Half Hour

Latest Episodes:

S2 Ep12 – Glenn Davis & Audrey Francis: “Co-Leadership” Sep 14, 2021

Show notes

In this, the final episode of Half Hour’s second season, the five hosts look back on two years of insightful, candid, and inspiring conversations with Steppenwolf ensemble members, activists, and vital voices in the American theater. Then, Cliff Chamberlain interviews Steppenwolf’s incoming Co-Artistic Directors, Glenn Davis and Audrey Francis, at the very beginning of their tenure.

Interview begins at 17:12

Originally from Chicago, Glenn Davis is an accomplished actor and producer. He garnered widespread acclaim for his performance in the world premiere of ensemble member Rajiv Joseph’s Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo at L.A.’s Kirk Douglas Theatre, and transferred with the production to Broadway, where he starred alongside Robin Williams. Davis joined the ensemble in 2017, where he has performed most recently Downstate by ensemble member Bruce Norris in Chicago and at the National Theatre in London. Additional Steppenwolf performing credits include You Got Older, The Christians, fellow ensemble member Tarell Alvin McCraney’s The Brother/Sister Plays and Head of Passes, and the Steppenwolf for Young Adults production of A Lesson Before Dying.

Audrey Francis is an acclaimed actor, director, teaching artist, and co-founder of Black Box Acting. Audrey Francis attended The School at Steppenwolf in 2004, and since then has been acting professionally in Chicago, working with an array of companies in the storefront and regional theater scene. Audrey became a Steppenwolf ensemble member in 2017 and has performed in ten productions with the company to date, including The Doppelgänger (an international farce), Dance Nation, The Fundamentals, Between Riverside and Crazy, and The Herd. Francis has also been in many acclaimed independent films, namely Knives and Skin, Later Days, Signature Move, and the award-winning web series Distant Learners. Her most recent directing credits include Plano with First Floor Theatre, The Invisible Hand at Steep Theatre, and the audio play of I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter.
Learn more at Steppenwolf.org
Want to get in touch? Email halfhour@steppenwolf.org
A transcript of this episode can be found HERE

S2 Ep11 - Kuumba Lynx: "Reclaiming Joy" Aug 31, 2021

Show notes

In this inspiring and revealing conversation, Jacinda Bullie and Darius Parker of Kuumba Lynx sit down with Audrey Francis to talk about the vital and empowering work they do with youth across Chicago. Through performances, film screenings, art making workshops, and more, Kuumba Lynx brings a Hip Hop lens to their work of urban artistry and activism. Listen to learn about the philosophy, history and future of one of the most treasured youth centered organizations in the city.

Interview begins at 5:22.
Kuumba Lynx is an urban arts youth development organization founded in 1996 by three women, Jaquanda Villegas, Leyda "Lady Sol" Garcia, and Jacinda Bullie. For two decades, alongside many of Chicago’s artists, activists, educators, and youth communities, Kuumba Lynx has honed an arts making practice that presents, preserves and promotes Hip Hop as a tool to resist systemic violence where black and brown youth can reimagine and demonstrate a more just world. KL’s Program Facilitators are a collective of artists, activists, educators, and healers.
Learn more at Steppenwolf.org
Want to get in touch? Email halfhour@steppenwolf.org
A transcript of this episode can be found HERE

S2 Ep10 - James Vincent Meredith: “Tear This Off” Aug 17, 2021

Show notes

In this engaging conversation, Karen Rodriguez sits down with fellow actor, ensemble member and Half Hour host, James Vincent Meredith. Join these two friends as they share stories of stage fright, family, laughter, legacy, and proving their skeptics wrong by securing a sense of belonging within the Steppenwolf ensemble.

Interview begins at 4:12.

James Vincent Meredith received critical acclaim as John Proctor in The Crucible, his first role as an ensemble member. At Steppenwolf he has also appeared in Clybourne Park, The Hot L Baltimore, The Bluest Eye (also Off-Broadway at the New Victory Theater), The Pain and the Itch, Carter's Way, Doppleganger, The Tempest, The March, Between Riverside and Crazy, The Minutes, Hot L Baltimore, and Superior Donuts. Broadway credits include Superior Donuts (Music Box Theater) and Book of Mormon (Eugene O’Neill Theater— also 3 years, National Tour).Other selected Chicagoland appearances include Mr. Rickey Calls a Meeting at Lookingglass Theatre, Lottery Day at Goodman, Radio Golf and Blues for an Alabama Sky at Court and Othello at Chicago Shakespeare Theater, as well as work at About Face Theatre, Writer's Theatre, Drury Lane Theatre in Oakbrook and Piven Theatre Workshop, where he is a member of the company ensemble. Movie credits include Widows, Princess Cyd, and Knives and Skin. Television credits include Fargo, Chicago Med, Chicago Fire, FBI, Empire, BOSS, and Exorcist, among others.

Learn more at Steppenwolf.org
Want to get in touch? Email halfhour@steppenwolf.org
A transcript of this episode can be found HERE

S2 Ep9 - Gordon Gill: "Collision" Aug 03, 2021

Show notes

This week, the Half Hour team sits down with Gordon Gill of Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill, the architects behind the newest additions to Steppenwolf's campus: the Arts and Education Center and a 400-seat Round Theater. Ensemble member James Vincent Meredith leads a fascinating conversation with Gill, exploring the similarities between the seemingly disparate disciplines of architecture and theatre. Listen, too, for a sneak peek into what to expect when the new building opens its doors this fall.
Interview begins at 3:46
Gordon Gill FAIA, is a founding partner of the award-winning Chicago design firm Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill Architecture. His work includes the design of the world’s first net zero-energy skyscraper, Pearl River Tower in Guangzhou, China; the world’s first large-scale positive energy building, Masdar Headquarters design for Abu Dhabi, UAE; the world’s tallest tower, Jeddah Tower in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia; and Al Wasl Plaza, an open space that will be the centerpiece of Expo 2020 Dubai, featuring an intricate domed trellis that will be the world’s largest immersive projection experience. Gordon also designs smaller, more intimate spaces like the recently completed The Yard at Chicago Shakespeare Theater and the Chicago Architecture Center, and the soon to be completed Steppenwolf Theatre Expansion. Gordon’s work is driven by his philosophy that there is a purposeful relationship between formal design and performance; and that there is a Language of Performance, which is the basis of his practice: Form Follows Performance.
Learn more at Steppenwolf.org
Want to get in touch? Email halfhour@steppenwolf.org
A transcript of this episode can be found HERE

S2 Ep8 – Leslie Odom Jr.: “I Put Myself In” Jul 20, 2021

Show notes

This week on Half Hour, acclaimed star of stage and screen Leslie Odom Jr. catches up with his longtime friend, ensemble member Cliff Chamberlain. Odom shares stories from his early career, reflects on his legendary performance as Founding Father Aaron Burr in Hamilton: An American Musical and discusses his recent take on singer Sam Cooke in the film One Night in Miami. This candid and funny conversation offers a glimpse into the perspective of one of contemporary musical theatre's most vital artists.
This episode of Half Hour is exclusively sponsored by Sidley Austin LLP
Interview begins at 3:45.
Leslie Odom, Jr. is a multifaceted, award-winning vocalist, songwriter, author, and actor. With a career that spans all performance genres, he has received recognition with Tony and Grammy Awards as well as Emmy and, most recently, two Academy Award nominations for his excellence and achievements in Broadway, television, film, and music. Odom currently stars and performs the songs of legendary singer Sam Cooke in the critically acclaimed Amazon film adaptation of the Olivier Award-nominated play, One Night in Miami, directed by Regina King. His portrayal of the soul icon has been met with widespread praise and critical acclaim, earning him nominations for an Academy Award, BAFTA Award, Critics' Choice Award, Golden Globe Awards, and Screen Actors Guild Awards, among others. Odom has released four highly lauded studio albums, including two holiday records and his chart-topping, self-titled debut. He has performed at the White House, Super Bowl, and on hallowed stages such as Lincoln Center, Rockefeller Center, and the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. In 2018, he published his first book, Failing Up: How to Take Risks, Aim Higher and Never Stop Learning. Odom can also be heard voicing the character of Owen Tillerman in the Apple TV+ animated musical-comedy series Central Park, for which he received a 2020 Emmy nomination, as well as captivating audiences as Aaron Burr in the filmed musical performance of the original Broadway production of Hamilton released in 2020 on Disney+. His other upcoming projects include The Many Saints of Newark, a prequel to David Chase’s Award-winning HBO series The Sopranos set to be released this Fall and Needle in A Timestack written and directed by John Ridley.
Learn more at Steppenwolf.org
Want to get in touch? Email halfhour@steppenwolf.org
A transcript of this episode can be found HERE

S2 Ep7 - Tina Landau: "What If We Expand" Jul 06, 2021

Show notes

In this riveting conversation, Audrey Francis sits down with legendary director and ensemble member Tina Landau who shares insightful glimpses into her unique process of directing, including how she has learned to trust actors to bring all of themselves into rehearsal. The two also discuss the Viewpoints method, Tina’s current projects in development, and the seemingly unlikely pairing of Landau’s directing practice and Steppenwolf’s aesthetic.
Interview begins at 3:32
Tina Landau is a writer, director and teacher whose work includes directing/conceiving SpongeBob Squarepants: The Broadway Musical, Tarell Alvin McCraney's Head of Passes (Steppenwolf, The Public and the Mark Taper Forum), WIG OUT! (Vineyard Theatre), and In the Red and Brown Water (The Public), Bill Irwin/David Shiner's Old Hats, Chuck Mee's Big Love and Iphigenia 2.0 (Signature Theatre), and her musical Floyd Collins (Playwrights Horizons). On Broadway, Landau has also directed Tracy Letts's Superior Donuts and the revival of Bells are Ringing. At Steppenwolf, directing credits include MS. BLAKK FOR PRESIDENT, The Wheel, Hot L Baltimore, The Brother/Sister Plays, The Tempest, The Time of Your Life (also Seattle Rep, ACT), The Diary of Anne Frank, The Cherry Orchard, The Ballad of Little Jo, Berlin Circle and her own play Space (also Mark Taper Forum, the Public). Landau has co-authored The Viewpoints Book with Anne Bogart and has taught regularly at such schools as Yale, Columbia, Harvard and Northwestern.

Learn more at Steppenwolf.org
Want to get in touch? Email halfhour@steppenwolf.org
A transcript of this episode can be found HERE

S2 Ep6 - Erin Cook: "Friend To All" Jun 22, 2021

Show notes

On this episode of Half Hour, Erin Cook, Steppenwolf’s universally beloved company manager of more than ten years, joins Caroline Neff for a lovely and lively conversation. Cook shares stories from her path to Steppenwolf, and she talks about what it is like being communicating with, and caring for, the more than fifty actors, writers and directors that constitute the Steppenwolf Ensemble. Plus, Erin reflects on her singular relationships with two of Steppenwolf’s visionary artistic directors: Martha Lavey and Anna D. Shapiro.
Interview begins at 3:14.

Erin Cook is the Company Manager & Assistant to the Artistic Director at Steppenwolf Theatre Company, where she has worked since 2008. Previously, Erin has worked at TimeLine, The Milwaukee Repertory Theatre and Utah Shakespeare along with a slew of restaurant and coffee shop jobs! Erin’s top five shows at Steppenwolf are a combination of the things she has seen and worked on: The Brother/Sister Plays by Tarell Alvin McCraney, Middletown by Will Eno, The Seafarer by Conor McPherson, Mary Page Marlowe by Tracy Letts and Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? by Edward Albee.
Learn more at Steppenwolf.org
Want to get in touch? Email halfhour@steppenwolf.org
A transcript of this episode can be found HERE

S2 Ep5 - Clint Ramos: "Misfit Toys" May 25, 2021

Show notes

Half Hour welcomes its first designer on the show: Tony Award-Winner Clint Ramos. Audrey Francis interviews Ramos, and their conversation largely centers on how Clint aims to transform the American theatre to be more equitable and just. The pair also discuss the designer’s process, and how Clint balances his twin niches of costume and scenic design. Plus, Ramos shares insights from his childhood watching street theatre in the Philippines.
Interview begins at 2:39
Clint Ramos is a designer, educator, activist, and creative producer. He is the recipient of a TONY Award for Best Costume Design of a Play for Eclipsed making him the first person of color to win that category. He is a current 2020 TONY double nominee for his scenic design for Slave Play and costume design for The Rose Tattoo. Prior TONY nominations were for his designs for Once On This Island and Torch Song. He also is the recipient of two OBIE Awards, including one for Sustained Excellence in Design, three Lucille Lortel Awards, a Drama Desk Award, an Outer Critics Circle Award, two American Theater Wing Henry Hewes Awards, TDF Irene Sharraf Young Master Award, Helen Hayes Award, Craig Noel Award, among other honors. He is the recipient of the Ani ng Dangal Presidential Medal for dramatic arts from the President of the Philippines—he received this honor twice. He is the producing creative director for Encores! at New York City Center. Steppenwolf Credits include: Downstate, and The Doppelgänger (an international farce) (costumes) and The Most Spectacularly Lamentable Trial of Miz Martha Washington and Marie Antoinette (scenic).

Learn more at Steppenwolf.org
Want to get in touch? Email halfhour@steppenwolf.org
A transcript of this episode can be found HERE

S2 Ep4 – Sandra Marquez: “On a Team” May 11, 2021

Show notes

Ensemble member Sandra Marquez sits down with Cliff Chamberlain for this insightful and inspiring conversation. Marquez shares stories from her singular childhood in the Central Valley of California, and reflects on her journey in Chicago theatre—and how she hopes to make it easier for the next generation of actors. Plus, Marquez talks about her legendary performances as Clytemnestra, and what it was like to play that single role over the course of four years and three productions.

Interview begins at 3:43.
Sandra Marquez joined the Steppenwolf Theatre Company ensemble in 2016, where her acting credits include: Nora in A Doll’s House, Part 2, The Roommate, The Doppelgänger (an international farce), Mary Page Marlowe, The Motherf**ker with the Hat, A Streetcar Named Desire, Sonia Flew and One Arm. Directing credits at Steppenwolf include La Ruta and I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter. At Teatro Vista, where she is a longtime company member and former Associate Artistic Director, she directed Fade, My Mañana Comes, Breakfast Lunch & Dinner and Our Lady of the Underpass. She is the recipient of a Jeff Award for her work in Teatro Vista’s A View from the Bridge. Marquez completed a three-year arc playing Clytemnestra in Court Theatre’s Iphigenia Cycle (Iphigenia at Aulis, Electra and Agamemnon).
Learn more at Steppenwolf.org
Want to get in touch? Email halfhour@steppenwolf.org
A transcript of this episode can be found HERE

S2 Ep3 - Rajiv Joseph: "Creative Cauldron" Apr 27, 2021

Show notes

Renowned playwright and Steppenwolf ensemble member Rajiv Joseph joins this episode of Half Hour for a conversation with Caroline Neff. Joseph shares stories from his time serving in the Peace Corps, and he chats about where he draws inspiration for his plays—and why he’s never dismayed when he was to scrap a draft and completely start over. Tune in to hear Rajiv talk about working with legendary comedian Robin Williams, and to see why he thinks that two-character plays are quite similar to motorcycles.

Interview begins at 3:42.
This episode of Half Hour is generously sponsored by Laurie Anne Kladis.

Rajiv Joseph’s play Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo was a 2010 Pulitzer Prize finalist for Drama and also awarded a grant for Outstanding New American Play by the National Endowment for the Arts. He has twice won the Obie Award for Best New American Play, first in 2016 with Guards at the Taj (also a 2016 Lortel Winner for Best Play) and then for Describe the Night. Other plays include Archduke, Gruesome Playground Injuries, Animals Out of Paper, The Lake Effect, The North Pool and Mr. Wolf.

Learn more at Steppenwolf.org
Want to get in touch? Email halfhour@steppenwolf.org
A transcript of this episode can be found HERE