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

While we were in New York for the Tonys, revelling in the wonderful success of our August artists, the folks back home were in tech rehearsals for Tracy’s new play, Superior Donuts. Knowing that our work in new play development was on-going and that our Chicago audiences would be the first to see Tracy’s next play was a deeply gratifying experience. (Knowing, too, that our Chicago friends were gathered in our Steppenwolf home, watching the Tonys on a big screen, was a thrill). We had the added pleasure of being in New York with our pals from Chicago Shakespeare, winners of this year’s Tony for Best Regional Theatre.

This is your moment, Chicago. The theater that you have at your fingertips–all across our town–is being celebrated on a national platform. As Anna said in her acceptance speech for the Tony award for Best Director, “the people in Chicago don’t need a Tony to go to the theater. They go to the theater.” All of us making theater for our Chicago audiences are very fortunate indeed. You are discerning, adventuresome folk. You make it possible for all of us to work at our highest level of inventiveness and skill. In turn, we’re able to offer you work that is world-class. (more…)

The first day of rehearsal for any play ignites the rehearsal room with a kind of hopeful energy. There are promises made of the great rehearsal process to come, sincere congratulations offered to the actors who snagged the roles, and of course the general wonderment of how many people will actually be involved with the project. First Look Repertory’s first day of rehearsal went something like that – except magnified, or rather – times three.

Yesterday marked the start of rehearsal for all three First Look Rep shows: Keith Huff’s Pursued by Happiness, Jason Wells‘ Perfect Mendacity and Sarah Gubbins‘ Fair Use. Each show comes equipped with its own stage manager, dramaturg and director – who will join forces with a team of First Look designers to give these three shows the best first production possible. And that’s another element that added energy to last night’s rehearsal – all three plays are brand new work by local Chicago playwrights. So whatever excitement-times-three was in the air, it was only magnified by the novelty of First Look. (more…)

1) Acting is re-acting. It’s true. Don’t react to anything on stage. You are dead.

2) All great actors listen to their scene partners. You can listen, but you can’t hear. Once again, you are dead.

3) Pee before you take the stage.

4) Use the 3 seconds of blackout left after you get on stage to find the most comfortable position possible.

5) If you have an itch, tough. See rule number one.

I play Gordon, the “dead man” of Dead Man’s Cell Phone. Except for the long monologue that opens Act II and the scene I have to do, it’s the best job I’ve ever had in the theatre: no lines, no blocking, no work. Just praying I don’t have to sneeze. But the real gift of the role is having the other actors talk about me so much that by the time I do make an appearance, it seems that the audience really wants to hear what I have to say. Plus I’m dead–and who wouldn’t want to hear from a dead guy? That doesn’t happen every day.

Next week: HOW TO PLAY A MAN IN HELL.

Thanks for reading.

Photo Credit: Sara Krulwich/The New York Times

Dear Osage readers…

I’m writing from Los Angeles a couple of days after the Tony awards. If ya watched, I shan’t bore you with a rehash; if ya didn’t, just know that your Stepp artists marched to the podium as many times as decency allowed. Emblematic of our tribe, our winners continually thanked their artistic mates for all their good fortune. Especially appropriate were Rondi and Deanna’s praise for Amy Morton’s work. I guess they don’t allow ties in the best actress category, but I can’t count how many people who have seen Amy’s work in Osage and added it to the ‘best work they’ve seen in their lives’ list.

Tonight an exciting and assuredly nerve wracking show will ensue as the 2nd generation of Osage hits the boards in NY (5 of us chose to ‘move on’ after almost 13 months involvement with this amazing play). Estelle Parsons replaces Deanna Dunagan, Jim True-Frost replaces Ian Barford, Molly Regan replaces Rondi Reed, Robert Foxworth replaces Francis Guinan and Frank Wood replaces me. We have never run a play this long or replaced so many core parts at one time, so only time will tell if we pull it off. Given the acting chops of those coming in, I’m betting it will grow into a beauty that we originals will all want to witness. (more…)

Reasons to work on a Tina Landau show:

• Experience the application of Viewpoints in it’s purest form, and reap the benefits on stage
• Meet the most generous, caring, and talented actors and crew in the business because of her incredible instinct in assembling ensembles that meld as actors and friends
• Exercise your attention to detail because her eye for specifics is unparalleled in this business
• Her sense of humor
• Experience the collaboration of all aspects of the Theater, as it should be
• Work with a director who genuinely loves actors and respects what we do, and in turn gets the best results possible out of productive conversation and experiment
• Blunt honesty is not scarce in her rehearsal room, which saves a lot of time and energy that would be better spent getting work done

I could continue but you get the point. Great working conditions. (more…)