Historical Figures
Viola Spolin was a very prominent actress and contributed in several ways by creating techniques actors could utilize to improve their acting skills. She was born on the 7th of September in 1906. One of the books that she wrote that was very influential in acting techniques and exercises was, "Theater Games."
Spolin's improvisational exercises have made her very well-known, especially in Chicago around the late 1950's. These techniques were taught and obtained at the Second City Theater in Chicago. She worked there with her son, Paul Sillis, and directed the company along side him.
The whole idea of improv to let your inner-self out and be able to go off of instincts and put it all together into theater. Spolin was determined to do so and has had an everlasting effect. She has been labeled the mother of improvisational theater.
-Dawnn Walker 2/23
Spolin's improvisational exercises have made her very well-known, especially in Chicago around the late 1950's. These techniques were taught and obtained at the Second City Theater in Chicago. She worked there with her son, Paul Sillis, and directed the company along side him.
The whole idea of improv to let your inner-self out and be able to go off of instincts and put it all together into theater. Spolin was determined to do so and has had an everlasting effect. She has been labeled the mother of improvisational theater.
-Dawnn Walker 2/23
Jeff Perry was born in Highland Park, Illinois on August 16th, 1955. Jeff is currently an actor and director best known for Nash Bridges (1996), Wild Things (1998) and Scandal (2012). He currently married to his second wife Linda Lowy and they have one child. For his work, Mr. Perry was nominated for the Joseph Jefferson Award for Actor in a Supportive Role in a Play once in 1983 for “Cloud Nine” and again in 1993 for “Awake and Sing.” In 1974 Jeff, Gary Sinise and Terry Kinney began to perform plays in a church basement in Highland Park informally. In 1975, the group incorporated and thus the Steppenwolf Theatre Company was born.
From 1982 to 1985 and 1986 to 1987 Mr. Perry serves as the Artistic Director for the Steppenwolf company. He played a role in the founding of the School at Steppenwolf. Steppenwolf Theater has produce its own brand of ‘actor driven’ ensemble work. Their actors and brand of theater is authentic about its methods and values. This branch of Chicago theater is still used to this day.
-Sarina A. Shane
From 1982 to 1985 and 1986 to 1987 Mr. Perry serves as the Artistic Director for the Steppenwolf company. He played a role in the founding of the School at Steppenwolf. Steppenwolf Theater has produce its own brand of ‘actor driven’ ensemble work. Their actors and brand of theater is authentic about its methods and values. This branch of Chicago theater is still used to this day.
-Sarina A. Shane
Lorraine Hansberry
Lorraine Hansberry was an African American playwright born and raised in Chicago on May 19, 1930. She was the youngest of four children in her family. Her mother was a school teacher and her father was a real estate broker. In her childhood, Hansberry and her family moved to all an white neighborhood and was discriminated very much to where the court was ruling them to move out of the neighborhood but they refused to. Her family all attended all black colleges, but she broke the tradition and decided to attend the University of Wisconsin-Madison to major in painting. While in school, she then changed her major from painting to writing, but shortly after she decided to drop out of school and reside in New York City.
Her writing career then began, in New York City she worked for Paul Robeson's progressive black newspaper Freedom, as a a writer from 1950 to 1953. Also, she had worked as a waitress and cashier from a short period of time, while still writing in her spare time. Although by 1956, she had quit her jobs and fully committed her life to writing and started to work for a magazine company. During this time period in her life, she wrote the famous play "A Raisin in the Sun". The play premiered on March 11, 1959 becoming a big success. She then was recognized as the first black playwright and youngest women to win an Award.
Xavier Avalos 2/25
David Mamet is known to some as a legendary playwright. Born on November 30, 1947 in Chicago to Jewish parents Lenore June and Bernard Mamet. He graduated from the Goddard College and ironically, he worked his first job at The Second City. Mamet and actress Lindsay Crouse were married in 1977 but they divorced in 1990. He and Crouse have two children, Willa and Zosia . Willa is a professional photographer and Zosia decided to follow her father's footsteps and join the theater business by becoming an actress. Mamet has been married to actress and singer-songwriter Rebecca Pidgeon since 1991. They have two children, Clara and Noah.
He has plenty of notable works like The Duck Variations (1971) Sexual Perversity in Chicago(1974) American Buffalo (1975) Glengarry Glen Ross (1983) Oleanna (1992) The Postman Always Rings Twice (1981) House of Games (1987) The Untouchables (1987) Homicide (1991) Hannibal (2001) and The Unit (2006).
He is a founding member of Atlantic Theater Company.