On the Strike: Q & A with Steppenwolf's Francis Guinan

As the IATSE strike complete its fifth day, Michael J. Roberts spoke with Steppenwolf ensemble member Francis Guinan, who recently left the current run of The Crucible at the mainstage in Chicago, to join his castmates for the Broadway transfer of the critically acclaimed hit August: Osage County

Michael J. Roberts: What has the transfer of the August: Osage County from Chicago Broadway been like prior to the strike? 

Francis Guinan: The production has transferred superbly.  In fact, the audiences here in Gotham have a much more macabre sense of humor and sensibility than the Chicago audiences.  Hearing that sensibility and incorporating it into the production has been a really interesting and fun project.

Michael J. Roberts: What have your days and evenings been like with no performances scheduled? 

Francis Guinan: On a show-day, the routine is that the cast shows up a half-hour before their scheduled performance and sign-in with their union representative to demonstrate that the actors are available to work.  Once the actors are signed in, some join the IATSE picket lines for a while then continue to go about their day.  If it is a two-show-day, we all have to come back to the theatre for the evening performance and sign-in again.

Michael J. Roberts: Is it your intention to wait-out the strike or come back to Chicago?

Francis Guinan: We have all pretty much decided to wait-out the strike for now.  We are fairly hopeful that it will not continue for much longer.  In fact, we are still hoping that we can keep our official opening night of Tuesday, November 20.