ACT OUT OPENING: The Motherf**ker with the hat Now Playing at Steppenwolf

Directed by ensemble member Anna D. Shapiro Featuring Sandra Delgado, Sandra Marquez, John Ortiz, Gary Perez and Jimmy Smits December 28, 2012 - March 3, 2013 Things are looking up for recovering alcoholic Jackie and his girlfriend Veronica—until Jackie spots another man's hat in their apartment and embarks on a sublimely incompetent quest for vengeance. Fast-paced and uproarious, Mother is a gleefully foul-mouthed look at modern love and other addictions. Ensemble member Anna D. Shapiro, director of the acclaimed Broadway premiere, returns to direct the Steppenwolf production. STEPPENWOLF THEATRE COMPANY RINGS IN THE NEW YEAR WITH THE HIGHLY ANTICIPATED, THE MOTHERF**KER WITH THE HAT ENSEMBLE MEMBER ANNA D. SHAPIRO RETURNS TO DIRECT, FOLLOWING HER HIT BROADWAY PRODUCTION, DECEMBER 28, 2012 – MARCH 3, 2013 IN THE DOWNSTAIRS THEATRE Performances of Steppenwolf Theatre Company’s highly anticipated production of The Motherf**ker with the Hat by Stephen Adly Guirgis start in just two weeks. Ensemble member Anna D. Shapiro directs following the Tony Award-nominated Broadway premiere, with an all-star ensemble cast featuring Sandra Delgado, Sandra Marquez, Gary Perez, John Ortiz and Jimmy Smits and members of the original design team: scenic designer Todd Rosenthal, lighting designer Donald Holder and composer Terence Blanchard. The Motherf**ker with the Hatruns through March 3, 2013 in Steppenwolf’s Downstairs Theatre (1650 N Halsted St). Tickets ($20 – $86) are on sale now. This play contains adult language. Things are looking up for recovering alcoholic Jackie and his girlfriend Veronica—until Jackie spots another man's hat in their apartment and embarks on a sublimely incompetent quest for vengeance. Fast-paced and uproarious, Mother is a gleefully foul-mouthed look at modern love and other addictions. “I think what Stephen is up to in the play is that he is creating people who may seem different from the ones sitting next to us in the theater but who become, over the course of the play, deeply human, deeply familiar and deeply sympathetic. And the play is funny! And surprising,” comments Artistic Director Martha Lavey. “The language is musical and poetic and deeply passionate. Stephen has created characters whose mode of expression is both energized and bound by a profusion of profanity.” The cast of The Motherf**ker with the Hat features Sandra Delgado as Veronica, Sandra Marquez as Victoria, Gary Perez as Cousin Julio, John Ortiz as Jackie andJimmy Smits as Ralph D. The production team includes: Todd Rosenthal (scenic design), Linda Roethke (costume design), Donald Holder (lighting design), Rob Milburn and Michael Bodeen (sound design) and Terence Blanchard (original music). Additional credits include: Erica Daniels (casting), Matt Hawkins (fight choreographer), Cecilie O’Reilly (voice coach) Kim Osgood (stage manager) and Christine D. Freeburg (assistant stage manager). Photos and bio information for all artists are available upon request. Tickets to The Motherf**ker with the Hat ($20 – $86) are currently on sale through Audience Services (1650 N Halsted St), 312-335-1650 and steppenwolf.org. 20 for $20: twenty $20 tickets are available through Audience Services beginning at 11am on the day of each performance (1pm for Sunday performances).  Rush Tickets: half-price rush tickets are available one hour before each show.  Student Discounts: a limited number of $15 student tickets are available online using promo code “HAT15”. Limit 2 tickets per student; must present a valid student ID for each ticket. For additional student discounts, visit steppenwolf.org/students. Group Tickets: all groups of 10 or more receive a discounted rate for any performance throughout the season. For additional information, visit steppenwolf.org/groups. Free post-show discussions are offered after every performance in the Subscription Season. Steppenwolf is located near all forms of public transportation and is wheelchair accessible. Street and lot parking are available. Assistive listening devices and large-print programs are available for every performance. Director Anna D. Shapiro joined the Steppenwolf Theatre Company ensemble in 2005 and was awarded the 2008 Tony Award for Best Direction of a Play for August: Osage County (Steppenwolf Theatre Company, Broadway, London). She was nominated in 2011 in the same category for The Motherf**ker with the Hat (The Public Theater, LAByrinth Theater Company). Other directing credits at Steppenwolf Theatre Company include Three Sisters, A Parallelogram, Up, The Crucible, The Unmentionables (also at Yale Repertory Theatre), The Pain and the Itch (also in New York), I Never Sang for My Father, Man from Nebraska, Purple Heart (also in Galway, Ireland), The Drawer Boy, Side Man (also in Ireland, Australia and Vail, Colorado), Three Days of Rain and The Infidel. Other credits include A Number (American Conservatory Theater); The Drawer Boy (Paper Mill Playhouse); Iron (Manhattan Theatre Club); and The Infidel (Philadelphia Theatre Company). She is a graduate of the Yale School of Drama and Columbia College Chicago and is the recipient of the 1996 Princess Grace Award. She is a full professor in Northwestern University’s Department of Theatre and has served as the director of the MFA in Directing program since 2002. Playwright Stephen Adly Guirgis is co-artistic director of New York City's LAByrinth Theater Company. His plays have been produced on five continents and throughout the United States. They include Our Lady of 121st Street (Drama Desk, Lucille Lortel, Outer Critics Circle Best Play nominations, 10 best plays of 2003), Jesus Hopped the 'A' Train (Edinburgh Festival Fringe First Award, Barrymore Award, Olivier Nomination for London's Best New Play), In Arabia, We'd All Be Kings (2007 LA Drama Critics Best Play, Best Writing Award), The Last Days of Judas Iscariot (10 Best, Time magazine and Entertainment Weekly) and The Little Flower of East Orange (starring Elen Burstyn and Michael Shannon) at The Public Theater. All five plays were originally produced by LAByrinth Theater Company and directed by Philip Seymour Hoffman. The Motherf**ker with the Hat marks his third consecutive world premiere co-production with The Public Theater. In London, his plays have premiered at The Donmar Warehouse, The Almeida (directed by Rupert Goold), The Hampstead (directed by Robert Delamere) and at The Arts in the West End. Other plays include Den of Thieves(HERE, HAI Theater Festival) and Dominica the Fat Ugly Ho (directed Adam Rapp) for the 2006 E.S.T. Marathon. He has received a 2006 PEN/Laura Pels Award, a 2006 Whiting Award and a 2004 TCG fellowship, new play commissions from Manhattan Theatre Club, Center Theater Group and South Coast Repertory, and is a member of LAByrinth Theater Company, New Dramatists, MCC's Playwright's Coalition, Ojai Playwrights Festival and New River Dramatists. Television writing credits include NYPD Blue, The Sopranos, David Milch's CBS drama Big Apple and Shane Salerno's NBC series UC: Undercover. As an actor, Stephen has had leading film roles in Todd Solondz's Palindromes, Brett C. Leonard's Jailbait (opposite Michael Pitt) and in Kenneth Lonergan's upcoming Margaret. Other film credits include Philip Seymour Hoffman's Jack Goes Boating, Charlie Kaufman’s Synecdoche New York, Adam Rapp's Blackbird, Noah Buschel's Neal Cassady as well as Meet Joe Black (directed by Martin Brest), Noise (directed by Henry Bean), Trainwreck: My Life as an Idiot (directed by Todd Harrsion Williams) and television’s Law and Order. He directed Liza Colon-Zayas' Sistah Supreme for Danny Hoch's Hip Hop Theater Festival, Marco Greco's award-winning Behind the Counter with Mussolini in New York and Los Angeles and Melanie Maras's Kiss Me on the Mouth (InViolet Rep/CSNY). A former HIV Educator and Violence Prevention Specialist, he lives in New York City. Steppenwolf Theatre Company is America’s longest standing, most distinguished ensemble theater, producing nearly 700 performances and events annually in its three Chicago theater spaces—the 515-seat Downstairs Theatre, the 299-seat Upstairs Theatre and the 80-seat Garage Theatre. Formed in 1976 by a collective of actors, Steppenwolf has grown into an ensemble of 43 actors, writers and directors. Artistic programming at Steppenwolf includes a five-play Subscription Season, a two-play Steppenwolf for Young Adults season and three repertory series: First Look Repertory of New Work, Garage Rep and Next Up. While firmly grounded in the Chicago community, nearly 40 original Steppenwolf productions have enjoyed success both nationally and internationally, including Off-Broadway, Broadway, London, Sydney and Dublin. Steppenwolf has the distinction of being the only theater to receive the National Medal of Arts, in addition to numerous other prestigious honors including an Illinois Arts Legend Award and nine Tony Awards. Martha Lavey is the Artistic Director and David Hawkanson is the Executive Director. Nora Daley is Chair of Steppenwolf’s Board of Trustees. For additional information, visit steppenwolf.org, facebook.com/steppenwolftheatre and twitter.com/steppenwolfthtr. The 2012/13 Subscription Season also includes The Birthday Party by Harold Pinter, directed by ensemble member Austin Pendleton (January 24 – April 28, 2013) in the Upstairs Theatre; Head of Passes by ensemble member Tarell Alvin McCraney, directed by ensemble member Tina Landau (April 4 – June 9, 2013) in the Downstairs Theatre; and Belleville by Amy Herzog, directed by Anne Kauffman (June 27 – August 25, 2013) in the Downstairs Theatre.

Steppenwolf Stepping Up To End Youth Violence & Intolerance

This morning, heads of Steppenwolf Theatre Company, Chicago Public Library and Facing History and Ourselves announced Now Is The Time, a season-long initiative to inspire a citywide conversation about making positive change in our communities to stop the trend of youth violence and intolerance.  The above photo is from this morning’s press conference.

CHICAGO
PUBLIC LIBRARY, FACING HISTORY AND OURSELVES,

AND
STEPPENWOLF THEATRE COMPANY ANNOUNCE NOW
IS THE TIME

THREE
CHICAGO INSTITUTIONS UNITE ARTISTS AND YOUTH IN A SEASON-LONG,

CITYWIDE
CALL TO ACTION AGAINST YOUTH VIOLENCE AND INTOLERANCE

Heads of the Chicago Public Library, Facing History and Ourselves and Steppenwolf Theatre Company announced today a season-long initiative to inspire a citywide conversation about making positive change in our communities to stop the trend of youth violence and intolerance. These three Chicago institutions have joined forces for Now Is The Time (NITT), a themed initiative throughout 2012/13 linking major projects at each institution, including the Fall 2012 One Book, One Chicago selection, Markus Zusak’s The Book Thief, a staged adaptation of Zusak’s book at Steppenwolf Theatre Company, and a major Facing History and Ourselves exhibit titled “Choosing to Participate.” 

 

Each institution, through these major projects and under the Now Is The Time umbrella, will focus outreach and programming on questions of social activism and civic responsibility, particularly among Chicago’s youth. Also engaging in related programming will be DePaul University students and more than 15 Chicago-area theater companies, along with additional organizations to be announced later. The citywide project was announced during a press conference this morning at the Chicago Public Library.

“Violence involving young people has become all too common in our society,” said Mayor Rahm Emanuel.  “It’s time for all of us, in every community, to come together to talk about ways to resolve our differences without violence and how to treat each other with respect.  I applaud these three institutions and the funders of this initiative for creating the space for us to do just that, especially with our young adults.”

“In recent years, violence towards youth has become overwhelming. As theater artists working in schools, the teens we work closely with in the classroom are scared to be outside in their neighborhoods or face torment at school from bullying,” commented Hallie Gordon, Artistic and Educational Director, Steppenwolf for Young Adults. “As artists, we have a unique opportunity to help teens give voice to this epidemic. We encourage our civic partners and other cultural organizations to join us—now is the time.”

The initial roster of Now Is The Time projects includes:

August 27 – November 11, 2012: Facing History and Ourselves brings the powerful multimedia exhibit Choosing to Participate to the Chicago Public Library’s Harold Washington Library Center. This free exhibit encourages young people to recognize the importance of a democratic society through installations about people whose stories illustrate courage, initiative and compassion—including a display about local unsung heroes making a difference in Chicago.

Summer 2012 – Winter 2013: YOUmedia, a teen learning space housed at the Chicago Public Library, will use the themes of NITT for workshops on digital media creation, developing teens’ skills in critical thinking, creativity and tangible digital media skills, all the while engaging them in this conversation on civic responsibility.

October 2012: Markus Zusak’s The Book Thief is the Fall 2012 selection for One Book, One Chicago. The award-winning 2006 novel explores young people’s choices and their potential as civic participants. The author will visit the Chicago Public Library and participate in events with the public, with teachers and librarians, and with high school students.

October 16 – November 11, 2012: In Fall 2012, Steppenwolf Theatre Company will produce a stage adaptation of The Book Thief, adapted by Heidi Stillman, directed by Hallie Gordon, as part of the theater’s Steppenwolf for Young Adults program, combining play production with educational components to enhance arts education for young audiences, as well as their teachers and families.

February – March 2013: Oral histories about youth violence, collected from across the city by DePaul University students, will be used to create a play at Steppenwolf, curated by Professor Miles Harvey. Traveling to libraries in different communities across the city, each reading will be followed by a teen-led workshop.

September 2012 – May 2013: More than 15 of Chicago’s finest theater companies are also involved in NITT through their unique commitment to the campaign, Now Is The Time to A.C.T: Affect Change through Theater. Confirmed participating companies include: About Face Theatre, American Theatre Company, Lookingglass Theatre Company, Victory Gardens Theater, Writers’ Theatre, Chicago Shakespeare Theater, Congo Square Theatre, Free Street Theater, A Red Orchid Theatre, Northlight Theatre, Adventure Stage Chicago, Chicago Children’s Theatre, The House Theatre of Chicago, Storycatchers Theatre, Lifeline Theatre, Raven Theatre and more. These companies have all pledged to focus their 2012/13 programming on issues of youth violence and will present productions, panel discussions and teen-centered community events in conjunction with NITT. A youth council will be drawn from teen members at each participating theater company.

“One Book, One Chicago has a 10 year history of bringing together Chicagoans of diverse backgrounds to discuss issues around a specific piece of literature.  While The Book Thief is set 70 years ago, sadly the topics it addresses are very much alive today:  intolerance and violence.  Now Is The Time offers all of Chicago a wonderful opportunity to create, as the Dalai Lama recently called for, ‘a century of dialogue.’  The Library is proud to partner with Steppenwolf Theatre Company and Facing History and Ourselves to start that conversation,” said Chicago Public Library Commissioner Brian Bannon.

"Facing History and Ourselves is thrilled to bring an exhibit to Chicago that examines the impact of racism and injustice and the consequences of choices we make every day to help build inclusive or exclusive communities,” said Bonnie Oberman, Chicago director of Facing History and Ourselves. “We know that the privilege of partnering with the Chicago Public Library and the Steppenwolf Theatre means that thousands of Chicagoans will have access to a citywide conversation around issues critically important to all of us."

The goal of Now Is The Time is to spur youth activism and creative self-expression around the themes of social responsibility and civic engagement. Youth involved in NITT will participate in skill-building around their interests such as design, spoken word, music, film, writing, performance and digital media creation which they can share with fellow citizens via the Now Is The Time website. Participating youth will be better prepared for the demands of citizenship by being supported to think critically, to empathize, to recognize moral choices, and to make their voices heard.

Now Is The Time provides ample opportunities for additional program partners, large and small, from around the Chicago area. Throughout 2012/13, NITT’s call to action will inspire themed activities from organizations engaged in theater arts, youth work, digital media, education; participants connect via the NITT website, nowisthetimechicago.org.

Now Is The Time is funded by the Hive Learning Network, an initiative of the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation; and the Smart Chicago Collaborative fund of the Chicago Community Trust.

ABOUT THE PARTNER ORGANIZATIONS
Since first opening its doors to the public in 1873, the Chicago Public Library has maintained its status of one of the City’s most democratic of institutions — providing all Chicagoans with a free and open place to gather, learn, connect, read and be transformed. The more than 70 locations of the Chicago Public Library are at the forefront of providing innovative library services, technologies and tools Chicagoans need to achieve their personal goals and to establish the City’s role as a competitive force in the global marketplace. Through its rich and current book collections, state of the art technology and cultural and public partnerships, the Chicago Public Library is a thriving, engaged leader in Chicago’s diverse neighborhoods. Throughout its 139-year history, the Chicago Public Library has always encouraged Chicagoans of all ages to make reading a priority. Since the fall of 2001, One Book, One Chicago has encouraged Chicagoans of all backgrounds and ages to read the same book at the same time, and come together to discuss a great piece of literature. The Fall 2012 One Book, One Chicago is presented by the Chicago Public Library, the Chicago Public Library Foundation, Allstate and BMO Harris. For additional information, visit chicagopubliclibrary.org.

Facing History and Ourselves is a leader in history and civic education. For more than 35 years, the international education organization has been linking the past to the moral and ethical questions of our time through a rigorous examination of the root causes of antisemitism, racism, and other hatreds. The overarching goal is to help young people understand the importance of their choices in building a just, inclusive society and to empower them to be active, informed, compassionate citizens in their schools and communities. Facing History's quality resources, professional development, and public forums provide opportunities for students and adults to explore the connections between history and their own lives. Facing History reaches 1.9 million students each year through a network of 50,000 educators. In 2009, the Facing History and Ourselves website received more than 700,000 visits from people in 215 countries, with 2.6 million page views. The Chicago office of Facing History and Ourselves celebrated its 20^th Anniversary in 2010. More information is available at facinghistory.org.

Steppenwolf Theatre Company is one of the nation’s leading ensemble theaters, producing annually up to 16 productions and nearly 700 performances, readings and other events in its three Chicago theater spaces—the 515-seat Downstairs Theatre, the 299-seat Upstairs Theatre and the 80-seat Garage Theatre. Formed in 1976 by a collective of actors, Steppenwolf has grown into an ensemble of 43 actors, writers and directors. Artistic programming at Steppenwolf includes a five-play Subscription Season, a two-play Steppenwolf for Young Adults season and three repertory series: First Look Repertory of New Work, Garage Rep and Next Up. While firmly grounded in the Chicago community that has been its home for 36 years, nearly 40 original Steppenwolf productions have enjoyed success both nationally and internationally, including Off-Broadway, Broadway, London, Sydney and Dublin. Steppenwolf has the distinction of being the only theater to receive the National Medal of Arts, in addition to numerous other prestigious honors including a Pulitzer Prize for ensemble member Tracy Letts’ August: Osage County, an Illinois Arts Legend Award and nine Tony Awards. Martha Lavey is the Artistic Director and David Hawkanson is the Executive Director. Nora Daley is Chair of Steppenwolf’s Board of Trustees. For additional information, visit steppenwolf.org, facebook.com/steppenwolftheatre and twitter.com/steppenwolfthtr.