OFFICE OF THE MAYOR
CITY OF CHICAGO
RAHM EMANUEL
MAYOR
May 18, 2016
TO THE HONORABLE, THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF CHICAGO
Ladies and Gentlemen:
I transmit herewith, together with Aldermen Hopkins and Smith, a congratulatory resolution concerning Martha Lavey on her tenure as Artistic Director.
Your favorable consideration of this resolution will be appreciated.
Mayor
Very truly yours,
RESOLUTION
WHEREAS, Over its forty-year history, Steppenwolf Theatre Company, has established itself as a driving force in the Chicago theater community, as well as on national and international stages; and
WHEREAS, Martha Lavey served with distinction as Steppenwolf Theatre Company's Artistic Director from 1995 to 2015; and
WHEREAS, Over the course of her twenty years as Artistic Director, Martha Lavey, in partnership with Executive Directors Michael Gennaro and David Hawkanson, led Steppenwolf Theatre Company as it has become a national leader in producing new plays and commissioning playwrights; doubled the size of its ensemble and diversified its base of artists; added two performance spaces; expanded and deepened its partnerships with public schools and the community; championed the creation of Steppenwolf for Young Adults, the School at Steppenwolf and the Professional Leadership Programs; and won multiple awards, including the National Medal of Arts and several Tony Awards; and
WHEREAS, Martha Lavey has overseen the production of hundreds of plays and transferred dozens of Steppenwolf productions to Broadway and abroad, gaining national and international recognition for the company and Chicago as a vital theater destination; and
WHEREAS, Martha Lavey is an accomplished and experienced actress as well, having performed for Steppenwolf Theatre Company, as well as for the Goodman, Victory Garden, Northlight, and Remains Theatres, as well as in New York's Women's Project theatre; and
WHEREAS, Martha Lavey has been deeply involved in the theatre community, serving on grants panels for the National Endowment for the Arts, The Theatre Communications Group (TCG), Three Arts Club, USA Artists, and the City Arts Panel of Chicago, all the while remaining an advocate for and supporter of Chicago's storefront theater scene; and
WHEREAS, Martha Lavey holds a doctorate in Performance Studies from Northwestern University, and is a member of the National Advisory Council for the School of Communication at Northwestern University; and
WHEREAS, Martha Lavey is the recipient of the Sarah Siddons Award and an Alumni Merit Award from Northwestern University; and
WHEREAS, This Body wishes to congratulate Martha Lavey for two decades of stellar stewardship of the Steppenwolf Theatre Company as Artistic Director, where she remains an ensemble member; now, therefore,
BE IT RESOLVED, That we, the Mayor and Members of the City Council of the City of Chicago, assembled this eighteenth day of May, 2016, do hereby honor Martha Lavey for her exemplary service with the Steppenwolf Theatre Company, and we applaud her for her invaluable contributions to the performing arts scene in Chicago; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to Martha Lavey as a token of our appreciation and esteem.