WELCOME TO GARAGE REP 2013!
Theatre Seven. Buzz22. Bailiwick.
Hardworking. Adventurous. Spirited.
These are the words that come to mind when I think about the three Chicago companies that have happily invaded the Steppenwolf Garage this year for our fourth annual Garage Rep. These artists have been hard at work for the last six months to bring you three different but equally ambitious productions.
Theatre Seven reunites Steppenwolf with playwright Christina Anderson (MAN IN LOVE, First Look 2011) whose gripping play, BLACKTOP SKY, explores our capacity to love in the face of trauma. The youngest company in the Rep, Buzz22, brings us the explosive imagination of Qui Nguyen in the Midwest premiere of SHE KILLS MONSTERS, a touching tale that blurs the lines between reality and fantasy as two sisters find healing and reconciliation. And Bailiwick Chicago opens the door to our first Garage Rep musical with Michael John LaChiusa’s SEE WHAT I WANNA SEE, a stirring piece that challenges our ability to know the truth when we are in search of hope.
I like to think that great work comes out of company—a collective of artists with shared history, shared values and a real sense of ownership around the work they invest in making together. Like Steppenwolf, the three companies selected this year for Garage Rep are committed to an ensemble tradition. They too are building a shared history and have used the knowledge of their own artistic communities to create works of great depth. Steppenwolf’s Artistic Director, Martha Lavey, often talks about the power of “repeated collaborative relationships.” These companies, as they have entered the crucible of production, are testimony to that powerful idea.
I hope that you can feel the infectious energy of these companies the minute you walk into our lobby. And I hope you will follow these artists for years to come. Thank you so much for supporting our work in the Garage—Steppenwolf’s dedicated space for new work, emerging artists and millennial audiences.
Peace,
Jacob G. Padrón
Associate Producer