Frank Galati, Passionate Enthusiast and Philosopher King
Boundlessly creative, unfailingly astute, he didn’t just make and teach theatre of the mind but of the heart as well.
All Stories About Steppenwolf Theatre Company
Cripping Richard III: What Disabled Actors Bring to the Role
Shakespeare’s iconic villain has always been disabled, but increasingly the actors playing him—and the productions and adaptations they star in—reflect disability aesthetics and activism.
The Subtext: How Vichet Chum Measures Success
This month Brian talks to Vichet Chum, writer of ‘Bald Sisters’ at Steppenwolf, about how Texas’s competitive culture shaped him and about how his Cambodian American parents feel about his work.
Race, Mystery, RBG, Opera: I’ve Got a Little List
From a Conan Doyle-inspired inquiry to an Emmett Till trilogy, from a Baroque opera to an Alaskan Tlingit journey, here are some shows I’d put on my hypothetical theatre calendar.
This Month in Theatre History
September sees the beginnings of theatre in the U.S., the openings of major theatres on opposite coasts, a starry ‘Godspell’ reunion, and the start of a Chicago festival of Latino theatre.
This Month in Theatre History
July features the founding of a few illustrious theatrical organizations, a turn on the burlesque business wheel, a Sam Shepard classic in the remaking, and a powerful advocate for Latino playwrights.
The Subtext: Tracy Letts’s Moments of Recognition
This month the author of ‘August: Osage County’ and ‘The Minutes’ talks about acting, writing, the mystique of Chicago, and the heartbreak of Oklahoma.
The Subtext: Rajiv Joseph on Putin and Basketball
Brian talks to the playwright, whose new play ‘King James’ is playing at Steppenwolf, about war, sports, and writing what you want.
The Shows That Got Away and/or Found a Way
A look at 8 shows that the pandemic cut short, what’s happened to them since, and what might be next.
Richard Christiansen: A Critic Who Made a Difference
As the Chicago Tribune’s lead theatre critic from 1978 to 2002, he helped build the city’s unique theatre scene, both by covering it and by getting to know its major players.
