Review: WHAT HAPPENED TO STEVE: A CONVERSATION WITH STEVE BURNS at Reynolds Performance Hall

When I think that there is no possible way that Reynolds Performance Hall, 223 Beatrice Powell St., in Conway, can impress me any more than what they have already done this season with their programming, they do it again. Tuesday, April 4, STEVE BURNS of Blue's Clues fame continued the conversation to an almost full house, despite the weather threats, and had many audience members in tears (I may have shed a tear or two myself). As Arkansas' audience representative, I am confident in speaking for the fans when I say.......WE MISSED YOU STEVE! You have blessed our hearts, and we appreciate that you have resurfaced to connect with us once again!

Blue's Clues premiered on Nickelodeon's Nick Jr. in 1996 and ran for 10 years. Created by Angela C. Santomero, Todd Kessler, and Traci Paige Johnson, Steve and his dog Blue solved clues with the audience's help. In 2002, Steve went to "college" and his brother Joe (Donovan Patton) moved in to take care of Blue. Though Patton did a wonderful job, the world was devastated by Steve's departure. So, what happened?

The talk was pretty standard: Steve spoke for about 30 minutes, Dr. David Keith, Professor of Journalism for the University of Central Arkansas, came onto the stage to ask him questions, and then the audience had a turn to declare their adoration. However, standard is not how I would describe this experience. Steve let us know what has been going on for the past...oh....25 years. He began by talking about his time on the show. He fondly referred to it as the The Rocky Horror Children's Show, but let the audience know that he, nor was his "nonverbal puppy," the star of Blues Clues. "You were the star of Blues Clues," Steve tells the audience. "I opened the door and talked to you, and the entire thing was a conversation that we were having, and it felt real to me." Well Steve, it felt pretty real to us, too.

Steve Burns was a sophomore in college when he went to New York City to be a "pretentious Al Pacino," and had he had known that his audition was going to be for a real person and not as a voiceover, he wasn't sure he would have even gone. "I didn't think that I'd be any good at it." But once he started reading over the script, he noticed that the character was more like a gameshow host, and he wasn't going for it. "I thought, 'Oh no way man. I'm gonna act this so hard.'" So, he decided to really stare at the camera as if he were talking to someone, and when the audition was shown to a panel of kids, they really responded well to the way he presented the show.

Though Steve appreciated the job, he felt undeserving to be responsible for the education of America's children. He said he felt "extremely uncomfortable in my own skin, in a way that I started to feel like a fraud or an imposture or just complete unworthiness."

Little did he know that he was struggling with clinical depression during this time. "It was literally my job to be the happiest man in North America," Steve says. "I felt the opposite. It was literally my job to provide self-esteem to America's children, and most days I did not have my own approval."

Rumors that he died of a heroin overdose or car crash did not help with his self-worth. "It starts to feel like a cultural preference," Steve says of the ten years it took to battle these claims. In the end Steve says that the person that helped him the most was Steve (from Blue's Clues), because he was always asking for help. Steve Burns did finally get help with his depression and is very thankful to his audience then and now for all their help.

After his conversation with us, Dr. Keith solicited questions, and then the audience had a turn. There was nothing but love for Steve during the two-hour heart-to-heart. We wanted to know everything. There were questions about his acting techniques, inspiration for the character, did he really draw those pictures? (no....he did not), college life, roles he would have rather had, and the questions went on. We were all thrilled to hear that he is writing and acting in the Blue's Clues reboot BLUE'S CLUES & YOU, and that he has signed a deal to write a graphic novel and is the musician who created the YOUNG SHELDON theme song.

Steve did apologize several times for traumatizing us with his departure being so abrupt. He said when the producers decided to acknowledge this with a video on Twitter for the 25th anniversary, he had no idea of the impact it would have on the world. He said it took a few takes before he was satisfied with the message. "I kind of improv-ed the comeback. The first time I did it, I cried, so we couldn't use that one. The second time we did it, the crew cried, so it's like, yeah, should probably dropped that one. We had no idea that it was gonna be what it was." Ok, fine Steve. We forgive you. As one audience member said...coming to see us (live...in Conway) makes up for it.

This was the best lecture I've ever attended (don't tell my professors). We laughed, we cried, and we got to know more about, not only Steve of Blue's Clues, but about Steve Burns. That was my favorite part. Getting to know the person behind the character was a real treat. There was so much bonding packed into the two hours. We had nothing but love for Steve. No one wanted him to go. We could have talked all night with our friend.

To follow Steve, he is pretty active on Instagram @steveburnsalive.

Reynolds Performance Hall has two shows left in their season. For more information, checkout their website at uca.edu/reynolds.

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