Between the Lines: Steppenwolf's Seagull and A Reluctant Actor's Journey Back to the Stage

In the spring of 2022, the renowned Steppenwolf Theatre Company boldly, and perhaps cavalierly, re-emerged from the Covid-19 pandemic with a brand new, 43 million dollar, state-of-the-art theatre. Director Yasen Peyankov insisted he cast the premiere production - a brand new, adaption of The Seagull - with as many Steppenwolf ensemble members as possible. This meant coaxing one non-actor, director and writer Eric Simonson, into coming back to the stage after a 33 year absence. Taking a leap in the dark, and battling the demons of stage-fright, confidence and homesickness, Simonson took up the challenge and started on a journey into the great theatrical unknown. Part diary, part history of the Chicago Theatre Renaissance, this memoir takes the reader behind the scenes of a Steppenwolf classic, and inside the head of a man desperate to rediscover the joy and craft of acting.

About the Author :
Eric Simonson is a director and writer of theatre, film and opera, and an ensemble member of Steppenwolf Theatre. He is the author of the plays Lombardi, Magic/Bird and Bronx Bombers all of which ran on Broadway, as well as many other plays which have appeared across the country and around the world. He has written for television extensively, and his documentary film A Note of Triumph won an Academy Award. He is a graduate of Lawrence University, the artistic director of the Door Kinetic Arts Festival in Wisconsin, and resides in Los Angeles with his wife Sue and son Henry. Eric Simonson is a director and writer of theatre, film and opera, and an ensemble member of Steppenwolf Theatre. He is the author of the plays Lombardi, Magic/Bird and Bronx Bombers all of which ran on Broadway, as well as many other plays which have appeared across the country and around the world. He has written for television extensively, and his documentary film A Note of Triumph won an Academy Award. He is a graduate of Lawrence University, the artistic director of the Door Kinetic Arts Festival in Wisconsin, and resides in Los Angeles with his wife Sue and son Henry.

Review :
"This is an astonishing trip back into a glorious, formative, character-filled era when Chicago theater was born and nurtured so many grand talents and great works. Eric Simonson was a beneficiary of this fertile territory and, indeed helped shape it. His very personal tale displays his keen observational skills, his stylish writing and his good heart." - Rick Kogan, Chicago Tribune "An intimate peek behind the curtain of a legendary Chicago theatre. Heartfelt and revealing, Between the Lines perceptive look at what it means to build a life on and off the stage. It made me fall in love with the theatre all over again." - Academy Award winning writer Corinne Marrinan "Anyone remotely familiar with the Chicago theater "community" - as amorphous and constantly changing as it is - would devour this... The story is solid both in terms of eye-opening backstage inside info and as a universal tale of overcoming the fear of failing - but within the context of an extremely specific set of circumstances and people. What Simonson has done, via revealing the rehearsal process for Seagull, is humanize an iconic institution by showing readers the fallible humans behind the characters and the multi-million dollar campus are visible... I ripped through the "Seagull" rehearsal/performance sections quickly because they were page turners." - Catey Sullivan, Chicago Sun-Times "Eric Simonson captures the ups and downs in the life of an accomplished playwright, director and actor with style, an abundance of dry wit, and an eye and ear for detail that makes this memoir a treat from start to finish, while also capturing the Chicago theatre scene in all its rough and tumble glory. If you're a young artist, trying to figure out how to "break in" to this lousy/ wonderful business, read this book! Think of it as a survival guide to making a career in theatre and the entertainment industry. Simonson has both struggled and prospered, the whole time while avoiding being eaten by the tiger we call despair." - Emmy Award winning writer Rick Cleveland "Eric Simonson makes an unexpected return to the stage after some 3 decades away from acting, having made his mark as a director, writer, and producer. But this isn't just any stage; it's the famed Steppenwolf Theatre stage. In this engaging and intimate memoir, Simonson delves into the heart of his journey back to his starting place, candidly capturing the anxiety of rehearsals including a visceral fear of forgetting his lines. As he recounts this significant return, he reflects on his formative years in the burgeoning Chicago theater scene, offering readers an intimate glimpse into those years which many, including Simonson, call the "Golden Years of Chicago Theater." - Mark Larson, Author of Ensemble: An Oral History of Chicago Theatre