Photos: DUBLIN CAROL at Steppenwolf

Due to popular demand, Steppenwolf Theatre Company is adding five additional performances to its special engagement of Dublin Carol by Conor McPherson, directed by ensemble member Amy Morton.  A new block of tickets for performances December 26 – December 28 goes on sale Thursday, October 23 at 11 a.m.

Dublin Carol, featuring Stephen Louis Grush, William Petersen and Nicole Wiesner, runs November 6 through December 28, 2008 in Steppenwolf's Upstairs Theatre, 1650 N. Halsted St.  

John, a man whose life was nearly destroyed by drinking, now holds down a steady job at a Dublin undertaker's office.  When his estranged daughter appears on Christmas Eve with disturbing news, it sets off a series of painful confessions that ultimately offer John a chance to escape the burden of his past.

Dublin Carol is the first of two plays by Conor McPherson premiering in Chicago at Steppenwolf this season. McPherson's The Seafarer makes its Chicago debut December 4, 2008 – February 8, 2009 in Steppenwolf's Downstairs Theatre, following its critically-acclaimed Broadway run.

Ensemble member Amy Morton received a 2008 Tony nomination for her role in Steppenwolf's August: Osage County on Broadway, after transferring from a sold-out Chicago run in 2007.  She most recently directed Dublin Carol at Trinity Repertory Theatre in Rhode Island, as well as Conor McPherson's The Weir at Steppenwolf.  Additional Steppenwolf directing credits include The Pillowman, Love-Lies-Bleeding, which traveled to the Kennedy Center's Terrace Theater, and Glengarry Glen Ross, which traveled to Dublin and Toronto.

Born in Dublin, playwright Conor McPherson's plays include include The Seafarer (premiered on Broadway in 2007), Poor Beast in the Rain, Port Authority, Dublin Carol (premiered on Broadway in 2002), The Weir (premiered on Broadway in 1999), St Nicholas and This Lime Tree Bower. Mr. McPherson won London's prestigious Olivier Award for The Weir and received a Tony nomination for Shining City.   

Dublin Carol is directed by ensemble member Amy Morton.  The design team includes:  Kevin Depinet (sets), Ana Kuzmanic (costumes), Robert Christen (lights) and Rob Milburn and Michael Bodeen.