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

I’m thinking a lot about actors at the moment. Two reasons: yesterday, I attended and participated in something called the Actors’ Congress; and today, I watched two groups of scenes by actors in the School at Steppenwolf.

The Actors’ Congress was a day-long seminar organized by Michael Miller, the director of the Actors’ Center in New York and Chicago actors Carmen Roman and Kate Buddeke of the American Theatre Company. The day consisted of a series of panels featuring: Chicago drama critics; long-time Chicago actors; early-career Chicago actors; and artistic directors of Chicago theaters who are also actors. The audience was comprised of Chicago actors and much discussion was encouraged of topics important to actors in the conduct of their careers. (more…)

I wonder if any of you who have seen The Unmentionables noticed the “Questions For” feature in the New York Times Magazine of July 23, 2006. The “Questions For” is a weekly feature of the Magazine. In it, Deborah Solomon, a writer for the Times, interviews a public figure. Her subjects include politicians, artists, academics, media and sports figures – interesting people doing interesting things. One of the virtues of the “Questions For” format is its brevity: the interview occupies one page and the back-and-forth between Solomon and her subject is vigorous. She cuts to the chase.

In the July 23rd issue, Solomon interviews John Wood, a former Microsoft executive, who has parlayed his Microsoft earnings into a philanthropic foundation called Room to Read. Room to Read defines its mission as “to educate the world’s children.” As Wood states, “We’re trying to open libraries and schools, mostly for kids K to 5, in the developing world at a pace that emulates Starbucks‘.” (more…)

We practitioners in the theater often bear an uneasy relationship with one of the other members of our community: the arts media – a.k.a. critics. Our First Look Rep presents particular challenges. On the one hand, we certainly want the city of Chicago, and the theater community nationally, to be aware of the work we are doing. That is part of the point of the program – to bring these plays and writers to general attention and foster productions of their work. On the other hand, First Look Rep is a process, rather than product, oriented program. The plays are presented in an advanced stage of development, but not necessarily in their final version. On the other hand, (at Steppenwolf we always juggle with three hands - it is a job requirement) we are presenting the work publicly and charging admission. Critics may feel a responsibility to “review” them.

This conundrum led me to some provocative questions, which I will share in a later posting, but for the moment, I’d like to ask your opinion. To what extent, if any, do critics matter to you? Do they help you interpret a work you see? Do you go to see a play based upon what critics say? If so, do you follow or trust one particular critic, or is it more when opinion reaches, if you will forgive the pun, critical mass? Are there factors that are more important, both in your transactional decision (buying a ticket) and artistic one (your opinion or interpretation of the work)?

I’d be grateful for any thoughts you care to share.

Always a little strange having Mom and Dad in the audience. I warned them in advance that some less-than-wholesome things happen on stage, and it is in no way a reflection on their parenting (They liked the play).

You know that sappy Hallmark-moment thing that parents say: having kids allowed them to experience the world again for the first time because, suddenly, everything is brand new to this little person who has never pet a dog, or run through the sprinklers on a hot summer day, or learned the hard way that Cheerios go only so far up the nasal cavity before the inaugural trip to the emergency room. The Butcher of Baraboo became a whole new experience for me sitting next to somebody who doesn’t know what’s coming next. I wish that I could induce a state of temporary amnesia on myself so I can know what it would be like to experience a play I wrote for the first time. But I can’t. So that vicarious experience of a first audience is the next best thing. I personally like to be a part of a first audience for stuff. I may not be seeing the most polished, assured production so early in the run, but I get to be a part of something a little more wild and uncharted. (more…)

Our First Look Rep began public performances this weekend, including a marathon day on Sunday in which all three plays were presented successively. At the same time, in Minneapolis, the Literary Managers and Dramaturgs of the Americas was holding its annual conference. Steppenwolf Trustee and First Look Council Chair Beth Davis presented on a panel there, addressing relationships between Trustees and the artistic process of theaters. In preparation, Beth asked if I had any thoughts about First Look her audience might find useful. I’ve observed it is most difficult to describe, even to fellow practitioners, the way First Look differs from simply rehearsing and producing a new play, so I did my best to supply Beth with a concrete example:

Spare Change was scheduled for its tech day on Tuesday. In response to some notes following a run-through of the show on the Saturday before tech, the creative team cut two entire scenes from the play. On Sunday, the play was run without those two scenes. Having watched that run, playwright Mia McCullough decided to add a new section to the beginning of a scene that follows one that had been cut. In so doing, she added an entirely new character. Fortunately, this would be played by an actor already playing multiple roles, so we did not need to hire a new actor, although we would have, if necessary. Mia made these changes on Monday, the day off for actors. On Tuesday, we teched the play, but skipped the transition into, and pages of, the new material. At the end of the tech day, the actors read the new pages for the first time. The next day (Wednesday), back in the rehearsal room (another play in the Rep was teching in the theater) director Lisa Portes staged the new pages, the costumer fit the new costume, and then we teched in the new section on Friday, prior to the first public performance that night.

While such goings-on happen at times with any new play, wholesale changes and this degree of fluidity so late in the process is unusual. Providing an environment in which this kind of experimentation can be supported is precisely the purpose of First Look.