Mike Nussbaum, Catherine Combs & More to Lead SMOKEFALL at Goodman Theatre; Full Cast Announced

Acclaimed playwright and screenwriter Noah Haidle returns to Chicago with his newest work, Smokefall, which examines life's big questions through the prism of an ordinary family. Hailed by The New Yorker as "formidably talented, with a sort of freewheeling intuitive daring," the Michigan native playwright most recently wrote the 2012 film Stand Up Guys (starring Alan Arkin, Christopher Walken and Al Pacino) and previously authored Mr. Marmalade, Vigils (at the Goodman in 2006) and Persephone for the stage. Director Anne Kauffman, in her Goodman debut, assembles an ensemble cast for the Goodman production, including legendary Chicago actor Mike Nussbaum (Henry VIII at Chicago Shakespeare Theatre) as the Colonel; Catherine Combs (The Delling Shore at Actors Theatre of Louisville Humana Festival) in the roles of Beauty and Blessing; Katherine Keberlein (Boeing, Boeing at Drury Lane Oakbrook) as Violet; Guy Massey (Failure: A Love Story at Victory Gardens Theater) as Footnote and Fetus Two; and Eric Slater (Gloryana at New York City's Public Theater) as Daniel and Fetus One. A world-premiere co-production with South Coast Repertory, Smokefall runs October 5 - November 3 in the Owen Theatre (opening night is Monday, October 14). Tickets ($10-$40; subject to change) are on sale now at GoodmanTheatre.org/Smokefall, by phone at 312.443.3800 or at the box office (170 North Dearborn). Bank of America is the 2013/2014 Owen Season Sponsor.

"The Goodman has collaborated on Smokefall since 2011, so to be able to open the Owen season with this highly theatrical, unique production is a great joy," said Artistic Director Robert Falls. "Noah has a singular, theatrical voice, and his plays shine in a highly original, imaginative world. Smokefall is thought-provoking and entertaining at the same time, and I am thrilled to welcome him back to our home."

"Every life is just a little bit of noise between two silences." Inspired in equal parts by Thornton Wilder's simple evocative humanity, Samuel Beckett's bleak poetry and Haidle's own wild theatrical imagination, Smokefall is an expansive treatise on the fragility of life and the power of love, looking at both the minutia of daily life and the broader implications of chances made. Change is in the air as Violet prepares to bring twin boys into the world. Inside her womb, her unborn sons contemplate their future, while outside her body her world is in transformation: her husband is secretly planning to leave her, her father is slipping into senility and her daughter has taken a vow of silence. The first act takes place on an autumn morning when Violet is pregnant with the twins-Fetus One and Fetus Two-and anxiously awaiting their arrival. The second comedic act sees the twins, who somehow manage to be extremely well read and philosophical in utero, debate the pros and cons of being born. The third act takes place many years later, as one of the twins, now an old man, reflects on his life and family when a series of unexpected visitors arrive. The design team includes Kevin Depinet (set), Lindsay Jones (sound), Ana Kuzmanic (costumes) and David Weiner (lighting). Kim Osgood is the production stage manager.

"Noah is a writer who responds in the moment; his work grows, absorbs and changes depending on the actors in the room, the city outside, the events that transpire in a day. Smokefall, at its core, debates the pros and cons of existence and we have found that changes in our own lives have affected how the piece continues to evolve," said director Anne Kauffman. "It's a thrill to be at the Goodman, where the leadership and community intuitively understand Noah's writing and our ambition for this work. I'm eager to get in the room with this cast to create the next iteration of this epic story."

Tickets to Smokefall ($10 - $40; subject to change) are on sale now at GoodmanTheatre.org. Tickets and subscriptions, including the Goodman WILD CARD, can also be purchased at the box office (170 North Dearborn) or by phone at 312.443.3800. Mezztix are half-price mezzanine tickets available at 12 noon at the box office, and at 10am online (promo code MEZZTIX) day of performance; Mezztix are not available by telephone. 10Tix are $10 rear mezzanine tickets for students available at 12 noon at the box office, and at 10am online on the day of performance for Albert Theatre productions and in advance for all Owen Theatre productions; 10Tix are not available by telephone; a

valid student I.D. must be presented when picking up the tickets; limit four per student with I.D. All tickets are subject to availability and handling fees apply. Discounted Group Tickets for 15 persons or more are available at 312.443.3820. Purchase Goodman Gift Certificates in any amount at GoodmanTheatre.org. The flexibility of Goodman Gift Certificates allow recipients to choose the production, date and time of their performance. Artists, dates and ticket prices are subject to change.