The 2nd Generation of Osage
Posted by Jeff Perry on 6/23/2008
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.
This ride has been and will continue to be astounding. Everything my mates and I hoped for in agreeing to go to NY has blessedly come to pass. We have helped birth a new play that may well resound in the American repertoire for years to come; we have provided an increasingly rare example of ensemble artistry and commitment to a growing horde of theatre lovers nationwide; and in laying down a piece of work that is ‘as good as we can do,’ we seem to be inspiring fellow artists the way we were inspired in our twenties. That aspect delights me no end–to be one of the inspirations for a young theatre artist looking around for what to do and how to do it.
By way of saying goodbye for now and with artistic director Martha Lavey’s permission, I reprint an email dialogue she and I had over the last few days:
Martha: Jeffrey, See you there. [The Tony and party after.] I’m so proud of you and all of our August folks and Laurie and Martha. Pretty cool day for Steppenwolf, right?
Me: Martha, Yes !!! … Y’know one of the coolest things about all this–a BIG chunk of twenty-somethings aspiring to our biz have been absolutely floored, knocked out, inspired by Osage, by Stepp’s ‘promise’ of artistic home…That reverberation may make me happiest, given all the gorgeous reverbs…Love ya Marth and congrats honey…
Martha: Jeffy, Have you told our beloved and aspiring young admirers that they can have an artistic home and that all they have to do is make a commitment to a group of people that is on the order of a marriage in its requirement to stay when you want to leave, to laugh when you’re angry, to find joy in the sheer privilege of working hard with people you love? The long haul. Aren’t you glad we all have each other for the long haul?
Yeah that kinda sums it up–I’m really glad we all have each other for the long haul.
Until next time,
Jeff Perry
June 23rd, 2008 at 11:42 am
As a twenty-something theatre artist with a new theatre company that was birthed after studying at Steppenwolf, I can’t tell you how inspiring this is to me. August comes up in conversation during company meetings and rehearsals, and drinks after meetings and rehearsals, on a nearly daily basis. It raised the bar. It taught us that if you don’t put everything you’ve got into your work, it’s not worth doing it. And if you DO put in everything you’ve got… well, is there anything better than that? Thank you, Steppenwolf. You’ve been our mentors, our friends and our inspiration. We are filled with gratitude.
From the bottom of our twenty-something, theatre-lovin’ hearts,
Sue Redman, and the rest of SiNNERMAN Ensemble
June 23rd, 2008 at 5:00 pm
Us thirty-somethings have a reason to keep making some great theatre as well. What touches me most is how I have been influenced by Steppenwolf in my early teenage years, shaped through study and work with your company in my twenties, and continue to feel that influence (all the way on the west coast) today.
You make me proud you were among my earliest influences. You make me proud I’m from Chicago. You make me proud to be an actor.
Joe Roche
June 23rd, 2008 at 9:46 pm
Imagine my delight and sense of pride when I randomly tuned my TV to the Tonys and there was one of my college roomies, Martha Lavey, being thanked by Tracy Letts. Even though I was a science major and only did backstage work at Northwestern, I knew Martha was the real deal all those (X) years ago. Her intensity and dedication to her craft were inspiring, if not downright exhausting. From one Immaculata girl (Chicago) to another (Detroit): CONGRATULATIONS!
Oh, and to everyone else involved in August:OC, too!
Stephanie Yancey
La Habra, CA
July 23rd, 2008 at 1:19 pm
Regarding the 2nd generation, it will be tough to fill those previous shoes, but I’m sure the new roles will be snugly filled, albeit with new treads.
I just read in this past Sunday’s NY Times that a film studio has not yet come to Mr. Letts to produce Osage. I truly can’t believe it, but I really can, as I think the film industry is as dumb and dumber as it can be. I just left the business because of it’s complete mind boggling stupidity. If a studio produces it, from all of the articles and his opinions that I’ve read, Mr. Letts will be miserable during the process while they develop and produce it. They will tear it apart like a rag doll, reduce it to its lowest common denominator (demeaning the work) and find a way to make it a romantic comedy! Now that I think about it, for his health, you should probably avoid this.
Now to the productive part of this message. One of the best deeply dramatic films with the same complexity is “Deloris Claiborne” (Stephen King) directed (and maybe also produced) by Taylor Hackford. This would be the right man for the job. He has a tough schedule in 2009 (2010 he is less busy), but you’ll have to get the project into the right director’s hands to make sure it doesn’t turn out to be movie that stars Ashton Kutcher and Cameron Diaz!!!
I think it’s one of the best pieces of theatre I have ever seen. Given that I have just jettisoned myself from Los Angeles and re-emerged in New York, Osage helped with the adjustment swiftly bringing me into the “real” world.
Thank you.
Andrew Levy
New York (thank goodness)