Steppenwolf Theatre: Mr. Wolf
Emilie Maureen Hanson with ensemble member Kate Arrington
Steppenwolf Theatre Presents MR. WOLF Review - The Aftermath of Unlikely Circumstances
TLDR: Showing us an unlikely circumstance, Mr. Wolf dives into what happens after an abducted child is found and returned to her family. It opens the door for unresolved feelings for the adults in the play and how the person herself has so much to come to terms with. Mr. Wolf balances keeping us grounded in the situation while also creating an atmosphere filled with feeling with its theatrical elements.
Ensemble member Tim Hopper with Emilie Maureen Hanson
Steppenwolf Explores the Aftereffects
A normal looking house is projected onto a scrim as we enter the Downstairs Theater at Steppenwolf. It’s exactly what you would imagine if we were just thinking of a house - a basic, two-story family home that might as well have a white picket fence around it. The scrim rises to reveal a living filled with books, chairs, and a cozy looking rug. Everything about this seems like an ordinary, picturesque family setting.
But the knocking on the front door is growing louder and louder. They are running out of time. He hands her a bunch of things he just purchased for her, telling her she may need them and they’ll let her keep them on the outside. Suddenly the pieces of the set lift away - one pulled upward into the rafters and the sides exit stage left and right, feeling like the ground is disappearing beneath our feet. On the now blank back wall, a video projection of swirling cosmos makes us feel like we’re being transported into another dimension.
We land in the outer world. This is where fifteen year old Theresa, kept from the outside world after being abducted as a child, is reunited with her family. There’s a lot to take in, but everything coming together in Mr. Wolf makes us feel what each of these characters are feeling in turn.
Acknowledging The Past and Future
Relationships are complicated enough as it is. But when you find yourselves in a situation no parent wants to find themselves in, it’s safe to say your relationship will never be the same. The three parents - Hana, played by Kate Arrington, her ex-husband, Michael played by Namir Smallwood, and his wife Julie, played by Caroline Neff, find themselves all together as they wait for Theresa to be released into their custody. There’s a lot of unresolved and unsaid feelings from their past relationship along with arguments about how to move forward.
Arrington knows someone has to take charge of the situation and leads the way trying to be practical and make decisions for herself, Michael, and their daughter. She has a successful life in a different city and tries to remain objective, but we see her just in complete disbelief as she stands in the living room, back at the house she thought she left behind her for good.
Smallwood shows us how Michael changes and grows throughout the production as he navigates having his daughter, ex-wife, and new wife all together in the same place. We get a glimpse into his and Hana’s past relationship and how he’s chosen to move forward with Julie.
As Caroline Neff sits with Theresa on the couch when they both can’t fall asleep, her walls break down after being strong and supportive for Michael and we get her raw and unfiltered emotions. She has her own mother-daughter relationship that still pings moments of grief for her.
Tim Hopper transforms from character to character. He becomes each man Theresa encounters after her rescue and she sees Mr. Wolf in each one. But when he takes center stage and reveals his motivations behind it all, we see this man with disturbing scientific ideas and an unsettling, darkened, but determined gaze.
But who was truly astounding was Emilie Maureen Hanson as Theresa. She embodies Theresa where we can see how she was affected by being raised in that environment with Mr. Wolf. She is closed off and defensive as she’s taken to this new world. But then, the play slowly unravels her feelings and moments when she was in Mr. Wolf’s house that left her changed for good. Hanson delivers an incredible performance from start to finish.
Ensemble members Kate Arrington and Caroline Neff
The After Party Thoughts
This play was not what I was expecting at all. All of the theatrical elements were extremely well done and creative enough to take us to abstract settings and embody feelings, but still keeps the production grounded and feeling real. I also liked how we knew just enough about Mr. Wolf and his motivations to help us understand the situation and why Theresa is the way she is, but didn’t sensationalize or focus on him. It was very much about Theresa’s experience and the other adults' relationships with each other. They are all navigating this new and unexpected situation and the cast delivers with a full force of emotions that keep us gripped in the story.
If some of the content of this show might be unsettling or be a trigger for you - from losing a child or being sensitive to forced home situations - this show might not be for you. However, if you are interested in seeing a play about a very specific topic like this that is very feelings and relationship focused, Mr. Wolf would be a good for for you!
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED
Ensemble member Kate Arrington, Emilie Maureen Hanson, and ensemble member Namir Smallwood
When
Now through November 2, 2025
Where
Steppenwolf Theatre
1650 N. Halsted St.
Chicago, IL 60614
Runtime: 85min, no intermission
Tickets
$20+
Tickets can be purchased by calling the box office at (312) 335-1650 or through the Steppenwolf Theatre website
Photos
Michael Brosilow
Emilie Maureen Hanson
CAST
Kate Arrington (Hana)
Tim Hopper (Mr. Wolf)
Caroline Neff (Julie)
Namir Smallwood (Michael)
Emilie Maureen Hanson (Theresa)
Sarah Charipar (Understudy)
Leah Karpel (Understudy)
Paul Murray (Understudy)
Reese Parish (Understudy)
Terence Sims (Understudy)
Ensemble members Namir Smallwood and Caroline Neff
CREATIVE
Rajiv Joseph (Playwright)
K. Todd Freeman (Director)
Walt Spangler (Scenic Design)
Dede M. Ayite (Costume Design)
Keith Parham (Lighting Design)
Josh Schmidt (Sound Design & Original Music)
Rasean Davonte Johnson (Projection Design)
Kate DeVore (Voice Coach)
Jonathan L. Green (Dramaturg)
Patrick Zakem (Creative Producer)
Elise Hausken (Production Manager)
JC Clementz (Casting)
Michelle Medvin (Production Stage Manager)
Kathleen Barrett (Assistant Stage Manager)