Work? Work? Do the work? Work was being done last night on the Steppenwolf Stage to my chagrin and respect. ‘The Work’ seems an esoteric little phrase of Catch-22 significance in that, how is the work done? Get a degree from Northwestern? (too old) Get accepted to Actors Studio in New York first, then apply to Steppenwolf? Be in a Broadway Show? Do Shakespeare? I DO do ‘the work’, but as all actors seem to find themselves in the same boat as me, amature person that I am, we mostly scrounge, like junkyard dogs, for rolls in a play to ‘work’ on!

Now that’s off my chest. I was in Row B Seat 11 for last night’s performance. It is a fine seat. Sat next to a man in a yellow sailing slicker. He was a little on the over weight side. I let him have my right arm rest. He had on a pinky ring, and discussed with some women he knew in the row behind us, the chicken they should have returned at dinner. The chicken was awful. Didn’t you think the chicken was awful? I zoned out into the Playbill, so I can’t tell you how that conversation ended.

There was a young woman ushering last night. She stood at the front of the left center isle guarding the stage, a bundle of Playbills in hand. I grilled her while I waited for the curtain to rise. She’s a North Carolinian acting student taking her summer to live in Chicago and see Chicago Theater. I questioned whether or not there was enough of it to keep her stimulated. “Hm.” she replied.

After my yellow slicker seatmate was done talking to his friends about chicken, he turned to me and asked, “What do you think of the set?” I said, “It seems haunted, like the farmhouse in Hitchcock’s ‘Psycho’.”

I held my breath every time Violet came stumbling, hunchbacked down those steep and treacherous stairs!

“What brought you to the theater this evening?” another question from yellow slicker man.
“I wasn’t going to bother,” said I. “But read the Chris Jones review in Friday’s paper, and was seduced by his honesty. Yes, I believe that Steppenwolf has become a little colorless, a bit neutral and clique-ish. I have been wishing, for some time now, to see some of the other headshot ensemble members grace Step’s Stage instead of the same ole-same-ole…over and over and over. Geesh!” I said.
“Me too.” said yellow slicker. “I was sucked in by Mr. Jones’ article though. It convinced me I might be missing something if I didn’t attend.”
“Me too.” said I.

Lights dimmed curtain up. Well, there’s no curtain - lights up.

I had a difficult time hearing the first monologue to Indian woman.
This play is Chekov on crack!
The heat reminded me of Tennessee Williams. Stella! Stella!
The time pretty much flew, except for a few moments when actors, in conversation one on one, which was quite a lot in this play, lost focus, or lost the carrot they were chewing, or got a little too rambunctious with the dialogue.
I wish Amy Morton would lose control more often!
I wish Marian Mayberry would have continued her manic wild upstaging through out!
I love Kimberly Guerrero’s softly intense performance.
Ms. Johnstin has a career ahead of her on the stage, if she so chooses.
Rondi Reed is a dream come true actress.
Ian Bardord was hilarious.
Rich Snyder what a fun part!
Sally Murphy does not look 44!
Jeff Perry’s glasses were cool.
Francis Guinan and the ‘meat’ family eating scene was fun!
Dennis Letts need to speak up right away, and stay focused!
Deanna Dunagan was the glue holding the druggy, boozed play together! SHE IS INCREDIBLE. Her voice is her best asset!

“All in all,” I said to yellow slicker, “I feel the actors are having a lot of fun on stage. How they keep it up for three plus hours every night, is a tribute to professionalism and good health habits (I assume). The fun, fun, fun, rollicking frolicking honest madness was spectacular.”
Yellow slicker asked, “Yes, but are YOU having fun?”

“Yep, I sure am!” I enthusiastically exclaimed.

Mr. Letts is a genius.
Mr. Letts is a genius.

Cancer of the mouth! What metaphor! Yes, Violet had cancer of the mouth. Her character moved toxically through a series of horrendous speeches into the arms of Native America – the helpless child she so needed to be! Wow.

So, Mr. Letts’ intent, I think, was to exposé America as a flat rather barren plain, the interior of American Gothic, the mouths of madness and honesty…truth be told..America will die of an interior cancerous disease..from within. Do not fear Nuclear Holocaust, fear something much worse!

Anyway, I’m thinking about loving family, and how crucial human connections are. We are pack animals. There’s room for alphas and betas and so on and so forth…

Now I’ve run out of steam. But thanks a bunch Steppenwolf Theater for a great evening at the theeah-tah!

I grew up in a big extended family in the Midwest (and a Royals fan at that.) I thought Letts really hit it spot on.

Congrats to the cast and crew.

I’d love to know what magical hex you put on all of us in the audience to make 3 1/2 hours seem more like 30 minutes. I sense the work of a hidden Harry Potter in the lobby!

I encourage anyone who has not seen this show to RUN to the theatre as fast as you can. This is one that will be talked about for years and you don’t want to be that 1 person who didn’t witness the magic. Even if it is done again, and it will be done again and again, if it doesn’t have all the magical elements of this production including every single member of the cast, it just won’t be quite the same. Great, but not Jump-To-Your-Feet-Realizing-How-Lucky-You-Were-to-be-There-Fantastic. RUN I tell you!