The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time
CONTENTS 6 WELCOME TO THE CURIOUS INCIDENT OF THE DOG IN THE NIGHT-TIME Letter from SYA Artistic Director Hallie Gordon
EDITOR Paul G. Miller
CONTRIBUTORS 10 R EHEARSAL PHOTOS By Joel Moorman 12 BIOS 18 CURIOUSER AND CURIOUSER: 29 FACTS YOU DIDN’T KNOW ABOUT THE CURIOUS INCIDENT OF THE DOG IN THE NIGHT-TIME By Education Intern Ramona Li 22 FACILITATING ACCOMMODATIONS: A CONVERSATION WITH A SENSORY CONSULTANT Conducted by Education Manager Jared Bellot
STEPPENWOLF SOCIAL facebook.com/SteppenwolfTheatre youtube.com/user/steppenwolftheatre instagram.com/steppenwolfthtr twitter.com/SteppenwolfThtr steppenwolf.org 2 The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time
Jared Bellot Ramona Li Hallie Gordon Joel Moorman Brianna Parry A.J. Roy
DESIGN David Masnato
COVER Illustration by David Masnato
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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 for Young Adults productions in hopes of inspiring a new generation of theatre enthusiasts and practitioners.
Applications are available on March 1, 2019. Like the Steppenwolf Young Adult Council on Facebook and Instagram! Or visit steppenwolf.org/youngadultcouncil for more information.
STEPPENWOLF SALUTES THE SPONSORS OF THE CURIOUS INCIDENT OF THE DOG IN THE NIGHT-TIME LEAD SUPPORTER OF STEPPENWOLF EDUCATION
MAJOR SUPPORTERS OF STEPPENWOLF EDUCATION
LEAD INDIVIDUAL SUPPORTERS OF STEPPENWOLF EDUCATION Ann and Richard Carr Robert and Louise Sanborn Andrew and Amy Bluhm John Hart and Carol Prins Lynn Lockwood Murphy and Barrett B. Murphy Anne and Don Phillips Cari and Michael J. Sacks Steppenwolf’s young professionals board, the Steppenwolf Associates, dedicates its support to Steppenwolf Education. Steppenwolf Education is a citywide partner of the Chicago Public Schools (CPS) School Partner Program.
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Anna D. Shapiro† Artistic Director
David Schmitz Executive Director
Hallie Gordon Artistic Director of SYA
STEPPENWOLF FOR YOUNG ADULTS PRESENTS
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time A Play by Simon Stephens Based on the novel by Mark Haddon Directed by Jonathan Berry
FEATURING Terry Bell, Scott Allen Luke, Cedric Mays*, Caroline Neff*†, Rebecca Spence*, Meg Thalken*, Christopher M. Walsh and Eunice Woods
PRODUCTION Brandon Wardell+ Scenic Design Stephanie Cluggish+ Costume Design Brandon Wardell+ Lighting Design Pornchanok Kanchanabanca Sound Design and Original Music Joseph Burke Projection Design Dan Plehal Movement Creator Kate DeVore Dialect Coach PACTT Learning Center Autism Consultant Hallie Gordon Artistic Producer Brianna Parry Production Manager JC Clementz Casting Director Michelle Medvin* Stage Manager The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time was first presented by the National Theatre, London at the Cottesloe Theatre on August 2nd 2012 and transferred to the Gielgud Theatre, West End, London on March 12th 2013. The Play opened in the USA at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre on October 5th 2014. This Play is presented by kind permission of Warner Bros. Entertainment. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time is presented by special arrangement with Dramatists Play Service, New York. Steppenwolf Theatre Company is a constituent of Theatre Communications 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 United Scenic Artists, Local 829 of the IATSE. ‡ member of Stage Directors and Choreographers Society, a national theatrical labor union.
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WELCOME TO THE CURIOUS INCIDENT OF THE DOG IN THE NIGHT-TIME I have always leaned most fully into stories that have a young person at their center. The lens of innocence as a means of focusing a reader or viewer on the emotional and moral confusion in the lives of adults has always held great interest for me. One need only look to the plays I program for SYA, many of which arise from books I cherish – To Kill A Mockingbird, The Bluest Eye, and The Book Thief, to name just a few favorites. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time shares many aspects with these and other favorite stories of mine, in that it revolves around a child who observes and confronts several elements in the darker side of adult behavior. As with every good comingof-age story, Christopher must reconcile with an reality that bears no resemblance to the world he thought he inhabited – the family he believed himself to be a part of is revealed to be something entirely different, and the neighbors he encounters as he attempts to unravel the mystery at the center of the story do not always match with the tidy and well-mannered façade they present to the world. But what sets this story apart from much of the body of literature and drama with young people at their center is that the young protagonist Christopher Boone’s brain is neuroatypical, which allows us as readers and viewers to encounter situations and people – even those that seem familiar – in startling and unexpected new ways; through Christopher we are granted a distinct and remarkable viewpoint, one that can be by turns delighting and unsettling. Because Christopher’s means and manner of seeing the world is very much his own, very much of a particular sensibility, we are invited to reevaluate our own assumptions and assessments, even of the seemingly familiar. The character of Christopher Boone, is one of the most distinctive and captivating narrative voices I can recall encountering in a long time. Although I am identifying it as neuroatypical author Mark Haddon scrupulously avoids naming the condition his young narrator has, both because by his own admission, Haddon is no expert in neurology, and as a storyteller has no real interest in delving into the medical particulars of any single condition. His narrative aim, in having us watch the story unfold through Christopher’s eyes, is to harness the metaphorical potency of a protagonist’s cognitive difference as a means of exploring the condition of being an outsider – the vantage it affords, the limitations it imposes, the universality of its emotional resonance. So the point of Christopher’s neurological difference, for novelist Haddon, and for this adaptation, is not for it to serve as a vehicle to explore the isolation of such a figure, or to regard this story as any kind of literal chronicle of an individual’s experience of being neurologically atypical, it is to permit Christopher, in his difference, to be a proxy for each of us, since we are all outsiders of one sort or another. Christopher must ask, as we all sometimes must: having encountered great personal and family upheaval, how do you find your way forward through this new uncertainty that has displaced the world you thought you were living in?
Hallie Gordon Artistic Director of Steppenwolf for Young Adults
6 The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time
CITY CONNECTIONS What is City Connections? City Connections is Steppenwolf Education's community engagement model rooted in building authentic and mutually beneficial long-term partnerships. We take no-cost, barrier-free, artistic and educational programming into communities, with the hope that youth feel inspired to come to Steppenwolf and experiment here as artists and arts appreciators. How do we find new partners? City Connections seeks to bring our work outside of Steppenwolf and into neighborhoods by making connections with peer organizations that use the arts to empower youth in geographic and social communities we don't currently serve. Where do we serve? This year we are working in the West Austin, Roseland and Englewood communities as well as three juvenile justice facilities throughout Illinois through a partnership with Storycatchers Theatre.
This first year partnering with Steppenwolf has been really impactful. I can see the change in the youth. This partnership is beautiful because these kids need creativity. Steppenwolf sharing their workshops and knowledge of the arts to our kids is more profound than I think most of us realize. - Max Cerda
Street Intervention Specialist, Build, Inc.
800 STUDENTS
SERVED/YEAR THROUGH
CITY CONNECTIONS
To learn more, contact Education Manager Jared Bellot at jbellot@steppenwolf.org
CAST AND CONTRIBUTORS CAST (in alphabetical order)
ADDITIONAL STAFF
Terry Bell Christopher Scott Allen Luke Roger, Ensemble Cedric Mays* Ed Caroline Neff* Siobhan Rebecca Spence* Judy, Ensemble Meg Thalken* Mrs. Alexander, Ensemble Christopher M. Walsh Station Policeman, Ensemble Eunice Woods Mrs. Shears, Ensemble
Nate Cohen and Fatima Sowe Assistant Directors
UNDERSTUDIES (in alphabetical order)
Dana Nestrick Crafts Artisan
Matthew Elam Christopher Armand Fields Ed Ashway Lawver Mrs. Alexander, Siobhan, Ensemble Michaela Petro Judy, Mrs. Shears, Ensemble Cory Williamson Roger, Station Policeman, Ensemble SETTING Place: Swindon and London, England This play will be presented with one intermission. There will be a post-show discussion immediately following the performance.
† member of the Steppenwolf Theatre Company ensemble. * member of Actors’ Equity Association, the union of professional actors and stage managers.
Devin O’Leary, Adena Rice, and Brophy Tolbert Additional Carpentry Sara Lewis Additional Paint Carlos Arellano Costume Design Assistant
Julian Laurie Stage Management Apprentice Jared Bellot, Rebekah Camm, Lavina Jadhwani, Lauren Katz, Derek Matson, Neel McNeill, Derek McPhatter and Leean Torske Post Show Discussion Moderators Special thanks to Daniel Cohen, Lydia Diamond, Bill, Daniel and Jerry Eichengreen, Charlotte Gruman, Emma MacLean, PACTT Learning Center, Zechary Stigger, Julie Tracy and Urban Autism Solutions The theater reserves the right to limit admission of children younger than the age of six. As a courtesy to the actors and your fellow patrons, please turn off your cell phones before the performance. 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. Entry and re-entry to the theater after this performance begins is not guaranteed.
8 The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time
Meet the Steppenwolf Education teaching artists who work on exploring the themes of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time with thousands of students across the Chicagoland area as a part of our in-school Residency Program!
Peter Andersen
JazmĂn Corona
Christina El Gamal
Tiffany Fulson
Charles Andrew Gardner
Greg Geffrard
Cara Greene Epstein
Larry Grimm
Airos Sung-En Medill
Fatima Sowe
Mara Stern
Wilfredo Ramos Jr.
MonĂŠt Felton
Interested in learning more about our In-School Residency Program? Email Education Manager Jared Bellot at jbellot@steppenwolf.org.
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THE CURIOUS INCIDENT OF THE DOG IN THE NIGHT-TIME IN REHEARSAL Photography by Joel Moorman
Cast member Rebecca Spence
Cast member Terry Bell
Cast member Cedric Mays
Director Jonathan Berry
*Steppenwolf ensemble member
Cast members Caroline Neff*, Terry Bell and director Jonathan Berry
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Cast member Eunice Woods
Cast members Caroline Neff* and Terry Bell
*Steppenwolf ensemble member
The cast of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time
Cast members Christopher M. Walsh, Scott Allen Luke and Eunice Woods
Cast member Meg Thalken
Visit steppenwolf.org for videos, production images and more rehearsal images. steppenwolf 11
THE CURIOUS INCIDENT OF THE DOG IN THE NIGHT-TIME BIOS Terry Bell (Christopher) is ecstatic to be working on his first show at Steppenwolf Theatre Company! Previous theatre credits include: Natural Affection (Eclipse Theatre Company); Mies Julie (u/s Victory Gardens Theater); A Moon For the Misbegotten (u/s Writers Theatre); Puff: Believe it or Not (u/s Remmy Bummpo); Sylvester or the Wicked Uncle (Lifeline Theatre); The My Way Residential (Irish Theatre of Chicago); The Snowy Day and Other Stories (Emerald City Theatre); and Cymbeline (Strawdog Theatre Company). Terry is an ensemble member of Strawdog Theatre Company and is proudly represented by Gray Talent Group. Scott Allen Luke (Roger, Ensemble) is elated to be back playing at Steppenwolf Theatre Company after understudying Straight White Men and Tracy Letts’ The Minutes. Other Chicago credits include Ragtime, Titanic (Griffin Theatre Company); Othello, The Look of Her (The Gift Theatre Company); Broken Fences (16th Street Theater); and many others around Chicago at Northlight Theatre, Next Theatre Company, Lifeline Theatre, Raven Theatre and more. TV credits include Chicago Med. Scott is a proud graduate of the School at Steppenwolf. “Love to Suz + JTM. Thanks to Jon, JC and Regina.” scottallenluke.com.
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Cedric Mays (Ed) It is a pleasure to be working with such a fine group of people! Here’s to the continued belief that I approach this work with: “To behold with wonder like it’s the first time and to work like I’ll never have the privilege to do it again.” Caroline Neff (Siobhan) joined the Steppenwolf Theatre Company ensemble in Spring 2016. At Steppenwolf, she was last seen in You Got OIder, Linda Vista, The Fundamentals, The Flick, Airline Highway (including the Broadway production at Manhattan Theatre Club), The Way West, Three Sisters, Annie Bosh is Missing and Where We’re Born. Select theatre credits include Lettie (Victory Gardens Theater); Uncle Vanya (Goodman Theatre); A Brief History of Helen of Troy (Jeff Award for Best Actress), The Knowledge, Harper Regan, In Arabia We’d All Be Kings (Steep Theatre Company); The Downpour (Route 66 Theatre Company); Port (Griffin Theatre Company); 4000 Miles (Northlight Theatre); and Moonshiner (Jackalope Theatre Company). Regional credits include Peerless (Yale Repertory Theatre). Film and television credits include Chicago PD, Chicago Fire, Open Tables and Older Children. She is a proud company member of Steep Theatre and holds her BA from Columbia College Chicago.
Rebecca Spence (Judy, Ensemble) is honored to work at Steppenwolf Theatre Company again where previous credits include: Mary Page Marlowe, The Crucible, Our Lady of 121st Street and Pacific. Other theatre credits include: Continuity (Goodman New Stages Festival); In The Garden (Lookingglass Theatre Company); Concerning Strange Devices from the Distant West (TimeLine Theatre Company); This (Theatre Wit); The Voysey Inheritance, Les Liaisons Dangereuses (Remy Bumppo Theatre Company); Dracula (Defiant Theatre) and Cyrano (Milwaukee Repertory Theatre). She is a company member of Rivendell Theatre Ensemble, appearing in The Firebirds Take the Field, How the World Began, These Shining Lives and WRENS. Film credits include Princess Cyd, Slice, Man of Steel, Fools, Tiger Tail in Blue, One Small Hitch, Contagion, The Dilemma, Public Enemies, Grace is Gone and The Break-Up. Television credits: Easy (Netflix); Boss (STARZ); Crisis (NBC); Chicago Fire (NBC); Betrayal (ABC); The Mob Doctor (FOX); Detroit 1-8-7 (ABC); The Chicago Code (FOX); The Beast (A&E); and Prison Break (FOX).
Chicago Fire, Detroit 187, a recurring role as flight Nurse McManus on ER for 8 years, What About Joan, Turks, Chicago Hope, Early Edition, EZ Streets, The Untouchables, Chicago Story, Jack & Mike, Justice: Greylord Style, The Richard Speck Case and Through Naked Eyes. Film work includes This Day Forward, Henry Gamble’s Birhtday Party, Bad Johnson, Hannah Free, Check Please, The Company, U.S. Marshals, Poltergeist III, A Family Thing, The Babe and Class. Meg teaches in the Opera Department at Northwestern University and in the Theater Department at Columbia College Chicago. Proud member of Actors Equity and SAGAFTRA since 1980.
Christopher M. Walsh (Station Policeman, Ensemble) is very excited to be making his Steppenwolf Theatre Company debut. Other Chicago credits include Monstrous Regiment, The Three Musketeers (Lifeline Theatre); The Hammer Trinity, Season on the Line (The House Theatre of Chicago); Captain Steve’s Caring Kingdom (Factory Theater); and A Home on the Lake (Piven Theatre Workshop). TV credits include Chicago Fire and Betrayal. Christopher is also a playwright, a member of the Meg Thalken (Mrs. Alexander, artistic ensemble at Lifeline Theatre, and a company member with WildClaw Theatre. Ensemble) Stage work He is represented by Big Mouth Talent. Love includes shows at Goodman Theatre, Steppenwolf Theatre and thanks to Mandy. Company, Route 66 Theatre Company, Detroit Public Theatre, Actors Theater of Louisville, Victory Gardens Theater, Next Theatre Company, Northlight Theatre, Chicago Dramatists, Travel Light, Wisdom Bridge, Pheasant Run and The Playhouse among others. TV Credits include Shameless, Empire, Chicago Justice,
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…cont’d Bios
Jonathan Berry (Director) is an Artistic Producer at Steppenwolf and a director and teacher in Chicago. Steppenwolf productions include You Got Older, Constellations, The Crucible, Gary and A Separate Peace. Jon is a Steep Theatre ensemble member where productions include Birdland, Earthquakes in London, Posh, If There Is I Haven’t Found It Yet, The Knowledge, Festen, Moment and The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui. He is also an ensemble member at Griffin Theatre where productions include The Harvest, Winterset, Pocatello, Balm in Gilead, Golden Boy, Spring Awakening, Punk Rock, Port and On the Shore of the Wide World. Jon has served as the Assistant Director for Anna D. Shapiro’s Broadway productions of Of Mice and Men and This Is Our Youth. Simon Stephens (Playwright) plays include Other theatre credits include Dirty, Suicide, Fatherland, Nuclear War, Rage,Heisenberg, Incorporated, Othello (Gift Theatre); Song from Far Away, Birdland, Blindsided, The Solid Sand Below, The World of Extreme Three Kingdoms, Wastwater, Punk Rock, Port, Happiness for New Stages (Goodman Harper Regan, On the Shore of the Wide, Theatre); Kill Floor (American Theatre Pornography, Motortown, Country Music, Company); Little Shop of Horrors, Sideman Christmas, Herons and Bluebird. He has (American Blues Theater); I am Going to written English language versions of Change the World (Chicago Dramatists); Jon Fosse’s I Am the Wind; Odon Von and The Casuals (Jackalope Theatre Horvath’s Kasimir and Karoline (titled Company). He pursued his MFA in directing The Funfair); Henrik Ibsen’s A Doll’s House; from Northwestern University. He has taught Anton Chekhov’s The Cherry Orchard and at University of Michigan, Northwestern The Seagull and Bertolt Brecht and Kurt University, University of Chicago, Columbia Weill’s Threepenny Opera. His book “A College and The School at Steppenwolf. Working Diary” is published by Methuen. Simon Stephens is an Associate at the Royal Court, London and Steep, Chicago. He is a Profressor of Scriptwriting at Manchester Metropolitan University Eunice Woods (Mrs. Shears, Ensemble) is delighted to be working at Steppenwolf Theatre Company for the first time. Chicago credits include Father Comes Home From the Wars (Goodman Theatre); Hinter (Steep Theatre Company); No Blue Memories: The Life of Gwendolyn Brooks (Manual Cinema); Parade (Writers Theatre); 10 Out Of 12 (Theater Wit); Little Shop of Horrors (American Blues Theater); The Project(s) (American Theater Company) and more. Television credits include Shameless and Chicago PD. Eunice is a proud company member of BOM where she performs and teaches in Chicago Public Schools. She is represented by Gray Talent Group.
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Brandon Wardell (Scenic & Lighting Design) is excited to be collaborating with Jonathan on his first design for Steppenwolf Theatre Company. He is an Artistic Associate of Steep Theatre Company and professor of lighting design at Northern Illinois University. Recent designs include Linda, Birdland, Lela & Co., and Earthquakes in London (Steep Theatre Company); The Vibrator Play (TimeLine Theatre Company); Men On Boats (American Theatre Company); Becky Shaw (Windy City Playhouse); Frost/Nixon (Redtwist Theatre); Titanic, Bat Boy, London Wall, and Men Should Weep (Griffin Theatre); The Game of Love and Chance (American Players Theatre); and Million Dollar Quartet (Finger Lakes Musical Theatre Festival). Upcoming designs include A Number (Writers Theatre); Cardboard Piano (TimeLine Theatre Company); and The Father (Remy Bumppo Theatre Company). Stephanie Cluggish (Costume Design) is happy to be back at Steppenwolf Theatre Company; her work was last seen as part of the Next Up series in The Internationalist & The Drunken City. Chicago credits include Stories and Songs of Chicago (Lyric Opera Unlimited); T. (American Theatre Company); The Firebirds Take the Field; Winter (Rivendell Theatre Ensemble); How We Got On (Haven Theatre); Good For Otto, Othello (Gift Theatre); Posh (Steep Theatre Company). Regional: The Marriage of Figaro (Charlottesville Opera, Wolf Trap Opera); Carmen, The Magic Flute and The Rake’s Progress (Music Academy of the West). Assistant/ Associate credits for Rusalka (Metropolitan Opera); Out of Shadowland (Disney Tokyo Sea); Mary Page Marlowe; East of Eden (Steppenwolf Theatre Company). She has an MFA from Northwestern University. stephanie-cluggish.com
Pornchanok Kanchanabanca [Nok] (Sound Design) is thrilled to be working at Steppenwolf Theatre Company. She is a Thai artist and sound designer/ composer. She graduated from the sound design program at Yale School of Drama. Recent productions include Cymbeline (Original music, Yale Repertory Theatre); Be Here Now (Original Music, Cincinnati Play House); Frontières sans Frontières (The Bushwick Starr); The Humans (Theatresquared); Alligator (New Georges&The Sol Project); Heartland (Geva Theatre); and Father Comes Home From The Wars (Juilliard). She also collaborated on design with several theatre companies in Thailand including B-floor, Babymine, Crescent Moon, Makharmpom, Democrazy. wishnok-music.com Joseph Burke (Projection Design) returns to Steppenwolf Theatre Company for his fifth collaboration. Based in Chicago, Joseph specializes in projection and lighting design for live performance. Recent credits include: Borealis (The House Theatre of Chicago); Annie, A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder, The Full Monty (Rocky Mountain Repertory Theatre); Women Laughing Alone With Salad (Theater Wit); Elf The Musical (Paramount Theatre); Paddle to the Sea (Third Coast Percussion); Mary Poppins The Musical (Children’s Theatre of Charlotte); and Cendrillon (North Park Opera). His art has also been seen at Chamber Opera Chicago, Cleveland’s Playhouse Square, Cleveland Public Theatre, Imagine Exhibitions, Museum of Contemporary Art-Chicago, and The Poetry Foundation. josephaburke.com
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…cont’d Bios
Dan Plehal (Movement Creator) could not be happier to be back at Steppenwolf Theatre Company. His Chicago performance credits include The Doppelgänger (an international farce) (Steppenwolf Theatre Company), The Tempest, Romeo & Juliet, and A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Chicago Shakespeare Theater). Regional credits include Joseph…Dreamcoat (Devon Theatre); I Never Saw Another Butterfly and Forest Fable (Walnut Street Theatre). TV credits include Lovecraft Country, Chicago Fire, and The Mysteries of Laura. Movement direction credits include A Wrinkle in Time, Thumbelina (LifeLine Theatre); and Urinetown (Bohemian Theatre Ensemble). Dan creates and performs with Aura CuriAtlas Physical Theatre, where he is a founder and Co-Artistic Director. Kate DeVore (Dialect Coach) is a voice, speech, and dialect trainer, voice therapist, and professional voice and presence coach. She is delighted to return to Steppenwolf Theatre Company, where she is also the voice teacher at the School at Steppenwolf. She coaches frequently at the Goodman Theatre as well as other local companies, and is currently serving as Vocal Coach for Small Mouth Sounds at A Red Orchid Theatre. She teaches Accents and Dialects at Columbia College Chicago, facilitates workshops across the country, and coaches clients ranging from actors to executives through her business, Total Voice, Inc.
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Michelle Medvin (Stage Manager) is thrilled to return to Steppenwolf Theatre Company. Favorites over fifteen seasons with the company include two versions of The Crucible, Tribes, Clybourne Park, August: Osage County, The Pillowman, Purple Heart (also at Ireland’s Galway Arts Festival), Art, and many others. She has also worked with Northlight Theatre, Drury Lane, Victory Gardens Theater, Chicago Children’s Theatre, Hartford Stage, Dallas Theater Center, and Portland Center Stage. Michelle currently serves as Production Manager and Adjunct Faculty at Governors State University. She is proud to be a member of Actors’ Equity, a graduate of Smith College, Mary’s wife, and Elliott & Lena’s mama. Hallie Gordon (Artistic Director of Steppenwolf for Young Adults) is currently an artistic producer, where she most recently directed The Rembrandt and Hir by Taylor Mac. Other Steppenwolf directing credits include the world premiere of Monster by Walter Dean Myers, George Orwell’s 1984 and Animal Farm, the world premiere of The Book Thief, To Kill a Mockingbird and the world premiere of Toni Morrison’s The Bluest Eye. Hallie has also directed for Northlight Theatre and is an ensemble member for Rivendell Theatre where she directed the critically acclaimed Dry Land and Eat Your Heart Out.
Anna D. Shapiro (Artistic Director) 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 directing credits at Steppenwolf include The Minutes, Visiting Edna, Mary Page Marlowe, 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). Other Broadway credits include Of Mice and Men (with James Franco) and Fish in the Dark (with Larry David). OffBroadway credits include Domesticated (Lincoln Center). She is a graduate of the Yale School of Drama and Columbia. She is a full professor in Northwestern University’s Department of Theatre.
David Schmitz (Executive Director) has worked at Steppenwolf Theatre Company for 13 years, serving in the roles of Director of Finance and Administration, General Manager and currently as Executive Director. Prior to working at Steppenwolf, David was the General Manager at Lookingglass Theatre Company, Associate Artistic Director of Stage Left Theatre and Business Manager at the entertainment agency Adair Performance. Currently, he serves as Vice President of the Board for The House Theatre of Chicago as well as on the boards of the League of Chicago Theatres and Arts Alliance Illinois. David is a former board member for the Lincoln Park Chamber of Commerce and has worked as a strategic planning, business practices, finance and hiring consultant for numerous Chicago organizations, including The House Theatre of Chicago, The Hypocrites and Stage Left Theatre, among others. He holds a BA in theatre from the University of Northern Colorado, an MFA from the Theatre Conservatory at the Chicago College of Performing Arts, Roosevelt University and a Certificate in Non Profit Management from Roosevelt University.
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Curiouser and Curiouser: By Education Intern Ramona Li
Curious about how Curious was written? Read on to learn more about novelist Mark Haddon’s inspiration for Christopher, get a better sense of Christopher’s hometown, and have fun with some trivia about the Tony award-winning adaptation of the critically acclaimed novel!
2 A Curious Name The title of Mark Haddon’s book (and this play), The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, is a direct reference to The Adventure of Silver Blaze - a story from the Sherlock Holmes series by British author Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. In the story, Sherlock Holmes discusses with Gregory, a Scotland Yard detective: Gregory: Is there any point to which you would wish to draw my attention? Holmes: To the curious incident of the dog in the night-time. Gregory: The dog did nothing in the night-time. Holmes: That was the curious incident. The title directly reflects Christopher’s interest in Sherlock Holmes’s detective stories. In the novel, Christopher says that “I think that if I were a proper detective [Sherlock Holmes] is the kind of detective I would be.”
3 And the Winner Is… Christopher’s adventure has bedazzled audiences all around the globe. After winning a record-breaking 7 Olivier Awards in 2013, the production made its way from London to Broadway in 2014. In addition to winning a Tony Award for Best Play, Alex Sharp, who played Christopher, won the Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play (the youngest ever winner of the award). Curious was Sharp’s first professional acting job after he graduated from college – way to go, Alex!
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29 Facts You Didn’t Know About The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time
5 Be Sure to PROJECT The Broadway Curious production placed a heavy emphasis on constructing spectacles for the audience. Elaborate projections were used to help immerse the audience and overwhelm their senses – giving them the opportunity to experience Christopher’s acute attention to all the details that surround him. Different from the Broadway production, the Steppenwolf for Young Adults production of Curious will instead focus on the relationships between Christopher, his family, and the members of his community.
7 “My Name is Christopher John Francis Boone.” Haddon has often stressed that he did not set out to write a story about teenagers with Autism Spectrum Disorder (as Christopher is often diagnosed by fans), rather, he wanted to tell the story of a single young person, and the peculiar way their mind worked – thus, Christopher was born. Haddon himself did take care of individuals with disabilities, including Autism, after graduating from college, the experience of which, in part, did inspire the character of Christopher.
11 Prime Time Christopher is obsessed with prime numbers because, as he explains “Prime numbers are what is left when you have taken all the patterns away. I think prime numbers are like life. They are very logical but you could never work out the rules, even if you spent all your time thinking about them.” In the novel, chapters actually proceed in increasing prime numbers (and in this article, facts proceed in much the same way).
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13 Don’t Judge a Book By Its Cover Did you know that there is both an Adult and Young Adult edition of the novel? There is no significant difference between the content of the two editions aside from cover designs. The book won a Guardian Children’s Fiction Prize. However, Haddon once clarified where his true literary ambition lies: “I sometimes put it like this: I had the second-best job in the world (children’s writer). Greedily, I wanted the best job in the world as well (novelist).”
17 “What sort of Tube?” In the story, Christopher travels on the London Underground for the first time. Why is the London Underground called the Tube? It makes sense if you think of the tunnels the trains travel through! The word “tube” referred to the method used in its construction: “tunneling through the earth and placing segments of iron to line the tunnel, creating a cylinder or tube.” The word “tube” first appeared in an official advertisement of the underground railway system in 1905.
19 Aw, Rats! The names of the rat actors featured in the production were voted on by fans. In the London and New York productions, the role of Toby was portrayed by Splat, Nellie and Marilyn. Tradition holds that whenever a new cast starts rehearsing, the actor playing Christopher always meet the rats first, so that they can have as much time for bonding as possible.
23 A Renaissance Man Mark Haddon is not just a novelist - he dabbles in many different art forms! Haddon is quite the accomplished abstract visual artist. He often illustrates his own literary works! Haddon has also written a number of screenplays for the BBC (British Broadcasting Chanel) including Coming Down from the Mountain, which first aired in 2006. The drama features two young brothers, one of whom has Down’s Syndrome.
29 Round and Round in Circles Swindon, Christopher’s hometown, is a large town in south England, about 71 miles west of London. It is home to a bizarrely shaped traffic circle named “The Magic Roundabout”, which was once voted as the scariest junction in all of Britain. 5 smaller traffic circles are enclosed in this giant conglomerate of swirliness. No wonder Christopher has a hard time finding places in this town!
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IN-SCHOOL RESIDENCIES Steppenwolf Education reaches nearly 2,500 students per year through it’s in-school residency work, pairing teaching artists and classroom teachers to enrich students’ experiences of the Steppenwolf for Young Adults plays on our stages.
I am thankful to have this relationship with Steppenwolf because it is so student centered. The students’ faces light up as they are talking enthusiastically about the plays, and the Pre/Post workshops. They are sharing their experiences and gaining self confidence well after our workshops are complete! - Mary Rossi
Pre/Post Classroom Teacher, George Washington High School
TEACHING ARTIST COHORT Steppenwolf Education teaching artists partner with classroom teachers, exploring the themes of the Steppenwolf for Young Adults season in workshops with thousands of students across the Chicagoland area.
To learn more, contact Education Manager Jared Bellot at jbellot@steppenwolf.org
Facilitating Accommodations:
A Conversation with a Sensory Consultant Conducted by Education Manager Jared Bellot
In the lead up to the start of rehearsals for The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, Education Manager Jared Bellot caught up with Chuck Gruman, a Chicago-based Sensory Consultant who works with Steppenwolf and other cultural institutions around the city to help provide accessible services to all audience members. The two spoke about Chuck’s work, the Neurodiverse community, and Steppenwolf’s upcoming Relaxed/Sensory Friendly performance of Curious!
Jared Bellot: Chuck – thank you so much for chatting with me! You’ve been such a wonderful resource and thought-partner on the topic of Neurodiversity and working with folks with autism and other sensory processing disorders and I’m so excited for this conversation! To start, how would you describe the type of work that you do? Charlotte “Chuck” Gruman: I’m a Sensory Consultant. I advise performing arts organizations on creating welcoming spaces for all Neurodiverse individuals. I make sensory friendly toys (weighted blankets, fidget toys, coping tools, etc.) for folks for whom these resources might be helpful. It is my goal to make these kinds of tools more available and more socially acceptable to use and to get rid of some of the stigma or embarrassment that often goes along with needing this type of accommodation. Jared: How did you become interested in this type of work? Chuck: I identify as having a sensory processing disorder. I grew up in Southeast Asia and Australia and New Zealand where relaxed and sensory friendly environments were more socially acceptable than they are in America, and I was able to participate in programming that was made available for people who might have issues with sensory processing. I became interested in helping to facilitate this type of programming when I came to America for school and I realized that type of programming was not as popular here. Jared: Working on Curious a term that has become a larger part of my vocabulary is “Neurodiversity.” What does it mean when we use that term? Chuck: It has a lot to do with access and representation. Not all of our brains are wired in the same way, and Neurodiversity is acknowledging this fact and embracing it rather being afraid of it or unwilling to make accommodations as a result. Some brains are what would be called “typical,” some “atypical.” Neurodiversity encompasses the differences we have and moving forward, especially in the arts, understanding Neurodiversity means creating programming to better serve the needs of all. Jared: Is there such a thing as a “typical” way a person who has sensory processing difficulties experiences the world?
22 Features
Chuck: There is no such thing as a one size fits all model, and to me, that’s kind of the beauty of it. When I speak about Neurodiversity, please recognize I am not speaking for every person who identifies as Neurodiverse; I am speaking for myself as an individual and the way I experience the world. Jared: Last year at Steppenwolf, we introduced relaxed/sensory friendly performances for our Steppenwolf for Young Adults’ shows. For someone who has never experienced a Relaxed/ Sensory Friendly performance before, how is it different than what we may consider a “traditional” theatre performance?
When I speak about neurodiversity, please recognize I am not speaking for every person who identifies as neurodiverse; I am speaking for myself as an individual and the way I experience the world.
Chuck: When you walk into a space that is designated to be a relaxed and sensory friendly space, it’s important to let go of any preconceived notions about what attending a play is like (quiet in the audience, no moving around, no fidgeting in your chair). Often, at a relaxed/sensory friendly we don’t make any big artistic changes (maybe we leave the house lights on at 70% or lower over-stimulating sound cues) but the biggest difference is saying outwardly to the audience, this is a play-watching environment that people can come in and feel welcomed regardless of their specific needs. This is not something that is just for a specific audience, it is for everyone coming to that performance. Everyone who comes should feel they were understood, they were acknowledged, and they were welcomed. Jared: For folks who are interested in learning more about any of this, do you have any particular resources or starting points that you would recommend that have been of particular help or guidance to you? Chuck: If people have sensory processing disorders or know someone who does, I’ve found that Facebook groups are the most effective ways of getting information, especially in your area. Also, the Chicago Cultural Accessibility Consortium is a wonderful resource that works to empower Chicago’s cultural spaces to become more accessible to visitors with disabilities. You can learn more about their work and join their mailing list online at chicagoculturalaccess.org. Jared: Thank you! See you on October 27th at 3pm for our Curious relaxed/sensory friendly performance. Chuck: See you then!
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THE STEPPENWOLF ENSEMBLE Steppenwolf Theatre Company is the nation’s premier ensemble theater. Formed by a collective of actors in 1976, the ensemble of 53 members represent a remarkable crosssection of actors, directors and playwrights. Thrilling and powerful productions from Balm in Gilead to August: Osage County—and accolades that include the National Medal of Arts and 12 Tony Awards—have made the theater legendary. Steppenwolf produces hundreds of performances and events annually in its three spaces: the 515-seat Downstairs Theatre, the 299-seat Upstairs Theatre and the 80-seat 1700 Theatre. Artistic programing includes a seven-play season; a twoplay Steppenwolf for Young Adults season; Visiting Company engagements; and LookOut, a multi-genre performance series. Education initiatives include the nationally recognized work of Steppenwolf for Young Adults, which engages 15,000 participants annually from Chicago’s diverse communities; the esteemed School at Steppenwolf; and Professional Leadership Programs for arts administration training. While firmly grounded in the Chicago community, nearly 40 original Steppenwolf productions have enjoyed success both nationally and internationally, including Broadway, Off-Broadway, London, Sydney, Galway and Dublin.
JOAN ALLEN
KEVIN ANDERSON
ALANA ARENAS
RANDALL ARNEY
KATE ARRINGTON
IAN BARFORD
ROBERT BREULER
CLIFF CHAMBERLIN
GARY COLE
CELESTE M. COOPER
GLENN DAVIS
KATHRYN ERBE
AUDREY FRANCIS
K. TODD FREEMAN
FRANK GALATI
FRANCIS GUINAN
MOIRA HARRIS
JON MICHAEL HILL
TIM HOPPER
TOM IRWIN
ORA JONES
RAJIV JOSEPH
TERRY KINNEY †
TINA LANDAU
MARTHA LAVEY*
TRACY LETTS
JOHN MAHONEY*
JOHN MALKOVICH
SANDRA MARQUEZ
MARIANN MAYBERRY*
TARELL ALVIN MCCRANEY
JAMES VINCENT MEREDITH
LAURIE METCALF
AMY MORTON
SALLY MURPHY
CAROLINE NEFF
BRUCE NORRIS
AUSTIN PENDLETON
JEFF PERRY †
WILLIAM PETERSEN
YASEN PEYANKOV
MARTHA PLIMPTON
RONDI REED
MOLLY REGAN
KAREN RODRIGUEZ
ERIC SIMONSON
GARY SINISE †
ANNA D. SHAPIRO°
CO-FOUNDER * IN MEMORIAM ° ARTISTIC DIRECTOR
†
LOIS SMITH
RICK SNYDER
JIM TRUE-FROST
ALAN WILDER
NAMIR SMALLWOOD
STEPPENWOLF STAFF Anna D. Shapiro Artistic Director
Terry Kinney, Jeff Perry and Gary Sinise Executive Artistic Board
David Schmitz Executive Director
Artistic
Brian Hurst Finance Coordinator Gabriel Alaniz Events Management Associate Samuel Barnes IT Business Systems Analyst Nic Andrews IT Associate Dani Barlow Yale Fellow
Greta Honold LookOut Producer/ Audience Engagement Producer Joel Moorman Digital Content Producer Kevin Castillo Digital Marketing Manager Neel McNeill Marketing and Memberships Manager Development Patrick Zakem Leslie Bradberry LookOut Producer/ Director of Audience Engagement Development Coordinator Kristy Conway David Masnato Senior Development Graphic Designer Director Maya Fazio-Siu Eric Evenskaas Marketing Assistant Senior Development Director Leean Kim Torske PR Assistant Mercedes Rohlfs Campaign Director Juli Del Prete Social Media Courtney Anderson Coordinator Director of Special Events Tamara Todres Interim Audience Suzanne Miller Services Director Annual Giving Director Stephanie Heller Audience Services Jessica Gretch Membership Manager Individual Giving Manager William Benjamin Audience Services Max Lando Manager Institutional Giving Manager Jimmy Freund Audience Services A.J. Roy Training Supervisor Board Relations Manager Mike Brunlieb Rebekah Camm Sarah Giovannetti Audience Services Special Events Supervisors Coordinator Molly Layton Chelsea Smith Group Sales Campaign Manager Coordinator Samantha Price Roseann Bishop Institutional Giving Membership Coordinator Coordinator Marketing, Craig Barnes Communications & Itzel Blancas Audience Services Emily Borges John Zinn Rebecca Butler Director of Marketing Allison Diamond and Communications Sam Garrott Rukmini Girish Donovan Foote Kenya Hall Design Director Hanna Kime Madeline Long Julia Waits Communications Sovannra Yos Director Audience Services Erika Nelson Associates Marketing Director
Audience Outreach
Jonathan Berry Hallie Gordon Artistic Producers JC Clementz Casting Director Polly Hubbard Director of New Play Development Glenn Davis Audrey Francis Tracy Letts Sandra Marquez Amy Morton Caroline Neff Yasen Peyankov Associate Artists
Education Hallie Gordon Artistic Director Megan Shuchman Director of Education Jared Bellot Education Manager John Rooney Education and Leadership Programs Coordinator Abhi Shrestha Education Associate Peter Andersen Jazmín Corona Monét Felton Tiffany Fulson Cara Greene Epstein Tina El Gamal Charles Andrew Gardner Greg Geffrard Larry Grimm Airos Sung-En Medill Fatima Sowe Mara Stern Wilfredo Ramos, Jr. Teaching Artists
Administration Karena Fiorenza General Manager Lupe Garcia Quiles Events Management Director Maria Nondorf Finance Director Jovito Alvarez Finance Manager Paul Miller Office Manager LaDonna Lane Human Resources Generalist
26 The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time
Megan Kaminsky Marshall Kious Georgette Kirkendall Rukmini Girish Laura LoChirco Brian Lee Airos Sung-En Medill Audience Outreach Greg Mehl Supervisors Chrystle Rivers Charles Frydenberg Hoot Sanders Greg Glomb Jessica Smith Marilyn Hillary Kaleb Tank Brandi Jones Audience Experience Audience Outreach Associates Associates Morgan Burkey Sydney Charles Operations Omar Dyette Cory Jeanes Director of Operations Dani Nicole James Mari Kempes Peter Van Kempen Brian Keys Facilities Manager Patty Malaney Adrian Castro Pat Mangan Operations Alyson Morrill Coordinator Meaghan Morris Harold Jaffe Jack Newton Facilities Staff Ian Palmer Adam Simers Irukia Ahmed Ali Sarah Stambaugh Victor David Shayla Tharp Tul Ghaley Shannon Vogt Madan Gurung Taleshia Walker Rina Gurung Front Bar Staff Ababe Mekonen Shamshuddin Angel Aguilar Mohamed Shofi Mustafa Chaudry Aminata Talawally Sam Morales Custodial Staff Gabriel Sanchez Parking Associates Audience Jack Meyer and Experience Lauren Louer, Evan Hatfield The Saints Director of Audience Volunteer Usher Experience Coordination Danielle Shindler Production Food & Beverage Director, Front Bar Tom Pearl General Manager Director of Production Denise Yvette Serna Brianna Parry Front of House Associate Production Manager Manager Donald Coulson Erin Cook Parking Manager Company Manager and Assistant to the Aaron Aptaker Audience Experience Artistic Director Coordinator Claire Haupt Production Office Kate Lerner Coordinator Bar Manager Mike Donohue Ashley Schilling Technical Director Café Manager Chad Hain Nick Burt Associate Technical Ana Cackley Director David Clauson Matthew Glenn Lydia Strini Jake Green Draftsperson Taylor Hobart Curtis Jackson
BOARD OF TRUSTEES Kyle Land Ryan Luwe Shannon Perry Russell Scott Scenic Carpenters Zoe Shiffrin Scenic Charge Artist Jenny DiLuciano Properties Director Emily Feder Jay Tollefsen Associate Properties Directors Charles Moser Master Properties Artisan Erin Ohland Properties Artisan Melissa Humbert First Hand Shannon Higgins Wardrobe, Hair and Make Up Supervisor Melissa Motz Assistant Wardrobe Supervisor Caryn Weglarz Klein Costume Director Mae Haskins Assistant Costume Designer Laurel Clayson Head Draper Lynae Vandermeulen Work Room Supervisor and Draper Daisy Lindas Assistant Costume Director J. R. Lederle Lighting Supervisor Ernesto Gomez Master Electrician Karen Thompson Light Board Operator Rick Haefele Stage Supervisor Vanessa Gomez Assistant Stage Supervisor Martha Wegener Audio Supervisor Gregor Mortis Associate Audio Supervisor Matthew Chapman 1700 Tech Coordinator
Malcolm Ewen Christine D. Freeburg Laura D. Glenn Production Stage Managers Kathleen Barrett Elise Hausken Mary Hungerford Amanda Landis Michelle Medvin Stage Managers
Professional Leadership Program Carlos Enrique Arellano Nakia Shalice Avila Becca Brown Jacqueline Corte Amy Couey Tina El Gamal Allison Granat Brittney Symone Grant Mark H. Anthony Harden Rachel Kennedy JuJu Laurie Mihika Miranda Caleb Naugle Reagan O’Malley May Treuhaft-Ali Eva Trunzo Abigail Vass Sarah Wallace
Agency of Record Grip
Production Counsel provided by Rick Pappas
Organizational Counsel provided by the attorneys at Schiff Hardin, LLP
Executive Committee Eric Lefkofsky, Chair Keating Crown, Vice Chair Deborah H. Quazzo, Secretary L. Heather Mitchell, Treasurer Henry S. Bienen Douglas R. Brown Elizabeth H. Connelly Nora Daley Rich Feitler Paul W. Goodrich Lynn Lockwood Murphy Bruce Sagan Matthew Shapiro Stephanie B. Smith John R. Walter Helen Zell Trustees Sarah Beardsley Michael W. Bender Jonathan Blanc Amy Bluhm Meredith Bluhm-Wolf Marlene Breslow-Blitstein Carole L. Brown Ebs Burnough Beth Boosalis Davis Amy Eshleman D. Cameron Findlay Matthew Gray Robert J. Greenebaum, Jr. Caryn Harris John Hart Jon Michael Hill Dennis D. Howarter Tina Landau Tracy Letts Mary Ludford Ronald J. Mallicoat, Jr. Holly Maloney
Tarell Alvin McCraney David E. Mendelsohn Verett Mims Christopher M. Murphy Pam Netzky Yasen Peyankov Anne M. Phillips Cari B. Sacks Robert Sanborn Manuel “Manny” Sanchez Anna D. Shapiro Colette Cachey Smithburg Elliot A. Stultz Bryan Traubert Emeritus Trustees J. Robert Barr Lawrence Block Michael Cahan John N. Fox, Jr. Lawrence M. Gill Donna La Pietra Kenneth J. Porrello Merle Reskin Randall K. Rowe Gloria Scoby Past Chairpersons William L. Atwell Larry D. Brady Douglas R. Brown Nora Daley Laurence Edwards John N. Fox, Jr. Elliott Lyon Gordon Murphy William H. Plummer Bruce Sagan Gloria Scoby Donna Vos
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WE GRATEFULLY ACKNOWLEDGE THOSE WHO PROVIDE SIGNIFICANT SUPPORT FOR STEPPENWOLF FOR YOUNG ADULTS DURING THE 2018/19 SEASON.
PHOTOGRAPHER MICHAEL LITCHFIELD
Grand Benefactors $100,000+
Sustainers $5,000 – $9,999
Allstate Insurance Company
Anonymous (2)
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The Boeing Company
Benefactors $50,000 – $99,999
ComEd
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Philip J. Corboy Foundation
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Steppenwolf Associates*
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Producers $25,000 – $49,999
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American Express
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Schiff Hardin LLP
JPMorgan Chase & Co. Zell Family Foundation
Patrons $10,000 – $24,999
Louis & Nellie Sieg Fund The Smithburg Family Foundation Robert and Susan Warrington
Robert and Isabelle Bass Foundation, Inc. The Bluhm Family Charitable Foundation Helen Brach Foundation Douglas R. Brown Carol and Douglas Cohen Mary and Paul Finnegan Joan Hall Lefkofsky Family Foundation Anne and Don Phillips‡ Cari and Michael J. Sacks‡ Dr. Scholl Foundation Siragusa Family Foundation Bryan Traubert and Penny Pritzker Nina B. Winston
‡ Multi Year Pledge * The Steppenwolf Associates is a community of more than 100 dynamic young professionals who work each season to raise funds for Steppenwolf for Young Adults.
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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: • Assistive listening devices in our Downstairs, Upstairs and 1700 theaters. • Audio-described performances, artistic conversations and touch tours of the stage for patrons who are blind or have low vision. • Sign language-interpreted and open-captioned performances for guests who are deaf or hard of hearing.
Induction hearing loops in the 1700 and Downstairs Theatre
If you use a hearing aid or cochlear implant that has a T-Coil, feel free to turn it on for the performance! The 1700 Theatre and both levels of the Downstairs Theatre are equipped with induction loops. Individual portable neck loops are available in our Upstairs Theatre—just ask any member of the house staff if you’d like to use one. Steppenwolf’s induction loop was made possible in part by a generous gift from John Hart and Carol Prins. 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
Steppenwolf Customer Service Tips Driving to the theater? 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 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 survey inserted in this program or join the conversation at facebook. com/steppenwolftheatre. 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.
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
Need to contact a patron during a performance? If you need to contact a patron during a performance in our Downstairs or Upstairs Theaters, please call our Concierge Desk at 312-932-2476. Hours: one hour prior to curtain until 15 minutes after curtain call.
Photo/Video Disclaimer: During your visit, you or members of your family may be filmed, videotaped, and/or photographed by a Steppenwolf employee, contract photographer or the media. Your attendance at Steppenwolf events serves as permission for the use of your image, or the image of your family members, by Steppenwolf.
Content Disclaimer: Steppenwolf does not offer advisories about subject matter, as sensitivities vary from person to person. If you have any questions about content, age-appropriateness or stage effects (such as strobe lights or theatrical fog) that might have a bearing on patron comfort, please contact the box office at 312-335-1650.
AD
A WARM, CREATIVE SPACE TO GRAB A DRINK, HAVE A BITE, OR MEET UP WITH FRIENDS AND COLLABORATORS, DAY OR NIGHT.
1700 N HALSTED ST | ALL DRINKS, NO DRAMA.
Join us THE SCENE
STEP IN
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.
STEP IN is a series that offers teens from all over the city the chance to participate in hands-on theatre workshops alongside some of the most exciting theatre artists working in the city right now while learning more about the Steppenwolf Young Adult Council, an afterschool program for teens interested in careers in the arts.
TICKETS ARE JUST $10
ADMISSION IS FREE!
Purchase tickets at the door 30 minutes before the show, or in advance by calling Steppenwolf Audience Services at 312-335-1650. Use code 43428
To reserve your spot, please RSVP to Education Associate Abhi Shrestha at ashrestha@steppenwolf.org
UPCOMING EVENTS
UPCOMING EVENTS
THE SCENE: THE CURIOUS INCIDENT OF THE DOG IN THE NIGHT-TIME SATURDAY, OCTOBER 20 @ 3PM (post-show) THE SCENE: WE ARE PROUD TO PRESENT A PRESENTATION... SATURDAY, MARCH 9 @ 7:30PM (post-show)
WEDNESDAY, WEDNESDAY, WEDNESDAY, WEDNESDAY, WEDNESDAY,
OCTOBER 31 DECEMBER 2 JANUARY 30 APRIL 10 MAY 1
All events last from 4:30-6:00pm
Questions? Please contact Steppenwolf’s Education Associate Abhi Shrestha at 312-654-5603 or ashrestha@steppenwolf.org.