Steppenwolf's 'Mr. Wolf' gets lost in its own universe

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By Lauren Emily Whalen

Missing kids rarely return. When victims like Jaycee Dugard and Elizabeth Smart do come home, it’s cause for national news and a major reentry for not only the young people who survived, but their loved ones left behind with equal parts hope and ruin. Mr. Wolf, the inaugural entry in Steppenwolf Theatre Company’s 50th anniversary season, explores the aftermath of a long-term abduction with varying degrees of success.

The eponymous Mr. Wolf (Tim Hopper), a community college astronomy professor, kidnapped Theresa (Emilie Maureen Hanson) as a toddler, keeping her isolated for 12 years until the authorities discovered them. In the play’s disturbing first scene, Mr. Wolf commits suicide rather than face consequences, but not before telling Theresa she is a prophet of the universe and, as such, people (especially men) will want to take advantage of her.

Tim Hopper and Emilie Maureen Hanson in "Mrs. Wolf."

Now a brainy 15-year-old who just ate her first chocolate bar, Theresa just wants to go home, but not the one she’s returned to, which includes her understandably hovering mother (Kate Arrington), devastated dad (Namir Smallwood), and a stepmother (Caroline Neff) caught in the grief of her own child’s death.

Written by Steppenwolf ensemble member Rajiv Joseph and directed by K. Todd Freeman (now appearing Off-Broadway in Prince Faggot), Mr. Wolf boasts an impressive scenic design (Walt Spangler), stunning projections (Rasean Davonte Johnson), and an entire musical score (Josh Schmidt). The problem: it’s not needed.

The elaborate production values, combined with Joseph’s nature motifs, overwhelm Mr. Wolf’s simple yet powerful plot: how Theresa’s parents will learn to parent again and what she went through on the “inside,” as opposed to endless star metaphors or monarch butterfly projections used to illustrate an anecdote with little bearing on the story.

Crucial details also go missing, like how Mr. Wolf justified the child’s new surroundings and the complete lack of recognition when Theresa reconnects with her parents.

As darker details of Theresa’s captivity are revealed, the conversations of the shattered family (and the stunning performances of each ensemble cast member) prove that Mr. Wolf‘s most powerful moments happen when the butterflies stop flying, and the elaborate staging gets out of the way, instilling faith that this prodigal young prophet will be okay.