First Look Program

steppenwolf

writers who rock. Awesome new plAys. see them first.

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Given the ideas that the three First Look plays are wrestling with, that might sound a bit surprising. Martyna Majok, Tanya Saracho and Joshua Conkel are inviting us into three vibrant and varied—but emotionally volatile—worlds. In Martyna’s Ironbound, we spend two decades at a run-down New Jersey bus stop as Darja—a Polish immigrant—fights for her future and negotiates between romantic love and security. In Hushabye, Tanya invites us into Erika’s artsy Pilsen loft, where Erika and her sister hilariously and honestly fight to repair their fractured relationship. In Okay, Bye., Joshua transports us to a bitter winter in which Meg and Jenny, two former high school classmates seemingly opposite in every way, test out a friendship in which the stakes may just be life or death.

It is the repertory format that helps generate a fun event. We could choose just to focus on a single new play in First Look. But by sharing resources among three projects (and two readings) we created a vibrant—if temporary—community. And in that community, we have laughed at our own mistakes, we have cheered the successes of our collaborators, we have experienced the joy that comes from turning a mere notion into a living work of art. And now we’re glad that you will join us: laughing, cheering and–should the demand arise—occasionally shedding a tear.

One element of fun is taking a risk together. The playwrights, performers, designers and other artists in First Look have taken a highly visible risk and in a small way, we’d like to acknowledge that. Following this letter, you’ll find a “pyramid challenge.” We’ve left the relative safety of the administrative office and tried our hand at the same interview task we asked of our participating playwrights. We’ll let you judge the results—let’s just say the exercise deepened our respect for the word-smithing talents of the First Look playwrights.

Welcome to Steppenwolf’s ninth-annual First Look Repertory of New Work. We’re so glad you have joined us. Have fun!

Aaron Carter Director of New Play Development

Greta Honold Producing Associate

welcome to first look 2014!

fun. that’s right. we said “fun.”

tHe PYrAmiD cHAlleNGe first look iN 55 worDs

in one word WHAT IS FIRST LOOk ABOuT?

Birthin two words WHAT IS yOuR FAvORITE PLACE TO SEE NEW WORk?

Last rowin tHree words HOW vITAL ARE PEOPLE’S OPINIONS WHEN yOu ARE PRODuCING A FESTIvAL?

Water, light, air in four words IF THIS FESTIvAL COuLD BE GIvEN AS A GIFT TO ONE PERSON, WHO WOuLD IT BE AND WHy?

Greta: Chekhov. aaron: ChurChill.

in five words WHAT DREAMS DO yOu HAvE FOR THE PLAyS IN THIS FESTIvAL?

Productions. Audiences. Lots of them.in six words DESCRIBE WHAT HAPPENED ON yOuR LEAST FAvORITE PRODuCING DAy?

ThaT Time The arT was compromised

in seven words DESCRIBE WHAT HAPPENED ON yOuR FAvORITE PRODuCING DAy.

ThaT Time The arT and arTisTs Triumphed

in eiGHt words WHAT DID THE FIRST vERSION OF THIS FESTIvAL LOOk LIkE?

You wrote A plAY? send it to us!in nine words WHAT IS THIS FESTIvAL ABOuT?

Artists And Audiences witness the beginning of A phenomenon.in ten words IN WHAT FuTuRE PROJECTS SHOuLD WE LOOk OuT FOR yOu?

Greta: GaraGe rep 2015. aaron: personaL essays and Lobby dispLays

Artistic DirectorMartha lavey†*

executive Directordavid Hawkanson

steppenwolf

julY 26 – AuGust 24, 2014

This innovative play development program offers three playwrights a distinctive opportunity which results in a fully-staged developmental production and allows our audiences

unprecedented access to the creation of new work.

Steppenwolf Theatre Company is a constituent of Theatre Communications Group (TCG), the national organization for nonprofit professional theater.

the Harold and Mimi steinberg Charitable trust is the production sponsor of the first look repertory of new work.

Additional support for new work at steppenwolf is provided by the Zell family foundation, the Andrew w. Mellon foundation,

the john s. and james l. Knight foundation and members of the directors Circle.

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h US haBYe

DI R ECTE D By E NSE M B LE M E M B E R

Yasen PeYankovDRAMATu RGy By

dereK MAtson

ByByi rON BOU N D

DI R ECTE D By

Daniella toPolDRAMATu RGy By

KAtHrYn ZuKAitis

ByOKaY, BYe.

DI R ECTE D By

Margot BorDelonDRAMATu RGy By

jenni pAGe-wHite

coNteNts 2 welcome to first Look 2014! Letter from Director of New Play Development Aaron Carter and Producing Associate Greta Honold

10 getting to know Ironbound playwright Martyna Majok

16 getting to know Hushabye playwright tanya saracho

22 getting to know Okay, Bye. playwright Joshua Conkel

24 first Look repertory of new work Find out more information about the First Look Readings, Professionals’ Weekend and First Look 101.

30 the Pyramid Challenge: American Beauty Shop With First Look playwright dana lynn formby

31 the Pyramid Challenge: Opium Den With First Look playwright julie Marie Myatt

editor neel Mcneill

Contributors Jamie alexander aaron Carter evan hatfield greta honold suzanne Miller Jenni Page-white

design shilla shakoori

to Advertise Contact: smARTMagazines/smARTSponsorships Bryan Dowling 773-360-1767 or [email protected]

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i rON BOU N D A new play by Martyna Majok Directed by daniella topol Dramaturgy by Kathryn Zukaitis

ProDuctioN stAffChelsea M. warren SCENIC DESIGN sally dolembo COSTuME DESIGN j.r. lederle LIGHTING DESIGN Christopher laporte SOuND DESIGN Cassie Calderone* LEAD STAGE MANAGER ryan Bourque FIGHT CHOREOGRAPHy Adam Goldstein DIALECT COACH erica daniels° CASTING DIRECTOR Briana j. fahey* STAGE MANAGER Mary Hungerford ASSISTANT STAGE MANAGER

† member of the Steppenwolf Theatre Company ensemble. * member of Actors’ Equity Association, the union of professional actors and stage managers. + member of united Scenic Artists, Local 829 of the IATSE.° member of the Casting Society of America.

i rON BOU N D

DI R ECTE D By

Daniella toPol

By

cAst (in alphabetical order)

paul d’Addario* TOMMy Billy fenderson* MAX nate santana vIC lusia strus* DARJA

uNDerstuDiessasha Gioppo DARJA nate santana TOMMy, MAX

ADDitioNAl stAff Andrew Hobgood ASSISTANT DIRECTOR Aaron stephenson SOuND BOARD OPERATOR jessica trier WARDROBE CREW staci weigum ASSISTANT COSTuME DESIGNER Zoe shiffrin ASSISTANT CHARGE ARTIST vanessa rundle RuN CREW CHIEF Charlie strater HARMONICA TRAINING Christopher depaola, john wolfer ADDITIONAL CARPENTERS Bethany Arrington INTERN

settiNG A BuS STOP NEAR THE CARCASS OF A FACTORy IN ELIzABETH, NJ.

time 2014, 1992, 2007

iNtermissioN THERE WILL BE NO INTERMISSION.

Ironbound was commissioned by a grant from the National New Play Network, with funding from The Smith Prize for New Plays.

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paul d’Addario TOMMy

is excited to be returning to Steppenwolf Theatre Company where he was last seen as George in the Steppenwolf for young Adults’ production of Of Mice and Men. He is Associate Artistic Director of The Gift Theatre. Favorite roles there include Eddie in Hurlyburly (Non-Equity Jeff Award–Lead Actor), Terry in Dirty by Andrew Hinderaker and Mark in Thinner Than Water. Paul has worked with Next Theatre, Griffin Theatre and the Actors Theatre of San Francisco. In the fall Paul can be seen in Bethany (The Gift Theatre); directed by Marti Lyons. He is a graduate of the 2001 School at Steppenwolf.

Billy fenderson MAX

is honored to be working at Steppenwolf Theatre Company for the first time. Chicago credits include Far Away (Northwestern

SITE Festival); This is War, East of Berlin/Russian Play (Signal Ensemble Theatre); Measure for Measure (Goodman Theatre); Hamlet (Writers Theatre); and Arcadia (New Leaf Theatre). Television credits include Crisis.

nate santana vIC

is thrilled to be making his debut at Steppenwolf Theatre Company. Chicago credits include Golden Boy (Griffin Theatre); White Tie Ball, Momma’s Boyz (Teatro vista); Comrades Mine (City Lit Theater); The Rainmaker (Boho Theatre); The Merchant of Venice, Romeo and Juliet (First Folio Theatre); What Happened When… and Slipping (the side project). Nate has been nominated for two Jeff Awards and received his BA from valparaiso university. He is represented by Lily’s Talent and would like to thank kJ for all the support!

lusia strus DARJA

Select Chicago credits include Good People (Jeff Award nomination), her own solo show, It Ain’t No Fairy Tale (LAWeekly Award-Solo Performance), Hysteria, Our Town and Whispering City (Steppenwolf Theatre Company); Love’s Labours Lost, Merry Wives of Windsor, Henry IV (Chicago Shakespeare Theater); Go Away Go Away (Jeff Award— Principal Actress), Slavs! (European Repertory Theatre); and many years of Too Much Light Makes the Baby Go Blind (Chicago and New york City), as a Neo-Futurist. Other recent credits include Enron, Elling (Broadway); The Retributions (Playwrights Horizons); Travesties, Are You There, McPhee? (McCarter Theater); and the upcoming Commons of Pensacola (Northlight Theatre). Film and television credits include Gus van Sant’s Restless, independents Cotton and Kelly and Cal, Modern Family, Blue Bloods, Wayward Pines (Fall 2015) and recurring roles on web series Jack in a Box and Whatever This Is. Lusia lives in New york City but is Chicago to the bone.

cAst | PlAYwriGHt | Director | DrAmAturG iroNbouND

Martyna Majok PLAyWRIGHT

Martyna’s plays include Mouse in a Jar, the friendship of her thighs, Petty Harbour and reWilding. Her work has been seen and developed at Marin Theatre Company, New york Stage & Film, Ensemble Studio Theatre, yale Cabaret, Red Tape Theatre, The kennedy Center, Satori Group, LIDA Project and The Playwright and Director Center of Moscow. She is the recipient of the 2050 New york Theatre Workshop Fellowship.

daniella topol DIRECTOR

primarily focuses on developing and directing new plays and musicals. Her recent world premiere productions include Rachel Bonds’s Five Mile Lake (South Coast Repertory); Cori Thomas’s When January Feels Like Summer (Ensemble Studio Theatre/Page 73 Productions);

Jessica Dickey’s Charles Ives Take Me Home (Rattlestick Playwrights Theater); Row after Row (Women’s Project Theater); Rajiv Joseph’s Monster at the Door (Alley Theatre); Catherine Treischmann’s How the World Began (South Coast Repertory/ Women’s Project Theater). Daniella lives in Brooklyn with her husband and daughter.

Kathryn Zukaitis DRAMATuRG

was the 2013/14 Literary Apprentice at Steppenwolf Theatre Company, where she served as the research assistant for Tribes. She was the assistant dramaturg for the world premieres of Will Eno’s Gnit, Jeff Augustin’s Cry Old Kingdom, Sam Marks’ The Delling Shore, Rinne Groff’s Comfort Inn and Sleep Rock Thy Brain in the 2013 Humana Festival of New American Plays, as well as Romeo and Juliet and The Whipping Man (Actors Theatre of Louisville). kathryn holds a BA in comparative literature from Haverford College and an MA in religion and literature from yale Divinity School.

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From what seed did the idea For ironbound Grow?

martyna maJoK: I was reading Slavoj Žižek’s Violence and it made me think about the quiet systems at play in America. About the way that capitalism causes us to commodify people—about value, abusive relationships and how a life of poverty makes someone approach love.

what is your Favorite part oF the pLaymaKinG process, and why?

martyna maJoK: Workshops. Tom Stoppard likens outside perspectives on his plays to going through customs at the airport. The officer asks you to declare what you have in your luggage. you tell him. “A four character play about a lady at a bus stop in Jersey.” Then he goes rifling through your bags and finds all these things you didn’t realize you’d packed. Like capitalism and the contradictions of modern feminism in certain socioeconomic situations.

in ironbound, the characters struGGLe with Limited FinanciaL resources. what’s the First thinG you’d do iF you won the Lottery?

martyna maJoK: How much’re we talkin’ here? Cuz I’ve got dreams for all kinds of budgets! First thing I’d do is put some aside for taxes cuz I know they’d be coming for me. Then I’d free up myself and my family, squash our debt—student loans and the credit card bills my single mother accumulated raising my sister and me. Get an apartment. visit family in Poland. Buy the first round with ease. Ah! you said the first thing! But can’t I list them all?

you studied as an underGrad at the university oF chicaGo. what chicaGo spot are you most LooKinG Forward to visitinG aGain?

martyna maJoK: That eight-mile walk from Hyde Park to Navy Pier along the lake. The sun on that endless water… the performing arts section at the Harold Washington Public Library. The people. The theater. All of it. In perfect, perfect summer. Chicago is magic. I. Can’t. Wait.

GettinG to know PLAywriGht martyna maJoK

iroNbouND

tHe PYrAmiD cHAlleNGe PlAY & PlAYwriGHt iN 55 worDs

in one word WHAT IS yOuR PLAy ABOuT?

securitYin two words WHERE IS yOuR FAvORITE PLACE TO WRITE?

aLone awayin tHree words HOW vITAL ARE OTHER PEOPLE’S OPINIONS WHEN yOu ARE WORkING ON A PIECE?

verY. varieS. DepeNDS.

in four words WHAT DREAMS DO yOu HAvE FOR THE CHARACTERS IN yOuR PLAy?

reason to trust. ease.

in five words WHO IS yOuR FAvORITE WRITER, AND WHy?

mAny. humAnity. humor in dArkness.in six words DESCRIBE WHAT HAPPENED ON yOuR LEAST FAvORITE WRITING DAy.

noThing: survival-job faTigue damn fell asleep

in seven words DESCRIBE WHAT HAPPENED ON yOuR FAvORITE WRITING DAy.

where’d The Time fly hoTdamn acT one!

in eiGHt words WHAT DID THE FIRST vERSION OF THIS PLAy LOOk LIkE?

no end, How do You ConClude A CYCle?in nine words WHAT IS yOuR PLAy ABOuT?

womAn considers whAt survivAl meAns After too dAmn muchin ten words IN WHAT FuTuRE PROJECTS SHOuLD WE LOOk OuT FOR yOu?

modern day chernobyL musicaL and more pLays about poor peopLe

PhotograPher Brian MCConkey

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h US haBYeA new play by tAnYA sArACHo Directed by ensemble member YAsen peYAnKov Dramaturgy by derek Matson


james t. Alfred* BRIAN McKenzie Chinn ERIkA desmond Gray TERRENCE shane Kenyon* JACkSON tamberla perry* CyNTHIA


h US haBYe

DI R ECTE D By E NSE M B LE M E M B E R

Yasen PeYankov

ByProDuctioN stAffChelsea M. warren SCENIC DESIGN rachel laritz+ COSTuME DESIGNER j.r. lederle LIGHTING DESIGN Christopher laporte SOuND DESIGN ryan Bourque FIGHT CHOREOGRAPHy erica daniels° CASTING DIRECTOR Cassie Calderone* STAGE MANAGER, HuSHAByE, LEAD STAGE MANAGER Kathleen dickinson ASSISTANT STAGE MANAGER

uNDerstuDiesdesmond Gray JACkSON, BRIAN McKenzie Chinn CyNTHIA

ADDitioNAl stAff jerrell l. Henderson ASSISTANT DIRECTOR Aaron stephenson SOuND BOARD OPERATOR jessica trier WARDROBE CREW daisy lindas ASSISTANT COSTuME DESIGNER Ari Clouse SCRIPT SuPERvISOR Zoe shiffrin ASSISTANT CHARGE ARTIST vanessa rundle RuN CREW CHIEF Christopher depaola, john wolfer ADDITIONAL CARPENTERS Alex rodriguez INTERN

settiNG AN APARTMENT IN PILSEN’S ARTIST CORRIDOR, CHICAGO

time LIkE, NOW.


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tamberla perry CyNTHIA

is thrilled to be back at Steppenwolf Theatre Company. Some Chicago credits include The North Plan, The Brother/Sister Plays (Steppenwolf Theatre Company); By the Way, Meet Vera Stark, Race (Goodman Theatre); In the Next Room, or the Vibrator Play (victory Gardens Theatre); Bulrusher (Congo Square Theatre) Eclipsed (Northlight Theatre); Black Diamond, Fedra:Queen of Haiti, Icarus (Lookingglass Theatre Company); The Overwhelming (Next Theatre). Television credits include Boss, Chicago Fire, Crisis and Your WGN Illinois Lottery Hostess. Tam loves kevin!

tanya saracho PLAyWRIGHT

Tanya’s plays include The Tenth Muse, Mala Hierba, Song for the Disappeared, Enfrascada, El Nogalar, an adaptation of The House on Mango Street, Our Lady of the Underpass,

Surface Day, Kita y Fernanda and Quita Mitos. Her plays have been produced at Steppenwolf Theatre Company, the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, 2nd Stage Theatre, Goodman Theatre, Teatro vista, Teatro Luna, Fountain Theatre, Clubbed Thumb, Next Theatre Company and 16th Street Theater. She currently writes for the HBO series Looking.

Yasen peyankov DIRECTOR

has been a Steppenwolf Theatre Company ensemble member since 2002 and last appeared in The Wheel. yasen’s last directing endeavor at Steppenwolf was Russian Transport in the upstairs Theater. He also directed the Bulgarian premiere of August: Osage County at the National Theatre in Sofia, Bulgaria. Other directing credits include Uncle Vanya, Stars in The Morning Sky, Macbeth, Roberto Zucco, Go Away Go Away, Slavs! (European Repertory Company); Overweight, Unimportant, Misshape: A European Supper (Trap Door Theatre); and Ladybird (Rushforth Productions); among others. On stage he has appeared in productions at Goodman Theatre, Court Theatre, European Repertory Company, Next Theatre Company, Seattle Repertory Theatre, American Conservatory Theater, making his Broadway debut in

Superior Donuts in 2009. Film and television acting credits include A Very Harold and Kumar Christmas, Contagion, Transformers 3, Crime Fiction, The Company, The Mob Doctor, The Beast, Gifted Hands, Karen Sisco, Alias, The Practice, The Unit, Numb3rs and others. yasen has translated and adapted Russian plays by Anton Chekhov, Mikhail Bulgakov, Nikolai kolyada, Alexander Galin and vassily Sigarev all of which developed into productions. His translation of Chekhov’s IvANOv was produced by European Repertory Company and then published by Ivan R. Dee. He is a recipient of a Joseph Jefferson Award, Fox Fellowship Award and currently serves as the Head of Theatre in the School of Theatre and Music at the university of Illinois at Chicago.

derek Matson DRAMATuRG

is delighted to be returning to First Look. He has dramaturged productions for Steppenwolf Theatre Company, Lookingglass Theatre Company, About Face Theatre, American Theater Company, The House Theatre of Chicago, Strawdog Theatre Company, Chicago Opera vanguard, the Ryan Opera Center and the Metropolitan Opera. Derek studied acting at Le Cours Florent in Paris, France and he’s currently a resident artist in performance studies at the university of Chicago. His translations into and from French, Spanish, Italian, Russian, German and Catalan have been featured at Lyric Opera of Chicago, Wolf Trap Opera, the Montreux Comedy Festival and Cornell university, where he earned his MA in theater and performance studies.

HusHAbYecAst | PlAYwriGHt | Director | DrAmAturG

james t. Alfred BRIAN

returns to Steppenwolf Theatre Company where he was last seen in Head of Passes, as well as the Steppenwolf for young Adults’ production of The Glass Menagerie. Other Chicago credits include the world premiere of Daren Canady’s Brothers of the Dust (Congo Square Theatre); August Wilson’s Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom (Court Theatre). Television credits include Boss, Prison Break and the CBS Pilot ATF/The Line. Film credits include One Week, Son of America and If Jesus Was a Homeboy. James is graduate of the Institute for Advanced Theater Training Harvard university and holds an MFA in acting from the Moscow Art Theater School.

McKenzie Chinn ERIkA

happily returns to the Steppenwolf Garage where she appeared last winter in Saturday

Night/Sunday Morning (Prologue Theatre Company); as part of Steppenwolf Garage Rep series. Other Chicago credits include understudying Race (Goodman Theatre); Harry and the Thief (Pavement Group); Bud, Not Buddy (Chicago Children’s Theatre); understudying In the Next Room, or the Vibrator Play (victory Gardens Theatre); and Idomeneus (Sideshow Theatre Company). you can also see her in the remount of popular and critical hit Principal Principle (Stage Left Theatre Company) at Theatre Wit. Film credits include the art house feature Hogtown (9:23 Films). She earned her MFA in acting from The Theatre School at DePaul.

desmond Gray TERRENCE

is excited to return to the Steppenwolf Garage! Chicago credits include Hit the Wall (The Inconvenience/Steppenwolf Theatre Company); Hit the Wall (Chicago Commercial Collective/The Inconvenience); The Misanthrope, Tartuffe (Court Theatre); Pullman Porter Blues (Goodman Theatre); and Hellcab (Profiles Theatre). Desmond has also worked for TimeLine Theatre Company and Theatre Seven of Chicago. He is represented by Big Mouth Talent. Thank you all for the support!

shane Kenyon JACkSON

is thrilled to be back at Steppenwolf Theatre Company. He was last seen here as part of Steppenwolf’s Next up repertory in Where We’re Born. Previous Steppenwolf credits include understudying Sex With Strangers, understudying Dublin Carol, Betrayal and Last of the Boys. Other Chicago credits include Buzzer (Goodman Theatre); If There Is I Haven’t Found It Yet (Steep Theatre Company); The Seafarer, Shadow of a Gunman (Seanachai Theatre Co.); Trainspotting USA (Book and Lyrics Theatricals); Big Love, The Petrified Forest (Strawdog Theatre Company); Kin (Griffin Theatre); Jailbait (Profiles Theatre); Mary’s Wedding (Rivendell Theatre Ensemble); Hamlet, Romeo and Juliet, Macbeth and Midsummer Night’s Dream (Lakeside Shakespeare Theatre). Film and television credits include Jessica with Folded Rose Productions, Mind Games and Chicago Code. He gives all his love and thanks to BLR.

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From what seed did the idea For hushabye Grow?

tanya saracho: From an angel. Or from when I thought I was being haunted by a demon-like angel in my apartment. So I put it in the first draft of the play: Erika moves into her new place and an angel/demon drops from heaven when she climaxes with Brian that first night in the apartment and the creature begins to haunt her. That was the play. until it wasn’t. until it became a whole other thing. There are no more angels in this play.


tanya saracho: That overwhelming sense of possibility after hearing your first draft. Not even opening night compares to it for me.

despite the Gravity oF the issues conFrontinG the characters, your pLay is reaLLy Funny. do you have any comedic heroes?

tanya saracho: Tin Tan, Resortes, Cantinflas and Chachita. Mexican comedy icons.

what are the best perKs oF writinG For LooKinG and GirLs?

tanya saracho: Free lunch! These Tv people are so fancy with their gluten-free, micro-greens, farm-to-table lunches that they provide for the writers every day. yup. you heard it right. EvERy. DAy.

your pLay Features a sibLinG reLationship that is both combative and deepLy supportive. do you have any personaL reLationships that you draw inspiration From?

tanya saracho: yes. I mean, I don’t want to out myself or put my family on blast but I have siblings with a history of rehab as well as a slew of other kinfolk dysfunctions. I am quite versed in that area.



recONciliatiON

in two words WHERE IS yOuR FAvORITE PLACE TO WRITE?

i n s ec lus i o nin tHree words HOW vITAL ARE OTHER PEOPLE’S OPINIONS WHEN yOu ARE WORkING ON A PIECE?

MáS O MENOS in four words WHAT DREAMS DO yOu HAvE FOR THE CHARACTERS IN yOuR PLAy?

a coherent, coMPelling storYin five words WHO IS yOuR FAvORITE WRITER, AND WHy?

SOR JuANA, BECAuSE SHE DARED

in six words DESCRIBE WHAT HAPPENED ON yOuR LEAST FAvORITE WRITING DAy.

happens a Lot: when i’m interruptedin seven words DESCRIBE WHAT HAPPENED ON yOuR FAvORITE WRITING DAy.

not onLy broke throuGh, but finished itin eiGHt words WHAT DID THE FIRST vERSION OF THIS PLAy LOOk LIkE?

it was quite promisinG; there was an anGeL.in nine words WHAT IS yOuR PLAy ABOuT?

sisters; atoneMent; aDulterY; reDeMPtion; olD wounDs; anD Basic Bitches

in ten words IN WHAT FuTuRE PROJECTS SHOuLD WE LOOk OuT FOR yOu?

cO-prODUciNg “lOOKiNg” ON hBO; mOUNtiNg “mala hierBa” at 2ND Stage

HusHAbYe


GettinG to know PLAywriGht tanya saracho

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OKaY, BYe.A new play by joshua Conkel Directed by Margot Bordelon Dramaturgy by jenni page-white


Brenda Barrie* JENNy lara phillips* MEG

ProDuctioN stAff

By

OKaY, BYe.

DI R ECTE D By

Margot BorDelon

Chelsea M. warren SCENIC DESIGN emily tarleton COSTuME DESIGN j.r. lederle LIGHTING DESIGN Christopher laporte SOuND DESIGN Cassie Calderone* LEAD STAGE MANAGER ryan Bourque FIGHT CHOREOGRAPHy erica danielso CASTING DIRECTOR jonathan nook* STAGE MANAGER ivy reid ASSISTANT STAGE MANAGER

uNDerstuDiesBrittany Burch MEG, JENNy

ADDitioNAl stAff Kelsey wilk ASSISTANT DIRECTOR Aaron stephenson SOuND BOARD OPERATOR jessica trier WARDROBE CREW Zoe shiffrin ASSISTANT CHARGE ARTIST vanessa rundle RuN CREW CHIEF Christopher depaola, john wolfer ADDITIONAL CARPENTERS Mark pontarelli INTERN

settiNG A SERIES OF ALCOHOLICS ANONyMOuS MEETINGS, AND THEN A CONDO.

time THE PRESENT-ISH.



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Brenda Barrie JENNy

returns to Steppenwolf Theatre Company where she was last seen in Middletown. Other Chicago credits include Julius Caesar, Elizabeth Rex (Chicago Shakespeare Theatre); Ruby Sunrise (The Gift Theatre); Memory, Aunt Dan and Lemon, How I Learned to Drive (Backstage Theatre Company); Mrs. Caliban, Mariette in Ecstasy (Lifeline Theatre); Graceland (Profiles Theatre); A Streetcar Named Desire (Metropolis Performing Arts Centre); Caravaggio (Silk Road Rising); The Nutcracker and The Crownless King (House Theatre of Chicago); where she is also a company member. Brenda also performs with Erasing the Distance, a non-profit company whose aim is to shed light on issues of mental health through theater. This fall Brenda can be seen in The Downpour (Route 66 Theatre Company).

lara phillips MEG

is thrilled to be working at Steppenwolf Theatre Company

for the first time. Theater credits include All The Rage, As You Like It (Goodman Theatre); The Butcher of Baraboo, The Treatment, The Removalists, The Physicists (A Red Orchid Theatre); The Maids (The Help); The Constant Wife (The Old Globe Theatre); and Never Come Morning (Prop Theatre). Some television credits include Boss, The West Wing, Grey’s Anatomy, Drew Carey Show, Without A Trace and General Hospital. Film credits include The Road To Perdition, The Ice Harvest, Kwik Stop, Fragments, Bullet On A Wire, From The Head and Par 6. Lara currently lives in New york and is very happy to be able to spend the summer back in Chicago.

joshua Conkel PLAyWRIGHT

Joshua’s plays include MilkMilkLemonade, The Chalk Boy, I Wanna Destroy You, The Sluts of Sutton Drive as well as countless short plays. His work has been seen all over the united States as well as in the u.k., New zealand and Australia. He has been developed by Ensemble Studio Theatre, Soho Rep, The Lark Play Development Center, The Old vic and others.

Margot Bordelon DIRECTOR

is a freelance director who splits her time between Chicago and New york. She is a founding member of Theatre Seven of Chicago, where she co-conceived and directed Yes, This Really Happened to Me, Lies & Liars, and We Live Here. She recently graduated from the yale School of Drama with her MFA in theater directing. Favorite yale School of Drama productions include Sagittarius Ponderosa by MJ kaufman, Cloud Nine by Caryl Churchill and This. by Mary Laws. margotbordelon.com

jenni page-white DRAMATuRG

is currently the Literary Associate at Steppenwolf Theatre Company, where she is completing her first season. She previously was the 2013 First Look Programs Assistant after receiving her MFA in dramaturgy from the university of Iowa. She has collaborated with LiveWire Chicago Theatre and Rabbit Hole in Chicago and with the Lark Play Development Center in New york.

cAst | PlAYwriGHt | Director | DrAmAturG

think more. feeL more. Live more.

A comic, modern look At the young queen of frAnce—And A soci ety thAt m ight be

entertAin ing itself to deAth.

Marie antoinetteby DAvID ADJMI

directed by ROBERT O’HARAFeaturing ensemble members alana arenas, tim hopper, Ora Jones and alan Wilder

februAry 5 – mAy 10, 2015

A world prem iere About A rAg-tAg collection of str ippers, hustlers And ph i losophers,

from the Author of detroit .

airLine highwayby LISA D’AMOuR

directed by JOE MANTELLOFeaturing ensemble members

robert Breuler and K. todd Freeman

december 4, 2014 – februAry 8, 2015

A deftly com ic plAy About the chAllenges of reconci l iAtion, the power of shAred memor ies

And the i rres istible pull of fAm i ly.

the herdby RORy kINNEAR

directed by ensemble member k. TODD FREEMANFeaturing ensemble members

Francis guinan and John mahoney

April 2 – June 7, 2015

A trAnscendent new drAmA by the celebrAted Author of the seAfArer, sh in ing c ity And the we ir.

the night aLiveby CONOR McPHERSON

directed by HENRy WISHCAMPERFeaturing ensemble members

Francis guinan and tim hopper

september 18 – november 16, 2014

A new plAy About the vAlue of compAssion— And the l im its of forg iveness—

in A bronx soup k itchen.

grand ConCourseby HEIDI SCHRECk

directed by ensemble member yASEN PEyANkOv

Featuring ensemble member tim hopper

July 2 – August 30, 2015

suBsCriBe now!

Join Steppenwolf as a Subscriber

for as little as $100. steppenwolf.org/subscribe

312-335-1650

22 23

okAY, bYe.



disappointment

in two words WHERE IS yOuR FAvORITE PLACE TO WRITE?

kitchen tAbLein tHree words HOW vITAL ARE OTHER PEOPLE’S OPINIONS WHEN yOu ARE WORkING ON A PIECE?

i soLicit seLectiveLyin four words WHAT DREAMS DO yOu HAvE FOR THE CHARACTERS IN yOuR PLAy?

tHAt tHeY find peACein five words WHO IS yOuR FAvORITE WRITER, AND WHy?

dorothy pArker, depressed And hilAriousin six words DESCRIBE WHAT HAPPENED ON yOuR LEAST FAvORITE WRITING DAy.

i haD tO Start FrOm Scratch

in seven words DESCRIBE WHAT HAPPENED ON yOuR FAvORITE WRITING DAy.

A GooGLe hAnGout reAdinG in new zeALAndin eiGHt words WHAT DID THE FIRST vERSION OF THIS PLAy LOOk LIkE?

there was an extraneous character who i cutin nine words WHAT IS yOuR PLAy ABOuT?

the pAin of Aging And finding your life disAppointingin ten words IN WHAT FuTuRE PROJECTS SHOuLD WE LOOk OuT FOR yOu?

Ya BOOKS, WeB StUFF, a graphic NOvel, aND FUtUre plaYS

From what seed did the idea For oKay, bye. Grow?

Joshua conKeL: I looked around it seemed that all my peers had passed me by. I’d lost a partner, gone broke and was working a dead end job. I was listening to The Smiths a lot and also re-read The Bell Jar for the millionth time. It all kind of just came together.


Joshua conKeL: Writing the first draft, for sure. That is exquisitely romantic work, even when you’re writing something painful. Rewrites are tedious and the rehearsal process is frightening, but putting the words to the page for the first time feels great.

were you an “aLternative” or a “Goody-Goody” in hiGh schooL—or somethinG eLse?

Joshua conKeL: I grew up in the Pacific Northwest during the 90’s. I have alternative music in my blood.

you wrote the First draFt oF this pLay whiLe in new ZeaLand. did beinG so Far From home inFLuence the writinG at aLL?

Joshua conKeL: I owe the play to New zealand. I left New york thinking I would never write again because I was so frustrated with my work and my process. I set up house in Auckland, took a full-time job at an ad agency, and started a completely new life. I decided that I would take my time writing one last play and if it worked out, then great. If not, I was happy regardless.

oKay, bye is a notabLe styListic departure From your earLier worK. what prompted the chanGe?

Joshua conKeL: I wanted to write something that was the opposite of anything I’d ever written before (large scale campy comedies). I tried really hard to stop myself from using anything in my usual bag of tricks. Without disavowing any of my earlier plays, I was very intentionally pushing the “restart” button with this play.


GettinG to know PLAywriGht Joshua conKeL

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steppenwolf.org/firstlook

first look 101 a BehinD-the-scenes journeY through the new PlaY DeveloPMent Process.JuNE – AuGuST, 2014

first look 101 is the backstage pass to the first look repertory of new work. led by steppenwolf staff and the first look artistic teams, each master class offers a different perspective of the new play development process. drop in for just one event, or join us for the entire 101 curriculum for an in-depth experience.

events inClude:

• dramaturgy Bootcamp: an exploration of script-reading strategies

• the first look first rehearsal: an introduction to all three First Look productions

• theatrical design seminar: an investigation of the work of the scenic designer

• Marketing seminar: a glimpse into the strategy behind attracting audiences

• open rehearsal and open technical rehearsal: a behind-the-scenes look at the First Look rehearsal process

steppenwolf

reaDingsaMerican BeautY shoPWritten by dana lynn formbyDirected by Marti lyonsFRIDAy, AuGuST 8 AT 2:30PM

oPiuM Den Written by julie Marie MyattDirected by jessica thebusSuNDAy, AuGuST 10 AT 11AM

readings are free—please rsvp by calling Audience services at 312-335-1650.

Professionals’ weekenDAuGuST 8-10, 2014

professionals’ weekend is a unique opportunity to join your industry colleagues from around the country for a weekend of new plays at our annual first look repertory of new work. Come see the plays and playwrights that we think will have a significant impact on American theater—and will guide conversations about art and life—for years to come.

professionAls’ weeKend feAtures:

• Three developmental productions

• Two readings of new plays

• A panel discussion

• Receptions, lunch and a dinner with First Look artists

SigN Up PROFESSIONALS’ WEEkEND IS ONLy $75 E-mail [email protected] or call 312-654-5613 to reserve your spot.

first look eveNts

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biosfirst look rePertorY of New work | stAff

ryan Bourque FIGHT CHOREOGRAPHy

Ryan’s performing credits include Cyrano De Bergerac (Chicago Shakespeare Theater); The Mikado, Sophocles: Seven Sicknesses, Woyzeck, The Pirates of Penzance, (The Hypocrites); The Earl (The Inconvenience); and Cherrywood (Mary-Arrchie Theatre Co.). Fight choreography credits include Leveling Up, Lord of the Flies, The Book Thief (Steppenwolf Theatre Company); Sweet Bird of Youth (Goodman Theatre); Hit The Wall, Fight Night, The Earl, Chicagoland (The Inconvenience); Appropriate, Equivocation, Oedipus El Rey, We Are Proud to Present a Presentation (victory Gardens Theater); Romeo Juliet, Sophocles: Seven Sicknesses, Woyzeck (The Hypocrites); Hoodoo Love (The Collective Theatre Company Chicago); Moonshiner (Jackalope Theatre Company), Reverb (Redtwist Theatre); 25 Saints (Pinebox); Cyrano De Bergerac (Chicago Shakespeare Theater); Geography of a Horse Dreamer, Cherrywood (Mary-Arrchie Theatre Co.); Luther, Making Noise Quietly In the Dark and Festen (Steep Theatre Company). As a freelance photographer Ryan captures dance, theater, music and other artistic works for TimeOut Chicago. He is a company member of The Inconvenience and The Hypocrites.

Cassie Calderone LEAD STAGE MANAGER; STAGE MANAGER, HUSHABYE

is happy to return to Steppenwolf Theatre Company after recently assistant stage managing Russian Transport. Recent credits include The Wheel, The Gospel of Franklin (Steppenwolf Theatre Company). Other Chicago credits include Betrayal, Gary, Fair Use, two productions of The Glass Menagerie, To Kill a Mockingbird, Venus, Man in Love, fml: how Carson McCullers saved my life, Head of Passes (Steppenwolf Theatre Company); Song for the Disappeared (Goodman Theatre); Grease, A Chorus Line (Paramount Theatre); The Homosexuals (About Face Theatre); Million Dollar Quartet (Chicago); The MLK Project (Writers Theatre); The Sparrow (The House Theatre/Broadway in Chicago); and the Gay Games Opening Ceremony at Soldier Field. Regional credits include work with ArtsPower National Touring Theatre, Catharsis Productions, Opera Illinois, Portland Stage and the Colorado, Illinois and virginia Shakespeare Festivals. Cassie is a proud member of AEA. Thank you to all the First Look stage managers and happy first anniversary to my new wife.

Kathleen dickinson ASSISTANT STAGE MANAGER, HUSHABYE

is excited to be returning to Steppenwolf Theatre Company after completing her 2013/14 Stage Management Apprenticeship working on Tribes and The Way West. Other stage management credits include Bedroom Farce, The Trestle at Pope Lick Creek, Memory of Two Mondays, Democracy (Eclipse Theatre Company); pool (no water), The Ghost is Here, Life is a Dream (vitalist Theatre); Church, Pullman, WA (Red Tape Theatre); Girls vs Boys (The House Theatre of Chicago); Beauty of the Father (urban Theatre Company). kathleen would like to thank her family, especially her parents, for their love and support.

sally dolembo COSTuME DESIGN, IRONBOUND

is thrilled to be returning to Steppenwolf Theatre Company. Select credits include Buena Vista, How Long Will I Cry?: Voices of Youth Violence, The Book Thief, Life and Limb and The Glass Menagerie (Steppenwolf Theatre Company); The Little Prince (Lookingglass Theatre Company); Next to Normal (Drury Lane Theatre); The Knowledge (Steep Theatre); DIRTY (The Gift Theatre); Cabaret, The Little Prince, Never the Sinner, Brighton Beach Memoirs (Northwestern university). Sally was a 2007/08 Fulbright scholar to Italy, where she researched and worked at Tirelli Costumi in Rome. Sally has her MFA from Northwestern university. sallydolembo.com.

Briana j. fahey STAGE MANAGER, IRONBOUND.

is excited to be joining the Steppenwolf Theatre Company team after recently moving to Chicago. Other regional theater credits include stage managing at Goodman Theatre, Milwaukee Repertory Theater, utah Shakespeare Festival, California Shakespeare Theater, Magic Theatre and Center REP Theatre. Briana is a member of Actors’ Equity Association.

Adam Goldstein DIALECT COACH

is thrilled to return to the Steppenwolf Garage where he coached Where We’re Born and directed South of Settling in the Next up series. upcoming projects include Men Should Weep (Griffin Theatre); Ivanov (Piven Theatre Workshop). Recent credits include If There Is I Haven’t Found It Yet, Strangers, Babies, Motortown (Steep Theatre Company); Tennessee Williams Project

(The Hypocrites); The Shadow Over Innsmouth (WildClaw Theatre); Compulsion, The Exonerated (Next Theatre Company); Conversations on a Homecoming (Strawdog Theatre Company); Sugarward (the side project); American Storm, Exit, Pursued by Bear (Theatre Seven of Chicago). upcoming directing credits include What to Listen For (the side project), The Size of the World (RedTwist Theatre). Recent directing credits include 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee (Northwestern university). Adam teaches at Columbia College Chicago and holds his MFA in directing from Northwestern and a BFA from New york university.

Mary Hungerford ASSISTANT STAGE MANAGER, IRONBOUND.

is excited to be back working on First Look Rep with this talented team. Stage management credits include Buena Vista, The Drunken City, Penelope, The March (Steppenwolf Theatre Company); The How and the Why (TimeLine Theatre Company); CPS! Othello, CPS! Hamlet (Chicago Shakespeare Theater) Ethan Frome (Lookingglass Theatre Company). Production management credits include She Kills Monsters (Buzz22; Steppenwolf Garage Rep); Selections from Rogers & Hammerstein’s Carousel (Theater Wit); and The 2014 SITE Festival (Northwestern university). “Endless thanks to Jeff and kelley.”

Christopher laporte SOuND DESIGN & ORIGINAL MuSIC

most recently collaborated on In the Garden (Lookingglass Theatre Company); The White Snake (Goodman Theatre); and M. Butterfly (Court Theatre) as assistant sound designer. Recent design and composition work includes Tyrant, The Golden Dragon (Sideshow Theatre Company); Good Boys and True (Raven Theatre); The Pitchfork Disney (Interrobang Theatre Company); A Good Dive (united Solo Festival NyC); Appropriate (victory Gardens Theater); Blacktop Sky, Heddatron (Theatre Seven of Chicago; Sideshow Theatre Company; Steppenwolf Garage Rep ); and numerous productions with Sideshow Theatre Company and Interrobang Theatre Project at both of which he is an artistic associate.

rachel laritz COSTuME DESIGN, HUSHABYE

is happy to be joining First Look for the first time. Chicago credits include various shows at Northlight Theatre, Writers Theatre, Court Theatre, Remy Bumppo

Theatre Company and TimeLine Theatre Company. Regional credits include utah Shakespeare Festival, Actors Theatre of Louisville, Milwaukee Repertory Theatre, kansas City Repertory Theatre, Illinois Shakespeare Festival, Next Act Theatre, Chamber Theatre, Renaissance Theaterworks and Skylight Music Theatre. Off-Broadway credits include Pearl Theatre. Television credits include Law & Order. Rachel received a 2011 Emerging Artist Alumni Award from the university of Michigan and a 2009 Joseph Jefferson Award for Voysey Inheritance (Remy Bumppo Theatre Company).

j.r. lederle LIGHTING DESIGN

has designed five previous First Look Repertory outings. His work has also been seen at kansas City Repertory Theatre, Piven Theatre Workshop, Lookingglass Theatre Company, victory Gardens Theater, About Face Theatre, Northlight Theatre, Remy Bumppo Theatre Company, Writers Theatre, Drury Lane Theatre, Walkabout Theater Company, Itinerant Theatre Guild, Indiana Repertory Theatre and elsewhere at Steppenwolf, including Steppenwolf for young Adults. J.R. also designed lighting for seven years for the Steppenwolf Traffic series and for five Steppenwolf performances in Chicago’s Millennium Park. J.R. has served as Lighting Supervisor at Steppenwolf Theatre Company since 1995.

jonathan nook STAGE MANAGER, OKAY, BYE.

is delighted to return to Steppenwolf Theatre Company for his seventh First Look Rep. His work at Steppenwolf includes Leveling Up, Buena Vista, The Drunken City, South of Settling, Want, Closer Than I Appear & No Sugar Tonight (both featuring Jeff Garlin), Animals Out of Paper, The North Plan and Sex with Strangers. Local stage management credits include The Upstairs Concierge (Goodman Theatre) To Master the Art (Chicago Commercial Collective); Collected Stories, Waiting for Lefty (American Blues Theater); Invisible Man, Orlando, Sizwe Banzi is Dead, The Year of Magical Thinking, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, The Piano Lesson (Court Theatre); Radio Macbeth (SITI Company/Court Theatre); Hair (American Theatre Company); The North Plan (Theater Wit); and Freshly Fallen Snow (Chicago Dramatists).

first look reADiNGsfirst look rePertorY of New work | stAff

ivy reid ASSISTANT STAGE MANAGER, OKAY, BYE

is a freelance lighting designer, electrician and stage manager. Chicago credits include lighting spot operator The Way West, The Wheel, Belleville (Steppenwolf Theatre Company); Salome (Right Brain Project); Devil Land (urbanTheater Company); From White Plains, Bechdel Fest (Broken Nose Theatre); El Stories XII (Waltzing Mechanics); and El Incas (Colectivo El Pozo). “Thanks to my friends and family, and all of the wonderful folks at The Wolf.”

emily tarleton COSTuME DESIGN, OKAY, BYE.

is thrilled to be back at Steppenwolf Theatre Company, where she last designed Venus and Animals Out of Paper for Next up Rep. Other Chicago Credits include Strangers, Babies, Under the Blue Sky (Steep Theatre Company); The Night of the Iguana (Northwestern university); Kin (Griffin Theater Company); Failure: A Love Story and L-Vis Live! (victory Gardens Theater ). Film credits include Black Box. Emily received her MFA in costume design from Northwestern university and teaches design at Columbia College Chicago.

Chelsea M. warren SCENIC DESIGN

returns to Steppenwolf Theatre Company where past scenic designs include fml: how Carson McCullers saved my life, First Look 2011 and A Separate Peace. Recent scenic projects include Stranded on Earth (Geva Theatre, Rochester), A Small Fire (Steep Theatre Company), The Whale (victory Gardens Theater), Always Patsy Cline (Milwaukee Repertory Theatre), and The Kid Thing (Chicago Dramatists/About Face Theatre; Jeff Nomination for Midsize Set Design). Puppet design includes the Dragon for Chicago Shakespeare’s Shrek the Musical. Awards include 2012 recipient of the Michael Maggio Emerging Designer Award. Chelsea is a founding member of yellow House and an artistic associate at Steep Theatre. Chelsea received her MFA from Northwestern university and is a lecturer at Columbia College Chicago. chelseaMwarren.com

Martha lavey ARTISTIC DIRECTOR

has been an ensemble member since 1993 and has appeared at Steppenwolf Theatre Company in more than 20 productions. Elsewhere in Chicago she has performed at Goodman Theatre, victory Gardens Theater, Northlight Theatre and Remains Theatre and in New york at the Women’s Project and Productions. She has served on grants panels for the National Endowment for the Arts, Theatre Communications Group, Doris Duke Charitable Foundation, 3Arts, uSA Artists and the City Arts panel of Chicago. Lavey holds a doctorate in Performance Studies from Northwestern university and is a member of the National Advisory Council for the School of Communication at Northwestern. She is a recipient of the Sarah Siddons Award and an Alumni Merit Award and honorary Doctorate of Arts from Northwestern university.

david Hawkanson EXECuTIvE DIRECTOR

prior to Steppenwolf Theatre Company was the Managing Director of Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis, Minnesota, under the artistic leadership of Joe Dowling. Before the Guthrie, he served for eight years as the Managing Director of Hartford Stage in Connecticut with Artistic Director Mark Lamos. Earlier in his career, he was Managing Director of Arizona Theatre Company. He is a former senior staff member at the National Endowment for the Arts and subsequently chairman of its Theater Program. He has also had an active career as an arts management consultant and trustee for many national organizations and foundations. He currently serves as a trustee of the League of Chicago Theatres and the Arts Alliance Illinois. He is a graduate of Lawrence university.

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By

julie Marie MYatt

By

Dana lYnn forMBY

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first look reADiNGs


OPIUM DEN by Julie Marie Myatt


needin two words WHERE IS yOuR FAvORITE PLACE TO WRITE?

my couch

in tHree words HOW vITAL ARE OTHER PEOPLE’S OPINIONS WHEN yOu ARE WORkING ON A PIECE?

when i’M reaDYin four words WHAT DREAMS DO yOu HAvE FOR THE CHARACTERS IN yOuR PLAy?

tO Feel their pUrpOSe


steinbeck pAints worlds with wordsin six words DESCRIBE WHAT HAPPENED ON yOuR LEAST FAvORITE WRITING DAy.

i wrote myseLF into a cornerin seven words DESCRIBE WHAT HAPPENED ON yOuR FAvORITE WRITING DAy.

found new insighT inTo a characTer’s mind


A dArk, more LiterAL oPium den of destructionin nine words WHAT IS yOuR PLAy ABOuT?

unfulfilled by american life, escaping into drugs or war

in ten words IN WHAT FuTuRE PROJECTS SHOuLD WE LOOk OuT FOR yOu?

a pLay about a revoLution, and how it wiLL beGin

tHe PYrAmiD cHAlleNGe PlAY & PlAYwriGHt iN 55 worDs AMErIcAN BEAUty SHOP by dana Lynn formby


struGGLein two words WHERE IS yOuR FAvORITE PLACE TO WRITE?

my deskin tHree words HOW vITAL ARE OTHER PEOPLE’S OPINIONS WHEN yOu ARE WORkING ON A PIECE?

less than before

in four words WHAT DREAMS DO yOu HAvE FOR THE CHARACTERS IN yOuR PLAy?

a boat, wait, yacht


AuGust showed me my fAtherin six words DESCRIBE WHAT HAPPENED ON yOuR LEAST FAvORITE WRITING DAy.

red vines wouLdn’t even brinG heLpin seven words DESCRIBE WHAT HAPPENED ON yOuR FAvORITE WRITING DAy.

My WHITE BOARD WAS FILLED WITH COLORS


eiGhty PAGes of my mother’s Piss And vineGArin nine words WHAT IS yOuR PLAy ABOuT?

the american dream is tanGibLe in a dream statein ten words IN WHAT FuTuRE PROJECTS SHOuLD WE LOOk OuT FOR yOu?

A BlowfisH And A Girl seArCH for wHAles in neBrAsKA

boArD of trustees

executive Committee

Nora Daley, Chair Eric Lefkofsky, Secretary Paul W. Goodrich, Treasurer Henry S. Bienen Carole L. Brown Douglas R. Brown Michael Cahan Elizabeth H. Connelly Rich Feitler Caryn Harris Lynn Lockwood Murphy kenneth J. Porrello Deborah H. Quazzo Randall k. Rowe Bruce Sagan Harry J. Seigle Stephanie B. Smith John R. Walter Helen zell

trustees

Sarah Beardsley Michael W. Bender Marlene Breslow-Blitstein Ebs Burnough Terri L. Cable Robin Tennant Colburn keating Crown Beth Boosalis Davis kim Davis Amy Eshleman D. Cameron Findlay Nene Foxhall Lawrence M. Gill Matthew Gray Robert J. Greenebaum, Jr. John H. Hart Dennis D. Howarter Terry Jenkins George A. Joseph Donna La Pietra Martha Lavey Mary Ludford Ronald J. Mallicoat, Jr. Janet Melk David E. Mendelsohn L. Heather Mitchell Christopher M. Murphy David C. Pisor Merle Reskin Michael R. Salem Robert Sanborn Manuel “Manny” Sanchez Anna D. Shapiro Matthew Shapiro Colette Cachey Smithburg

emeritus trustees

J. Robert Barr Lawrence Block John N. Fox, Jr. Gloria Scoby

past Chairpersons

William L. Atwell Larry D. Brady Douglas R. Brown Laurence Edwards John N. Fox, Jr. Elliott Lyon Gordon Murphy William H. Plummer Bruce Sagan Gloria Scoby Donna vos

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stAff list

Art ist icErica Daniels associate artistic director

Aaron Carter director of new play development

Greta Honold producing associate

Jenni Page-White literary associate

Jessamyn Fuller casting and school assistant

Tracy Letts Amy Morton Anna D. Shapiro Jessica Thebus yasen Peyankov associate artists

Sheldon Patinkin artistic consultant

steppenwolf for Young AdultsHallie Gordon artistic and educational director

Megan Shuchman associate education director

Lauren Sivak education and community programs coordinator

Sindy Castro Amanda Dunne-Acevedo Cara Greene Epstein Larry Grimm Ali Hoefnagel L’oreal Jackson Michael Leon Blake Mckay Nicole Ripley Ashley Roberson Samuel Roberson Emilio Robles Teaching artists

Administrat ionDavid M. Schmitz managing director

Rachel D. Freund director of finance

Scott Macoun it director

Erin Cook company manager

Brian Hurst finance coordinator

Samar Sharba it associate

Paul G. Miller executive assistant

Lupe Garcia Quiles events management associate

Angela Johnson office management associate & receptionist

Jackie Snuttjer finance specialist

developmentSandy karuschak director of development

Eric Evenskaas associate director of development

Emilie De Angelis director of campaign gifts

Megan A. Smith director of corporate relations

kendra van kempen director of special events

Suzanne Miller annual fund manager

Lauren Fisher major gift coordinator

Jessica Gretch individual giving coordinator

kaleigh Lockhart Cioffi development coordinator

Anna Brenner development associate

Lauren Connor foundation and government associate

Sarah Tongren special events associate

Eric van Tassell corporate relations associate

Marketing, Communicat ions & Audience services

John zinn director of marketing and communications

Donovan Foote design director

Madeline Long communications director

Erika Nelson associate director of marketing

Joel Moorman digital content producer

Jamie Alexander marketing manager

kevin Castillo digital marketing manager

Neel McNeill marketing assistant

Shilla Shakoori graphic designer

karyn Todd public relations assistant

Casey vanWormer audience services director

Jimmy Freund audience services manager and social media director

Stephanie Heller audience services subscription manager

Mike Brunlieb Matthew Lyle audience services supervisors

Molly Layton group sales associate

Roseann Bishop subscriptions and audience services assistant

Craig Barnes Billie Rye Bryant Rebecca Butler Derrik Dickinson Reynaldo Dumas Elizabeth Gottmann Lacey Holmes Max Lando Sotirios Livaditis Theresa Masse Sarah Nelson Tyrone Phillips Charles Strater audience services associates

publici tyCathy Taylor Public Relations Inc

Audience outreachTiffany Rae Wilson audience outreach manager

Daniel Rubens audience outreach supervisor

Sidney Cristol Charles Frydenberg Joshua Green Marilyn Hillary Jennifer Hogan Thomas kelly Max Lando Annaliese Mcsweeney Terrence Mosley audience outreach associates

operat ionsJay Jussaume director of operations

Antonio Ibarra physical plant supervisor

Peter van kempen operations coordinator

Adrian Castro Harold Jaffe Scott Stratton facilities staff

David Barati victor David Padam Dhungel Tul Ghaley Tika Ram kafley Ethan Ozaniec Mohammad Ismail Shamshuddin Mohamed Shofi Bhagirath Timsina custodial staff

Evan Hatfield director of audience experience

Danielle Shindler front of house manager

Will Allan Autumn Cranor Amber Dettmers Anna Donnell Daniel Dvorkin Josh Gordon Leanna Harney Bridget Holmes Chase kimball Jessica Lind Eleni Sauvageau Brittany Stock Shunna Tolliver Toby Walters Maia Reed-Siragosa front of house staff

Mustafa Chaudhry Donald Coulson Mayom Acien parking staff

Lorraine Edelstein, The Saints Volunteer usher coordination

productionTom Pearl production manager

Brianna Parry assistant production manager

Russell Poole Technical director

Mike Donohue assistant Technical director

Christopher kristant shop foreman

kyle Land Russell Scott John Woelfer scenic carpenters

Melissa Rutherfoord charge scenic artist

Jenny Diluciano properties master

Andria Smith assistant properties master

Charles Moser master properties artisan

Emily Guthrie properties artisan

Jessica Stratton wardrobe, hair and make-up supervisor

Caryn Weglarz klein costume director

Mae Haskins assistant costume designer

Laurel Clayson head draper

kevin Peterson shop foreman

Lynae vandermeulen staff draper

Daisy Lindas project coordinator

J. R. Lederle lighting supervisor

Ernesto Gomez head electrician

Rick Haefele house carpenter

Dawn Przybylski stage carpenter

Martha Wegener audio engineer

Gregor Mortis assistant audio engineer

Cassie Calderone Malcolm Ewen Christine D. Freeburg Laura D. Glenn Michelle Medvin Deb Styer stage managers

professional leadership programFrederick Alexander Angela Alvarez Michelle Benda Brannon Bowers Erin Brady Pauline Critch-Gilfillan Colleen Debelius Erica Bush Lamar Farr Janak Jha Hilary Jimenez Tim komatsu A.J. Roy summer interns

terrY KinneY, jeff perrY And GArY sinise Executive Artistic Board

MArtHA lAveY Artistic Director

dAvid HAwKAnsonExecutive Director

the steppenwolf ensemble

alan Wilder

anna D. Shapiro

Jeff Perry

Jim true-Frost

Molly regan

austin Pendleton

tarell alvin McCraney

ora Jones

Frank galati

Kate arrington

rick Snyder

rondi reed

Sally Murphy

John Malkovich

tim hopper

Kathryn erbe

alana arenas

Bruce Norris

Mariann Mayberry

tom Irwin

K. todd Freeman

randall arney

Lois Smith

Martha Plimpton

amy Morton

John Mahoney

Jon Michael hill

gary Cole

Kevin anderson

Martha Lavey

gary Sinise

Yasen Peyankov

Laurie Metcalf

tracy Letts

Moira harris

robert Breuler

Joan allen

tina Landau

eric Simonson

William Petersen

James Vincent Meredith

terry Kinney

Francis guinan

Ian Barford

T H E S T E P P E N W O L F E N S E M B L E first began performing in the mid-1970s in the basement of a highland Park church, the ambitious brainchild of three high school and college friends: Jeff Perry, terry Kinney and gary Sinise. Fast forward 36 years and the Steppenwolf theatre Company has become the nation’s premier ensemble theater—redefining the landscape of acting and performance. the ensemble has grown to 44 members who represent a remarkable generation of actors, directors and playwrights. thrilling, powerful, groundbreaking productions from Balm in Gilead and The Grapes of Wrath to August: Osage County—and accolades that include the National Medal of arts and 12 tony awards—have made the theater legendary. Steppenwolf ’s artistic force remains rooted in the original vision of its founders: an artist-driven theater, whose vitality is defined by its sharp appetite for groundbreaking, innovative work. that work is represented in production photos displayed throughout the theater.

get red. steppenwolf.org/red | 312-335-1650 | #steppenwolfred

that’s Less than $17 to see any pLay at any time.the onLy hitch...you have to be 29 years oLd or younGer.

red. = 6 tickets for $100

go see MinD-Blowing theater on Your own terMs.

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