Martha Laveythe artistic director of Steppenwolf Theatre from 1995 to 2014has died in hospice care at Illinois Masonic Hospital. She was 60.
Born into a family in Lawrence, Kansas, Lavey earned her doctorate degree in performance studies from Northwestern University. She eventually became a Steppenwolf ensemble member in 1993, and performed in more than 30 of its productions, including Good Boys and True, Picasso at the Lapin Agile, Lost Land and The Memory of Water. Lavey also performed at the Victory Gardens, Northlight and Remains theaters.
She received many awards; for instance, in May 2016 she received an honor from the City of Chicago for her two decades of service as artistic director.
In a statement, Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel said, "Chicago owes a debt of gratitude to Martha Lavey, ensemble member and former artistic director at Steppenwolf Theatre Company. While leading one of the most acclaimed theater companies in the world for more than 20 years, she helped put Chicago theaterand the gritty, gutsy Chicago-style theater for which we're knownon the map. Martha will forever be remembered as one of the most important figures in the history of Chicago theater."
Lavey is survived by her parents and six siblings. Services will be held near Lavey's parents' home in Vienna, Virginia, at St. Mark Catholic Church. A memorial to celebrate her life and and legacy will be held at Steppenwolf at a later date.
On April 28, Chicago theaters in the city and suburbs will honor Lavey by dimming the marquee lights and observing a moment of silence.