AH, WILDERNESS! Cast, Creatives Set for Summer Run at the Goodman

This summer, experience the agony and ecstasy of first love all over again in Goodman Theatre's major revival of Ah, Wilderness! - the sole comedic work of playwright Eugene O'Neill, the father of American drama. Steve Scott, the Goodman's longtime Producer, directs O'Neill's portrait of family life at the turn of the century - and the bliss, excitement and adventure of first love.

The cast and creative team is now complete, featuring Niall Cunningham of the CBS television series Life In Pieces in his Goodman debut as Richard Miller, the poetry-drunk, Yale-bound teenager whose love for young Murial McComber (Ayssette Muñoz) drives him to a night of uncharacteristic rebellion. Among the 15-member cast (listed below) are Chicago favorites Randall Newsome and Ora Jones as his parents and Kate Fry as his Aunt Lily.

Ah, Wilderness! appears June 17 through July 23 (opening night is June 26) in the Albert Theatre. Tickets ($25-$75; subject to change) are now on sale and available at GoodmanTheatre.org/Objects, the box office (170 N. Dearborn) or by phone at 312.443.3800.

"So much of O'Neill's work is about people feeling like they're isolated and alone, even within a family, and the lovely thing about Ah, Wilderness! is that the members of the Miller family connect with each other. This was something that O'Neill himself seemed to lack; he saw himself as an outcast but yearned to be part of a real family, or part of real relationships, almost in a fantasy way," said Director Steve Scott. "I think we all long for a family we can really be a part of. Some of us were lucky enough to grow up in that family; some of us weren't. But as we reach adulthood, that's a kind of primal need: to find family who will nurture us. And that's what Ah, Wilderness! shows us."

Company of Ah, Wilderness!

Randall Newsome......Nat Miller, head of the Miller household and the owner of a local newspaper

Ora Jones.................Essie Miller, Nat's wife, head of the well-kept but lived-in Miller household

Travis Knight............19-year-old Arthur Miller, the eldest of the Miller children and a football linesman at Yale University

Niall Cunningham......17-year-old Richard Miller, who sees himself as a radical and a poet, and in throes of first love

Rochelle Therrien......15-year-old Mildred Miller, attractive and vivacious and a great tease to her older brothers

Matthew Abraham.....11-year-old Tommy, the youngest child in the Miller family, bursting with energy

Larry Bates...............Sid Davis, Essie's 45-year old brother, a gambler and an alcoholic, one time fiancé of Lily

Kate Fry. ...................Lily Miller, Nat's 42-year old sister, an unmarried and childless schoolteacher

Ricardo Gutierrez.......David McComber, Muriel's father and a local businessman who advertises in Nat's newspaper

Ayssette Muñoz.........Muriel McComber, almost 16 and in love with Richard

Will Allan..................Wint Selby, Arthur's classmate

Amanda Drinkall........Belle, a pretty young prostitute

Bri Sudia...................Norah, Essie Miller's Irish maid

Joe Dempsey.............Bartender

Bret Tuomi................Salesman

The design team includes Todd Rosenthal (Set), Amy Clark (Costumes), Aaron Spivey (Lights) and Richard Woodbury (Sound). American Airlines is the Major Corporate Sponsor, ComEd is the Official Lighting Sponsor and Katten Muchin Rosenman LLP is the Corporate Sponsor Partner.

Goodman Theatre is a not-for-profit organization distinguished by the quality and scope of its artistic programming and civic engagement. Founded in 1925, the Goodman is led by Robert Falls-"Chicago's most essential director" (Chicago Tribune), who marks 30 years as Artistic Director this season-and Executive Director Roche Schulfer, who is celebrated for his vision and leadership over nearly four decades. Dedicated to new plays, reimagined classics and large-scale musical theater works, Goodman Theatre artists and productions have earned hundreds of awards for artistic excellence, including: two Pulitzer Prizes, 22 Tony Awards, nearly 160 Jeff Awards and more. Over the past three decades, audiences have experienced more than 150 world or American premieres, 30 major musical productions, as well as nationally and internationally celebrated productions of classic works (including Falls' productions of Death of a Salesman, Long Day's Journey into Night, King Lear and The Iceman Cometh, many in collaboration with actor Brian Dennehy). In addition, the Goodman is the first theater in the world to produce all 10 plays in August Wilson's "American Century Cycle." For nearly four decades, the annual holiday tradition of A Christmas Carol has created a new generation of theatergoers.

The 2016 opening of the Alice Rapoport Center for Education and Engagement ("the Alice") launched the next phase in the Goodman's decades-long commitment as an arts and community organization dedicated to educating Chicago youth and promoting lifelong learning. Programs are offered year-round and free of charge. Eighty-five percent of the Goodman's youth program participants come from underserved communities.

Goodman Theatre was founded by William O. Goodman and his family in honor of their son Kenneth, an important figure in Chicago's cultural renaissance in the early 1900s. The Goodman family's legacy lives on through the continued work and dedication of Kenneth's family, including Albert Ivar Goodman, who with his late mother, Edith-Marie Appleton, contributed the necessary funds for the creation of the new Goodman center in 2000.

Today, Goodman Theatre leadership includes the distinguished members of the Artistic Collective: Brian Dennehy, Rebecca Gilman, Henry Godinez, Dael Orlandersmith, Steve Scott, Chuck Smith, ReGina Taylor, Henry Wishcamper and Mary Zimmerman. Joan E. Clifford is Chair of Goodman Theatre's Board of Trustees, Cynthia K. Scholl is Women's Board President and Justin A. Kulovsek is President of the Scenemakers Board for young professionals.

Visit the Goodman virtually at GoodmanTheatre.org-including OnStage+ for insider information-and on Twitter (@GoodmanTheatre), Facebook and Instagram.

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