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

(David is the Costume Designer for punkplay, a part of the Visiting Company Initiative Garage Rep)

It’s almost 2am, and I find myself sitting on the floor of my apartment, surrounded by half-empty cans of spray paint, a roll or two of duct tape, a defaced Beatles t-shirt, what appears to be contents of at least three “junk drawers” and something that fell off of a streetlight that I’m using to create a makeshift leg brace for an expatriate of French Canada. When I wake up tomorrow, I will insert zippers in the side seams of a pair of blue jeans so that the actor can remove his pants without taking off his roller skates during a simultaneous costume-and-hair quick change that needs to clock in at five seconds or less.

punkplay tech begins in four days.

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(Phillip plays Oshoosi Size, Egungun and Terrell in The Brother/Sister Plays)

Working on these plays is one of the most artistically fulfilling projects I have been fortunate enough to be a part of. My imagination gets to play on an exquisitely equipped playground. These plays require such immense creativity, and equally important, extraordinary precision, specificity, and pace. So yeah, they are very, very hard. But when a moment clicks into gear, when it pops, and you can taste the potential of all the other moments, it is thrilling. There is magic in these plays, and of course it may not always be clear at first, but the answers really do dwell in the words, in the Awe Full score that is The Brother/Sister Plays.

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I moved to Chicago this past August to begin my yearlong apprenticeship at Steppenwolf Theatre Company. I am halfway through my apprenticeship and I’ve got a few numbers for you.

I’ve worked:
67 performances of Fake
37 performances of American Buffalo

I’ve had:
27 days off (Since August 5th, 2009)

I’ve worked with:
17 Fellow Apprentices
4 Equity Stage Managers

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Welcome to the technical rehearsals of The Brother/Sister Plays, directed by Tina Landau! The show has moved from the rehearsal room to stage and we are adding the magical elements of lights, sound, props, and costumes. (more…)

Frank Galati and I spoke to one another on New Year’s Day to exchange good wishes. We recollected having been at Frank’s house at the turn of the millennium (the last time I was awake at midnight on New Year’s Eve). Frank and Peter had televisions in every room and a news service tracked the moment of midnight across the world, spanning time zones. It kept being midnight somewhere and the world was united in a rolling celebration of a new millennium.

It’s amazing to me a decade has passed since that evening - it feels like a brief moment ago. But when I think of all that has happened since - in the world and at Steppenwolf - I am amazed again. As a nation, we had yet to experience the events of September the 11th, 2001 and all of the changes that event precipitated. We were in rehearsal for Mother Courage and the prospect of the 30 years’ war of the play took on a new meaning. When, a year later, we were in rehearsal for The Time of Your Life on September the 11th, Saroyan’s plea, “In the time of your life, live!” gained new urgency.

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