John Steppling (playwright)
| John Steppling | |
|---|---|
| Born |
June 18, 1951 Burbank, California, U.S. |
| Alma mater | Hollywood High School |
| Occupation | Playwright, screenwriter, teacher |
| Notable credit(s) | Fellow, Rockefeller Foundation National Endowment for the Arts |
| Spouse(s) | Gunnhild Skrodal Steppling |
| Website | http://www.john-steppling.com/ |
John Steppling (born June 18, 1951, Burbank, California), is an American playwright, screenwriter and teacher. Steppling's plays have been produced in the United States and Europe. He is the recipient of many honors, including fellowships from the Rockefeller Foundation and the National Endowment for the Arts, a residency at the McDowell Colony and has received PEN-West, LA Weekly and Dramalogue awards for his theatrical work. Steppling's influence is acknowledged by a generation of Los Angeles playwrights starting out in the 1980s, including Jon Robin Baitz, Marlene Mayer, Kelly Stuart, and Michael Sargent.
Born in Burbank, Steppling was raised in Hollywood and attended Hollywood High. His mother was a former beauty queen turned bookmaker who suffered from alcoholism. His father, Carl Steppling was a part-time actor and wardrobe assistant. His grandfather, John Steppling, was a silent-film actor who appeared in many Essanay films. Steppling has noted that his upbringing moving from neighborhood to neighborhood in L.A with a family at the fringe of the film industry influenced his work, in particular, The Dream Coast. His experiences of the "seamy underside" of Los Angeles influenced the characters in his plays, which often concern the marginalized of American society.
Steppling's introduction to theater came from New York's Off-Off-Broadway stage in the 1970s, where he saw his cousin, Jim Storm, perform in the 1971 premiere of Sam Shepard's The Mad Dog Blues. During his time in New York, Steppling moved in the circles associated with the writers and performing artists of the group "Theater Genesis", including Murray Mednick and Robert Glaudini.
Returning to Los Angeles, Steppling became a founding member of the Padua Hills Playwrights Workshop and Festival in 1978 along with Murray Mednick and Sam Shepard. Steppling remained involved in Padua for most of its 17-year existence, among other notable playwrights associated with the festival such as Maria Irene Fornes, Jon Robin Baitz, Martin Epstein, Kelly Stuart, and John O'Keefe.
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