BWW Q&A: Kate Arrington Talks MR. WOLF at Steppenwolf Theatre Company

Steppenwolf Theatre Company, the nation’s premier ensemble theater, opens its landmark 50th Anniversary Season with the Chicago premiere of ensemble member Rajiv Joseph’s Mr. Wolf, directed by ensemble member K. Todd Freeman (Downstate, Airline Highway). The production runs September 11 through November 2, 2025, in Steppenwolf’s Downstairs Theater at 1650 N. Halsted Street. Tickets start at $20 and are available at steppenwolf.org or by calling (312) 335-1650.

Featuring Steppenwolf ensemble members Kate Arrington, Tim Hopper, Caroline Neff, and Namir Smallwood, along with Emilie Maureen Hanson in her Steppenwolf debut, Mr. Wolf explores the aftermath of a family’s long-lost child being found alive after twelve years. The play centers on Theresa, a 15-year-old girl who has been rescued from captivity only to find herself estranged from the family she was taken from—a family that had nearly abandoned hope of her return.

In Joseph’s intimate and unflinching drama, a miraculous reunion forces both parent and child to confront profound questions: What makes a house a home? What happens to love after unimaginable loss? And how do we reconcile the person we were with the one we’ve become?

To mark the occasion, BroadwayWorld spoke with ensemble member Kate Arrington, who portrays Hana, the mother of Theresa, about embodying such a complex role, the emotional challenges of the play, and the experience of collaborating with Steppenwolf’s celebrated artists.

Can you share how your character Hana fits into the narrative of "Mr. Wolf"?

Hana is the mother of Theresa, a young girl who was kidnapped 12 years ago. Theresa is now 15 years old and has been "rescued," returned to her family. Unfortunately, Theresa doesn't want to be there. She asks consistently throughout the play to return "home" to her captor. Hana is also facing the husband she left many years before in an effort to save herself from the devastation they are both enduring after the loss of their daughter.

How has the script of "Mr. Wolf" evolved over the years since its debut?

I can't say exactly; I never read the original script. I know that it was two acts and had at least one additional scene. In the first week of rehearsal, Rajiv made revisions to the script but that was to the dialogue within scenes. I wouldn't say that any of the changes greatly affected the structure of the play or the characters' arcs.

What is it like working with K. Todd Freeman and how has his direction influenced your performance?

K. Todd Freeman is my favorite kind of director, because he is an actor. He doesn't direct with "actor gloves." He gives you plenty of room to play and experiment within the performance, but he's also clear about the parameters of the story we're trying to tell. In terms of design, I think what he's done with the play is gorgeous.

Can you delve into the process of developing your character, Hana?

Well, within the context of the play, Hana is a mother. I am a mother so that lives in me always. The terror of something happening to one of my children is nothing I need to manufacture; I've lived with it every day since they were born. This is a fascinating moment in Hana's trajectory as a mom, because she has already been through unspeakable grief and loss. The play finds us at the moment of her "miracle," the return of a child she had mourned as dead. And yet there is no relief or joy, because the child who returns home has obviously survived trauma and rejects Hana as her mother throughout the play. Hana, in her years of grief, also finds herself ill-equipped to be a mother. There is a tightness, a self-protection, that Theresa immediately senses and rejects. There are plenty of times I have felt unfit for the demands of motherhood and the gap between that and my desire to be a great mother is insanely painful. That's another part of Hana's struggle I can easily tap into even if the circumstances are drastically different.

How do you prepare yourself mentally and emotionally for such an intense role?

I don't live in Chicago usually so I've created a pretty simple routine for myself here. That helps. I'm not running around all day and then showing up at the theater trying to do this intense play. I'm able to write, exercise, take a walk, do some cooking or cleaning, and then go do the play. I have noticed a lot of the darker aspects of this play showing up in my dreams though. Not sure what to do about that!

Are there any particular aspects of Hana that you found challenging to portray?

For sure. We are deeply different. I like to be liked. I like to make people comfortable. I'm a pretty natural mother. Hana is the opposite on every front. But I gotta say, she's fun as hell. I love stepping into the shoes of a woman who says whatever she thinks and doesn't worry about other people's reactions to her. One of my favorite things someone said to me after the show was, "I enjoyed learning to like your character." She an acquired taste, but I've definitely acquired it.

Why must audiences come and see the show?