Photos: First Look at Steppenwolf’s TIME STANDS STILL!

Steppenwolf Theatre Company continues its 2011/12 season with Time Stands Still by Donald Margulies, directed by ensemble member Austin Pendleton, playing January 19 - May 13, 2012 in Steppenwolf's Upstairs Theatre, 1650 N. Halsted St. Time Stands Still features ensemble members Francis Guinan and Sally Murphy with Randall Newsome and Kristina Valada-Viars. The press performances are Saturday, January 28, 2012 at 3 pm and Tuesday, January 31 at 7:30 pm.

For photojournalist Sarah Goodwin, happiness is rushing from hotspot to hotspot capturing images of global conflict. When she barely survives a bomb blast in Iraq, she's forced to return home into the care of her long-time lover, James. She's caught off-guard by James's desire for family and by the simple domestic life pursued by Richard, her editor, and his much younger girlfriend, Mandy. Pressed to consider settling into a "normal" life, Sarah must confront her addiction to the drama and chaos of war. From Pulitzer Prize winner Donald Margulies, Time Stands Still is a witty, intelligent look at what happens when ordinary life is refracted through the lens of war.

Donald Margulies received the 2000 Pulitzer Prize for Drama for his play Dinner with Friends and was a Pulitzer finalist for Sight Unseen and Collected Stories. Austin Pendleton began his artistic relationship with Steppenwolf directing 1979's Say Goodnight, Gracie. His award-winning plays include Booth, Uncle Bob and Orson's Shadow, which premiered in the Steppenwolf Garage. Recent Steppenwolf directing credits include Detroit, The Crucible, The Sunset Limited, Love Song and Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune.

Steppenwolf's 2011/12 season, Dispatches from the Homefront, explores how everyday lives are touched by war. In each of the five plays, war exerts a pressure-sometimes centrally, sometimes obliquely-on the lives of the characters-and moves them to action. The plays are alive with the humor, the tenderness and the urgency of lives struggling to find home.

The production team for Time Stands Still includes: Walt Spangler (scenic design), Rachel Anne Healy (costume design), Keith Parham (lighting design) and Josh Schmidt (sound design and original music). Additional credits include: Erica Daniels (casting), Kimberly Osgood (stage manager, through January 22), Michelle Medvin (stage manager, January 24 - May 13) and Kathleen Petroziello (assistant stage manager).

Photo Credit: Michael Brosilow