The Words, March 2016

Stephen Yoakam ’75 directs The Clean House

By Kevin Xiong ’16

This past February, Stephen Yoakam ‘75 directed The Clean House for the Macalester College Theater and Dance department. He was raised in Bloomington, Indiana and studied English and Theater at Macalester. Following graduation, he became a prominent figure in the Minneapolis theater scene, appearing in more than 75 productions with the nationally renowned Guthrie Theater. As a Ruth Easton Guest Artist for The Clean House, Stephen directed his first Macalester play.

After completing his degree in 1975, Stephen worked various jobs in his hometown—doing construction, working on a dump truck, and baling hay. He wasn’t sure if he wanted to pursue acting but felt that it was on the horizon. His classmate Jack Reuler ‘75 started Mixed Blood Theatre in 1976 along with several friends, and Stephen joined for the second season in 1977. “We were lucky we did theater and just kept doing it,” he said. Stephen started working for the Guthrie six years later, and since then, he has continued to be involved in the theater community.

Stephen is fond of his English Major from Macalester—especially when it comes to Shakespeare, the Romantic poets, and the Victorian writers. He went into his acting career with a wealth of literary knowledge, and it has helped him conduct research for roles. “My major in English has been an incredible resource for me in my theater career,” Stephen said, “I see my English major and theater major as equal parts of my life. One is not better than the other.” He is thankful for his education at Macalester, and recalls having incredible English professors who supported his theater aspirations.

In directing The Clean House this semester, a 2004 play by Sarah Ruhl, Stephen enjoyed working with the students, whom he called “student artists.” He praised the diversity of the cast, which included theater and non-theater majors. According to Stephen, playwright Sarah Ruhl has a strong voice in women’s literature and is “one of the great writers in American Theater.”

Stephen was grateful for the opportunity to return to Macalester as a director. He also attended the English Department event, Appetizers and Alums, where he shared about his experiences with the Twin Cities theatre community of Mac grads, the “Macalester mafia.”

“I’m very happy to be back at Mac,” he said.