BY LUCIA MAURO
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"I
was in 'The Adversaries,’ a $2 million
pilot–the 'can’t-miss pilot of 1998’– that was going to change my life. It was just thrown away... Those are the heartbreaks." –Marc Grapey, Actor/Director |
Last summer, amid the somber and saccharine farewells to Hull House in Lakeview, Marc Grapey marched across the stage of the Hattie Callner Theatre toting a six-pack and a bong. The co-founder and artistic director of Famous Door Theatre Company, which was based at Hull House from 1992 to 1996, claimed they were props from past productions. He then proceeded to snap open a can of beer, kick back and speak with high-spirited irreverence about the grit and grunge at the heart of Chicago theatre.
At the Hull House eulogy, Grapey epitomized the notion of theatre not so much as a gathering place but as a hangout–a hangout with unpretentious blue-collar edges. Interestingly, Steppenwolf’s Jeff Perry–one of Grapey’s mentors–made an appearance at the same tribute. And it was from Perry that Grapey learned the meaning of theatre: "Put on a show and, when that one’s over, put on another one. And, when that one’s over, put on another one."
During an interview between rehearsals for Famous Door’s epic The Cider House Rules: Part 1 and 2, (See Cider House article on p. 1) it’s impossible to pry a mission statement out of Grapey.
"I don’t want anyone to hang this mission on us," insists the 38-year-old director/actor. "The reason you start a theatre company is to get on stage–you want to act in a play. Why did we do Homecoming? Because I wanted to play Lenny."
His bluntness is refreshing. But what separates Famous Door–which Grapey co-founded with Dan Rivkin in 1987–from the scores of other Chicago ensemble companies sprouting up to put on shows? Mainly, its more pivotal productions–like Salt of the Earth, Conquest of the South Pole, Beautiful Thing, Ghetto and Early and Often–have been compelling human stories tackled with a burning commitment by the whole artistic team. Its work has been consistently strong. Grapey admits that the troupe’s misfires tended to be obscure historical works, like Two Planks and a Passion or A Yard of Sun.
Famous Door, rooted in a working-class aesthetic, ranks as one of the theatre companies that fall under the "quintessentially Chicago" heading: fierce ensemble acting by homegrown talent in contemporary dramas that don’t aim for excessive experimentation. That’s not surprising when one considers Grapey’s early ties to Steppenwolf.
Grapey, who grew up in Kankakee, Ill., calls himself "a floundering kind of kid." He discovered theatre during his senior year at Kankakee East Ridge High School after being cast in A Zoo Story. While still a senior, he participated in a 12-week Saturday workshop–taught by Steve Scott and Tim Stevenson and encompassing improv, scene study and directing–at Goodman Theatre. Upon graduation in 1982, Grapey plunged into the acting program at Pittsburgh’s Carnegie Mellon University. Then, disappointed because the school does not put its acting students on stage until the third year, he dropped out in 1984.
"I was 20 years old," Grapey recalls with a chuckle. "I was full of myself. I just wanted to get on stage."
He contacted Tim Stevenson, who was at Steppenwolf, and he told Grapey of an opening for a box office assistant. Grapey got the job. This was in 1985, when Steppenwolf was located in a much smaller space on Halsted. It also was before the big Steppenwolf ensemble celebrity breakthroughs. So he had direct contact with Jeff Perry, John Mahoney, et al.
"I believe that the whole world is before you if you ask for it," says Grapey. "I was working at the box office and parking cars. I heard that John Malkovich was going to be directing Coyote Ugly. I volunteered to be his assistant."
And Grapey, once again, got the job–which led to further assistant-directing projects. Meanwhile, he managed to found four short-lived theatre companies–including Igloo, Cherry Street and the Theatre Collective–between 1985 and 1987. Then he met Dan Rivkin, and Famous Door was born in 1987 with an inaugural production of Black and Blue (which Grapey directed) at a hole-in-the-wall space under the 'L’ tracks in Uptown. John Mahoney passed along the script to Grapey. A review by Richard Christensen in the tribune praised the company’s bravery and commitment.
"I knew when I met Dan," says Grapey, "that Famous Door would have staying power. We just got on as friends first. And we didn’t start by defining what we did. We put on what we thought were cool plays. An early common theme in our scripts was a working-class one. Over time, we formed an ensemble."
Grapey also clarifies the origins of the company’s name, which comes from a now-closed South Side jazz club called The Famous Door. The artistic director was drawn to the idea that the musicians who played there carved their names into a wooden door.
"I thought," says Grapey, "we’ll sign a door. I liked the spirit of it."
Here’s the Famous Door tradition: The night before opening, the cast and crew share a cheap bottle of champagne and etch their names into an old door. But Grapey reports a sad turn of events: "Famous Door has now lost three famous doors–probably in moves and storage. We just don’t know what happened to them. It was a tragedy when we lost one door; it became a comedy when we lost three."
The ritual, however, will continue. And the company might need two doors to fit the 30-plus cast members (playing over 100 roles) and large crew that’s mounting The Cider House Rules at Victory Gardens Theater–marking Famous Door’s 15th anniversary season. Grapey and David Cromer are co-directing. The best-selling John Irving novel, adapted for the stage by Peter Parnell in 1996, will be performed as two full-length plays (each over three hours). Part 1: "Here in the Clouds" opened Jan. 20. Part 2: "Elsewhere in the World" opens Feb. 16. Both run in rotating repertory through April 6.
Acknowledging Famous Door’s challenging 2001-02 season (Hush-A-Bye Mountain and Lonesome West), Grapey credits managing director Amanda LaFollette with suggesting The Cider House Rules–not exactly a low-budget show. But, instinctively, the company felt it could work.
Notes Grapey, "We knew we needed to raise a lot of money–at least $100,000 for a season that includes Cider House. But it’s easier to raise more money for a high-profile project than less money for something no one’s ever heard of."
Famous Door launched an "Adopt-an-Orphan" campaign–involving patrons pledging money for specific actors–and promotional tie-ins with book stores. But Cider House, contends Grapey, is about the artistic product.
"I came to Cider House as a play –not as a book or a movie," he explains. "And, before this, I did not consider myself a John Irving fan. I felt the script was compelling, epic and reflected the Famous Door of late that Ghetto was–a script that gets everyone up on stage and moves them around. Our actors also look like real, neighborhood people — they like to dig into a play; they like to get their hands dirty."
However, while Grapey felt the company had the "talent and heart," he worried about the infrastructure: the physical limitations of fitting 30 people backstage at Victory Gardens, storage issues, the rehearsal space. Since moving out of Hull House in 1996 (a controversial transition when their lease was not renewed), Famous Door has been based at Theatre Building Chicago. But, for Cider House, Grapey says he "wanted a theatre in a neighborhood where someone wouldn’t mind spending eight hours." By that, he means one with plenty of bars and restaurants. The production at Victory Gardens’ large upstairs space is in-the-round.
He is working closely with co-director Cromer–who, incidentally, pitched Cider House to Famous Door four years ago. The dual directorship has allowed for another set of eyes to help break through a scene when the other is simply too close to the material. "David is a real ally," he says. "Directing is lonely–and I haven’t felt that way collaborating with David."
Grapey calls himself "an actor who directs." And his training in both realms has been ongoing: the Audition Studio, Actors Center, Second City, UCLA, and many centers in Los Angeles. In addition to acting and directing with Famous Door, he has performed in Griller at Goodman, Mizlansky/Zilinsky at Steppenwolf and shows at Live Bait, Victory Gardens and Second City. Films include A Piece of Eden, While You Were Sleeping, Ali, The Day Trippers and, most recently, The Company (about the Joffrey Ballet of Chicago); and television–"Chicago Hope," "The West Wing" and, most famously, HBO’s "Sex and the City" (where Grapey has a recurring role as gossip columnist JJ Mitchell).
"I started as an actor, then went into directing and back to acting," says Grapey. "I like to direct for the theatre–especially tech, when it’s all coming together–and act for the camera. In film, everything is taken care of for me, except the acting. I tend to get antsy when I’m acting in theatre–I have too many ideas."
Grapey, who had been dividing time between Chicago and LA, is now based in Chicago. He recently married Brigid Murphy of "Milly’s Orchid Show" fame. There’s a chance he will continue on as JJ Mitchell in "Sex and the City." Grapey met the show’s executive producer-writer Michael Patrick King in 1996 at the HBO Aspen Comedy and Arts Festival. They became friends and, later, King wrote a character for Grapey. In fact, King will be premiering two one-acts at Famous Door in June. But, despite his success in Hollywood, Grapey is not a great fan of LA.
He’s done a half-dozen pilots that ended up in the circular file. And the environment can be nauseating.
"LA is like high school," Grapey describes with a sneer. "There’s more money, but the popular kids are just as unpleasant. It’s a roving party that you’re not always invited to.
"I was in 'The Adversaries,’ a $2 million pilot–the 'can’t-miss pilot of 1998’–that was going to change my life. It was just thrown away. ..Those are the heartbreaks."
He continues, "Getting an audition in LA is a miracle; getting a callback is astounding; getting cast is a one-in-a-million chance; for the show to succeed is an even bigger gamble. I’d rather bartend in Chicago than get paid $20,000 a year doing guest spots in LA."
Another key reason Grapey was attracted to Cider House had to do with the character of Homer Wells’ "search for a place in the world–his search for home." The actor-director’s father died when Grapey was a child, and he says he felt like a misfit.
"I searched for my place for a long time," he shares. "I grew up in a small town. When you’re 17, and you’re interested in Harold Pinter and Miles Davis, people think you’re a weirdo. With theatre, I found a family–a community–I didn’t know existed. I found home when I found theatre."
Now Famous Door is embarking on a search for its own permanent home–ideally a 150-seat space on the North Side.