Steppenwolf Theatre Names Laura D. Glenn Newest Ensemble Member

Steppenwolf Theatre Company will welcome veteran Production Stage Manager Laura D. Glenn into the company’s ensemble. Glenn, whose journey with Steppenwolf began as a summer intern in 1988, has worked on more than 100 Steppenwolf productions over 38 years and collaborated with all 55 ensemble members. This historic appointment makes Glenn the second-ever stage manager invited into the ensemble, joining the late Malcolm Ewen. She has traveled with the company to Broadway, London and Ireland’s Galway International Arts Festival. Glenn has been a proud member of Actors’ Equity Association for 36 years and received the inaugural Joseph Jefferson Impresario Award for Stage Management in 2025.

Steppenwolf Artistic Directors Glenn Davis and Audrey Francis comment, “Laura has been an invaluable part of the Steppenwolf community for nearly 40 years. She has supported directors to execute their vision, cared for actors as productions evolve from the first day of rehearsal to closing, and has mentored the next generation of stage managers. Every artist and ensemble member who has had the privilege of working with Laura has felt her care and appreciation for the craft. We cannot tell the story of Steppenwolf without including the contributions of Laura D. Glenn. She is a singular artist who has garnered the respect of our entire community. Even though she has felt like an ensemble member for decades, it’s an honor to finally make it official.”

Laura D. Glenn adds, “I am honored, moved and humbled by Audrey and Glenn asking me to join the Ensemble. Steppenwolf has been my life's work, and I am excited for this next step.”

About Laura D. Glenn:

Laura D. Glenn’s history with Steppenwolf began as an intern in 1988, working various jobs on productions of Killers and The Grapes of Wrath at the theatre’s then home at 2851 N. Halsted St. After completing her Theater Arts Degree at SUNY New Paltz, Glenn immediately returned to Chicago and worked as Assistant Stage Manager on Steppenwolf’s 1989 Educational Outreach production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream. In 1990, she was asked to stage manage her first Steppenwolf production: Love Letters – and secured her Equity card during the show’s nearly five month run. Following an “all hands on deck” move to Steppenwolf’s current home at 1650 N. Halsted St., Glenn stage managed 1991’s Curse of the Starving Class, the second production at the new theater. Over the following 36 years, Glenn has worked as Stage Manager or Assistant Stage Manager on more than 100 Steppenwolf productions and collaborated with all 55 ensemble members. Glenn traveled to Broadway with Buried Child (1996), London’s Barbican BITE Festival with The Man Who Came to Dinner (1988) and took multiple productions to Ireland’s Galway Arts Festival including Purple Heart, Orange Flower Water and True West. Her most recent Steppenwolf credits include Purpose, Little Bear Ridge Road, Amadeus, The Dance of Death and Catch as Catch Can. Other favorite productions over the years include Picasso at the Lapin Agile, Buried Child, Space, Three Days of Rain, The Drawer Boy, Superiors Donuts, Domesticated, Downstate and True West. Between 2002 – 2016, Glenn also worked on 22 productions at the esteemed Northlight Theatre and returned to Galway with Northlight’s production of Better Late starring John Mahoney. In 2025, she received the inaugural Joseph Jefferson Impresario Award for Stage Management. Glenn has been a proud member of Actors’ Equity Association for 36 years.

The Steppenwolf ensemble includes: Joan Allen, Kevin Anderson, Alana Arenas, Randall Arney, Kate Arrington, Ian Barford, Robert Breuler, Cliff Chamberlain, Gary Cole, Carrie Coon, Celeste M. Cooper, Glenn Davis, Kathyrn Erbe, Audrey Francis, K. Todd Freeman, Laura D. Glenn, Francis Guinan, Moira Harris, Jon Michael Hill, Tim Hopper, Tom Irwin, Ora Jones, Rajiv Joseph, Terry Kinney, Tina Landau, Tracy Letts, John Malkovich, Sandra Marquez, Tarell Alvin McCraney, James Vincent Meredith, Laurie Metcalf, Amy Morton, Sally Murphy, Caroline Neff, Bruce Norris, Austin Pendleton, Jeff Perry, William Petersen, Yasen Peyankov, Martha Plimpton, Rondi Reed, Molly Regan, Karen Rodriguez, Anna D. Shapiro, Eric Simonson, Gary Sinise, Namir Smallwood, Lois Smith, Rick Snyder, Jim True-Frost and Alan Wilder. Steppenwolf honors the memory of late ensemble members Malcolm Ewen, Frank Galati, Martha Lavey, Mariann Mayberry and John Mahoney. For additional information, visit steppenwolf.org/ensemble.

Photo credit: Joel Moorman