Theater

Terrific acting animates Steppenwolf dramedy ‘Catch As Catch Can’

Posted June 19, 2026 12:30 pm

Ensemble members Tim Hopper, left, Audrey Francis and Gary Cole star in Steppenwolf Theatre’s Chicago-area premiere of “Catch As Catch Can” by Mia Chung. Courtesy of Michael Brosilow

“Catch as Catch Can” — 3 stars

Late in Steppenwolf Theatre’s Chicago-area premiere of “Catch As Catch Can,” an elliptical dramedy by Mia Chung, 40-something childhood friends Tim and Robbie ruminate on identity.

One of them asks: Do you know who you are? Do you like who you are? If you changed, would you know yourself? And how do you know if it’s the right self?

Described in the program notes as a “play about the various versions of self we all contain,” “Catch As Catch Can” is an examination of identity: How a person’s impression of themselves shifts over time and how it’s shaped by the people in their lives.

It is not an easy play. In a recent Daily Herald interview, Steppenwolf ensemble member and director Amy Morton called it the hardest play she’s ever done, bar none.

Fortunately, her exceptional cast — fellow ensemble members Gary Cole, Audrey Francis and Tim Hopper — is up to the challenge Chung’s play poses.

Gary Cole, left, Tim Hopper and Audrey Francis star in director Amy Morton's production of “Catch As Catch Can,” running through July 12 at Steppenwolf Theatre. Courtesy of Michael Brosilow

Each actor plays a parent and a child of the opposite gender. In one memorable scene mid-play, all six characters appear together during a Christmas celebration. From an acting standpoint, it’s quite impressive to watch each of the actors shift like quicksilver from one character to another by subtly changing their stance and vocal timbre.

Cole, whose performance marks his first time on a Chicago stage in 25 years, plays Roberta Lavecchia, a Rhode Island wife and mother. Cole also plays her son Robbie, who’s divorced and living with his parents.

Francis plays lovable grump Lon, Roberta’s husband and father to Robbie and Daniela. Francis also plays 30-something Daniela, a “soon-to-be-fall chicken” who’s pondering a promotion and a marriage proposal.

Hopper plays the Lavecchias’ widowed neighbor and longtime friend Theresa Phelan. Hopper also plays her son Tim, who has returned home after spending 11 years in California.

We first encounter Roberta, who has a penchant for astrology and a not-so-subtle racist streak, and Theresa, an amateur florist, at Roberta’s dining table gossiping. The conversation begins with Britain’s royal family, shifts to their individual extended families, and finally lands on their children and their children’s romantic lives. We learn about Robbie’s Korean ex-wife; Daniela’s ambivalence toward her boyfriend and her job; and Tim’s Korean-American girlfriend, who Theresa believes he is going to marry.

We next meet Roberta’s husband Lon, who’s battling an unnamed illness. The kids show up soon after: Robbie, who seems to have a problem with gambling, alcohol and letting go of his ex-wife; Daniela, who feels her biological clock ticking but isn’t ready to commit just yet; and childhood pal Tim, who has more secrets than anyone realizes.

Gary Cole, left, Tim Hopper and Audrey Francis play multiple characters in “Catch As Catch Can,” running through July 12 at Steppenwolf Theatre. Courtesy of Michael Brosilow

The production, directed by Morton with her trademark economy and precision, is razor-sharp. Still, the gimmicky conceit of doubling the actors makes for some confusing moments, particularly during scenes when we hear only one side of a conversation or when simultaneous conversations occur. While Chung provides the full text in a script appendix, that doesn’t help theatergoers in real time.

Morton’s actors make it work. Cole and Hopper are, as ever, fully committed. But it’s Francis who nearly steals the show, first for her humorous and humane take on the curmudgeonly Lon, who possesses surprising empathy, and later as the devoted Daniela, whose anguish over a friend’s mental illness renders her speechless in one of the play’s most wrenching scenes.

Chung deserves credit for addressing an age-old issue in an original way. But it’s the top-notch work by Francis, Hopper and Cole that makes “Catch As Catch Can” a production worth catching.

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Location: Steppenwolf Theatre, 1650 N. Halsted St., Chicago, (312) 335-1650, steppenwolf.org

Showtimes: 7:30 p.m. Tuesday through Friday; 3 and 7:30 p.m. Saturday; and 3 p.m. Sunday through July 12

Running time: About 105 minutes, no intermission

Tickets: $20-$173.50

Parking: Paid lots nearby

Rating: For mature audiences; contains adult language and subject matter