HEAT WAVE, ANGRY F*GS and 'MOTHER EARTH' Set for Steppenwolf's GARAGE REP 2015, Beginning Tonight

Steppenwolf Theatre Company begins performances for Garage Rep 2015 today, February 20, 2015, which features Cold Basement Dramatics' production of Heat Wave, Pride Films and Plays' production of Angry Fags and Red Tape Theatre's production of The Walk Across America for Mother Earth. These innovative storefront companies will perform in rotating repertory under Steppenwolf's banner for ten weeks.

Performances run February 20, 2015 - April 26, 2015 in the Garage Theatre (1624 N Halsted St). Press performances will take place on Saturday, March 7 at 1pm (Heat Wave); 4:30pm (The Walk Across America for Mother Earth) and 8pm (Angry Fags); a full performance schedule follows. Single tickets ($20) are now available through Audience Services (1650 N Halsted St), at 312-335-1650 and steppenwolf.org.

"The spirit of ensemble is alive and well here in the Garage. These three Chicago storefront companies bring unique voices, diverse perspectives and artistically inventive and challenging pieces. They shake things up. They inspire us. They energize us. We invite them into this space to play and grow, for we know we will grow with them," shares Steppenwolf Producing Associate Greta Honold.

The Steppenwolf Garage is dedicated to new plays, new artists and new audiences for the American theater. It offers artists the opportunity to present their work with the scale, space and resources it merits. Since the inaugural repertory in 2010, Garage Rep has brought the work of 15 storefront theater companies in Chicago to the Steppenwolf stage.

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Steppenwolf Theatre Company's Garage Rep 2015 Lineup:

(All plays, artists and dates are subject to change)

Cold Basement Dramatics presents

Heat Wave

By Steven Simoncic

Directed by Rinska Carrasco-Prestinary

Featuring Mykele Callicut, Mike Cherry, Claudia DiBiccari, Emily Grayson, LaQuin Groves, Arch Harmon, Zach Livingston, James McGuire, Carmen Molina, Abby Pierce, Paula Ramirez, Deanna Reed, Gary Simmers, Eric Staves, Preston Tate Jr. and Richard Traub

Chicago, 1995: An intense heat wave has gripped the city with temperatures soaring above 100 degrees. 739 people die, mostly people who are poor, elderly or minorities with nowhere to seek shelter. As the morgues overflow, the city's emergency response team is called into question. The Mayor's Office combats the criticism with a PR campaign that successfully turns the blame onto the victims and their families. As Chicago approaches the 20th anniversary of that summer, Heat Wave tells the story of the people who were made invisible, the hardworking citizens who fought to uncover the truth, and the resilient Chicago community that suffered, yet carried on.

John Pagano is the Artistic Director of Cold Basement Dramatics. coldbasement.org

Pride Films and Plays presents

Angry Fags

By Topher Payne

Directed by Derek Van Barham

Featuring Dennis Frymire, Jude Hansen, Lisa Herceg, Joan McGrath, James Nedrud, Kelli Walker and Kevin Webb

Cooper and Bennett feel helpless and frightened when one of their friends is the victim of an assault outside a local bar. Then, they feel something new: pure, unfiltered rage. Their rage erupts into action amidst an intense political campaign as the best friends tread down a dark and hilarious path to rectify the wrong. Angry Fags is an Oscar Wilde-meets-Tarantino fever dream about how good ideas go bad, with fascinating forays into American politics, bomb building, and pistachios. "It doesn't get better. We have to MAKE it better."

David Zak is the Executive Director and Jude Hansen is the Producer for Angry Fags. pridefilmsandplays.com

Red Tape Theatre presents

The Walk Across America for Mother Earth

By Taylor Mac, with music by Ellen Maddow

Directed by Bonnie Metzgar with Artistic Consultant Eric Hoff

Featuring Breon Arzell, Nikos Brisco, Nick Combs, Sean Ewert, Alex Grelle, Luke Michael Grimes, WITCH HAZEL (Deven Casey, Imp Kid and Ariel Zetina) Ruth Margraff, Morgan McNaught, Sadie Rogers, Angelica Roque and Johnard Washington

Political activism meets bedazzled drag show in this story about two young friends who flee their suburban upbringing in "Real America" to join a ragtag group of activists on a protest march from D.C. to Nevada. On the road, the group attempts to establish a nomadic utopia, but the marchers continually find themselves divided by unrequited affections, indecision, and a secret hunger for power. Whimsically blending commedia dell'arte influences with song and dance, The Walk Across America for Mother Earth explores how the idea of community sometimes fails to unite us, and sometimes brings us together in the most unexpected ways.

Meghan Reardon is the Associate Artistic Director, Josh Johnson is the Managing Director and JD Cannady is the Producing Director for Red Tape Theatre. redtapetheatre.org

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Single tickets ($20) and Festival Passes ($45) are available through Audience Services (1650 N Halsted St), 312-335-1650 and steppenwolf.org. 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. Limit 2 tickets per student; must present a valid student ID for each ticket, 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.

The Steppenwolf RED card is designed for patrons in their 20s looking for an affordable way to see theater on their own terms. For only $100, the RED card provides six tickets for any play at any time. Featuring additional perks such as in-theater drink discounts, social events, 2-for-1 ticket offers and more, RED cards are available at 312-335-1650. For more information, visit www.steppenwolf.org/red.

The Steppenwolf Garage is dedicated to new plays, new artists and new audiences for the American theater. It offers artists the opportunity to present their work with the scale, space and resources it merits. For audiences, it provides opportunities to engage in multigenerational conversation about the new, provocative work emerging from Chicago's diverse and vibrant theatre scene. Steppenwolf invites applications from companies around the city and provides the chosen companies with mentorship in areas of artistic producing, dramaturgy, marketing and press, production management, strategic and financial planning and fundraising.

Since the inaugural repertory in 2010, Garage Rep has brought the work of 15 storefront theater companies in Chicago to the Steppenwolf stage, including: The Twins Would Like To Say by Dog & Pony Theatre Company, punkplay by Pavement Group and Adore by XIII Pocket in 2010; Heddatron by Sideshow Theatre Company, The Three Faces of Doctor Crippen by The Strange Tree Group and Sonnets for an Old Century by UrbanTheater Company in 2011; Hit the Wall by The Inconvenience, Oohrah! by LiveWire Chicago and He Who by Theatre Zarko in 2012; See What I Wanna See by Bailiwick Chicago, She Kills Monsters by Buzz22 Chicago and BlackTop Sky by Theatre Seven of Chicago in 2013; and reWILDing Genius by The New Colony, Saturday Night/Sunday Morning by Prologue Theatre Company and The Wild by Walkabout Theater Company in 2014. Garage Rep 2015 marks the sixth annual series, adding Cold Basement Dramatics, Pride Films and Plays and Red Tape Theatre to the distinguished list of Garage Rep participants.

Currently playing is Steppenwolf's world premiere production of Airline Highway by Lisa D'Amour and directed by Joe Mantello, now through February 14, 2015 in the Downstairs Theatre. Upcoming productions include: Marie Antoinette by David Adjmi, directed by Robert O'Hara (February 5 - May 10, 2015) in the Upstairs Theatre; Steppenwolf for Young Adults' production of This Is Modern Art (based on true events) (February 25 - March 14, 2015) by Idris Goodwin and Kevin Coval and directed by Lisa Portes in the Downstairs Theatre; The Herd by Rory Kinnear and directed by ensemble member Frank Galati (April 2 - June 7, 2015) in the Downstairs Theatre; and Grand Concourse by Heidi Schreck, directed by ensemble member Yasen Peyankov (July 2 - August 30, 2015) in the Downstairs Theatre.

Steppenwolf Theatre Company is America's longest standing, most distinguished ensemble theater, producing nearly 700 performances and events annually in its three Chicago theater spaces-the 515-seat Downstairs Theatre, the 299-seat Upstairs Theatre and the 80-seat Garage Theatre. Formed in 1976 by a collective of actors, Steppenwolf has grown into an ensemble of 44 actors, writers and directors. Artistic programming at Steppenwolf includes a five-play Subscription Season, a two-play Steppenwolf for Young Adults season and two repertory series: First Look Repertory of New Work, and Garage Rep. While firmly grounded in the Chicago community, nearly 40 original Steppenwolf productions have enjoyed success both nationally and internationally, including Off-Broadway, Broadway, London, Sydney, Galway and Dublin. Steppenwolf has the distinction of being the only theater to receive the National Medal of Arts, in addition to numerous other prestigious honors including an Illinois Arts Legend Award and 12 Tony Awards. Martha Lavey is the Artistic Director and David Schmitz is the Managing Director. Nora Daley is Chair of Steppenwolf's Board of Trustees. For additional information, visit steppenwolf.org, facebook.com/steppenwolftheatre and twitter.com/steppenwolfthtr.