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Program for Steppenwolf for Young Adult's Production of Leveling Up.
Citation preview
for YOUNG ADULTS
LEVELING UP
BY ERIKA SHEFFER DIRECTED BY ENSEMBLE MEMBER YASEN PEYANKOVFeaturing ensemble members TIM HOPPER, MARIANN MAYBERRY and ALAN WILDER with AARON HIMELSTEIN and MELANIE NEILAN
TICKETS START AT JUST $20. Buy online at steppenwolf.org or call 312-335-1650.
A COMEDY-TURNED-THRILLER ABOUT A RUSSIAN FAMILY STRIVING FOR THE AMERICAN DREAM.
RUSSIAN FEBRUARY 6 – MAY 11, 2014
TRANSPORT
Corporate Production Sponsor
CONTENTS 3
6 Welcome to Leveling Up Letter from Steppenwolf for Young Adults Artistic and Educational Director Hallie Gordon
14 Hallie Gordon Interviews Clancy McCartney Edited by Associate Education Director Megan Shuchman
16 The History Behind and Future of Drone Warfare Article by Steppenwolf For Young Adults Apprentice
Lexy Leuszler
18 Meet the Leveling Up Avatars
CONTENTS
E D I TO R
NEEL McNEILL
C O N T R I B U TO R S
HALLIE GORDON
EVAN HATFIELD
LEXY LEUSZLER
SUZANNE MILLER
JOEL MOORMAN
MEGAN SHUCHMAN
LAUREN SIVAK
D E S I G N
SHILLA SHAKOORI
C O V E R
Cast Members
CAROLYN BRAVER
JERRY MacKINNON
CLANCY McCARTNEY
JJ PHILLIPS
Photographer SAVERIO TRUGLIA
TO A D V E R T I S E
Contact: smARTMagazines/smARTSponsorships
Bryan Dowling 773-360-1767 or [email protected]
This program is printed on FSC® certified paper with the use of soy-based inks.
Martha Lavey†* Artistic Director
David Hawkanson Executive Director
Hallie Gordon Artistic and Educational Director of SYA
Major corporate supporter of Steppenwolf’s career readiness and Professional Leadership Program
Sponsor of 2-for-1 Matinees
Major foundation support for the Steppenwolf for Young Adults is provided by the Polk Bros. Foundation Alphawood Foundation
The Individual Consortium of Sponsors for Steppenwolf for Young Adults is comprised of John H. Hart and Carol Prins
Lynn Lockwood Murphy and Barrett B. Murphy Nina B. Winston
Steppenwolf’s Auxiliary Council, a community of dynamic young professionals, dedicates their support to Steppenwolf for Young Adults.
Steppenwolf for Young Adults is a citywide partner of the Chicago Public Schools (CPS) School Partner Program.
S T E P P E N W O L F F O R Y O U N G A D U LT S P R E S E N T S
BY DEBORAH ZOE LAUFERDIRECTED BY HALLIE GORDON
LEVELING UP
F E AT U R I N G
CAROLYN BRAVER, JERRY MacKINNON*, CLANCY McCARTNEY*, JJ PHILLIPS*
P R O D U C T I O N
BRIAN SIDNEY BEMBRIDGE Scenic Design and Costume Design
J.R. LEDERLE Lighting Design
RICK SIMS Sound Design
ANNA HENSON Projections Design
RYAN BOURQUE Fight Choreographer
ERICA DANIELS° Casting Director
JONATHAN NOOK* Stage Manager
Steppenwolf Theatre Company is a constituent of Theatre Communication Group (TCG), the national organization for nonprofit professional theater.
† member of the Steppenwolf Theatre Company ensemble. * member of Actors’ Equity Association, the union of professional actors and stage managers. ° member of the Casting Society of America.
Orginally Produced by Cincinnati Playhouse in The Park Blake Robinson, Artistic Director/Buzz Ward, Managing Director
Development of Leveling Up was supported by the Eugene O’Neill Theater Center
during a residency at the National Playwrights Conference 2011Preston Whiteway, Executive Director Wendy Goldberg,
Artistic Director
4 CONTENTS CONTENTS 5
Hallie Gordon Artistic and Educational Director, Steppenwolf for Young Adults
W E L C O M E T O LEVELING UP
Dear Friends,
Over the past couple of months, I have tried very hard to get interested in video games. This has been my quest, if you will, in preparation for this show, as I am not by nature a gamer. I have played Bioshock with my son, I have felt the stress of killing and being killed by a zombie. The staff at Steppenwolf even put together a video game party for me with three televisions playing Grand Theft Auto, the other Mortal Kombat and, on the lighter side, Guitar Hero. I have played Call of Duty, Mario Cart, Candy Crush (which is now ruining my life), Mine Craft and a number of others. The most extreme foray on this quest has been buying an Xbox console for my kids (and, let’s face it, my husband), all in a sustained effort to better understand and connect to the world of games.
I’m still trying… but I mostly find myself ill-equipped to handle the multi-tasking of the controls and the narrative of these games, many of which I find a little dizzying in their complexity. But I watch a little in awe as my 12-year-old maneuvers gracefully and intuitively through the virtual dark worlds of aliens, zombies and superheroes. As I do the dishes, I’ll hear him in the next room, talking on his headset to his school friends as they play Mine Craft. They collaborate across space—building ever-more elaborate worlds and fighting off Creepers. He plays well with his friends, in a sprawling, pixilated world of their own manufacture. In fact, at the Steppenwolf gaming party, I saw a lot of people play well together, my staff included. There is something about playing video games that brings people together in a way I confess I had not expected. I have definitely learned that gaming is not so isolating as I had taken it to be.
On the surface, Leveling Up might seem to be about gaming, but for me it’s actually an intimate and very human play about growing up, forging your identity and understanding that your actions can often have
very real consequences—the backdrop for which is video games and the culture of gaming. This play is not about “video games are good vs. video games are bad.” Taken to extremes, everything can be bad for you. But the play does examine how a group of kids use video games as a crutch to such an extent that real interaction becomes difficult and even painful without a controller in hand.
The other side to this story is a look into our present and future relationship to warfare. The generation sitting in these seats watching this play will have a very different sense of war and its implications than we do right now. The play asks “What are the emotional consequences of creating real chaos and death while seated comfortably in an air-conditioned room hundreds or thousands of miles away, while listening to orders over a headset? What happens when we remove all sense of personal danger from the conduct of war, but are still able to kill ‘enemies’ by the score? Do the choices that war demands become easier when we’re able to rain down fire and death by toggling a joystick?” Though the play cannot fully answer these questions, it does offer a peek into this emergent and evolving series of questions about how we fight wars. Leveling Up represents a new slice on the question that Steppenwolf for Young Adults is asking this year:
”When the game turns deadly, how will play?”
Looking for a
NEW WAYto give your
YOUTHaccess to theater?
BEHINDTHE SCENE:
Steppenwolf’s Community Engagement Program for Teens
Give your students a
BACKSTAGEPASS
to learn about careers in the arts.
DESIGNED FOR PROGRAMS THAT WORK WITH TEENS, BEHIND THE SCENE
IS AN EXCLUSIVE LOOK AT THE STAFF AND ARTISTS AT STEPPENWOLF THEATRE COMPANY AND HOW THEY CONTRIBUTE TO THE WORK ON STAGE. JOIN US FOR THESE PRIVATE PRE-SHOW EVENTS AND THEN STAY FOR THE SHOW.
$10TICKETS
• FRIDAY, MARCH 7, 2014 AT 6PM: LEVELING UP (with teen event to follow after)
Call 312-335-1650 and use code 13800 to book tickets.
Questions? Contact LAUREN SIVAK at [email protected].
6 WELCOME
The Scene is a special opportunity for high school students to score an affordable ticket to a Steppenwolf production, meet Chicago’s most celebrated artists and connect with other teens who are passionate about theater. Each ticket includes dinner and post-show discussion with the actors.
TICKETS ARE $10 – $15 (CAN ONLY BE USED DURING THE TEEN EVENT SERIES)
All performances take place at 1650 N Halsted St Must present student ID at door
Purchase tickets at the door 30 minutes before the show, or in advance by calling Steppenwolf Audience Services at 312-335-1650. Use code 14073.
Questions? Please contact Steppenwolf for Young Adults Education and Community Programs Coordinator Lauren Sivak at 312-654-5643 or [email protected].
Foundation support is provided by The Siragusa Foundation.
UPCOMING EVENTSLEVELING UP FRIDAY, MARCH 7, 2014 AT 7:30PM
THE WAY WEST SATURDAY, APRIL 26, 2014 AT 7:30PM
C A S T (in alphabetical order)
CAROLYN BRAVER Jeannie
JERRY MacKINNON* Chuck
CLANCY McCARTNEY* Ian
JJ PHILLIPS* Zander
U N D E R S T U D I E S
PHILIP DE GUZMAN Chuck
ROBERT HOPE Ian
ANNIE MUNCH Jeannie
COLE O’BEIRNE Zander
S E T T I N G
Present Day. Nevada.
I N T E R M I S S I O N
There will be no intermission.
There will be a post-show discussion immediately following the performance.
* member of Actors’ Equity Association, the union of professional actors and stage managers.
A D D I T I O N A L S TA F F
PAUL DEZIEL, MICHAEL STANFILL Assistants to Projections Designer
VANESSA RUNDLE Projections Operator
JEFFREY LEVIN Sound Board Operator
AJ LITTLEFIELD Wardrobe
DESIREE ARNOLD Properties
KEVIN DWYER Stage Management Apprentice
As a courtesy to the actors and your fellow patrons, please turn off your cell phones before the performance and after the intermission. The taking of photographs and the use of any type of recording device are not allowed in the theater during performances and is a violation of state and federal copyright laws. Digital media will be deleted, and tape or film will be confiscated.
CAST AND CONTRIBUTORS
8 CAST AND CONTRIBUTORS
PHOTOGRAPHER JOEL MOORMAN
LEVELING UP
IN REHEARSAL
1. CAST MEMBER JERRY MacKINNON
2. CAST MEMBER CAROLYN BRAVER AND JJ PHILLIPS
3. CAST MEMBERS JJ PHILLIPS, JERRY MacKINNON AND CLANCY McCARTNEY
4. CAST MEMBER CAROLYN BRAVER
5. CAST MEMBER CLANCY McCARTNEY
1. 2.
3. 4.
5.
BIOSC A R O LY N B R A V E R (Jeannie) dropped everything and moved to Chicago after seeing Edward Albee’s Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? on the Steppenwolf Theatre Company stage with dreams of performing here someday, so you are watching her
dreams come true. Chicago credits include Princes of Waco (Signal Ensemble Theatre) and The Knowledge (Steep Theatre Company). Television credits include Chicago Fire (NBC). “So much thanks to everyone involved, Hallie, the Steeple, my family, Josh, and the lovely people at Stewart Talent”.
J E R R Y M a c K I N N O N (Chuck) is very grateful to be a part of this Steppenwolf for Young Adults production. His previous credits include The Knowledge (Steep Theatre Company); and the Boston, Massachusetts run of columbinus (American
Theater Company). “Thank you mom and dad for keeping me focused and showing your love everyday.”
C L A N C Y M c C A R T N E Y (Ian) is overjoyed to be back working with Steppenwolf Theatre Company where he was previously seen in The Book Thief. Other Chicago credits include Pleasant Dreams (Two Lights Theatre
Company); The Knowledge (Steep Theatre Company); and Dark Play or Stories for Boys (Collaboraction Theatre Company). Television credits include Chicago Fire (NBC). “I want to thank all of my friends and family for without your love and support I would be nowhere”.
J J P H I L L I P S (Zander) is honored to return to Steppenwolf Theatre Company where he last appeared in the Next Up 2012 production of Fat Pig. Other Chicago credits include The North China Lover, Bengal Tiger at the
Baghdad Zoo (Lookingglass Theatre Company);
and Punk Rock (Jeff Award, Best Ensemble, Griffin Theatre Company). Upcoming productions include The History of Invulnerability (Milwaukee Repertory Theater). Television credits include Chicago Fire (NBC). JJ studied at The School at Steppenwolf and under Daniel Cantor at Northwestern University.
“Love and gratitude to Hallie and Erica for this opportunity, and to my parents for their endless support. For Boppy”.
D E B O R A H Z O E L A U F E R (Playwright) is a recipient of the Helen Merrill Playwriting Award and the Lilly Award. Her latest play, Informed Consent, was commissioned by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation and will premiere as a co-production between
Geva Theatre Center and Cleveland Playhouse in 2014. Leveling Up premiered this year at Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park. End Days has received more than 50 productions, was awarded The American Critics Association Steinberg citation and appeared at Ensemble Studio Theatre through an Alfred P. Sloan Foundation Grant. It’s been produced in Germany and Russia, is listed in The Burns Mantle Yearbook as one of the best regional plays of 2008, and is published by Smith and Kraus in The Best Plays of 2008. Deborah’s plays Sirens, Out of Sterno, The Last Schwartz, Gulf of Westchester, Fortune, Meta and Miniatures have been produced at theaters around the country including Actors Theatre of Louisville’s Humana Festival, Portland Stage, Florida Stage, Marin Theatre Company and The Hippodrome Theatre with grants from The Edgerton Foundation and the NEA. A graduate of The Juilliard School, Deb is a two-time recipient of the LeCompte du Nouy grant from Lincoln Center Foundation. Her plays are published by Samuel French, and have been developed at PlayPenn, The Eugene O’Neill Playwrights Conference, Williamstown Theatre Festival, The Ojai Playwrights Conference, The Missoula Colony, The Cherry Lane Alternative, The Dramatists Guild Fellowship Program, New Georges, The Lark Play Development Center, Asolo Repertory Theatre and the Baltic Playwrights Conference. She’s received a National New Play Network rolling world premiere and an NNPN commission. She is a member of the BMI Lehman Engel Musical Theatre Workshop and The Dramatists Guild. deborahzoelaufer.com
10 B IOS BIOS 11
H A L L I E G O R D O N (Director; Artistic and Educational Director of SYA) has created and facilitated many educational programs for Steppenwolf Theatre Company. Along with selecting the young adult productions each season,
she has created the Young Adult Council, a group of high school students who collectively help to create innovative programming for their peers. As Educational Director, Hallie has worked closely with the Chicago Public Schools to create an environment in which all students and teachers have access to the theater. As a theater artist, Hallie has directed Eclipsed at Northlight Theatre. For Steppenwolf, Hallie has directed The Book Thief, Heart is a Lonely Hunter, To Kill a Mockingbird, the world premiere of a new adaptation by Tanya Saracho of The House on Mango Street and Harriet Jacobs adapted for the stage by Lydia R. Diamond. A new premiere of Toni Morrison’s The Bluest Eye also adapted by Lydia R. Diamond won a Black Excellence Award from the African American Arts Alliance of Chicago and also transferred Off-Broadway to The New Victory Theatre. She has directed staged readings for Goodman Theatre, TimeLine Theatre Company, Chicago Dramatists and Steppenwolf Theatre Company. Hallie is the recipient of The Helen Coburn Meier & Tim Meier Achievement Award.
B R I A N S I D N E Y B E M B R I D G E (Scenic and Costume Design) has designed the world premieres of Love Song, Wineburg Ohio, Wendall Greene, and Jesus Hopped the A Train at Steppenwolf Theatre Company. His extensive design credits in Chicago include work at Goodman Theatre, Chicago Shakespeare Theater, TimeLine Theatre Company, Lookingglass Theatre Company, The Second City, Court Theatre, Writers’ Theatre, Victory Gardens Theater, Teatro Vista, Northlight Theatre, Drury Lane Theatre, Ravinia Festival, Luna Negra Dance Theater and Civic Ballet. He has worked Off-Broadway at The Public Theatre, Second Stage Theatre, Jean Cocteau Repertory Theatre, Kids With Guns and Theatre at St. Clements. Internationally, Brian has designed at Theatre Royal Stratford East in London, Town Hall Theatre in Galway, Ireland and Illawarra Performing Arts Centre and Platform Hip Hop Festival in Sydney, Australia, among others. Regionally, his work has been seen at Guthrie Theater, Children’s Theatre Company, Milwaukee Repertory Theatre, Madison Repertory Theater, Pittsburgh Public Theater, Arden
Theatre Company, Theatre Exile, Actors Theatre of Louisville, Alliance Theatre, Geffen Playhouse, Circle X Theatre, Opera Omaha and Virginia Opera. He has received six Jeff Awards, two LA Drama Critic Circle Awards, three Garland Awards, a LA Weekly Awards and an Ovation Award. Brian represented the United States at the Prague Quadrennial in 2011 with his design of The Elaborate Entrance of Chad Deity. Film production designs include Marie and Bruce, Holding Out, Stray Dog and Late For Church as well as sets for Muppets From Space. briansidneybembridge.com.
J . R . L E D E R L E (Lighting Designer) also designed Lord of the Flies, The Book Thief, The Heart is a Lonely Hunter, Samuel J and K, To Kill A Mockingbird, The House on Mango Street, The Bluest Eye (also at New Victory in New York), Harriet Jacobs, The Water Engine (also at Theater on the Lake), A Tale of Two Cities, Winesburg Ohio, Division Street and Whispering City for Steppenwolf for Young Adults. 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 Sex with Strangers. J.R. also designed lighting for seven years for the Steppenwolf Traffic series, and for five Steppenwolf performances in Chicago’s Millennium Park. He has served as head Lighting Supervisor at Steppenwolf Theatre Company since 1995.
R I C K S I M S (Sound Designer) has designed sound for numerous Chicago area theaters such as Steppenwolf Theatre Company, Lookingglass Theatre Company, Congo Square Theatre, Writers’ Theatre, Lifeline Theatre, Griffin Theatre, Chicago Children’s Theatre, The Hypocrites, The House Theatre of Chicago, Court Theatre, American Theater Company, Victory Gardens Theater, Raven Theatre, Steep Theatre Company, Northlight Theatre and About Face Theatre. Regional credits include Icarus (Lookingglass Theatre Company commissioned by The J. Paul Getty Museum) and Gary (Boston Playwrights’ Theatre). Rick has won a Jeff Award for lyrics in Hephaestus (Lookingglass Theatre Company); and a BTAA award for Brothers In the Dust and Bulrusher (Congo Square Theatre); and has received several nominations for both awards. Rick is an artistic associate of Lookingglass Theatre Company and an associate designer with Aria Music Designs (Ray Nardelli and Josh Horvath). Rick also
wrote the book, music and lyrics for Hillbilly Antigone (Lookingglass Theatre Company).
A N N A H E N S O N (Projection Designer) is delighted to join the Leveling Up team for her first production with Steppenwolf Theatre Company. Anna creates lens-based media in the form of projection design, narrative and non-narrative video, installation, and experimental performance, and has shown work nationally and internationally. Selected Chicago credits include 42nd Street (Paramount Theatre); The Glass Menagerie (Mary-Arrchie Theatre Co.); columbinus (American Theatre Company); Signs of Life (Victory Gardens Theater); and Freshly Fallen Snow (Chicago Dramatists). Additionally, her work has been seen at Goodman Theatre, Court Theatre, Defibrillator Performance Art Gallery, Syracuse Stage, Off-Broadway at 59E59 Theatres and Glasgow venues Tramway and The Arches. Based between New York City and Chicago, Anna is Adjunct Faculty in Projection Design at The Theatre School at DePaul University and holds an MFA from The Glasgow School of Art. annahenson.com
R YA N B O U R Q U E (Fight Choreographer) 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 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 to The Inconvenience and The Hypocrites. “Thank you to my family and friends for your love and support.”
J O N AT H A N N O O K * (Stage Manager) is delighted to return to Steppenwolf Theatre Company, where he has worked on productions of Buena Vista, The Drunken City, South of Settling, Want, Closer Than I Appear and No Sugar Tonight (both featuring Jeff Garlin), Animals Out of Paper, The North Plan and Sex with Strangers. Chicago 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); The North Plan (Theater Wit); and Freshly Fallen Snow (Chicago Dramatists).
M A R T H A L A V E Y (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.
D A V I D H A W K A N S O N (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.
12 B IOS BIOS 13
H a l l i e G o r d o n: What was your initial impression of Leveling Up?
C l a n c y M c C a r t n e y: From the first read, I really liked it because I have never read or seen something that addresses videogame culture in this way, particularly by talking about not only the appeal of games, but some of the problems that arise from them. There is a lot of stigma surrounding videogames and this play speaks to that.
H G: What is that stigma about?
C M: Videogames and gamers represent a world a lot of people don’t understand so they see it as
entirely negative, which I don’t think is deserved. Videogames can be a good thing. In videogames, there’s a problem that needs to be solved, there’s cognitive thought involved, there’s a requirement for an intense amount of focus. Plus, some videogames have really wonderful characters and rich story lines. My favorite videogame, Final Fantasy X, involves moving through a beautiful, colorful, complex world in which you explore themes of friendship, religion, love and sacrifice. There’s a lot to be gained and learned from these sorts of games.
H G: What was your first experience playing videogames?
HALLIE GORDON, DIRECTOR OF LEVELING UP SAT DOWN WITH CLANCY McCARTNEY, PLAYING IAN, TWO WEEKS BEFORE THE START OF REHEARSAL.
Photographer Lauren Sivak
C M: In grammar school, my mom was a single mom who always had to work until 5pm. So, every day, I went to an after-school program for several hours where they had a small TV in the corner with an original Nintendo. There was a sign-up sheet where you could put your name down to play for 10-15 minutes. I began to love gaming. At one point, I remember finding a magazine, Nintendo Power, which previewed all the new games and systems that were coming out. I would look through Nintendo Power and cut out pictures from upcoming games to post on my wall and think about how cool it all seemed.
H G: What made you keep gaming?
C M: I was never good at sports. I was asthmatic. I was smaller than other kids. I didn’t like physical aggression… and so with sports and physical games, I could never win. But with videogames, I could. I could compete and win and be around other people and have fun with something that didn’t require physical effort.
H G: How do you connect to your character, Ian?
C M: High school was a tough time for me and games provided an escape. I liked games because I could enter a world that I liked better than the one I was living in at the time. In Ian, I can see clearly that he has done the same thing. He also plays games to escape. But, for me, playing games as much as I did made it hard to interact with people socially. I began to be stigmatized. So while I connect to Ian, the difference between us is that, unlike Ian, there was a point in my life when I realized the amount of gaming I was doing wasn’t healthy and I stopped. In our play we see that Ian hasn’t stopped, he hasn’t gotten out.
H G: With videogames, like acting, when you play you become another character. Was that part of the draw for you?
C M: Always. I was very drawn to the idea of living in another world or realm. For a teenager, the world you live in can seem terrible and unappealing. And then with games, you have a magical world in front of you that you want to dive into. But, once I started going out in the real world and facing my fears, I started to change my perspective on life. I started to realize what a wonderful, amazing, beautiful place this world actually is and I began to see real life as better than any videogame.
H G: In the play, your character, Ian, is recruited by the National Security Agency (NSA) to fly unmanned drones. Does he realize the full extent of what he is doing?
C M: If he does, he’s burying it away pretty thoroughly. Ian is challenged by his friends to move away from videogames and out into the world, to get a real job. But that’s terrifying to him. So when he has an opportunity to get a job that relates to what he feels safe and secure doing [gaming], he is quick to shut down any voice of opposition, because he sees this job as his only option. And plus, and I’m sure others can relate to this, it’s impressive to be that good at something, no matter what it is. To be recruited by the US military, for them to come to him, it proves that all his gaming, everything he has done to this point, is not a waste. I can relate to that because when I gave up videogames, I felt I was throwing hours of my life down a well. After so much gaming, you don’t want to feel like you’ve spent all that time for nothing.
H G: We are doing this play primarily for high school students. What do you hope they get from seeing it?
C M: I hope everyone can relate to the play in some way. One thing I believe everyone can connect to is in the title, Leveling Up: the idea of constantly leveling up in life, of increasing your power or getting more money or being promoted or gaining more responsibility. Everyone can relate to wanting that. I also hope people will be able to relate to Ian and all the characters in this play. This is a story about a group of young people struggling to find themselves in the world. They have fears that are holding them back from moving forward and growing up but, for the most part, they all want to level up. To me, the play says, “Don’t let certain things become crutches and escapes for you so that you don’t go out and live in the world.” I hope people get that.
H G: I can’t wait to start rehearsing in a few weeks.
C M: Me either. I’m excited to dive in.
14 FEATURES FEATURES 15
THE HISTORY BEHIND AND FUTURE OFDRONE WARFAREArticle by Steppenwolf For Young Adults Apprentice
Lexy Leuszler
Commonly referred to as “drones,” the use of unmanned aerial vehicles by both the US military and government organizations such as the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and National Security Agency (NSA) have sparked controversy around the ethics and cost of the use of such vehicles. Originally constructed for surveillance purposes only, the first unmanned aerial vehicle called the Firebee was used by US forces in Vietnam. Military officials were incredibly successful in tracking and viewing potential surveillance targets with initial drone types but soon grew frustrated with the inability to fire weapons from the drones. In response to these frustrations, in the 1990s, the popular Predator drone was developed with the ability to launch highly-explosive Hellfire missiles (used to destroy heavy tanks and artillery) at specific targets. On November
3, 2002, the first recorded targeted drone strike by the CIA killed six targets suspected of participating in al Qaeda and posing a US security threat in the country of Yemen. President Obama recently admitted to civilian deaths in Yemen, Somalia and Pakistan attributed to drones. From 2004 - 2013, there have been 455 estimated strikes in those countries resulting in an estimated 4,061 deaths of both civilians and enemy combatants.
In coming years, drone warfare may begin to look like something out of a science fiction novel or mimic the advanced technology available in popular video games. Political scientist and video game consultant P.W. Singer was recently approached by military contractors for the designs to his Charlene drone, a fictional weapon developed for the popular video game, Call of Duty: Black Ops II. The future of drone
“(To Ian) Look, this job–I’m sure you’re great at it, but it’s not worth it. It’s not healthy. And you could do anything. You’re smart, you’re capable... I can’t imagine what you’ve seen. So awful. And even if it is, you know, the ‘bad guys,’–to have to kill them... I mean, they have lives too. Mothers and sisters and girlfriends…” —Jeannie, Leveling Up
QUICK FACTS ABOUT DRONE WARFARE
1. The term “drone” is a simple, shorthand way of referring to an unmanned aerial vehicle or any aircraft that flies without a pilot aboard the vehicle.
2. Drones offer two main advantages to the military: a pilot does not have to risk his life flying over enemy territory and they can fly for hours on end with no need to rest.
3. Drones can be as small as an insect or as large as a commercial airplane.
4. Unmanned aerial vehicles are used on a daily basis by the US Coast Guard to monitor coastal waters and major gas and oil pipelines.
5. It can take up to 170 people to operate and maintain one unmanned aerial vehicle.
6. It costs $103 million to build one Global Hawk drone.
7. There are currently more than 8,000 drones used by the United States.
8. The CIA conducts covert drone strikes in Yemen, Somalia and Pakistan while the US military largely conducts strikes in Afghanistan and Iraq.
9. Civilian death totals due to drones strikes are nearly impossible to calculate accurately but the Bureau of Investigative Journalism reports that potentially 1,200 civilians have been killed by drones in Yemen, Somalia and Pakistan alone in addition to the deaths of enemy combatants.
10. More than 43 other countries in addition to the United States operate unmanned aerial vehicles.
development means faster, stronger, stealthier and possibly invisible drone vehicles. The use of drone technology changes the face and nature of warfare on many levels from the ethics around a soldier conducting combat thousands of miles from the actual frontlines to the nature of post-traumatic stress disorder many soldiers face from flying drones and facing the risk of killing innocent civilians in addition to enemy combatants.
In Leveling Up, much like real-life Air Force drone operator, Brandon Bryant, Ian struggles with his culpability in flying unmanned drones, far-removed from the impact. Bryant told NBC in an interview in June 2013 that after quitting his job with the Air Force, he became “troubled by the physical disconnect between his daily routine and the violence and power of the faraway drones.” He explained, “You don’t feel the aircraft turn, you don’t feel the hum of the engine. You hear the hum of the computers, but that’s definitely not the same thing.” Although Bryant and his team did what they could to avoid civilian casualties, he is still haunted by the alleged 1,600 people he helped kill as a part of his job from 2006 to 2011 where he guided unmanned drones over Iraq and Afghanistan bases from faraway bases in Nevada and New Mexico.
For further information about the play, please explore the Steppenwolf for Young Adults’ study guide. Study guides are available for all teachers attending the production and accessible for all for free on our website at steppenwolf.org/sya.
ZANDER Good-looking, charismatic and confident as a result, Zander impulsively makes decisions and trusts that things will always work out for the best. Used to being well-liked and popular and having been supported by his parents throughout his college experience, Zander does not always take responsibility for his actions or own up to his mistakes. In the play, this ends up costing him his friendship with Ian and relationship with Jeannie.
QUICK FACTS as described by actor playing Zander, JJ Phillips
OCCUPATION: Entrepreneur
RELATIONSHIP STATUS: Dating Jeannie
GAMER STATUS: Boss
FAVORITE FOOD: Mom’s Lasagna
FAVORITE SONG: “Tighten Up” by The Black Keys
FAVORITE BOOK: The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien
FAVORITE MOVIE: Children of Men
FAVORITE VIDEOGAME: Grand Theft Auto V
PERSONALITY TRAITS
STRENGTH
LOYALTY
INTELLIGENCE
SPEED
CHARISMA
PERSONALITY TRAITS
STRENGTH
LOYALTY
INTELLIGENCE
SPEED
CHARISMA
CHUCK Goofy and easygoing, Chuck often plays the role of peacemaker when caught between friends Zander and Ian. While his moral code
doesn’t allow him to be sucked into working with the NSA alongside Ian, he is willing to bend the rules when it comes to pushing the limits of his virtual role-playing with Jeannie, with whom he is smitten. Not overly-motivated, Chuck is contented with his job as a blackjack dealer at a casino and has good––though not as good as Ian––gaming skills. At the end of the play, we see Chuck taking charge of what he wants for the first time by finally asking Jeannie out.
QUICK FACTS as described by actor playing Chuck, AKA Chuckstein, Jerry MacKinnon
OCCUPATION: Blackjack dealer
RELATIONSHIP STATUS: Single
GAMER STATUS: Pretty good
FAVORITE FOOD: Crab Rangoon all day!
FAVORITE SONG: “Amazing” by Das Racist ft. Lakutis
FAVORITE BOOK: Yes I Can: The Story of Sammy Davis, Jr.
FAVORITE MOVIE: Back to the Future, Part 1
FAVORITE VIDEOGAME: Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune
PERSONALITY TRAITS
STRENGTH
LOYALTY
INTELLIGENCE
SPEED
CHARISMA
IAN The true gamer of the group, Ian finds solace in his online friends more than his real-life ones. Rarely leaving the house and anti-social, Ian embodies what are often considered characteristics of a stereotypical gamer. Having spent so many hours developing as a gamer, Ian is fiercely protective over the merits of his skills, and does not appreciate being accused that his online, virtual life is illegitimate.
QUICK FACTS as described by actor playing Ian, Clancy McCartney
OCCUPATION: Professional gamer
RELATIONSHIP STATUS: Single...
GAMER STATUS: God
FAVORITE FOOD: Udon noodles with chicken soy sauce
FAVORITE SONG: Toss-up between “Basket Case” by DangerDoom and “One Winged Angel: ACC Long Version” by Nobuo Uematsu
FAVORITE BOOK: Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card
FAVORITE MOVIE: The Matrix
FAVORITE VIDEOGAME: Final Fantasy IVX: A Realm Reborn
JEANNIE Smart, loyal and driven, Jeannie commits herself to her schoolwork and to her future goal to work
with inner-city children and to be the person who ‘actually helps.’ A bit enchanted by all three of the guys in the play, despite her strength of character, Jeannie is sometimes persuaded to skip class to play games or to push the limits of appropriateness by playing a virtual game with Chuck and taking it too far. In a true sign of who she is, Jeannie finds it in herself to forgive Ian even after he physically and verbally attacks her.
QUICK FACTS as described by actor playing Jeannie, Carolyn Braver
OCCUPATION: Student!
RELATIONSHIP STATUS: Zander’s girlfriend J
GAMER STATUS: Bad compared to the guys but much better than the average girl
FAVORITE FOOD: Mac and Cheese with Bacon
FAVORITE SONG: “We’re Going to Be Friends” by the White Stripes
FAVORITE BOOK: Harry Potter in this order: 1, 4, 7, 5, 3, 2, 6
FAVORITE MOVIE: Little Miss Sunshine and Mulan
FAVORITE VIDEOGAME: Skyrim
PERSONALITY TRAITS
STRENGTH
LOYALTY
INTELLIGENCE
SPEED
CHARISMA
Meet the Leveling Up Avatars
Share your avatar online: STEPPENWOLF.ORG/LEVELINGUPAVATAR
#LEVELINGUP
WHO ARE YOU AT YOUR CORE?Steppenwolf for Young Adults created this quiz based on a fictional scenario inspired by
Leveling Up. Take the quiz twice: once as yourself, and once as one of the Leveling Up avatars on the previous page. How do your decisions differ from those of your chosen Leveling Up avatar?
RESULTS
You are an ethical decision-maker. You consider others first, sometimes to your own detriment.
You weigh heavily both sides of an issue. You consider others, but you also know you have to look out for yourself sometimes.
You are an impulsive decision-maker. You make decisions in the moment which can lead to exciting results, but you don’t always consider the consequences.
You are cunning. You know that you have to protect yourself at all costs, as you are the only person who will ultimately look out for your best interests.
If you had a once-in-a-lifetime chance to sell a friend’s valuable possession without their permission–—knowing you would share the proceeds, making them money–—would you?
YES: Absolutely. We both win!
So you sold your friend’s possession behind their back. How do you split the fee?
NO: I am a good friend. I wouldn’t do that.
50/50: We both did equal parts of the work. It was my friend’s possession, but I am the one smart enough to sell it.
Give it to a charity.
RESULT
I donate my money anonymously. I don’t
need the credit.
RESULT
Use it for something practical.
(eg. Money for a college fund or
saving money for textbooks)
RESULT
I buy something I know I’ll love and assume my friend will like it too. If they don’t like it,
their loss.~OR~
~OR~
~OR~
RESULT
I donate my money to a charity in
my honor. I want my name on that commemorative
plaque!
RESULT
Use it for something impractical.
(eg. Buying a flashy sportscar you know you’ll never drive)
RESULT
I buy something neither my friend nor I have tried before. I don’t
know if we’ll like it, but I’m willing to
give it a try.
RESULT
No. I find a job and make ends meet. No matter
what, I don’t steal.
30/70: I give my friend
most of the money. It was their possession after all. All I did was
sell it.
Spend it on myself.
RESULT
I confess to my friend that I am
considering selling his/her possession and see if we can
work something out together.
70/30: I keep most of the money. My friend
doesn’t always know the value
of his/her possessions. What
they don’t know won’t hurt them.
Spend it on something my
friend and I can share together.
OK. I’ll sell it.
GO BACK TO
“YES”
That would be stealing!
I’d be too afraid to get caught.
On second thought...
GO BACK TO
“YES”
Now, how would you spend the money?
You’ve just found out from your landlord that your rent has tripled and you know you won’t be able to pay rent this month.
Now you do you sell your friend’s possession?
Why wouldn’t you sell the possession?
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 43 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.
Joan Allen Kevin Anderson Alana Arenas Randall Arney Kate Arrington Ian Barford
Robert Breuler Gary Cole Kathryn Erbe K. Todd Freeman Frank Galati Francis Guinan
Moira Harris Jon Michael Hill Tim Hopper Tom Irwin Ora Jones Terry Kinney
Tina Landau Martha Lavey
Tracy Letts John Mahoney John Malkovich Mariann Mayberry Tarell Alvin McCraney James Vincent Meredith
Laurie Metcalf Amy Morton Sally Murphy Austin Pendleton Jeff Perry William Petersen
Yasen Peyankov Martha Plimpton Rondi Reed Molly Regan Anna D. Shapiro Eric Simonson
Gary Sinise Lois Smith Rick Snyder Jim True-Frost Alan Wilder
The Steppenwolf Ensemble
STEPPENWOLF 21
22 LEVELING UP STEPPENWOLF 23
S T E P P E N W O L F S TA F F
Artistic
ERICA 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 JESSICA THEBUS YASEN PEYANKOV Associate Artists
SHELDON PATINKIN Artistic Consultant
Steppenwolf for Young Adults
HALLIE GORDON Artistic and Educational Director
MEGAN SHUCHMAN Associate Education Director
LAUREN SIVAK Education and Community Programs Coordinator
AMANDA ACEVEDO CARA EPSTEIN LARRY GRIMM ALI HOEFNAGEL L’OREAL JACKSON MICHAEL LEON BLAKE MCKAY NICOLE RIPLEY ASHLEY ROBERSON SAMUEL ROBERSON EMILIO ROBLES Teaching Artists
Administration
DAVID M. SCHMITZ Managing Director
RACHEL D. FREUND Director of Finance
HEATHER C. JOIREMAN Events Management Director
SCOTT MACOUN IT Director
ERIN COOK Company Manager
KATE HOLST TEST Human Resources and Professional Leadership Programs Coordinator
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
Development
SANDY KARUSCHAK Director of Development
ERIC EVENSKAAS Associate Director of Development
EMILIE DE ANGELIS Director of Campaign Gifts
MEGAN A. SMITH Director of Corporate Relations
DEBORAH STEWART Director of Foundation and Government 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, Publicity & Audience Services
JOHN ZINN Director of Marketing and Communications
ERIKA NELSON Associate Director of Marketing
JEFFREY FAUVER Communications Director
DONOVAN FOOTE Design Director
JAMIE ALEXANDER Marketing Manager
JOEL MOORMAN Digital Content Producer
NEEL McNEILL Marketing Assistant
SHILLA SHAKOORI Graphic Designer
TAMARA TODRES Director of Audience Services
JIMMY FREUND Audience Services Manager
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 RENALDO DUMAS LACEY HOLMES SOTIRIOS LIVADITIS THERESA MASSE SARAH NELSON TYRONE PHILLIPS CHARLES STRATER Audience Services Associates
Operations
JAY JUSSAUME Director of Operations
ANTONIO IBARRA Physical Plant Supervisor
PETER VAN KEMPEN Operations Coordinator
ADRIAN CASTRO RYAN PALMA Facilities Staff
DAVID BARATI VICTOR DAVID PADAM DHUNGEL TIKA RAM KAFLEY ETHAN OZANIEC BHAGIRATH TIMSINA BIAK SANG Custodial Staff
EVAN HATFIELD Director of Audience Experience
DANIELLE SHINDLER Front of House Manager
WILL ALLAN JENNIFER BETANCOURT ELANA BOULOS KELSEY CHIGAS
AUTUMN CRANOR ANNA DONNELL DANIEL DVORKIN JUNELLA GABRIEL SARAH GOLDBERG BRIDGET HOLMES CHASE KIMBALL JESSICA LIND MICHELLE MAURER ERIN O’BRIEN MAGGIE RITTER ELISSA SHORTRIDGE DAN SMERIGLIO Front of House Staff
MUSTAFA CHAUDHRY DONALD COULSON INDRA KAFLEY Parking Staff
JACK MEYER, THE SAINTS Volunteer Usher Coordination
Production
AL FRANKLIN Production Manager
BRIANNA PARRY Assistant Production Manager
RUSSELL POOLE Technical Director
ROBERT S. BROWN Assistant Technical Director
CHRISTOPHER KRISTANT Shop Foreman
CHRISTOPHER GRUBB KYLE LAND RUSSELL SCOTT 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 & Make-up Supervisor
MELISSA TULCHINSKY Staff Wardrobe
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
Call Center
CASEY VANWORMER Associate Campaign Director
DANIEL RUBENS TIFFANY RAE WILSON Audience Outreach Supervisors
LAURA BARATISIDNEY CRISTOLCHARLES FRYDENBERGMARILYN HILLARYJENNIFER HOGANELLIOT IVINSMAX LANDOAudience Outreach Associates
MICHAEL BESANCON ALEXIS CHANEYKATHLEEN DICKINSONKEVIN DWYERELIZABETH GOTTMANNELLE KAPLANLEXY LEUSZLERANDREW LEXGEE HOON LIMADRIENNE LITTLEFIELDDAVID MASNATOPATRICK MCGOVERNCHRYSTLE MORMANDIANA RAISELISTRAVIS RAYRAISA STEBBINSAARON STEPHENSONKARYN TODDKATHRYN ZUKAITIS Apprentices
TERRY KINNEY, JEFF PERRY AND GARY SINISE Executive Artistic Board
MARTHA LAVEY Artistic Director
DAVID HAWKANSONExecutive Director
B O A R D O F T R U S T E E S
E X E C U T I V E C O M M I T T E E
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
T R U S T E E S
SARAH BEARDSLEY
MICHAEL W. BENDER
EBS BURNOUGH
TERRI L. CABLE
ROBIN TENNANT COLBURN
BETH BOOSALIS DAVIS
KIM DAVIS
AMY ESHLEMAN
J. SCOTT ETZLER
NENE FOXHALL
LAWRENCE M. GILL
MATTHEW GRAY
ROBERT J. GREENEBAUM, JR.
JOHN H. HART
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
E M E R I T U S T R U S T E E S
J. ROBERT BARR
LAWRENCE BLOCK
JOHN N. FOX, JR.
GLORIA SCOBY
PA S T C H A I R P E R S O N S
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
WE GRATEFULLY ACKNOWLEDGE THOSE WHO PROVIDE SIGNIFICANT SUPPORT FOR STEPPENWOLF FOR YOUNG ADULTS DURING THE 2013/14 SEASON.
PHOTOGRAPHER MICHAEL LITCHFIELD
G R A N D B E N E FA C TO R S
$ 10 0 , 0 0 0 +
The Steppenwolf Auxiliary Council*
B E N E FA C TO R S $ 5 0 , 0 0 0 – 9 9 , 9 9 9
Alphawood Foundation
The Crown Family‡
Doris Duke Charitable Foundation
J.P.Morgan
Polk Bros. Foundation‡
The Smart Chicago Trust Fund at the Chicago Community Trust
Target
Theatre Communications Group
P R O D U C E R S $ 2 5 , 0 0 0 – 4 9 , 9 9 9
Paul M. Angell Foundation The Sage Foundation
PAT R O N S $ 10 , 0 0 0 – 2 4 , 9 9 9
Helen Brach Foundation
CNA Financial Corporation
Mary and Paul Finnegan
Lloyd A. Fry Foundation
John H. Hart and Carol Prins
Lynn Lockwood Murphy and Barrett B. Murphy ‡
The Pritzker Traubert Family Foundation
Dr. Scholl Foundation
S U S TA I N E R S $ 5 , 0 0 0 – 9 , 9 9 9
Robert and Isabelle Bass Foundation, Inc
Philip H. Corboy Foundation
Nene Foxhall
John H. Hart and Carol Prins
Jon Michael Hill
Illinois Tool Works Foundation
George A. Joseph
The Daniel F. and Ada L. Rice Foundation
The Roche Family Foundation, Inc
Cari and Michael J. Sacks
Mr. Leif Selkregg
Siragusa Foundation
Tom and Blaine Wells
Nina B. Winston
A S S O C I AT E S $ 2 , 5 0 0 – 4 , 9 9 9
Elizabeth H. Connelly
Amy Eshleman and Lori Lightfoot
Peter & Paula Fasseas Foundation
Mrs. Keith Goldstein and Mr. Rodney Goldstein
Mr. and Mrs. Richard D. Gottfred
David R. Hawkanson
Martha Lavey
Alex and Pat Marren
Janet Melk
Michael Shannon
Frances E. Tuite
Cate and Rick Waddell
G U A R A N TO R S $ 1 , 0 0 0 – 2 , 4 9 9
Ellen Alberding and Kelly Walsh
Kris Alden and Trisha Rooney Alden
Michael and Cathy Brennan
Ebs Burnough
John Butler and John Vanderlinder
Michael Davis
Rachel Dvorken
Rich and Margery Feitler
Michael and Jacky Ferro
Cindy Galvin
Mark and Greta Giesen
Gordon and Wendy Gill
James and Dianna Goldman
Grund & Leavitt, P.C.
M. Julie and Michael Gustafson
The Harris Family Foundation
Mr. and Mrs. King Harris
Kathy Harris
Dr. and Mrs. Joseph Szokol
Mr. and Mrs. William Friend
Mr. and Mrs. John Harris
Katie Hazelwood and Todd Kaplan
Mr. and Ms. Jeff Jacobson
Jensen Litigation Solutions
Mr. and Mrs. Larry Levine
Mr. and Mrs. C.H. Randolph Lyon
Ronald J. Mallicoat Jr.
Daniel and Vida Marks
Cynthia Luse-McKeen and Douglas McKeen
David E. Mendelsohn
Tamara Meyer
Christopher and Eileen Murphy
Bruce Norris
Mark and Christie Osmond
Linda Lowy and Jeff Perry
Mr. Robbie Robinson
Ms. Sonia Sahai
Louis and Nellie Sieg Fund
Ralph Senst and Karen Zelden
Stephanie B. Smith and Gerald Smith
Mr. and Mrs. William Wardrop
Mr. Jim Welch
Clifford Yuknis
‡ Multi Year Pledge
* Steppenwolf’s Auxiliary Council is a community of more than 100 dynamic young professionals who strive to make a difference for the next generation of theater-enthusiasts. All proceeds raised by the Auxiliary Council benefit Steppenwolf for Young Adults.
STEPPENWOLF 25
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ACCESSIBILITY AT STEPPENWOLFCommitted to providing services and programming that enhance the experience of guests with disabilities, Steppenwolf is proud to feature:
STEPPENWOLF CUSTOMER SERVICE TIPS
• Audio-described performances, artistic conversations and touch tours of the stage for guests who are blind or visually-impaired.
• Guides dedicated to assisting patrons during audio-described performances.
• Complimentary playbills in Braille, large-print and audio formats.
• Sign language-interpreted and open-captioned performances for guests who are deaf or hard-of-hearing.
• Volunteers who use sign language to greet the audience at sign-interpreted performances.
• Assistive listening devices in our Downstairs and Upstairs theaters.
• Wheelchair accessible seats and restrooms in all of our theaters.
Would you like to utilize or learn more about these services? Audience Services 312-335-1650 TTY 312-335-3830 E-mail [email protected]
Driving to the theater? Rather than arriving to discover that our garage has reached capacity (which can happen during busy performances), please enter the Steppenwolf Parking Hotline (312-335-1774) into your cell phone and call us when you’re a few minutes away from the theater—we’ll tell you if there’s still space available in our facility, or suggest the most convenient alternative.
Spending your intermission in line at the bar? Enjoy the entire break by ordering and paying for your intermission refreshments before the show. When you exit the theater at the end of the first act, your drinks will be waiting for you.
Need restaurant information or the score of the ballgame? Please visit our book shop and information desk at the south end of the main floor lobby.
Hailing a cab after the play? This is typically an easy affair—Halsted is a busy street and sees a fair amount of taxi traffic. If you’d like assistance hailing a cab or calling a company, though, just ask a member of the house staff; we’re happy to help.
Lost or Found? On-site? Please check in with a member of the house staff. Already left? Call the Front of House office at 312-932-2445.
Want to provide feedback? Your input is always valuable to us. Have an opinion about the play or artistic content? Stick around for the post-show discussion featured after every performance, fill out the 60-Second Survey inserted in this program or join the conversation at facebook.com/steppenwolftheater. Have a comment about your overall experience at the theater? Please ask us for a customer service form to fill out, or e-mail us at [email protected].
Need to contact a patron during a performance? If you need to contact a patron during a performance in our Downstairs or Upstairs Theaters, please call our Concierge Desk at 312-932-2476. Hours: one hour prior to curtain until 15 minutes after curtain call.
Photo/Video Disclaimer: During your visit, you or members of your family may be filmed, videotaped, and/or photographed by a Steppenwolf employee, contract photographer or the media. Your attendance at Steppenwolf events serves as permission for the use of your image, or the image of your family members, by Steppenwolf.
Content Disclaimer: Steppenwolf offers an advisory about any stage effect of potential concern to patrons’ health. We will post this information as soon as it’s available. We don’t offer advisories about subject matter, as sensitivities vary from person to person. If you have any concerns about content, please contact audience services.
Latecomers will be seated at the discretion of the House Manager. The theater reserves the right to limit admission of children younger than the age of six. The taking of photographs and the use of any type of recording device is not allowed in the theater during performances and is a violation of state and federal copyright laws. Digital media will be deleted, and tape or film will be confiscated.
The Young Adult Council is a unique program for passionate and motivated high school students who wish to learn the inner-workings of professional theater from the most celebrated artists in the city. In addition to face time with these leading professionals, Council members attend the best plays in Chicago, learn how to analyze and speak about these plays and lead events for their peers around Steppenwolf productions in hopes of inspiring a new generation of theater enthusiasts and practitioners.
Applications are available on March 1, 2014.
Like the Steppenwolf Young Adult Council on Facebook! Or visit steppenwolf.org/youngadultcouncil for more information.
Foundation support is provided by The Siragusa Foundation.
2013/14 SEASON
YOUNG ADULT COUNCIL
coming next to the
th r e e product i o ns by s om e o f ch i cago ’ s most i n novat i v e s tor e front th eate r c om pan i e s , pr e s e nte d i n r otat i n g r e pe rtory.
th r e e d eve lopm e ntal product i o ns o f b r an d -n ew plays by e m e r g i n g am e r i can p laywr i g hts .
wr i t e r s who roc k . awesom e n ew plays . s e e th e m f i r s t.
th r e e c om pan i e s . th r e e p lays . o n e s tag e .
february 14 – apr i l 20 , 2014
july 26 – august 24 , 2014
all t ickets are only $20 .steppenwolf.org/garage