Lake County native juggles two jobs — and two roles — on the Chicago stage
Kirsten Fitzgerald is busy these days juggling two rather demanding jobs.
She is the artistic director of one of the more noteworthy storefront theaters in Chicago, A Red Orchid Theatre. And she currently stars in Steppenwolf Theatre's production of the 2011 Pulitzer Prize-winning play, “Clybourne Park.”
Fitzgerald, who grew up in Lake Bluff and Lake Forest, is doing double duty in the play as well, filling two different roles.
“We all play two different characters in the play,” she says.
That's because the play, which was written in part as a response to “A Raisin in the Sun,” is set in two different years — 1959 and 2009. Act one unfolds in 1959; act two is set 50 years later.
“I play Bev in the first act and Kathy in the second act,” Fitzgerald continues. “In the first act Bev and her husband, Russ, are selling their home in the fictional Chicago neighborhood (of Clybourne Park). In the second act I play Kathy, a real estate attorney for the couple who is purchasing the house in 2009.”
By setting two acts 50 years apart, playwright Bruce Norris is able to touch on a number of hot-button issues — such as race relations, white flight to the suburbs and gentrification.
Fitzgerald has been thrilled just to be part of the process, in part because the writer, who has a long-standing relationship with Steppenwolf, has been in rehearsals. That's rare in theater today.
“It has been great to have him in the room,” Fitzgerald notes. “He was with us for the first two weeks of the rehearsals. As ... he is coming back. It has been fun watching him and (director) Amy Morton working together. And his insight has been invaluable.”
Fitzgerald knows of what she speaks. Red Orchid is one of the few theaters in Chicago that routinely produces work by young, living playwrights, many of whom are available to sit in on rehearsals.
From the beginning of her career, Fitzgerald has shown a marked preference for new work.
“I was really lucky. I went to graduate school at the University of Iowa,” Fitzgerald explains. “In addition to doing the classics and contemporary plays, we were constantly working with playwrights working on new plays. We learned that part of the rehearsal process was helping the playwright explore.”
Even in high school Fitzgerald experimented with new plays. “We had a theater group called Group Four,” Fitzgerald says, “We would take songs and improvise the scenes in between.”
Over the years, Fitzgerald has considered moving to New York and the theater scene there. Each time she has put off New York in favor of Chicago.
“Chicago has always felt like home,” Fitzgerald says. “I have a great support system here. I love the theater here. It has always seemed the best place to explore and grow.”
And work — a lot.
<b>“Clybourne Park”</b>
<b>Location:</b> Steppenwolf's Downstairs Theatre, 1650 N. Halsted St., Chicago. (312) 335-1650 or <a href="http://steppenwolf.org">steppenwolf.org.</a>
<b>Showtimes:</b> 6 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 18; otherwise 7:30 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday (Sunday evening performances through Oct. 16 only); 3 p.m. Saturday, Sunday and select Wednesdays (except Sept. 18). Through Nov. 6.
<b>Tickets:</b> $20-$75