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

Three weeks ago, I was in Los Angeles, huddled around a table, in the writers’ room for the HBO Series “Big Love,” helping decide the fates of polygamist Bill Henrickson and his three wives. Above us, dark storm clouds had been building for months–until, finally and suddenly, they opened up and let loose: After many sputtering negotiations, amidst endless speculating, TV and film writers were going on strike, at the stroke of midnight, Monday, November 5th.

Oh, boy.

What did this mean? Well, for different writers, different things. “Pencils down” means pencils for all work that falls under the jurisdiction of the Writers Guild of America (of which I am a proud, card-carrying member). So “Big Love” was shutting down for the duration. The pilot about werewolves living in San Francisco I had been commissioned to write for Fox? I raced to finish it by the midnight deadline, got it in, barely, and there it hovers, in limbo…

As for my other writing work–comic books for Marvel, and my passion, my first and truest love, playwriting–those, mercifully, aren’t covered by the WGA. So for the next week, I spent my mornings on the picket lines, chanting with my fellow writers, “If It’s Good Enough to Play, It’s Good Enough to Pay.” Afternoons were spent shutting down my apartment in Hollywood, forwarding my mail, taking one last hike up into the hills.

Now, three weeks later, I’m in Chicago, sitting around a table not unlike the one in the “Big Love” writers’ room. But this time, I’m the only writer present. To my left, director Pam MacKinnon. To my right, dramaturg Ed Sobel. Surrounding us: The extraordinary company of actors Steppenwolf has assembled for the world premiere of my play Good Boys and True.

Strikes are terrible, bitter things. But I am grateful, at least, that this one is allowing me to spend more time than might otherwise have been possible with this play that means so much to me, and among these collaborators of whom I am in awe.

Yours in solidarity,
Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa

This entry was posted by Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa on Monday, December 3rd, 2007 at 8:58 am and is filed under General, Good Boys and True. 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.