with ISABEL LISS in Itamar Moses' SZINHAS for Collaboraction Sketchbook, 2007
Steve is an award-winning actor, director, designer, and playwright who has lived and worked in Chicago for over two decades. He is a founding member and Project Manager for Shanghai Low - currently a member of Pine Box Theater, formerly the Artistic Director of the Next Theatre in Evanston, and an Artistic Associate for the Organic Theatre in Chicago.
Currently for SLT, he is developing Conan Doyle's THE HOUND OF THE BASKERVILLES, Alastair Reynolds' science fiction novella DIAMOND DOGS and Kenneth Grahame's THE RELUCTANT DRAGON for the stage.
Steve began adapting literary works in 1990, with Lewis Carroll’s THE HUNTING OF THE SNARK for the Next Lab. From 1991-93, while at the Organic, he struck up what would become a longtime writing partnership with British director Charley Sherman to adapt Clive Barker's IN THE FLESH for Sherman's acclaimed production there. For that show he received two Jeff Citations: Best Adaptation, with Sherman, and Best Scenic Design, with Greg Ballmann.
From 1993-98, while at the Next, he directed his own adaptations of Hemingway’s THE OLD MAN AND THE SEA, and his and Sherman’s script for William Gibson's BURNING CHROME - for which they received a Jeff Nomination for Best Adaptation, and two After Dark Awards for Adaptation and Overall Technical Achievement. He directed two more Sherman/Pickering adaptations, Clive Barker’s SON OF CELLULOID, and H.G. Wells’ SCIENTIFIC ROMANCES, as well as the world premiere of Keith Reddin's ALMOST BLUE, and the American premiere of Barker's own play, HISTORY OF THE DEVIL.
In 2001, with Sherman and longtime collaborators Kevin Theis and Charlie Athanas, he formed Shanghai Low - and in 2003, he would direct their first production, Arthur Conan Doyle’s THE SIGN OF THE FOUR, for Apple Tree Theatre in Highland Park.
Living in Los Angeles from 2003-05, Steve directed two productions for the Odyssey Theatre Ensemble: Manfred Karge’s CONQUEST OF THE SOUTH POLE and Tom Szentgyorgyi’s adaptation of Bill Buford's AMONG THE THUGS, which received two Backstage West Awards, three L.A. Drama Critic Circle Awards and three L.A. Weekly Awards, including Best Direction.
As an actor, he last appeared in the world premiere of Joshua Rollins' A GIRL WITH SUN IN HER EYES for Pine Box - Thomas Bradshaw's MARY and Robert Falls' production of Chekhov's THE SEAGULL both at the Goodman. He appeared as Kent with Mr. Blixt - opposite Stacy Keach - in Falls' production of KING LEAR, remounted at the Shakespeare Theatre in Washington, DC, from their original 2006 Goodman Theatre production.
Steve has performed on Broadway, Off-Broadway, in London's West End, and with many of the country's major regional theatres - including, now, over 30 productions at Goodman. In 2010, he appeared at Milwaukee Rep in SEVEN KEYS TO SLAUGHTER PEAK - his 9th show with the company - in BLACKBIRD for Pittsburgh City Theatre, and as FATBOY for Red Orchid in Chicago.
In 2005, he completed over 700 performances of Robert Falls’ Tony Award-winning Goodman production of DEATH OF A SALESMAN, with Brian Dennehy – on Broadway, for the National Tour, on Showtime, and in London. Other Chicago credits include Iago in OTHELLO for both the Court Theatre and Shakespeare Repertory Theatres, and the title roles in MACBETH and CORIOLANUS at the Next. Regional credits include MAJOR BARBARA for the Clarence Brown Company, JULIUS CAESER for the Illinois Shakespeare Festival, TITUS ANDRONICUS at New York’s Public Theatre, DINAH WAS at Arena Stage, and as Ahab in MOBY DICK for Milwaukee Rep.
In 1988 Steve received a Joseph Jefferson Award for designing the costumes, masks, and puppets for Bailiwick Repertory’s production of ANIMAL FARM. In 1997, he was named Chicago Magazine Actor of the Year.
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