Photo Flash: First Look at Antoinette Nwandu's PASS OVER at Steppenwolf

Steppenwolf Theatre Company presents the world premiere production of Pass Over by Antoinette Nwandu, directed by Danya Taymor. A provocative riff on Waiting for Godot, the complete cast features ensemble member Jon Michael Hill (Moses), Julian Parker (Kitch) and Ryan Hallahan (Mister/Ossifer). Pass Over began previews June 1, opens June 11 and runs through July 9, 2017 in the Upstairs Theatre, 1650 N Halsted St. BroadwayWorld has a first look at the cast in action below!

Moses and Kitch stand around on the corner-talking shit, passing the time and hoping that maybe today will be different. As they dream of their promised land, a stranger wanders into their space with his own agenda and derails their plans. Emotional and lyrical, Pass Over crafts everyday profanities into poetic and humorous riffs, exposing the unquestionable human spirit of young men stuck in a cycle just looking for a way out.

Inspired in part by the young black men Antoinette Nwandu encountered as a community college teacher, the play crafts profane language into poetic riffs, revealing to the audience the unquestionable human spirit of these young men.

"At its core, this play asks us collectively to consider the value of black lives, specifically the lives of young black men who are not extraordinary, who are not entertainers, they're not athletes, they're not secret math geniuses. They're young men who might never get better, who might never be different. This play challenges us to envision a society that does not ask these young men to prove their worth," shares playwright Antoinette Nwandu.

Press performances are Saturday, June 10 at 3pm and Tuesday, June 13 at 7:30pm. Tickets ($20-$89) are available through Audience Services at 312-335-1650 or steppenwolf.org.

Photo Credit: Michael Brosilow