Steppenwolf 2016/17 Season Begins With Visiting Edna In Previews Starting September 15th and Opening the 27th

What's On Tap For Steppenwolf

As previously announced, the complete 2016/17 Subscription Season includes the world premiere of Visiting Edna by David Rabe, directed by Artistic Director Anna D. Shapiro (September 15 – November 6, 2016); the world premiere of The Fundamentals by Erika Sheffer, directed by ensemble member Yasen Peyankov (November 10 – December 23, 2016); the Chicago premiere of The Christians by Lucas Hnath, directed by ensemble member K. Todd Freeman (December 1, 2016 – January 29, 2017); the Chicago premiere of Straight White Men, written and directed by Young Jean Lee (February 2 – March 19, 2017); the world premiere of Linda Vista by ensemble member Tracy Letts, directed by Dexter Bullard (March 30 – May 21, 2017); and the Chicago premiere of Hir by Taylor Mac, directed by Hallie Gordon (June 29 – August 20, 2017). 

Dexter Bullard will direct the world premiere production of ensemble member Tracy Letts’s Linda Vista and Hallie Gordon will direct the Chicago premiere of Taylor Mac’s Hir. 

Dexter Bullard last directed Steppenwolf’s critically acclaimed production of Annie Baker’s The Flick this season. Hallie Gordon, who serves as  Steppenwolf Artistic Producer and Artistic Director of Steppenwolf for Young Adults (SYA), has directed several SYA productions including George Orwell’s 1984 last season. Gordon will also direct next season’s SYA adaptation of Walter Dean Myers’s Monster.

An additional seventh play, the world premiere of Pass Over by Antoinette Nwandu, will be produced in May 2017 in the Upstairs Theatre. Winner of the Lorraine Hansberry Playwriting Award, Antoinette Nwandu is an exciting new voice in the American theater. Pass Over will run in the non-subscription summer slot; however, subscribers will have access to pre-sale tickets. The director is TBA.

With the larger and more diverse selection of programming next season, Steppenwolf is increasing the ways in which audiences can experience the offerings with the new Steppenwolf Black Card, a membership program offering extreme flexibility. The Steppenwolf Black Card provides six ticket credits that can be used at any time for any production at Steppenwolf. The credits are valid for one year, and there is the option to add on additional credits as needed. Additional perks include easy and free exchanges, access to seats before the general public, savings on single ticket prices and bar and restaurant discounts for pre- and post-show socializing. 

The Steppenwolf Black Card is available through Audience Services (1650 N. Halsted) at 312.335.1650 and steppenwolf.org 

Season Subscription Packages are still available and are currently on sale. Packages start at $100. Student, educator and access discount subscriptions also offered. To purchase a 2016/17 subscription, visit Audience Services at 1650 N Halsted St, call 312-335-1650 or visit steppenwolf.org.

Director Bios

Dexter Bullard has strong ties with Steppenwolf, having most recently directed Annie Baker’s The Flick and having directed ensemble member Tracy Letts’s Bug at the Barrow Street Theater, for which he received the 2004 Lucille Lortel Award for Outstanding Direction Off-Broadway. He has directed for Steppenwolf’s First Look Repertory of New Work in 2006 and 2013. Recent directing credits include the critically acclaimed production of Sucker Punch at Victory Gardens Theater, Big Meal at American Theatre Company and Craig Wright’s Grace at Northlight Theatre. He is the head of Graduate Acting and Showcase Artistic Director with The Theatre School at DePaul University.  

Hallie Gordon serves as Artistic Director of Steppenwolf for Young Adults and an Artistic Producer at Steppenwolf. Along with selecting the young adult productions each season, she has created the Young Adult Council, a group of high school students who collectively help to create innovative programming for their peers. Previously as SYA’s Education Director, Gordon worked closely with the Chicago Public Schools to create an environment in which all students and teachers have access to the theater. For Steppenwolf, Hallie has directed George Orwell’s 1984 and Animal Farm, as well as Leveling Up, The Book Thief, The Heart is a Lonely Hunter, To Kill a Mockingbird, the world premiere of a new adaptation by Tanya Saracho of The House on Mango Street and Harriet Jacobs, adapted for the stage by Lydia R. Diamond. A world premiere of Toni Morrison’s The Bluest Eye, also adapted by Lydia R. Diamond, won a Black Excellence Award from the African American Arts Alliance of Chicago and also transferred Off-Broadway to The New Victory Theatre. She is the recipient of The Helen Coburn Meier & Time Meier Achievement Award. Gordon most recently directed Dry Land at Rivendell Theatre Ensemble, playing now through May 28, 2016. For SYA’s 2016/17 season Gordon will direct an adaptation of Walter Dean Myers’s Monster.

About the Steppenwolf Black Card

Steppenwolf is excited to offer a larger and more diverse selection of programming next season, and to that end has increased the ways in which audiences can experience the offerings. Launching next season is the new Steppenwolf Black Card, a membership program offering extreme flexibility. The Steppenwolf Black Card provides six ticket credits that can be used at any time for any production at Steppenwolf. The credits are valid for one year, and there is the option to add on additional credits as needed. Additional perks include easy and free exchanges, access to seats before the general public, savings on single ticket prices and bar and restaurant discounts for pre- and post-show socializing. 

“We have heard from our audiences that they crave both choice and flexibility. The Steppenwolf Black Card will provide insider access to everything we have to offer, making it easier than ever to be a part of Steppenwolf,” shares Managing Director David Schmitz.  

Audiences will be able to choose from three Steppenwolf Black Card options: Anytime ($70 a credit to use any way, any day of the week); Weeknight ($50 a credit to use Sunday evening –Thursday evening) and Preview ($30 a credit to use towards early performances in the run). Steppenwolf Black Cards will go on sale July 15, 2016 through Audience Services at 312-335-1650 or steppenwolf.org.

The Steppenwolf Black Card is modeled after the popular Steppenwolf Red Card, which offers audiences under the age of 30 the option to purchase six ticket credits at a discounted price to use towards any play, anytime.

Still available will be Steppenwolf’s Season Subscriptions including the Preview Series, Regular Series and Dinner Theatre Series, in addition to discounted Student/Educator Series, Accessible Series and Saver Series. With the new season format, subscribers will see five plays; four in the Downstairs Theatre with the option to choose between two shows in the Upstairs Theatre. Packages start at $100 and are currently available for purchase through Audience Services at 1650 N Halsted St, call 312-335-1650 or visit steppenwolf.org. 

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 1700 Theatre. Formed in 1976 by a collective of actors, Steppenwolf has grown into an ensemble of 46 actors, writers and directors. Beginning in 2016/17, Steppenwolf expands artistic programming to include a seven-play Season; a two-play Steppenwolf for Young Adults season; Visiting Company engagements; and LookOut, a new multidisciplinary performance series. While firmly grounded in the Chicago community, nearly 40 original Steppenwolf productions have enjoyed success both nationally and internationally, including Broadway, Off-Broadway, London, Sydney, Galway 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 12 Tony Awards. Anna D. Shapiro is the Artistic Director and David Schmitz is the Managing Director. Nora Daley is Chair of Steppenwolf’s Board of Trustees. 

For additional information, visit www.steppenwolf.org, facebook.com/steppenwolftheatre and twitter.com/steppenwolfthtr.

Theatre Thursdays Offer World Premiere Productions And Exclusive Access to Artists.

League of Chicago Theatres Announces

Theatre Thursdays Series for 2016-2017 Season

Series Includes Carroll Gardens (16^th Street Theater), A Life Extra Ordinary (The Gift Theatre),

Cinderella at the Theater of Potatoes (The Hypocrites),

The Rip Nelson Holiday Spectacular (Hell in a Handbag Productions),

Mr. and Mrs. Pennyworth (Lookingglass Theatre Company),

The Wolf at the End of the Block (Teatro Vista), The Snare (Jackalope Theatre Company),

Linda Vista (Steppenwolf Theatre Company), and Relativity (Northlight Theatre)

The League of Chicago Theatres announces the Theatre Thursdays line-up for the 2016-2017 Chicago theatre season including world premiere productions of Carroll Gardens (16th Street Theater), A Life Extra Ordinary (The Gift Theatre), Cinderella at the Theater of Potatoes (The Hypocrites), The Rip Nelson Holiday Spectacular (Hell in a Handbag Productions), Mr. and Mrs. Pennyworth (Lookingglass Theatre Company), The Wolf at the End of the Block (Teatro Vista), The Snare (Jackalope Theatre Company), Linda Vista (Steppenwolf Theatre Company), and Relativity (Northlight Theatre).  Additional information for each event is available at http://bit.ly/theatrethursdays.

The Theatre Thursdays initiative, first launched in 2005, strengthens and diversifies the Chicago theatre community by encouraging Chicagoans to explore new venues and companies. Last season, the League revamped the program to focus on new work with twelve Theatre Thursday events, one per month. Each monthly event provides audiences with a world premiere production and an inside look at the creative process behind new works, including exclusive access to artists.

The 2016-2017 series includes:

Thursday, September 22

CARROLL GARDENS

Written by A. Zell Williams

Directed by Ann Filmer

16^th Street Theater at the Berwyn Cultural Center, 6420 16^th Street in Berwyn

Event begins at 6:30 pm, Show begins at 7:30 pm

Tickets $18 at http://boxoffice.printtixusa.com/16thstreet/eventcalendar with promo code: THRTHURS

Join 16th Street Theater for a world-premiere of A. Zell Williams's comedy, Carroll Gardens. Theatre Thursday guests are invited to a pre-show beer tasting courtesy of Oak Park's Kinslahger Brewing Company at 6:30pm. Stay after the show for a conversation with director Ann Filmer and the cast.

Davis and Robby were childhood friends. But that was a long time ago. Now Davis lives in Brooklyn which is a long way from Stockton, CA, in all ways. When Robby shows up unexpected on Davis' doorstep, Robby's brash nature sparks conflicts amongst Davis' new circle spurring debates of race and class and forcing Davis to question who he has remade himself to be and where his loyalty lies.

Thursday, October 13, 2016

A LIFE EXTRA ORDINARY

Written by Melissa Ross

Directed by John Gawlik

The Gift Theatre, 4802 N. Milwaukee in Jefferson Park

Event details for this Theatre Thursday event will be announced closer to the date.

Annabel Anderson McCafferty is an expectant mother who vanishes from her small Ohio town on Christmas Eve. Both mystery and memory play, A Life Extra Ordinary untangles and re-assembles the moments that make a life.

Thursday, November 17, 2016

CINDERELLA AT THE THEATER OF POTATOES 

Written by Andra Velis Simon

Based on Cendrillon and other compositions by Pauline Viardot-Garcia

Directed by Sean Graney

The Hypocrites at The Den Theatre, 1333 N. Milwaukee Ave. in Wicker Park

Event details for this Theatre Thursday event will be announced closer to the date.

Adapted from Pauline Viardot-Garcia’s 1904 opera Cendrillon, and many of her other compositions, Andra Velis Simon’s musical-play is an elegantly irreverent exploration of the classic fairy tale. Here, Cinderella’s version of happily-ever-after does not include acceptance by the Prince. In the actor-as-orchestra style of The Hypocrites’ Gilbert & Sullivan opera work, Artistic Director Sean Graney directs this fun holiday-time show, perfect for the whole family. From the co-adapter of H.M.S. Pinafore and director of All Our Tragic.

Thursday, December 8, 2016

THE RIP NELSON HOLIDAY SPECTACULAR 

Written by David Cerda

Directed by Steve Love

Hell in a Handbag Productions at Mary’s Attic, 5400 N. Clark St. in Andersonville

Event details for this Theatre Thursday event will be announced closer to the date.

We close the year with an old friend and Handbag creation, Rip Nelson played by Handbag favorite, Ed Jones (think, the mutant love child of Paul Lynde, Rip Taylor and Charles Nelson Reilly) in The Rip Nelson Holiday Spectacular, a show that makes The Brady Bunch Variety Hour look like Citizen Kane.

It’s 1982 and a newly sober Rip (ensemble member Ed Jones) manages to land another TV special after the death of his arch-rival, Paul Lynde. Rip is determined to get his career back on track but can he handle the stress of a network television special and stay sober? Luckily he’s got help from a cavalcade of the hottest stars of 1982! Rip pulls every trick in the book to breathe some life in the dying variety series format and save his career but soon questions if his career is worth saving.

Thursday, January 26, 2017

MR. AND MRS. PENNYWORTH 

Written and Directed by Ensemble Member Doug Hara

Puppetry by Blair Thomas

Lookingglass Theatre Company, 821 N. Michigan Ave., Downtown Chicago

Event details for this Theatre Thursday event will be announced closer to the date.

Traveling storytellers Mr. and Mrs. Pennyworth captivate audiences with spell-binding tales. But one day, The Big Bad Wolf mysteriously dies before his story is complete. Fairytales disappear from the pages, characters are utterly forgotten, and Mr. and Mrs. Pennyworth must journey through the stories to restore order before they are lost forever.

Written and directed by Ensemble Member Doug Hara, this world-premiere weaves an exceptional story of adventure, love, and unexpected endings. Influenced by Neil Gaiman and other fantasy writers, Mr. and Mrs. Pennyworth is brought to life through the wondrous puppetry of Blair Thomas and reveals the transformational power of storytelling.

Thursday, February 9, 2017

THE WOLF AT THE END OF THE BLOCK 

Written by Ike Holter

Featuring Ensemble Members Sandra Márquez and Gabe Ruíz

Teatro Vista at the Victory Gardens Biograph Theater, 2433 N. Lincoln Ave. in Lincoln Park

Event details for this Theatre Thursday event will be announced closer to the date.

Chicago. Fall. One night, a boarded up bar on the dark side of the block becomes a terrifying crime scene. In the following 48 hours, the neighborhood digs deep into escalating mystery, working against time to separate fact from fiction. But as the clock ticks down, the clues spiral into a razor sharp jigsaw, and what began as a simple mystery quickly twists into a personal, pointed and political thriller. The Wolf at The End of The Block is a full-length play with five characters, three of which are Latino. The play explores the issues of racial profiling, media manipulation and family relationships. Highly charged, Holter’s story is brutally raw, funny and deftly pierces universal truths.

Thursday, March 9, 2017

THE SNARE 

Written by Samantha Beach

Directed by Elana Boulos

Jackalope Theatre Company at the Broadway Armory, 5917 N. Broadway in Edgewater

Event details for this Theatre Thursday event will be announced closer to the date.

Ruth is your average eighth-grader, keeping busy with basketball, preparing for her school’s Civil War Day, and trying to be more like her babysitter. One night, in the quiet of her bedroom, Ruth hears the voice of the devil, telling her to take action. Unprepared, Ruth’s pastor mom and family struggle to walk a path between pragmatism and faith. In this world premiere play about good vs. evil, and growing up, the question is: who will you believe?

Thursday, April 13, 2017

LINDA VISTA 

A world premiere by ensemble member Tracy Letts

Featuring ensemble members Ian Barford and Tim Hopper

Steppenwolf Theatre Company, 1650 N. Halsted in Lincoln Park

Event details for this Theatre Thursday event will be announced closer to the date.

Wheeler is 50. His marriage is over, his job is mundane, and the best years of his life appear to be behind him. A move from the cot in his ex-wife’s garage to his own apartment opens up new possibilities for love and sex—complicated, painful and hilarious. Full of opinions, yet short on self-examination, Wheeler is a modern misanthrope who must reconcile the man he has become with the man he wants to be.

Tracy Letts is a Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award-winning playwright, actor and member of the Steppenwolf ensemble. His works include August: Osage County, Superior Donuts, The Man from Nebraska, Killer Joe and Bug, among others. He is also known for his portrayal of Andrew Lockhart in Showtime's Homeland and can be seen in The Big Short and HBO’s Divorce. His play Mary Page Marlowe premiered at Steppenwolf, in March 2016.

Thursday, May 11, 2017

RELATIVITY

Written by Mark St. Germain

Directed by BJ Jones

Featuring Mike Nussbaum

Northlight Theatre at the North Shore Center for the Performing Arts, 9501 Skokie Blvd. in Skokie

Event details for this Theatre Thursday event will be announced closer to the date.

In 1902 Albert and Mileva Einstein had a baby daughter. After 1904 she was never seen or spoken of again. Forty years later, a reporter interviews Einstein about this mysterious piece of his past, revealing shocking secrets about his family and his personal life. While the reporter questions Einstein on his theory of relativity and his decisions, she also poses a query of her own: to be a great man, does one first need to be a good man?

The author of Freud’s Last Session and Becoming Dr. Ruth showcases his signature blend of insight, intellect, humor and heart in this fictional account of a legendary figure.

Please note that Theatre Thursdays event information and dates are subject to change.  Theatre Thursday events for June, July and August will be announced later in the year.

The 2016-2017 Theatre Thursdays sponsors are the Chicago Reader and Chicago Splash.

       

About Chicago theatre

Chicago theatre is a leader in the U.S. with more than 250 theatres throughout Chicagoland, comprising a rich and varied community ranging from storefront, non-union theaters to the most renowned resident theatres in the country, including 5 that have been honored with Regional Tony Awards, and the largest touring Broadway organization in the nation. Chicago’s theatres serve 5 million audience members annually and have a combined budget of more than $250 million. Chicago produces and/or presents more world premieres annually than any other city in the nation. In the 2014-2015 season, Chicago theatre companies produced more than 100 world premiere productions and adaptations. Each year, Chicago theatres send new work to resident theatres across the country, to Broadway, and around the world.

About the League of Chicago Theatres

The League of Chicago Theatres is an alliance of theatres which leverages its collective strength to promote, support, and advocate for Chicago's theatre industry locally, nationally, and internationally. The League of Chicago Theatres Foundation is dedicated to enhancing the art of theatre in the Chicago area through audience development and support services for theatres and theatre professionals.

Additional information about Theatre Thursdays is available at http://bit.ly/theatrethursdays.

For a comprehensive list of Chicago theatre productions, visit the League of Chicago Theatres website, ChicagoPlays.com.  Half-price tickets are available at HotTix.org or at one of three downtown locations.

EXTENDED: Mary Page Marlowe at Steppenwolf Now Playing Through June 5

Chi, IL Live Shows On Our Radar:

Mary Page Marlowe

From the Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright of Killer Joe, Superior Donuts and August: Osage County. Extended by popular demand through June 5. 

"Intensely thoughtful…the work has depth and an elegant potency"

– Variety 

"A captivating portrait of an ordinary life" 

– TimeOut Chicago 

Here at ChiIL Mama and ChiIL Live Shows, we've been so booked with reviews and our own rehearsals we have still not caught Mary Page Marlowe yet. This production is high on our must see list and we're hoping to get over to Steppenwolf this week to review. 

We're eager to see Blair Brown and Carrie Coon in action and one of the cast's youngest, Caroline Heffernan. She was a gymnastics team mate of my daughter's for years and it's been a joy to see her masterful portrayals at Lookingglass Theatre, Chicago Shakespeare Theatre, and Gift theatre.

"Deeply moving…intoxicatingly thrilling. Four Stars (out of four)"

– Chicago Tribune 

“Exquisite new play… beautiful and affecting…about the evolutions, reversals and resurrections in a woman’s life” 

– The New York Times 

Mary Page Marlowe is an accountant from Ohio. She’s led an ordinary life, making the difficult decisions we all face as we try to figure out who we really are and what we really want. As Tracy Letts brings us moments—both pivotal and mundane—from Mary’s life, a portrait of a surprisingly complicated woman emerges. Intimate and moving, Mary Page Marlowe shows us how circumstance, impulse and time can combine to make us mysteries… even to ourselves.

Get up close: see the actors and experience the drama in the most intimate and exciting way possible. Steppenwolf’s newly added Pit Seats will bring you as close as you can get to the stage—at only $30/seat. 

"Artfully crafted…luminous performances" 

– Daily Herald 

“It’s the most purely beautiful play that Mr. Letts has given us, and its subtleties will linger in your mind long after you leave the theater” 

– Wall Street Journal 

THE ARTISTS

Author: ensemble member Tracy Letts

Directed by: ensemble member Anna D. Shapiro

Scenic Design: Todd Rosenthal

Costume Design: Linda Roethke

Lighting Design: Marcus Doshi

Original Music: Diana Lawrence

Sound Design: Richard Woodbury

Stage Manager: Malcolm Ewen

Assistant Stage Manager: Brian Maschka

Dramaturg: Edward Sobel

Projection Design: Sven Ortel
Wig and Hair Design: Penny Lane Studios
Voice and Text Coach: Gigi Buffington
Artistic Producer: Jonathan Berry
Casting: Jessamyn Fuller
Assistant to the Projection Designer: Yeaji Kim
Programmer: Joseph A. Burke

THE CAST

Blair Brown

Stephen Cefalu, Jr.

Carrie Coon

Amanda Drinkall

Jack Edwards

Laura T. Fisher

Kirsten Fitzgerald

Tess Frazer

Keith D. Gallagher

Caroline Heffernan

Sandra Marquez

Annie Munch

Rebecca Spence

Ariana Venturi

Madeline Weinstein

Gary Wilmes

FEATURED ENSEMBLE MEMBERS

Ian Barford

Alan Wilder

1 hour and 25 minutes, no intermission

Steppenwolf does not offer advisories about subject matter, as sensitivities vary from person to person. If you have any questions about content, age-appropriateness or stage effects (such as strobe lights or theatrical fog) that might have a bearing on patron comfort, please contact the box office at 312-335-1650.

Major support for Steppenwolf’s New Play Development Initiative is provided by The Davee Foundation and the Zell Family Foundation.

ASL interpretation:
Sunday, May 8 at 7:30pm

Open-captioned:
Saturday, May 7 at 3pm

Audio-described:
Sunday, May 22 at 3pm

Audio-described and touch tour:
Sunday, May 29 at 1:30 touch tour, audio-described performance at 3pm


Click here to purchase tickets and for further show information.

ACT OUT: MICHAEL CERA, KIERAN CULKIN AND TAVI GEVINSON TO STAR IN THIS IS OUR YOUTH

MICHAEL CERA, KIERAN CULKIN AND TAVI GEVINSON TO STAR IN PRE-BROADWAY

THIS IS OUR YOUTH

BY KENNETH LONERGAN, 

DIRECTED BY ENSEMBLE MEMBER ANNA D. SHAPIRO

PERFORMANCES ARE JUNE 10 – JULY 27, 2014, IN STEPPENWOLF’S UPSTAIRS THEATRE

**Tickets to This Is Our Youth ($20 – $82) go on sale to the public on Friday April 25 at 11am, and can be purchased online at steppenwolf.org or through Audience Services (1650 N Halsted St) at 312-335-1650.**

Steppenwolf Theatre Company is pleased to announce the addition of This Is Our Youth by Kenneth Lonergan to this summer’s line-up. Directed by ensemble member Anna D. Shapiro, the production features Michael Cera (Arrested Development, Juno), Kieran Culkin (Igby Goes Down, Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World) and Tavi Gevinson (Enough Said) in the Upstairs Theatre (1650 N Halsted St), June 10 – July 27, 2014. Tickets ($20 - $82) go on sale to the public on Friday April 25 at 11am, and can be purchased online at steppenwolf.org or through Audience Services (1650 N Halsted St) at 312-335-1650.

The Steppenwolf Theatre Company production of This Is Our Youth will be produced on Broadway by Scott Rudin, with performances beginning Monday August 18 at the Cort Theatre, and an opening night scheduled for Thursday, September 11^th.

Set in New York in 1982, This Is Our Youth follows forty-eight hours in the lives of three very lost young souls: Warren, a dejected nineteen year old who has just stolen $15,000 from his abusive, tycoon father; Dennis, his charismatic drug-dealing friend who helps Warren put the stolen money to good use; and Jessica, the anxiously insightful young woman who Warren yearns for. Funny, painful and compassionate, This Is Our Youth is a living snapshot of the moment when many young people go out into the world on their own, armed only with the ideas and techniques they developed as teenagers—far more sophisticated than their parents realize, and far less effectual than they themselves can possibly imagine. 

Artistic Director Martha Lavey vividly remembers the first time she saw This Is Our Youth in New York. “The play speaks so eloquently of its time,” Lavey notes, “that moment when the children of the ‘60s were parents themselves and had landed in Reagan’s America, and of a time in one's life—that confusing period of early adulthood before one has made a mark in the world. Kenny Lonergan has captured, with great wit and pathos both the timeless generational struggle and a moment in our country’s history that continues to affect our sense of who we are.”

Anna D. Shapiro is currently directing Of Mice and Men, (opening April 16, 2014) at Broadway’s Longacre Theatre. She was nominated for a 2011 Tony Award^® for her production of Stephen Adly Guirgis’ award-winning play, The Motherf**ker with the Hat, and was awarded the 2008 Tony^®, Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle Awards for Best Direction of a Play for her production of Tracy Letts’ August: Osage County. Anna has been a Steppenwolf Ensemble member since 2005. Her Steppenwolf directing credits include A Parallelogram and Tracy Letts’ adaptation of The Three Sisters, among others. Other recent directing credits include Domesticated (Lincoln Center Theatre), A Parallelogram (Mark Taper Forum), A Number (American Conservatory Theatre) and The Drawer Boy (Paper Mill Playhouse). Shapiro is a graduate of the Yale School of Drama and Columbia College. She is a full-time professor in Northwestern University's Department of Theatre and has served as the Director of the Graduate MFA Directing Program since 2002.

Kenneth Lonergan’s plays include The Starry Messenger, Lobby Hero (Drama Desk Best Play Nominee), and The Waverly Gallery (2001 Pulitzer Prize finalist). Lonergan has also garnered critical acclaim for his screenplays, including Gangs of New York (2002 Academy Award Nominee for Best Original Screenplay), You Can Count on  Me (2001 Academy Award Nominee for Best Original Screenplay) and Analyze This.

Pre-sale tickets are currently available to 2014/15 season Subscribers. Call Audience Services at 312-335-1650 for more information. 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 pending availability. Student Discounts: a limited number of $15 student tickets are available online. 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.

Accessible performances include a touch tour and audio description on July 26 at 3pm; closed captioning on July 19 at 3pm; and American Sign Language interpretation on July 18 at 7:30pm. For more information, visit steppenwolf.org/access.

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 two repertory series: First Look Repertory of New Work, and Garage Rep. 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 12 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.

Currently on stage are The Way West by Mona Mansour, directed by ensemble member Amy Morton (through June 8, 2014) in the Downstairs Theatre; Russian Transport by Erika Sheffer, directed by ensemble member Yasen Peyankov (through May 11, 2014) in the Upstairs Theatre; and Garage Rep 2014, featuring The New Colony’s reWILDing Genius, Prologue Theatre Company’s Saturday Night/Sunday Morning and Walkabout Theater Company’s The Wild (through April 20, 2014) in the Garage Theatre.

The 2014/15 Subscription Season includes The Night Alive by Conor McPherson, directed by Henry Wishcamper (September 18 – November 16, 2014) in the Downstairs Theatre; Airline Highway by Lisa D’Amour, directed by Joe Mantello (December 4, 2014 – February 8, 2015) in the Downstairs Theatre; Marie Antoinette by David Adjmi, directed by Robert O’Hara (February 5 – May 10, 2015) in the Upstairs Theatre; and The Herd by Rory Kinnear, directed by ensemble member K. Todd Freeman (April 2 – June 7, 2015) in the Downstairs Theatre. One remaining title will be announced at a later date.

ACT OUT: Lord of the Flies Steppenwolf for Young Adults Now Playing (age 12+/7th grade & up)

This show is high on our must see list.   Steppenwolf does a stellar job of bringing theatre to the schools and to the public and engaging tweens & teens.  And we've long admired director Halena Kays' work!  Lord of the Flies is one of those books/plays/movies that everyone should know. Come see it done well.

All production photos via Steppenwolf

A plane wreck strands a group of English boys on a deserted island during wartime. As they slowly explore their new-found freedom, what starts out as fun and games turns into a vicious battle for power when the boys split into two opposing tribes: one that strives for civility and another that delights in savage violence. The competition escalates into a dangerous, frightening climax, as this thrilling classic looks into the darker parts of human nature where it’s civilization vs. savagery and the mob vs. morality.

Please join us for Steppenwolf for Young Adult's 2013/14 season: Two plays, one new and one classic, where young people navigate tricky moral landscapes—and must confront personal accountability for their choices—in games both virtual and real.

Lord of the Flies

Adapted for the stage by Nigel Williams
Directed by Halena Kays

Now through November 15, 2013 in the Upstairs Theatre

Public Performances
For tickets to our public performances, please click the "buy tickets" link  or call Audience Services at 312-335-1650.

Student Performances
For school group tickets to weekday 10am matinee performances, contact Steppenwolf for Young Adults’ Education and Community Programs Coordinator Lauren Sivak at 312.654.5643 or by email at lsivak@steppenwolf.org.

Target 2-for-1 Sunday Matinees
Tickets for Sunday matinees are 2-for-1

American Sign Language-Interpreted
Saturday, November 2 at 3pm

Open Captioning
Saturday, November 9 at 3pm

THE ARTISTS

• Adapted by: Nigel Williams
• Directed by: Halena Kays
• Scenic Design: Lizzie Bracken
• Costume Design: Alison Siple
• Lighting Design: J.R. Lederle
• Sound and Projection Design: Mike Tutaj
  
  Dramaturg: Frances Limoncelli
  
  Fight Coordinator: Ryan Bourque
  
  Movement: Leah Urzendowski
  
  Dialect: Eva Breneman
  
  Understudies: Brendan Meyer, Christopher Borek, Rashaad Hall, Kevin Matthew Reyes, Eric Staves and Theo Tougne

THE CAST

• William Burke
• Spencer Curnutt
• Lane Flores
• Rudy Galvan
• Ryan Heindl
• Cale Manning
• Brendan Meyer
• Lance Newton
• Ty Olwin
• Kevin Quinn
• Adam Shalzi
• Dan Smeriglio

Save the Dates: 

Leveling Up

By Deborah Zoe Laufer
Directed by Hallie Gordon
February 26 – March 15, 2014 in the Downstairs Theatre

Three twenty-something roommates are glued to their video games. They are masters of the virtual worlds behind the computer screens in their Las Vegas basement. Unwilling to face the real world, one of them uses his gaming skills to land a job with the National Security Agency launching actual drones and missiles, and online battles begin to have real consequences. Leveling Up is a fresh, contemporary look at how we navigate the blurry line between worlds both virtual and real and what it means to grow up./p>

ACT OUT OPENING: Hypocrites Smash Hit Mikado Back at Steppenwolf's Garage Theater

THE MIKADO  IS BACK BY POPULAR DEMAND-- this time at Steppenwolf's  awesome Garage theater There's too much flirting going on in the town of Titipu- and it's against the law! So the Mikado (emperor of all) decrees that heads must roll. But what can you do when love is in the air? The Hypocrites' smash hit Mikado is back. This re-imagination of beloved Gilbert and Sullivan will feature unfathomable amounts of operetta hits and is intended to provide a summer-like secular experience for fun-loving Yule time ticket buyers of all ages. "★★★★" Chris Jones, Chicago Tribune Don't wait. Book your tickets now and come join us!  Nov 14th-Dec 29th   Matinees at 4pm Evenings at 8pm   Running time is 80min, no intermission Buy your tickets here Select performance discounts: Book your night with us at Mikado for a performance between November 14-22nd and you'll only pay $15 for the ticket. Use this linkhere or enter promo code 15013. You can also call 312-335-1650 to do it over the phone. Hurry. Limited quantities for a limited time. Reviews from 2012's first production of  our "Supremely joyous" Mikado: CBS 2 review   ABC 7 review "★★★★"(out of four stars)  "glorious...outrageously enjoyable"  Chicago Tribune  "One of the most enjoyable, creative pieces of theater I've seen all year! People: go see The Mikado!!!!"  Rick Bayless (via Twitter), Top Chef Masters winner "joyously daft...bright and evocative" TimeOut Chicago  "Sean Graney and Kevin O'Donnell made it much shorter and they also made the songs more funny. It was funny to begin with, but they made it even more funny, which is the best of all things you can do with a play."  Ada Grey, Age 9 "intoxicating, exhilarating, unexpected production that is sure to be on my list of the ten best productions of the year (yep, it's that good). " Francis Sadac, From the Ledge

We make theatre. You help. Donate today! Please consider a donation to The Hypocrites to further support our productions.    Donate today and we will promptly send you a tax letter for your records.  Prefer to know where your money is going? Consider picking out something from our Amazon wishlist  here Thank you. Your support means a lot to us!

ACT OUT OPENING: STEPPENWOLF PRESENTS PINTER

ENSEMBLE MEMBER AUSTIN PENDLETON DIRECTS THE BIRTHDAY PARTY

IN STEPPENWOLF’S NEWLY RECONFIGURED UPSTAIRS THEATRE

STEPPENWOLF THEATRE COMPANY ANNOUNCES ONE-NIGHT ONLY PERFORMANCE OF

A CELEBRATION OF HAROLD PINTER, FEBRUARY 10 IN THE DOWNSTAIRS THEATRE

Steppenwolf Theatre Company ensemble member Austin Pendleton directs The Birthday Party by Harold Pinter in the Upstairs Theatre, at the helm of a Pinter play for the first time. The theater has been newly reconfigured by Pendleton with scenic designer Walt Spangler to bring the audience closer to the story by moving the stage to the center of the room. The Birthday Party begins previews January 24 (Opening night is February 3, 2013) and runs through April 28 in Steppenwolf’s Upstairs Theatre (1650 N Halsted St). Tickets ($20 – $78) are on sale now.

In conjunction with The Birthday Party, Steppenwolf is proud to announce a one-night only performance of A Celebration of Harold Pinter, performed by British actor Julian Sands, directed by ensemble member John Malkovich!

With personal anecdotes and reflections drawn from his work with Pinter, Sands combines Pinter’s poems and prose to create a fresh and intimate insight into the Nobel laureate’s literary legacy. A Celebration of Harold Pinter is February 10 at 7:30pm in the Downstairs Theatre (1650 N Halsted St). Tickets ($25) are on sale now.

                                                                                                              

Actor Julian Sands, best known for the films A Room With a View and The Killing Fields, was a longtime friend of the playwright. A few years before his death, Pinter requested that Sands fill in for him at a poetry reading when he was too ill to go on. The experience ultimately inspired this production, which debuted in 2011 at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in homage to Pinter, who died in 2008. The production toured through Britain and was presented in San Francisco, Los Angeles and to sold-out audiences in New York City, with Backstage calling it “mandatory viewing for devotees of the actor and certainly ‘the defining dramatist of the 20th century’...this one-man show fondly reveals an engaging and at times vulnerable side of the famously prickly playwright.”

“I think the extraordinary accomplishment in Pinter's work is his mastery of language, which is so precise and so, at the same time, ambiguous and unlikely. We are constantly being asked to interpret the truth and to be aware of how language both defines and obscures the real,” comments Artistic Director Martha Lavey. “I look forward to the discussions that The Birthday Party will provoke. It is very funny, very human and theatrically gratifying.”

The Birthday Party takes place at a sleepy seaside boarding house in England, where the humdrum routine of corn flakes, newspapers and naps is interrupted by the appearance of two menacing strangers. They become guests at longtime tenant Stanley’s surprise birthday party which, after a few glasses of whiskey, party games and a mysterious blackout, turns into a deliciously impalpable nightmare. As excuses and alliances hastily shift, so does the truth in Harold Pinter’s riveting dark-comic masterpiece.

The cast of The Birthday Party features ensemble members Ian Barford as Stanley, Francis Guinan as Goldberg, Moira Harris as Meg and John Mahoney as Petey, with Marc Grapey as McCann and Sophia Sinise as Lulu. The production team includes: Walt Spangler (scenic design), Rachel Anne Healy (costume design), Keith Parham (lighting design) and Josh Schmidt (sound design and original music). Additional credits include: Erica Daniels (casting), Matt Hawkins (fight choreographer),Cecilie O’Reilly (dialect coach), Deb Styer (stage manager), Kathleen Petroziello (assistant stage manager) and James D. Palmer (assistant director). Photos and bio information for all artists are available upon request.

Tickets to The Birthday Party ($20 – $78) and A Celebration of Harold Pinter ($25) 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 for The Birthday Party through Audience Services beginning at 11am on the day of each performance (1pm for Sunday performances). 

Rush Tickets: rush tickets are available one hour before each show. Student Discounts: a limited number of $15 student tickets are available online using promo code “BIRTHDAY15” or “SANDS15”. 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.

Accessible Performances:

Sign-interpreted performance: March 31 at 7:30pm

Audio-described performance and touch tour: April 14 at 1:30pm (3pm performance)

Open captioned performance: April 27 at 3pm

The Birthday Party is supported by ComEd, the Official 2012/13 Season Lighting Sponsor.

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.

Currently on stage is The Motherf**ker with the Hat by Stephen Adly Guirgis, directed by ensemble member Anna D. Shapiro (through March 3, 2013) in the Downstairs Theatre. The 2012/13 Subscription Season also includes 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.