Steve Yeager (filmmaker)
Encyclopedia
Steve Yeager is an independent
filmmaker from Baltimore
, Maryland
, U.S. He is best known for his film on the life of fellow director John Waters
, Divine Trash
, which won the Filmmakers Trophy for Best Documentary at the Sundance Film Festival
in 1998.
, an experimental theatre company in Baltimore, Maryland, with such productions as Pigeons by Lee Dorsey and Marguerite by C. Richard Gillespie. Yeager also directed an original one-act play entitled Chiaroscuro while working at Corner. It was during this period that Steve Yeager also had occasion to work with two emerging talents of the day: Howard Rollins
, in a 1972 production of John Steinbeck
's Of Mice and Men
; and Kathleen Turner
, who appeared in Yeager's flamboyant original adaptation of Robert Louis Stevenson
's Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde in 1978. In 1985, Steve Yeager won the Grand Prize for Best Documentary at the Houston International Film Festival for Aquarium, a ten-minute film on the National Aquarium in Baltimore.
In 1990, Yeager released his first feature film
drama
, On The Block, co-written by Yeager and playwright
Linda Chambers
. The film offered a gritty look at life in and around The Block
, Baltimore's famous red-light district, and featured an appearance by Howard Rollins in a key role.
Steve Yeager's 1998 documentary film
Divine Trash
examines the global underground film
movement, and features previously unreleased footage of John Waters' early life and behind-the-scenes capers of his Dreamland crew, including Divine, the 300-pound transvestite Glenn Milstead. Those interviewed about the making of Pink Flamingos
and the context in which it emerged include actors, critics and Baltimore's film industry of the era. Yeager's sequel to Divine Trash, In Bad Taste
, a documentary on Waters' post-Pink Flamingos career, aired in January 2000 on the Independent Film Channel
. Yeager played the role of a reporter in both Pink Flamingos and Polyester
.
In 2009, Steve Yeager finished work on a new dramatic feature film Crystal Fog, which offers a glimpse into the world of transgendered relationships. Inspirations from the film were drawn from the life of Yeager's younger brother, who had died approximately twelve years earlier. The film was shot in and around Baltimore during the summer of 2007, and had its initial cast and crew screening in Baltimore in June, 2009.
Throughout his work in film, Steve Yeager has continued to direct for the stage, generally in Washington, D.C.
and Baltimore. Notable productions include Streamers
by David Rabe, S.L.A.G. by David Hare
, and A View From The Bridge
, by Arthur Miller
.
premiere, awards, and a raffle.
actor, director, and teacher Suzanne Shepherd
, whose notable and varied roles include Tony Soprano
's mother-in-law on the series The Sopranos
, as well as featured appearances in Goodfellas
, Lolita
, Uncle Buck
and Living Out Loud
.
Steve Yeager is co-author of a book about Divine, called My Son Divine, written with Milstead's mother Frances.
Steve Yeager teaches film and acting-related courses at Towson University
.
Independent film
An independent film, or indie film, is a professional film production resulting in a feature film that is produced mostly or completely outside of the major film studio system. In addition to being produced and distributed by independent entertainment companies, independent films are also produced...
filmmaker from Baltimore
Baltimore
Baltimore is the largest independent city in the United States and the largest city and cultural center of the US state of Maryland. The city is located in central Maryland along the tidal portion of the Patapsco River, an arm of the Chesapeake Bay. Baltimore is sometimes referred to as Baltimore...
, Maryland
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
, U.S. He is best known for his film on the life of fellow director John Waters
John Waters (filmmaker)
John Samuel Waters, Jr. is an American filmmaker, actor, stand-up comedian, writer, journalist, visual artist, and art collector, who rose to fame in the early 1970s for his transgressive cult films...
, Divine Trash
Divine Trash
Divine Trash is a 1998 documentary film directed by Steve Yeager about the life and work of John Waters.-Cast:*Steve Yeager*John Waters*Robert Shaye*Mink Stole*Divine *David Lochary *Edith Massey...
, which won the Filmmakers Trophy for Best Documentary at the Sundance Film Festival
Sundance Film Festival
The Sundance Film Festival is a film festival that takes place annually in Utah, in the United States. It is the largest independent cinema festival in the United States. Held in January in Park City, Salt Lake City, and Ogden, as well as at the Sundance Resort, the festival is a showcase for new...
in 1998.
Career overview
Steve Yeager got his start as a resident director at the Corner Theatre ETCCorner Theatre ETC
Corner Theatre E.T.C. was an American experimental theater in operation from 1968–1987, a not-for-profit cultural organization located in Baltimore, Maryland, which provided resources for new playwrights, designers, directors, actors, dancers, and other artists seeking alternative means and...
, an experimental theatre company in Baltimore, Maryland, with such productions as Pigeons by Lee Dorsey and Marguerite by C. Richard Gillespie. Yeager also directed an original one-act play entitled Chiaroscuro while working at Corner. It was during this period that Steve Yeager also had occasion to work with two emerging talents of the day: Howard Rollins
Howard Rollins
Howard Ellsworth Rollins, Jr. was an American television, film, and stage actor. He is perhaps best known for his portrayal of Coalhouse Walker, Jr...
, in a 1972 production of John Steinbeck
John Steinbeck
John Ernst Steinbeck, Jr. was an American writer. He is widely known for the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel The Grapes of Wrath and East of Eden and the novella Of Mice and Men...
's Of Mice and Men
Of Mice and Men
Of Mice and Men is a novella written by Nobel Prize-winning author John Steinbeck. Published in 1937, it tells the tragic story of George Milton and Lennie Small, two displaced migrant ranch workers during the Great Depression in California, USA....
; and Kathleen Turner
Kathleen Turner
Mary Kathleen Turner is an American actress. She came to fame during the 1980s, after roles in the Hollywood films Body Heat, Peggy Sue Got Married, Romancing the Stone, The War of the Roses, Who Framed Roger Rabbit and Prizzi's Honor...
, who appeared in Yeager's flamboyant original adaptation of Robert Louis Stevenson
Robert Louis Stevenson
Robert Louis Balfour Stevenson was a Scottish novelist, poet, essayist and travel writer. His best-known books include Treasure Island, Kidnapped, and Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde....
's Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde in 1978. In 1985, Steve Yeager won the Grand Prize for Best Documentary at the Houston International Film Festival for Aquarium, a ten-minute film on the National Aquarium in Baltimore.
In 1990, Yeager released his first feature film
Feature film
In the film industry, a feature film is a film production made for initial distribution in theaters and being the main attraction of the screening, rather than a short film screened before it; a full length movie...
drama
Drama
Drama is the specific mode of fiction represented in performance. The term comes from a Greek word meaning "action" , which is derived from "to do","to act" . The enactment of drama in theatre, performed by actors on a stage before an audience, presupposes collaborative modes of production and a...
, On The Block, co-written by Yeager and playwright
Playwright
A playwright, also called a dramatist, is a person who writes plays.The term is not a variant spelling of "playwrite", but something quite distinct: the word wright is an archaic English term for a craftsman or builder...
Linda Chambers
Linda Chambers (playwright)
Linda Chambers is an American playwright, screenwriter, actress and college instructor living and working in Baltimore, Maryland.-Career:Linda Chambers first began serious writing after becoming involved with Corner Theatre ETC, an experimental theatre located in Baltimore...
. The film offered a gritty look at life in and around The Block
The Block (Baltimore)
Baltimore's The Block is a stretch on the 400 block of East Baltimore Street in Baltimore, Maryland containing several strip clubs, sex shops, and other adult entertainment merchants. In the first half of the 20th century, it was famous for its burlesque houses...
, Baltimore's famous red-light district, and featured an appearance by Howard Rollins in a key role.
Steve Yeager's 1998 documentary film
Documentary film
Documentary films constitute a broad category of nonfictional motion pictures intended to document some aspect of reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction or maintaining a historical record...
Divine Trash
Divine Trash
Divine Trash is a 1998 documentary film directed by Steve Yeager about the life and work of John Waters.-Cast:*Steve Yeager*John Waters*Robert Shaye*Mink Stole*Divine *David Lochary *Edith Massey...
examines the global underground film
Underground film
An underground film is a film that is out of the mainstream either in its style, genre, or financing.-Definition and history:The first use of the term "underground film" occurs in a 1957 essay by American film critic Manny Farber, "Underground Films." Farber uses it to refer to the work of...
movement, and features previously unreleased footage of John Waters' early life and behind-the-scenes capers of his Dreamland crew, including Divine, the 300-pound transvestite Glenn Milstead. Those interviewed about the making of Pink Flamingos
Pink Flamingos
Pink Flamingos is a 1972 transgressive black comedy film written, produced, composed, shot, edited, and directed by John Waters. When the film was initially released, it caused a huge degree of controversy and thus became one of the most notorious cult films ever made. It made an underground star...
and the context in which it emerged include actors, critics and Baltimore's film industry of the era. Yeager's sequel to Divine Trash, In Bad Taste
In Bad Taste
In Bad Taste is the second documentary film from Steve Yeager, who had first made Divine Trash in 1998. The documentary follows the cinematic ideas of American filmmaker John Waters, and includes interviews with Waters and his ensemble cast, known as the Dreamlanders.-Cast:*Steve Yeager*John...
, a documentary on Waters' post-Pink Flamingos career, aired in January 2000 on the Independent Film Channel
Independent Film Channel
The Independent Film Channel is an American cable TV network that airs independent film and related programming. IFC programming includes commercially interrupted feature-length films, original documentaries, shorts, animated series, original series, acquired series, and content exclusively for...
. Yeager played the role of a reporter in both Pink Flamingos and Polyester
Polyester
Polyester is a category of polymers which contain the ester functional group in their main chain. Although there are many polyesters, the term "polyester" as a specific material most commonly refers to polyethylene terephthalate...
.
In 2009, Steve Yeager finished work on a new dramatic feature film Crystal Fog, which offers a glimpse into the world of transgendered relationships. Inspirations from the film were drawn from the life of Yeager's younger brother, who had died approximately twelve years earlier. The film was shot in and around Baltimore during the summer of 2007, and had its initial cast and crew screening in Baltimore in June, 2009.
Throughout his work in film, Steve Yeager has continued to direct for the stage, generally in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
and Baltimore. Notable productions include Streamers
Streamers
Streamers is a play by David Rabe. After premiering at the Long Wharf Theatre in New Haven, Connecticut in 1975, the production transferred to Broadway, opening on April 21, 1976 at Lincoln Center's Mitzi E. Newhouse Theatre, where it ran for 478 performances...
by David Rabe, S.L.A.G. by David Hare
David Hare (playwright)
Sir David Hare is an English playwright and theatre and film director.-Early life:Hare was born in St Leonards-on-Sea, Hastings, East Sussex, the son of Agnes and Clifford Hare, a sailor. He was educated at Lancing, an independent school in West Sussex, and at Jesus College, Cambridge...
, and A View From The Bridge
A View from the Bridge
A View from the Bridge is a play by American playwright Arthur Miller that was first staged on September 29, 1955 as a one-act verse drama with A Memory of Two Mondays at the Coronet Theatre on Broadway. The play was unsuccessful and Miller subsequently revised the play to contain two acts; this...
, by Arthur Miller
Arthur Miller
Arthur Asher Miller was an American playwright and essayist. He was a prominent figure in American theatre, writing dramas that include plays such as All My Sons , Death of a Salesman , The Crucible , and A View from the Bridge .Miller was often in the public eye,...
.
Young Filmmakers Workshop
In 2003, Yeager co-founded, along with Lane Keller, the Young Filmmakers Workshop (YFW), an organization designed to provide young people between the of ages 10–17 an opportunity to realize their dreams of becoming filmmakers, actors, and artisans through the creation of both narrative and documentary motion pictures. The resulting works are ultimately screened at a local movie theater in an event that includes a red carpetRed carpet
A red carpet is traditionally used to mark the route taken by heads of state on ceremonial and formal occasions, and has in recent decades been extended to use by VIPs and celebrities at formal events.- History :...
premiere, awards, and a raffle.
Other projects
In September, 2006 Yeager directed Suzanne Shepherd - A Gift of Fire, a documentary film about acclaimed New York CityNew York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
actor, director, and teacher Suzanne Shepherd
Suzanne Shepherd
Suzanne Shepherd is an American actress and theater director. She is best known for her portrayal of Karen's overbearing mother in the film Goodfellas, and Carmela's overbearing mother in the television program The Sopranos. Shepherd studied acting with Sanford Meisner, and later went on to teach...
, whose notable and varied roles include Tony Soprano
Tony Soprano
Anthony John "Tony" Soprano, Sr. is an Italian-American fictional character and the protagonist on the HBO television drama series The Sopranos, on which he is portrayed by James Gandolfini. The character was conceived by The Sopranos creator and show runner David Chase, who was also largely...
's mother-in-law on the series The Sopranos
The Sopranos
The Sopranos is an American television drama series created by David Chase that revolves around the New Jersey-based Italian-American mobster Tony Soprano and the difficulties he faces as he tries to balance the often conflicting requirements of his home life and the criminal organization he heads...
, as well as featured appearances in Goodfellas
Goodfellas
Goodfellas is a 1990 American crime film directed by Martin Scorsese. It is a film adaptation of the 1986 non-fiction book Wiseguy by Nicholas Pileggi, who co-wrote the screenplay with Scorsese...
, Lolita
Lolita
Lolita is a novel by Vladimir Nabokov, first written in English and published in 1955 in Paris and 1958 in New York, and later translated by the author into Russian...
, Uncle Buck
Uncle Buck
Uncle Buck is a 1989 John Hughes comedy film starring John Candy, Amy Madigan, Jean Louisa Kelly, Gaby Hoffman, and Macaulay Culkin, and co-stars Jay Underwood and Laurie Metcalf.-Plot:Bob Russell Uncle Buck is a 1989 John Hughes comedy film starring John Candy, Amy Madigan, Jean Louisa Kelly, Gaby...
and Living Out Loud
Living Out Loud
The film, set in New York City, stars Holly Hunter, Danny DeVito, Queen Latifah, Martin Donovan, and Claudia Shear.-Plot:Judith Moore had what she thought was a perfect marriage, both she and her husband studying to be doctors...
.
Steve Yeager is co-author of a book about Divine, called My Son Divine, written with Milstead's mother Frances.
Steve Yeager teaches film and acting-related courses at Towson University
Towson University
Towson University, often referred to as TU or simply Towson for short, is a public university located in Towson in Baltimore County, Maryland, U.S...
.
Filmography
| Year | Film Title | Function/Role | Notes | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1972 | Pink Flamingos Pink Flamingos Pink Flamingos is a 1972 transgressive black comedy film written, produced, composed, shot, edited, and directed by John Waters. When the film was initially released, it caused a huge degree of controversy and thus became one of the most notorious cult films ever made. It made an underground star... |
Actor; Role: Nat Kurzan, television reporter | While he was on set playing the reporter, Steve Yeager was also filming behind-the-scenes "making of" footage of John Waters and company, which would later be used in the creation of Divine Trash. | ||
| 1981 | Polyester Polyester Polyester is a category of polymers which contain the ester functional group in their main chain. Although there are many polyesters, the term "polyester" as a specific material most commonly refers to polyethylene terephthalate... |
Actor; Role: Cameo | |||
| 1985 | Aquarium | Director, editor | (Documentary Short) Recipient of the Grand Prize for Best Documentary at the Houston International Film Festival, 1985. | ||
| 1990 | On The Block | Director, Co-writer | (Drama) Film features Howard Rollins in a supporting role. | ||
| 1998 | Divine Trash Divine Trash Divine Trash is a 1998 documentary film directed by Steve Yeager about the life and work of John Waters.-Cast:*Steve Yeager*John Waters*Robert Shaye*Mink Stole*Divine *David Lochary *Edith Massey... |
Director | (Documentary) Guest appearances by John Waters, Robert Shaye, Mink Stole Mink Stole Nancy Paine Stoll better known by the stage name Mink Stole, is an American actress from Baltimore, Maryland. She began her career working for director John Waters, having appeared in all of his feature films to date... , Divine (archive footage), Edith Massey Edith Massey Edith Massey was an American actress and singer. Massey was best known for her appearances in a series of movies by director John Waters... (archive footage), Herschell Gordon Lewis Herschell Gordon Lewis Herschell Gordon Lewis is an American filmmaker, best known for creating the "splatter film" subgenre of horror... , Danny Mills, Mary Vivian Pearce Mary Vivian Pearce Mary Vivian Pearce is an American actress. She has worked primarily in the films of John Waters.Pearce is the childhood best friend of John Waters and has appeared as an actress in all of his films. Because of her work with Waters, she is considered one of the Dreamlanders, Waters' ensemble of... , Vincent Peranio Vincent Peranio Vincent Peranio is an American film and television production designer, art director, set designer, and actor.Peranio began his career designing film sets for John Waters... , Paul Swift, John Pierson, Hal Hartley, Steve Buscemi Steve Buscemi Steven Vincent "Steve" Buscemi is an American actor, writer and film director. An associate member of the renowned experimental theater company The Wooster Group, Buscemi has starred and supported in successful Hollywood and indie films including New York Stories, Mystery Train, Reservoir Dogs,... , Jim Jarmusch Jim Jarmusch James R. "Jim" Jarmusch is an American independent film director, screenwriter, actor, producer, editor and composer. Jarmusch has been a major proponent of independent cinema, particularly during the 1980s and 1990s.-Early life:... , Channing Wilroy, Mary Avara. Recipient of Filmmakers Trophy for Best Documentary at the Sundance Film Festival in 1998. |
||
| 2000 | In Bad Taste In Bad Taste In Bad Taste is the second documentary film from Steve Yeager, who had first made Divine Trash in 1998. The documentary follows the cinematic ideas of American filmmaker John Waters, and includes interviews with Waters and his ensemble cast, known as the Dreamlanders.-Cast:*Steve Yeager*John... |
Director | (Television Documentary) Follow-up film to Divine Trash. Guest appearances by John Waters, Steve Buscemi, Johnny Depp Johnny Depp John Christopher "Johnny" Depp II is an American actor, producer and musician. He has won the Golden Globe Award and Screen Actors Guild award for Best Actor. Depp rose to prominence on the 1980s television series 21 Jump Street, becoming a teen idol... , Divine, Debbie Harry Debbie Harry Deborah Ann "Debbie" Harry is an American singer-songwriter and actress, best known for being the lead singer of the punk rock and new wave band Blondie. She has also had success as a solo artist, and in the mid-1990s she performed and recorded as part of The Jazz Passengers... , Ricki Lake Ricki Lake Ricki Pamela Lake is an American actress, producer, and television host. She is best known for her starring role as Tracy Turnblad in the original Hairspray, her ground-breaking documentary film The Business of Being Born, and her talk show which was broadcasted internationally from... , Patricia Hearst, Danny Mills, Edith Massey, Mink Stole, Sam Waterston Sam Waterston Samuel Atkinson "Sam" Waterston is an American actor and occasional producer and director. Among other roles, he is noted for his Academy Award-nominated portrayal of Sydney Schanberg in 1984's The Killing Fields, and his Golden Globe- and Screen Actors Guild Award-winning portrayal of Jack McCoy... , Kathleen Turner Kathleen Turner Mary Kathleen Turner is an American actress. She came to fame during the 1980s, after roles in the Hollywood films Body Heat, Peggy Sue Got Married, Romancing the Stone, The War of the Roses, Who Framed Roger Rabbit and Prizzi's Honor... , David Lochar, Channing Wilroy |
||
| 2001 | The Connection | Director | Experimental film adapted from playwright Jack Gelber Jack Gelber Jack Gelber was an American playwright best known for his 1959 drama The Connection, depicting the life of drug-addicted jazz musicians. The first great success of the Living Theatre, the play was translated into five languages and produced in ten nations... 's drama about heroin addiction. |
||
| 2005 | If The Bough Breaks | Director | (Television Documentary) Film depiction of how the medical malpractice crisis affects both doctors and patients. | ||
| 2006 | Suzanne Shepherd - A Gift of Fire | Director | A work-in-progress. | ||
| 2006 | The Howard Rollins Story | Director | A work-in-progress. | ||
| 2009 | Crystal Fog | Writer/Director/Actor | (Drama) Original script and story based loosely on the troubled life and times of Steve Yeager's late younger brother. | ||
| 2010 | The Rosens | Writer/Director | Drama |
External links
- Steve Yeager IMDB page
- Online Reproduction of Performance magazine article (w/ links to photographs) about Corner Theatre "The Corner Theatre as a Cultural Oasis: Or will Yosemite Sam Find Happiness In The Vast Sahara Desert?"
- A Gift of Fire - Official Website
Related Articles & Misc.
- "The Corner Theatre as a Cultural Oasis: Or will Yosemite Sam Find Happiness In The Vast Sahara Desert?" Performance, Baltimore's Weekly Newspaper on July 13, 1972 (Vol I, #5)
- YFW