“The play is set in South Boston, Massachusetts, and one of the things it looks at is class,” explains Steffensen, “but the biggest theme it looks at is how your history and the choices you’ve made in the past affect you later in life. A brief rundown of the plot is that my character, Kate, is married to a guy called Michael. She’s in her thirties, he’s in his fifities, he’s a doctor with a lot of money who lives in an affluent suburb. So they’re very rich and have this wonderful life together. The main character of the play is Margie who comes crashing into their world. She grew up with Michael and knows things about his past that Kate is not aware of. Margie is also desperately in need of a job because of tough economic times and she’s freaking out because she has a disabled daughter that she also has to look after. So she appeals to Michael asking for work and he tries to help her out, but it gets a lot more complicated than that.”
While the character of Margie believes she never had a choice in life, Michael’s stance is the opposite – his argument being that luck is what you make it, not what you stumble upon, according to Steffensen.
“Margie just sees it that she grew up in a shitty, low socio-economic suburb and she never had a choice to make her life better, but the thing is that Michael did as well! Only he got out when he was offered a scholarship, so his point is very different. The play looks at the opportunity for change and how much luck is involved in life. We’ve been discussing this a lot in rehearsal, actually – the whole idea of operating in the world based on what is your own truth. I can guarantee that the audience will switch sides throughout the play, their sympathies will change from one character to the next. The interesting thing about the play is that nobody is really right or wrong, they’re just coming from different viewpoints – and because of that, there is something in it for everyone, everybody will be able to relate.”
As an actor, Steffensen claims she especially relates to the themes of Good People. Considering the fickle nature of the entertainment industry, the actress says she’s wondered many times whether the next gig is ultimately down to luck or blood, sweat and tears.
“Being an actor, it’s something you’re going to wonder about a lot,” Steffensen laughs. “Personally, I think you create your own luck, even if that sounds like I’m just being idealistic. I just believe that if you work hard enough, things will eventually pay off. But having said that, it’s obvious that sometimes luck has a lot to do with it too. It’s a hard one to answer. I believe in hard work but with an element of luck. I think most people would probably say that, and in that respect, I think this is a play for everyone. I think people especially in Kate and Michael’s demographic would find this play interesting because they’ll be in a position to ask themselves questions such as, ‘Wow, if I hadn’t broken up with that guy back then, would my life be a lot different?’… It’s a little bit like the movie Sliding Doors in that way, too.”
Good People also marks Steffensen’s first production for the Melbourne theatre company Red Stitch. An acting graduate from the Western Academy of Performing Arts, Steffensen was the recipient of The Leslie Anderson Award For Acting Excellence, and has performed in productions such as A View Of Concrete, Valley Song, The Crucible, Human Resources, Jet Of Blood, X-Stacy and Live Acts On Stage as part of the Perth International Arts Festival. Most recently, Steffensen appeared in She’s A Little Finch, and her film and television credits have also included Neighbours, CNNNN, Life Support and Happy Feet.
“This year has started off really well because this is such a good play, so I am very optimistic about the next 11 months,” says Steffensen. “I’ve done a lot of indie theatre and this play is written so well, it’s such a great script with a beautiful rhythm to it. Being able to work with a really dense, well-written piece is very satisfying as an actor. Red Stitch have been a really great company to work for, it’s a very supportive team. One of the best things about them is that they have their own theatre, and the best thing for an actor doing rehearsals is to be able to do so in the same space where you’re going to perform. And it’s quite rare for a theatre company to be able to provide this, usually you have rehearsals somewhere else externally. The atmosphere is very relaxed and focused and enjoyable, and everybody seems to get along. As a company, it’s really fantastic.”
BY BIRDIE
