Commemorating 25 Years On the Aisle
By Joe Stead
What valuable insights have I learned over the past 25 years as a theatre critic? I'm glad you asked. While I know there are professional critics who have been on their jobs longer than myself, I couldn't let the quarter century mark slip by without some comment. Adding the fact that 2008 also marks my 10th year in Chicago, the greatest theatre city in America, makes it something for me to celebrate as well. So what is Steadstyle Chicago, how did it come about and what keeps it going strong? Michael Hadaad, the President of Central Newspapers, coined the phrase "Steadstyle" 10 years ago when I moved to the Windy City and began a two year stint as Theatre Editor of the monthly College News print and online publication.
Sensing that the Internet was no longer just the wave of the future, but a reality of the present, I launched this web site in 2000. Of course today, just about everybody has a web page or blog, but this modern technology has allowed me to pursue the passion I have felt since childhood. Yes, I wrote my first review at the tender age of 12, and several thousand later I'm still at it. My first few reviews, written mostly for my own amusement and documentation, were also warmly embraced by the theatres I covered. And I have been honored to write for a variety of print and online resources. My passion for the theatre has taken me across the country, covering prestigious regional theatres such as the Goodspeed Opera House in Connecticut, Paper Mill Playhouse in New Jersey, the Kennedy Center and Arena Stage in Washington, D.C., the Asolo Theatre in Florida to Broadway. I was honored to serve along a distinguished panel of theatre professionals as a judge for Speaking Ring Theatre Company's "Vitality" festival of original short plays in 2006 and 2007.
I am first and foremost a dedicated theatre fanatic. And if some of the passion and enthusiasm I feel for the art of theatre slips through to my readers and audience members, then I truly feel alive. Theatre for me has always been a place of pure magic, where creativity, talent and imagination are cherished in ways the so-called "real world" never allows. And in a city like Chicago, that "magic" continues to grow and flourish. How much has changed in Chicago theatre over the past ten years? When I arrived in town, the Goodman was still in its old building annex at the Art Institute, Broadway in Chicago didn't yet exist, the footings had not even been laid for Chicago Shakespeare (then Shakespeare Repertory) Theater's now world-class home on Navy Pier, and the exploding downtown Loop Theatre District was still a dream embryo.
There have been casualties too, among them the venerable Candlelight Dinner Playhouse (America's first and finest dinner theatre), the beautiful Drury Lane Evergreen Park is now a Wal-Mart, the Ivanhoe, Organic and Jane Adams Hull House (home to both Steppenwolf and About Face) are now but a distant memory. And yet every season welcomes promising newcomers to the local theatre scene, noteworthy new ventures and thriving Chicago institutions of every size and shape. Diversity is a key to the city's success as one of the most highly respected theatre capitals in the world. You needn't spend $450 a person for an evening of stimulating entertainment.
Indeed,
I have always championed the idea that "good theatre is good
theatre" regardless of where it takes place. Colleges,
community theatres, second-floor walk-ups and grungy storefronts
frequently take their respected places among the world-class venues
regularly covered on Steadstyle Chicago. And I hold them all to
a high standard of excellence. I would be remiss if I didn't
call them as I see them, even if that occasionally puts me in the
"hot seat". Just remember, as one colleague once
reminded me, "Opinions are like asses, everyone has one."
There is an adage that those who can do and those who can't criticize. My lifelong ambition has been disproving that. In fact, some of my colleagues expressed surprise when I announced my Chicago directing debut. Among the things some people may not know about me is that I served as founder and Artistic Director of two theatre companies. I hold a degree in Commercial Art with a minor in Video Production. And I have sung leading roles in "The Phantom of the Opera," "Pippin," "Fiddler on the Roof" and "La Cage aux Folles". My directing and producing credits include "Life With Father," "The Miracle Worker," "Deathtrap," "The Odd Couple," "Brighton Beach Memoirs," "You're A Good Man, Charlie Brown" and "Godspell," among others.
But my most fulfilling creative experience to date was directing the 2007 production of "Equus" for the Actors Workshop (now Red Twist) Theatre. This production was a labor of love that resulted in rave reviews, sold-out houses, a month long extension, 5 Joseph Jefferson Award nominations and a well-earned award for Best Actor (Peter Oyloe). I am forever grateful to Michael Colucci and Jan Ellen Graves for their respect and trust in realizing my vision of Peter Shaffer's incredible play. And to those sad little non-believers out there, I really did direct every bit of it.
I am currently working on several exciting projects, which will take up a great deal of time and energy. But I intend to continue pursuing my dreams and goals as both a critic and theatre artist. In addition to reviewing, my feature interviews with prominent members of the Chicago theatre community are published online at www.theatreinchicago.com. And I am pleased to share this site with several fine individuals who share my love of theatre and will hopefully continue to help spread the word that Chicago theatre is Second to None!