Steppenwolf play hits Broadway

'Jeffrey Richards, who led a team of producers that financed the $2.5 million Broadway production of "August," '

Nice to know Steppenwolf has become another Chicago tryout stage for Broadway productions. This, along with hit or miss productions, is another reason why I declined renewing my subscription.

'According to producers, the audience at the Imperial Theater on West 45th Street included Steppenwolf ensemble members Gary Sinise, Joan Allen, and Laurie Metcalf...'

Yes, nice of them to show up, especially since Metcalf canceled the one Steppenwolf show she was supposed to be in a couple seasons ago.

I thought Steppenwolf was a '60s rock group

Laurie Metcalf isn't the only one of the longtime actors to cancel, or just flat out never show up. Look at the company website sometime. Joan Allen may have been at he opening last night, but the site says she hasn't actually done a play at Steppenwolf since the early 1990s. Some of the other actor profiles show that some of these people have only been in four or five plays in 20 years.

Doesn't Steppenwolf have some sort of mandate to have their acting members actually act for them? If not, why not?

This is one of the reasons I won't subscribe there. There are others, for sure, like Steppenwolf hasnt done a decent full seasons of plays in over a decade. And its rare that they get a play as good as this one.

Once vibrant, this company (by and large) seems cold, corporate and rather impersonal. Who is this David Hawkanson person quoted in the article? Is he the head producer over there? I don't know what's going on there, but vibrancy and energy always starts at the top levels of management. He doesn't really inspire much confidence.

Congratulations to Tracy Letts on writing a terrific play. But he certainly doesn't need Steppenwolf to do that.

How many people commenting on this page have actually been to a Steppenwolf show? How many of you know people who are in the shows over there? It is hard work and this is not the first show to go to Broadway. Do your research

I saw the play here in Chicago at Steppenwolf and it's fantastic. As for "no movie stars or TV stars"...Jeff Perry has been on TV for years, granted he is not the "star" of a show, but he was on Nash Bridges and Grey's Anatomy in supporting roles.

Kudos to a great cast and crew!!

There are plenty of people from Steppenwolf that go onto movies and television. Maybe not big like Sinise or Malcovich but they do.