December 2021

Dear Friends,

I’ve given myself permission to get a little bit excited about 2022. Like many of you, I would guess, I’ve learned over the past two years to temper that impulse, assume nothing, and take things as they come. But now, after an extraordinary amount of work by so many in the Steep community, I can’t help but get a little stirred up as we approach the two milestones we’ve eyed since turning out the lights on our old home: our return to the stage and, perhaps, owning our own home. If that doesn’t get your heart pumping, this letter may not be for you.

Steep will be back onstage in 2022. It feels good just writing that sentence. Plans are taking shape to produce three shows on the road in the year ahead, and as eager as I am to share details, I can’t just yet. There are still i’s to dot and t’s to cross, but what I can tell you is that we’ll be picking up right where left off, producing our renowned brand of fearless, unapologetically honest theatre, featuring some of Chicago’s most brilliant artists and theatre’s most thrilling writers.

That’s not to say that Steep will emerge from the past two years unchanged. We’ve spent the bulk of our time away from the stage taking a hard look at who we are as an organization and who we want to be, re-imagining how we produce theatre, make decisions, and support our artists and staff. In the weeks ahead, we will be sharing a comprehensive set of organizational commitments and strategies that will outline Steep’s course to be a more diverse, equitable, and inclusive organization.

Throughout all of our organizational work, one thing remained consistently clear: to be the organization we want to be, to produce the work we want to produce, to create a caring environment for our artists, administrators, and audiences, and to be the active community member our city needs, we need a home

It’s been a painstaking search for a new venue, with more than our share of near misses. There isn’t a window we haven’t peaked in or a listing we haven’t investigated in our rather large neck of the woods, but it appears our resolve has paid off. After two years, we are currently finalizing details to purchase the next Steep Theatre. 

It’s a building that we believe can be our forever home, one that will allow us to get back to producing on our own stage in short order, as well as grow into the future. Best of all, it’s located just a stone’s throw from the place where we made art for the past thirteen years - a new home in the neighborhood we call home. 

I’m sorry for being so cagey about the specifics. Believe me, I want to spill the beans as badly as anyone. I anticipate news will be rolling out steadily in the months ahead: a detailed, comprehensive anti-racism action plan to make Steep a more equitable and inclusive organization; details about upcoming productions; and an update on our new home and the capital campaign to establish the theatre of our dreams.

Thank you for being a friend to Steep. This community’s generosity over the past two years has inspired and fueled us in our work behind the scenes to become a better, stronger company. Today I hope you will consider making a gift to support Steep’s return to the stage. As we move together into the new year, I hope you’ll consider how you can be a partner in making our dream of a new home come true. 2022 promises to be a momentous year in Steep’s history and the truth is, I’m more than a little bit excited. 

Yours truly,

Peter Moore Signature
 

Peter Moore
Artistic Director, Steep Theatre