Casting Announced for First Two Steppenwolf Shows of 2017: STRAIGHT WHITE MEN and LINDA VISTA

Steppenwolf Theatre Company announces final casting for Straight White Menby Young Jean Lee (February 2 - March 19, 2017) and the world premiere of Linda Vista (March 30 - May 21, 2017) by ensemble member Tracy Letts; the first two shows of 2017.

Straight White Men

Experimental playwright Young Jean Lee directs the Chicago premiere of her acclaimed play, Straight White Men in the Upstairs Theatre (February 2 - March 19, 2017). As previously announced, the cast features ensemble memberAlan Wilder as the father, Ed, with Madison Dirks as Jake and Ryan Hallahan as Drew. Elliott Jenetopulos will play Stagehand-in-charge through March 4, and Syd Germaine will take over the role from March 5 - 19. Brian Slaten, who previously performed the role of Matt in the Center Theatre Group production, also directed by Young Jean Lee, joins the Chicago cast in the same role. Previously announced in the role of Matt was ensemble member Tim Hopper who withdrew due to an artistic scheduling conflict.

As Ed, a widower, prepares to celebrate Christmas, he calls his three grown sons back to the family home. Games are played, Chinese food is ordered, and brotherly pranks and trash talk distract them from the ongoing issue that threatens to ruin the festivities: when personal identity is essential and privilege is a problem, what is a straight white man to do? Young Jean Lee takes an outside look at the traditional father/son play narrative, shedding new and often hilarious light on a story we think we know all too well.

Straight White Men begins previews February 2, 2017 and the production runs through March 19, 2017 in the Upstairs Theatre, 1650 N. Halsted. Press Performances are Saturday, February 11 at 3pm and Tuesday, February 14 at 7:30pm; Opening night is Sunday, February 12. Tickets ($20 - $89) are available through Audience Services at 312-335-1650 orsteppenwolf.org.

Young Jean Lee is an internationally acclaimed Korean-American playwright, director and filmmaker. Hailed by The New York Times as "the most adventurous downtown playwright of her generation," Lee is the recipient of a Guggenheim Fellowship, two OBIE Awards, a Prize in Literature from the American Academy of Arts and Letters, a PEN Literary Award, a Doris Duke Performing Artist Award and a Doris Duke Artist Residency. She has written and directed ten shows in New York with Young Jean Lee's Theater Company, and toured her work to more than 30 cities around the world.

Linda Vista

In March, Steppenwolf presents the world premiere of Linda Vista by ensemble member Tracy Letts and directed by Dexter Bullard from March 30 - May 21, 2017 in the Downstairs Theatre. The cast features

ensemble members Ian Barford (Wheeler), Tim Hopper (Paul), Sally Murphy (Margaret) and Caroline Neff (Anita) with Kahyun Kim (Minnie), Cora Vander Broek (Jules) and Troy West (Michael).

Wheeler is 50. His marriage is over, his job is mundane, and the best years of his life appear to be behind him. A move from the cot in his ex-wife's garage to his own apartment opens up new possibilities for love and sex-complicated, painful and hilarious. Full of opinions, yet short on self-examination, Wheeler is a modern misanthrope who must reconcile the man he has become with the man he wants to be.

Linda Vista begins previews March 30, 2017 and the production runs through May 21, 2017 in the Downstairs Theatre, 1650 N. Halsted. Press Performances are Saturday, April 8 at 3pm and Tuesday, April 11 at 7:30pm; Opening night is Sunday, April 9. Tickets go on sale January 27, 2017 at 11am at 312-335-1650 or steppenwolf.org.

Ensemble member Tracy Letts is a Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award-winning playwright, actor and member of the Steppenwolf ensemble. His works include Mary Page Marlowe, August: Osage County, Superior Donuts, Man from Nebraska, Killer Joe and Bug, among others. He is also known for his portrayal of Andrew Lockhart in Showtime'sHomeland and can be seen in The Big Short and HBO's Divorce.

Ticket & Membership Information

Single tickets range from $20 - $89. Prices subject to change. 20 for $20: Twenty $20 tickets are available for subscription shows on the day of the performance at 11am (Mon - Sat) and 1pm (Sun), by phone only at 312-335-1650. Limit 2 per person. Rush Tickets: Half-price rush tickets are available one hour before each show. Student Discounts: Limited $15 student tickets are available online, steppenwolf.org/students. (Limit 2 tickets; must present a valid student ID for each ticket). Groups: All groups of 10 or more receive a discounted rate for any performance.

Black Card Memberships are for audiences interested in extreme flexibility. Cards include six tickets for use any time, for any production including the LookOut Series. The tickets are valid for one year with the option to add additional tickets as needed. Perks include easy and free exchanges, access to seats before the general public, savings on single ticket prices and bar and restaurant discounts for pre- and post-show socializing. More info atsteppenwolf.org/memberships

This holiday season, purchase the Steppenwolf Black Card, an all-access pass with six tickets to any show, and also receive a $25 restaurant gift card. Holiday packaging included.

Visitor Information & Accessibility

Steppenwolf is located at 1650 N Halsted St near all forms of public transportation and is wheelchair accessible. The parking facility consists of both a covered garage ($11 cash or card) and an open-air lot, located just south of our theater at 1624 N Halsted. Valet parking service ($14 cash) is available directly in front of the main entrance at 1650 N Halsted St starting at 5pmon weeknights, 1pm on weekends and at 12 noon before Wednesday matinees. Street and lot parking are also available. For last minute questions and concerns, patrons can call the Steppenwolf Parking Hotline at (312) 335-1774.

Committed to making the Steppenwolf experience accessible to everyone, performances featuring American Sign Language interpretation, open captioning and audio description are offered during the run of each play. Assistive listening devices and large-print programs are available for every performance. With the expertise of Assistive Hearing Systems Ltd., Steppenwolf installed an induction loop on both the main and balcony levels of our Downstairs Theatre in 2015. There is also an induction loop installed in the 1700 Theatre.

Sponsor Information

PwC is the Corporate Production sponsor of Straight White Men.

ComEd and Ameriprise Financial are the Corporate Production Sponsors of Linda Vista. Major Support for Linda Vista is provided by The Elizabeth F. Cheney Foundation.

Major support for Steppenwolf's New Play Development Initiative is provided by The Davee Foundation and the Zell Family Foundation.

United Airlines is the Official and Exclusive Airline of Steppenwolf.

Steppenwolf's 2016/17 Season opened with the world premiere of Visiting Edna by David Rabe, directed by Artistic Director Anna D. Shapiro, which closed November 6. Currently playing is The Fundamentals (November 10 - December 23, 2016), followed by the Chicago premiere of The Christians by Lucas Hnath, directed by ensemble member K. Todd Freeman (December 1, 2016 - January 29, 2017); the Chicago premiere of Straight White Men, written and directed by Young Jean Lee (February 2 - March 19, 2017); the world premiere of Linda Vista by ensemble member Tracy Letts, directed by Dexter Bullard (March 30 - May 21, 2017); and the Chicago premiere of Hir by Taylor Mac, directed by Hallie Gordon (June 29 - August 20, 2017); and an additional summer show, Pass Over by Antoinette Nwandu (June 1 - July 9, 2017).

Steppenwolf Theatre Company is the nation's premier ensemble theater-redefining the landscape of acting and performance. Formed by a collective of actors in 1976, the ensemble has grown to 46 members who represent a remarkable cross-section of actors, directors and playwrights. Thrilling and powerful productions from Balm in Gilead toAugust: 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 two-play Steppenwolf for Young Adults season; Visiting Company engagements; and LookOut, a multi-genre performances series. Education initiatives include the nationally recognized work of Steppenwolf for Young Adults, which engages 14,000 participants annually from Chicago's diverse communities; the esteemed School at Steppenwolf; and Professional Leadership Programs for arts administration training. Steppenwolf's own Front Bar: Coffee and Drinks serves coffee, cocktails and a menu curated in partnership with the Boka Restaurant Group day and night. 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. Anna D. Shapiro is the Artistic Director and David Schmitz is the Executive Director. Eric Lefkofsky is Chair of Steppenwolf's Board of Trustees. For additional information, visit steppenwolf.org, facebook.com/steppenwolftheatre,twitter.com/steppenwolfthtr and instagram.com/steppenwolfthtr.

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