SAVE THE DATES: 42ND STEPPENWOLF THEATRE SEASON ANNOUNCED FOR 2017/18

Chi, IL LIVE Shows On Our Radar:

Steppenwolf Theatre Company Artistic Director Anna D. Shapiro and Executive Director David Schmitz have announced 2017/18 Season. The nation’s premier ensemble theater, Steppenwolf celebrates its 42nd season with seven captivating shows—three world premieres and four Chicago premieres—that embrace diversity, compassion and imagination.

“The plays we programmed this season embrace conversations about what American culture is, the stories we tell ourselves and the truths we all share,” 

shares Artistic Director Anna D. Shapiro.

Highlights include Aziza Barnes’s ingenious portrait of a day in the life of four young women of color in New York City; the return of ensemble members Francis Guinan and John Mahoney in a beautifully moving play by fast-rising star Jessica Dickey; a dangerous and timely international farce from Matthew-Lee Erlbach, directed by ensemble member Tina Landau; the Chicago premiere of Rajiv Joseph’s Guards at the Taj with the original cast—Omar Metwally and Arian Moayed—and director, ensemble member Amy Morton; an offbeat and touching Chicago premiere of an Obie award-winning play from Clare Barron, directed by Jonathan Berry; and Jen Silverman’s bold, wickedly funny play The Roommate featuring ensemble members Ora Jones and Sandra Marquez. As previously announced, ensemble member Tracy Letts’s new political play, The Minutes, directed by Anna D. Shapiro, will receive its world premiere production at Steppenwolf before transferring directly to Broadway in spring 2018.

“With plays filled with humor and joy, introspection and irreverence, Steppenwolf Theatre is poised and ready to join the art we make with the moment we are in, and we plan on being a vital, uplifting and humane cultural leader for our city and our country, both of which need us now more than ever,” adds Shapiro.

Next season features ensemble members Alana Arenas, Ian Barford, Gary Cole, Audrey Francis, Francis Guinan, Tim Hopper, Ora Jones, Tina Landau, Sandra Marquez, John Mahoney, James Vincent Meredith, Amy Morton, Caroline Neff and newest ensemble member Namir Smallwood.

2017/18 Subscription Memberships are now on sale. Pricing starts at $100; and there are several options available. Subscription Memberships are for audiences who prefer to lock in their seats and dates in advance, while enjoying perks such as easy and free exchanges, ticket discounts and access to seats before the public. For audiences looking for more flexibility with all the perks, Steppenwolf Flex Card Memberships provide six ticket credits for use anytime, to any show. Student, educator and access discounts offered. To purchase, visit Audience Services at 1650 N Halsted St, call 312-335-1650 or visit steppenwolf.org/memberships.

Steppenwolf Theatre Company’s 

2017/18 Season
(All plays, artists and dates are subject to change)

Chicago Premiere
The Rembrandt

By Jessica Dickey
Directed by Hallie Gordon
Featuring ensemble members Francis Guinan and John Mahoney
September 7 – October 22, 2017

In the Upstairs Theatre

When a museum guard decides to touch a famous Rembrandt painting, a remarkable journey across the ages ensues. Spanning centuries of human experience, Jessica Dickey’s The Rembrandt movingly explores the power of creative expression and the sacrifices we make in the pursuit of love and beauty, reminding us that though our beliefs may die with the sound of our voice, it’s the love we share—and the art that love inspires—that finds eternity.

Hailed as a “talent to watch” by the New York Times, Jessica Dickey is an award-winning actor and playwright most known for her play The Amish Project, which opened Off Broadway at the Rattlestick Playwrights Theater (Helen Hayes Award, Barrymore Award, among others). The Rembrandt was commissioned and produced (then titled The Guard) by the Ford’s Theatre as part of the Women’s Voices Festival and was awarded the Stavis Award for Playwriting. 

Hallie Gordon is the Artistic Director of Steppenwolf for Young Adults (SYA) and an artistic producer at Steppenwolf. Gordon will direct Taylor Mac’s Hir this summer, and has directed several shows for SYA including Monster (currently playing through March 9), George Orwell’s 1984 and Animal Farm, The Book Thief, The Heart is a Lonely Hunter, The House on Mango Street and Toni Morrison’s The Bluest Eye, which transferred Off-Broadway, among others.

World Premiere
The Minutes
By ensemble member Tracy Letts 

Directed by artistic director Anna D. Shapiro 

Featuring ensemble members Ian Barford, Francis Guinan and Tim Hopper 

November 9 – December 31, 2017

In the Downstairs Theatre

Steppenwolf’s production of The Minutes will premiere at Steppenwolf and then move directly to Broadway in Spring 2018. Remaining casting TBA. The Minutes will mark the fifth collaboration between Shapiro and Letts; and the seventh play by Letts that will premiere at Steppenwolf.

The Minutes, Tracy Letts’s scathing new comedy about small-town politics and real-world power, the writer who brought you August: Osage County exposes the ugliness behind some of our most closely-held American narratives while asking each of us what we would do to keep from becoming history’s losers.

Tracy Letts is a Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award-winning playwright, actor and Steppenwolf ensemble member. He is the author of the plays Linda Vista (running March 30 – May 21, 2017), Mary Page Marlowe, The Scavenger’s Daughter, Superior Donuts, August: Osage County (Pulitzer Prize, Tony Award), Man from Nebraska (Pulitzer Prize finalist), Bug and Killer Joe. Also an actor, he received the 2013 Tony Award for Best Actor in Edward Albee’s Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?. TV and film credits include Lady Bird, The Lovers, Christine, Elvis and Nixon, The Big Short, HBO’s “Divorce" and two seasons as Sen. Lockhart on Showtime’s “Homeland.”

Anna D. Shapiro is a Tony Award-winning director and Artistic Director of Steppenwolf. She has directed several notable productions at Steppenwolf, including Visiting Edna, Mary Page Marlowe, August: Osage County (2008 Tony, Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle Awards), Man from Nebraska and The Motherf**ker with the Hat (also on Broadway, 2011 Tony nomination for Best Director). Broadway credits include Larry David’s Fish in the Dark, Of Mice and Men and the Steppenwolf revival of This Is Our Youth.

World Premiere
BLKS

By Aziza Barnes
Directed by Nataki Garrett
Featuring ensemble member Namir Smallwood
December 7, 2017 – January 21, 2018

In the Upstairs Theatre

Some days feel like they will never end. After a morning that includes a cancer scare and kicking her girlfriend out of the house, Octavia decides to have a last turn up with her best friends. In poet Aziza Barnes’s ingenious portrait of a day in the life of four young women of color in New York City, BLKS explores the joy and anguish of growing up and out. Riotously funny and magically rendered, Barnes’s playwriting debut marks the arrival of a truly original contemporary American voice.

Winner of the 2015 Pamet River Prize, Aziza Barnes’s first full length collection, i be but i ain’t is from YesYes Books, 2016. They are a Cave Canem Fellow, co-founder of The Conversation Literary Festival and co-host of the podcast, The Poetry Gods. Barnes is a graduate of New York University and participant in the 2016 Ojai Playwrights Conference.

Named in American Theatre Magazine’s “One to Watch”, Nataki Garrett is the Associate Artistic Director of Denver Center for the Performing Arts, a Company Member at Woolly Mammoth, and co-Artistic Director of BLANK THE DOG PRODUCTIONS (BTD). Most recently for BTD she directed Carolyn Bryant, which focuses on the decades-long silence of the woman for whom Emmett Till was brutally murdered in Mississippi in 1955. Garrett directed An Octaroon by Branden Jacobs-Jenkins at Woolly Mammoth, which will be remounted this July.

Chicago Premiere
You Got Older

By Clare Barron
Directed by Jonathan Berry
Featuring ensemble members Audrey Francis and Caroline Neff
January 25 – March 11, 2018

In the Downstairs Theatre

There’s a haunted place between where we started and where we need to be that finds the most tender among us—and breaks them open. In You Got Older, Clare Barron’s bawdy, irreverent and touching play, Mae, brokenhearted and unemployed, returns home to care for her ailing father and escape the loneliness of a life that just can’t seem to get off the ground.

Clare Barron’s plays have been produced by Page 73, Woolly Mammoth, Clubbed Thumb and The Bushwick Starr, and will be presented by Playwright Horizons in 2018. She is the recipient of an Obie Award, the Paula Vogel Playwriting Award and the Page 73 Playwriting Fellowship. Barron was also the co-winner of the inaugural 2015 Relentless Award established in honor of Philip Seymour Hoffman for her play Dance Nation.

Jonathan Berry is an artistic producer at Steppenwolf and prolific Chicago director. His Steppenwolf directing credits include Constellations, Melinda Lopez's Gary for the First Look new play series and A Separate Peace for Steppenwolf for Young Adults. A company member of both Steep and Griffin Theatres, Berry has also directed for many Chicago companies, including Goodman Theatre, Steep, Griffin, Remy Bumppo, Lifeline and The Gift.

The Doppelgänger (an international farce) 

By Matthew-Lee Erlbach
Directed by ensemble member Tina Landau 

Featuring ensemble members Alana Arenas, Gary Cole, Ora Jones, Sandra Marquez and James Vincent Meredith 

April 5 – May 20, 2018

In the Downstairs Theatre 

In the dangerous back channels of international resource politics, a wealthy British businessman suffers an untimely accident just before a critical African copper deal is signed. So when his unwitting (and witless) American doppelgänger is thrust into negotiations to avert intercontinental disaster, chaos erupts, leaving us wondering: whose side are we supposed to be on... and who will save Africa? This new American farce is a hilarious, irreverent and timely look at the back-room deals that shape our world and the unlikely cast of characters who make them.

Matthew-Lee Erlbach is an actor and playwright from Chicago and NYC whose plays include the acclaimed solo play, Handbook for an American Revolutionary and Eager to Lose, a Burlesque Farce in Rhyming Verse (Ars Nova). His plays have been developed with The New Group, Vineyard, Ars Nova, MCC and Williamstown, among others. A recipient of the 2017 Humanitas Prize New Voices Award and member of Ars Nova’s 2014/15 Play Group, he has written for Showtime's Masters of Sex as well as for Nickelodeon, MTV, WWE and The Huffington Post.

Acclaimed writer, director and teacher, Tina Landau has been a Steppenwolf ensemble member since 1998. Recent work includes directing/conceiving The SpongeBob Musical and ensemble member Tarell Alvin McCraney’s Head of Passes (The Public, upcoming at Mark Taper Forum), among others. On Broadway, Landau has directed Tracy Letts’s Superior Donuts and the revival of Bells are Ringing. For Steppenwolf, she has directed The Wheel, Hot L Baltimore, The Brother/Sister Plays, The Tempest and more.  

Chicago Premiere

Guards at the Taj
By Rajiv Joseph
Directed by ensemble member Amy Morton 

Featuring original cast members Omar Metwally and Arian Moayed
May 31 – July 15, 2018

In the Upstairs Theatre

India 1648. The dawn will reveal for the first time the extraordinary beauty of the Taj Mahal, built as a tribute to the ruler who demanded its construction. But for two hapless imperial guards, the morning light brings with it an unspeakable task that will shake their faith in God, the empire and their lifelong friendship. This boldly funny and deeply moving play examines the true meaning of beauty and the cost of transcendence in a world that confuses the value of both.

Rajiv Joseph’s Broadway play Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo was a 2010 Pulitzer Prize finalist for drama, and also awarded a grant for Outstanding New American Play by the National Endowment for the Arts. In addition to Guards at the Taj, New York credits include The North Pool (Vineyard Theater), Gruesome Playground Injuries (Second Stage Theatre) and Animals Out of Paper (Second Stage Theatre), among others. He wrote for the Showtime series “Nurse Jackie” and was the co-screenwriter of the film Draft Day, starring Kevin Costner and Jennifer Garner.

Amy Morton directed the world premiere of Guards at the Taj at the Atlantic Theater Company in 2015, and returns with the original cast for the Chicago debut. Morton has been an ensemble member since 1997 and directed several Steppenwolf productions including Clybourne Park, American Buffalo, Dublin Carol, The Pillowman, among others. She has performed in more than 30 Steppenwolf productions, including Edward Albee’s Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (also on Broadway, Tony nomination) and August: Osage County (also at the National Theatre and Broadway, Tony nomination). Currently she stars as Trudy Platt in the NBC drama series Chicago P.D.

Chicago Premiere
The Roommate
By Jen Silverman
Director TBD 

Featuring ensemble members Ora Jones and Sandra Marquez 

June 21 – August 5, 2018 

In the Downstairs Theatre 

Sharon is Midwestern nice. But to Robyn, her new roommate from the Bronx, that just means nosy and very, very talkative. A comical mismatch leads to a surprising and touching friendship in this new comedy about how early-life choices lead to mid-life challenges and the unexpected rewards of bridging the divide.

Jen Silverman’s The Roommate premiered at the Actor’s Theatre of Louisville in 2015, and has received subsequent productions at South Coast Rep, Williamstown and SF Playhouse. Additional work includes The Moors, Phoebe in Winter, The Dangerous House of Pretty Mbane (Barrymore Award) and Collective Rage: A Play in 5 Boops (Woolly Mammoth). She is a member of New Dramatists, and has developed work with the O’Neill, New York Theatre Workshop, Portland Center Stage, Berkeley Rep and the Royal Court in London. A recipient of the Helen Merrill and Yale Drama Series Awards, she’s also a two-time MacDowell Fellow and 16/17 Playwrights of New York (PoNY) Fellow at the Lark.

Memberships & Ticket Information

Last season Steppenwolf expanded from a 5-play to 7-play season and with that has expanded the ways in which audiences can experience all the offerings. Steppenwolf Flex Card Memberships include the Steppenwolf Black Card and the Red Card. The Black Card provides six ticket credits that can be used at any time for any production; credits are valid for one year with the option to add on credits as needed. Membership 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 Red Card offers audiences under the age of 30 the option to purchase six ticket credits at a discounted price to use towards any play, anytime.

Steppenwolf’s Subscription Memberships allow audiences to lock in dates and confirm seats in advance and receive all the membership perks. Options include 7-Play, 6-Play and 5-Play Subscription Memberships, in addition to discounted Student/Educator Series and Accessible Series.

To purchase a 2017/18 Subscription Membership, visit Audience Services at 1650 N Halsted St, call 312-335-1650 or visit steppenwolf.org/memberships. Single tickets to the 2017/18 will go on sale at a later date.

Front Bar: Coffee and Drinks

Located in front of the 1700 Theatre is Steppenwolf’s café & bar, Front Bar: Coffee and Drinks. Open daily from 8am to midnight, Front Bar is a creative space to grab a drink, have a bite, or meet up with friends and collaborators, day or night. A morning and evening menu is curated by Chef Chris Pandel, and artisanal coffee and expresso is provided by La Colombe. Functioning as a stand-alone entity, the café & bar also connects to Steppenwolf’s existing main building creating an expanded lobby space. Front Bar was developed with consultation from Steppenwolf’s friends and neighbors, Boka Restaurant Group (BRG), along with interior designers Karen Herold and Kayce Carter of Studio K and the marketing and design firm Grip. More info at front-bar.com.

Visitor Information & Accessibility

Steppenwolf is located at 1650 N Halsted St near all forms of public transportation and is wheelchair accessible. Our parking facility consists of both a covered garage and an open-air lot, located just south of our theater at 1624 N Halsted. Valet parking service ($14 cash) is available directly in front of the main entrance and street and lot parking are also available. For last minute questions and concerns, patrons can call the Steppenwolf Parking Hotline at 312-335-1774.

Committed to making the Steppenwolf experience accessible to everyone, performances featuring American Sign Language interpretation, open captioning and audio description are offered during the run of each play. Assistive listening devices and large-print programs are available for every performance. Steppenwolf has an induction loop on both the main and balcony levels of our Downstairs Theatre and in the 1700 Theatre.More info at steppenwolf.org/access.

Steppenwolf Theatre Company is the nation’s premier ensemble theater. Formed by a collective of actors in 1976, the ensemble has grown to 48 members who represent a remarkable cross-section of actors, directors and playwrights who continue to redefine the landscape of acting and performance. Thrilling and powerful productions from Balm in Gilead to August: Osage County—and accolades that include the National Medal of Arts and 12 Tony Awards—have made the theater legendary. Steppenwolf produces hundreds of performances and events annually in its three spaces: the 515-seat Downstairs Theatre, the 299-seat Upstairs Theatre and the 80-seat 1700 Theatre. Artistic programing includes a seven-play season; a two-play Steppenwolf for Young Adults season; Visiting Company engagements; and LookOut, a multi-genre performances series. Education initiatives include Steppenwolf for Young Adults, which engages 15,000 participants annually from Chicago’s diverse communities; the School at Steppenwolf for actors; and Professional Leadership Programs for arts administration training. While firmly grounded in the Chicago community, nearly 40 original Steppenwolf productions have enjoyed success both nationally and internationally. Anna D. Shapiro is the Artistic Director and David Schmitz is the Executive Director. Eric Lefkofsky is Chair of Steppenwolf’s Board of Trustees. 

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

Steppenwolf To Honor Phylicia Rashad and Salute Women In The Arts Monday February 6th

Help Out:

Support Women In The Arts At 

Steppenwolf's annual fundraiser luncheon

TONY AWARD-WINNING ACTOR, SINGER AND STAGE DIRECTOR 

PHYLICIA RASHAD TO BE HONORED AT 

STEPPENWOLF SALUTES WOMEN IN THE ARTS FUNDRAISER 

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 6

Steppenwolf Theatre Company proudly announces stage director, singer and Tony Award-winning actress Phylicia Rashad as the 2017 honoree at the annual Steppenwolf Salutes Women in the Arts fundraising luncheon on Monday, February 6, 2017 at 12noon at Radisson Blu Aqua Hotel, 221 N Columbus Dr. Ms. Rashad joins Steppenwolf Artistic Director Anna D. Shapiro for a riveting conversation about her multifaceted career and her role as a leader in the field.

Phylicia Rashad is a close collaborator with the Steppenwolf ensemble, having starred as Violet Weston in the Shapiro-helmed 2009 Broadway production of August: Osage County and more recently, in ensemble member Tarell Alvin McCraney’s Head of Passes alongside ensemble member Alana Arenas and directed by ensemble member Tina Landau at the Public Theater. Her powerful work on stage has garnered much acclaim. Ms. Rashad was the first African American actor to win the Tony Award for Best Actress in a Play, which she received for her performance of Lena Younger in a revival of A Raisin in the Sun in 2004.

Best known to television audiences for her groundbreaking role of attorney Clair Huxtable on The Cosby Show, for which she received two N.A.A.C.P. Image Awards and two Emmy nominations, Phylicia Rashad returns to television this season with a featured guest-starring role in Empire. Recent film credits include Tyler Perry’s For Colored Girls and the 2015 Rocky spin-off and sequel Creed.

The eighth annual Women in the Arts luncheon brings together nearly 400 leaders from Chicago’s business and civic communities to honor Ms. Rashad for her indelible contribution to the field. The event raises funds for Steppenwolf’s professional development programs, including Steppenwolf for Young Adults, the nationally recognized education program, the School at Steppenwolf, as well as the Professional Leadership Programs, providing apprenticeships, fellowships and internships for the next generation of arts managers and producers.

Table sponsorships, starting at $5,000 for Women in the Arts are currently available. Individual tickets, start at $200. To purchase tickets or learn about table sponsorship opportunities, contact Steppenwolf’s Special Events Department at 312-654-5632 or specialevents@steppenwolf.org.

Lead sponsor of the 2017 Women in the Arts luncheon is BMO Harris Bank. United Airlines is the Official and Exclusive Airline Partner of Steppenwolf Theatre Company.

Previous honorees for Steppenwolf Salutes Women in the Arts include ensemble members Joan Allen, Laurie Metcalf and Martha Plimpton, along with Claire Danes, Juliette Lewis, Julianna Margulies, Margo Martindale, Julianne Nicholson and Mary-Louise Parker.

About the Honoree

Whether she is bringing laughter to millions of television viewers around the world, moving theatre-goers to tears, thrilling movie fans, offering new insights to students by teaching Master Classes at renowned learning institutions that include Howard University, Julliard, and Carnegie Mellon, serving on Boards of prestigious organizations, or breaking new ground as a director, Phylicia Rashad is one of the entertainment world's most extraordinary performing artists.

A native of Houston, Texas, Rashad graduated Magna Cum Laude from Howard University. A versatile performer, Rashad became a household name when she portrayed “Claire Huxtable” on The Cosby Show, a character whose appeal has earned her numerous honors and awards for over two decades. She teamed up with Bill Cosby again on television as “Ruth Lucas” on Cosby. Currently, she has a recurring role as “Diana Dubois'” on the popular Fox TV series Empire and is slated to appear in the upcoming Amazon series,Jean Claude Van Johnson.

While television was a catalyst in the rise of Rashad's career, she has also been a force on the stage, appearing both on and off-Broadway, often in projects that showcase her musical talent such as Jelly's Last Jam, Into The Woods, Dreamgirls and The Wiz.

Inducted into the Theater Hall of Fame in 2016, Ms. Rashad received the 2016 Lucille Lortel Award for Outstanding Leading Actress in a Play for her performance as “Shelah” in Tarell Alvin McCraney's Head of Passes at the Public Theater. She has performed on Broadway as “Violet Weston” in August Osage County, “Big Mama” in Tennessee Williams’ Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (a role that she reprised on the London Stage), “Aunt Ester” in August Wilson’s Gem Of The Ocean, (Tony Award nomination) and “Queen Britannia” in Shakespeare’s Cymbeline at Lincoln Center. Ms. Rashad received both the Drama Desk and the Tony Award for Best Actress in a Play for her riveting performance as “Lena Younger” in the Broadway revival of Lorraine Hansberry’s A Raisin In The Sun. She appeared in Ryan Coogler's Creed, Tyler Perry's Good Deeds and starred in Perry's highly acclaimed film version of Ntozake Shange’s For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide When The Rainbow Is Enuf.

Ms. Rashad made her directorial debut at the Seattle Repertory Theater with August Wilson's Gem of the Ocean. Critics gave her first foray into the directing world rave reviews, saying "Rashad steers Seattle Rep's show with great sensitivity and understanding - for both the text and actors."

Of her work at the helm of The Ebony Repertory Theatre’s production of A Raisin in the Sun in the Spring of 2011, the Los Angeles Times hailed Rashad’s California directing debut by stating that she “…nails the play's rich humor in a solidly rendered production." She remounted the production at the Kirk Douglas Theatre in Los Angeles and at the Westport County Playhouse in Westport, Connecticut. Ms. Rashad has also directed August Wilson's Ma Rainey's Black Bottom and Joe Turner’s Come and Gone at the Mark Taper Forum in Los Angeles (2014 NAACP Theatre Award for Best Director) and Fences at the Longwharf Theatre and the McCarter Theatre. She returned to the Mark Taper Forum in 2015 to direct Paul Oakley Stovall's Immediate Family.

Respected in the academic world, Ms. Rashad is the first recipient of the Denzel Washington Chair in Theatre at Fordham University. She received an Honorary Doctorate from Spelman College where First Lady Michelle Obama delivered the 2011 commencement address. Ms. Rashad conducted Master Classes at the prestigious Ten Chimneys Foundation for the 2015 Lunt Fontanne Fellows. She also holds Honorary Doctorates from Fordham University, Carnegie Mellon University, Howard University, Providence College, Morris Brown College, Clark Atlanta University, Barber Scotia College, St. Augustine College and Brown University.

In 2015, Ms. Rashad received the BET Honors Theatrical Arts Award, Chicago Shakespeare Theatre's Spirit of Shakespeare Award and the Inaugural Legacy Award of the Ruben Santiago Hudson Fine Arts Learning Center. Among the other awards that decorate her walls and shelves are the 2014 Mosaic Woman Legend Award of Diversity Woman Magazine, the Texas Medal of Arts, the National Council of Negro Women's Dorothy L. Height Dreammaker Award, AFTRA’s AMEE Award for Excellence in Entertainment, the Board of Directors of New York Women In Film and Television's Muse Award for Outstanding Vision and Achievement, Dallas Women In Film Topaz Award, Peoples’ Choice Awards, several NAACP Image Awards, and the Pan African Film Festival's Lifetime Achievement Award.

Ms. Rashad serves on the Advisory Board of the PRASAD Project and the Board of Directors of True Colors Theatre, the Broadway Inspirational Voices, The Actors Center, the Center for African American Studies at Princeton University and the ADEPT Center which is steering the restoration of the historic Brainerd Institute.

Steppenwolf Theatre Company is the nation’s premier ensemble theater—redefining the landscape of acting and performance. Formed by a collective of actors in 1976, the ensemble has grown to 46 members who represent a remarkable cross-section of actors, directors and playwrights. Thrilling and powerful productions from Balm in Gilead to August: Osage County—and accolades that include the National Medal of Arts and 12 Tony Awards—have made the theater legendary. Steppenwolf produces hundreds of performances and events annually in its three spaces: the 515-seat Downstairs Theatre, the 299-seat Upstairs Theatre and the 80-seat 1700 Theatre. Artistic programing includes a seven-play season; a two-play Steppenwolf for Young Adults season; Visiting Company engagements; and LookOut, a multi-genre performances series. Education initiatives include the nationally recognized work of Steppenwolf for Young Adults, which engages 14,000 participants annually from Chicago’s diverse communities; the esteemed School at Steppenwolf; and Professional Leadership Programs for arts administration training. Steppenwolf’s own Front Bar: Coffee and Drinks serves coffee, cocktails and a menu curated in partnership with the Boka Restaurant Group day and night. 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. Anna D. Shapiro is the Artistic Director and David Schmitz is the Executive Director. Eric Lefkofsky is Chair of Steppenwolf’s Board of Trustees. 

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

OPENING: Straight White Men at Steppenwolf

Chi, IL LIVE Shows On Our Radar:

EXPERIMENTAL PLAYWRIGHT YOUNG JEAN LEE DIRECTS
STEPPENWOLF’S CHICAGO PREMIERE PRODUCTION OF HER ACCLAIMED PLAY
STRAIGHT WHITE MEN
FEBRUARY 2 – MARCH 19, 2017

ONE OF THE MOST DARING WRITERS IN AMERICA, YOUNG JEAN LEE’S SHARP AND HILARIOUS PLAY SHEDS NEW LIGHT ON A STORY WE THINK WE KNOW SO WELL 

Steppenwolf Theatre Company welcomes internationally acclaimed playwright and director Young Jean Lee this winter as she directs the Chicago premiere of her play, Straight White Men. The fearless and entertaining play features ensemble member Alan Wilder as the patriarch, Ed, who welcomes home his three sons—Madison Dirks (Jake), Ryan Hallahan (Drew) and Brian Slaten (Matt) for the holidays. Elliott Jenetopulos plays the role of Stagehand-in-charge through March 4; Syd Germaine will take over the role from March 5 – 19. 

Previews begin February 2, 2017 (press performances are Saturday, February 11 at 3pm and Tuesday, February 14 at 7:30pm; opening night is Sunday, February 12) and the show runs through March 19, 2017 in the Upstairs Theatre (1650 N Halsted St). Tickets ($20 - $89) are available through Audience Services at 312-335-1650 or steppenwolf.org.

As Ed, a widower, prepares to celebrate Christmas, he calls his three grown sons back to the family home. Games are played, Chinese food is ordered, and brotherly pranks and trashtalk distract them from the ongoing issue that threatens to ruin the festivities: when personal identity is essential and privilege is a problem, what is a straight white man to do?  Young Jean Lee takes an outside look at the traditional father/son play narrative, shedding new and often hilarious light on a story we think we know all too well.

Director and playwright Young Jean Lee shares, “Straight White Men isn’t about me trying to reveal anything new about privilege or solve it. It’s about me asking myself, ‘If I woke up tomorrow as a straight white man, what would I do?’ I think that as a straight white man, I probably wouldn’t feel so righteous about my personal journey of conquering obstacles to get what I want. Straight White Men is about what happens when that hero’s-journey narrative falls apart."

Young Jean Lee is Korean-American playwright, director and filmmaker. She has written and directed ten shows in New York with Young Jean Lee's Theater Company, and toured her work to more than 30 cities around the world. Straight White Men premiered at the Public Theatre in 2014 to critical acclaim. Hailed by The New York Times as “the most adventurous downtown playwright of her generation,” Young Jean Lee is the recipient of a Guggenheim Fellowship, two OBIE Awards, a Prize in Literature from the American Academy of Arts and Letters, a PEN Literary Award, a Doris Duke Performing Artist Award and a Doris Duke Artist Residency. Her first short film, Here Come the Girls, was presented at The Locarno International Film Festival, Sundance Film Festival and BAMcinemaFest.

The Straight White Men production team includes David Evans Morris (scenic design), Enver Chakartash (costume design), Sarah Hughey (lighting design), Jamie McElhinney (sound design) and Chris Giarmo (original music and composition). Additional credits include Laura Glenn (stage manager), Christine D. Freeburg (assistant stage manager), JC Clementz (casting director), and Jonathan Berry (artistic producer).

About the Cast

Alan Wilder, an original ensemble member, has appeared in more than 60 Steppenwolf productions, including Steppenwolf’s current world premiere of Erika Sheffer’s The Fundamentals (through Dec 31, 2016). Madison Dirks was last seen in Steppenwolf’s production of Edward Albee’s Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf, which later transferred to Broadway. Ryan Hallahan makes his Steppenwolf debut in this production, and was last seen in Jackalope’s production of Octagon. Elliott Jenetopulos, who originated the role of Stagehand-In-Charge in the premiere of Straight White Men at The Public Theater in 2014, makes their Steppenwolf debut in this production. Syd Germaine also makes their Steppenwolf debut with this production and was last seen in Julius Caesar at Writers Theatre. Brian Slaten, who previously performed the role of Matt in the Center Theatre Group production, also directed by Young Jean Lee, joins the Chicago cast in the same role.

Tickets & Production Info

Single tickets are available at 312-335-1650 or steppenwolf.org. Previews: $20 – $54 and Regular Run: $20 – $89. Prices subject to change. 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. Limit 2 tickets per student; must present a valid student ID for each ticket; steppenwolf.org/students. Group Tickets: all groups of 10 or more receive a discounted rate for any performance throughout the season; steppenwolf.org/groups. 

Flex Card Memberships: Black Card memberships are for audiences interested in extreme flexibility with six tickets for use any time for any production. Black Card ticket credits are valid for one year with the option to add additional tickets as needed. 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. Red Card memberships are available for theatergoers under 30.  To purchase a Card Membership, visit Audience Services at 1650 N Halsted St, call 312-335-1650 or visit steppenwolf.org.

Steppenwolf offers a gift that is never boring—the Steppenwolf Black Card. An all-access pass with six tickets to any shows, anytime. To purchase, visit steppenwolf.org/gift or 312-335-1650.

Accessible performances include an American Sign Language interpretation on Sunday, February 26 at 7:30pm, Open Captioning on Saturday, March 4 at 3pm, and a Touch Tour on Sunday, March 12 at 1:30pm touch tour, Audio-Described performance at 3pm. For more information, visit steppenwolf.org/access.

Curtain times are Tuesdays through Sundays at 7:30pm; Wednesday matinees at 2pm; Saturday and Sunday matinees at 3pm.

Steppenwolf’s 2016/17 Season continues with 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); and an additional summer show, Pass Over by Antoinette Nwandu (June 1 – July 9, 2017).

Steppenwolf Theatre Company is the nation’s premier ensemble theater—redefining the landscape of acting and performance. Formed by a collective of actors in 1976, the ensemble has grown to 46 members who represent a remarkable cross-section of actors, directors and playwrights. Thrilling and powerful productions from Balm in Gilead to August: Osage County—and accolades that include the National Medal of Arts and 12 Tony Awards—have made the theater legendary. Steppenwolf produces hundreds of performances and events annually in its three spaces: the 515-seat Downstairs Theatre, the 299-seat Upstairs Theatre and the 80-seat 1700 Theatre. Artistic programing includes a seven-play season; a two-play Steppenwolf for Young Adults season; Visiting Company engagements; and LookOut, a multi-genre performances series. Education initiatives include the nationally recognized work of Steppenwolf for Young Adults, which engages 14,000 participants annually from Chicago’s diverse communities; the esteemed School at Steppenwolf; and Professional Leadership Programs for arts administration training. Steppenwolf’s own Front Bar: Coffee and Drinks serves coffee, cocktails and a menu curated in partnership with the Boka Restaurant Group day and night. 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. Anna D. Shapiro is the Artistic Director and David Schmitz is the Executive Director. Eric Lefkofsky is Chair of Steppenwolf’s Board of Trustees. 

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

REVIEW: Rabe World Premiere, Visiting Edna Personifies TV and Cancer

Chi, IL LIVE Shows On Our Radar:

STEPPENWOLF THEATRE COMPANY PRESENTS 

VISITING EDNA 

A WORLD PREMIERE BY DAVID RABE DIRECTED BY ARTISTIC DIRECTOR ANNA D. SHAPIRO PLAYING NOW THROUGH NOVEMBER 6, 2016 

41ST SEASON OPENS WITH MOVING NEW PLAY FROM TONY AWARD WINNER DAVID RABE 

Visiting Edna has a slow narrative arc without much action or plot. Still, there are nuggets of dialogue that are pure gold and Debra Monk gives an excellent performance carrying the brunt of the dialogue in what almost amounts to a one woman show. We enjoyed David Rabe's clever construct of personification for both cancer and the TV. This enables some dark humor and inner dialogue with a deadly disease that's amusing yet uniquely disturbing. The TV as constant companion and distraction manages to amplify the loneliness of families scattered by distance and lack of deep communication even when they are together.

Although the rapport is decent between characters, the big reveal about the reason for the rift in the mother/son relationship was anticlimactic. Compared to Rabe's other productions, particularly Good for Otto at The Gift Theatre last season, Visiting Edna is a bit underwhelming, yet still worth a look. Recommended. 

Steppenwolf Theatre Company launches its 41st season, the first curated by Artistic Director Anna D. Shapiro, with the moving and enthralling world premiere of Visiting Edna by renowned American playwright David Rabe (Streamers, Good for Otto). Tony Award winner Anna D. Shapiro (Mary Page Marlowe, August: Osage County) directs this powerful play about the enduring connection between a mother and her son. The cast features Tony and Emmy Award winner Debra Monk as Edna and ensemble member Ian Barford as her son, Andrew. Ensemble members Tim Hopper and Sally Murphy form a supporting trio with Michael Rabe. 

The production runs through November 6, 2015 in the Downstairs Theatre (1650 N Halsted St). Tickets ($20 - $89) are available through Audience Services at 312-335-1650 and steppenwolf.org. 

Edna has suffered a number of losses as she has aged, and now faces the stealthy advance of cancer embodied by an intimate figure that she could do without. Home for a visit, Edna’s son Andrew tries to bridge the gulf between the childhood love they shared and the aggressively polite but baffling relationship they now live with. Mother and son stumble toward honesty as they wrestle with the distractions–-both mundane and profound—that keep us from real connection. 

“Steppenwolf is thrilled to bring David Rabe back on our stage after last producing his play Streamers in 1985. Mr. Rabe, along with being a lion of the American Theatre, has impacted every generation of Steppenwolf’s ensemble. With his form-pushing narratives and deeply complex character construction, he has, decade by decade, created a sweeping body of work that represents everything Steppenwolf aspires to be: truthful, brave, original and vital,” shares Director Anna D. Shapiro. 

“Visiting Edna marks Mr. Rabe’s 18th play and signals yet another chapter in his own formidable journey as an artist and we are deeply honored that he has chosen Steppenwolf as his partner for this next chapter,” adds Shapiro. 

   

Visiting Edna features three Steppenwolf ensemble members—Ian Barford, an original cast member of August: Osage County, who performed at Steppenwolf last season in Mary Page Marlowe; Tim Hopper, most recently seen in 2015’s critically acclaimed Between Riverside and Crazy; and Sally Murphy, also an original cast member of August: Osage County, who was last on the Steppenwolf stage in 2012’s Time Stands Still. 

Debra Monk’s stage accolades include a Tony Award for her performance in Redwood Curtain, an Obie award for The Time of the Cuckoo, two Drama Desk Awards for Curtains and Oil City Symphony, and most recently a 2012 Tony Award nomination for Cat on a Hot Tin Roof. Monk has appeared in numerous films and television shows, including Devil's Advocate, Center Stage and currently both TV series, Mozart in the Jungle and Mercy Street. Michael Rabe was last seen in The Future is Not What It Was at New York’s Kindling Theatre Company and makes his Steppenwolf debut with Visiting Edna. 

BIOS:
David Rabe (Playwright) is an acclaimed American playwright, screenwriter and novelist. He completed his graduate studies in theatre after serving in the army (1965–67), and his experiences as a draftee assigned to a hospital-support unit in Vietnam provided a key influence on his early career as a playwright. Four dramas, later collected in The Vietnam Plays (1993), include his first play, The Basic Training of Pavlo Hummel (1971); Sticks and Bones (1972; film 1973), the first of David’s plays to be mounted on Broadway and which won a Tony Award for Best Play; Streamers; and The Orphan (1975), a contemporary reworking of Aeschylus’s Oresteia trilogy. Subsequent plays include In the Boom Boom Room (1975); Goose and Tom Tom; Hurlyburly (1985; film 1998); Those the River Keeps (1991); A Question of Mercy (1998); The Dog Problem (2002); The Black Monk (2004), based on a Chekhov short story; and An Early History of Fire (first performed 2012). Rabe wrote the film adaptations of Streamers and Hurlyburly. He also contributed screenplays for the movies I’m Dancing As Fast As I Can (1982) and Casualties of War (1989). His fiction includes A Primitive Heart (2005), a collection of his short stories and the novels Recital of the Dog (1993); Dinosaurs on the Roof (2008); and Girl by the Road at Night (2010). Most recently, Chicago’s The Gift Theatre produced the world premiere of Good for Otto in 2015 to critical acclaim. 

Anna D. Shapiro (Director) has directed many notable productions with Steppenwolf, including most recently Mary Page Marlowe by ensemble member Tracy Letts. She won the 2008 Tony, Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle Awards for Best Director August: Osage County, also by Letts. In 2011 she received a Tony Award nomination for her direction of The Motherf**ker with the Hat, which she also directed at Steppenwolf. Broadway credits include Larry David’s Fish in the Dark, the revival of Steppenwolf’s production of This Is Our Youth and the Broadway revival of Of Mice and Men, which National Theatre Live selected as the first American production to be broadcast to over 700 cinemas across the US and Canada. Additional Steppenwolf directing credits include A Parallelogram, Up, The Unmentionables, The Pain and the Itch (also at Playwrights Horizons), Tracy Letts’s Man from Nebraska, (named by TIME Magazine as one of the Year’s Top Ten of 2003), Side Man (also in Ireland, Australia and Colorado), among others. She is a graduate of the Yale School of Drama and Columbia College and the recipient of a 1996 Princess Grace Award, as well as the 2010 Princess Grace Statue Award. Shapiro began working with Steppenwolf in 1995 as the original director of the New Plays Lab, joined the ensemble in 2005 and became Artistic Director at the start of the 2015/16 Season. 

Visiting Edna by David Rabe opens 41st season (Sept 15 – Nov 6) Page 3 of 4 

Visiting Edna production team includes David Zinn (scenic design), Linda Roethke (costume design), Marcus Doshi (lighting design), Rob Milburn and Michael Bodeen (original music and sound design). Additional credits include Jonathan Berry (artistic producer), JC Clementz and Tam Dickson (casting) and Christine D. Freeburg (stage manager) and Brian Maschka (assistant stage manager). 

TICKET AND PRODUCTION INFO
Single tickets to Visiting Edna are available through Audience Services (1650 N Halsted St), 312-335-1650 and steppenwolf.org. Regular Run: $20 – $89. Prices subject to change. 20 for $20: twenty $20 tickets are available 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. Limit 2 tickets per student; must present a valid student ID for each ticket. Group Tickets: all groups of 10 or more receive a discounted rate for any performance throughout the season, steppenwolf.org/groups. 

Subscriptions: Season Subscriptions available through mid-October for audiences who like to lock in dates and secure seats in advance. Black and Red Card Memberships: Card memberships are for audiences interested in extreme flexibility with six tickets for use any time for any production. The credits are valid for one year with the option to add additional credits as needed. 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. To purchase a 2016/17 Subscription or Membership, visit Audience Services at 1650 N Halsted St, call 312-335-1650 or visit steppenwolf.org. 

  

Accessible Performances include Sunday, October 16 at 7:30pm (ASL Interpretation); Saturday, October 29 at 3pm (Open-captioned); Sunday, October 30 1:30pm touch tour with 3pm audio-described performance. 

Full performance schedule included at end of the release. Curtain Times are Tuesdays through Sundays at 7:30pm; Saturday and Sunday matinees at 3pm; Wednesday matinees at 2pm on October 19, October 26, and November 2. 

SPONSOR INFO 

Lead support for Visiting Edna is provided by the Laurents/Hatcher Foundation and Northern Trust is the Corporate Production Sponsor. 

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

2016/17 SEASON 

Steppenwolf’s 2016/17 Season also includes 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 

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. Artistic programming includes 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 receiving 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 Executive 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. 

Steppenwolf's Casting Complete for Winter Productions The Christians and Straight White Men

Chi, IL LIVE Shows On Our Radar:

CASTING ANNOUNCED FOR STEPPENWOLF'S 2016 WINTER PRODUCTIONS: 

THE CHRISTIANS BY LUCAS HNATH AND 

STRAIGHT WHITE MEN BY YOUNG JEAN LEE

Steppenwolf Theatre Company announced complete casting for two upcoming Chicago premiere productions: Lucas Hnath’s The Christians directed by ensemble member K. Todd Freeman (December 1, 2016 – January 29, 2017) in the Downstairs Theatre; and Straight White Men written and directed by Young Jean Lee (February 2, 2016 – March 19, 2017) in the Upstairs Theatre.

The Christians cast features ensemble member Tom Irwin as Pastor Paul and ensemble member Robert Breuler as Elder Jay with Shannon Cochran (Elizabeth), Glenn Davis (Joshua) and Jacqueline Williams (Congregant). 

The Downstairs Theatre will be transformed into a mega church with a choir performing live onstage. The choir, called The Praise Team, features Faith Howard, Yando Lopez, Jazelle Morriss, Mary-Margaret Roberts and Charlie Strater. Directed by ensemble member K. Todd Freeman, the production runs December 1 – January 29, 2017. 

The Straight White Men cast features ensemble members Alan Wilder (Ed) and Tim Hopper (Matt) with Madison Dirks (Jake), Ryan Hallahan (Drew) and Elliott Jenetopulos (Stagehand-in-charge). Written and directed by Young Jean Lee, the Chicago premiere production runs February 2 - March 19, 2017 in the Upstairs Theatre. 

Single tickets ($20-$89) to The Christians and Straight White Men are currently on sale at 312-335-1650 or steppenwolf.org. Subscription Memberships are available through mid-October for audiences who like to lock in dates and secure seats in advance. Subscribers receive special access to buy additional shows. Flex Card Memberships are available for audiences interested in extreme flexibility with six tickets for use any time, along with perks including free exchanges, savings on single tickets and bar and restaurant discounts.

About The Christians

Pastor Paul has spent 20 years successfully growing his church from a small storefront to a gleaming megachurch, but now he fears that there may be a crack in the theological foundation. As he shares his new belief in the nature of salvation, the message is met with surprise and then growing trepidation from his closest confidantes in the congregation, threatening to create a schism within the church. Lucas Hnath’s fascinating new play looks with great complexity and compassion at the relationship between belief and behavior—and its evenhanded, unbiased take on faith in modern America can be appreciated no matter what you believe.

About Straight White Men

As Ed, a widower, prepares to celebrate Christmas, he calls his three grown sons back to the family home. Games are played, Chinese food is ordered, and brotherly pranks and trashtalk distract them from the ongoing issue that threatens to ruin the festivities:  when personal identity is essential and privilege is a problem, what is a straight white man to do? Playwright/ Director Young Jean Lee takes an outside look at the traditional father/son play narrative, shedding new and often hilarious light on a story we think we know all too well.

About the 2016/17 Season

Steppenwolf’s 41^st anniversary Season opens with the world premiere of Visiting Edna by David Rabe, directed by Artistic Director Anna D. Shapiro, which is currently in previews and runs through November 6. In addition to The Christians and Straight White Men, the 2016/17 also features the world premiere of The Fundamentals by Erika Sheffer, directed by ensemble member Yasen Peyankov, November 10 – December 23, 2016 in the Upstairs Theatre. ); the world premiere of Linda Vista by ensemble member Tracy Letts, directed by Dexter Bullard (March 30 – May 21, 2017); the Chicago premiere of Hir by Taylor Mac, directed by Hallie Gordon (June 29 – August 20, 2017); and an additional summer show, Pass Over by Antoinette Nwandu (June 1 – July 9, 2017).

Visitor Information & Accessibility

Steppenwolf is located at 1650 N Halsted St near all forms of public transportation and is wheelchair accessible. The parking facility consists of both a covered garage ($11 cash or credt) and an open-air lot, located just south of our theater at 1624 N Halsted. Valet parking service ($14 cash) is available directly in front of the main entrance at 1650 N Halsted St starting at 5pm on weeknights, 1pm on weekends and at 12 noon before Wednesday matinees. Street and lot parking are also available. For last minute questions and concerns, patrons can call the Steppenwolf Parking Hotline at (312) 335-1774.

Committed to making the Steppenwolf experience accessible to everyone, performances featuring American Sign Language interpretation, open captioning and audio description are offered during the run of each play. Assistive listening devices and large-print programs are available for every performance. With the expertise of Assistive Hearing Systems Ltd., Steppenwolf installed an induction loop on both the main and balcony levels of our Downstairs Theatre in 2015. There is also an induction loop installed in the 1700 Theatre.

Front Bar: Coffee and Drinks

Located in front of the 1700 Theatre is Steppenwolf’s café & bar, Front Bar: Coffee and Drinks. Open daily from 7am to midnight, Front Bar is a creative space to grab a drink, have a bite, or meet up with friends and collaborators, day or night. A morning and evening menu is curated by Chef Chris Pandel, and artisanal coffee and espresso is provided by La Colombe. Front Bar was developed with consultation from Steppenwolf’s friends and neighbors, Boka Restaurant Group (BRG), along with interior designers Karen Herold and Kayce Carter of Studio K and the marketing and design firm Grip. More info at front-bar.com.

Sponsor Information

Major support for Steppenwolf’s expanded 2016/17 programming is provided by the Lefkofsky Family Foundation, The Negaunee Foundation and the Zell Family Foundation.

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

PwC is the corporate presenting sponsor of Straight White Men.

United Airlines is the Official and Exclusive Airline of Steppenwolf.

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. Artistic programming includes 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 receiving 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.

STEPPENWOLF "LOOKOUT" SERIES CONTINUES WITH DIVERSE FALL LINEUP

Chi, IL LIVE Shows On Our Radar:

"LOOKOUT" For More Great Performances From Steppenwolf Theatre Company's Popular MULTI-GENRE SERIES In The 1700 THEATRE

Fall highlights include punk dance troupe BOOMERANG with Greg Saunier of Deerhoof; explosive comedy-duo Dominizuelan; genre-bending jazz singer Akenya; an exciting collaboration with Pivot Arts; Chicago improv titans TJ and Dave; and more

Steppenwolf Theatre Company announced today the fall lineup for LookOut, the company’s multi-genre performance series that launched this summer. Presenting a wide variety of work from a diverse array of voices, artists emerging and established alike, LookOut programming takes place in Steppenwolf’s 1700 Theatre, an 80-seat cabaret-style space connected to Steppenwolf’s own Front Bar: Coffee and Drinks at 1700 N Halsted St.

LookOut’s inaugural run welcomed more than 2,300 attendees and presented 32 different programs spanning plays, improv, staged musicals, book readings, live music and even an interactive night of science experiments.

“It has been so thrilling to see the positive response to LookOut this summer. Ensemble members Laurie Metcalf, Jeff Perry and Jon Michael Hill showed up to christen the space with their performances, along with partners ranging from The Second City to Salonathon. These artists created an amazing spark of energy in the new building that continues to reverberate throughout the entire theater,” shares Artistic Director Anna D. Shapiro.

“With the DJs and the great food and drinks in Front Bar as a bookend to shows, we welcomed long-time patrons and brand new audience members as well. We plan to bring even more diverse artists and genres to this fun and innovative series year-round,” says LookOut Producer John Zinn.

Tickets to all LookOut programming are on sale now at steppenwolf.org or 312-335-1650. Red and Black Card Members may use credits towards any LookOut programming. Prices vary for each show. LookOut is presented year-round and announced on an ongoing basis. For information, visit steppenwolf.org/lookout.

LookOut Fall 2016 Lineup 

in the 1700 Theatre

1700 N Halsted St

Listed in date order. All artists, dates and prices subject to change.

*Doors open 30 minutes before performance time 

Me, My Mom and Sharmila

Written and Performed by Fawzia Mirza 

Friday, September 23 & Saturday, September 24

8pm

$15

A hilarious coming-of-age story told by a first generation American woman of color. At some point, we all realize we are not exactly the person our parents expected us to become. How do we find our own voice and embrace our personal identity in the face of societal and familial pressures? Told with humor and deep insight, dynamic writer-performer Fawzia Mirza shares a journey of self-discovery and strength that carries her all the way from childhood as a Pakistani Muslim in small-town Canada to living out as an actress in the heart of Chicago. fawziamirza.com

Beauty School

Friday, September 30

8pm

$8

Retro-pop quartet Beauty School invites you to celebrate the release of their new EP Ghost Beach, a day-dreamy elegy to summer. Beauty School formed in Chicago in late 2015 when two groups of musicians joined forces to pursue their shared appreciation of sweet hooks, simple arrangements, pithy love songs and future plates. beautyschoolband.bandcamp.com

TJ and Dave

Saturday, October 1 

8pm

$10

TJ and Dave walk out on stage without characters, dialogue or plot. Described by The New York Times as “Second City-seasoned masters of long form improv,” TJ Jagodowski and David Pasquesi have become living legends in their field.

Tumbao

By Jo Cattell, Lorena Diaz and Wendy Mateo 

Featuring Dominizuelan

Monday, October 3 and Monday, October 10

8pm

$15

For two nights this fall, Steppenwolf’s 1700 theatre is transformed into Tumbao, a family bar and the best place for a salsa night, baptism, séance or wedding reception. Unbeknownst to the owners, the community has decided to make the Tumbao family the basis for a radionovela, broadcast from the bar itself. By transmitting to the rest of the world what happens within Tumbao’s walls they hope to share the infectious energy of the family to keep the community thriving through its desperate fight against gentrification. dominizuelan.com.

The Claudettes

Wednesday, October 5

8pm

$12

The Claudettes fuse Windy City piano blues with the full-throttle energy of rockabilly and punk, jazz-age echoes of burlesque and vaudeville and the sultriness of ’60s pop-soul to write a thrilling new chapter in American roots music. File under: post-burlesque? Neo-vaudeville? Cosmic cartoon music? You’ve never seen a bar band like this. theclaudettes.com/

Tales and Tunes with the Irish American Heritage Center

Saturday, October 8

8pm

$10

Enjoy live music and stories with musicians and storytellers from the Irish American Heritage Center. With music on fiddle, keyboards, mandolin, uilleann pipes and vocals and stories by Irish born and Irish American writers. irish-american.org

A Tribute to The Smiths & Morrissey by The Handsome Devilz

Saturday, October 15

8pm

$10

Formed in 2008, The Handsome Devilz got their start playing in their aunt’s restaurant in Pilsen before going on to become a Midwest regional favorite. Their goal: to bring to life the sounds of The Smiths and Morrissey. As time passes, The Devilz strive to resurrect as many songs as possible from their catalogs for all to enjoy. thehandsomedevilz.com

Akenya in Concert

Friday, October 21

8pm

$15

Akenya is young multi-genre singer, pianist, composer and arranger whose music places a strong emphasis on jazz and the culmination of hip-hop, funk, pop, classical, and world music. Her voice, style and sound—both poignant and riveting—is sure to make this intimate evening a transformative experience for audience members. For this one night engagement, Akenya will perform a slew of original works and arrangements with her five piece band. akenyamusic.com

WildClaw Theatre’s Deathscribe: An Evening of Radio Horror

Saturday, October 22

8:30pm

$25

WildClaw Theatre has culled from eight years of Deathscribe to select their top five favorite tales of terror from their annual festival of radio horror. Dare to join them as they bring the nightmares to LookOut for an evening of the Best of Deathscribe: Performed with live foley, live music and a cast of Chicago talent. wildclawtheatre.com/deathscribe

Torch, Sass and Swing!

Created and Performed by Suzanne Petri

With Bobby Schiff, Jim Cox and ensemble member Robert Breuler

Wednesday, October 26-Friday, October 28

8pm

$20

Torch songs, smoky clubs and great music. Join Suzanne Petri as she sings fantastic songs and ensemble member Robert Breuler as he tells stories and guides you up "the street" to the classic clubs of Chicago and the artists who played them: Ella, Sarah, Barbra, Sophie, Bette Midler, Oscar Brown Jr., Nat "King" Cole and of course Petri’s special tribute to the one and only Julie Wilson. With musical director Bobby Schiff at the keys and Jim Cox on bass.

Repercussion

Created by BOOMERANG

Saturday, October 29 at 8pm

Sunday, October 30 at 4pm

$20

BOOMERANG, hailed as the “punk Mozarts of dance,” presents a percussively visceral and psychologically dynamic new work made in collaboration with Greg Saunier, drummer and founding member of the internationally acclaimed band Deerhoof. Repercussion combines the daring and vulnerable artistry of dancers Matty Davis and Adrian Galvin with poetically nuanced choreography by Kora Radella. Saunier’s physically-charged, expressive percussion sets the tone and further embodies the work’s fearlessly physical exploration of “active forgetting,” based on new writing by MacArthur Fellow and cultural critic Lewis Hyde. Repercussion was originally commissioned by Dixon Place for a March 2016 premiere in New York City, and subsequently premiered in Paris, France at The Arts Arena at the invitation of Robert Wilson. boomerangdance.com

Charlie Strater and Friends

Thursday, November 3

8pm

$5

Charlie Strater honed his songwriting and performing skills like many other artists, by playing countless restaurant and tavern gigs. After releasing his critically acclaimed debut recording, Bluesy Stuff, he quickly earned a name for himself as a powerhouse performer with skilled blues-guitar chops and a vocal intensity and passion. His second album Thornhill Road, continued to define him as a uniquely modern singer/songwriter and guitarist. His third album Charlie Strater combined country and rock in an album that Copeland Music says, “hits the emotional bull’s eye in each song.” Acoustic duo, The PhilBillies, open. reverbnation.com/charliestrater

Looking for Love

Live Dating Game Show and Cabaret

Saturday, November 5

8pm

$12

Looking for Love is the only live dating game show and cabaret in the Universe (according to Looking for Love). Hosted by Carolyn Hoerdemann and Maggie Graham; the Dean and Jerry of the new Millennium—with cleavage. Featuring house band Tuffy Roads, comedy cahoots, dating advice and a chance to find the bachelor/bachelorette of your dreams.

Pivot Arts presents Live Talk: The Day After

Wednesday, November 9

8pm

$15

Come celebrate or mourn the day after one of the most bizarre presidential elections in modern U.S. history with Pivot Arts' Live Talk series. Part performance, part live talk show, this unique evening includes quirky performances, interviews, live music and the very special, Pivot DIY. pivotarts.org 

Methtacular! 

Written and performed by Steven Strafford

Friday, November 11 & Saturday, November 12

8pm

$20 

Methtacular! is Steven Strafford's award-winning one-man show telling the true story of his three years as a sex-addled, crystal meth addict on the streets of Chicago. He weaves jokes, stories, original songs, a game show and documentary footage of interviews with his mom to bring the audience down into the depths of a life in pursuit of the next high. A brave, hilarious and insightful journey through the maelstrom of addiction and recovery, the narrative is riveting and transitions from tear-jerking to gut-busting while never resorting to cloying clichés. methtacular.com 

Chicago Podcast Festival

Friday, November 18 & Saturday, November 19 

8pm

$20 

Podcasts are the new art form for this century as they encompass the qualities of art, comedy, drama, entertainment, storytelling and unscripted theatre. Jonathan Pitts, executive director of Chicago Improv Productions and the co-founder/producer of the highly successful Chicago Improv Festival has teamed up with WBEZ's & The Moth's Tyler Greene, to produce the first annual Chicago Podcast Festival. The focus of this festival is to present a diverse collection of local, regional and national podcasters in live performances of their podcasts at some of Chicago's most renowned theatre venues. Join the fun as Chicago transforms into a podcast Mecca for one weekend in the fall.

LookOut programming is presented year-round and announced on an ongoing basis. John Zinn, Greta Honold and Patrick Zakem are the producers for LookOut. For more information, visit steppenwolf.org/lookout.

The 1700 Theatre

The new 80-seat theater is a casual, intimate and flexible space at 1700 N Halsted St presenting a wide variety of genres and shows, from live music to dance to spoken word and beyond. The diverse programming provides current and new audience members with a variety of multidisciplinary cultural experiences with the added Steppenwolf stamp of approval.

Front Bar: Coffee and Drinks

Located in front of the 1700 Theatre is Steppenwolf’s café & bar, Front Bar: Coffee and Drinks. Open daily from 7am to midnight, Front Bar is a creative space to grab a drink, have a bite, or meet up with friends and collaborators, day or night. A morning and evening menu is curated by Chef Chris Pandel, and artisanal coffee and expresso is provided by La Colombe. Functioning as a stand-alone entity, the café & bar also connects to Steppenwolf’s existing main building creating an expanded lobby space. Front Bar was developed with consultation from Steppenwolf’s friends and neighbors, Boka Restaurant Group (BRG), along with interior designers Karen Herold and Kayce Carter of Studio K and the marketing and design firm Grip. More info at front-bar.com.

Membership options

With the larger and more diverse selection of programming this season, Steppenwolf has increased the ways in which audiences can access the offerings. The new Steppenwolf Black Card offers extreme flexibility with six ticket credits that can be used 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 membership 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 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 are Season Subscription packages, including student, educator and access discount subscriptions.

To purchase a 2016/17 Subscription or Membership, visit 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 theaterspaces—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. Artistic programming includes a seven-play Season; a two-play Steppenwolf for Young Adults season; Visiting Company engagements; and LookOut, a multidisciplinary, year-round 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.