To be proclaimed royalty is no ordinary distinction, but we doubt there鈥檚 a single person in the Chicago theatre community who wouldn鈥檛 happily bestow First Couple on Paula Scrofano and John Reeger. Having appeared in over 48 productions together over their decades-long careers (favorites include My Fair Lady and On the 20th Century), no other couple in Chicago has performed together more often.
The pair met and married at Northwestern University in their twenties (鈥渁 crazy thing for two people to do,鈥� says Reeger), and are in their 43rd year as performers. Fresh out of college, Reeger credits the 鈥渙ff-Loop鈥� theatre movement with cementing the decision to stay in the Chicago area. 鈥淚t was an explosion of theatre,鈥� He explains. 鈥淚t was like the Off-Broadway movement in the 鈥�50s. There just seemed to be work in Chicago for us.鈥� In addition to the artistic freedom, the Windy City offered the Midwest life. In a city that rewards loyalty and cherishes local talent, the couple鈥檚 contributions to the community are famous both onstage and off.
To buy tickets to The Gin Game, .
Scrofano and Reeger consistently earning raves and lend their reputations and credibility to any show they work on. Their next challenge is a production of D.L. Coburn鈥檚 The Gin Game at Drury Lane Theatre, a two-hander that鈥檒l have them trading lines and cards eight times a week, beginning June 22. They鈥檙e still surprising each other in rehearsals, and are delighting in the new challenge of being alone together onstage. 鈥淚t鈥檚 just Paula and I, so if it isn鈥檛 any good, you know whose fault it is!鈥� Reeger laughs.
When they鈥檙e not remembering notes while stuck in traffic or memorizing lines in pajamas over breakfast, the pair like to turn off the shop talk and relax by the TV. But when a big audition is coming up? 鈥淚 don鈥檛 think I鈥檝e ever gone to an audition where I鈥檝e been asked to prepare a selection where I didn鈥檛 do it in front of Paula first,鈥� Reeger says. Scrofano adds, 鈥淲e just trust each other鈥檚 instincts. There鈥檚 an energy and a focus we share.鈥� She says their shared priorities have helped them prosper together, rather than as individual performers. 鈥淲e always ask, is this best for us? It鈥檚 always about the us. We鈥檝e seen what separation does. We thrive best on doing plays together and being together.鈥�
The partnership has been fruitful both personally and professionally, and in 2015, Scrofano and Reeger were honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award from from the Jeff Awards. Showing off the infamous Midwestern humility, Reeger insists he doesn鈥檛 feel they have the 鈥済reatest careers of anyone in the world.鈥� But, as Scrofano puts it, 鈥淭here are very few who have done only this, got our kids through college, own our house, and don鈥檛 owe anybody any money!鈥�
And on the subject of that Achievement Award, Scrofano has one specific memory that she calls the 鈥渋cing on the cake.鈥� 鈥淢y mother said, "I had decided when you got your award, I was going to stand...but because of her age, she said, the whole house had already beaten her to it!"
Chicago provided an active and thriving theatre scene sans (what they perceived as) the crowded, impersonal and at-times cutthroat business in New York. Scrofano admits she did want 鈥渁 house, a garden, and kids.鈥� At the end of the day, though, her fellow Chicago thespians make it feel like home. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a community,鈥� Scrofano says, 鈥淚f somebody called me for an audition and I鈥檓 not available, I鈥檇 call my [actor] friends and ask if they鈥檝e been seen. We鈥檙e all supporting each other, we鈥檙e all helping each other try to do our best work. It鈥檚 all about the work.鈥�
See photos from the most recent Broadway production of The Gin Game, starring James Earl Jones and Cicely Tyson:
