On the Ground Floor: My Steppenwolf Life by Margie Marcus

1990 groundbreaking at the new theater. 

There's a saying that every person has a story. Over the course of a lifetime I've observed that some people have many stories. One of these people is Margie Marcus, whom I met earlier this year via the internet when she was on a quest to find Tony Scaduto. Scaduto had played an instrumental role in her efforts to meet a man who changed her life, Bob Dylan. That was quite a story.

As we corresponded, she began sharing more stories with me, stories about Ralph Gleason, Lenny Bruce, Joseph Heller, Studs Terkel and others whose lives intersected her own in various forms as a result of her mid-life "awakening." Ultimately this led to her sharing with me her Steppenwolf experience.

It's a story I've wanted to share not because it involves celebrities we're all familiar with. Rather, because she exemplifies what it means to roll up your sleeves and make a difference.

The Steppenwolf Theater is now world-famous and recognized as an important piece of the influential Chicago theater scene. But it wasn't always so.

Margie's passion for the fledgling theater group propelled her to not just buy tickets to see the performances but also impelled her to step forward to ask, "How can I help?" She ultimately became a member of the board, making sacrifices to do what she could to help the Steppenwolf grow.

Here's the link to a rewarding and lively read--> On the Ground Floor: My Steppenwolf Life.

Margie sharing a light moment with Albert Finney at unveiling of new theater.

Photo, Top Right: 1990 Groundbreaking for the new theatre at 1650 N. Halsted. Jeff Perry, co-founder and daughter Zoe in front with shovel. Back: Randy Arney, Tom Irwin, Laurie Metcalf, Terry Kinney and Fran Guinan.