Comments on: The 2nd Generation of Osage http://blog.steppenwolf.org/2008/06/23/the-2nd-generation-of-osage/ Wed, 08 Feb 2012 17:32:09 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.0 by: Andrew Levy http://blog.steppenwolf.org/2008/06/23/the-2nd-generation-of-osage/#comment-405 Wed, 23 Jul 2008 18:19:29 +0000 http://blog.steppenwolf.org/2008/06/23/the-2nd-generation-of-osage/#comment-405 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) 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)

]]> by: Stephanie Yancey http://blog.steppenwolf.org/2008/06/23/the-2nd-generation-of-osage/#comment-392 Tue, 24 Jun 2008 02:46:02 +0000 http://blog.steppenwolf.org/2008/06/23/the-2nd-generation-of-osage/#comment-392 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 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

]]> by: Joe Roche http://blog.steppenwolf.org/2008/06/23/the-2nd-generation-of-osage/#comment-391 Mon, 23 Jun 2008 22:00:55 +0000 http://blog.steppenwolf.org/2008/06/23/the-2nd-generation-of-osage/#comment-391 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 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

]]> by: susan redman http://blog.steppenwolf.org/2008/06/23/the-2nd-generation-of-osage/#comment-390 Mon, 23 Jun 2008 16:42:34 +0000 http://blog.steppenwolf.org/2008/06/23/the-2nd-generation-of-osage/#comment-390 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 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

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