A Truly Special Night
Posted by Whitney Dibo on 6/09/2009
I have a confession: It’s been over a week since Steppenwolf for Young Adults hosted its Annual Celebration, and I think I’ve browsed through the evening’s photographs about-two-dozen times. (Take a look at photos from this event!) Maybe I’m trying to recapture the genuine energy in Yondorf Hall that night, or perhaps I’m just a sap who likes to relive the more emotional moments of the evening. Either way, I’d like to think my obsession with these photographs is indicative of the night’s joie de vivre – as opposed to any compulsive fascination with my own department.
This being my first year working for Steppenwolf for Young Adults, orchestrating the Annual Celebration seemed like a fairly daunting task. The idea of the event is to celebrate both the completed and upcoming SYA seasons, and invite everyone who has been involved with Steppenwolf for Young Adults throughout the year – from educators and students, to community partners and board members – to share in the festivities. As you might imagine, the guest list is an unusual conglomeration of adults and teens, artists and administrators – all with varying levels of familiarity with SYA.
As it turned out, a shared passion for arts education was enough to squash any hint of awkwardness in the room. The space was buzzing from the moment guests began trickling in – teachers brought their students, the Young Adult Council brought their parents, and actors from both SYA productions mingled with their audience.
About thirty minutes into the night, four amazing teachers – Susan McDonough from Austin Career Academy, Ed Cisneros from the Multicultural Arts High School, Kirsten Hanson from Lane Tech College Prep and Lisa Erhlich-Menard from Curie-Metro High School – received the Fidelity Investments Inspire the Future Award in honor of their passionate commitment to arts education in the classroom. Each of these educators received a $2,500 grant in recognition of their work in the Chicago Public Schools. Each recipient was joined at the reception by a group of their closest students, all who cheered wildly when their teacher’s name was called. A few of these students were also selected to introduce their teacher in front of the crowd; each introduction was extremely heartfelt, with the students speaking honestly about the impact these educators have had on their lives. When accepting the awards, the teachers spoke about the obstacles facing arts education and the necessity of keeping such programs alive. I think it’s fair to say that everyone in the room was moved by these teachers’ passion for what they do.
We also said farewell to six graduating Young Adult Council members at the Annual Celebration – Danielle O’Donoghue and Isaac Brosilow from Lincoln Park High School, Owais Ahmed from Niles North High School, Clifton Lyons from Walter Payton College Prep, Cat Gemkow from Hinsdale Central High School and Jorge Santiago from Roberto Clemente High School. When given a platform to express what the Council has meant to them over the past years, each graduating member spoke passionately about the profound impact the program had on their high school experiences. Some cited the stirring play they attended, others the inspiring artists they met, others the friends they made with similar artistic ambitions. It is sad to see this incredible group go - all of them are off to college next year - but if their speeches are any indication, they’ll all be back to visit us at Steppenwolf.
After these presentations the guests heard a reading from A Separate Peace, set to open next February as part of SYA’s 2009-2010 season. Director Jonathan Berry, with only about 15 minutes of rehearsal time, managed to bring the complex characters to life and give the audience a taste of what they’ll be seeing next year.
As the evening wrapped up, no one seemed to want to leave Yondorf Hall. Guests helped themselves to seconds, the Inspire the Future winners snapped photographs with their students, and the Young Adult Council members showed their parents their Steppenwolf stomping grounds. It was, overall, a truly special night – so I’m going to let myself off the hook for looking at those pictures so many times.
Read a Backstage Article about the Fidelity Investments Inspire the Future Award