Steven Soria is a founding member of the GreenMan Theatre Troupe and is currently serving as the President of the Board of Trustees. His theatrical adventure began in seventh grade, when he competed for and won a one-year scholarship to the Children’s Theatre of the Theatre of Western Springs. He acted through high school, mostly with the Children’s Theatre of TWS, and was usually “the bad guy.” Among his favorite roles, in Jack & the Beanstalk, he was the mortgage holder of Jack’s mom’s shack, eagerly anticipating throwing her out in the street. While in high school, he also appeared in the regular TWS production of Richard III, with too many roles to remember (pall bearer, messenger, halberd, town crier, guard, and something else). After college (and back home in Western Springs), he worked backstage on several shows at TWS, usually working on lights.
Although he tried out for several roles in college, he was never cast. Plus, since for a while his official major was astronomy, there were (ahem) schedule conflicts. In the end, Steven majored in English, and has combined his interest in science with language by working as a technical editor for an engineering company downtown, where he translates from ‘engineeringese’ into English.
Since these early days up until the founding of GreenMan Theatre, his theatre activities have been as an audience member. At various times, he and his wife have been season subscribers to the Court Theatre, Goodman Theatre, Steppenwolf Theatre, and the Theatre of Western Springs. With the creation of GreenMan Theatre, however, he is excited to be playing and working again in theatre. Steven has appeared as Henry, the Old Actor, in GreenMan’s The Fantasticks (February 2005) and as Mayor Otto Balgemann in GreenMan’s Graveside Stories & Walk (October 2007). Usually, though, he is working behind the scenes, editing the program, running sound or lights, or helping on props.
