebecca's Lady Crow site)

www.myspace.com/chrisriter

Hope you're doing well!
Rebecca

A GreyZelda Update

Where are we these days ... 2005-2006 were crazy, ambitious years for us as a theatre company ... we tried to move into a couple different directions and tried to have a few chaps join us. I think that was the main goal ... increase in people, which would help us increase in size and support.

And now, to be quite honest, it's back to us ... Lady Crow and Sir Mulch with the GreyZelda seed hovering over our heads waiting for what's next in her fate. Kristen and Robert, over a dinner at El Tapico and a very real, very precious conversation, once said, "It's always going to be just you." And we, vehement in our hope, said that we were wanting more ... more people, more ideas, more, more, more. More didn't work out. And it's back to us. And "us" is real.

Some of you may or may not know that Sir Mulch and I are the main producers of all the shows you've seen with GreyZelda. GreyZelda owes us thousands of dollars at this point. We don't come from rich backgrounds. We don't have donors. I think the biggest donation we've received, up to this point, was $200.00 from my family and that included the cost of their tickets. We're incredibly appreciative of everything people have done monetarily to help us. But, Sir Mulch and I are the executive producers, at this point. Which may explain to some of you out there why we get so damn irritable about bad reviews, bad professionalism and bad business in general. We're the producers, what the hell do you expect?

So, as the executive producers of GreyZelda ... our funds are tapped. Most of our paychecks have gone to GreyZelda and our rehearsal space. We work hard for our money, honeys. Sir Mulch and I made a concerted decision to be selfish for once and we've been doing things for ourselves since we closed The Scarlet Letter in September. We'll be back to producing within this 2007 year, I hope, but we're taking a long needed break.

We're going to move to a new apartment soon ... this new apartment will have plenty of space and plenty of comfort. We've outgrown our apartment that we've lived in since we initially moved to Chicago. It's packed to its gills. We've stayed in this little place so we could afford to produce theatre, y'see. Each year when it's come time to renew the lease, we've looked at each other, considered moving, but decided that it wasn't quite time because we had a season to produce. But, finally ... we're ready for this next step and we're really excited about it.

There are plenty of ideas brewing around in our brains, but we need to take care of ourselves first. When we're ready to give everything a go again, we'll collect our trusted collaborators around us and will open our doors to new collaborators. We're going to be stricter in our selection process however. If you're an actor, designer, etc., be prepared. If you're the type that can't get hired for a basic general office clerk job and exit that job with a good reference ... you probably won't get cast or asked aboard ...and if you don't know what I mean when I say this ... well, we don't want you.

So, that's where we are. I hope you're all doing well. I miss you. Sir Mulch misses you. We'll be back when we're ready.

Yours,
Lady Crow

Hypatia Theatre's Symposium 2007

Hello, friends ...

I've been invited to direct a play for Hypatia Theatre's week long symposium that will take place at the end of January, so please stay tuned for more information.

In the meantime, you can check out Hypatia at www.hypatiatheatre.org.

Be well,
Rebecca

Shout out to the Chicago fringe theatre scene ...

Don Hall wrote a blog today about Nina Metz's and Kerry Reid's recent article in the Tribune regarding their top ten fringe theatre shows of the year ... I completely concur that it's exciting to see certain publications acknowledging this life blood of our city's theatrical undertakings.

http://donhall.blogspot.com/2007/01/wild-and-woolly-world-of-fringe-theater.html

Windy City Times Year End Mention of "Desire"

OLD DOGS, NEW TRICKS: The 2006 Theater Season in Review
by Mary Shen Barnidge
2006-12-27

It was the year when a single weekend might have over a dozen plays clamoring for the press’ attention. For example, there were the road shows that filled the downtown playhouses, selling out months in advance. And there was also Victory Gardens opening the doors of its new facility at the legendary Biograph Theater, becoming the Chicago theatre community’s leading landlord, with five stages under two roofs.

Oh, and for playgoers ( like me ) who find the more—uh, mature—men and women sexy, it was the year when the old blokes and broads showed their mettle—and sometimes their naughty bits, too.

That said, here are some of the shows ( and parts, thereof ) that made my job a pleasure in 2006:

The Coast of Chicago ( Walkabout Theater at the Water Tower ) . Chicago ethnographic history came alive for audiences in a landmark space right in the middle of the tourist district.

Lear ( Goodman Theatre ) . Five old men dancing a tarantella in the rain to the dionysic beat of the Rolling Stones—this was “epic theatre” like Brecht never imagined.

Fellow Travelers ( Stage Left ) . Not just another holocaust drama, but a an intimate tale of an expatriate artist living with the shameful secret of his survival.

Mother Courage And Her Children ( Vitalist Theatre ) . The Thirty-Years-War galloped along at vaudeville-pace on a panoramic scale, and only eight actors stepped out for curtain call.

Gaudy Night ( Lifeline Theatre ) . Dorothy Sayers’ thriller assembled the environs of Oxford University’s Women’s College and distinguished alumnae thereof, all on Lifeline’s tiny stage.
House of Blue Leaves ( Shattered Globe ) . Thirty-five years after its premiere, a group of young artists found empathy and coherence in John Guare’s madcap look at 1965 America.

Argonautika ( Lookingglass ) . After treading water in recent years, Mary Zimmerman and her pals come back with the kind of imaginative spectacle that made their reputation.

American Buffalo ( Raven ) . Tone down the hyperadrenal rants that make young actors so love David Mamet and what do you find underneath but a family drama worthy of Eugene O’Neill?
And some individuals deserve recognition as well:

Smart Words: Margaret Lewis, Fellow Travelers ( Stage Left ) . Nicholas Patricca, Oh, Holy Allen Ginsberg, Oh Holy Shit Sweet Jesus Tantric Buddha Dharma Road ( Bailiwick ) . Frances Limoncelli, adaptation of Gaudy Night ( Lifeline Theatre ) . Laura Eason, adaptation of The Coast Of Chicago ( Walkabout ) . Ranjit Bolt, translation of Tartuffe ( Remy Bumppo ) .

Smart Direction: Sheldon Patinkin ( Sunset Limited, Steppenwolf ) , Ilesa Duncan ( Tick, Tick...Boom, Pegasus ) , Jessica Thebus ( The Clean House, Goodman ) .

Outstanding Ensembles: Willy’s Cut And Shine ( ETA ) , Another Part Of The House ( Teatro Vista ) , Funeral Wedding ( Scott Dray Productions ) , La Hija de La Llorona ( Aguijón Theatre ) , The Shakespeare Stealer ( Vittum Theatre ) , Desire Under The Elms ( GreyZelda ) , Orphans ( ReMiChi ) , Practical Anatomy ( Sansculottes ) .

Outstanding Tag Teams: Nick Sandys & Linda Gillum ( Tartuffe & The Real Thing, Remy Bumppo ) . Austin Pendleton & Freeman Coffey ( Sunset Limited, Steppenwolf ) . Kirsten Fitzgerald & Guy Van Swearingen ( The Sea Horse, Red Orchid ) . Doug McDade & Nigel Patterson ( Dealer’s Choice, Shattered Globe ) . Adrienne Cury & Jack Hickey ( Picnic, Oak Park Festival Theatre ) . David Parkes & Nigel Patterson ( The General From America, Timeline ) .

Outstanding Actors: Christopher Prentice ( The Zoo Story, Signal Ensemble ) , Chuck Likar ( Fellow Travelers, Stage Left ) , Elizabeth Rich ( The Duchess Of Malfi, Writers Theatre ) , Gary Houston ( Unchanging Love, Artistic Home ) , Jeff Radue ( Richard II, Actors Revolution Theatre ) . Karen Hill ( The Tempest, GroundUp Theatre ) , Christopher McLinden ( You Never Can Tell, ShawChicago ) , Marvin Edward Quijada ( Blind Mouth Singing, Teatro Vista ) .
Three Latina Criadonas: Stephanie Díaz ( Tartuffe, Remy Bumppo ) , Aemilia Scott ( Oh Holy Allan Ginsberg etc., Bailiwick ) , Guenia Lemos ( The Clean House, Goodman ) .

Special Pirates of the Caribbean award: Martin Yurek ( The Devil’s Disciple, ShawChicago ) .

Special Trippingly On The Tongue award: Ben Carleson ( Hamlet, Chicago Shakespeare ) .

Outstanding Lighting Design: Michael Phillipi ( Lear, Goodman ) .

Outstanding Sound Design: James Murray ( Unchanging Love, Artistic Home ) , Jason Demma & Ralph Sledge ( Florida Styx, Hypetia Theatre ) , Victoria DeIorio ( The Real Thing, Remy Bumppo ) , Richard Woodbury ( Lear, Goodman ) .

Outstanding Costume Design: Rachel Anne Healy ( Power, Remy Bumppo and The Chalk Garden, Northlight ) , Jacqueline Firkins ( The Dreams of Sarah Breedlove, Goodman ) , Laura M. Dana ( Seascape, Signal Ensemble ) , Tatjana Radisic ( The Duchess of Malfi, Writers Theatre ) .

Outstanding Set Dressing: Kevin Hagan and Arow Blackdragon ( House of Blue Leaves, Shattered Globe ) , Grant Sabin ( The Sea Horse, Red Orchid ) , Kris Stengrevics and Emily Schwartz ( Funeral Wedding, Scott Dray Productions ) , Craig Choma ( Mother Courage, Vitalist ) , Michael Menendian and Danni Quider ( American Buffalo, Raven ) , Kevin Hagan and Eileen Niccolai ( Dealer’s Choice, Shattered Globe ) .

Special Ultra-Violence award: Rick Sordelet ( Lear, Goodman ) , Matthew Hawkins ( Hatfield and McCoy, House Theatre ) .

Special Boat-in-the-Bottle award: Marathon ‘33 ( Strawdog ) .

Special Flora and Fauna award: Goblin horse ( Johnny Tremain, Lifeline Theatre ) , Singing raven ( The Snow Queen, Victory Gardens ) , entire cast of Rikki-Tikki-Tavi ( Lifeline Theatre ) .

Special AARP Pin-Up award: Stacy Keach ( Lear, Goodman ) , Richard Cotovsky ( Killers, Mary-Arrchie ) , Dawn Alden and Stephanie Repin ( Affair of Honor, Babes With Blades ) , Mark Richard ( A Room With A View, Lifeline ) .

And finally, an extra-special shout-out to the dialect coaches that made it all sound so good: Clare C. Hane ( Dealer’s Choice, Shattered Globe ) , Phil Timberlake ( Fellow Travelers, Stage Left ) , Kirsten D’Aurelio ( A Whistle In The Dark, Seanachai ) , Martin Aistrope ( The Night Heron, Steep Theatre ) , Eve Breneman ( Voyeurs de Venus at Chicago Dramatists, Unchanging Love at Artistic Home and The General From America at Timeline ) .

Thinking of resolves

Good eventide, Dear Readers -

I've been motivated today ... I don't know if it's the intense frigidity of this 18 degree weather or the bright sunshine on the snow or being under Kim's lights as she took pictures of me and my boy, Charlie ... but I'm feeling good. The sun's fallen to the west, but I'm still feeling good. Thank the gods, I'm feeling good.

We're sending out GreyZelda Holiday cards which I'm very excited about. Sarah Stec, as per usual, came up with a lovely design fitting into this year's brand campaign ... it's got your crow, it's got trees, it's got snowflakes ... it's sharp and it's coming to a mailbox near you ... which will be your mailbox. Send me your address, if I don't have it, to greyzeldatheatre@yahoo.com. I will write your address with the new silver sharpie I'm going to purchase for just this occasion. When we get the cards delivered here, I'll post Sarah's design, but, until then ... just know that it's awesome and I'm pleased with its grooviness. I'm going to send cards out to those who made life difficult for GZ this year ... because, in the end, those things have only helped to make us stronger.

I've read the plays proposed by company members, past and present ... there's one that I would be interested in pursuing, but to do it, I'd have to rip it apart as a puppy rips at your favorite pillow. It has to be deconstructed to work in the ways of GreyZelda. And, because it's written by an anarchist, you would think that would be acceptable. So, Lisa ... let's talk. I'll write you an email or call soon.

And, there's my little faerie play that's been in my back pocket for years ... there's this little Zelda flapper play that I might like to work on in an acting capacity ....

I'm getting headshots on Thursday taken by Michelle of Organic Headshots. Wish me luck! It's good to have updated headshots because you never know when you might need them. And, they're going to be color, for all you traditionalists out there. I like color.

GreyZelda always wins, as I said to someone very near and dear to me ... we took our own advice and will be maintaining its glory. There was some talk about changing the name to something very kick ass ... that may happen someday ... who knows ... but, for now, the little Grey Girl wins. And she's happy about it. I'm happy about it. Sir Mulch is happy about it. The other entity needs to win us over a little bit more before we make the move. He wasn't quite as charming as the morphing coquette.

2007's going to rock and roll in our own kind of way ... and I can't wait to grab a hold of it.

GreyZelda Annual Meeting

We had our annual meeting last night and Chris, Tom Gordon, Melissa Kuhlmann, Heath Hays, Kim Katona, Lisa Wilson, Derek Jarvis, Meredith Lyons and I were in attendance. Rebekah Ward-Hays joined us after a little bit.

We discussed how this last year has gone ... we appointed Derek Jarvis in the early months of 2006 as our business director and he got a lot of our major paper work taken care of. Sarah Stec led us in creating a new branding campaign (logos, bookmarks, website, etc.) We performed two shows in 2006 - Desire Under the Elms and The Scarlet Letter. We also had a successful fundraiser at Four Moons which helped raise money for Scarlet. Financially, we haven't broken even and moving into 2007, we'll have to take that factor into consideration. Chris and I have paid for the majority of our productions out of pocket and that really drove us into the ground this year and how we'll have to be more creative in producing next year in our shows. However, we felt really great about the accomplishments and completed goals we were able to acheive in 2006.

We discussed potential show proposals for the 2007 season. We'll be having a fundraising/grants discussion meeting in the next couple of months, as well.

We also discussed some theatrical breaking of bread events that we'd like to have with other theatre companies in town. More news to come soon, dear theatre company friends ... we're really looking forward to this.

Meredith Lyons and Derek Jarvis stepped down from their duties as Marketing Director and Business Director, respectively. To be honest, we had a feeling that this was coming so weren't surpised. Derek has another theatre company, Promethean, that he has created and his first obligations go to them. We told him that he'll always have a place with GreyZelda if he ever wants it. He's still going to assist with business undertakings in the interim but we're going to start looking to fill those roles immediately. Meredith did a great job with our fundraiser, but the other responisibilities were too overwhelming to her with her professional schedule and personal obligations.

So, if you're interested in finding out more about those roles, please let us know! And, if you're interested in becoming involved with our theatre company just to be involved, we'd love to talk further with you about that, as well!

We really hope that GreyZelda will become more of an ensemble based theatre company that could allow itself to exist whether or not Chris and I were here to lead it, so that's going to be one of our major goals this year ... encouraging our members to really claim this company in whatever way they deem fit. Make it the superpower that it's longing to be! =)

There's more news to come, our dear Readers, but I just wanted to give you the breakdown.

Yours in all things creative,
Rebecca

Raindrops On Roses ... Whiskers on Kittens

These Are a Few Of My Favorite Things ...
Current mood: Pondering

Instead of hearing Julie Andrews in your head ... switch it to Bjork's heartwrenching version in Dancer in the Dark ...

I'm on the hunt for the next inspiration ... I'm hoping to get an itch for something original, but need something to hit me over the head and I'm closing my eyes and waiting for that BONK!

So, I'll make a list ... I'll check it twice ... see which sparks are naughty or nice ...

* Crisp water
* A crystal sky
* A turkey buzzard's shadow
* Gaiman's World
* Tori's World
* Reality TV always makes me smile ....
* Rock and Roll / the Punk Mentality / DIY / natural rebelliousness with all out commitment

What else .... what else ....

GreyZelda friends and foes - let me know what makes your eye sparkle and your heart race! I'm at such an open place right now that the sky's the limit!

Yours,
reb zella

Women's Voices in Theatre

Hi, Dear Readers -

So, I just posted the following to the message board at Performink in response to an article written by Becky Brett.

What do you think about this issue, if anything? And, even if you don't think about it, why not? I'd love to start a discussion.

"I was so happy to see this article today as I think it's an excellent topic to open a discussion on.

'Why is it that so many theatres stick with the tried-and-true, when the medium has so much more to offer its audiences? Dare we ask the question and risk the flaming response: Are women..s stories just not as compelling as men..s?'

'Why do these female audiences not demand to see plays that look like them and speak to their experience?'

'No one interviewed pretends to be able to reach any conclusions, but it is important to raise the questions and re-start the discussion. However, many people had advice about how we may begin to develop more roles for women.'

I think that this subject is very touchy ... which is why no one wanted to answer conclusively probably. All the answers are going to be relative ... in my personal experience with Chicago theatre, I've often wondered what would happen if I was a man, based on reviews I've received where the term "feminist" was thrown around like a dirty word by male reviewers when our plays offered strong female leads that considered themselves equal to the men they were dealing with. My coartistic director and husband, Chris Riter, and I have often wondered what would happen if we had switched our names on the different directing projects we've worked on, what type of critical response we would have received ... would it have been the same, regardless of the director's gender? What would have happened if Chris had been the one to write the little opinionated blog that was penned in August that, unfortunately, was reproduced here in Performink and discussed for a spell ... with only males responding with a tone of wrist slapping - (it, honestly, made me feel about five years old at times) ... I've often thought of myself as an equalist, but I'm finding out quickly that it may be more important to continue the good fight of being a feminist.

So, yes, let's talk about this!

Naomi Wallace and Caryl Churchill are two playwrights that I can read tirelessly, by the way ...

Excellent article, Becky!

Sincerely,
Rebecca

On This Day

On This Day Category: Goals, Plans, Hopes

Hello, friends of GreyZelda ...

The founding and producing members of GreyZelda, Chris Riter and me, Rebecca Zellar, have been living the calm life the last couple of weeks ... we closed The Scarlet Letter and are going to take a long awaited resting spell. We hope to have our annual GreyZelda meeting in the next few weeks, where we'll talk with our members about how this last year has gone, what we hope to do next year, and how we'll be able to go about achieving the goals we lay out.

GreyZelda's mission is probably going to go through a bit of an overhaul because of the insights and clarifications that were revealed this year. We're going to take a look at the audience we're hoping to reach and will really focus in on the influences that have helped shape us as artists.
There are a lot of ideas floating around in our brains that we're excited to share with our company members and Chicago ... so, stay tuned to our GreyZelda channel.

And, if you're wondering what to do here in this fine city of Chicago, may we suggest ...

1. Support the local, fringe theatre scene. See what you want to see. What you think will get your juices going. We're planning on seeing Midnight Hellhouse soon, which is happening at the Playground theatre (Halsted and Belmont) every October Friday night at midnight. Go get your souls saved.

2. Read a book that you want to read. To quote my high school english teacher, if you can't get into it after the first three pages, put it down, but for god's sake, Read!

3. See a flick with your favorite people ... Rebecca's current favorites are Little Miss Sunshine, Donnie Darko, and Dead Man.

4. Go see a concert .... we were supposed to go see a friend's band, Welcome to Ashley, last night, but became very cozy in our pad .... we mean to see more concerts in our GreyZelda hiatus.

5. Go see the Bindlestiff Family Cirkus. They're in town.

6. Get the hell out of Chicago if you can and see what the rest of the country has to offer, naturally and culturally.

Take care,
Rebecca and Chris

Crybabies . . .

Don Hall posted a great blog today.

All of the theatre practitioners I know would LOVE to be paid for their work, but, you know what? Do we do it for the pay or do we do it because we MUST do it? I know where the GreyZelda camp falls on that one.

"Lose your dreams and you will lose you mind . . . ain't life unkind?" Ruby Tuesday

14 Artistic Networking Skills

Jim Volz wrote a book entitled How to Run a Theater: A Witty, Practical and Fun Guide to Arts Management and included a list of Fourteen Artistic Networking Survival Skills for Theatre Professionals Young and Old.

We're all learning. We've all learned. This list is a great reminder for all of us swimming through the waters of our competitive art form in this competitive town. I read a blog today about building relationships in theatre and that a theatre professional shouldn't ever consider themselved "hired" until they're involved in a second show with a theatre company they're working with. I know that's very true on the GreyZelda end and we expect our actors, members and crew to follow these guidelines to help make the show and experience the best it can be.

"Introduction: Most directors, choreographers, designers, artistic directors, general managers, and other arts executives rise up through the ranks. Many remember the lessons learned on the way up the ladder, but it never hurts to hear from the front lines. 'He that won't be counseled can't be helped,' observed Ben Franklin. When a group of Equity and non-Equity actors gathered in Southern California, in the spirit of 'counseling and sharing,' they traded tips on surviving the highly competitve and financially perilous profession of theatre. This generally wise and sometimes wacky list of fourteen tips comprises:

1. Believe in instant karma.
What goes around will come around. Treat others exactly as you would like to be treated. Be kind and courteous. The tech person you step on today could be your producer or director tomorrow.

2. Avoid people who suck energy.
These people only give you permission to procrastinate. You are not the person who is losing if you miss a few social gatherings in order to work.

3. To read or not to read?
That is the question. The only answer? Read as many plays as possible. Be familiar with all types of writing. The more familiar you are with a play, the better your audition will be.

4. Leave your worries at the door!
Remember, the people you work with are not your therapists. Don't be so wrapped up in your personal problems that you let your frustrations impact your work.

5. Who died and made you king?
Nobody likes to hear a scolding "shhhh!" from another actor. Let adminishing the parties involved be handled by the stage manager or director. If they aren't present, remember that you catch more flies with honey, and be diplomatic.

6. Who died and made you Elia Kazan?
Never, ever, ever, ever, ever direct another actor in your show.

7. Respect the clock.
Be on time. Punctuality shows that you respect and value a person's time. Being late is rude. Show up ready to work.

8. Include time for yourself every day.
Treat yourself to a walk, a trip to the local nursery or a hot bath - you know, experience one of those International Coffee moments that can change your life.

9. 'We'll always have Utah.'
Falling for someone you work with intimately and for such a long time may be inevitable, especially in the veil of drama and 'make believe.' But rarely do these romances go beyond the run of the show.

10. Be kind to your dressers.
Actors need to worship costume designers, staff, and dressers. They make or break how you look every day on stage.

11. Make Makita a part of your method.
Offer to help with strike. Be a good sport. You will be remembered for being the kind of person you are to work with, not for the believability of your page twenty-six speech on Thursday night.

12. Know thyself.
Avoid making life-changing decisions under stress, pressure, or on the spot. Make your decisions on your own time. Be clear in your own mind about what you want and what your willing to do to get it - before you go in!

13. Prepare for the worst, hope for the best.
Go beyond basic preparation of the required or expected workload. Anticipate possible negative outcomes and have contigency plans.

14. Build support . . . six degrees of separation.
You can never know too many people. You can never be nice enough to people. You may be surprised at the small world of professional theatre."

You Have the Power

www.donhall.blogspot.com

To all you theatre promoters and producers out there:

You don't have to invite all the reviewers in Chicago. There's not a set rule. You don't have to please everyone. I learned from Larry Bommer at a panel discussion I attended a few months back that it's better to do your research on the reviewers you're wanting to invite, read what sort of reviews they write, decide who is worth it to invite, then invite that person. Sound and thoughtful words.

You Have the Power especially if you know how powerful words can be. If there are critics out there who write irresponsibly, just don't invite them.

Rebecca

Third Week

Good afternoon, almost eventide, my friends.

Mulch and I will be venturing forth towards StageLeft in less than an hour, but I wanted to take a few minutes to give a quick "How do" and let you know the skinny on The Scarlet Letter.

Our audiences haven't been good, point blank. We thought people would like the Scarlet Letter. There's quite a bit of resentment, to tell the truth, about the book before people even enter the theatre. About half of our audience has entered the lobby with the "I hated The Scarlet Letter in high school" sentiment. My my my. And, the thing about The Scarlet Letter is that old and young have been required to read it during their high school years. It's been considered a Great Book for years, y'see. I know you know.

I was required to read it the summer before my senior year in high school along with The Chosen and The Handmaid's Tale. It took me a couple of tries to get used to the language, truth be told, and I always fancied myself a decent reader, so I found it strange that I was having a hard time with the rhythm. It is flowery, yes. Once I got into it, though, it, obviously became one of my favorites. I've never denied that I'm a geek or a reader.

So, is this a reflection upon the students? A reflection upon the teachers? A reflection upon Nathanial Hawthorne? Hawthorne had a hard time getting his stories to great success. He was friends with several people that went on to become quite famous, but never was able to jump on that bandwagon, even though he wanted to. He was roommates with Martin VanBuren, a president of ours, but that still didn't help matters in his world.

Anyway . . . it all culminates, on the producing end, in the fact that you can't say for sure, before a show gose up, what's going to work with your potential audience. We thought we might have good audiences because there's not tons of theatre happening right now, not tons of major Chicago events happening right now, and it's the time between most other theatre company's seasons. But, alack, alay, we haven't had many people.

Yeah, you've seen those reviews, but we hope that our audiences will give a show a fair shake regardless of what a sole opinion has to say. We had a guy from France come last Saturday and say, "Did you see that you received a bad review in the Trib?" and I said, "Yes." He said, "My friends didn't want to come see the show because of that reason, but I always loved the story and wanted to come. I thought it was a very powerful show and I'm sorry you received that review." So, we invite you to come, form your own opinions, talk to us about it if you feel inspired to do so or enraged to do so, so we can learn from your experience. It's a new show, after all. A calculated risk. I'd like, personally, to hear what you have to say and see how that could potentially be incorporated into our process for next time. I'm talking about constructive criticism here, folks, not bathroom humor.

Regardless, as far as the next show goes, we're going to have to sit tight for a little while because of the sheer money factor. That doesn't mean we're not going to do this and that, but . . . we'll have to sit tight, as prudence is dictating. Mulch and I are the primary donors to the GreyZelda Theatre Group and our pockets are billowing out of our pants right now. We're not worried. We don't want you, Dear Readers, to feel worried. It'll all get back on track, but this notch on the GreyZelda belt definitely is making things tight.

So, come see our show soon, please. Our actors need you. The company needs you.

It's two hours. You'll be able to go elsewhere as soon as 10pm rolls around. Our Hester Prynne rocks. The rest of the ensemble does really cool things. Miranda Sex Garden rocks if you like that kind of thing. It's two for one on Thursdays. Pay what you can Industry nights on Sundays. And only $15.00 the other evenings. And, if you're saying to yourself, shit, I ain't payin' that much for The Scarlet Letter, well . . . give me a call and we'll talk about it. I'd rather have your presence in the theatre than out of it. It's not a bad show. It's a GreyZelda show. And GreyZelda's pretty neat. If you like our kind of stuff. I always do.

Cheers,
Rebecca

It's All About the A

It's All About the A.

Here's what Chicago has to say about GreyZelda's adaptation of The Scarlet Letter!
Kerry Reid of the Chicago Tribune says:

"Elizabeth Styles is a striking and dignified Hester . . ."

************************************************
Tom Williams of ChicagoCritic.com says:

" . . . dramatic moments from Toby Minor as the tormented Dimmesdale."

" . . .witness Elizabeth Styless commandingly powerful performance as Hester Prynne. Meredith Rae Lyons added several effective scenes as the impish child Pearl."

"I admire the ambition . . . "

"Kudos to Greyzelda Theatre for stretching to present an original adaptation."

**********************************************
Kay Daly of Timeout Magazine says:

"This staging of Hawthornes novel of sin and redemption opens promisingly enough with a striking image: a tangle of actors entwined in a sort of living sculpture, groping hopelessly to move apart while staying connected. Its an evocative and eloquent symbol for Hawthornes New England: repressed, interdependent and hypocritical."

***********************************************
Jack Helbig of the The Chicago Reader says:

"Adapter-director Rebecca Zellar and the ensemble do a good job finding the drama . . . The acting is strong and many of the scenes are spare and pointed."

************************************************
Barbara Vitello from the Daily Herald says:

"GreyZelda's version stands head and shoulders above Roland Joffé's spectacularly ill-conceived 1995 film starring the spectacularly mediocre Demi Moore as Hester Prynne."

"Rebecca Zellar remains faithful to Hawthorne. Her scrupulous adaptation keeps intact the novel's dialogue."

" . . . newcomer GreyZelda shows promise."

"The production also benefits from solid acting from its principals, especially Elizabeth Styles as an appropriately stoic Hester . . . Styles carries herself with the dignity and calm reserve Hawthorne's proto-feminist heroine demands. It is a quietly noble performance, capped off by an emotional, well-acted reunion with Toby Minor's Reverend Arthur Dimmesdale . . .Minor is passionate . . . "

"(Ron) Kuzava makes an especially effective predator."

"Lisa Baer stands out among the supporting cast . . ."

Tickets on sale now at www.theatermania.com or by calling 773-267-6293 for reservations!

www.greyzelda.com

Windy City Times Review of The Scarlet Letter

Theater: The Scarlet Letter 2006-08-23

Playwright: Nathaniel Hawthorne, adapted by Rebecca Zellar At: The GreyZelda Theatre Group at Stage Left, 3408 N. Sheffield Phone: 773-267-6293; $15 Runs through: Sept. 16 BY MARY SHEN BARNIDGE It is ironic that Nathaniel Hawthorne’s romanticist view of Puritan society in 17th-century Boston should become MORE coherent through Rebecca Zellar’s introduction of abstract elements in her adaptation of The Scarlet Letter for the GreyZelda Theatre Group. But if a picture ( as the saying goes ) is worth a thousand words, it should come as no surprise that a few moments of silhouetted corybanting, accompanied by Miranda Sex Garden’s orgasmic synth-rock, should convey subtext more vividly than the evocative inner monologues so irksome to generations of students required to read what may be the least salacious tale of adultery ever penned. For those who succeeded in avoiding that homework assignment ( like I did ) , it is enough to know that Hester Prynne, her husband long missing at sea, has given birth to a child whose father she refuses to name. This decision being deemed inappropriate by her community, she is sentenced to wear a badge proclaiming her sin. But that brave woman flourishes, while the father of her illegitimate offspring falls ill under the stress of his secret. His decline is exacerbated by a mysterious physician—actually the incognito Mr. Prynne—bent on avenging the wrong done his beloved, if unfaithful, wife. Hawthorne’s point is that only by being true to one’s own code of conduct does one achieve the dignity that confers happiness. Hester does this, as does her daughter, Pearl, and their protector, the ruthless Dr. Chillingworth. But only on the point of death does the Reverend Dimmesdale find peace, confessing his guilt by revealing the literal stigma engendered by his crime. Zellar’s direction matches her production’s tone to the operatic proportions engendered by this gothic climax. Ron Kuzava renders Dr. Chillingworth as grotesquely menacing as his name, while Elizabeth Styles and Meredith Rae Lyons deliver heroic portrayals of gentlewomen Hester and Pearl Prynne. But the dramatic scope inspired by their performances inadvertently diminishes Toby Minor’s no-larger-than-life Rev. Dimmesdale, making us question, at times, if he is truly worth all the trouble taken by the others in precipitating his downfall.

Chicago Reader Review of The Scarlet Letter

This isn't the entire review - we have to pick up another copy of the Reader and will add what was omitted.

THE SCARLET LETTER Nathaniel Hawthorne's classic story of adultery and hypocrisy in a Puritan town is brought to the stage by the GreyZelda Theatre Group. Adapter-director Rebecca Zellar and the ensemble do a good job finding the drama in this rather static, meditative work. The acting is strong and many of the scenes are spare and pointed. But the nuances of Hawthorne's brilliant writing and spiritually complex message get lost amid the play's romance and melodrama. (Jack Helbig) Through 9/16: Thu-Sun 8 PM, Stage Left Theatre, 3408 N. Sheffield, 773-267-6293, $15.

Daily Herald Review - The Scarlet Letter

Letter imperfect

Casting, set undermine classic tale of adultery
BY BARBARA VITELLO Daily Herald Staff Writer
Posted Thursday, August 17, 2006


GreyZelda Theatre's adaptation of Nathaniel Hawthorne deserves a letter.

But it doesn't merit an "A."

Questionable casting, a distracting set and some awkward transitions that may confuse audiences unfamiliar with the classic novel mean this adequate production of "The Scarlet Letter" fails to earn a top grade.

And yet GreyZelda's version stands head and shoulders above Roland Joffé's spectacularly ill-conceived 1995 film starring the spectacularly mediocre Demi Moore as Hester Prynne.

Unlike Joffé and Moore, whose famously bastardized ending made a mockery of the tragedy, director Rebecca Zellar remains faithful to Hawthorne. Her scrupulous adaptation keeps intact the novel's dialogue. And while it has yet to match the expertise of say Lifeline Theatre, a company renowned for its masterful literary adaptations, newcomer GreyZelda shows promise.

The production also benefits from solid acting from its principals, especially Elizabeth Styles as an appropriately stoic Hester, who bears a child out of wedlock, is convicted of adultery and is forced to wear a scarlet "A" as punishment. Hester emerges as a woman of commanding will, who from shame and humiliation forges an identity independent of the one her puritanical society imposes. Styles carries herself with the dignity and calm reserve Hawthorne's proto-feminist heroine demands. It is a quietly noble performance, capped off by an emotional, well-acted reunion with Toby Minor's Reverend Arthur Dimmesdale, the flawed clergyman who shares Hester's sin but not her punishment.

Minor is passionate as a guilty man consumed by sin and hypocrisy who draws from Hester the strength necessary to confess and thereby earn his salvation.

Ron Kuzava plays Roger Chillingworth, Hester's husband, who is presumed dead but returns under an assumed identity to exact revenge on his wife's lover.

A study in obsession and vengeance, Chillingworth is a man crippled by hate, whose deliberate revenge emerges as the play's greatest expression of evil.

Playing the role with a perpetual scowl, Kuzava makes an especially effective predator.

Also Kuzava and Minor resemble each other, a clever bit of casting that underscores the bond shared by these men, unwavering in their beliefs and ultimately corrupted by them. The production fares best when this trio is on stage.

Lisa Baer stands out among the supporting cast, most of whom deliver mundane performances, with several inexplicably adopting British accents when an indistinct, mid-Atlantic one would have better suited the 17th century Boston setting. Meredith Rae Lyons also stands out, but for the wrong reasons. Lyons is clearly too old to play Pearl, Hester's 7-year-old daughter. That bit of miscasting, plus several other missteps make this less than letter perfect.

The minimalist set consists of gauzy white panels suspended from the ceiling which serve as the backdrop for projections and shadow shows. As visuals, they work best when only a few actors occupy the stage. Otherwise they are distracting; likewise the ethereal background music from 1980's goth rock band Miranda Sex Garden. However, the stylized group pantomime - an expression of Puritan repression, guilt and passion that serves as prologue - works. But not so the recap of the Hester-Dimmesdale-Chillingworth triangle that begins the second act as little more than a redundant distraction.

"The Scarlet Letter"

Location: Stage Left Theatre, 3408 N. Sheffield Ave., Chicago
Times: 8 p.m. Thursday to Sunday through Sept. 16
Running time: About two hours, including intermission
Parking: Street parking available
Tickets: $15
Box office: (773) 267-6293 or www.greyzelda.com
Rating: For teens and older

Buy Tickets for the Scarlet Letter Online!

Hey, everyone!

We're opening The Scarlet Letter up tomorrow and have made arrangements to sell tickets online through Theatermania.com if you'd like to purchase them early to assure that you'll have a seat. You can go to the following website to buy them:

http://www.theatermania.com/content/show.cfm/show/122578

The show's rockin' it. The actors look gorgeous in their costumes, Heath's lighting is starting to illuminate the billowing white curtains, Miranda Sex Garden sounds awesome in StageLeft's speakers, etc, etc, etc. I think you'll really enjoy yourselves.

We're having a Preview for a few audience members this evening and are considering tonight our final dress, so hopefully everything will come together in one fell swoop.

The Jeff Committee is coming tomorrow to adjudicate the show for possible Jeff recommendations which would be incredibly exciting. This is the first time GreyZelda's been eligible for consideration and we're hoping for the best.

We'll have quite a few reviewers there on Saturday evening . .. if you haven't ever witnessed many reviewers showing up to the same place at the same time, please try to do so. It's more entertaining the show half the time! =)

So, come see, come see!

www.greyzelda.com

White Chicago

I hope you all have read Timeout Chicago's new article about how bleached the Chicago theatre scene is. It's food for thought. Food even for action.

GreyZelda's angle and experience with this issue is as follows: We are non-discriminatory when it comes to casting. We always cast the person that deserves a part, not based upon skin color, but based on their understanding, commitment, and intuitive taking to a character. Even for Desire Under the Elms, a play entirely about a family, if we had had another race besides the sea of Caucasions beat the pants of someone else for a role, we would have cast that person hands down. We wouldn't think twice about it. And we did, as a matter of fact.

. . . . You know what's funny? I've written several statements about casting someone other than a white person down and then promptly deleted them. Why? I think I'm scared of what you might think. Of your judgements of my phrasing. Of you thinking I don't know what the hell I'm talking about. And I think that's one of the main problems. One of the reasons why this doesn't get discussed more. As a white person, I don't want to offend.

I've got opinions on the race issue in Chicago but do you think I'm qualified to say them?

This is something that needs to be talked about.

Discuss freely . . .

The Black Forest

When the clouds go vertical, you know that something's brewing. A witch's salve with a touch of nightshade peppered with flabby leaves found under stumps with white slugs burrowing for darkness.

The salve is applyed with gentle death onto the eyelids. A crone in a girl's frock creating the evening whimsies that rock and cut. Slicing letters through hearts. Weaving stories through thread. Shouting through the hump. The disease. Fiends arise.

Under the croak of summer. The cloak of secrets. The petty wants and fretting needs. A twisted hand reaches from the gravestone.

The Scarlet Letter by Nathanial Hawthorne
Adapted by the GreyZelda Theatre Group
Preview - August 9, 2006
Opens - August 10, 2006 and will run Wednesdays through Sundays at StageLeft Theatre
3408 N. Sheffield

Call 773-267-6293 for reservations.

Results of GreyZelda's fundraiser at Four Moon Tavern

This picture is of our friend, Corey Bicanich. More news to come at the end of this post.

A huge Thank you to everyone who attended our fundraiser last night. And a gigantic Hip Hip Hooray to Meredith Lyons, GreyZelda's new marketing director, for organizing everything. She did a wonderful job. She hit the streets and got restaurants and theatre companies to donate gift certificates and tickets. We also had donation of gum from Wrigley and Stacie Barra, original artwork donated by Sarah Stec, and beautiful watches donated by Meredith.

For those of you theatre companies that wonder about doing a fundraiser at Four Moon Tavern - here's how it works:

We were able to hold our event from 6pm to 8pm. If sales equaled $1000.00 in that timeframe, GreyZelda would received 25% of the sales. If we didn't total $1000.00, we would have gotten nothing. Puts the pressure on. And we reached the goal and then some thanks to everyone who came and ate and drank amongst good friends.

The total for the evening was $771.00. Which is great! That money could pay for a week at StageLeft! It helps with costume rental prices! Printing paper for the programs! Buying food and drink for our theatre Thursday event on August 31st! Incredible. Thank you so much for helping us out, everyone.

I'd have a fundraiser every day at Four Moon if I could. It was a great evening. Good conversations. Wonderful food. A pleasant temperature. And doing it all for the greatest theatre company I know, GreyZelda.

And, in other equally remarkable news, our friend in Morgantown, Corey Bicanich, is speaking. Some of you know that he suffered through a horrible car accident and has been slowly recovering for months. We received a call right before the fundraiser from his sister, Aimee, saying that he's starting to speak. Incredible! That's our man, Corey!

The time is getting closer . . .

What a lovely Saturday.

The coartistic directors of GreyZelda - Lady Crow and the Olde Gentleman, who Crow calls Mulch - will not be doing anything today. Lady Crow has been consumed with directing the Scarlet Letter and sincerely looks forward to a day of nothing. Nothing normally constitutes tv, dart throwing, listening to music, talking, and making tasty food at home.

On Monday, we'll start putting the scenes together and seeing where we are with everything. The curtains have been hung, Mulch and Heath will be painting and weathering tomorrow, the costumes are starting to come together, we've received the promotional postcards and banner that we'll hang o'er StageLeft. We're receiving reservations already, which is grand.

We're excited to share this show with you.

What else? GreyZelda will be renting their rehearsal space to the Promethean Theatre in August and Greasy Joan in September. We'll be happy to host them and wish them successful rehearsals. We're currently renting to the improv folks producing Adventures in Comedy so go see it.

Lady Crow and Sir Mulch went to see GI's in Europe last night. Stacie Barra, Scarlet Letter's assistant director, was in it, as was her man Friday, Anthony. We later headed over to Chief O'Neill's where we shared stories and booze with our pals Ben Veatch, his lady, Anne, Stacie, Anthony, Missy, Eric and his wife whose name I can't remember at the moment and I apologize. Met some new folks. Met the guy on Wild Chicago. 'Twas fun. Good place to hang if you're over by Prop Theatre.

Again, have an exquisite Saturday.

Take care,
Lady Crow

Daily affirmation . . .

Yes, it's already been posted, but . . .

Read It Again

Once a day with your multivitamin will do wonders.

Desiderata

Go placidly amid the noise and haste,
and remember what peace there may be in silence.
As far as possible without surrender
be 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 disenchantment
it 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.

www.theatreinchicago.com

I love this site. It's really comprehensive and has a great layout.

And, The Scarlet Letter was mentioned! So, even better.

You can check it out at:

theatreinchicago.com/news.php?articleID=118

While you're hanging around there, feel free to check out their Review Roundup and other shows mentioned.

Take care,
Lady Crow

GreyZelda Myspace Site

There will be blogs available here as well.

www.myspace.com/greyzelda

Scarlet Photos

We had a photo shoot in the afternoon of July 4th with Kim Katona, Meredith Lyons, Missy Styles, and the Mulch man. Meredith and her landlord graciously let her use the backyard, which set a perfect garden background. The ladies look beautiful. Missy is Hester Prynne and Meredith is Little Pearl. The makeshift costumes look alright, as well. You might remember them from One Flea Spare. They've been waiting for another opportunity to show themselves and jumped at the chance when it was offered. I kind of like Pearl wearing that dress . . . we will see, we will see. Stacie is the main girl with costumes, so we'll discuss and go from there.

Rehearsal is going well. We've had to improvise a bit because actors have been sick or working or seeing good music or this and that. We're doing alright, though. Chris pointed out that I've scheduled with some give time to accomodate potential cancellations, but after this week, we won't be able to continue doing that, as we're moving into piecing the scenes together.

We had a great rehearsal last night working a couple of the major movement sequences at the beginning of each acts and trying to figure out how to drape the curtains. Heath and Chris will be purchasing and constructing the curtains this weekend, so we'll have them to rehearse with on Monday night. Cool. Should be very fun figuring out interesting layouts. Chris will need to be there with us on Monday and Tuesday to assist with manipulations of the fabric, so that will be fun showing him this and that. I've told him about the different scenes we've worked on and explored, but I prefer showing the work as words can't begin to describe some of the gorgeousness the actors have come up with. Collaboration and creation are two of my favorite things and we've got them working for us each night.

So, that's where we are right now. We should be getting the postcards soon to start spreading the word. Meredith has been great at brainstorming for our fundraiser on July 23rd at Four Moon Tavern. We'll get a percentage of their sales. It's a quick and painless fundraiser, but a little bit goes a long way.

Rock and roll. Hope you're all doing well.

Crow

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