Steppenwolf Will Premiere Tarell Alvin McCraney's HEAD OF PASSES in April

Performances of Steppenwolf Theatre Company's highly anticipated world-premiere production of Head of Passes by ensemble member Tarell Alvin McCraney begin April 4. Inspired by the Biblical Book of Job, ensemble member Tina Landau directs following her acclaimed collaboration with McCraney for the The Brother/Sister Plays (2010), with a cast featuring ensemble members Alana Arenas, Jon Michael Hill (May 21 - June 9) and Tim Hopper with James T. Alfred, Kyle Beltran (April 4 - May 19), Chris Boykin, Cheryl Lynn Bruce, Glenn Davis, Ron Cephas Jones and Jacqueline Williams. Head of Passes begins previews April 4, 2013 (Opening Night is April 14, 2013; Press Performances are April 13 at 3pm and April 16 at 7:30pm) and runs through June 9, 2013 in Steppenwolf's Downstairs Theatre (1650 N Halsted St). Tickets ($20 - $78) are on sale now.

In anticipation of her birthday, Shelah's family and friends gather at her home in the Head of Passes--the mysterious shifting marshlands at the mouth of the great Mississippi River. As the guests appear, so do ghosts from the past, and Shelah's convictions about her life begin to dissolve, along with her home in the Louisiana rain. Ensemble members Tarell Alvin McCraney and Tina Landau team up again for this wise, warm world-premiere drama about faith, family and finding your place in the world.

"Head of Passes is intriguing in both its content and form-or rather, in the way that the form moves us into the heart of the play's intensifying interrogation of faith," comments Artistic Director Martha Lavey. "The divine intervention in our lives may come to us in surprising garb and speak to us the language of humility. The membrane between this world and the unseen world may be porous. We must endure our doubt, we must endure not knowing. Somewhere in that, is our faith."

The cast of Head of Passes features ensemble members Alana Arenas as Cookie, Jon Michael Hill as Crier (May 21 - June 9), and Tim Hopper as Dr. Anderson with James T. Alfred as Spencer, Kyle Beltran as Crier (April 4 - May 19), Chris Boykin as Angel/Construction Worker, Cheryl Lynn Bruce as Shelah, Glenn Davis as Aubrey, Ron Cephas Jones as Creaker, and Jacqueline Williams as Mae.

The production team for Head of Passes includes: David Gallo (scenic design), Collette Pollard (associate scenic design), Toni Leslie James (costume design), Scott Zielinski (lighting design) and Rob Milburn and Michael Bodeen (sound design and original music). Additional credits include: Erica Daniels (casting), Jacob Padrón (dramaturg), Laura D. Glenn (stage manager) and Cassie Wolgamott (assistant stage manager).

Tickets to Head of Passes ($20 - $78) are currently on sale through Audience Services (1650 N Halsted St), 312-335-1650 and steppenwolf.org. 20 for $20: twenty $20 tickets are available through Audience Services beginning at 11am on the day of each performance (1pm for Sunday performances). Rush Tickets: half-price rush tickets are available one hour before each show. Student Discounts: a limited number of $15 student tickets are available online using promo code "PASSES15". Limit 2 tickets per student; must present a valid student ID for each ticket. For additional student discounts, visit steppenwolf.org/students. Group Tickets: all groups of 10 or more receive a discounted rate for any performance throughout the season. For additional information, visit steppenwolf.org/groups.

Head of Passes is the recipient of a Joyce Award. Support provided by the National Endowment for the Arts. Allstate Insurance Company is Corporate Production Sponsor for Head of Passes.

Free post-show discussions are offered after every performance in the Subscription Season. Steppenwolf is located near all forms of public transportation and is wheelchair accessible. Street and lot parking are available. Assistive listening devices and large-print programs are available for every performance.