About this show
The 1998 millennial cult classic STEPMOM comes to life on the Steppenwolf stage. Jeff Award Winner Rob Lindley breathes life into Oscar Winner Susan Sarandon while VHS collector and nostalgia queen Alex Grelle dawns a new day as Julia Roberts. Sit back, relax and sob on a thrill ride that will take you on a journey that's just in time for Pride Month and too late for Mother's Day. It's Stepmom... At The Old Ethan Allen Space.
About Alex Grelle
Alex Grelle is a Chicago based performer that creates heartfelt, comedic spectacles. Grelle’s shows (The Grelley Duvall Show, Ordinary Peepholes, Floor Show and Full Bush) are carefully curated and showcase performances and artists that have impacted his life in an influential way. Follow all of his rowdiness on Instagram @beerbatteredcod.
About Rob Lindley
Rob Lindley (he/him) - is making his third appearance in the LookOut Series. Recent acting credits include Andy Warhol in Iran (Northlight) and the National Tour of Phantom of the Opera. Rob has also appeared on stage at Goodman, Writers', Victory Gardens, About Face, Drury Lane Oakbrook, Marriott Lincolnshire and several productions at Court Theatre. Rob has directed productions for Northlight, Porchlight Music Theatre, People's Light, Chicago Humanities Festival, Ravinia and the Off-Broadway musical parody 50 Shades!: The Musical. One of the great joys Rob has is collaborating with Alex Grelle on numerous Grelley Duval iterations and Ordinary Peepholes appearances and is thrilled to finally be bringing STEPMOM to Steppenwolf. Follow all of him on Instagram @RobLindley.
About Parker Callahan
Parker Callahan is a comedian/director and is excited to return to the Steppenwolf Lookout Series this season as the director of Stepmom. Christopher Columbus, director of Stepmom (1998), is quoted as once saying "Honestly, as a director, at least for me, if I start doing the same thing over and over again, I'm going to get bored really quickly,” and that is just like so true ya know? Brave, really.
About JESSE MORGAN YOUNG
About Jesse Morgan Young is a multi-disciplinary artist who works at the intersection of theatre, performance art, film and music. Most recently Jesse directed Floor Show an homage to David Bowie at The Chopin Theatre, conceived with Alex Grelle. Other recent works include Full Bush an homage to Kate Bush at Constellation and Co-Prosperity Sphere, conceived with Alex Grelle and Finom (FKA Omme), and Andrew In Anotherland a feature length music-movie conceived with Andrew Sa and featuring some of Chicago’s favorite musicians, performers and filmmakers now streaming on Open Television. Jesse was a founding member of the performance art/band/group Baathhaus and co-creator of Revival, a vessel for Chicago performance art. In Chicago Jesse’s work has been seen at performance spaces, nightclubs and music venues including The Jay Pritzker Pavilion at Millennium Park, The Museum of Contemporary Art, American Theater Company, Theatre Wit, About Face Theatre, Sideshow Theatre, Dfbrl8r, Pivot Arts, Metro, The Empty Bottle, The Hideout, Links Hall, Bottom Lounge, Beauty Bar, Berlin and others. Jesse has worked and performed at venues across the United States from Alaska (Perseverance Theatre) to Virginia (The American Shakespeare Center) and is a former ensemble member of Theatre Vertigo in Portland, Oregon.
About EVAN TYRONE MARTIN
Evan Tyrone Martin has most recently been seen as the Baker in Into The Woods with Intermountain Opera Bozeman. Other recent credits: Blues In The Night (Man in Saloon, BTAA Winner) at Porchlight Music Theatre, Queer Eye: The Musical Parody (Karamo) at Second City – Chicago, The Color Purple (Mister) at the MUNY in St. Louis, The Black Clown (Ensemble) at American Repertory Theatre/Lincoln Center’s 2019 Mostly Mozart Festival, Hair (Hud) at Mercury Theatre, Jesus Christ Superstar (Jesus, BTAA Nomination) at Paramount Theatre, Dreamgirls (Curtis, BTAA Nomination) and Far From Heaven (Raymond, Jeff Nomination) at Porchlight, The Little Mermaid (King Triton) at Arkansas Rep. Evan has worked with Godspeed Opera House, Arkansas Shakes, Florida Rep, as well as being featured in Chicago Tribune, and Chicago Magazine. He also toured starring in the hit one-man revues Unforgettable: Falling in Love with Nat King Cole and, An Unforgettable Nat King Cole Christmas — and still occasionally stars in his newest one man show Lets Fall In Love celebrating the music of Nat and other iconic performers of his time.
About MITCHELL J. FAIN
Mitchell J. Fain loves this group of humans!!! He has previously worked at Northlight; Marriott, Lookingglass; The Second City (2 shows in UP, 10 years as a ShipCo cast member, also at Chicago Shakespeare Theatre, The Actor’s Theatre of Louisville and LaJolla Playhouse); and many others! He performed for 8 years in The Santaland Diaries at Theatre Wit. This past (and future ) summer/fall he was, again, a co-director of Chicago’s Midnight Circus in the Parks, a city-wide touring circus. This 17 year sold-out annual tradition has raised close to $2,000,000 to help renovate and improve the Chicago Park Districts, and to foster community; city wide, one circus at a time https://www.midnightcircus.net/
Look for him this fall in Timeline’s production of “The Lehman Trilogy” at The Broadway Playhouse.Thanks to Alex and Rob and Parker; for including me in their shenanigans!! Love to Xtopher.
About JYREIKA GUEST
Jyreika Guest is an actor, dancer, poet, and intimacy director/coordinator based in Chicago, IL. Her philosophy as both an Actor and Intimacy Director is advocating for the culture to change for not only the performers but for the whole industry. Chicago credits include Lindiwe U/S (Steppenwolf); Frankenstein (Remy Bumppo); columbinus (The Yard Theatre Company); In the Blood (Red Tape Theatre); Fly Honeys Show (The Inconvenience Project); The Wiz (Kokandy Productions); The Adventures of Robin Hood (Filament Theatre). Intimacy direction credits: Fun Home, Groundhog Day, Rock of Ages, and Hand to God (Paramount Theatre-Aurora), The Last Pair of Earlies (Raven Theatre); Seagull (Steppenwolf) Intimate Apparel (Northlight Theatre);The Light (Coalescence Theatre); Fire Shut Up in My Bones (Lyric Opera Chicago); Film/TV credits: Starz Force Season 1&2, Heist 88. She is proudly represented by Shirley Hamilton Talent. @jevelyng
About KATIE MAZZINI
Kaite Mazzini (she/her) was born on Long Island, New York. She graduated in 2012 with a B.F.A in Musical Theater from Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana. Shortly after, she moved to Chicago, Illinois where she began work as a professional actor in Tracy Letts’ adaptation of Three Sisters (Steppenwolf Theater Company). She also appeared in Singin’ in the Rain (Drury Lane), and Erica Mott Production’s devised opera, 3 Singers, where she first met master vocal technician and formative mentor, Fides Krucker. In 2013, she joined Chicago’s Walkabout Theater Company. As part of the core Walkabout ensemble, she co-created and performed in numerous original pieces across the United States, India and Poland. In 2021, Katie spent a year as a member of the Focused Research Team in Art as Vehicle at the Wokcenter of Jerzy Grotowski and Thomas Richards in Pontedera, Italy. As part of the Workcenter, she performed in The Underground and Songs of Tradition at theaters across Colombia, Chile and Argentina. Katie is fat. She loves research, singing and building creative bridges across different fields and forms.
Running Time
Due to the high volume and wide breadth of work we present, we are often not able to proactively offer content advisories for individual performances. However, if you have specific concerns about stage effects (such as strobe lights or fog/haze) that might have a bearing on comfort or well-being, or if you would like to know more about the age appropriateness of the performance, please contact the box office at 312-335-1650.
Patron Code of Conduct
Welcome to Steppenwolf, one of the premiere ensemble theaters in America. By visiting us, you agree to adhere to the theatre’s Patron Code of Conduct and Health and Safety Protocols.