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

For those of you who look forward to Steppenwolf’s Young Adult season, you may remember my last blog post when I just couldn’t decide what it was going to be? Well I am ready to announce the season!

We are opening with Tennessee Williams‘ The Glass Menagerie directed by our very own Yasen Peyankov and starring one of my personal favorite Chicago actresses Alana Arenas, (remember her from The Bluest Eye?). This Glass Menagerie will be with an all African-American cast.

Our second production will be Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck and directed by Michael Patrick Thornton. Last time this play was done here it was starring John Malkovich , John Mahoney, Joan Allen, Jeff Perry, Gary Sinise and Glenne Headly, wow! Unfortunately scheduling does not allow for them to return and reprise their roles. But you never know you may just catch the next wave of amazing newcomers to the Steppenwolf stage. (more…)

So here I sit at my desk, at Steppenwolf – a desk piled high books and scripts, surrounded by people talking theatre. I’m feeling a bit anxious. Why? I’m trying to finalize my Steppenwolf for Young Adults season for 2008-2009. Maybe you’re asking: how tough can that be? Picking two plays for high school students?

I have had many suggestions, tons of them, in fact – from people like Sean Graney, Michael Patrick Thorton, Lisa Portes, Michael Rhod, my staff and colleagues, on and on. I have given scripts to our Young Adult Council to read and get feedback. Still I sit.

Why? Why the difficulty? Why the indecision? Because programming for SYA is not a straight-up artistic decision. (more…)