CAROLINA FOREST HIGH SCHOOL PRESENTS

Book by Doug
Wright
Music by
Scott Frankel
Lyrics by
Michael Korie
Based on the
film Grey
Gardens by
David
Maysles,
Albert
Maysles, Ellen
Hovde, Muffie
Mayer and
Susan
Froemke

STUDY
GUIDE
Prepared by
Carolina
Forest High
School
Performing
Arts
Department
Based on the
Disney Study Guide

Welcome
Carolina Forest High School presents
Grey Gardens the musical
March 4-7

Purchase Tickets online at www.greygardensinfo.com

“In a statement released today, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis confirmed that her eighty-year-old aunt, Mrs. Edith
Bouvier Beale, and her adult daughter Edie are living in squalid conditions in an East Hampton estate known as
“Grey Gardens.” The house that once played host to Howard Hughes and the Rockefellers is now a refuge for
fifty-two stray cats, a few rabid raccoons, and its two reclusive inhabitants, all living in an environment the
Health Department calls “unfit for human habitation.”
--Grey Gardens, Prologue

How did these two women with such wealth and promise come to such ruins? Why did no one help? What led
them to this point? Grey Gardens the musical takes the audience on a heartfelt journey through the lives of Mrs.
Edith Bouvier Beale, and her daughter “Little” Edie Beale. Not only it is amazing to think that such characters
actually existed, but the historical connections in the show and in their lives are extraordinary. As a teacher, I
am excited about the educational experience that this show creates for many of our students. There is so much
history and literature integrated into the show. At Carolina Forest High School, we strive to bring you
“Broadway” level performances, and provide our students with opportunities to excel in all areas. We hope that
you will find this study guide to be a useful source in relating the educational aspects of Grey Gardens to your
students.

Kelly Hall
Theatre Teacher
Carolina Forest High School

A Note from the Director

My name is Wayne Canady; I want to take this opportunity to announcing the spring, 2010 musical, Grey
Gardens. I hope you will find the study guide to be a valuable tool in preparation for viewing this wonderful
stage production.

I am delighted to report that last year, our production of "CATS" was an unprecedented success. Our theatre
students performed to 13 sell out shows. The sets were awesome, the costumes were perfect, and lighting and
technical theatre students performed at their very best. The live orchestra, featuring many of our own student
musicians, was exquisite. The entire show was just a phenomenal experience for all involved, especially me! In
my 27 years of theatrical productions, I believe this one was the best so far... We had so many positive
comments after the show from folks who saw the show on Broadway, and even in the original show in London.
They all agreed that we performed on a par with the professionals, some said even better. Now that's some high
praise indeed!

2
Having said all of that, the wheels have been put in motion for another monumental production, Grey Gardens.
We are extremely excited about this musical, and will be working to make this performance as enjoyable and
memorable as last year's performance.

As you review our website and study guide, we hope that you will take a moment to let us know who you are.
We want to contact you and make you aware of all of our upcoming performances. We have a large group of
talented young people at Carolina Forest. I am convinced that a few of our current students will be performing
on Broadway one day soon, if not, they have had the experience of what it is like to be a performer on
Broadway. We hold the bar extremely high for our young performers, and they never disappoint, that's
for sure.

We are so fortunate that in our school district, we are able to offer our children a chance to learn about the stage,
theatre, music, and art in the public school system. Theatre, show choir, band, orchestra, art, broadcasting, and
technical theatre -- we have it all in our curriculum at Carolina Forest High School. We hope that you will make
plans to attend some of many upcoming performances that we offer during the school year. After you review
the study guide and web site information tell your friends about Grey Gardens, and we look forward to seeing
you at the show in your red shoes!

Wayne Canady
Director

Table of Contents

Page 5……………………………………….Who is Little Edie?

Page 8……………………………………….The Back story

Page 10…………………………………..….Awards and Nominations

Page 11…………………………………..….Meet the Characters

Page 11…………………………………..….Class Projects in Characterization

Page 13…………………………………..….Class Projects: WHO

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Page 19…………………………………..…. Class Projects: WHAT

Page 22…………………………………..…. Class Projects: WHEN

Page 23…………………………………..…. Class Projects: WHERE

Page 24…………………………………..…. Class Projects: WHY

Page 26…………………………………..….Discussion Topics

Page 27…………………………………..….Puzzles and Games

Page 30…………………………………..….Art and Grey Gardens

Page 31…………………………………..….Useful Link and Resources

Page 33…………………………………..….Additional Reading and Published Quotes

Who is "Little" Edie?

What comes to mind when you think of Edie Beale? Dancer. Singer.
Actress. Model. Poet. Debutante. Fashionista. Visionary.
Philosopher. Revolutionary. Defiant iconoclast. Staunch character.

"Little" Edie Beale was born in Manhattan on November 7, 1917. The

daughter of Edith Bouvier and Phelan Beale, Edie grew up living the
privileged lifestyle that her wealthy family could afford. She was
practically attached at her mother's hip, accompanying Edith to lady's
luncheons and high society functions.

She attended the Spence School, a private school for the wealthy, located
in New York until her mother mysteriously took her out - apparently for a
respiratory illness. She was kept out of the school for two years (during
the age of eleven and twelve), but accompanied her mother to movies and
plays nearly every day.

4
In 1935 she graduated from Miss Porter's School, a highly-selective
finishing school for ladies, located in Farmington, Connecticut. She had
her debutante debut (a formal introduction to society) at the Pierre Hotel
on Fifth Avenue, New York on New Year's Day in 1936. She socialized
at the Maidstone Club, the first private sports club in East Hampton, Long
Island.

A tall, blue-eyed blonde with a superb figure, John Davis, Bouvier

family historian, said Edie was one of the reigning beauties of East
Hampton society, "surpassing even the dark charm of [her cousin]
Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy." She was known around town as
"Body Beautiful Beale" and had a steady following of beaus. To
the dismay of her father, she dabbled in professional modeling.
One of her photos was displayed in the studio window of famed
photographer Louis Bachrach; Phelan Beale reportedly smashed
the window in anger. Another photo hung unauthorized in the
Macy's elevator in Manhattan.

Though never married, it is believed that she had proposals from

Joe Kennedy, Jr. and J. Paul Getty. She even dated jetsetters like
Howard Hughes. Her one true love was Julius Krug, former
Secretary of Interior. Her mother apparently scared off every
suitor Edie ever had for fear that she would one day be left alone
with no one to care for her. From 1947 to 1952 she lived at the
Barbizon Hotel for Women, one of the earliest residential housing
alternatives for young women moving to New York City to take
advantage of professional opportunities. Codes of conduct and
dress were enforced, no men were allowed above the lobby floor,
and prospective tenants needed three letters of recommendation to
be considered residency. Edie hoped to land her "big break" in
show business while in the city. Max Gordon, the successful
Broadway producer, saw potential in Edie and invited her to
audition for the Theatre Guild that summer. To her dismay, she
was forced to return to Grey Gardens before that chance came; her
mother could no longer afford to send her grocery money and Edie
had no legitimate way of supporting herself.

From 1947 to 1952 she lived at the Barbizon Hotel for Women, one of the earliest residential housing
alternatives for young women moving to New York City to take advantage of professional opportunities. Codes
of conduct and dress were enforced, no men were allowed above the lobby floor, and prospective tenants
needed three letters of recommendation to be considered residency. Edie hoped to land her "big break" in show
business while in the city. Max Gordon, the successful Broadway producer, saw potential in Edie and invited
her to audition for the Theatre Guild that summer. To her dismay, she was forced to return to Grey Gardens
before that chance came; her mother could no longer afford to send her grocery money and Edie had no
5
legitimate way of supporting herself.

On July 29, 1952 Edie returned to East Hampton to live with her mother at Grey Gardens. As famously
portrayed in the Maysles documentary, the pair would have daily routines of quarrels, reminiscences,
reconciliations, and (yes!) singing. Edie lived proudly in abject poverty and filth amongst cats and raccoons at
the crumbling manor until her mother passed away in 1977.

Edie inherited Grey Gardens from her mother, but little else (she, nor her mother, ever received a penny from
the Grey Gardens documentary). In order to pay the real estate and inheritance taxes on the house, she
auctioned a large collection of sterling silver pieces including a 195-piece set of Gorham flatware given to her
mother as a wedding gift.
After 25 years of practicing her dance routines and honing her voice under the watchful eye of her mother, Edie
would now finally have her chance to shine in front of an audience - at the age of 60. She was offered an eight-
show stint (January 10-14, 1978) performing in the Paradise Room of Reno Sweeny, a Greenwich Village
cabaret in New York. Patrons paid $7.50 a piece to watch Edie sing, dance, and answer questions from the
audience - all while wearing a patch over one eye (she had cataract surgery only two weeks before). She was
also reportedly asked to perform at a club in London, and to record an album. Those two propositions never
materialized, though.

On the day after her final performance at Reno Sweeney, Edie was driven back home to Grey Gardens. She
lived there for two more years with only five of the original cats (the rest were given up for adoption after her
mother died). She eventually sold the home for $220,000 under the assumed condition that the new owners
would not demolish it. She left behind many mementos in the attic including old letters, silver and china,
furniture, books, and figurines.

Little Edie moved around quite a bit after leaving Grey Gardens (taking two favorite cats along with her). She
initially moved to a rental cottage in South Hampton, New York, then to a small apartment in New York City
from 1980-1983. She relocated to Florida, then briefly resided in Montreal, Canada during the mid-1990's. She
briefly stayed with relatives in Oakland, California until she moved to an apartment in Bal Harbour, Florida in
1997. She lived out her final days there, swimming almost every day, until her death on January 14, 2002 at the
age of 84. She had not owned a cat in five years.
Edie was recognized in a video montage memorializing members of the film industry who died over the past
year during the 2002 Academy Awards.

Little has been reported about Edie's death. Her nephew and executor of her estate, Bouvier Beale, Jr., says the
Dade County coroner attributed the death to a heart attack or stroke resulting from arteriosclerosis (thickening
and stiffening of the artery walls from too much pressure). She appeared to have been dead for five days, and
was only discovered after a concerned fan notified the apartment office that he could not reach her by phone.

Little Edie reportedly said that she did not want to be buried near her mother, though it is believed that part of
her ashes were spread at the Bouvier family plot and in the Atlantic Ocean. She was later memorialized with a
grave marker beside her brother, “Buddy,” at Locust Valley Cemetery in Long Island . The marker is inscribed
with her quote, "I CAME FROM GOD. I BELONG TO GOD. IN THE END - I SHALL RETURN TO GOD."

6
7
The Musical "Grey Gardens"

The Musical is Grey Gardens, March 4-7, 2010 at

CFHS. For more information and to purchase tickets
for this year's show at CFHS go to our Web site for
our show.... www.greygardensinfo.com The musical
opened on Broadway in 2006 and was nominated
during the 2007 Tony Awards for ten awards and
won three. Time Magazine proclaimed it the Best
New Musical of 2006. It is our pleasure to continue
bringing quality theatre to our Carolina Forest High
School family, community, and loyal patrons
reaching in new and exciting directions.

The story
Grey Gardens is a musical with book by Doug Wright, music by Scott Frankel, and lyrics by Michael Korie, based
on the 1975 documentary of the same title about the lives of Edith Ewing Bouvier Beale ("Big Edie") and her
daughter Edith Bouvier Beale ("Little Edie") by Albert and David Maysles. The Beales were Jacqueline Kennedy's
aunt and cousin, respectively. Set at Grey Gardens, the Bouviers' mansion in East Hampton, New York, the musical
tracks the progression of their lives from their original status as rich and socially polished aristocrats to their
eventual largely isolated existence in a home overridden by cats and cited for repeated health code violations.
However, its more central purpose is to untangle the complicated dynamics of their dysfunctional mother/daughter
relationship. The show takes place in two acts, the first of which is a speculative take on what their lives might have
been like in their glory days and the second of which hews closely to the 1975 documentary in its portrayal of their
lives in later years. In the first act, which takes place in 1941, Little Edie is 24 and Big Edie is 47; in the second act,
taking place in 1973, Little Edie is 56 and Big Edie is 79. The same actress who plays Big Edie in the first act plays
Little Edie in the second act.

Factual Background used in Grey Gardens

8
 Despite the decrepid state of the 28-room mansion in which the destitute Edith Bouvier Beale and her daughter
"Little" Edie lived with dozens of cats and more than a few raccoons, these loopy ladies were scrappy enough to
make their story more interesting to the Maysles brothers than that of the rest of the family. (It was their cousin Lee
Radziwill who contacted the brother about making a film about the Bouvier family).
Edie Bouvier Beale was in actuality a frustrated professional singer, who in deference to her conservative husband,
limited herself to living room concerts. Like the Edith of the musical she did have a live-in accompanist named
George Gould Strong (about whose later years nothing is known) and even when not concertizing, the ladies of the
house were known to burst into a Cole Porter song at the drop of a hat. Beale did, as per the letter at the end of the
first act, obtain a Mexican divorce which yielded no alimony. That, combined with her being disinherited by her
father, accounted for the lack of funds to maintain Grey Gardens or anything resembling her former life style. She
died in 1977, after falling off a wobbly chest of drawers.
What about Jacqueline Kennedy and the destitute Beales? Though Kennedy didn't appear in the Maysles film she is
said to have visited her aunt occasionally and provided enough financial help to satisfy the board of health
grievances.
In the 1940s Edie Bouvier Beale was a prominent and much sought after debutante, whose suitors included the
Rockefeller Brother and J. Paul Getty. She actually was nicknamed "Body Beautiful Beale" (per one of the songs)
after her bathing suit came undone mid-dive at East Hampton's posh Maidstone Club. She really was engaged to
Joe Kennedy Jr. but Doug Wright's presentation of how the engagement ended is as credible a scenario as anyone
has come up with. The mother and daughter love-hate relationship depicted in songs like "Mother, Darling", and
"Peas in a Pod" serve as an apt precursor to the later years of dysfunctional and oddly loving togetherness captured
in the documentary.
While Edie never achieved the career to which she aspired, the film gave her a degree of fame as an influential
fashionista. Well known designers like John Bartlett, Todd Oldham and Calvin Klein declared her extraordinary
way of assembling various mismatched garments into what she called her "revolutionary costumes" as trendsetting
fashion statements. Small wonder that Christine Ebersole's "The Revolutionary Costume for Today" in her first
number as little Edie at age 57 is the musical's super show stopper. The real " little" Edie tried to capitalize on the
documentary's fate with a short-lived night club singing act. After her mother died, she moved to Miami Beach
where she died in 2002.
A second act character, a young caretaker named Jerry who's played by Matt Cavanaugh, is like his Joe Kennedy
Jr. of the first act, based on a real young man named Jerry Torre. The Grey Garden ladies really did nickname name
him for Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Marble Faun (which graces the Playbill cover). The film makers looked for
Torre for years, but he wasn't discovered until years after the film came out (driving a taxi). There's an article, The
Marble Faun, in the March 6th issue of the New Yorker which includes some of his recollection of the Edies and
his reaction to seeing a preview of the musical.
Grey Gardens, the Musical is not the final chapter in the social register cat ladies saga. A film which followed
starred Drew Barrymore and Jessica Lange.

Sincerely,

Wayne Canady & Kraig McBroom, CFHS Fine Arts Department

9
 Awards and Nominations

Tony Awards
Nomination/Best Musical
Nomination/Best Book of a Musical
Nomination/Best Original Score
Win/Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical (Christine Ebersole)
Win/Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Musical (Mary Louise Wilson)
Nomination/Best Scenic Design of a Musical (Allen Moyer)
Win/Best Costume Design of a Musical (William Ivey Long)
Nomination/Best Lighting Design of a Musical (Peter Kaczorowski)
Nomination/Best Direction of a Musical (Michael Greif)
Nomination/Best Orchestration (Bruce Coughlin)
Drama Desk Awards
Nomination/Outstanding Musical
Win/Outstanding Actress in a Musical (Christine Ebersole)
Nomination/Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical (John McMartin)
Nomination/Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical (Mary Louise Wilson)
Nomination/Outstanding Director of a Musical (Michael Greif)
Nomination/Outstanding Music (Scott Frankel)
Nomination/Outstanding Lyrics (Michael Korie)
Nomination/Outstanding Book of a Musical (Doug Wright)
Nomination/Outstanding Orchestrations (Bruce Coughlin)
Nomination/Outstanding Set Design of a Musical (Allen Moyer)
Nomination/Outstanding Costume Design (William Ivey Long)
Nomination/Outstanding Sound Design (Brian Ronan)
Outer Critics Circle Awards
Win/Outstanding Off-Broadway Musical
Nomination/Outstanding New Score
Win/Outstanding Actress in a Musical (Christine Ebersole)
Win/Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical (Mary Louise Wilson)
Nomination/Outstanding Direction of a Musical (Michael Greif)
Nomination/Outstanding Set Design (Allen Moyer)
Nomination/Outstanding Costume Design (William Ivey Long)
Drama League Awards
Nomination/Distinguished Production of a Musical
Win/Distinguished Performance (Christine Ebersole)
Nomination/Distinguished Performance (Mary Louise Wilson)
New York Drama Critics Circle Awards
Win/Special Citation to Christine Ebersole
Theatre World Award
Win/Erin Davie
Grammy Award
Nomination 2008 Best Musical Show Album

Meet the Characters

10
 Edith Bouvier Beale: mother and original owner of Grey Gardens

“Little” Edith Beale: daughter of Edith Bouvier Beale

George Gould Strong: Edith’s accompanist and close companion

Brooks, Sr.: the butler

Jacqueline “Jackie” Bouvier: Edie’s younger cousin, becomes Jacqueline Kennedy

Onassis

Lee Bouvier: Edie’s younger cousin

Joseph Patrick Kennedy, Jr.: Edie’s fiancée, inspires to be a senator and U.S.
president

J.V. “Major” Bouvier: Edith’s father

Jerry: a teenager who does handy work at Grey Gardens

Norman Vincent Peale: host of a radio show called “The Positive Prayer Hour”

Brooks, Jr.: takes care of the yard at Grey Gardens

Class Projects
Bring Grey Gardens to Life!

Note to teachers: In the following pages, you’ll find interactive lessons that span across the curriculum. The
lessons cover subject areas such as Language Arts, History, Theatre, Visual Arts, Music, and Dance. These lessons
are designed to help your students think about the show while learning key curricular skills. We hope that you will
find these activities as useful resources in your classroom.

A good way to analyze any story is through the 5 W’s:

WHO (Character) WHERE (Setting)
Who are the different characters? Where does the story take place?

WHAT (Plot) WHY (Theme)

What happens to the characters during the story? Why do the characters act as they do?

WHEN (Setting)
When during the year does the story take place? What
historical time periods are covered?

WHO
Who is the leading character?

11
Throughout the story, you are drawn into the world of Edith Beale and her daughter “Little” Edie Beale. You
are captured into their past, present, and future. But who are these women?

• Who do you believe is the leading character and why?

• Write ten words describing the leading character’s appearance.

1._____________________________________
2._____________________________________
3._____________________________________
4._____________________________________
5._____________________________________
6._____________________________________
7._____________________________________
8._____________________________________
9._____________________________________
10.____________________________________

• Both Edith and Edie have a distinct personality. It is their unique personality that makes them so
fascinating to watch. Write ten words that you feel describe the personality and emotion of the lead
character.

1._____________________________________
2._____________________________________
3._____________________________________
4._____________________________________
5._____________________________________
6._____________________________________
7._____________________________________
8._____________________________________
9._____________________________________
10.____________________________________

• How does their personality and emotion change throughout the story?

Variations
Students can use these adjectives to write a one paragraph description of Tarzan.

Learning Objectives
English/Language Arts: Students will provide details of characters
Students will write in response to literature
WHO
Who are the other characters?
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 • Imagine that you are directing Grey Gardens. As a director, you must know who each character is, in
order to cast the show and to inform each actor of their character. For each character below write three
adjectives. Then, with your three adjectives create a descriptive sentence about each character.
George Gould Strong
1._____________________________________
2._____________________________________
3._____________________________________
_____________________________________
_____________________________________
_____________________________________
Jacqueline “Jackie” Bouvier
1._____________________________________
2._____________________________________
3._____________________________________
_____________________________________
_____________________________________
_____________________________________
Joseph Patrick Kennedy, Jr.
1._____________________________________
2._____________________________________
3._____________________________________
_____________________________________
_____________________________________
_____________________________________
Lee Bouvier
1._____________________________________
2._____________________________________
3._____________________________________
_____________________________________
_____________________________________
WHO
13
J.V. “Major” Bouvier
1._____________________________________
2._____________________________________
3._____________________________________
_____________________________________
_____________________________________
_____________________________________
Jerry
1._____________________________________
2._____________________________________
3._____________________________________
_____________________________________
_____________________________________
_____________________________________
Variations:
How would the characters describe each other?
For example: In Act II, Scene 7 Edith is describing
Gould. She says that Gould “was the most brilliant
man I’ve ever met, that includes Mr. Beale and Mr.
Bouvier! Completely Brilliant”.
Learning Objectives
English/Language Arts:
Students will provide details of characters
Students will write in response to literature
Journal Writing

As Grey Gardens illustrates, people see the world from different points of view. Below are various events that
occurred throughout the story. These events are also historical, meaning that it is a real-life past event. Use the
spaces below each character’s name to write a journal entry of how you think the character might view one of
the events. What might each character think about what happened? Do all the characters feel the same way
about the event? How are they alike and different?

Events:

• The Stock Market Crash of 1929

• Eddie’s engagement to Joseph Patrick Kennedy

• Jacqueline becomes First Lady

• Edith and her daughter are ordered to clean up or be evicted

• John F. Kennedy’s assassination in 1963

“Little” Edie:
_________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________
_____

Edith
_________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________
_____

Gould
_________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________

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_________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________
_____

Major Bouvier
_________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________
_____

Jerry
_________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________
_____

Variations
Choose other events.
Perform the journal entries as monologues.

Learning Objectives
English/Language Arts: Students will use literary devices to enhance style and tone.
Students will write in response to literature
Theatre: Students will create characters through improvisation and scripted work.

15
WHO
Interview the Characters

Now, you get the chance to play characters from Grey Gardens while others get to play the interviewer!

• Step 1: Have students write down a question that they would like to ask one of the characters.
Examples: Why did you never leave Grey Gardens? If you had could go anywhere, where would you
go and why? What is the most exciting thing that has ever happened to you?

• Step 2: Collect all questions into a container.

• Step 3: One student sits in the interview chair and gets interview by a reporter. The reporters each get
2-3 questions from the container. The student has to play the character using both their voice and body.
They must pretend to really be the character. Interviewers can take on a character voice or use their own
voice. Once the three questions are asked a new character (student) comes to the interview chair and a
new reporter gets to asks 3 questions. *The papers are put back in the container.

Variations
Reporter has to come up with their own questions on the spot.
Setting could be a television show with more than one character being questioned. This would mean the
characters could interact with each other.

Learning Objectives
English/Language Arts: Students will provide details of characters
Theatre: Students will create characters improvisation and scene work.
Students will learn characterization skills, such as voice, gesture, facial expressions, and movement,
pertaining to a specific character.

WHO
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Costume Design

Create a costume for “Little” Edie.

In Act Two Edie’s wardrobe becomes very eccentric. The real Edie would use all kinds of fabrics and clothing
to create outfits for herself. She would use curtains, bedding, or anything she could find. Create a costume that
you think Edie would wear based on her personality and the time period.

• Research: Find out what types of fabrics were present during the time period that Edie lived in Grey
Gardens. What type of clothing and fabric might Edie have to choose from?

• Character Development: What was Edie like? What types of patterns and colors would reflect her
personality? What was her size and shape? Think about how the other characters describe her?

• Create: Using the research and character development create a costume for Edie. Try to stray away
from what you saw in the show and create something that is your own. Use your imagination. First, do
a few sketches or sample ideas of your design. Next, find fabric swatches that represent the fabrics you
will use in your design. Fabric swatches are small pieces of fabric used to show what the actual costume
will look like. Finally, create a final drawing (this is called a rendering) of your costume with color.

• Presentation: Present your design to your class or group. Tell them what colors, patterns, and fabric
you chose and why you think it represents the character.

Variations
Let students choose a character from Grey Gardens.

Learning Objectives
English/Language Arts: Students will write in response to literature.
Theatre: Students will demonstrate the skills needed for costume design.

WHAT
What happens in Grey Gardens?

17
Plot is the sequence of events that creates the story. Plot or Play Structure is divided into parts. The first part of
the story is called the Exposition. It is where the audience is told the where, when, why, and who of the story.
In other words, they are told the setting, the characters, and what is happening. Then the rising action follows.
This is the sequence of events that leads to the climax of the story. The climax is the turning point of the story.
Next is the falling action, which leads us to the conclusion or resolution. This is the ending or outcome of the
story.

Activity
• As a class, recall the important or main events of Grey Gardens. Once you have recalled the events, put
them in order. Then try to fit them into the basic play structure that is described above. Does Grey
Gardens fit the basic play structure? Why or Why not? Are there other events that we left out that
might fit better? If we rearranged the events, would the story still make sense?

• Next, divide the class into groups and have each of them improvise a part of the story. Put the parts
together and perform them in sequence. Focus on portraying the emotion associated with each scene.

Variations
Discuss the historical events that occur throughout the show and put them in sequence on a timeline.
Discuss how they are integrated into the show and how they relate to Edith’s and Edie’s lives.

Have students create a visual timeline of historical events using pictures from research and from the show.
Have students write paragraphs describing each event and it’s relation to the show.
* See Useful Links and Resources

Create sets of cards with different parts of the story written on them. Have groups of students put the parts
of the story in order.

Have students create a visual diagram showing play structure using quotes and pictures from the show.
*See Useful Links and Resources

Learning Objectives
English/Language Arts: Students will provide details of characters.
Students will demonstrate an understanding of plot and plot structure.
History: Students will relate historical events and their significance in our culture.
Theatre: Students will create characters improvisation and scene work.
Students will learn characterization skills, such as voice, gesture, facial expressions, and movement,
pertaining to a specific character.

WHAT
Graphic Story Telling

Comic books and graphic novels are another way to tell stories. Graphics are also used in movie making. Film
makers use drawings of scenes to plan out a movie and to put various parts of the story in order. These
drawings are arranged on what is called a storyboard.

For this activity, you are going to create your own storyboard based on Grey Gardens.
18
 • First, choose a specific event or scene from the show, and describe it below.

_________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________
_______

• Next, break the event into three parts a beginning, middle, and end.

Beginning
_________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________
_____

Middle
_________________________________________________________________________________________
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_________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________
_____

End
_________________________________________________________________________________________
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_________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________
_____

• Now transform your writing into drawings. Create a drawing to represent the beginning, the middle, and
the end.

Variations

Let students break the scene into smaller parts, creating a larger storyboard or comic strip.
Divide the class into groups and give each group a scene. Have them each draw a part of the story and put it in
sequence on a storyboard.
Put various scenes in a container and let each student draw a scene. Then create a class storyboard or comic
book based on the show. Let the class work together to put parts of the story in sequence.
Students can act out tableaux (frozen pictures) in sequence from the show. As if they were a live storyboard.

Learning Objectives
English/Language Arts: Students will demonstrate basic plot structure.
Visual Arts: Students will use basic drawing techniques to create a series of drawings based on a particular
subject.
Theatre: Students will use basic design elements to create a sequence of events based on a play.

WHAT
Create a radio broadcast or radio show.

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Throughout history, newscasters have played an important role in reporting events to the public. Before
television, people would listen to the radio to hear not only news but stories. In Grey Gardens the audience sees
Edith and her daughter, Edie listening to important events on the radio. In Act Two, Edith and Edie are
listening to Norman Vincent Peale, a protestant preacher. His radio show began in 1935 and lasted for over 50
years. He inspired many people with his ideas of “positive thinking”. He published many inspirational books,
such as The Power of Positive Thinking and Stay Alive All Your Life.

The actors in Grey Gardens use gestures, facial expressions, voice, and movement to portray their characters.
On the radio the actor must rely on their voice to express character and meaning along with sound effects.
Some people were hired as sound effect specialist. Their job was to create all the sound effects for the show.

Activity
As a class create and record a radio show based on Grey Gardens. Use historical events from the show and time
period along with events from the show to create your story.

• First, create a basic script for your show. Make sure you have a beginning, middle, and end. You can
also include breaking news and commercials that fit the time period. Don’t forget to include sound
effects into your show.

• Make a list of all the sound effects needed for the show and ideas for how you are going to create each
sound effect.

• Next, assign roles. Roles can be played by different people or by the same person changing their voice.
Also, assign people to be sound effect specialist and technical crew (to work the sound and recording
equipment).

• Rehearse the script a few times before recording it. You can also add music to enhance or create mood.

Variations
Do research on Norman Vincent Peale and/or other radio shows from the time period. Recreate a radio show
based on one of Peale’s shows or another radio show.
Write newspaper articles based on historical events that are presented in Grey Gardens. Have students read the
articles as if they are a newscaster on a radio show.

Learning Objectives
English/Language Arts: Students will provide details of characters.
Students will demonstrate an understanding of plot and plot structure.
History: Students will relate historical events and their significance in our culture.
Theatre: Students will demonstrate vocal expression through improvised or scripted work.
Students will demonstrate basic sound design and usage.

WHEN
When does the story take place?

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Act One takes places in the summer of 1941. World War I is over, and America is a few years out of the Great
Depression (1929-1939), but still recovering. American is now on the verge of entering World War II. They
will declare war on Japan in December of 1941 following the December 7th attack on Pearl Harbor. Franklin D.
Roosevelt has been re-elected has president, and signed the Lend-Lease Act in March of 1941. He is the only
president to be elected for more than two consecutive terms.

Act Two take places in 1973. Edith and Edie are now living in ruins. Edith has been disinherited by her father,
and the money left by her husband was given to his second wife. They are living in poverty surrounded by cats,
raccoons, trash, food cans, and filth. In 1973, the home was considered “unfit for human habitation” by the
Health Department. So, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis paid to have the home cleaned and decontaminated.

Along with the historical events recalled throughout the show, there are many historical characters that Edith
and Edie associated with. They came into contact with historical characters such as Howard Hughes, the
Rockefellers, Andy Warhol, Joe Kennedy, J. Paul Getty, and Julius Krug.

Activity

• Perform an in depth study of the time period.

• Discuss the parallels between the time period, the show, and the real Edith and Edie Beale. What other
characters might Edith and Edie have come in contact with?

• Discuss how Edith and Edie were affected by the culture during the time they lived. What affect did
they have on their own time period? How might they be perceived in today’s culture? Would living in a
different time period affected their financial status?

Learning Objectives
History: Students will recall and respond to historical events.
Students will compare past events with current events and the difference between fact and fiction.

WHERE
Where does the story take place?

Grey Gardens is the original home of Edith Bouvier Beale and her daughter, “Little” Edie Bouvier Beale. The
real Grey Gardens is still standing. It has been renovated and is still a private home in East Hampton.

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Set Design

• Step One: Research

Use various sources to research the setting.
Source Ideas:
Grey Gardens by HBO Films http://www.hbo.com/films/greygardens/
Grey Gardens, documentary filmed in 1975, directed by David Maysles,
Albert Maysles, Ellen Hovde, Muffie Mayer and Susan Froemke
Online Sources *See Useful Links and Resources
Sears Catalog, 1940s edition, 1970s edition

• Step Two: Create

Divide your class into teams. Give each team a cardboard box for their model You can also hand out
crayons, markers, colored pencils, construction paper, glue, tape, scissors, scrap fabric, modeling clay,
paints. Encourage the students to use their imagination and be creative.

Each team should plan out their ideas on paper first. Then each team should work together to create a
three-dimensional model.

Have each member write an explanation of why they feel their design fits the show or the setting.

• Step Three: Presentation

Each group should present their design explaining how it pertains to the setting. Allow other students to
provide comments or ask questions about the design.

Learning Objectives
English/Language Arts: Students will provide setting details and organize ideas to be presented.
Theatre: Students will demonstrate set design and design elements.

WHY
In musicals, characters often reveal their thoughts and meaning of their actions through song. In Grey Gardens,
the music and lines flow back and forth expressing feelings, emotions, and meaning. Music is used to create
and enhance mood. The music in Grey Gardens was written specifically for the show. Music also played a big
part in Edith’s and Edie’s lives. In Act Two, Scene 5, Edith remarks to Jerry and Edie, “I’m happier when I’m
singing than anything I’ve ever done since I was born”.

Think about each of the songs listed below. Write a brief response to what you believe the character is thinking
and feeling.
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“The Girl Who Has Everything” –Edith
_________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________
_____

“Goin’ Places” –Joe and Edie

_________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________
_____

“The Telegram” –Edie

_________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________
_____

“The Revolutionary Costume for Today” –Edie

_________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________
_____

“Another Winter in a Summer Town” –Edith and Edie

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_________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________
_____

Extension
Compose a piece of music in response to an event from Grey Gardens or from the lives of Edith and Edie Beale.
You can express your song through lyrics, a rap, instruments, or a composition.

Variations
Compose a piece of music that expresses what Edith or Edie feels about an event that occurred during their
lives.
Students can find a song or songs to go with a scene in the show, and write an explanation of why they feel the
song fits the scene.

Learning Objectives
English/Language Arts: Students will express meaning and mood through a writing response.
Music: Students will express the meaning and mood of a piece of music.
Students will compose an original piece of music using elements of music.

Discussion Topics
The affects of culture and times on a person’s perception and beliefs
Does a person’s well-being depend on the culture or the time period? What if Edith and Edie lived in a
different time period? Do you feel they were trapped or held back by society’s rules? Why or Why not?

25
The definition of poverty vs. Aristocracy
What is considered poverty? What is considered aristocracy? Who defines these terms? How wide is the gap
between them? What is the difference between poverty in America and poverty in another country?

Personality Differences/Psychology
What makes a person different? What is considered different in our society? Who do you consider to be
different? Are people afraid of difference? Why or why not?

Edith and Edie

Why did these women live in such ruins? What made them stay? Why didn’t Edie leave? What is so
fascinating about these women? Why do their lives make a good story?

History
What historical events are represented in the show? How are the characters affected by these events? What
other events occurred during the time period? How do you think these events affected the real lives of the
characters?

The Six Degrees of Separation: Edith and Edie

There are many historical figures that came into contact with the Beales. Find and discuss the various historical
links between these figures and the Beales.

Puzzles and Games

Word Find

L Q B K Q E F K S D V G L H R
N I L U H R S E Q M E R D Q E
G V B U S Y R T V A T E V Y I
L M D R B T A U S F P Y N D V
V H M S A P E T U S K G Z P U

26
 L Y T S O H H R E J X A D Z O
D A D B A A U O U Y R R E J B
C C U E M E H S D P R D D J E
W A P P N S L Z B V Y E I R E
P Z T C D N X F C A G N T I L
W O O E R C E B I O N S H E K
N B R O O K S K U A J D R I A
P O K A E K R L E A R K D D I
D H E R Z C D R M O A G X E Y
E N I L E U Q C A J J F F R V

BROOKS BUSTER CATS

EASTHAMPTON EDIE EDITH
FLEAS GOULD GREYGARDENS
JACQUELINE JERRY JOEKENNEDY
LEEBOUVIER LIBRAHUSBAND REDSHOES

Grey Gardens Characters

Unscramble each of the clue words.

Take the letters that appear in the circle boxes and unscramble them for the final message.

27
 Grey Gardens Cross Word

Across
3. Edith's father
7. The home of Edith and Edie Beale
8. The best kind of clothes at the beginning of Act Two
10. The __________ is not an easy man to please.
12. What you can get arrested for wearing in East Hampton on a Thursday
13. What Edith was happiest doing

Down
1. The type of women that Edith and Edie were
2. The food that Edith ate a lot of
4. Who Edie was engaged to
5. Grey Gardens is located in ________
6. The boy who visited and helped Edith and Edie in the 1970s.
7. Edith's accompanist
9. Had a radio show called "The Positive Prayer Hour"
11. Edie's two younger cousins

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Art and Grey Gardens
Andy Warhol, an artist and film maker, is considered a huge contributor and founder to the pop art movement.
He also has various ties to Edith and Grey Gardens. Edie supposedly met Andy Warhol in a night club later in
her life. He owned property in East Hampton. Edie’s cousin, Lee, rented a home on this property while
overseeing renovations to Grey Gardens. Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis also visited Lee during the clean-up of
Grey Gardens. In addition, one of Andy Warhol’s most famous pieces features Marilyn Monroe, who had
scandalous ties to John F. Kennedy.

Our production of Grey Gardens is accompanied by an Art Exhibit featuring artwork by Xris Kessler. Xris
Kessler studied at the Academy of Arts in San Francisco. Because of his outstanding work and potential, he
was sent to Rome to continue his study in art. Kessler is inspired by “pop art” and modern art, culture, and
music. Among his work is a collection that focuses on Edith and Edie. For more information on the artwork of
Xris Kessler go to http://www.xriskessler.com/

Community Watch 2008 by Xris Kessler

Useful Links and Resources

• http://www.broadwayworld.com/videoplay.cfm?id=10733&show=on

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• http://www.greygardens.com/

• http://www.seattleopera.org/bios/index.aspx?name=allen_moyer (Broadway Set Designer)

• http://www.nytimes.com/slideshow/2009/04/16/garden/20090416-greygardens-slideshow_index.html

• http://www.ericmarch.com/gallery/main.php?g2_itemId=165 (Broadway set and portrait pictures)

• http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/sf/inspiration/grey-gardens-set-design-are-you-excited-082141

• http://atlanta.broadwayworld.com/article/Photo_Coverage_Grey_Gardens_Opens_at_Actors_Express_2
0090902

• http://www.curtainup.com/greygardens.html

• http://www.ibdb.com/production.php?id=426592

• http://robertaonthearts.com/id817.html

• http://www.dreamlandnews.com/news/edie_obit.shtml

• http://www.greygardensonline.com/

• http://www.nytimes.com/2006/03/05/theater/newsandfeatures/05mcgr.html?
pagewanted=1&ei=5090&en=e7cd42e2ae3f0870&ex=1299214800&adxnnl=1&partner=rssuserland&e
mc=rss&adxnnlx=1258301331-XVmofRMWkCaiAuicqgfmHA

• http://www.greygardensonline.com/factoids.html

• http://www.life.com/image/72946452/in-gallery/24971

• http://www.greygardensonline.com/books.html

• http://www.gettyimages.com/detail/53076029/Hulton-Archive

• http://greygardensnews.blogspot.com/2009/09/pointclickhome-ponders-and-loves-set.html

• http://greygardensnews.blogspot.com/2008/12/stories-behind-edith-bouvier-beale-life.html

• http://www.guidetomusicaltheatre.com/shows_g/greygardens.html

• http://theerrantaesthete.com/2009/06/25/edith-bouvier-beale-of-grey-gardens/

• http://althouse.blogspot.com/2006/03/grey-gardens-musical.html

• http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/11/18/AR2008111803842.html

• http://greygardenscollections.com/shop/index.php?
main_page=product_info&cPath=23&products_id=374
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 • http://www.greygardensart.com/master/gallery.php

• http://www.islandbreezearts.com/edith_beale_main.html

• http://www.gettyimages.com/detail/53076029/Hulton-Archive

• http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://cache2.asset-cache.net/xc/72946451.jpg%3Fv%3D1%26c
%3DIWSAsset%26k%3D2%26d
%3D21262C6D71DDEC0B0D136090C5E79584&imgrefurl=http://www.gettyimages.com/detail/72946
451/Hulton-
Archive&h=495&w=594&sz=63&tbnid=jqS2g6j2_xVu1M:&tbnh=113&tbnw=135&prev=/images
%3Fq%3Dportrait%2Bof%2Bedith%2Bbouvier
%2Bbeale&hl=en&usg=__VuEKkj8V4VU2YU6lc0w50aEkB64=&ei=4BowS7G2OM2XtgfA39T_CA
&sa=X&oi=image_result&resnum=5&ct=image&ved=0CA8Q9QEwBA

• http://www.yessy.com/brucelennon/ggardens.html

• http://greygardensnews.blogspot.com/ (images)

• http://www.houdoolou.com/Little_Edie.html (t-shirt from block print)

• http://www.cb-pr.com/press/pdfs/Grey%20Gardens%20Short%20Lead%20v4.pdf (TheatreWorks)

• www.greygardensinfo.com Carolina Forest Official Web Site for the Show with Video Clips

• http://www.operahousetheatrecompany.net/?tag=grey-gardens (Ray Kennedy, Wilmington)

• http://stage-directions.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=44&Itemid=1 (W. I. Long -

Costumes for character ideas and concepts)

Additional Reading
• Grey Gardens by Sara Maysles

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 • My Life at Grey Gardens: 13 Months and Beyond by Lois Wright

Edith Bouvier Beale of Grey Gardens: A Life in Pictures by Eva Marie Beale

• MemoraBEALEia: A Private Scrapbook About Edie Beale of Grey Gardens First Cousin To First Lady
Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis by Walter Newkirk

• Letters of Little Edie Beale: Grey Gardens and Beyond by Walter Newkirk

Published Quotes
"To listen to GREY GARDENS is to bring to mind two phrases seldom linked nowadays: ‘Broadway musical'
and ‘artistic integrity.' The songs, with music by Scott Frankel and lyrics by Michael Korie, sustain a level of
refined language and psychological detail as elevated as Stephen Sondheim's. The score is a meticulously
fashioned piece of musical theater that gains in depth the more you listen to it." —NY Times.

"The best musical of the year…GREY GARDENS blooms with creativity…Some of the most tuneful and
moving songs to grace an original musical in years. Dig in and enjoy!" —USA Today.

"GREY GARDENS is the real deal!" —NY Magazine.

"Can a musical be hilarious and heartbreaking at the same time? GREY GARDENS can! Here's that shot in the
arm for theater lovers who've been longing for something bold, haunting and hypnotic to get lost in…Doug
Wright's book is nuanced and compassionate…the original score by Scott Frankel and Michael Korie has the
power to live in your head long after you leave the theater…GREY GARDENS is more than a unique and
unmissable musical: It's a gift." —Rolling Stone.

"Excellent…a darkly thrilling, quirky and heartbreaking musical…Doug Wright's book tells an emotionally
devastating tale of family and freedom. Scott Frankel and Michael Korie's songs are gorgeous—a literate,
emotionally rich score." —NY1 News.

"Best musical of the year…Broadway's most daring new musical…Grade: A!" —Entertainment Weekly.

Faculty of Carolina Forest High School Arts Education

G. Wayne Canady
Department Chairman,
Director of CFHS Theatre Arts Department

32
and Curriculum Specialist

Kraig McBroom
Director of CFHS Choral Music Department

Kelly Hall
CFHS Theatre Arts Department
International Thespian Honor Society Sponsor

Chad Horsley
Director of CFHS Instrumental Music Department

Kristin Hawley
CFHS Visual Arts Department

Jen Seay
CFHS Visual Arts Department

Thomas Mendenhall
CFHS Visual Arts Department

Meghan Bassett
CFHS Visual Arts Department

Administrative Team of Carolina Forest High School

Velna Allen, Principal

Jim Baxley, Assistant Principal

John Washburn, Assistant Principal

Robin Jones, Assistant Principal

Gaye Driggers, Assistant Principal

Maurice Murphy, Assistant Principal

Performing Arts Department

Carolina Forest High School
Myrtle Beach, SC

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