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

I was fortunate to be able to make the trip to London to see the opening of our production of August: Osage County. August opened at the Royal National Theatre on Wednesday, 26 November in the Lyttelton Theatre. (The Lyttelton is one of the three theaters of the National, a 900-seat proscenium theater). Our production of The Grapes of Wrath played in the Lyttelton Theatre twenty years ago and like The Grapes of Wrath, August opened to glorious reviews in the British press. In both cases, Steppenwolf was able to bring a big American play to the National, animated by our ensemble actors and directed by a Steppenwolf artist. David Hawkanson, our Executive Director, and I felt tremendous pride to represent our theater with August: Osage County to British audiences.

You know the fun part? Coming back to Chicago and watching the final run-through in the rehearsal room of The Seafarer on Friday. Reading the show reports for Dublin Carol, playing in our Upstairs Theatre. Continuing our season-planning for next season. The fun part is that our theater continues to do its work for our Chicago audiences. We are thrilled to have our work received by a larger audience–in New York, in London. But the best part is that we have all of you here, at home, watching plays in your theater and continuing to encourage and support the on-going life of Steppenwolf. Many thanks for that.

Feel free to post a hello to our folks in London. We’ll make sure they get them.

A confluence of production schedules made for a very cheery opening night of Conor McPherson’s Dublin Carol last Sunday evening. To begin with, Kafka on the Shore closed with a matinee performance that afternoon so the cast was able to join us that evening. In addition, the cast of The Seafarer had finished rehearsal at 5:00 so a number of actors from that cast joined in. Finally, the cast of August: Osage County had just that afternoon finished a week’s rehearsal in preparation for the run at the National Theatre in London, so we had some representatives from the Weston clan into the bargain.

As always, our colleagues from the theatre community joined us for the performance and opening night party. It was a bustling lobby as old and new friends, staff members and artists got caught up with each other before heading into the house to see the show.

The Board of Directors and the staff of Steppenwolf saluted the cast of August: Osage County before they departed for an eight-week engagement at London’s National Theatre.

Earlier today, this 32 foot by 48 foot photo from August: Osage County, taken from the wings by ensemble member Ian Barford, was installed on the outside of Steppenwolf’s main building.

This weekend, I spent a chunk of time researching an article about The Seafarer I’m writing for the program. I rashly agreed to write about Baldoyle—the Dublin suburb in which the play is set—despite my complete and utter ignorance about the region. So, I’ve been spending some time at the library. Now I know I’m outing myself as a massive dork by saying this, but it’s actually kind of fun for me. While reading about Baldoyle’s geography and history, I’ve been able to create an imaginative map of this place I’ve never visited. I’m dreaming up an idea of what it might mean to be from there.

I’ve been thinking a lot about what the idea of place means in our work. Last season, Steppenwolf received a lot of gratifying attention as August: Osage County made a splash in New York City. But while Tracy Letts won national awards and was wooed by international producers, he was writing a play about home. Superior Donuts was, Tracy said, a “love letter to Chicago.” (more…)