RESOLUTION
WHEREAS, Steppenwolf Theatre Company, currently celebrating its fortieth anniversary season, is a fixture in the Chicago theater community, as well as on national and international stages; and
WHEREAS, Steppenwolf Theatre Company officially began in 1976 as a collective of actors performing in an 88-seat theater it built in the basement of Immaculate Conception Church and School in Highland Park, Illinois; and
WHEREAS, In May of 1977, the Steppenwolf Theatre Company played its first performance in Chicago at the Jane Addams Hull House Center Theater, and was resident at theaters throughout Chicago until the Company moved to its own theater complex in 1991 at 1650 North Halsted Street; and
WHEREAS, Forty years later, Steppenwolf Theatre Company has grown into the nation's premier ensemble theater—redefining the landscape of acting and performance with an ensemble of forty-six remarkable actors, directors and playwrights, which includes Joan Allen, Kevin Anderson, Alana Arenas, Randall Arney, Kate Arrington, Ian Barford, Robert Breuler, Gary Cole, Kathryn Erbe, K. Todd Freeman, Frank Galati, Francis Guinan, Moira Harris, Jon Michael Hill, Tim Hopper, Tom Irwin, Ora Jones, Terry Kinney, Tina Landau, Martha Lavey, Tracy Letts, John Mahoney, John Malkovich, Sandra Marquez, Mariann Mayberry, Tarell Alvin McCraney, James Vincent Meredith, Laurie Metcalf, Amy Morton, Sally Murphy, Caroline Neff, Bruce Norris, Austin Pendleton, Jeff Perry, William Petersen, Yasen Peyankov, Martha Plimpton, Rondi Reed, Molly Regan, Anna D. Shapiro, Eric Simonson, Gary Sinise, Lois Smith, Rick Snyder, Jim True-Frost and Alan Wilder; and
WHEREAS, Thrilling, powerful and groundbreaking productions, from Balm in Gilead and The Grapes of Wrath to August: Osage County and The Brother/Sister Plays, have made Steppenwolf legendary. While firmly grounded in the Chicago community, nearly forty original Steppenwolf productions have enjoyed success both nationally and internationally, including Broadway, Off-Broadway, London, Sydney, Galway and Dublin; and
WHEREAS, For over thirty years, Steppenwolf for Young Adults' (SYA) unique approach to arts education combines play production with educational components for young audiences, their teachers, and families. SYA annually ensures access to the theater for more than 15,000 participants from Chicago's diverse communities; and
WHEREAS, In 1998 Steppenwolf Theatre Company founded the School at Steppenwolf for professional actors to be immersed in the ensemble's unique traditions, values, and methods; and
WHEREAS, Steppenwolf Theatre Company has the distinction of being the only theater to ever receive the National Medal of Arts. Additional accolades include the Illinois Arts Legend Award and twelve Antoinette Perry (Tony) Awards; and
WHEREAS, Entering its forty-first year, Steppenwolf Theatre Company continues to enrich the cultural and artistic lives of the people of Chicago; 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 the Steppenwolf Theatre Company on its fortieth anniversary, and we applaud it for its invaluable contributions to the performing arts scene in Chicago; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to the Steppenwolf Theatre Company as a token of our appreciation and esteem.