Jim True-Frost, as Karl and Anthony Chisholm,as Jesse
photo by Michael Brosilow

“ I Just Stopped By to See the Man”

Dates: until January 19th, 2003.

STEPPENWOLF THEATRE COMPANY PRESENTS
“ I Just Stopped By to See the Man”
by Stephen Jeffreys, directed by ensemble member Randall Arney,
featuring ensemble member Jim True-Frost
review by Ed Vincent

Jim True-Frost, as Karl and Anthony Chisholm, playing the part of Jesse should 
each be nominated for local Jeff Awards and should be given them on awards
night .  There are no doubts resevered for the talent of these two fine actors.
 

These two men are phenomenal in their respective roles.  The last time that I saw
Mr. Jim True-Frost perform it was during the Traffic Series and Mr. True-Frost
was playing a guitar while singing the poems of e.e.cummings.  If that sounds strange,
it was-but it was also the most I had ever enjoyed e.e. cummings.  True-Frost is
very talented in his work and in "I Just Stopped By to See the Man" that is to be
noted with exclamation added.

The writing is top notch, a sort of Eugene O'Neil brought up to date given its time
frame.  I am not sure that we get too connected to anyone in their portrayals of
characters as much as we are drawn into their lives like browsing the gossip column
in a check out line of the food market.  The lives portrayed on stage are wondrously
non-prosaic in nature, hidden and waiting to be revealed, and crafted with skill
and fun.  There are a few lines in the dialogue where humor will be forced out of the
sides of your mouth.  When the play had concluded I believed that Mr. Anthony
Chisholm was a blues man and I prepared to seek his fictious albums.  I believed
Mr. True-Frost was a singer from England and that the daughter should go
somewhere alone for a long time.

Steppenwolf  Theatre Company presents
the American premiere of
I Just Stopped By to See the Man
by Stephen Jeffreys, directed by ensemble member Randall Arney,
featuring ensemble member Jim True-Frost

Chicago —Steppenwolf Theatre Company continues its 27th season with the
American premiere of I Just Stopped By to See the Man by Stephen Jeffreys.
Directed by ensemble member Randall Arney and featuring ensemble member 
Jim True-Frost, I Just Stopped By to See the Man has now had its schedule
extended to run until January 19th, 2003.

Sponsorship support for / Just Stopped By to See the Man is provided by Ariel
Mutual Funds. Jesse Davidson, last of the Delta blues singers, died fourteen years
ago. But legends continue to surround him - like the story about him selling his soul
to the devil so that he could play guitar. And the story that he isn't dead at all.
When an English rock band hits town, their leader comes looking for the truth and
triggers a confrontation of mythic proportions. This strikingly original play is the
story of one man's passion for his art and the sacrifices of fame and fortune.
"I have always thought a story about a blues musician would make a great piece of
theater, because the gestures people in the blues make with their lives are
theatrical gestures," comments playwright Stephen Jeffreys. "And it's always struck
me as no coincidence that the rhythm of the Blues is the same as the rhythm of
Shakespeare. It's iambic pentameter, and what iambic pentameter is, of course, is
the rhythm of a heartbeat. It's something that confirms life. Blues music is therefore
a fusion of this mythic music with the most simple human actions and emotions."

The cast of / Just Stopped By to See the Man features Steppenwolf ensemble
member Jim True-Frost (Karl), Anthony Chisholm (Jesse), and Yvette Ganier
(Delia).

The designers for I Just Stopped By to See the Man are Tom Lynch (set design),
Kristine Knanishu (costumes), Chris Binder (lights), and Richard Woodbury
(sound). Malcolm Ewen is the stage manager and Alison Ramsey is the assistant
stage manager. 

Randall Arney (director), a Steppenwolf ensemble member, is the artistic director
of the Geffen Playhouse in Los Angeles and was Steppenwolf s artistic director
from 1987 to the fall of 1995. At Steppenwolf, he directed The Beauty Queen
ofLeenane, Picasso at the Lapin Agile (toured to Los Angeles, New York, San
Francisco, Tokyo, and Leeds, England), Death and the Maiden, Bang, Killers, A
Walk in the Woods, and The Geography of Luck. As an actor, Randy appeared
at Steppenwolf in over 15 productions, including Ghost in the Machine, Earthly
Possessions, Frank's Wild Years, Balm and Gilead, and True West. His film work
includes Mystery, Alaska, The Out of Towners and Chain Reaction.

Stephen Jeffreys (playwright) previously worked at Steppenwolf in 1996 with his
play The Libertine, directed by Terry Johnson and featuring John Malkovich. It is
currently being developed into a screenplay for Smith/Malkovich and Castle Rock
Entertainment. His play I Just Stopped By to See the Man premiered at the Royal
Court Theatre in London in 2001. Stephen has recently adapted Thomas
Berhard's Am Ziel for Catherine Bailey Ltd/BBC Radio and wrote his latest play
Interruptions during a residency at the University of California, Davis. He has been
the recipient of the Sunday Times Playwrighting Award (1977), the Fringe First
(1984), and the Evening Standard and Critics' Circle Awards for Most Promising
Playwright (1989 and 1990).

Jim True-Frost (Karl), a Steppenwolf ensemble member, appeared in this season's
Traffic series. Previous Steppenwolf credits include David Copperfield, Side Man
(in Ireland), The Playboy of the Western World, Buried Child, and The Grapes of
Wrath. He recently received his diploma from Syracuse University where he acted
in Syracuse Stage productions of. Art, The Beauty Queen of Leenane, and A
Christmas Carol. He can be seen in the feature films Affliction, Singles, The
Hudsucker Proxy, and Far Harbor. He recently filmed Off the Map, also featuring
ensemble member Joan Allen.

Anthony Chisholm (Jesse) is the winner of both an OBIE award and a Drama
Desk award for his
previous work. Anthony appeared on Broadway in 1992 in August Wilson's Two
Trains Running. Other theater credits include Jitney, I Am a Man, Driving Miss
Daisy, In Walks Ed, The Coming of the Hurricane, Tracers, Ma Rainey 's Black
Bottom, Fences, The Mighty Gents, The Talented Tenth, King Lear, Ice Bridge and
Black Visions, and No Place to Be Somebody. His film and TV credits include
Uptight, Beloved, Oz (series regular as Burr Redding), 700 Centre Street, Law
and Order: Special Victims Unit, Third Watch, and Hack Yvette Ganier (Delia) was
most recently seen in Chicago in August Wilson's King Hedley II at the
Goodman Theatre. She was honored in New York with a 2002 OBIE award for
her performance as Prix in Kia Corthron's Breath, Boom directed by Marion
McClinton. Yvette also played Rena in the London production of August Wilson's
Jitney at the Royal National Theatre, winning the 2002 Olivier award for
Best New Play and continuing on tour to Seattle Rep and the Curran Theatre in
San Francisco. Other theater credits include Breath, Boom, Hoopz, Jitney, For
Colored Girls Who Considered Suicide When the Rainbow is Enuf, The Quadroon
Ball, and The Gray Panthers. Her film and TV credits include Fight
Knights, Driving Fish, The Message, Queens Supreme, Third Watch, All My
Children, and. Luther's Choice.

Please note our curtain times: all performances run Tuesday through Friday at 7:30
p.m., and Saturdays and Sundays at 3:00 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. There will be
Wednesday matinees on December 18,2002, and January 8, 2003,
at 2:00 p.m. There will be no Sunday evening performances on December 22,
2002, and January 12, 2003. There will be no performances on November 28,
December 24, 25, 2002, and January 1, 2003.

The performance on Wednesday, December 11, 2002, will be sign language
interpreted for the deaf and hard of hearing. The performance on Thursday,
December 19, 2002, will be audio-described for the blind and sight impaired.

Ticket prices are $35 to $50. Box office hours are 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. every
day and 11:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. on days with evening performances. Half-price rush
tickets are available one hour before show time. The box office number is (312)
335-1650. Tickets can also be ordered online at www. steppenwol f.org.

Steppenwolf  Theatre Company's programs are partially supported by grants from
the National Endowment for the Arts, the Illinois Arts Council, and by a CityArts
Program 4 grant from the City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs.
Committed to the principle of ensemble performance through the collaboration of a
company of actors, directors and designers, Steppenwolf Theater Company's
mission is to advance the vitality and diversity of American theater by nurturing
artists, encouraging repeatable creative relationships, and contributing new works to
the national canon. The company, formed in 1976 by a collective of actors, is
dedicated to perpetuating an ethic of mutual respect and the development of artists
through on-going group work. Steppenwolf has grown into an internationally
renowned company of thirty-four artists whose talents include acting, directing,
playwriting, filmmaking, and textual adaptation.

Chicago—Steppenwolf Theatre Company will extend the run of the Ameican
premiere of I Just Stopped By to See the Man on the Steppenwolf Mainstage
through January 19, 2003. The production, written by Stephen Jeffreys and directed
by ensemble member Randall Arney, currently features ensemble
member Jim True-Frost, Anthony Chisholm, and Yvette Ganier. David Gray will
be playing the role of Karl during the final week of performances, January 15-19,
2003.

Title:                I Just Stopped By to See the Man
Playwright:          Stephen Jeffreys
Director:            Steppenwolf ensemble member Randall Arney
Cast:                Steppenwolf ensemble member Jim True-Frost (through 1/12/03),
David Gray (1/15-1/19/03), Anthony Chisholm, Yvette Ganier
Dates:                    now through January 19, 2003
Curtain Times:       Tuesdays through Sundays at 7:30 p.m.,
except Sunday, December 22, 2002, January 12 and 19, 2003 (3:00 p.m. only)
Saturday and Sunday matinees at 3:00 p.m.
Wednesday matinees on December 18, 2002, and January 8, 2003, at 2:00 p.m.
There will be no performances on December 24, 25, 2002 and January 1, 2003.
Tickets:              $40.00 - $50.00
Box office:            1650 N. Halsted Street
(312)335-1650
www.steppenwolf.org

Box office hours:      11:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. everyday
11:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m. on days with evening performances
 

Steppenwolf is partnering with Vinci to present two New Year's Eve Dinner +
Theater packages, available through the box office at (312) 335-1650:
Package A:       $75 Pre-show Dinner + Theater package: includes a four-course
meal at Vinci restaurant, 1732 N. Halsted St. and a ticket to the 7:30 p.m.
performance of I Just Stopped By to See the Man.

Package B:       $100 Post-show Dinner + Theater package: includes a ticket to
the 7:30 p.m. performance of I Just Stopped By to See the Man, a five-course meal
at Vinci restaurant, 1732 N. Halsted St. and a champagne toast at midnight.
 

I Just Stopped By to See the Man
Artist biographies

Randall Arney (director), a Steppenwolf ensemble member, is the artistic director
of the Geffen Playhouse in Los Angeles and was Steppenwolf s artistic director from
1987 to the fall of 1995. At Steppenwolf, he directed The Beauty Queen of
Leenane, Picasso at the Lapin Agile (toured to Los Angeles, New York, San
Francisco, Tokyo, and Leeds, England), Death and the Maiden, Bang, Killers. A
Walk in the Woods, and The Geography of Luck. As an actor, Randy appeared
at Steppenwolf in over 15 productions, including Ghost in the Machine, Earthly
Possessions, Frank's Wild Years, Balm and Gilead, and True West. His film work
includes Mystery, Alaska, The Out of Towners and Chain Reaction.

Stephen Jeffreys (playwright) previously worked at Steppenwolf in 1996 with his
play The Libertine, directed by Terry Johnson and featuring John Malkovich. It is
currently being developed into a screenplay for Smith/Malkovich and Castle Rock
Entertainment. His play I Just Stopped By to See the Man premiered at the Royal
Court Theatre in London in 2001. Stephen has recently adapted Thomas
Berhard's Am Ziel for Catherine Bailey Ltd/BBC Radio and wrote his latest play
Interruptions during a residency at the University of California, Davis. He has been
the recipient of the Sunday Times Playwrighting Award (1977), the Fringe First
(1984), and the Evening Standard and Critics' Circle Awards for Most Promising
Playwright (1989 and 1990).

Anthony Chisholm (Jesse) is the winner of both an OBIE award and a Drama
Desk award for his previous work. Anthony appeared on Broadway in 1992 in
August Wilson's Two Trains Running. Other theater credits include Jitney, I Am a
Man, Driving Miss Daisy, In Walks Ed, The Coming of the Hurricane, Tracers, Ma
Rainey 's Black Bottom, Fences, The Mighty Gents, The Talented Tenth, King
Lear, Ice Bridge and Black Visions, and No Place to Be Somebody. His film and
TV credits include Uptight, Beloved, Oz (series regular as Burr Redding), 700
Centre Street, Law and Order: Special Victims Unit, Third Watch.

Hack.Yvette Ganier (Delia) was most recently seen in Chicago in August Wilson's
King Hedley //at the Goodman Theatre. She was honored in New York with a 2002
OBIE award for her performance as Prix in Kia Corthron's Breath, Boom directed
by Marion McClinton. Yvette also played Rena in the London production of August
Wilson's Jitney at the Royal National Theatre, winning the 2002 Olivier award for
Best New Play and continuing on tour to Seattle Rep and the Curran Theatre in
San Francisco. Other theater credits include Breath, Boom, Hoopz, Jitney, For
Colored Girls Who Considered Suicide When the Rainbow is Enuf, The Quadroon
Ball, and The Gray Panthers. Her film and TV credits include Fight
Knights, Driving Fish, The Message, Queens Supreme, Third Watch, All My
Children, and Luther's Choice.

David Gray (Karl) previously appeared at Steppenwolf in The Royal Family and
Mother Courage. He is a recent graduate of the School at Steppenwolf. He has
appeared most recently in Chicago in Flush Puppy Productions' Polaroid Stories at
Prop Thtr. David is half of the honky tonk revival duo, The Smalls. He is currently
Assistant Director of Final Angel at the Theatre Building. Jim True-Frost (Karl), a
Steppenwolf ensemble member, appeared in this season's Traffic series.
Previous Steppenwolf credits include David Copperfield, Side Man (in Ireland),
The Playboy of the Western World, Buried Child, and The Grapes of Wrath. He
recently received his diploma from Syracuse University where he acted in Syracuse
Stage productions of Art, The Beauty Queen of Leenane, and A Christmas Carol.
He can be seen in the feature films Affliction, Singles, The Hudsucker Proxy, and
Far Harbor. He recently filmed Off the Map, also featuring ensemble member Joan
Allen.
 

Steppenwolf Theatre Company is located near all forms of
public transportation and is wheelchair accessible.
Assistive listening devices are available for every
performance. Street and lot parking are available.
 

Steppenwolf Theatre Company's programs are partially
supported by grants from the National Endowment for the
Arts, the Illinois Arts Council, a state agency, and
by a CityArts Program 4 grant from the City of Chicago
Department of Cultural Affairs.
 

Steppenwolf Theatre Company is a Chicago-based
international performing arts institution committed
to ensemble collaboration and artistic risk through
work with its permanent ensemble, guest artists, partner
institutions and the community. Founded in 1976 as an
ensemble of nine actors, Steppenwolf has grown into
an internationally renowned company of thirty-three
artists whose talents include acting, directing,
playwriting, filmmaking, and textual adaptation.