Displaying items by tag: Kate Arrington

Rajiv Joseph’s Mr. Wolf is a striking departure from the warmth and humor of his recent King James. Where King James used the comfort of sports as a language of friendship, Mr. Wolf asks us to sit inside the fragile, fractured space of trauma. In Steppenwolf’s intimate production, ensemble member K. Todd Freeman directs with an unflinching precision that refuses to soften the material. His approach creates a space where silence weighs as heavily as dialogue, where each pause presses the audience closer to the raw pulse of grief, survival, and uneasy healing. This is a small play set against a very large world, and its intimacy makes it resonant.

The play centers on Theresa (Emilie Maureen Hanson), a teenager recently rescued after twelve years of captivity. Her abductor, Mr. Wolf (Tim Hopper), is not only a predator but also an astronomy professor who reshaped her entire worldview with cosmic metaphors, rigid theories, and apocalyptic visions. For Theresa, the cosmos—and Mr. Wolf—are inseparable. He does not see the stars as sources of wonder but as proof of his twisted logic.

Mr. Wolf bends the language of science into a doctrine of control. Whereas most scientists keep religion and science in separate spheres, he blurs that boundary, turning the vastness of the universe into a kind of scripture. He declares Theresa a prophetess of the cosmos, teaching her to view the stars not through physics and wonder but through his rigid, apocalyptic framework. Hopper embodies this chilling certainty with unnerving precision, a man who once lectured on the heavens but now orbits entirely within his own delusions.

Now reunited with her parents—Hana (Kate Arrington) and Michael (Namir Smallwood)—Theresa must navigate a world that feels as alien as the galaxies she once studied under his command. Julie (Caroline Neff), Michael’s new wife, hovers between empathy and helplessness, unsure how to reach someone marked by unspeakable experience while quietly grappling with her own grief.

The acting is superb across the board. Hanson captures Theresa’s uneasy balance of fragility and resilience. Arrington and Smallwood embody grief in contrasting shades—Arrington’s sharp-edged regret against Smallwood’s wounded stoicism—while Neff supplies a warmth the others cannot. Hopper, disturbingly calm as Mr. Wolf, delivers control with the cool precision of a man who has transformed astronomy into a theology of delusion.

The design team amplifies this unsettling intimacy. Walt Spangler’s set suggests a world we recognize—rooms, walls, familiar structures—that have splintered into pieces. Watching the play, we feel as though we are tasked with reassembling it, just as the characters try to piece together their broken lives. Dede Ayite’s costumes root the play in ordinariness, and Josh Schmidt’s sound and original music create an undercurrent of wonder. Rasean Davonté Johnson’s projections echo the celestial images that once defined Theresa’s captivity, lingering like ghosts of her indoctrination.

Freeman’s direction sharpens the play’s unease into something inescapable. Rather than offering distance, he compels the audience to witness the jagged rhythms of survival. Where King James thrived on joy and connection, Mr. Wolf strips us down to silence and difficult truths. It is a play less about resolution than endurance, and in Steppenwolf’s hands, it becomes a stark reminder of how trauma ripples outward—and how putting the pieces back together is never simple, but always necessary.

RECOMMENDED

When: Through Nov. 2nd

Where: Steppenwolf Theatre, 1650 N. Halsted St.

Running Time: 90 minutes

Tickets: $20 - $133.50

312-355-1650

www.steppenwolf.org

*This review is also shared on https://www.theatreinchicago.com/!  

When Steppenwolf calls themselves an ensemble theatre, they really mean it. Their newest production, ‘Another Marriage,’ is written by ensemble member Kate Arrington. Not only is this Arrington’s debut play, but it’s also Hollywood actress Judy Greer’s Steppenwolf debut. With casting rounded out by regular players Caroline Neff and Ian Barford, ‘Another Marriage’ shows much promise for Kate Arrington, who’s already quite an accomplished actress.

‘Another Marriage’ follows a couple from when they meet in college through the complexities of marriage and parenting. Nick (Ian Barford) and Sunny (Judy Greer) are both writers, but Nick is from a literary dynasty. Success comes easy to him, and Sunny begins to resent his ascent to fame. It’s implied that their teenage daughter is the one narrating the drama unfolding in Steppenwolf’s new theater in-the-round.

Arrington’s script speaks to the competitiveness that can manifest in romantic relationships. It also comments on how people change over time, and once common goals can start to feel one-sided. She also explores how flaws can be inherited and gives some optimism that maybe some generational cycles can be broken.

Chicagoans love to see celebrities on stage, and for the most part, it’s a worthwhile experience. Last year Sean Hayes starred in a show at Goodman. He went on to win the Tony for the same role when it opened on Broadway in 2023. This year, Steppenwolf puts Judy Greer on stage in a leading role. Greer did her theatrical training in Chicago, and it’s always been a dream of hers to work at Steppenwolf. Though more known for TV and movies, Greer is no stranger to the stage.

That said, she’s really good. It can be almost distracting when a major screen star is cast in a play, but Greer fits right in with Steppenwolf heavy hitters Ian Barford and Caroline Neff. Greer is particularly known for playing snarky sidekicks, and while there are some of her signature traits, this is mostly a side of her that hasn’t been shown in her numerous film and TV shows. She plays Sunny with a tough exterior, but in a scene she shares with Caroline Neff near the end reveals a character with a huge heart.

Caroline Neff plays Macassidy, a fan girl who ends up stealing Nick away from Sunny. Neff has a way of becoming the focal point of her scenes, even when she’s only a supporting character. There’s something incredibly watchable about her portrayal of a ditzy, unintentional homewrecker. The scene she shares with Judy Greer near the end is the highlight of the entire play. It also shows off some of Arrington’s best segments of dialogue.

‘Another Marriage’ still might need a little re-tooling in subsequent productions, but as is, it’s a pretty solid play. The tidy scenes and experimental structure keep the play unique. Arrington has a great voice, and her play is an enjoyable two hours. The cast, assembled by director Terry Kinney, is a playwright’s dream. They really bring a lot of heart to this play. You can feel the love radiating off the stage.

Through July 23 at Steppenwolf Theatre Company. 1650 N Halsted St. 312-335-1650. Steppenwolf.org

*Extended through July 30th