2012/13 SEASON
for YOUNG ADULTS
W h e n D e ath te l l s a sto ry, yo u l i ste n.
Steppenwolf for Young Adults’ 2012/13 programming is dedicated to Now Is The Time, a citywide initiative to stop youth violence and intolerance.
THROUGH NOVEMBER 11, 2012
GOOD PEOPLE BY PULITZER PRIZE-WINNER DAVID LINDSAY-ABAIRE DIRECTED BY ENSEMBLE MEMBER K. TODD FREEMAN
Featuring ensemble members Alana Arenas, Mariann Mayberry and Molly Regan with Will Allan, Keith Kupferer and Lusia Strus
SUBVERSIVELY FUNNY!
“HHHH” —Chicago Tribune
“Fiery production…aggressive and raw ” —Chicago Tribune
“Tight and timely...blazingly truthful production” —Time Out Chicago
Tickets start at just $20. Buy tickets at steppenwolf.org 2 312-335-1650. or call
Corporate Presenting Sponsor
Corporate Production Sponsor
Contents
5 Welcome to The Book Thief Letter from Steppenwolf for Young Adults Artistic and Educational Director Hallie Gordon
15 The Power of Words A Conversation with Markus Zusak, author of The Book Thief, and adaptor Heidi Stillman
Editors Jamie Alexander Jeffrey Fauver Alicia Graf Jason Kriegler
Contributors Hallie Gordon Evan Hatfield Suzanne Miller Joel Moorman Megan Shuchman Lauren Sivak
Cover Cast Member Rae Gray Photographer Sandro
To Advertise Contact smARTMagazines/smARTSponsorships Bryan Dowling 773-463-0980 or bryan@media8midwest.com
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Corporate Sponsor of Steppenwolf for Young Adults
Sponsor of 2-for-1 Matinees
Major foundation support for Steppenwolf for Young Adults is provided by the Polk Bros. Foundation and Alphawood Foundation. The Individual Consortium of Sponsors for Steppenwolf for Young Adults is comprised of: Lynn Lockwood and Barrett B. Murphy, Michael G. Hansen and Nancy Randa, and John H. Hart and Carol Prins. Steppenwolf’s New Plays Initiative is generously sponsored by The Harold and Mimi Steinberg Charitable Trust, the Zell Family Foundation, the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation and members of the Directors Circle. This program is partially supported by a grant from the Illinois Arts Council, a state agency, and by a CityArts Program 4 grant from the City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events. Steppenwolf for Young Adults is a citywide partner of the Chicago Public Schools (CPS) School Partner Program. Funding for Now Is The Time is provided by the Hive Chicago Learning Network through the Smart Chicago Collaborative, a joint project of The Chicago Community Trust, the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation and the City of Chicago.
Partial support for open captioning provided by Theatre Development Fund
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Artistic Director Martha Lavey *†
Executive Director David Hawkanson
SYA Artistic and Educational Director Hallie Gordon
Steppenwolf for Young Adults presents
the book thief Based on the novel by Markus Zusak Adapted by Heidi Stillman Directed by Hallie Gordon October 16 – November 9, 2012 Featuring
Patrick Andrews* Amy J. Carle* Rob Fagin Rae Gray Dennis William Grimes Francis Guinan* † Nikki Klix Ian Knox Anthony-Jon LeSage Clancy McCartney Andy Monson Mark Ulrich* Nicole Wiesner Production
Lizzie Bracken Scenic Design Sally Dolembo Costume Design J.R. Lederle Lighting Design Rick Sims Sound Design and Original Music Mike Tutaj Projection Design Ryan Bourque Fight Choreagrapher Trudy White Illustrator Erica Daniels° Casting Director Deb Styer* Stage Manager
Steppenwolf Theatre Company is a constituent of Theatre Communication Group (TCG), the national organization for nonprofit professional theater. † member of the Steppenwolf Theatre Company ensemble.
* member of Actors’ Equity Association, the Union of Professional Actors and Stage Managers.
˚ member of the Casting Society of America.
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Learn more at nowisthetimechicago.org
Now Is The Time is a year-long, citywide conversation about how young people can make positive change in their communities and stop the trend of youth violence and intolerance. Through major projects taking place throughout 2012 and 2013, Chicago Public Library, Facing History and Ourselves, and Steppenwolf Theatre Company join forces to activate this conversation in our city’s many neighborhoods. They are joined by dozens of other organizations and institutions around the city, including a coalition of Chicago’s finest theater companies, Now is the Time to ACT.
follow @nowisthetimechi
facebook.com/nowisthetimechicago
Funding for Now Is The Time is provided by the Hive Chicago Learning Network through the Smart Chicago Collaborative, a joint project of The Chicago Community Trust, the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation and the City of Chicago.
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Welcome Letter
WELCOME TO THE BOOK THIEF Dear Friends: Thank you for joining Steppenwolf for Young Adults’ 2012/13 season as we dedicate our programming to Now Is The Time, a citywide call to action against youth violence and intolerance. In recent years, violence towards youth has become overwhelming. As theater artists working in schools we see the effects violence can have on youth. We work with students scared to play outside, scared to travel to school, scared because they face torment at school from bullying. Therefore, we are engaging with Chicago Public Library, Facing History and Ourselves and other theaters and cultural organizations for a season-long partnership inspiring positive change in our great city. Now Is The Time is our unique opportunity to give voice to this epidemic and provide young people with a platform to contribute their own stories and stop the trend of violence in their communities. In collaboration with Chicago Public Library’s One Book, One Chicago, Markus Zusak’s The Book Thief looks at the terrible cost of violence, bearing witness to our compassion and complicity, and empowering each of us to examine our own unique ability to effect change in our communities. We hope The Book Thief will inspire you to contribute your own artistic response to the Now Is The Time website, nowisthetimechicago.org. Let’s join together in creating a safer future for our youth. Now Is The Time.
Artistic and Educational Director, Steppenwolf for Young Adults Hallie Gordon
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Cast and Contributors Cast (in order of appearance)
Hans Jr. Rob Fagin Bonfire Nazi Rob Fagin Man 3 Andy Monson Nazi Officer Rob Fagin Walter Kugler Andy Monson Max Patrick Andrews* Max’s Mother Nicole Wiesner Franz Deutscher Rob Fagin Soldier Rob Fagin Ensemble Nikki Klix (violin), Ian Knox (accordion) and Anthony-Jon LeSage (cello)
Understudies
Additional Staff
Him Francis Guinan*† Liesel Meminger Rae Gray Gravedigger Rob Fagin Rosa Hubermann Amy J. Carle* Man 1 Dennis William Grimes Hans Huberman Mark Ulrich* Tommy Andy Monson Rudy Clancy McCartney Mr. Steiner Dennis William Grimes Man 2 Rob Fagin Ilsa Nicole Wiesner
Tasha Anne James Rosa Hubermann, Ilsa, Max’s Mother Ian Knox Hans Hubermann, Mr. Steiner, Man, Nazi Officer Alex Ring Rudy, Tommy, Men 1 and 2, Soldier, Bonfire Nazi, Walter, Franz Deutscher, Hans Jr. Grace Melon Liesel Meminger Conor McCahill Max Mark Ulrich* Him
Patrick Andrews* Fight Captain Eric Wegener, Chris Kristant, Andrew Berg Scenic Carpenters Zoe Shiffrin Assistant Charge Artist Emily Guthrie Properties Artisan Rachel Spear Sound Board Operator Kelly Crook, Carlene DeScalo Running Crew Kelsy Durkin Stage Management Apprentice
Setting
During World War II in Nazi Germany.
There will be one 15-minute intermission. There will be a post-show discussion immediately following the performance.
As a courtesy to the actors and your fellow patrons, please turn off your cell phones before the performance and after the intermission. The taking of photographs and the use of any type of recording device are not allowed in the theater during performances and is a violation of state and federal copyright laws. Digital media will be deleted, and tape or film will be confiscated.
† Member of the Steppenwolf Theatre Company ensemble. * Member of Actors’ Equity Association, the union of professional actors and stage managers.
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Cast and Contributors Patrick Andrews (Max) has appeared in American Buffalo (Steppenwolf Theatre Company, McCarter Theatre); The Iceman Cometh, Red, The Actor (Goodman Theatre); Do The Hustle (Writers’ Theatre); The Sparrow (The House Theatre of Chicago); Dorian (Bailiwick Chicago); Stupid Kids, The Homosexuals (About Face Theatre, ensemble member); The People’s Temple, Escape and Speech and Debate (American Theater Company, ensemble member). Musical credits include Jim Corti’s Cabaret (Drury Lane Theatre); Gary Griffin’s Saved (Kansas City Repertory Theatre); Michael Smith’s The Snow Queen (Victory Gardens Theater); West Side Story (Walnut Street Theatre); and Fosse (National Tour). Choreography credits include David Cromer’s Cherrywood (Mary-Arrchie Theatre Co.) and Queertopia (About Face Theatre). His television credits include The Chicago Fire and The Chicago Code. He studied at Robert Wilson’s international performance laboratory, The Watermill Center. He is a member of the multi-city artists collective Goldmine and the queerelectro-f**k band, DAAN, daansucks.com. Upcoming credits include Mary Zimmerman’s revival of Metamorphoses (Lookingglass Theatre Company). Clancy McCartney (Rudy) is thrilled to be a part of this Steppenwolf Theatre Company production. Only a recent graduate of The Theatre
School at DePaul University, his professional credits include Dark Play or Stories for Boys by Carlos Murillo at Collaboraction. He would like to thank his friends and family for supporting him, for without them he’d barely be standing on two legs and certainly wouldn’t be here today. Amy J. Carle (Rosa Hubermann) previously appeared at Steppenwolf Theatre Company in Animals out of Paper, Sex with Strangers and Hedda Gabler. Chicago credits include Season’s Greetings (Northlight Theatre); Orlando (Court Theatre); The Sins of Sor Juana, Rock ‘n’ Roll, Desire Under the Elms (Goodman Theatre); Peter Pan, Trust (Lookingglass Theatre Company); Refuge (Collaboraction, Jeff Award nomination); SubUrbia, The Lights (Jeff Award nomination); Ecstasy, WAS and The Planets (Roadworks Productions). OffBroadway national tour credits include The Vagina Monologues. Regional credits include Fully Committed, The Diary of Anne Frank (Madison Repertory Theatre); and Morning Star (Kansas City Repertory Theatre). Television credits include Boss (STARZ), Chicago Code (FOX), Law & Order (NBC) and The Guiding Light (CBS). “For Liv and Remi.” Rob Fagin (Gravedigger, Bonfire Nazi, Nazi Officer, Man 2, Soldier, Hans Jr.) is thrilled to make his debut at Steppenwolf Theatre Company. Some recent credits include Accidental Rapture (16th Street Theater); The Front Page, The
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Cast and Contributors Farnsworth Invention (TimeLine Theatre Company); The Overwhelming (Next Theatre Company); Cherry Orchard (Strawdog Theatre Company); Picnic (Writers’ Theatre); and Our Town (The Hypocrites). Rob is a proud 2012 graduate of The School at Steppenwolf. Rae Gray (Liesel Meminger) returns to Steppenwolf Theatre Company where she appeared in Wedding Band. Recent credits include Ah, Wilderness! (Eclipse Theatre Company); Crooked (Rivendell Theatre Ensemble); The Real Thing (Writers’ Theatre); Circle Mirror Transformation (Victory Gardens Theater); and Jailbait (Profiles Theatre). Other credits include Sunday in the Park with George (Ravinia Festival with Patti LuPone and Audra McDonald); two seasons of A Christmas Carol (Goodman Theatre); Inherit the Wind (Northlight Theatre); Oliver!, State Fair (Marriott Theatre); Meet Me in St. Louis (Drury Lane Theatre, Gateway Playhouse); Summer People (The Gift Theatre Company); The Crucible and Cry of Players (TimeLine Theatre Company). Regional credits include The North China Lover (Berkeley Repertory Theatre). Rae is an ensemble member at Rivendell Theatre Ensemble and a student at the University of Chicago. Dennis William Grimes (Man, Steiner, Hitler, Nazi, Herr Mosel, Officer) makes his Steppenwolf Theatre Company debut in
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The Book Thief. Other Chicago credits include A Christmas Carol (Goodman Theatre); The Pitman Painters, Frost/Nixon (TimeLine Theatre Company); She Stoops to Conquer (Northlight Theatre); The Busy World is Hushed (Next Theatre Company); Moonlight & Magnolias (Fox Valley Repertory); Pride & Prejudice (Lifeline Theatre); and Master & Margarita (Strawdog Theatre Company). Regional credits include Oak Park Festival Theatre, Lakeside Shakespeare Festival and the Illinois Shakespeare Festival. Film and television credits include Black Box, Detroit 187 (ABC) and Vantage Point (Biography Channel). He received a BS in Theatre from Illinois State University, and has trained at Moscow Art Theater and SITI Company. Francis Guinan (Him) is a member of the Steppenwolf Theatre Company ensemble. He has appeared in more than 30 Steppenwolf productions including Time Stands Still, Endgame, American Buffalo, Fake, The Seafarer and August: Osage County. He has also appeared in productions for Northlight Theatre, Goodman Theatre, Writers’ Theatre, Victory Gardens Theater, TimeLine Theatre Company and American Blues Theater. Recent Television appearances include Boss, Mike and Molly and Chicago Code. Film work includes roles in The Last Airbender, Hannibal, High Tide, Typing and The Double. “For Kate, always.”
Cast and Contributors
Ensemble member Amy J. Carle, Rae Gray, and Mark Ulrich in rehearsal
Nikki Klix (Ensemble) is super excited to be performing with Steppenwolf Theatre Company for the first time. Favorite Chicago credits include Northlight Theatre, The Hypocrites, Griffin Theatre Company, Lifeline Theatre, Trap Door Theatre, Oracle Theatre, The New Colony and Bailiwick Chicago. Nikki can also be seen “busting out the vocal chops” as a show girl in The Game Show Show…and Stuff! and is currently performing at Strawdog Theatre Company’s Hugen Hall in the late-night, Midwest premiere of Pontypool.
Photographer Joel Moorman
Ian Knox (Ensemble) is thrilled to be making his first appearance at Steppenwolf Theatre Company. Some recent productions include Elephant’s Graveyard (Red Tape Theatre); Hansel and Gretel, Moby Dick (The Building Stage); Armless (Lights Out Theatre Company); The Erpingham Camp (AstonRep Theatre Company); 365 Sketches (45 Minutes Productions ); The Hopper Project (WNEP Theater); Cyrano de Bergerac (Oak Park Festival Theatre); The Grapes of Wrath (Infamous Commonwealth); and Night Falls (The Annoyance Theatre). When he’s not acting, Ian can often be found performing
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Cast and Contributors with his band, The New Switcheroo. He would like to thank his fantastic girlfriend, his amazing friends and his loving family. Anthony-Jon LeSage (Ensemble) is a Portland, Oregon native, recently educated at the Chicago College of the Performing Arts at Roosevelt University. He has worked at Portland Center Stage’s JAW/ West Festival, Oregon Children’s Theatre and at the Profile Theatre Project in Oregon. Recently, he has been seen on stage at Roosevelt University in Our Town and he is thrilled to make his official Chicago debut with the fantastic cast of The Book Thief. Andy Monson (Tommy, Man 1, Walter) was previously seen in Steppenwolf Theatre Company’s The March. Other credits include Easy on the Eyes (Pride Films and Plays); Titus Andronicus and The Taming of the Shrew (Illinois Shakespeare Festival), composing music for the latter. He co-founded Spartan Theatre, where he has appeared in Train of Thought (which he also wrote) and Talk Radio. He received his acting degree from Roosevelt University. His podcast, The World According to Monson, can be heard for free on iTunes. “Thanks to family, friends, beebah and ma!”
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Mark Ulrich (Hans Hubermann) is totally stoked to be working with Steppenwolf Theatre Company on The Book Thief. Other Chicago area appearances include Goodman Theatre, Northlight Theatre and Writers’ Theatre. Regional credits include City Theatre, Palm Beach Dramaworks, Next Act Theatre and Forward Theater Company. Mark received Jeff and After Dark awards for his performance in Juno and the Paycock at The Artistic Home. He is a proud member of Rivendell Theatre Ensemble and an Associate Artist with Chicago Dramatists. Nicole Wiesner (Ilsa, Max’s Mother, Woman) is thrilled to return to Steppenwolf Theatre Company where she has appeared in South of Settling and Dublin Carol, directed by ensemble member Amy Morton. Other credits include Passion Play (Goodman Theatre, Yale Repertory Theatre, Epic Theatre Ensemble); Dying City (Next Theatre Company); Shining City (Goodman Theatre, Huntington Theatre Company); Great Men of Sciences (Lookingglass Theatre Company); and Phedre (Court Theatre). She is a proud ensemble member of Trap Door Theatre, where she most recently appeared in Progress, OVERWEIGHT; unimportant: MISSHAPE and First Ladies (Jeff Award for Outstanding Actress).
Cast and Contributors Markus Zusak (Author) was born in Sydney, Australia in 1975 and is the author of five books, including the international bestseller, The Book Thief. His work has been translated into more than 40 languages, and has earned him both critical and readers’ choice awards across Europe, Asia, North and South America, as well as in his native Australia. His first book, The Underdog, was published in 1999, and was followed by Fighting Ruben Wolfe and When Dogs Cry (also published as Getting the Girl) in 2000 and 2001. All of these books were published internationally, and the latter two received various awards for Young Adult fiction in Australia. The Messenger (also known as I am the Messenger), published in 2002, won the 2003 Australian Children’s Book Council Book of the Year Award (Older Readers) and the 2003 New South Wales Premier's Literary Award (Ethel Turner Prize), as well as receiving a Printz Honour in the USA. It also won various readers choice awards in Europe, including the Deutscher Jugenliteraterpreis in Germany. The Book Thief, first published in 2005, has amassed a number of awards, receives critical acclaim and continues to be a readers’ favorite in many countries across the world. It has spent more than six years on The New York Times bestseller list, and in 2012 was the only book to feature in World Book Night in both the USA and UK simultaneously. It has been among the top positions on bestseller lists in North and South America, Europe, Asia and Australia, and has stood at the number one spot at Amazon in both the USA and the UK since its release. The Book Thief is also set to be made into a film by Fox 2000, with production starting in 2013, directed by the Emmy Award-winning Brian Percival (Downton Abbey, North and South). Markus lives in Sydney, Australia, with his wife and two children.
Heidi Stillman (Adaptor) is an ensemble member and Artistic Director of New Work at Lookingglass Theatre Company. Her writing and directing credits at Lookingglass include Cascabel: Dinner, Daring and Desire, Hephaestus, The Brothers Karamazov (2009 Raven Award), Hard Times (five Jeff Awards) and The Master and Margarita (Jeff Award nomination). Additional writing credits include The Last Act of Lilka Kadison, The Old Curiosity Shop (Jeff Award for adaptation) and The Baron in the Trees (Jeff Award nomination). Directing credits include Trust, The Wooden Breeks and Hillbilly Antigone. Heidi has also staged Around the World in 80 Days (Kansas City Repertory Theatre) and Mary Zimmerman’s The Arabian Nights (Berkeley Repertory Theatre). Hallie Gordon (Director) has created and facilitated many educational programs for Steppenwolf Theatre Company. Along with selecting the young adult productions each season she has created the Young Adult Council, a group of high school students who collectively help to create innovative programming for their peers. As Educational Director, Hallie has worked closely with the Chicago Public Schools to create an environment in which all students and teachers have access to the theater. As a theater artist, Hallie has directed Eclipsed at Northlight Theatre. For Steppenwolf, Hallie has directed Heart is a Lonely Hunter, To
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Cast and Contributors Kill a Mockingbird, the world premiere of a new adaptation by Tanya Saracho of The House on Mango Street and Harriet Jacobs adapted for the stage by Lydia R. Diamond. A new premiere of Toni Morrison’s The Bluest Eye also adapted by Lydia R. Diamond won a Black Excellence Award from the African American Arts Alliance of Chicago and also transferred Off-Broadway to The New Victory Theatre. She has directed staged readings for Goodman Theatre, TimeLine Theatre Company, Chicago Dramatists and Steppenwolf Theatre Company. Hallie is the recipient of The Helen Coburn Meier & Tim Meier Achievement Award. Lizzie Bracken (Scenic Design) is excited to be working with Steppenwolf Theatre Company for the first time. Recent designs include Six Characters in Search of an Author (The Hypocrites); In the Heart of America (Theatre Seven of Chicago); 60 Miles to Silverlake (Collaboraction); 44 Plays for 44 Presidents, and costumes for Burning Bluebeard (The Neo-Futurists). Lizzie is also an ensemble member with Barrel of Monkeys. Prior to receiving her MFA in Scenic Design from the University of Texas at Austin, Lizzie worked as an architect with Fairfax and Sammons in New York and Adam Architects in England. Sally Dolembo (Costume Design) is thrilled to return to Steppenwolf Theater Company. Select credits include: DIRTY (The Gift Theatre); Doubt, Agnes of God (American Theater Company); Life and Limb, The Glass Menagerie (Steppenwolf Theatre Company); The Little Prince, Never the Sinner, Brighton Beach Memoirs, The Goat or, Who is Sylvia?, The Beauty Queen of Leenane (Northwestern University); Evita (Dunes Summer Theatre); Kokoschka: A Love Story, Bloody Poetry,
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Chopin’s The Awakening and Kid Peculiar at the Coral Court Motel (Washington University in St. Louis). Sally was a 2007/08 Fulbright Scholar to Italy, where she researched and worked at Tirelli Costumi in Rome. She recently completed the MFA Design Program at Northwestern University. sallydolembo.com J.R. Lederle (Lighting Design) also designed The Heart is a Lonely Hunter, Samuel J and K, To Kill A Mockingbird, The House on Mango Street, The Bluest Eye (also at New Victory in New York), Harriet Jacobs, The Water Engine (also at Theater on the Lake), A Tale of Two Cities, Winesburg Ohio, Division Street and Whispering City for Steppenwolf for Young Adults. His work has also been seen at Kansas City Repertory Theatre, Piven Theatre Workshop, Lookingglass Theatre Company, Victory Gardens Theater, About Face Theatre, Northlight Theatre, Remy Bumppo Theatre Company, Writers’ Theatre, Drury Lane Theatre, Walkabout Theater Company, Itinerant Theatre Guild, Indiana Repertory Theatre, and elsewhere at Steppenwolf, including Sex with Strangers. J.R. also designed lighting for seven years for the Steppenwolf Traffic Series, and for five Steppenwolf performances in Chicago’s Millennium Park. He has served as head Lighting Supervisor at Steppenwolf Theatre Company since 1995. Rick Sims (Sound Design and Original Music) has composed and designed sound for numerous productions at Steppenwolf Theatre Company and many other Chicago area theaters such as Lookingglass Theatre Company, Congo Square Theatre Company, Writers’ Theatre, Lifeline Theatre, Griffin Theatre Company, The House Theatre of Chicago, Court Theatre, American Theatre
Cast and Contributors Company, Victory Gardens Theater, Raven Theatre, Steep Theatre Company, Northlight Theatre and About Face Theatre. Out of town credits include Icarus (Getty) and Gary (Boston Playwrights). Rick has won a Jeff Award for lyrics in Hepheastus and a BTAA Award for Congo Square Theatre Company’s Brothers in the Dust and has received several nominations for both productions. Rick is an artistic associate of Lookingglass Theatre Company and an associate designer with Aria Music Designs (Ray Nardelli and Josh Horvath). Rick also wrote the book, music and lyrics for Lookingglass’s Hillbilly Antigone. Mike Tutaj (Projection Design) returns to Steppenwolf Theatre Company having designed projections for fml: how Carson McCullers saved my life, The Heart Is A Lonely Hunter and The Hot L Baltimore. Other design credits include A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Macbeth, The Feast, Romeo y Julieta (Chicago Shakespeare Theater); The Detective’s Wife (Writers’ Theatre); Ask Aunt Susan, The Good Negro (Goodman Theatre); Sweeney Todd (Drury Lane Oakbrook); Enron, A Walk in the Woods, The Pitmen Painters, In Darfur, Frost/ Nixon, The Farnsworth Invention and History Boys (TimeLine Theatre). Mike is an Artistic Associate with TimeLine Theatre Company and a company member of Barrel of Monkeys Productions. Ryan Bourque (Fight Choreographer) graduated from Columbia College with a degree in acting. Past acting credits include Sophocles: Seven Sicknesses, Woyzeck, The Pirates of Penzance, Miss Julie (The Hypocrites); The Earl (The Inconvenience); Cherrywood (Mary Arrchie Theatre Co.); and The Hostage (Griffin Theatre Company). Fight choreography credits
include Sweet Bird of Youth (Goodman Theatre); Equivocation, Oedipus El Rey, We are Proud to Present A Presentation, (Victory Gardens Theater); Romeo Juliet, Sophocles: Seven Sicknesses, Woyzeck (The Hypocrites); Hit The Wall, Fight Night, The Earl, Chicagoland (The Inconvenience); Moonshiner (Jackalope Theatre Company); Company (Griffin Theatre Company); Bus Stop (The Den Theatre); Geography of a Horse Dreamer, Cherrywood (Mary-Arrchie Theatre Co.); Making Noise Quietly In the Dark and Festen (Steep Theatre Company). Ryan is also a freelance photographer, and works for Time Out as such. He is also the Director of Media Relations and a company member of The Inconvenience. “Thank you family and friends for your love and support.” bourqueonline.com. Deb Styer (Stage Manager) is happy to return to work with Steppenwolf for Young Adults and Hallie Gordon, for whom she stage managed both the Chicago and New York City productions of The Bluest Eye. Other stage manager credits include Gypsy and Broadway Bound (Drury Lane Theatre); the Tony Award-winning August: Osage County (Chicago, Broadway, London, Sydney), Clybourne Park, The Hot L Baltimore, The Brother/Sister Plays, 100 Saints You Should Know, Lady Madeline, Men of Tortuga, The Chosen (Steppenwolf Theatre Company); Take Me Out (About Face Theatre); and American Dead (American Theatre Company).
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Hallie Gordon, Artistic and Educational Director, SYA, leads a Teen Scene Event. Photo by Joel Moorman
The Power of Words Thank you to the Chicago Public Library for partnering on the content of this article. For more information about other events happening in conjunction with Chicago Public Library’s The Book Thief One Book, One Chicago programming, please visit nowisthetimechicago.org. Markus Zusak was born in 1975 in Sydney, Australia, the youngest of four children of immigrant German and Austrian parents. Zusak chose the subject matter of The Book Thief in part to share the stories his parents told him about growing up in Austria and Germany during World War II. Zusak and adaptor Heidi Stillman discuss Zusak’s inspiration for The Book Thief and why the book leaves such a lasting impression on young and old audiences alike.
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Heidi Stillman: I would love to hear about the genesis for this story. Can you tell us a bit about when the concept came to you? Which idea came first and how did you build upon it? Markus Zusak: Like most ideas, I stumbled across bits and pieces over time and started using them for no apparent reason. I wrote a page about a girl stealing a book in modern day Sydney. I didn’t do anything with it at the time, but a few years later, when I started thinking seriously of writing about my parents and their childhoods in Germany and Austria during World War II, I thought, “Maybe I should put that book thief in.” I guess that’s how things start. You put two unrelated things together and at some point, you understand: they’re actually not unrelated at all, they’re perfect for each other. HS: Can you talk about how your family, whose stories helped inspire the novel, received the book? MZ: I owe my parents everything. They gave me the world of this book like a language I didn’t know I had. Sure, there’s a ratio of probably 90 percent fiction in the finished work, but it’s the world and backdrop of the story that they brought to life. It was like waking up one day and being able to speak Russian or Spanish when previously you couldn’t. I started writing and it was like scratching something open, reaching in and pulling a whole world out. They’re mostly just proud. They met in Australia and couldn’t speak English, and now, the stories they brought with them are the foundation not only for The Book Thief, but most likely my career as a writer. They taught me a love of story, whether they know it or not. In that sense, it’s really great when they talk about the book as if it’s theirs— because it is.
HS: The power of words and language are so wonderfully emphasized in this novel. Liesel writes, “I’ve hated the words and I’ve loved them,” and the narrator points out that “without words the Führer was nothing.” Is this a theme that you felt you could explore in telling this story?
“You put two unrelated things together and at some point, you understand: they’re actually not unrelated at all, they’re perfect for each other.” –Markus Zusak
MZ: I felt it by the time I’d finished, but I never set out to do that. Like most writers, I start to understand what a book is about as I’m writing it, and sometimes even afterwards. It wasn’t until the book was published when I saw that it was also about people doing beautiful things even in the ugliest times. The more time you spend with [your writing], the clearer (and sometimes murkier) it all becomes. HS: Liesel is such a strong, unique and interesting girl. What was your inspiration for her character?
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MZ: The luckiest part about my childhood was to have two parents with amazing stories who both happened to be great storytellers on top of it. With no disrespect to my dad, it was my mum’s world at the outskirts of Münich that had the greatest influence on me. That’s why I chose Liesel. Of course, the instant I fictionalized something, it wasn’t her anymore. Liesel ceased being my mother on page eight or nine and became herself, even when I borrowed from my mother’s life story.
“When I think of Death, I hear the voice, and then I see the sky, the earth, the trees and all of us. ” –Markus Zusak
HS: I would love to hear about the choice of Death as a narrator. MZ: It was a bit of a nightmare, really. For quite a while, I moved away from Death narrating, but I was constantly called back. It just made sense to me. People often say that war and death are best friends, so who better to be hanging around Nazi Germany to tell this story? What really clinched it after all the mistakes, all the doubts and other possibilities, was when I realized that Death should have just that slightest edge of
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vulnerability. It was when I understood that he was actually tired, and afraid, and haunted by all the cleaning up, especially during wartime. I saw that he should be telling this story to prove to himself that humans can be worthwhile, and beautiful, even in the ugliest times. HS: Do you picture Death in your head? What does he look like? MZ: When I think of Death, I hear the voice, and then I see the sky, the earth, the trees and all of us. It’s why I wanted Death to talk about those things in terms of ‘who.’ I wanted Death to talk about all of those things as if they were colleagues—all part of the same thing. Maybe I see Death as the part of us that knows all the time that we’re going to die, reminding us to live properly. Then again, sometimes I do like to see the old Grim Reaper, just for a bit of a laugh! HS: Why do you think the book has struck such a chord with readers of so many ages? MZ: I never think of this book’s audience in terms of age. I honestly thought it wouldn’t have any audience at all, and that’s how it became the book it did. I thought, “No one’s going to read this, I might as well do exactly what I want.” I stopped worrying about the audience and that has to happen with every book I think. There’s a moment where you realize you’ve cared for the audience all this way, and you get a bit fed up, and finally say, “All right, I’ve helped you out this far, but now you have to come with me.” Ironically enough, I think that’s when your true audience starts to love a book the most—when you trust them enough to come with you anyway. HS: Thank you so much. MZ: I can’t wait to come to Chicago to see the production!
steppenwolf's teen series
get play'd
scene the
The Scene is a special opportunity for high school students to score an affordable ticket to a Steppenwolf production, meet Chicago's most celebrated artists and connect with other teens who are passionate about theater. Each ticket includes dinner and post-show discussion with the actors.
upcoming events
Tickets are $10 – $15 (can only be used during the teen event series)
Saturday, February 23 at 7:30pm
The Book Thief
Saturday, October 27 at 3pm
Good People
Saturday, November 10 at 3pm
The Motherf**ker with the Hat
All performances take place at 1650 N Halsted St Must present student ID at door Purchase tickets at the door 30 minutes before the show, or in advance by calling Steppenwolf Audience Services at 312-335-1650. Use code 10620. Questions? Please contact Steppenwolf for Young Adults Education Assistant Lauren Sivak at 312-654-5643 or lsivak@steppenwolf.org. Foundation support is provided by The Siragusa Foundation.
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The Steppenwolf ensemble first began performing in the mid-1970s in the basement of a Highland Park church, the ambitious brainchild of three high school and college friends: Jeff Perry, Terry Kinney and Gary Sinise. Fast forward 36 years and the Steppenwolf Theatre Company has become the nation’s premier ensemble theater—redefining the landscape of acting and performance. The ensemble has grown to 43 members who represent a remarkable generation of actors, directors and playwrights. Thrilling, powerful, groundbreaking productions from Balm in Gilead and The Grapes of Wrath to August: Osage County—and accolades that include the National Medal of Arts and nine Tony® Awards—have made the theatre legendary. Steppenwolf’s artistic force remains rooted in the original vision of its founders: an artist-driven theatre, whose vitality is defined by its sharp appetite for groundbreaking, innovative work. That work is represented in production photos displayed throughout the theatre.
Joan Allen
Kevin Anderson
Alana Arenas
Randall Arney
Kate Arrington
Ian Barford
Robert Breuler
Gary Cole
Kathryn Erbe
K. Todd Freeman
Frank Galati
Francis Guinan
Moira Harris
Jon Michael Hill
Tina Landau
Martha Lavey
Tracy Letts
John Mahoney
John Malkovich
Mariann Mayberry
Tarell Alvin McCraney
James Vincent Meredith
Laurie Metcalf
Amy Morton
Sally Murphy
Austin Pendleton
Jeff Perry
William Petersen
Yasen Peyankov
Martha Plimpton
Rondi Reed
Molly Regan
Anna D. Shapiro
Eric Simonson
Gary Sinise
Lois Smith
Rick Snyder
Jim True-Frost
Alan Wilder
Tim Hopper
Tom Irwin
Ora Jones
Terry Kinney
We gratefully acknowledge the contributions of those who provide significant support for Steppenwolf for Young Adults during the 2012/13 Season.
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Grand Benefactors $100,000+ The Steppenwolf Auxiliary Council* Benefactors $50,000 – $99,999 Alphawood Foundation The Smart Chicago Trust Fund at the Chicago Community Trust The Crown Family‡ Polk Bros. Foundation JPMorgan Chase & Co. Target Producers $25,000 – $49,999 Paul M. Angell Foundation Patrons $10,000 – $24,999 Helen V. Brach Foundation CNA Financial Corporation Digitas Field Foundation of Illinois Lloyd A. Fry Foundation Michael G. Hansen and Nancy Randa John H. Hart and Carol Prins Lynn Lockwood Murphy and Barrett B. Murphy Northern Trust Charitable Trust Dr. Scholl Foundation
Sustainers $5,000 – $9,999 Robert and Isabelle Bass Foundation John H. Hart and Carol Prins Grover Hermann Foundation Illinois Tool Works Inc. Mr. and Mrs. Robert Parkinson, Jr. Deborah and Stephen Quazzo Siragusa Foundation Nina B. Winston Sponsors $2,500 – $4,999 Michael Bender and Sheridan Prior Robert G. Clark Kent and Liz Dauten Richard and Catherine Gottfred Martha Lavey Janet Melk Kenneth J. Porrello and Sherry L. McFall Carla Young
Guarantors $1,000 – $2,499 Nicole Bell Leslie Bluhm Mr. and Mrs. Scott Byron Fran and Kenneth Camp Anne and Thomas Cox Michael Davis Chris and Karen Dickerson Amy Eshleman and Lori Lightfoot Rich and Margery Feitler Scott and Rita George Mark and Greta Giesen Gordon and Wendy Gill James and Dianna Goldman Terry Kinney Michele C. Mayes Mr. and Mrs. Steve Monieson Sherry and Bob Reum Randy and Betsy Rochman Eve and Randy Rogers George and Kimberly Ruhana Ralph Senst and Karen Zelden Stephanie B. Smith and Gerald Smith Evonne Taylor
‡ Multi Year Pledge *Steppenwolf’s Auxiliary Council is a community of more than 100 dynamic young professionals, who strive to make a difference for the next generation of theaterenthusiasts. All proceeds raised by the Auxiliary Council benefit Steppenwolf for Young Adults.
The Book Thief is a Steppenwolf for Young Adults contribution to Now Is The Time. Funding for Now Is The Time is provided by the Hive Chicago Learning Network through the Smart Chicago Collaborative, a joint project of The Chicago Community Trust, the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation and the City of Chicago. Please visit nowisthetimechicago.org.
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Steppenwolf Staff Martha Lavey
Terry Kinney, Jeff Perry and Gary Sinise
David Hawkanson
Artistic Director
Executive Artistic Board
Executive Director
Artistic
Brian Hurst
Lisa Frye
Erica Daniels
Finance Coordinator
Graphic Designer
Samar Sharba
JOEL MOORMAN
IT Associate
Digital Content Producer
PAUL G. MILLER
Alicia graf
Associate Artistic Director
Rebecca Rugg Artistic Producer
Executive Assistant
Marketing Assistant
Literary Manager
Lupe Garcia Quiles
TAMARA TODRES
Jacob g. padrÓn
Aaron Carter
autumn cranor amber dettmers bridget holmes michelle jacobson JESSICA LIND mike mroch Danielle shindler elissa shortridge justin vorpahl STACI WEIGUM
JESSICA STRATTON Wardrobe Supervisor
Melissa tulchinsky Staff Wardrobe
MARTHA WEGENER Audio Engineer
GREGOR MORTIS
Events Management Associate
Director of Audience Services
Associate Producer
Angela johnson
JIMMY FREUND
Front of House Staff
J. R. LEDERLE
Nick Ward
Office Management Associate & Receptionist
Audience Services Manager
Lighting Supervisor
Jackie Snuttjer Finance Specialist
Audience Services Subscription Manager
MUSTAFA CHAUDHRY DONALD COULSON Indra Kafley
Development
Mike brunlieb MATTHEW LYLE
LAUREN LOUER, THE SAINTS
Director of Development
Audience Services Supervisors
Volunteer Usher Coordination
BROOKE EISENMENGER
Molly Layton
Production
Group Sales Associate
Casting and School Associate
Kendra miller Artistic Programs Assistant
Tracy Letts Amy Morton Anna D. Shapiro Jessica Thebus Associate Artists
SANDY KARUSCHAK
STEPHANIE HELLER
Parking Staff
Sheldon Patinkin
Director of Major Gifts
ROSEANN BISHOP
AL FRANKLIN Production Manager
Artistic Consultant
ERIC EVENSKAAS
Subscriptions and Audience Services Assistant
Associate Production Manager
Steppenwolf for Young Adults
Director of Individual Giving and Donor Services
Megan a. Smith
Hallie Gordon
Director of Corporate Relations
Artistic and Educational Director
DEBORAH STEWART
Megan Shuchman Education Manager
Lauren Sivak Education Assistant
Director of Foundation and Government Relations
KENDRA VAN KEMPEN Director of Special Events
JESSICA GRETCH
Marie cisco Amanda Jane Dunne Ali hoefnagel l’oreal jackson michael leon Blake mckay NIcole Ripley Ashley roberson Samuel roberson Emilio Robles
Individual Giving Coordinator
Teaching Artists
Donor Relations Associate
Administration David M. Schmitz
KALEIGH LOCKHART Development Coordinator
Suzanne Miller Donor Services Coordinator
Lauren Fisher Special Events Associate
LOUISE GERAGHTY
Marketing, Publicity & Audience Services
Managing Director
John zinn
Rachel D. Freund
Director of Marketing and Communications
Director of Finance
jeffrey fauver
Heather C. Joireman
Communications Director
Events Management Director
jason kriegler
Scott Macoun
Creative Director
IT Director
THOMAS WEITZ
Erin Cook
Digital Assets Director
Company Manager
jamie alexander
Kate holst test
Marketing Manager
Human Resources and Professional Leadership Programs Coordinator
erika Nelson
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Marketing Manager
Craig barnes Billie bryant Rebecca Butler Reynaldo dumas LACEY HOLMES SOTIRIOS LIVADITIS sarah nelson matthew payne MEG SANTISI Audience Services Associates
Operations JAY JUSSAUME Director of Operations
Antonio Ibarra Physical Plant Supervisor
Peter van kempeN Operations Coordinator
adrian castro Padam dhungel RYAN PALMA Facilities Staff
VICTOR DAVID Tika Ram Kafley HAROLD KRIPPS Jerome lee Ethan ozaniec Bhagirath timsina
DIXIE UFFELMAN RUSSELL POOLE Technical Director
Robert S. Brown Assistant Technical Director
ROGELIO RIOJAS Scene Shop Foreman
christopher aler christopher grubb kyle land Scenic Carpenters
Melissa rutherfoord Charge Scenic Artist
Jenny DiLuciano Properties Master
ANDRIA SMITH Assistant Properties Master
CHARLES MOSER Master Properties Artisan
RICK HAEFELE House Carpenter
DAWN PRZYBYLSKI Stage Carpenter
CARYN WEGLARZ KLEIN Costume Director
Custodial Staff
MAE HASKINS
EVAN HATFIELD
Assistant Costume Designer
Director of Audience Experience
LAUREL CLAYSON
LIBET WILFONG
KEVIN PETERSON
House Manager
Shop Foreman
RON BOGACKI l. adelina treviÑo bradshaw Ashten burns
lynae vandermeulen
Head Draper
Staff Draper
Assistant Audio Engineer
ERNESTO GOMEZ House Electrician
MALCOLM EWEN CHRISTINE D. FREEBURG LAURA D. GLENN MICHELLE MEDVIN kim osgood ROSE MARIE PACKER Jonathan Nook KATHLEEN PETROZIELLO deb styer cassie wolgamott Stage Managers
Call Center CASEY VANWORMER Associate Campaign Director
Ali Hoefnagel Audience Outreach Supervisor
Will Bishop SiDNEY CRISTOL rob dieringer CHARLES FRYDENBERG deborah granite julia guettier MARILYN HILLARY Kimberly Marcano Terrence Mosley michael wise Audience Outreach Associates
Peter Andersen Fatimah Asghar Nikki Blue Carlene Descalo Kelsy Durkin Geno Franco Patrick French Lindsay Fussell Joshua Goode Kerri Martin Neel McNeill Kelsey Munson Marie Quinn Peter Schmidt Michael Tutino Anne Walaszek Jon Woelfer Apprentices
Board of Trustees Executive Committee Nora Daley, Chair Eric Lefkofsky, Secretary Paul W. Goodrich, Treasurer Henry S. Bienen Carole L. Brown Douglas R. Brown Michael Cahan Elizabeth H. Connelly Lynn Lockwood Murphy Kenneth J. Porrello Deborah H. Quazzo Randall K. Rowe Bruce Sagan Harry J. Seigle Stephanie B. Smith John R. Walter Helen Zell
Trustees Sarah Beardsley Michael W. Bender Terri L. Cable Keith Cardoza Beth Boosalis Davis Kim Davis J. Scott Etzler Rich Feitler Nene Foxhall Scott P. George Lawrence M. Gill Robert J. Greenebaum, Jr. Caryn Harris John H. Hart George A. Joseph Donna La Pietra Martha Lavey Ronald J. Mallicoat, Jr. Janet Melk Christopher M. Murphy David C. Pisor Merle Reskin Michael R. Salem John R. Samolis Manuel “Manny” Sanchez Anna D. Shapiro Colette Cachey Smithburg
Emeritus Trustees J. Robert Barr Lawrence Block John N. Fox, Jr. Gloria Scoby Past Chairpersons William L. Atwell Larry D. Brady Douglas R. Brown Laurence Edwards John N. Fox, Jr. Elliott Lyon Gordon Murphy William H. Plummer Bruce Sagan Gloria Scoby Donna Vos
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Accessibility at Steppenwolf Committed to providing services and programming that enhance the experience of guests with disabilities, Steppenwolf is proud to feature:
• Audio-described performances, artistic conversations and touch tours of the stage for guests who are blind or visually-impaired. • Guides dedicated to assisting patrons during audio-described performances. • Complimentary playbills in Braille, large print and audio formats. • Sign language-interpreted and open-captioned performances for guests who are deaf or hard-of-hearing. • Volunteers who use sign language to greet the audience at sign-interpreted performances. • Assistive listening devices in our Downstairs and Upstairs theaters. • Wheelchair accessible seats and restrooms in all of our theaters. Would you like to utilize or learn more about these services? Audience Services 312-335-1650 TTY 312-335-3830 E-mail access@steppenwolf.org
Stage Manager Malcolm Ewen assists Alberta O’Shaughnessy and George Hedges, subscribers who are visually-impaired, during the touch tour for Edward Albee’s Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?
Steppenwolf Customer Service Tips Driving to Steppenwolf? Rather than arriving to discover that our garage has reached capacity (which can happen during busy performances), please enter the Steppenwolf Parking Hotline (312-335-1774) into your cell phone and call us when you’re a few minutes away from the theater—we’ll tell you if there’s still space available in our facility, or suggest the most convenient alternative. Spending your intermission in line at the bar? Enjoy the entire break by ordering and paying for your intermission refreshments before the show. When you exit the theater at the end of the first act, your drinks will be waiting for you. Need restaurant information or the score of the ballgame? Please visit our book shop and information desk at the south end of the main floor lobby.
Hailing a cab after the play? This is typically an easy affair—Halsted is a busy street and sees a fair amount of taxi traffic. If you’d like assistance hailing a cab or calling a company, though, just ask a member of the house staff; we’re happy to help. Lost or Found? On-site? Please check in with a member of the house staff. Already left? Call the Front of House office at 312-932-2445. Want to provide feedback? Your input is always valuable to us. Have an opinion about the play or artistic content? Stick around for the post-show discussion featured after every performance, fill out the 60-Second Survey inserted in this program or join the conversation at facebook.com/steppenwolftheater. Have a comment about your overall experience at the theater? Please ask us for a customer service form to fill out, or e-mail us at customerservice@steppenwolf.org.
Latecomers will be seated at the discretion of the House Manager. The theater reserves the right to limit admission of children under the age of six. The taking of photographs and the use of any type of recording device is not allowed in the theater during performances and is a violation of state and federal copyright laws. Digital media will be deleted, and tape or film will be confiscated.
PHotographer Joel Moorman
Young Adult Council
The Young Adult Council is a unique program for passionate and motivated high school students who wish to learn the inner-workings of professional theater from the most celebrated artists in the city. In addition to face time with these leading professionals, Council members attend the best plays in Chicago, learn how to analyze and speak about these plays and lead events for their peers around Steppenwolf productions in hopes of inspiring a new generation of theater enthusiasts and practitioners. Applications are available on March 1, 2013.
Like the Steppenwolf Young Adult Council on Facebook
Or visit steppenwolf.org/
Foundation support is provided by
youngadultcouncil
The Siragusa Foundation.
for more information.
2012/13 SEASON
for YOUNG ADULTS
How Long Will I Cry?: Voices of Youth Violence february 26 – March 9, 2013 By Miles Harvey Directed by Edward Torres Artistic Consulting by Kelli Simpkins
Woven together from interviews gathered by journalist Miles Harvey and his students at DePaul University, How Long Will I Cry? provides raw, truthful insight into the problem of youth violence. By giving voice to those who know the tragic consequences of violence first-hand—families of the victims, residents of crime-ridden neighborhoods and especially young people—How Long Will I Cry? inspires all of us to join together in search of a solution.
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Following a run in Steppenwolf’s Upstairs Theatre, How Long Will I Cry? will tour to Chicago Public Library branches throughout the city. In conjunction with the tour, Steppenwolf will host digital media workshops for teens that encourage critical thinking, recognizing moral choices, acting as an upstander in one’s community and making teen voices heard. These performances and workshops will be presented free of charge.
Buy online at steppenwolf.org or call 312-335-1650.