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Thursday, October 13, 2016

OPENING: Graeme of Thrones Parody Comes to Broadway Playhouse November 1st-15th

The dates have shifted forward a bit since we first began promoting this show waaaaaay back in March. It's nearly here and we couldn't be more excited. We adored Potted Potter and the adults in our family are also huge Game of Thrones freaks. Can't wait to catch this one!


*Do note, the show does contain adult content... 
Duh! It's a GOT parody people.*





FROM THE PRODUCER OF POTTED POTTER
GRAEME OF THRONES 
TO PLAY CHICAGO’S BROADWAY PLAYHOUSE AT WATER TOWER PLACE
 NOVEMBER 1- 15, 2016

The hilarious original parody GRAEME OF THRONES will play the Broadway Playhouse at Water Tower Place (175 E. Chestnut) November 1-15th, 2016.



Created by a team of some of the UK’s top comedy writers, GRAEME OF THRONES is an original and un-authorized parody on the international phenomenon that is Game Of Thrones. A treat for fans and an introduction for the unenlightened.



CASTING FOR CHICAGO ENGAGEMENT OF GRAEME OF THRONES


Original cast members Ali Brice (Graeme) and Libby Northedge (Bryony) are joined by Michael Condron (Paul), who has appeared in Seasons 5 and 6 of GAME OF THRONES as Bowen Marsh.

In this critically-acclaimed theatrical journey through the Seven Kingdoms, direct from sold out shows in London’s West End, avid ‘Thrones’ fan Graeme just wants to recreate his favorite fantasy saga on stage - aided and abetted by his best friend Paul and the girl he used to fancy at school - Bryony.

He doesn’t quite have the same budget as the TV show, or as many cast members, or the performance skill required, but he’s sure George RR Martin would approve – and that’s what matters. But when news reaches them that an influential theatrical producer is in the building, Graeme decides that this could be his big break - as long as nothing goes wrong...


CAST BIOGRAPHIES
ALI BRICE (Graeme) is a character comedian and actor. Performing since 2009, Brice creates very silly, vividly-coloured worlds full of very silly, larger-than-life characters. In 2014 Brice took Eric Meat Wants to Go Shopping to the Edinburgh Fringe to critical acclaim. He is a member of the London-based alternative comedy collective Weirdos. Ali was in the original Graeme Of Thrones cast in London’s West End and has since gone on to tour the UK and Australia with the show. 

LIBBY NORTHEDGE (Bryony) has worked as both a performer and director with notable companies including Punchdrunk, NIE, BBC, Sky Arts. Libby is one half of clown and character sketch duo Twisted Loaf. In 2013 they won the prestigious Funny Women Award and have since had two smash hit Edinburgh Festival shows that have both transferred to the West End. They wrote and starred in their own short film for Sky and are currently in development for a TV series. Libby is a regular improviser, having spent the summer of 2012 performing with IO and Second City in Chicago. Libby was in the original cast of Graeme Of Thrones in London’s West End and has toured with the show across the UK and in Australia.

MICHAEL CONDRON (Paul) performs regularly at Belfast Lyric Theatre and his credits include:
39 Steps, Smiley, Hee Comes the Night, Macbeth and Much ado About Nothing, Jhn Bulls Other Island, The Miser by Moliere adapted By David Johnston. Michael performed with the Boat Factory, off Broadway, Kings Head Theatre, Edinburgh Fringe Festival with other Local and Regional tours. He has worked with many other venues and touring companies in the UK and Ireland, including Mirandolina (Manchester Royal Exchange) Mojo Mickybo (lyric Hammersmith) Borderland (7:84 Theatre Co), Da (Art NI) Revnge, Lally the Scut (Theatre Co), Oh what a Lovely War, Threepenny Opera, Blue Remembered Hills, The Government Inspector (Bruiser Theatre Co).




TICKET INFORMATION
Tickets for GRAEME OF THRONES at the Broadway Playhouse at Water Tower Place range from $39.95-$69.95. A select number of premium tickets are available for many performances. Group tickets for 10 or more are available by calling Broadway In Chicago Group Sales at (312) 977-1710. Tickets are available at all Broadway In Chicago Box Offices (24 W. Randolph St., 151 W. Randolph St., 18 W. Monroe St. and 175 E. Chestnut), the Broadway In Chicago Ticket Line at (800) 775-2000, all Ticketmaster retail locations and online at www.BroadwayInChicago.com.

For a complete performance schedule, please visit www.BroadwayInChicago.com.

ABOUT BROADWAY IN CHICAGO
Broadway In Chicago was created in July 2000 and over the past 16 years has grown to be one of the largest commercial touring homes in the country.  A Nederlander Presentation, Broadway In Chicago lights up the Chicago Theater District entertaining well up to 1.7 million people annually in five theatres.  Broadway In Chicago presents a full range of entertainment, including musicals and plays, on the stages of five of the finest theatres in Chicago’s Loop including The PrivateBank Theatre, Oriental Theatre, Cadillac Palace Theatre, and just off the Magnificent Mile, the Broadway Playhouse at Water Tower Place and presenting Broadway shows at The Auditorium Theatre of Roosevelt University.

Facebook @BroadwayInChicago  Twitter @broadwaychicago  Instagram @broadwayinchicago  #broadwayinchicago


Wednesday, October 12, 2016

Got What It Takes To Join Blue Man Group?!



BLUE MAN GROUP ANNOUNCES OPEN CALL TO BE HELD AT CHICAGO’S BRIAR STREET THEATRE MONDAY, OCTOBER 24th






Auditions are Part of Nationwide Search for Additional Blue Men to Perform in Various Cities


Here at ChiIL Mama/ChiIL Live Shows we were invited to cover the open auditions for Blue Man Group a couple years ago and it was an incredible experience. 

2014, Blue Man hopefuls

The audition process is rigorous yet respectful and the talent pool is deep! My teen son came with me and we not only interviewed the hopefuls, but we also sat in on some of the drumming auditions.

 





This long running show is stunning, and the Blue Man Group craze is spreading to more cities and even other countries. If you're a man or woman 5'10" to 6'2" with strong drumming skills and a willingness to learn wacky human tricks and cool choreography, come on out and audition!







Blue Man Group, celebrating 25 years of living in full color in 2016, announces the 2016 Blue Man Group open casting call scheduled for Monday, October 24th from 10 a.m. through 4 p.m. at the Briar Street Theatre (3133 N. Halsted Street). The Blue Man Group casting department is searching for talented individuals with the unique qualities to be a Blue Man, including excellent acting and drumming and/or musical skills. 






Best known for multimedia performances featuring three bald and blue characters, Blue Man Group is comedy, theater, rock concert and dance party all rolled into one. This wildly popular phenomenon delivers an outrageous multi-sensory entertainment experience that audiences will never forget. A dynamic combination of music, comedy and technology, the show appeals to a broad range of age groups and cultural backgrounds. It is continually refreshed with new music, fresh stories, custom instruments and state-of-the-art technology.

The Blue Man cast features performers with a diverse mix of disciplines: classically-trained actors, rock musicians and dancers. The cast is given the unique opportunity to utilize their artistic abilities in an exciting and dynamic experience unmatched by any other stage production.

“Aside from the certain base skills and physical requirements we look for at the casting call, I love discovering the wonderful oddities that make each person distinctly who they are,” said Tascha Van Auken, Assistant Director of Casting and Training for Blue Man Productions. “The Blue Man character is a sort of primal investigator of human connection and it’s encouraging to be reminded that we can each be so remarkably unique and yet so wholly a part of the same human mission.”

There are currently more than 75 Blue Men all over the world. Blue Man Group’s open casting calls have been instrumental in finding the next generation of wide-eyed explorers of contemporary civilization.


open casting call 2014


What does it take to be a Blue Man? 

A Blue Man is an egoless, genderless being. Male and female performers are encouraged to audition. All necessary audition equipment will be provided. The basic criteria for Blue Man performers are:

Height between 5’10’’ and 6’2’’ (athletic build)

Drumming skills and/or musicianship are an advantage, but a good sense of rhythm is a necessity

Excellent acting skills. Strong candidates often have backgrounds in theater and improvisation. Candidates are compelling and genuine nonverbal storytellers. They must thrive in a constantly evolving team environment on and off the stage

Willingness to relocate as the casting call helps to identify future Blue Men for existing and upcoming productions in Boston, Chicago, Las Vegas, New York and Orlando.

This open call audition is for Blue Man performers. For more information about ongoing Blue Man Group casting efforts, performers may visit www.blueman.com/casting.



About Blue Man Production
In 2016, global entertainment phenomenon Blue Man Group celebrates 25 years of living in full color with a series of new projects and appearances. The company is best known for the award-winning Blue Man Group show, performed more than 20 countries and seen by more than 35 million people worldwide since 1991. A dynamic combination of music, comedy and technology, the show appeals to a broad range of age groups and cultural backgrounds. It is continually refreshed with new music, fresh stories, custom instruments and state-of-the-art technology.

The company developed through a creative collaboration among three close friends, Chris Wink, Phil Stanton and Matt Goldman on Manhattan’s Lower East Side. Blue Man Group now has permanent theatrical productions in Las Vegas, Orlando, Boston, Chicago, New York and Berlin, a North American tour and a World Tour.

This creative collective is part of the pop culture zeitgeist. Beyond the stage show, they have toured the globe with the “Megastar World Tour” rock concert parody, released 5 albums, including the Grammy-nominated Audio, and contributed to numerous film and TV scores. They've served as the face of branding campaigns for Intel and TIM/Brasil and appeared countless times on hit shows like “The Tonight Show”, "Arrested Development", “Ellen”, “Schlag den Raab” (Germany), “WOWOW” (Japan), and “Caldeirão do Huck” (Brasil).

Based in New York City, Blue Man Productions has extensive production facilities, recording studios and a 6,000 square foot Research & Development Lab with numerous new creative projects in the pipeline. 


Blue Man Group Ticket Information
Tickets are available from $49-$99. Tickets may be purchased at the Briar Street Theatre by calling the box office at (773) 348-4000; by calling Ticketmaster at (800) 982-2787; at all Ticketmaster ticket centers or via the Internet at www.ticketmaster.com/bluemanchicago. For a full show schedule and ticket pricing, please visit www.blueman.com/chicago.

Special rates are available for groups of 10 or more, varying from $46- $69 per person. For groups of 10 or more, call the group sales department to book at: 773.348.3300 or email chicagogroups@blueman.com to request information.

Saturday, October 8, 2016

CHEERS LIVE ON STAGE TO PLAY FINAL PERFORMANCE THIS SUNDAY

The Producers of CHEERS LIVE ON STAGE just announced that the critically acclaimed show will be concluding its run, early, in Chicago on Sunday, October 9. The Producers expect to make an announcement about additional touring partners and a route for a 2017/18 national tour in the coming weeks.



Patrons who have tickets for performances after October 9 will receive a refund by contacting their point of purchase. For any questions, please call Broadway In Chicago at 312-977-1702, Monday through Friday, 10 am – 5 pm 
Under license by CBS Consumer Products and produced by Stageworks Media and TROIKA Entertainment, CHEERS LIVE ON STAGE is a two-act comedy based on the best and most memorable moments from the Emmy® Award-winning classic hit TV series.

 ™ & © 2016 A CBS Company. CHEERS and related marks and logos are trademarks of A CBS Company. All Rights Reserved.

Friday, October 7, 2016

SAVE THE DATES: Chicago Theatre Week Returns February 9-19th, 2017

Chicago Theatre Week 2017 Dates Announced
February 9 – 19, 2017

Tickets On Sale Tuesday, January 10 at 10 am CST



Chicago Theatre Week (#CTW17), an annual celebration of the rich tradition of theatre-going in Chicago, will take place February 9 – 19, 2017, spanning a week and two full weekends. Heading into its fifth year, Chicago Theatre Week is a program of the League of Chicago Theatres in partnership with Choose Chicago. Tickets are priced at $30, $15, or less and will go on sale Tuesday, January 10, 2017 at 10:00am CST.

All participating Theatre Week shows and $15 and $30 ticket offer details will be listed on the Theatre Week website, www.ChicagoTheatreWeek.com, when tickets go on sale on January 10, 2017. A sample of the many productions expected to participate are:

THE ADVENTURES OF ROBIN HOOD – Filament Theatre
CARMEN – Lyric Opera of Chicago
DEATH OF A SALESMAN – Redtwist Theatre
FACELESS – Northlight Theatre
GLORIA – Goodman Theatre
LOVE’S LABOR’S LOST – Chicago Shakespeare Theater
MR. AND MRS. PENNYWORTH – Lookingglass Theatre
STRAIGHT WHITE MEN – Steppenwolf Theatre
SWEENEY TODD – Paramount Theatre
THE WOLF AT THE END OF THE BLOCK – Teatro Vista
A WONDER IN MY SOUL – Victory Gardens Theater

In February 2016, 124 productions offered value-priced tickets for performances during Chicago Theatre Week. Almost 11,000 Chicago residents and visitors spanning 40 states attended a show during Chicago Theatre Week. This coming February, visitors and residents will again have the opportunity to sample the extraordinary range of theatrical offerings throughout Chicagoland. 

“This year marks the fifth year of Chicago Theatre Week—and each year, the program proves more successful than ever. Theatre Week invites Chicago audiences and visitors to experience the wide range of offerings,” comments Deb Clapp, Executive Director of the League of Chicago Theatres. “We are so thrilled to be able to share the amazing work and we equally love hearing from participants that they visited a favorite theatre or discovered a great new one. This is a week that reminds us all that Chicago is known locally, nationally, and internationally for its theatre scene, and especially this season for generating new work, showcasing fresh talent and spotlighting its rich Chicago tradition.”

“Chicago Theatre Week is an excellent opportunity to experience the breadth of Chicago’s expansive and renowned theatre community and we’re thrilled to see this celebration now in its fifth year,” David Whitaker, President and CEO of Choose Chicago said. “It is our celebrated theatre scene—from the large productions to the Tony-award winning theatres to neighborhood storefront performances—that help make Chicago such an exciting destination. These 11 days offer a unique chance to get the most out of a Chicago theatre itinerary.”

Kate Lipuma, Executive Director of Writers Theatre and Chair of the League of Chicago Theatres adds, “Chicago Theatre Week celebrates the tradition and quality of theatre in Chicago. With over 100 productions during Chicago Theatre Week—in many suburbs and in almost every neighborhood—there are seemingly endless opportunities to visit a favorite theatre and explore new companies all across the city.”

The lead hotel sponsor of Chicago Theatre Week 2017 is Sheraton Grand Chicago.

Chicago Theatre Week is presented by the League of Chicago Theatres in partnership with Choose Chicago. Subscribe to the Theatre Week email newsletter or follow @ChicagoPlays on Twitter for updates and announcements. The official hashtag for Chicago Theatre Week 2017 is #CTW17.

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.

For a comprehensive list of Chicago productions, visit the League of Chicago Theatres website, ChicagoPlays.com.  Half-price tickets are available each week at HotTix.org.  Additional information about Chicago Theatre Week is available at ChicagoTheatreWeek.com.


Thursday, October 6, 2016

WIN A Pair of Tickets To The Bardy Bunch, Theatre Y's Macbeth or Dr. Seward's Dracula

Here at ChiIL Live Shows, we LOVE to ChiIL out at the theatre. Chi, IL may be called the second city, but our theatre scene is second to none. We have 3 sweet giveaways this week for free pairs of tickets so you can have a fun night out this October! Enter like we vote in Chi, IL... early and often. We're accepting entries for all three through midnight Wednesday 8/12. Feel free to enter all 3 but please read the details and be sure you can attend within the required date choices before entering.



Chi, IL LIVE Shows On Our Radar:


The Bardy Bunch, Mercury Theater 



The Bardy Bunch: The War of the Families Partridge and Brady, a musical parody by Stephen Garvey that gained cult status during its Off-Broadway run in 2014, is now playing a limited engagement in Chicago at the Mercury Theater, 3745 N. Southport Avenue. It is 1974 and we join the Bradys and Patridges just after the ABC Network ceased airing their chronicles. It was a summer when these beloved TV families, no longer under America's watchful eye, met on a collision course in a blood-soaked, vengeance-fueled, lust-filled crossover episode of Shakespearean proportions. For more information, visit TheBardyBunch.com.

WIN 2 Tickets to The Bardy Bunch (up to $116 value) ENTER HERE through midnight Wednesday 8/12 *Valid for any shows through Oct 31st




First Folio Theatre Presents:



October 8 - November 6

Come experience the legend of Dracula anew, as First Folio Theatre (Mayslake Peabody Estate, 31st St. & Rt. 83) presents the Chicago premiere of DR. SEWARD’S DRACULA, opening Saturday, October 8, 2016 at 8:15 p.m., and running through November 6, 2016, with previews October 5-7. This sinful and spooky adaptation by Joseph Zettelmaier is directed by Jeff Award nominee Alison C. Vesely and produced by David Rice, author of The Madness of Edgar Allan Poe and composer, adaptor, and lyricist of Shakespeare’s Cymbeline: A Folk Tale with Music. Tickets may be purchased by calling the box office at 630.986.8067 or online at www.firstfolio.org.

WIN 2 DR. SEWARD’S DRACULA Tickets ($58 value) ENTER HERE through midnight Wednesday 8/12 
*Valid for Wednesday and Thursday show dates ONLY through October 30th. 



Theatre Y Presents:


October 19 - December 4

Following a year-long artistic collaboration with French theatre luminary, Georges Bigot, the Theatre Y Ensemble presents William Shakespeare's MACBETH at the Chopin Theatre, 1543 West Division. An iconic figure to Ariane Mnouchkine's Theatre du Soleil and one of France's most lauded contemporary actors, Bigot brings his lifelong experience and hallmark style of highly physical ensemble work to direct MACBETH, featured as part of Chicago Shakespeare 400 International Arts Festival.

What's done cannot be undone.

WIN 2 Macbeth Tickets ($50 value) ENTER HERE through midnight Wednesday 8/12
*Valid for any show dates October 19-November 27th 



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. 

Wednesday, October 5, 2016

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 41st 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. 

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