"There's something about this play that I can't get out of my mind." — Kevin Anderson ...more

Robert Anderson's I Never Sang For My Father is an intimate look at the lives of the Garrison family. The play also takes place in the early 1960s, at a time when fashion had a distinctive flair. For these reasons, Backstage wanted to feature the work of Linda Roethke, costume designer, in the designer portfolio. We asked Linda to give a glimpse into her process and talk about her work, beginning with how she discovered her design vocation. ...more

This season's production of I Never Sang for My Father showcases Robert Anderson's semi–autobiographical entry in this conversation, and it gives us occasion to reflect on other fathers and sons who have worked through their issues on the Steppenwolf stage. ...more

Sometimes people say to me, "Oh Steppenwolf Theatre — you're the ones who do all of those dysfunctional family plays." (More irreverent commentators than I have observed, "What family is NOT dysfunctional?") Sure, we do a lot of plays about families — a huge part of the dramatic canon is dominated by the exploration of families. ...more

Two seasons ago, Steppenwolf's Arts Exchange Program presented a critically acclaimed, new musical adaptation of Sherwood Anderson's classic novel, Winesburg, Ohio. About Face Theatre Company and Steppenwolf developed the piece further into a full–length musical to be presented this summer in the Upstairs Theatre. Backstage asked adapter and About Face Artistic Director Eric Rosen to talk about the new version of Winesburg and how it made it back onto the Steppenwolf stage. ...more

Chicago composers and sound designers Andre Pluess and Ben Sussman have been a powerful force on the Chicago theater scene for the last several seasons, winning awards and critical praise and pleasing audiences around the city. Now they've created a new score for Steppenwolf's Arts Exchange production of Winesburg, Ohio. For this Backstage interview, artistic associate Curt Columbus recently talked to them between gigs for this Backstage interview. ...more

Essay (n.) 1. An exertion of body or mind, for the performance of anything. 2. A composition treating of any particular subject; — usually shorter and less methodical than a formal, finished treatise. 3. To exert one's power or faculties upon. ...more