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

When Director of New Play Development Ed Sobel first asked me to take over as the Program Assistant for First Look Rep, I had very little idea what that proposition meant. Sure, I had attended a few First Look productions over the past few summers, but knew very little the unique program that accompanies the repertory, First Look 101.

Back in January, over a bagel and a cup of coffee at Panera, I met with Megan McCarthy, my predecessor. (Megan is no longer available for First Look because her involvement put her in the path of BJ Jones – Artistic Director of Northlight Theatre - who soon thereafter offered her a job as Literary Manager/Dramaturg at his company). As Megan mapped out the intricacies of First Look 101, I began to internalize the depth of Steppenwolf’s commitment to new play development. Pulitzer Prize winning plays have to start somewhere – and it’s Steppenwolf’s hope that First Look Repertory will serve as an incubator for promising new plays and talented new writers.

First Look is a development process that culminates in the performance of three new plays in Steppenwolf’s Garage theatre during the summertime. Three directors, three dramaturgs, three playwrights and a complete design team converge to give these plays the best first performance possible. The hope is for Steppenwolf to act as a launching pad for these new works, and so far that mission has succeeded by any measure: six of the repertory’s nine productions over the last three years have received subsequent productions at other theatres.

But alas, I cannot say I wrote any of these fine plays – nor am I directing or dramaturging for the festival. My involvement lies in First Look 101 – an innovative program that allows the public an inside look into Steppenwolf’s new play development process. Patrons who purchase the First Look 101 pass are invited to attend a first table reading, an open rehearsal, an open tech rehearsal and an open dress rehearsal for each of the three performances – and every event topped off with a discussion led by a member of Steppenwolf’s artistic staff. For theatre enthusiasts and theatre practitioners alike, First Look 101 promises a rewarding summer.

So, after months of planning (and a few frantic phone calls to Megan) I found myself at our inaugural First Look 101 event: a table reading of Pursued by Happiness, written by Keith Huff. The color-coded orientation materials were in place. The chairs were perfectly aligned in two meticulously diagonal blocks designed for maximum viewing potential. I had even learned how to work the Yondorf sound system – and anyone who knows me understands this is a personal triumph. As our “First Look 101ers” trickled in, the room was suddenly abuzz with energy. People from last year’s 101 program reunited. Ed Sobel schmoozed with familiar faces. Newcomers looked curiously at the color-coated sheets, whispering things like “This is the playwright from A Steady Rain… I heard he’s great!” I felt a surge of pride just to be a small part of this exciting moment: the first time Keith (not to mention our director, ensemble member Tim Hopper) would hear Pursued By Happiness aloud – no small stop on the journey of play development.

I did my best to introduce myself to all the First Look 101ers (I suddenly sympathize with my 3rd grade teacher having to learn the names of all her students the first day or else face disappointed 8 year-old faces), but after a few minutes of mingling Ed tapped on the microphone (which I knowledgeably turned on) to start our reading. As the play kicked off, I’m sure the term “romantic comedy” floated through most listeners’ heads. Pursued by Happiness starts off innocently enough, with two middle aged scientists shyly embarking on a first date, both dragging along their separate baggage. But in Keith’s play, the baggage isn’t just a recent heartbreak or emotional unavailability. When dark twists began to percolate the seemingly benign script, I could feel the uneasy (but noticeably intrigued) 101ers shift in their chairs. By the play’s end, the script had tackled so many big ideas that all of us needed to take a breath before launching into the discussion.

And so a play is born. Keith looked pleased, and director Tim Hopper like a surgeon about to perform a new kind of open heart surgery: confident to be sure, but heavy with the responsibility of not messing up a good thing. Once the two departed and Ed opened the room up for conversation, First Look 101ers began to do what they do best: ask questions. Hands shot up all over the room. Carefully steering the conversation away from comments of personal taste (i.e. “I didn’t like the part when…”) Ed fielded questions about casting, how he chose this script from hundreds of submissions, and what the next step is for Keith and Tim. Hands were still floating in the air unrequited as we approached 10pm and Ed had to call it quits. As I cleaned up the room and turned off the lights, I was suddenly grateful that Megan McCarthy landed that job at Northlight.

This entry was posted by Whitney Dibo on Friday, May 23rd, 2008 at 12:11 pm and is filed under First Look Rep (08). 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.