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

(Jamie is the School at Steppenwolf Coordinator)

One of Steppenwolf’s best kept secrets is The School at Steppenwolf. If you are an actor in town, you may have come across it. If you aren’t, chances are slim that you have. But even if you’ve never heard of the school, you’ve probably seen many of our alumni tearing up stages across Chicago or great productions at theatre companies founded by our students.

In the summer of 2009 we had the opportunity to cast six of our School at Steppenwolf alumni in our First Look Repertory of New Plays. I recently tracked down the six to see what they’ve been up to and how the School at Steppenwolf has had a lasting effect on their artistic lives.

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Ashley is the Steppenwolf for Young Adults intern.

During my time interning at Steppenwolf, I have heard the term “Public Square” at least six dozen times, and I find myself using it without always knowing quite what I am referring to. To me, the Public Square is a safe space in which the various constituents in our community can engage with each other, with the Steppenwolf staff, and with the amazing artists who make our productions possible, in meaningful and critical conversations about the social issues raised through the work we present. This safe space already exists in web format through our blog, in the intellectual space of post-show discussions, in the physical space of the future home of Steppenwolf, and also where I’ve most encountered it: in our Steppenwolf Young Adult Council.

Over the past three months, while attending a youth-led post-show discussion of Up, seeing various productions at Chicago theaters and helping to select the 2009-2010 council members, I have met so many young people that are dedicated to furthering their understanding of and participation in theater arts as well as increasing young people’s access to Steppenwolf. I have been so inspired by their passion, optimism and imagination.

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Martin McClendon, who plays Martin in Ensemble member Eric Simonson’s First Look play, Honest, is a professor of Theatre at College Carthage where Honest was first commissioned.The role of Martin was written for him.

Honest was performed in an early student production up there with an all student cast, and Martin’s students were all invited to audition for this First Look Production.

Martin is blogging regularly to his students about his experiences here at Steppenwolf, and we thought we’d share them with you (you can find his previous entries here, here, and here).

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Martin McClendon, who plays Martin in Ensemble member Eric Simonson’s First Look play, Honest, is a professor of Theatre at College Carthage where Honest was first commissioned.

The role of Martin was written for him.

Honest was performed in an early student production up there with an all student cast, and Martin’s students were all invited to audition for this First Look Production.

Martin is blogging regularly to his students about his experiences here at Steppenwolf, and we thought we’d share them with you (you can find his previous entries here and here).

(more…)

SPOILER ALERT: If you haven’t yet seen Up, you may want to wait to read this post…

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