Bruce Steinberg has many titles – criminal defense attorney, novelist and sports columnist are among them.

Another title, playwright, is in the works and will become official when his latest novel-turned-stage play premieres in February in Naperville.

Steinberg, who lives in St. Charles and practices law in Batavia, published his third novel, "My Occasional Torment," this month under the pen name Bee Robb – a name that's a throwback to his childhood and a sort of inside joke within his family. The stage play of the same name is a collaboration among friends old and new to Steinberg.

And it all started with Keith Brown, chief judge of the 16th Judicial Circuit, whom Steinberg calls the "human catalyst." The two have known each other on the legal side since the late 1980s, but it wasn't until the last few years that they came to know one another on the arts side of things. At a screenplay party the two attended about a year and a half ago in Elgin, Brown said reading the different parts of a Steinberg screenplay was some of the most fun at a party he'd ever had. "People were just excited," Brown said.

That night ultimately led to the two talking about Steinberg's other writings, including "My Occasional Torment." Brown eventually introduced Steinberg to Daniel Nigg of Nigg Media Productions. From that meeting, the idea for a stage play adaptation of "My Occasional Torment" was born. Not long after that, Nigg's brother-in-law, Rob Kaye was directing and acting in the show, which would star his wife, Donna Kaye in the lead role.

Breathing life into the roles

Still in its early stages, in July of this year, the actors did a reading of the play, and the weight of the reality of the production hit Steinberg, who says he couldn't feel how real it was until that moment.

"I didn't realize how dramatic this [story] was until the actors got to it," Steinberg said. Seeing the actors breathe life into the roles he created "was absolutely wonderful."

Steinberg said there hasn't been a negative aspect to the collaboration between writer, director and actors, and that he's enjoyed adapting his story for the stage. For Rob Kaye, the chance to work so closely with the writer has been a new and welcome experience.

"I really wanted this vision he had in his head to come true," Kaye said. "So to be able to talk to the author and really go in depth ... it's been a terrific way from my standpoint to be able to work on the show because I feel confident that what I come up with or what I direct the actors to do comes from the mind of the author."

For Nigg, the script and story struck a chord as something that would resonate with audiences.

"My perspective is to help Bruce as an author reach a broader audience for his book, for his writings, by using different tools that are available," Nigg said.

If all goes well with the play, those tools eventually could include a screenplay. Before that can happen, though, they'll see how well it does on stage.

On writing

Writing always has served a greater purpose than getting published, Steinberg says. He wrote his first book, "The Widow's Son," to better know and understand his brother.

At 8 years old, along with his 12-year-old brother and 9-year-old sister, Steinberg saw his father die of complications from a car crash he'd been involved in. Besides his mother, he says the family never really talked about the experience. In writing "The Widow's Son," told from the point of view of a young boy, Steinberg says he was able to break that silence, first within himself and ultimately with his brother, too.

In this way, writing is first and foremost a personal venture for Steinberg.

"Because of the writing, I got closer with my family, my son," he said. "Because of the writing, I got closer to this community ... I got to appreciate my mother a lot better. So the writing has been so beneficial."

After succeeding in writing his first novel from the point of view of a young boy – "The Widow's Son" won a manuscript contest with 50 to 60 other writers before it ever was published – Steinberg didn't see it as too much of a stretch to undertake another point of view challenge. "My Occasional Torment" is told from the point of view of a middle-aged woman dealing with life and the experiences it presents.

"The idea of writing from the point of view of a woman, having grown up with my mother and sister ... to me wasn't far-fetched," Steinberg said. "People will have to tell me if I got it right."

At least a few people – Kaye, Nigg and Brown, to name a few – already think Steinberg got it right and are excited to see the play come to fruition in February.

"He really knows how to get in peoples' heads," Brown said. "Especially the way he was able to express things about females. I was amazed."

If you go

What: "My Occasional Torment"

When: Feb. 18-26

Where: Center Stage Theater, Naperville

Information: For tickets to the show or information, call the Center Stage Theater box office at 630-470-6393