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

(Evan is the Front of House Manager at Steppenwolf)

“I’m wearing a shirt that’s unbuttoned way too low,” it sounded like he was almost confessing. “And a pair of pants that are tighter than anyone should really be wearing.”

It’s 15 minutes before the Downstairs Theatre would open for the January 7th performance of David Mamet’s American Buffalo, and I was standing in the back of the house watching Tracy Letts - who was sitting onstage - describe the attire he would be wearing that evening in his portrayal of ’70s fashion plate, insomniac and criminal mastermind, Teach.

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(Jessica is the Events and Office Management Associate at Steppenwolf)

Early in November, our Gala team (Director of Major Gifts Brooke Walters, Events Management Director Lori Davidson, Special Events Manager Kendra Stock, Special Events Associate Molly Kobelt, and myself) went to view the unrented retail space at the Blackhawk on Halsted building. For the first time in 12 years, Steppenwolf was considering forgoing the tent that had consistently housed our annual Gala parties. Walking into that space, it was both challenging and exciting to think about what it would look like on the night of the party. The raw, unsealed concrete floors were covered in a thin layer of dust, and support beams stood coated in fireproofing. The ceilings were made of steel and the windows looked out onto an undeveloped, vacant lot across the street, strewn with heaps of rocks and rubble. But this year, Steppenwolf asked of its audience and staff alike to embrace the power of Belief. And just as directors approach scripts as blank canvases from which to create and build their visions, we eagerly embarked on a new challenge to transform an empty, raw retail space into a cohesive, elegant vision for our Gala.

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I play Nell in Endgame. Nell has one scene in the play, which occurs about 15 minutes into the play and takes less than 10 minutes to perform. The unique aspect of this small role is that I enter from a garbage bin. My husband in the play, Nagg, played by Fran Guinan, also lives in a garbage can and both Fran and I get into our places by going into the basement of the theater, climbing a staircase under a trap in the stage floor, and wait on our perch underneath the bins until our entrance. It’s a peculiar way to experience the play. Our physical expressiveness is limited by our confinement in the cans and, further, we come to understand that both Nagg and Nell are losing their sight (and perhaps their hearing).

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(Phillip plays Oshoosi Size, Egungun and Terrell in The Brother/Sister Plays)

A few nights ago when I got to the theatre, for the first performance of the week of The Brothers Size and Marcus; Or the Secret of Sweet, I was signing in at the callboard, and saw there was a notice posted, saying:

“Happy #100!!!

Yes, it’s true -

Our 100th Performance”

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(Joy is the Literary Manager at Steppenwolf)

Hello blog readers!

Many of you may have heard the exciting news we announced last week: Tarell Alvin McCraney, the extraordinarily gifted actor and playwright who wrote The Brother/Sister Plays, has joined the Steppenwolf ensemble. Those of you who have seen The Brother/Sister Plays, or saw Tarell act on stage in our production of Theatrical Essays a few years back, already understand why this news is so exciting (for those of you who haven’t gotten to see Tarell’s extraordinary plays: hurry! They close in just a few weeks, and, biased though I am, you’ve got to believe me that these plays are not to be missed). But I thought you all might appreciate the opportunity to get to know the newest member of the Steppenwolf family a little better. So I’ve pulled some links to articles, videos, and interviews that will give you a fuller picture of Tarell, his approach to his work, his theatrical aesthetic, and the many reasons we’re so proud to include him in our ensemble.

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