Colored Gray
Book, Music, and Lyrics by
Kelci Ray, Aubrey Severne, and Tyler Thompson
Book, Music, and Lyrics by
Kelci Ray, Aubrey Severne, and Tyler Thompson
Norse Mythology meets the Roaring 20's in this thrilling new musical. As the gods try to drown out the memories of the war, Odin is obsessed with finding more wisdom from Mimir's Well down on earth. Jazzy, emotional, and throught-provoking this new musical takes Norse Mythology to places it's never been.
The story of Colored Gray stemmed from a singular myth. There are countless versions of the myth of Odin loosing his eye, and this is only one of many which we used as a basis for our story:
Odin’s quest for wisdom is never-ending, and he is willing to pay any price, it seems, for the understanding of life’s mysteries that he craves more than anything else. On one occasion, he hanged himself, wounded himself with his spear, and fasted from food and drink for nine days and nights in order to discover the runes.
On another occasion, he ventured to Mimir’s Well - or Mimsbrunner - amongst the roots of the world-tree Yggdrasil. There dwelt Mimir, a shadowy being whose knowledge of all things was practically unparalleled among the inhabitants of the cosmos. He achieved this status largely by taking his water from the well, whose waters impart this cosmic knowledge.
When Odin arrived, he asked Mimir for a drink from the water.
The well’s guardian, knowing the value of such a draught, refused unless the seeker offered an eye in return. Odin – whether straightaway or after anguished deliberation, we can only wonder – gouged out one of his eyes and dropped it into the well. Having made the necessary sacrifice, Mimir dipped his horn into the well and offered the now-one-eyed god a drink.
Colored Gray is based in Norse Mythology, and while it is set in the Roaring 20's there are many references to mythological information. Here are some of our favorite gems of information from this mystical mythology!
A Word on Odin:
In Norse Mythology, Odin is the king of the gods and is known as the god of wisdom, death, royalty, the gallows, knowledge, war, battle, victory, sorcery, poetry, and the runic alphabet. He is a fascinating character in Norse mythology, frequently abandoning his people to go on long solitary quests entirely in his own self interest.
A Word on Valkyries:
A valkyrie ("chooser of the slain") is one of a host of female figures who guide the souls of deceased Nordic soldiers in one of two paths. Selecting among half of those who die in battle go to Fólkvangr, Freyja's afterlife, the other half go to Gods hall called Valhalla. There, the deceased warriors become einherjar (Old Norse "single (or once) fighters"). When the einherjar are not preparing for the events of Ragnarök, the valkyries bear them mead. Valkyries also appear as lovers of heroes and other mortals, where they are sometimes described as the daughters of royalty, sometimes accompanied by ravens and sometimes connected to swans or horses. The valkyries are said to be Odin's servents and it is likely that he bestowed upon them the power to fulfill their duties as choosers of the slain. In relation to the 1920's this is a very large part of the story. With world war one having just ended, the valkeries have recently been through a lot. Some of the people that they have grown to love were not able to be saved in battle due to the number of deaths. The valkyries carry a heavy burden. Hildr, the prominent valkyrie in our show carries a very heavy burden as she also spends a lot of time in Asgard and has to witness the Asgardians drinking thier lives away.
A Word on Nixies:
The Nixie, Nixy, Nix, Näcken, Nicor, Nøkk, or Nøkken are humanoid, and often shapeshifting water spirits in Germanic mythology and of folklore.
Under a variety of names, they were common to the stories of all Germanic peoples, although they are perhaps best known from Scandinavian folklore. In our story, the Nixies keep Mimir company at the well of wisdom.
A Word on Asgard:
One of the nine worlds, Asgard is the home of the God's and Goddesses. In our story, it takes form as a club in which the upper-class can party.
A Word on Midgard:
Another of the nine worlds, Midgard is another word for earth. It is the home to all the mortals. In our story it lies in ruin and ash after the war. It is a dreary place where it is always overcast but never rains. A land of dry cracked earth, and trees burnt and stiff.
A Word on Odin's Pets:
Odin rode on a flying, eight-legged steel horse called Sleipnir. The ravens Huginn (thought) and Muninn (memory) were Odin’s companions. They traveled across the Nine Worlds in Norse cosmology and returned to their master’s shoulder with tales of what they saw. He also had two wolves: Geri and Freki.
The Roarin' 20's!
The 1920's is a fascinating pocket of time because it sits right between World War One and the Great Depression. It was a lively and exciting time. In our show we represent the higher class as the Asgardians who have the money and ability to party and dance their lives away. We contrast this with the lower class represented by the earthens. They are a working class who can't afford to lead a life of partying.
The Charleston is a huge part of the dancing culture of the 1920's, quickly becoming extremely popular. And due to it's popular music style, the 1920's are also called The Jazz Age.
The Jazz Age brought about a rapid industrialization in the period between world wars. The industrial advances made in this decade are the foundation to many of the forms of entertainment that we have and love today. From Cars, to movies with sound, the 1920's was an extremely important time for the world to grow and change. To move forward and advance.
Workshop Production June 10-11, 2022
Redding Performing Arts Center, Redding, CA
CREW:
Produced and Directed by Tyler Thompson and Aubrey Severne
Music Direction by Tyler Thompson
Choreographed by Aubrey Severne, Sandra Smith, and Alan Thompson
Written and Composed by Kelci Ray, Aubrey Severne, and Tyler Thompson
Orchestrations by Tyler Thompson
Stage Managed by Allison Smyrnos
Set Design by Tyler Thompson, Nate Thompson, and Aubrey Severne
Lighting Design by Brandon Baumann
Light Board by Megan Madsen
Sound Design by Kelci Ray
Costume Design by Aubrey Severne, Tyler Thompson, and Julie Smyrnos
Props by Sandra Smith, Whitney Hathaway, and Paivi Flannery
CAST:
Act I
Odin - Owen Severne
Heimdall - Paivi Flannery
Freya - Shelli Thompson
Frey - Alan Thompson
Loki - Tyler Thompson
Sif - Sophia Hathaway
Hildr - Whitney Hathaway
Idunn - Iris Severne
Sigyn - Milena Holl
Tyr - Cooper Thompson
Mani - Logan Mitchell
Sol - Mikaela Holl
Valkyries - Sandra Smith, and Aubrey Severne
Act II
Aren - Aubrey Severne
Fell - Emme Flannery
Mimir - Sandra Smith
Gudrid - Milena Holl
Lif - Mikaela Holl
Kelda - Emery Madsen
Dag - Scott Thompson
Lifthrasir - Blake Madsen
Nixies - Alan Thompson, Sophia Hathaway, Logan Mitchell, and Iris Severne
Earthans - Iris Severne, Shelli Thompson, Alan Thompson, Cooper Thompson, and Marc Thompson