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

Goodness, it has been a loooong time since my last blog, so I’ll do my best to relay some of the fabric of our lives here in NY since then……

DENNIS LETTS
We lost our cast mate to cancer a while back. I can’t properly capture how important this man became to all of us. To witness his spirit and humor as he faced his mortality was a priviledge none of us will forget. His contribution to his son’s play was a nightly artistic lesson–as he and Kim, our native Oklahomans, began our story every night August: Osage was graced with the authenticity of a documentary– the father, husband and poet the rest of us had gathered to look for, miss and mourn was made indelibly real on a nightly basis by Mr. Dennis Letts.

We are proud to have shared the boards with him. (more…)

Whenever Steppenwolf jumps onto the national radar as it has, most recently, with the success of August: Osage County, journalists from the national press ask to speak to various of us at Steppenwolf about the company and its history. Inevitably, arises the question, “what is the ‘Steppenwolf style’?” They trying to get a handle on what it is that characterizes a Steppenwolf production and what produces it. Is it a characteristic acting style? Is there a method to the madness? How are ensemble members chosen? What does being an ensemble member entail?

I find myself rehearsing the history of the company, the personalities that created it, the early productions that went on to national prominence and cemented an image of Steppenwolf as a fearless, virtuostic ensemble acting.

The other day, Ed Sobel, our Director of New Play Development, Tracy Letts and I were talking to a journalist from Playbill. He was asking all of the questions about the company and its style that we have come to expect and that are almost impossible to answer in any formulaic way (because there is no formula, there was no syllabus). Tracy, Ed and I talked about Steppenwolf’s history but immediately found ourselves talking about the whole of the Chicago theater scene–the storefront theaters that harbored the companies and actors so germane to the “Chicago style.” We talked about ensemble, we talked about intimate theaters, we talked about actors and directors working for each others’ approval (instead of for the approval of some great, career-determining outside eye). (more…)

It’s a gray day as I look out my window, but I feel like the sun is shining on Steppenwolf. I’m excited by the Tony nominations, and though it may sound cheesy, I think the big honors and the national headlines are just part of the story. Here are a few of the little moments that make Steppenwolf a magical place.

I hate to embarrass him, but House Manager Evan Hatfield is a beautiful young man with eyes like a policeman. He’s always watching to see what needs to be done. Last Friday, just before a Traffic performance by at the fantastic Tatsu Aoki and his Miyumi Project, I was moved to see a multigenerational tableau – tall, lean Evan giving his arm to a small, elderly Japanese-American man. The gentleman took his arm with a dignity and comfort that was so natural. (more…)

The Tony Award nominations were announced today, and I’m happy to say that Steppenwolf’s production of August: Osage County was well-represented, garnering nominations in the following categories:

• Best Play (Tracy Letts)
• Best Direction of a Play (Anna Shapiro)
• Best Performance by a Leading Actress (Deanna Dunagan and Amy Morton)
• Best Performance by a Featured Actress (Rondi Reed)
• Best Scenic Design of a Play (Todd Rosenthal)
• Best Lighting Design of a Play (Ann G. Wrightson)

I was thrilled when the awards were announced this morning. Like perhaps many people in the American theater, I’ve got a starry-eyed little teen-aged drama geek hidden away inside of me. I’ve covered her up over the years with layer upon layer of theatrical sophistication, but deep down she’s still there, practicing her Tony Award acceptance speech in the mirror. For that girl, the fact that I’ll see my theater and people I know at the televised Tony Awards Ceremony represents the pinnacle of achievement. (more…)

Ensemble members Martha Lavey and Tracy Letts at Monday’s press conference after Tracy won the 2008 Pulitzer Prize for Drama for his play August: Osage County.