Anyone who sees a Steppenwolf production can tell that there is a unique acting style to this theater – a visceral approach to the work, a dynamic way of listening. There’s an exchange of impulses, a generous cohabitation of a physical and psychic space. These qualities can be boiled down to an essence that might be called The Steppenwolf Style.
“Somewhere along the line it became evident to us…the best way to tell stories, is to do it as an ensemble,” says Steppenwolf co-founder Jeff Perry. “And the best way to grow as artists is to be surrounded by people that you care about, and whose talent feeds your own.” Audiences can spot a Steppenwolf actor because that actor seems unabsorbed with their own performance, and thoroughly obsessed with the performance of their scene partner. This approach to acting is being passed along to the next generation of actors through The School at Steppenwolf.
“Our goal was to create a curriculum that would enable talented actors to practice their craft by ‘doing’ and ‘feeding’ off of each other,” says Jeff. He maintains that the core principles of the program should “be driven by values we grew up with: specificity, instinct, emotional truth, trust, abandon. Values that we believe underlie great acting and great ensemble work.” The School at Steppenwolf, a 10-week program that translates the style and substance of the Steppenwolf ensemble, reaches 24 emerging performers every summer.
The School started in 1997, when Artistic Director Martha Lavey and co-founder Jeff Perry, with the consultation of Artistic Consultant Sheldon Patinkin and associate artist Anna D. Shapiro began knocking around the idea of The School at Steppenwolf as a means to translate the essential ideals shared by Steppenwolf ensemble members. The four embarked on adapting these values into a teachable program of study.
“A curriculum is only as good as its teachers and Steppenwolf’s are extremely experienced and talented actors and directors. They love their craft and are tremendously skilled at creating an environment in which you’ll feel both safe and challenged to do your best work.”
Nearly every single Steppenwolf ensemble member has assumed the role of educator, bringing a personal touch to teaching the craft. Sundry in idiom, method and in some cases region, the curriculum brings an incredibly detailed set of fundamentals to the students. From Amy Morton’s course in Meisner Technique to Tina Landau’s Viewpoints Intensive to Yasen Peyankov’s Faith Naiveté (a Stanislavskiinspired method learned in his native Bulgaria), the class schedule reads like an overview of the pivotal teaching techniques of the past 100 years.
Jeff best sums up the force behind The School, “We needed a familial approach, in some simple ways we were building a family again. The power of two – three – four, or 10 people who really know how to work together is greater than sheer numbers. …The School epitomizes the best of Steppenwolf – a place where trust and risk lead to growth. A beautiful reminder of why we fell in love with acting in the first place.”
“The School at Steppenwolf gave me a profound faith in the longevity of my career as an actor and the confidence to start my own company in Sydney.”
Michael Booth, Artistic Director of The Group Theatre, Sydney
“It was only at The School that I really started to become a process-oriented actor and artist. That summer, the thrill and joy of theatre was no longer about finding the answers, but investigating the questions.”
Michael Patrick Thornton, Artistic Director of The Gift Theatre Company, Chicago
“Each class provided an extremely nurturing and safe environment which helped me to go to places inside myself that I never knew existed.”
Anne Adams, now appearing at Steppenwolf in Cherry Orchard
“Nothing there is forced upon you; you either embrace things, or you run screaming.”
Josh Bywater, last seen at Steppenwolf in Tennessee Williams’s One Arm
“The actor who emerged from The School at Steppenwolf is in no way related to the actor who enrolled. The School at Steppenwolf transformed me physically, emotionally and intellectually. Every single professional accomplishment in the years following my training in Chicago is attributed to the curriculum, the teachers and the fellow students at The School.”
Bryce Dallas Howard, appearing in The Village and the upcoming Lars Von Trier film Manderlay
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