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

So, we opened Wedding Play last night.

After 3 years of writing and workshops…

…and 5 weeks of rehearsal…

…and 2 LONG weeks of tech and previews…

And then. One night only. A world premiere happens.

Wow.

Opening nights are always weird, because no matter how good the play is or isn’t, it always feels like a huge hit. I mean, everyone and your mother is there, literally, and you get a couple of free glasses of wine in you, and everybody tells you how wonderful you are, and how much they loved the play. On a side note - if you are into hugging, you should get into the theatre, because there is a RIDICULOUS amount of hugging, and on opening night, it is off the charts!

Anyway, so now it’s Monday, or “the weekend” as it’s known in the theatre biz, and it’s like, okay, now what?

What do you do after a play opens?

Well, there’s the laundry that’s been piling up, and the dishes overflowing in the sink, and, oh yeah, your wife/husband/girlfriend/boyfriend/partner/mistress/dog/cat/Tivo that you’ve been serially neglecting because you’ve been so wrapped up in the play.

And, of course, there are the reviews. Oh my god, the reviews, those will be in the paper! And on-line! Oh my god! When my old high school girlfriend, who secretly has still not gotten over our break up, googles me, this is what will come up, oh my god, oh my god, oh my god! What will the critics say? About the play? And, more importantly. About me?

I will now interview myself.

SC: Do actors read reviews?

SC: I do.

SC: Do actors care what critics think?

SC: I prefer when they say nice things.

SC: What is the worst review you have ever received?

SC: “Sean Cooper’s aimless portrayal is so low key, that he seems to have wandered out of the audience.”

SC: What is the best review you have ever received?

SC: I once got a handwritten note from Rondi Reed, who I have still never met, telling me how much she enjoyed my performance in a A Lesson Before Dying.

SC: But she’s an actor, not a critic?

SC: Exactly.

SC: Do you think the Steelers can beat the Patriots?

SC: It’s either them or no one.

SC: Thanks for talking with us today.

SC: You’re welcome.

So, you take the good with bad, I guess. Either way, there will be a ton of hugging.

This entry was posted by Sean Cooper on Tuesday, November 6th, 2007 at 3:08 pm and is filed under Wedding Play. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.