Photo Flash: First Look at CONSTELLATIONS at Steppenwolf

Rehearsals are underway for Steppenwolf Theatre Company's Chicago premiere production of Constellations, the 80-minute, award-winning hit by British playwright Nick Payne. Directed here by prolific Chicago director and Steppenwolf artistic producer Jonathan Berry, Constellations premiered at the Royal Court in London to rave reviews before transferring to the West End and Broadway. The romantic two-hander stars ensemble member Jon Michael Hill as Roland (CBS-TV's Elementary, Steppenwolf's Superior Donuts) and Jessie Fisher as Marianne (Once on Broadway, Chicago Shakespeare Theater's Othello). Constellations begins previews May 26, 2016 (Press/Opening night is Wednesday, June 1 at 7:30pm) and runs through July 3, 2016 in the Upstairs Theatre, 1650 N Halsted St. Tickets ($20 - $89; $35 tickets offered every Tuesday with code 'TUESDAYS') are available through Audience Services at 312-335-1650 and steppenwolf.org. Check out a first look below!

Audiences can see a different side of Jon and Jessie when they show off their musical talents for two nights only as part of the LookOut performance series in the 1700 Theatre. Hill performs with his Detroit-based band, Jon Michael Hill and The Wolves, bringing a smooth sounding mix of blues, country blues, hard rock and hip hop. Opening for his band is The Hellish Family Band, a roots, Americana duo led by local actors and real-life couple Jessie Fisher and Erik Hellman. LookOut performances take place Monday, June 13 at 8pm (doors open at 7:30pm) and Tuesday, June 14 at 9:30pm (doors open at 9pm), immediately following the performance of Constellations. Tickets ($12) are now on sale through Audience Services,312-335-1650 and steppenwolf.org. Steppenwolf Black and Red Card members may use credits to book. Guests can stop by before or after the show to grab a drink or light fare in Steppenwolf's new Front Bar: Coffee and Drinks (www.front-bar.com). LookOut is Steppenwolf's new multi-genre performance series; for the complete LookOut lineup, visit steppenwolf.org/lookout.

Roland (a bee keeper) and Marianne (a theoretical physicist) meet at a party. In that single moment, an unfathomable multitude of possibilities unfold. Their chance meeting might blossom into a meaningful relationship or a brief affair: it might lead to nothing at all. Each step along those possible paths in turn offers a new series of potential outcomes: a marriage can exist alongside a breakup and a tragic illness can exist on a parallel plane to a happily ever after. In this clever, eloquent and moving story, Roland and Marianne's romance plays out over a myriad of possible lifetimes, capturing the extraordinary richness of being alive in the universe.

Photos by Michael Brosilow