Most Northwestern theatre students idly dream about getting cast in a Steppenwolf Theatre Company play after graduation, but Katie Foster isn’t wasting any time. The Communication junior auditioned for a Steppenwolf play this past December — and got in. “Lost Land” by Stephen Jeffreys debuts at Steppenwolf March 31 and stars John Malkovich, Martha Lavey and Yasen Peyankov. Foster, who also studies creative writing for the media and communication studies, commutes back and forth between daytime Northwestern classes and nighttime Chicago rehearsals.
PLAY: What is the play about?
Katie Foster: It’s about a family who lives in Hungary right around 1918 and what happened to Hungary as a result of World War I. You have a brother and sister who live on their family’s estate, which they’ve owned for generations. It’s about how all these people — the peasants, the nobility and the military — fit together in this world that’s crumbling around them. It’s really neat.
PLAY: What helps you get into character?
KF: What really helps for me is the costume. What they wore is higher waists with heavy fabrics, and we actually have to put on dirt make-up. You get the idea of how poor and heavy these people feel, so just dressing helps me get into character. But one of the hard things for me is that I’m a dancer and my natural reaction is to be more upright on stage with a straighter spine. I’m working on developing the spine of a peasant. Feeling more weighed down is one of the things I’ve been working on to get into character.
PLAY: How do you relate to your character?
KF: I feel like my character’s life is very different from the life I lead, and that helps because I think of it in terms of opposites. What makes more sense to me is what my character isn’t. I also think about poverty and not having a lot. We have these petticoats that are torn and nasty, and they probably had to wear them everyday. I think about having one set of clothes, my family living in a teeny little hut and having a little patch to grow vegetables to live off of. And I’m surrounded by these grand, elegant people. The contrast between me and them helps me.
PLAY: What do you think about Malkovich’s work?
KF: Oh, he’s incredible. He designed the costumes, as well. It’s fascinating. He’s a fascinating man. He has a thorough understanding of the play and his character, and you can feel it in everything he does. It’s very well thought out and clearly articulated. It’s evident in the costumes and his performance. There’s so much experience and understanding behind everything he does.
PLAY: Are you nervous to work with him?
KF: It is kind of surreal and nerve-wracking, but you have to channel the nervousness and have professionalism override it.
PLAY: What made you want to audition?
KF: It sounded like a wonderful opportunity. It’s a very admired and respected theater and I just thought it would be a neat thing to be able to audition. Of course I wanted to make it, but I honestly wasn’t thinking that far ahead. I was like, “Oh wow, to audition at Steppenwolf, that would be really cool.”
PLAY: What do you like most about acting?
KF: I like the opportunities it gives you to try different perspectives and share them with others. I feel acting is very important. You grow a lot as a person when you do it, especially if you’re doing something that’s very challenging. It’s so demanding and mentally consuming, and it makes you focus yourself in a way that clicks for me.
PLAY: How will this affect your acting career?
KF: It’s been inspiring. I’ve always wanted to act, and it’s kind of like the dream you never dare to dream because it’s so hard to do. And I’m not even talking about being famous, I’m just talking about being a working actor. That’s what I want to do, but it’s so hard to admit that to yourself. And this experience doesn’t mean that I can do it, it’s just nice to have a moment. You’re sitting in this dressing room of Steppenwolf and you’re like, ‘Maybe I could do this!’ If you told me six months ago that I would be here, I would never have believed you.
— Rebecca Huval
