By Jae-Ha Kim
Chicago Sun-Times
November 30, 2000
There are times when Amy Morton would rather not be directing_like when she perceives that her actors don’t like her.
Never mind that it’s all in her head.
“I swear, there are times when I’m convinced that all the actors hate me,” says Morton, laughing. “Directing plays on absolutely every insecurity you might have as a human being. Part of it is because I’m still relatively new at the directing game. Directing is 10 times harder for me than acting, but I love it.
“My husband said it best: `Directors are people who usually love being in charge. You hate being in charge. You just want everything your way.’ ”
Morton has directed productions in the Steppenwolf Studio and at the Remains Theatre_where she was a member of the ensemble for 15 years. But “The Weir,” which opens Sunday at the Steppenwolf Theatre, marks her directorial debut on the mainstage.
Best known as an actress, Morton appeared in the feature films “8mm,” “Backdraft” and “Falling Down.” At Steppenwolf, she had co-starring roles in “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest,” “A Streetcar Named Desire” and “The Memory of Water.”
But right now, she’s passionate about “The Weir.” Set in a rural bar in Ireland, the play opens with four men telling stories of local lore tinged with supernatural experiences. As they share their stories with Valerie, a woman new to the area, their stories grow more personal and she opens up to them with her own remembrances.
Written by Conor McPherson, the 90-minute play runs straight through with no intermission and little visual glossiness.
Morton is confident that this is enough to keep the audience intrigued.
“Human beings innately are very good listeners, but we live in a culture that’s so visually driven and fast-paced that our attention spans are conditioned to last about five seconds,” Morton says. “You watch a commercial that’s geared towards young people and you walk away with a headache.
“To be able sit down in a theater and be engaged in the act of storytelling is a great respite in this cacophony of our universe.”
There’s no doubt that McPherson’s words are powerful in their simplicity. In “The Weir,” he sets up a character’s story: “She had a problem sleeping at night. She was afraid of the dark. At night, there were people at the window, there were people in the attic, there was someone coming up the stairs. There were children knocking in the wall. And there was always a man standing across the road.”
Growing up in Oak Park, Morton began acting in school plays when she was 7. At 12, she saw Yul Brynner appear in a production of “Ulysses” and was hooked on acting. She knew that’s what she wanted to do when she grew up. After a short stint at Triton College and Clarke College in Dubuque, Iowa, she quit school to work in theater.
Early in her career, though, she suffered from a case of mistaken identity.
“It was here at Steppenwolf when I was still a member of Remains (theater),” she says. “The producing manager of the show called me into his office and said, `Hey, do you think there’s anything your dad could do for opening night, like donating any food?’ I thought it was odd, like why would he want my dad to cook. He can cook, but he was a director and producer of educational and industrial films.”
The production manager had thought she was the daughter of restaurateur Arnie Morton, whose daughter coincidentally also is named Amy.
“I don’t know if she still is, but she used to be an actress and it used to be insane,” Morton says. “People have said to me for years, `I love your father’s restaurant.’ ”
And, she adds, sharing Morton’s name never got her an upgraded table at Morton’s, either.
`The Weir’
Sunday through Jan. 20
Steppenwolf Theatre, 1650 N. Halsted
Tickets, $35-$45
(312) 335-1650
