On Monday, May the 4th, Steep Theatre will present the first public staged reading of playwright Dan Aibel's new work The Making, a revisionist retelling of the story behind the film that would become a cultural phenomenon: George Lucas's Star Wars. The reading will be directed by Steep ensemble member Jonathan Berry and will be performed at the Edge Theater in the Edgewater neighborhood of Chicago. May the 4th is the unofficial international holiday honoring the Star Wars film franchise.
A history play set in the 1970s, The Making visits husband and wife filmmakers George and Marcia at the beginning of new projects that will shape the creative landscape for a generation. The reading will feature Steep Ensemble Members Nate Faust, Ashlyn Lozano, Peter Moore, and others.
Playwright Dan Aibel's work has been developed and/or produced by American Theater Co., Stage Left Theatre, The New Group, P73, Rattlestick, Sundance, the Detroit Rep, Syracuse Stage and The Commissary with directors Daniel Aukin, Margot Bordelon and James Macdonald among others. A Sundance Theatre Lab fellow, winner of the Eileen Heckart Drama Prize and finalist for the P73 Playwriting Fellowship, the Jerome New York Fellowship and the Princess Grace Award, Dan's plays have been published by Smith & Kraus and Concord Theatricals.
Director Jonathan Berry is the Artistic Director of Raven Theater and served as Artistic Director of The Penobscot Theatre Company in Bangor, Maine, from 2022 to 2025. He is a proud ensemble member of both Steep Theatre and Griffin Theatre and a former Artistic Producer at Steppenwolf Theatre Company. Steep Credits include: Paris, Red Rex, Earthquakes in London, Posh, The Life and Sort of Death of Eric Argyle, If There Is I Haven't Found it Yet, The Knowledge, Festen, Moment, The Hollow Lands and The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui. He directed the Steppenwolf productions of: Lindiwe, The Children, You Got Older, Constellations, and the SYA productions of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime, The Crucible, and A Separate Peace. In 25 years, he's directed nearly 100 productions in Chicago. Most recently, he directed the Chicago premiere of Ugly Lies the Bone for Shattered Globe. He has taught acting, directing, and viewpoints at University of Michigan, Northwestern University, University of Chicago, Acting Studio Chicago, Columbia College and many of Chicago's professional acting schools. He taught viewpoints and served as the director for The School at Steppenwolf.
WHAT:
The Making by Dan Aibel
Directed by Steep Ensemble Member Jonathan Berry
A history play set in the 1970s, The Making visits husband and wife filmmakers George and Marcia at the beginning of new projects that will shape the creative landscape for a generation.
WHEN:
Monday, May the 4th, 2026, 7:30PM
WHERE:
The Edge Theater
5451 North Broadway, Chicago, Illinois
The Making will be performed at the Edge Theater as Steep continues construction on its new home, targeted to open Fall of this year.
TICKET INFORMATION:
Tickets $10-$30 available at https://steeptheatre.com/the-making
