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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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).

(more…)

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…)

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 entry here).

(more…)

Lisa Portes is the director of Ski Dubai.

Gordon Gill is a rock star. That’s all I want to say. Though he’d brush it off with the most charming humility, but… um… just look at this building. Gordon is the “Gill” in Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill Architecture, the guys who’ve essentially designed Dubai. Yes, that’s an exaggeration, but I like to say it and it’s not far from the truth: Adrian Smith, while still at Skidmore, Owings and Merrill, designed the Burj Dubai: the tallest and arguably most famous building in the world right now. Adrian and Gordon formed Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill Architecture in 2006 and, if you go to their site, you will be inspired. That’s all there is to say. You will feel as though you’ve been thinking small for a long time, your mind will inhale and expand, and you may consider (like I did) quitting your job and getting Gordon’s coffee just to follow these guys around the world, specifically to Dubai.

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