Steppenwolf Theatre Company Blog – Chicago Theater, World-Class Ensemble

Last week a small auditorium at the Blackstone Library felt like the emotional cauldron of John and Elizabeth Proctor’s Salem kitchen, thanks to the transformative power of live theater. Hyde Park lived up to its reputation as an active cultural community when 50 residents turned up to see a reading and to talk about the message and the meaning of The Crucible. The actors provided fuel for a conversation that covered everything from how the fear of change impacts a community to questions about who profits from fear. The event was part of the One Book, One Chicago Steppenwolf Partnership. The panel gathered to talk about The Crucible on this night included young activist and broadcaster Silvia Rivera of Radio Arte, Waldo Johnson from a little neighborhood school known as the University of Chicago and the ever youthful Dr. Quentin Young.

Silvia Rivera was eloquent in her comments about fear of immigrants. She also reminded the audience of the uncanny similarity, in her view, between Judge Danforth’s words about “being with the court or against it” and the Presidents comments on the war in Iraq. (more…)

A slight disclaimer to start: I’m a proud, stubborn Midwesterner who knows there is no better place to create theatre than Chicago. That said, I LOVE – ABSOLUTELY LOVE – traveling with our shows. New York runs represent some of the giddiest work highs I’ve experienced outside of our friendly confines.True West with John and Gary, which put us on the national radar, and whose acclaim filled our Chicago theatre for the first time; Balm in Gilead at Circle Rep and Minetta Lane, one of the most heavenly ensemble experiences in our history; The Grapes of Wrath, with the twin genius of John Steinbeck and Frank Galati…

And now Tracy’s August.

The abundance of things to relish about this move to Broadway staggers me. The rarity of new American plays moving ‘intact’ without the commercial insurance of movie stars; a gorgeous, symbolic culmination of Steppenwolf’s devotion to new plays being our own Tracy’s beautiful, homegrown, deeply truthful, ensemble-loving expression of family; looking across a dinner table on stage and being knocked out that I’ve known, loved and worked with most of the cast for decades; watching Anna Shapiro, who I’ve known since she was a kid, bring forth possibly her most personal work in an already astounding career…the ‘deeply lucky’ list goes on. (more…)

What will the other ensemble members think?
Do they really look at me as a peer?
What if I go up? (Again)
Will I do justice to this play?
Will I do justice to Steppenwolf?
Will other members of the theatergoing community feel the energy that this play is putting out?
Will people see the story, or only the casting choices?
Did I bite off more than I could chew with this role?
Does the Black Duck serve food after 10:30pm?

A lot of questions (okay, not 20), all of which I had as recently as this past Sunday night, almost halfway through the run–as well as just before the read through at the first rehearsal (save for the Black Duck question, which was Sunday). The truth is, while I feel relatively confident every night, I have anxiety before every performance, and before every scene. (more…)

Hello Everyone,

How are you? I am going to write a little, teeny blog entry about working on The Elephant Man. I hope you find it interesting.

Do you read many blogs? I don’t. So bear with me.

We are at the end of the second week of rehearsal. And it is going great, except that a few days ago, one of our actors accidentally set herself on fire.

That’s not true.

I am really enjoying working with everyone. They are all really dreamy! We all seem to be speaking the same language and have a strong desire to make this play work. Next week we go into tech. And all of us will probably start to hate each other. (more…)

Director Sean Graney works with actor Michael Patrick Thornton.

Want to see more? Step inside the rehearsal room.