The Scene
Posted by Geena Barry on 3/25/2011
Geena Barry here!
Representative of the Young Adult Council, reporting on The Scene: Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?
Saturday, January 24th marked a triumphant adventure for me and my friends, all suburbanites who probably spend the majority of our Saturdays doing suburbanite things – mowing the lawn, hanging around the mall, and eating copious amounts of ice cream to compensate for our lack of city-cold. This Saturday was different - we bundled up and hopped the west line Metra to Chicago. Our mission was simple: to attend Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? And The Scene event directly following the performance, hosted by the Steppenwolf Young Adult Council. Aside from a necessary stop at California Pizza Kitchen, we did just that.The day began with the play, which goes without saying, WAS FANTASTIC. My groupies, some completely unfamiliar with Virginia Woolf, were astonished. Priceless expressions on their faces marked their intellectual awakenings as they became immersed into the twisted world of George and Martha. These expressions lingered through the intermissions, paired with comments on what Edward Albee is really trying to say about biology or how Mr. Letts so smoothly transitions from vulnerability to having absolute control over the room. These conversations, stopped only by the flashing of the lights, filled the lobby with intrigue and discovery.
This constant conversation continued all the way to the Steppenwolf administrative building, where we were greeted not only by the Young Adult Council, but also by food, glorious food. A swarm of over 70 students grabbed some spaghetti and salad and chatted about the show with their peers. Snug in our seats and on the ground of the crowded conference room, we were officially welcomed by members of the Young Adult Council who then introduced the show’s understudies. Enlightening discussion ensued. Questions posed by both Young Adult Council members and visiting high school students ranged from acting to Albee to alcohol, and the understudies introduced insider concepts about the rehearsal process that I had not yet considered. This, my friends and I discovered, is the benefit of discussing the play with the artists who know it most intimately.
Stomachs and minds filled, it was time for some recreation. The cast members were thanked for their time and the games began (thankfully, not the merciless, booze-induced games present in the play.) We continued our exploration of the show through a few theatre games, one of which my posse and I had to skip out on due to an early train time – despite pleas from the youngest of our group to stay just a little longer. I had to play mother goose and shepherd the littluns back to the station by way of the number 8 bus.
The Scene: Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf was certainly a monumental night for us high school students, so money-less and swamped in our own productions that we often miss opportunities to see great theatre in Chicago. I now hear references to Virginia Woolf and the post-event in my daily life, and have been asked about 40 times when the next Scene event will be.
Come join us for The Scene: Sex With Strangers, which takes place this weekend!