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Steppenwolf Theatre Opens 49th Season with
NOISES OFF
By Michael Frayn
Directed by ensemble member Anna D. Shapiro
A co-production with Geffen Playhouse
Featuring ensemble members Audrey Francis, Francis Guinan, Ora Jones and James Vincent Meredith with Vaneh Assadourian, Amanda Fink, Rick Holmes, Andrew Leeds and Max Stewart
September 12 – October 27, 2024
in Steppenwolf’s Downstairs Theater
Steppenwolf Theatre Company, the nation’s premier ensemble theater company, is pleased open its 49th season with a revival of Michael Frayn’s classic comedy Noises Off, directed by Tony Award-winning ensemble member Anna D. Shapiro (August: Osage County, The Minutes), presented in a co-production with Geffen Playhouse. Steppenwolf’s take on the funniest farce ever written will play September 12 – October 27, 2024 in Steppenwolf’s Downstairs Theater, 1650 N. Halsted St. in Chicago. Classic Memberships are now on sale for Steppenwolf’s 2024/25 season at steppenwolf.org/myseason. Single tickets for Noises Off starting at $20 are now on sale at steppenwolf.org or the Box Office at (312) 335-1650.
Noises Off features ensemble members Audrey Francis (The Thanksgiving Play, The Doppelgänger), Francis Guinan (Downstate, August: Osage County), Ora Jones (The Doppelgänger, The Brother/Sister Plays) and James Vincent Meredith (The Minutes, The Doppelgänger) with Vaneh Assadourian (Steppenwolf debut, Wish You Were Here), Amanda Fink (Pro-Am, POTUS u/s), Rick Holmes (Steppenwolf debut, Spamalot, Peter and the Starcatcher), Andrew Leeds (Steppenwolf debut, Bones, The Patient) and Max Stewart (Steppenwolf debut, Chicago Fire, Southern Gothic).
About the Production:
The cast and crew of Nothing On are scrambling to prepare for opening night, but despite their earnest efforts, the production is an absolute mess. Line flubs and lost props and missed cues, oh my! Can this beleaguered ensemble overcome egos and jealousies to pull the show together in time?
Onstage antics collide with offstage foibles in Steppenwolf’s production of Noises Off, the classic comedy that writes an ingenious, slapstick and zany tribute to “theatre people” everywhere. By the end of this dizzying play-within-a-play, you won’t know stage right from left.
Steppenwolf Theatre Artistic Director Glenn Davis comments, “Is there any better way to begin our season than by welcoming the visionary Anna D. Shapiro – one of the finest directors working today – back to her home theater? It’s a gift to have Anna back in the building, directing this unruly and demanding farce; I can’t wait to see what she creates with her remarkable cast. And we’re incredibly excited to be producing this in partnership with my dear friend and Steppenwolf ensemble member Tarell Alvin McCraney, Artistic Director at the Geffen Playhouse. Seeing Steppenwolf’s work onstage across the country, stewarded by fellow ensemble members, is a humbling reminder of the vital contributions Steppenwolf has made to the American theatre for 49 years and counting.”
The creative team includes Todd Rosenthal (Scenic Design), Izumi Inaba (Costume Design), Josh Epstein (Lighting Design), Cricket Myers (Sound Design), Kate DeVore (Dialect and Voice Coach), R&D Choreography (Violence Design), Kristina Fluty (Intimacy Consultant), Patrick Zakem (Creative Producer), Tom Pearl (Producing Director), JC Clementz, CSA and Phyllis Schuringa, CSA (Casting), Laura D. Glenn (Production Stage Manager) and Kathleen Barrett (Assistant Stage Manager).
Location: Steppenwolf’s Downstairs Theater, 1650 N. Halsted St., Chicago
Dates: Previews: Thursday, September 12 - Saturday, September 21, 2024
Press performance/Opening: Sunday, September 22, 2024 at 6 pm
Regular run: Tuesday, September 24 – Sunday, October 27, 2024
Curtain Times: Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursdays and Friday at 7:30 pm; Saturdays at 3 pm & 7:30 pm; and Sundays at 3 pm. Please note: there will not be 7:30 pm performances on Tuesday, September 17, Tuesday, October 1, Thursday, October 3, Wednesday, October 9, Thursday, October 10, Wednesday, October 16 and Tuesday, October 22; there will be a 2 pm matinee performance on Wednesday, October 16.
Tickets: Classic Memberships are now on sale for Steppenwolf’s 2024/25 season at steppenwolf.org/myseason through September 30, 2024. Single tickets for Noises Off ($20 - $128) are now on sale at steppenwolf.org and the Box Office at (312) 335-1650. Steppenwolf Flex Memberships are also currently on sale: Black Card Memberships with six tickets for use any time for any production and RED Card Memberships for theatergoers under 30.
Education and Engagement:
Throughout the 2024/25 season, Steppenwolf continues its commitment to the next generation of theatre learners, makers and appreciators with robust education and engagement programming. Programming includes dedicated student matinee performances during four of the five Membership Series productions including Noises Off, Leroy and Lucy, Fool for Love and The Book of Grace (including ASL and Spanish Language Captioned performances), in-school residencies in partnership with Chicago Public schools, workshops, panels and events specifically geared towards teens, as well as professional development trainings and resources for educators. Additionally, Steppenwolf is reimagining their community engagement and will pilot new public programming, continue accessibility programming and offer opportunities for deeper explorations for audiences throughout the season. For additional information about Steppenwolf’s Education and Engagement programming and to register your school for a field trip visit steppenwolf.org/education.
Accessible Performance Dates:
Audio-Described and Touch Tour: Sunday, October 13 at 3 pm (1:30 pm touch tour)
Open-Captioned: Saturday, October 12 at 3 pm & Thursday, October 17 at 7:30 pm
ASL-Interpreted: Friday, October 18 at 7:30 pm
Relaxed/Sensory-Friendly: Saturday, October 19 at 3 pm
Artist Biographies:
Vaneh Assadourian (Poppy Norton-Taylor) is thrilled to be making her Steppenwolf Theatre Company debut. Regional: Wish You Were Here (Yale Repertory Theatre - Connecticut Critics Circle Award Outstanding Ensemble nomination); A Distinct Society (Co-Production with Pioneer Theater Company and TheatreWorks Silicon Valley); Happiest Song Plays Last (LATC); Hostage (Skylight Theatre Company). Education: BA, UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television. Assadourian is an award winning audiobook narrator, voice actor and dialect coach and is fluent in Farsi and Armenian, and conversational in German. Represented by Stewart Talent Chicago and Sandy Joseph , SLJ Management. @vaneh_33 (IG)
Amanda Fink (Brooke Ashton/Vicki) Steppenwolf Theatre Company: POTUS (u/s Stephanie/Dusty performed). Chicago: Pro-Am, Plano, I’m Gonna Pray For You So Hard, peerless (First Floor Theater, selected); Long Day’s Journey Into Night (Court Theatre, u/s); Tilikum, Give It All Back (Sideshow Theatre Company, u/s). Education: The ACADEMY at Black Box Acting; University of Chicago. She is a proud company member of First Floor Theater, a co-owner of Black Box Acting and is represented by Grossman & Jack Talent.
Audrey Francis (Belinda Blair/Flavia Brent) currently serves as Artistic Director of Steppenwolf Theatre, alongside Glenn Davis, where she has been an Ensemble member since 2017. She is an actor, director, educator and coach. Audrey directed POTUS in Steppenwolf's 23/24 season. Steppenwolf performing credits include The Thanksgiving Play, The Herd, Between Riverside and Crazy, The Fundamentals, The Doppelgänger (an international farce) and Dance Nation. TV credits include Justified: City Primeval, Chicago Med, Chicago Fire and Empire. Film credits include Perpetrator, Knives and Skin, Later Days and Distant Learners. She has taught acting in New York, LA, Toronto, Sydney and Melbourne, as well as at The University of Chicago and The Theatre School at DePaul. Audrey is a professional acting coach for Showtime, NBC, Fox and Amazon, and is the co-founder of Black Box Acting.
Francis Guinan (Selsdon Mowbray/Burglar) has been a member of the Steppenwolf Theatre Company ensemble since 1979. He has appeared in more than 30 Steppenwolf productions including Downstate, The Rembrandt, The Herd, The Night Alive, Tribes, The Birthday Party, The Book Thief, Time Stands Still, Endgame, American Buffalo, Fake, The Seafarer, Balm In Gilead and August: Osage County. He has also appeared in productions for Northlight Theatre, Goodman Theatre (appearing in Chekhov’s Seagull and The Cherry Orchard), Writers Theatre, Victory Gardens Theater, TimeLine Theatre Company and American Blues Theater. Television appearances include The Exorcist, Boss, Mike and Molly, Chicago Fire, Chicago Med, Frasier and several Star Trek episodes. Film work includes roles in The Last Airbender, Typing, Low Tide, Ghostlight and Constantine. For Kate.
Rick Holmes (Lloyd Dallas) Broadway: Junk: The Golden Age Of Debt, The Visit, Matilda, Peter and the Starcatcher, Spamalot, The Pillowman, Cabaret, Major Barbara, The Deep Blue Sea, The Government Inspector, Timon of Athens, Saint Joan. Off-Broadway: Dan Cody’s Yacht (Manhattan Theater Club); Lives of the Saints (Primary Stages); The Threepenny Opera (Atlantic Theater Company); Stop Kiss, Dog Opera, Richard III, Othello (The Public Theater). Chicago: National Tours of Spamalot and Cabaret. Other National Tours: Angels in America. Film: The Post, The Stepford Wives, Melinda and Melinda, etc. Television: Atlanta “Juneteenth”, Modern Family, Dead To Me, Fosse/Verdon, The Punisher, Fantasy Island, The Politician, Tommy, The Resident, Law and Order. Upcoming: Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story, No Good Deed. MFA in Acting from New York University.
Ora Jones (Dotty Otley/Mrs. Clackett) was most recently seen at Steppenwolf as Rose in The Children. She also appeared as the mother in Steppenwolf’s production of True West at the Galway Arts Festival in Ireland. Other Steppenwolf shows include Familiar, The Roommate and The Doppelgänger (an international farce) in the past few seasons there. Other Steppenwolf productions include The Wheel, Middletown, The Brother/Sister Plays, Three Sisters, The Unmentionables, The Violet Hour, Carter’s Way and Morning Star. Chicago roles include Catherine Adams Green in The Nacirema Society, Essie Miller in Ah, Wilderness!, Mrs. Rittenhouse in Animal Crackers, Claire in Proof, C Ana in Seeking the Genesis and Elizabeth I in The Beard of Avon for the Goodman Theatre; the Abbess in The Comedy of Errors, the Countess in All's Well that Ends Well, Katherine of Aragon in Henry VIII, Queen Charlotte in The Madness of George III, Maria in Twelfth Night, Lucienne in A Flea in Her Ear and the Nurse in Sunday in the Park with George for Chicago Shakespeare Theater; Jaclyn in Rasheeda Speaking for Rivendell Theatre; Rita Jeffries in My Kind of Town for Timeline Theatre; the Stage Manager in Our Town for Writers Theatre; and Gwen in Execution of Justice for About Face Theatre. Her Broadway roles include Madame de Volanges in Les Liaisons Dangereuses at the Booth and Mrs. Phelps in Matilda the Musical, both at the Shubert and in the first national tour. Regional and other New York credits include Dr. Therese Stockmann in The Messenger for Pioneer Theater, and performances at Long Wharf Theatre, Yale Repertory, Manhattan Theatre Club, Public Theatre, Milwaukee Repertory, Next Act, and a particular favorite, the role of Mrs. Muller in Doubt for The Weston Playhouse in Weston, VT, directed by Malcolm Ewen. Television: Emperor of Ocean Park, Somebody Somewhere, 61st Street, Betrayal, Chicago Fire. Film: Stronghold, Consumed, Were the World Mine, Stranger than Fiction, The Weatherman. Awards: Chicago Magazine 2011, Best Actress; Black Theatre Alliance Award, Seeking the Genesis; After Dark Award, A Flea in Her Ear, Our Town.
Andrew Leeds (Garry Lejeune/Roger Tramplemain) Broadway:Teddy & Alice; Falsettos. Touring: Les Miserables (National Tour). Television: The Patient (FX/Hulu); The Dropout (Hulu); Barry, Veep, Silicon Valley (HBO); Ghosts (CBS); Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist (NBC); Bones (Fox); Cristela, A Million Little Things, The Conners, Modern Family (ABC); Get Shorty (MGM+); The Morning Show (Apple TV+); Shameless (Showtime); It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia (FX). Education: Stanford University, degree in Computer Science. He is a member of the Main Company at The Groundlings Theatre in Los Angeles. As a writer, he has written pilots for various networks including ABC, CBS, NBC, FOX, USA and Showtime.
James Vincent Meredith (Frederick Fellowes/Philip Brent) received critical acclaim as John Proctor in The Crucible, his first role as a Steppenwolf Theatre Company ensemble member. James has appeared at Steppenwolf in 16 productions over the years, most recently in: Describe the Night. Broadway credits include: The Book of Mormon (Eugene O’Neill-also national tour), The Minutes (Steppenwolf and also Studio 54) Skin of Our Teeth (LCT) and Superior Donuts (Music Box). Other Chicago theatre credits include work at Goodman, Lookingglass, Writers, Victory Gardens, Court and Chicago Shakespeare. Recent TV: Chicago Med (NBC), Your Honor (Showtime) FBI (CBS) and Fargo (FX).
Max Stewart (Tim Allgood) Chicago: Fairview (Definition Theatre); Southern Gothic, Sons of Hollywood (Windy City Playhouse); Walk on the Wild side (Pale Horse Playhouse); Romeo and Juliet (Kane Repertory Theatre); Letters Home (Griffin Theatre). Television: Chicago Fire, Soundtrack. Awards: NFAA Young Arts. Education: Theatre School at DePaul University (BFA Acting), British American Dramatic Academy, Groundlings. @maxflash4
Michael Frayn (Playwright) was born in London in 1933. He began his career as a reporter for the Guardian and later the Observer. After leaving the Observer he continued to write as a columnist as well as publishing novels and plays for television and stage. His plays for stage include: Copenhagen, After Life, The Two of Us, Alphabetical Order, Donkeys’ Years, Clouds, Balmoral (Liberty Hall), Make and Break, Noises Off, Benefactors, Alarms and Excursions, Look Look, Here and Make and Break. Other translations include: four full-length Chekhov plays – The Cherry Orchard, Three Sisters, The Seagull and Uncle Vanya and four one-act plays – The Evils of Tobacco, Swan Song, The Bear and The Proposal. Mr. Frayn is married to the biographer and critic Claire Tomalin.
Anna D. Shapiro (Director) is a Tony Award-winning director and served as Artistic Director of Steppenwolf Theatre Company from 2015 to 2021, where she remains an ensemble member. She joined the Steppenwolf ensemble in 2005 and was awarded the 2008 Tony Award for Best Direction of a Play for August: Osage County (Steppenwolf, Broadway, London). She was nominated in 2011 in the same category for The Motherf**ker with the Hat (Public Theater, Labyrinth Theater). Other Steppenwolf directing credits include the world premiere production of The Minutes (also on Broadway); Mary Page Marlowe, Visiting Edna, Three Sisters, A Parallelogram, Up, The Crucible, The Unmentionables (also at Yale Repertory Theatre), The Pain and the Itch (also in New York), I Never Sang for My Father, Man from Nebraska, Purple Heart (also in Galway, Ireland), The Drawer Boy, Side Man (also in Ireland, Australia and Vail, Colorado), Three Days of Rain, The Infidel and This Is Our Youth (which transferred to Broadway). Additional Broadway credits include Of Mice and Men (with James Franco) and Fish in the Dark (with Larry David), and Off Broadway Domesticated (Lincoln Center Theater). She directed the premiere of the Broadway musical The Devil Wears Prada with music by Sir Elton John, lyrics by Shaina Taub and book by Kate Wetherhead. Shapiro is a graduate of the Yale School of Drama and Columbia. She is a professor in Northwestern University’s Department of Theatre.
Accessibilty:
As a commitment to make the Steppenwolf experience accessible to everyone, performances featuring American Sign Language Interpretation, Open Captioning and Audio Description are offered during the run of each STC production (see dates above). Assistive listening devices and large-print programs are available for every performance and all our spaces are equipped with an induction hearing loop. Our building features wheelchair accessible seating and restrooms, push-button entrances, a courtesy wheelchair and all-gender restrooms, with accessible counter and table spaces at our bars. For additional information regarding accessibility, visit steppenwolf.org/access. If you have questions or would like to make a specific request, e-mail access@steppenwolf.org or call our box office at (312) 335-1650.
Sponsor Information:
Noises Off is sponsored in part by Northern Trust. United Airlines is the Official and Exclusive Airline of Steppenwolf. Steppenwolf is also grateful for the significant season support from lead sponsors Allstate Insurance Company, Paul M. Angell Family Foundation, Crown Family Philanthropies, Caroline and Keating Crown, Good Chaos, Joyce Foundation, Lefkofsky Family Foundation, Ron and Paula Mallicoat, Northern Trust, Anne and Don Phillips, John Hart and Carol Prins, Robert Rivkin and Cindy Moelis, Shubert Foundation, Inc, Walder Foundation, and Zell Family Foundation. Steppenwolf also acknowledges generous support from premier sponsors Anonymous, ArentFox Schiff, Andrew and Amy Bluhm, Michael and Cathy Brennan, Ann and Richard Carr, Chicago Community Trust, Conagra Brands Foundation, Steven and Nancy Crown, CRC Group, Rich and Margery Feitler, Julius Frankel Foundation, FROST CHICAGO, Goldman Sachs, Shmaila Tahir and Asheesh Goel, Bob and Amy Greenebaum, Kirkland & Ellis, Harold and Mimi Steinberg Charitable Trust, Christopher and Eileen Murphy, The Orlebeke Foundation, Polk Bros. Foundation, Bryan Traubert and Penny Pritzker, Sacks Family Foundation, Smart Family Foundation of Illinois, Gary Sinise Foundation, Elliot A. Stultz, and Vinci Restaurant. Steppenwolf also acknowledges support from the Illinois Arts Council Agency. This project is partially supported
About the Companies:
Steppenwolf Theatre Company is the nation’s premiere Ensemble Theater with 49 members who are among the top actors, playwrights and directors in the field. Thrilling, powerful, groundbreaking productions – from Balm in Gilead and Grapes of Wrath to August: Osage County, Downstate and The Brother/Sister Plays – have made this theatre legendary. Founded in 1976, Steppenwolf started as a group of teens performing in the basement of a church. Today, the company's artistic force remains rooted in the original vision of its founders: an artist-driven theatre, whose vitality is defined by its appetite for bold and innovative work. Every aspect of Steppenwolf is rooted in its Ensemble ethos, from the intergenerational artistic programming to the multi-genre performance series LookOut, to the nationally recognized work of Steppenwolf Education and Engagement which serves nearly 15,000 teens annually. While grounded in the Chicago community, more than 40 original Steppenwolf productions have enjoyed success nationally and internationally, including Broadway, Off-Broadway, London, Sydney, Galway and Dublin. Steppenwolf also holds accolades that include the National Medal of Arts, 12 Tony Awards, and more. Led by Artistic Directors Glenn Davis and Audrey Francis, Executive Director Brooke Flanagan and Board of Trustees Chair, Keating Crown – Steppenwolf continually redefines the landscape of acting and performance.
Steppenwolf’s Mission: Steppenwolf strives to create thrilling, courageous and provocative art in a thoughtful and inclusive environment. We succeed when we disrupt your routine with experiences that spark curiosity, empathy and joy. We invite you to join our ensemble as we navigate, together, our complex world. steppenwolf.org, facebook.com/steppenwolftheatre, twitter.com/steppenwolfthtr and instagram.com/steppenwolfthtr.
Geffen Playhouse has been a hub of the Los Angeles theater scene since opening its doors in 1995. Noted for its intimacy and celebrated for its world-renowned mix of classic and contemporary plays, provocative new works and productions, the not-for-profit organization continues to present a body of work that has garnered national recognition. Named in honor of entertainment mogul and philanthropist David Geffen, who made the initial donation to the theater, the company was founded by Gilbert Cates and is currently helmed by Executive Director/CEO Gil Cates, Jr., Artistic Director Tarell Alvin McCraney and Board Chair Adi Greenberg. Proudly associated with UCLA, the Geffen welcomes an audience of more than 130,000 each year, and maintains extensive education and community engagement programs, designed to involve underserved young people and the community at large in the arts. geffenplayhouse.org
