Keith Kupferer, Tosin Morohunfola & More to Star in Windy City Playhouse's END DAYS

Windy City Playhouse, Chicago's newest Equity theater, announces the cast for its inaugural production. The 2015 season opens in March with Deborah Zoe Laufer's bittersweet comedy End Days, the story of a New York City family who has fled to the suburbs in the wake of 9/11. This comic romp through suburban Armageddon is directed by Henry Godinez, co-founder and former artistic director of Teatro Vista and resident artistic associate of the Goodman Theatre. Godinez directs a stellar cast featuring Tina Gluschenko, The Qualms' Keith Kupferer, Tosin Morohunfola of Pullman Porter Blues, Sari Sanchez and, fresh off his award-winning one-man show Methtacular, Steven Strafford in the dual roles of Jesus and Stephen Hawking. End Days runs March 18-April 26 at Windy City Playhouse, 3014 W. Irving Park. Press opening is Sunday, March 22 at 7pm.

A 2008 finalist for The Harold and Mimi Steinberg/ATCA New Play Award, End Days is the story of the Steins - a typical American family working their way through tragedy, each in his or her own way. In the aftermath of 9/11, it's no wonder that Sylvia Stein (Gluschenko) thinks the end of the world is coming. It's also no wonder that teenaged Rachel (Sari Sanchez) thinks her newly Evangelical mother is a fool, and looks to fantasy physicist Stephen Hawking (Strafford) for solace. Father and husband Arthur (Kupferer) has taken an entirely different approach: never changing out of his pajamas. An Elvis-impersonating next door neighbor (Morohunfola) may just be able to bring the Steins - and their disparate views on the world - together.

End Days' design team includes Brian Bembridge (set), Heather Gilbert (lights), Jeremy Floyd (costumes), Kevin O'Donnell (sound) and Cassy Schillo (properties).

The brand new Windy City Playhouse is designed by renowned theater architect John Morris, celebrated for his designs of Steppenwolf, Black Ensemble Theater, Lookingglass, Raven Theatre, the Beverly Arts Center theater and Old Town School of Folk Music's performance space. Morris' unique design includes a massive wall-to-wall lighting grid that allows for infinite setups inside the flexible Windy City Playhouse theater space. And for the comfort of audiences, the interior designer has incorporated the option of preferred movie theater style seating or swivel armchair seating. Amy Rubenstein is the theater's Artistic Director and Evelyn Jacoby is Managing Director.

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