Review: FOOL FOR LOVE at Steppenwolf Theatre Company

FOOL FOR LOVE has peak Steppenwolf energy. I’ve long associated Steppenwolf Theatre Company with gritty, messy, feral family and relationship dramas — Sam Shepard’s one-act fits the bill. It’s also only 65 minutes — that run-time is short, but it’s a logical choice in the TikTok era when attention spans are, too. An hour is still plenty of time for genius Steppenwolf ensemble member Caroline Neff to go toe-to-toe with Nick Gehlfuss (who audiences might recognize from CHICAGO MED) as toxic couple May and Eddie. While the 1980s time period is deeply felt (no cell phones here) and the run-down motel room somewhere in the Mojave desert setting is classic Shepard, the way May and Eddie fight seems entirely modern. The couple’s crazy mood swings and spats have been replicated by many Netflix series since. 

Neff is a veritable force; she clings desperately to Gehlfuss’s leg one second, then screams at him to go the next. She plays May’s wild changes in mood without batting an eye. Neff makes her character’s central conflict apparent: She can’t live with Eddie, but she also can’t live without him. Gehlfuss has typical “macho” cowboy energy as Eddie, who’s likewise mired in codependency. He demonstrates that Eddie feels obligated to continually prove his masculinity and show off, but that he’s also irresistible to May’s pull. It’s intoxicating to watch Neff and Gehlfuss go after one another. Dramaturgically speaking, I was initially perplexed by the Old Man (Tim Hopper, classically gruff and mild mannered at once). Shepard’s text has him exist as a memory and director Jeremy Herrin literally has him sit outside Todd Rosenthal’s seedy motel room (which is complete with a flickering “Motel” light). I’m not sure Hopper’s performance felt entirely connected to May and Eddie’s drama, even if the script then reveals how the Old Man is inextricably linked to both characters. Likewise, Cliff Chamberlain is amusing as May’s naive and baffled lover Martin, though I wasn’t sure his presence was necessary. While the Old Man ultimately reveals a key part of May and Eddie’s story, Martin is a rather weak foil to Eddie. Sure, he’s contrastingly gentle when Eddie is fierce, but he didn’t add much. 

The real energy here really lies with Neff and Gehlfuss. They supercharge May and Eddie’s battles. But what seems like an initial quarrel between an abusive couple becomes part of a larger narrative of inherited trauma and unresolved feelings. Neff and Gehlfuss also suitably play those arcs. Neff is initially feisty and flighty, and Gehlfuss leads with “macho” energy. Both performers make their roles more emotionally rich and raw as the play goes on, which is befitting the increasing revelations about their undeniable and strange connection. 

FOOL FOR LOVE is a real return to form for Steppenwolf, and Neff and Gehlfuss are scrappy sparring partners who live up to the play’s title. 

FOOL FOR LOVE runs through March 23, 2025 in the Downstairs Theatre at Steppenwolf Theatre Company, 1650 North Halsted. Tickets are $20-$138. 

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