Comments on: Dear Followers of August in New York http://blog.steppenwolf.org/2007/12/20/dear-followers-of-august-in-new-york/ Sun, 20 Jul 2008 22:46:17 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.0 by: Meg Zweiback http://blog.steppenwolf.org/2007/12/20/dear-followers-of-august-in-new-york/#comment-320 Thu, 21 Feb 2008 18:42:31 +0000 http://blog.steppenwolf.org/2007/12/20/dear-followers-of-august-in-new-york/#comment-320 To all of the wonderful cast, I saw you again tonight in great form--having seen you two nights in a row in November, right before the strike, I didn't think the performances could be better. I didn't want my husband to miss such a great show, so I planned another trip from California so he could see you together. All I can say is that your great performances have become richer, deeper, more tender and more heartbreaking. Congratulations! To all of the wonderful cast,
I saw you again tonight in great form–having seen you two nights in a row in November, right before the strike, I didn’t think the performances could be better. I didn’t want my husband to miss such a great show, so I planned another trip from California so he could see you together. All I can say is that your great performances have become richer, deeper, more tender and more heartbreaking. Congratulations!

]]> by: jill neimark http://blog.steppenwolf.org/2007/12/20/dear-followers-of-august-in-new-york/#comment-314 Mon, 21 Jan 2008 14:46:02 +0000 http://blog.steppenwolf.org/2007/12/20/dear-followers-of-august-in-new-york/#comment-314 Lori, that is totally cool. I can't imagine how wonderful she must have felt. I'm so glad they honored her. Lori, that is totally cool. I can’t imagine how wonderful she must have felt. I’m so glad they honored her.

]]> by: Lori Davidson http://blog.steppenwolf.org/2007/12/20/dear-followers-of-august-in-new-york/#comment-312 Thu, 17 Jan 2008 12:31:54 +0000 http://blog.steppenwolf.org/2007/12/20/dear-followers-of-august-in-new-york/#comment-312 Jill, You will be happy to know that Mrs. Greener was in attendance at Steppenwolf’s 30th Anniversary Gala. Jeff and Gary felt it exceptionally important to have Barbara in attendance to celebrate the success their childhood dream that materialized into our great Steppenwolf Theatre Company. Knowing that young minds in an environment like Mrs. Greener’s classroom can evolve into profound artistic voices makes me insanely excited to see what is in store for the members of Steppenwolf’s Young Adult Council in years to come. We have a lot to be proud of and a lot to look forward to in the future! Thank you for sharing your story and sentiments! -Lori Davidson Director of Event Management Steppenwolf Theatre Company Jill,
You will be happy to know that Mrs. Greener was in attendance at Steppenwolf’s 30th Anniversary Gala. Jeff and Gary felt it exceptionally important to have Barbara in attendance to celebrate the success their childhood dream that materialized into our great Steppenwolf Theatre Company. Knowing that young minds in an environment like Mrs. Greener’s classroom can evolve into profound artistic voices makes me insanely excited to see what is in store for the members of Steppenwolf’s Young Adult Council in years to come. We have a lot to be proud of and a lot to look forward to in the future! Thank you for sharing your story and sentiments!

-Lori Davidson
Director of Event Management
Steppenwolf Theatre Company

]]> by: jill neimark http://blog.steppenwolf.org/2007/12/20/dear-followers-of-august-in-new-york/#comment-310 Thu, 17 Jan 2008 04:34:15 +0000 http://blog.steppenwolf.org/2007/12/20/dear-followers-of-august-in-new-york/#comment-310 Hello Steppenwolf, I grew up in Highland Park and served as a prop and grip on some of our highschool plays. I saw August: Osage County yesterday and it was great, that brought me to the blog here. I well remember Steppenwolf's first production in a church basement. It is wonderful to know such brilliant actors and America's best repertory theater was born in my highschool. I just wanted to note some memories of mine, as to how Steppenwolf was born. I think not only were unusually talented actors/directors in our highschool, one of those mystical accidents of life like the Beatles, where outsize talents meet and connect at a young age, but there was a drama teacher who is in my memory an "unsung Milton." Her name was Barbara Nora Greener. She was larger than life. She had teased up blond hair and she wore so much Aliage perfume , you could smell it two hallways away :). She was not typical of our highschool to say the least, but she was much loved. She was imbued with energy and vision and in our highschool at that time, we were going through a period of intense ennui. It was an upper middle class suburb, and there was a long glass hallway connecting two parts of the school. Kids would cut class, smoke pot, and sit in the glass hallway with their fancy, chic, torn jeans. There was no prom. The only place that was percolating with energy was the drama department, because of Mrs. Greener. The school constantly put on plays. Derin Altay, who went on to understudy for Evita and I'm not sure what has happened to her since, and Kathie Borowitz, who is married to John Turturro and is herself a fine actress, also came out of our highschool. Gary Sinise and Jeff Perry were two incredible actors who went on to start something that became truly great in the American arts. But I want to give my nod here to Mrs. Greener, who created a place where we all wanted to be, so that even me, an introvert and a writer, wanted to be a prop or grip on every show, because the drama department was where life itself was happening in our highschool at that moment in time so many years ago. Anyway it was impressive to see the great ensemble work and the masterful production of this play; over the years Steppenwolf has brought many great plays to NYC, perhaps some of the best Broadway has seen. Hello Steppenwolf, I grew up in Highland Park and served as a prop and grip on some of our highschool plays. I saw August: Osage County yesterday and it was great, that brought me to the blog here. I well remember Steppenwolf’s first production in a church basement. It is wonderful to know such brilliant actors and America’s best repertory theater was born in my highschool.

I just wanted to note some memories of mine, as to how Steppenwolf was born. I think not only were unusually talented actors/directors in our highschool, one of those mystical accidents of life like the Beatles, where outsize talents meet and connect at a young age, but there was a drama teacher who is in my memory an “unsung Milton.” Her name was Barbara Nora Greener. She was larger than life. She had teased up blond hair and she wore so much Aliage perfume , you could smell it two hallways away :) . She was not typical of our highschool to say the least, but she was much loved. She was imbued with energy and vision and in our highschool at that time, we were going through a period of intense ennui. It was an upper middle class suburb, and there was a long glass hallway connecting two parts of the school. Kids would cut class, smoke pot, and sit in the glass hallway with their fancy, chic, torn jeans. There was no prom. The only place that was percolating with energy was the drama department, because of Mrs. Greener. The school constantly put on plays. Derin Altay, who went on to understudy for Evita and I’m not sure what has happened to her since, and Kathie Borowitz, who is married to John Turturro and is herself a fine actress, also came out of our highschool. Gary Sinise and Jeff Perry were two incredible actors who went on to start something that became truly great in the American arts. But I want to give my nod here to Mrs. Greener, who created a place where we all wanted to be, so that even me, an introvert and a writer, wanted to be a prop or grip on every show, because the drama department was where life itself was happening in our highschool at that moment in time so many years ago.

Anyway it was impressive to see the great ensemble work and the masterful production of this play; over the years Steppenwolf has brought many great plays to NYC, perhaps some of the best Broadway has seen.

]]> by: Julyne Derrick http://blog.steppenwolf.org/2007/12/20/dear-followers-of-august-in-new-york/#comment-308 Fri, 28 Dec 2007 18:37:11 +0000 http://blog.steppenwolf.org/2007/12/20/dear-followers-of-august-in-new-york/#comment-308 Just saw the show tonight in NY. So many people I know have seen it and gave rave reviews (and these are theatre snobs). The play was mesmorizing, hilarious, poignant, the characters spot on. As we left, I overheard a woman say, "That was the best play I've ever seen." And she wasn't young. I'd have to agree with her. Bravo... Just saw the show tonight in NY. So many people I know have seen it and gave rave reviews (and these are theatre snobs). The play was mesmorizing, hilarious, poignant, the characters spot on. As we left, I overheard a woman say, “That was the best play I’ve ever seen.” And she wasn’t young.

I’d have to agree with her.

Bravo…

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