Photo Flash: Steppenwolf's MIDDLETOWN

Steppenwolf Theatre Company concludes its 2010/11 season with Middletown by Will Eno, directed by Les Waters, playing June 16 - August 14, 2011 in Steppenwolf's Downstairs Theatre, 1650 N. Halsted St. The production features ensemble members Alana Arenas, Tim Hopper, Ora Jones, Martha Lavey and Tracy Letts with Brenda Barrie, Molly Glynn, Keith Kupferer, Danny McCarthy and Michael Patrick Thornton. 

Mary Swanson just moved to Middletown, eager to start a family and enjoy the neighborly bonds a small town promises. But when Mary befriends resident John Dodge, she is quick to discover that below Middletown's flinchingly honest exterior lies something much more complex. Middletown is a wry, human portrait of a town with two lives, one ordinary and visible, the other epic and mysterious.

Will Eno's frequently produced play THOM PAIN (based on nothing) was a finalist for the 2005 Pulitzer Prize for Drama. His other works include The Flu Season, TRAGEDY: a tragedy and OH, THE HUMANITY and other exclamations. Les Waters serves as Associate Artistic Director of Berkeley Repertory Theatre. He returns to Steppenwolf, having previously directed The Designated Mourner and The Memory of Water.

Steppenwolf's 2010/2011 season explores the theme of public/private self-five stories that examine how the public and private aspects of our lives unfold in an increasingly complex world.

The production team for Middletown includes: Antje Ellermann (scenic design), Janice Pytel (costume design), Matt Frey (lighting design) and Richard Woodbury (sound design). Additional credits include: Erica Daniels (casting), Laura D. Glenn (stage manager) and Michelle Medvin (assistant stage manager).

Steppenwolf is located near all forms of public transportation and is wheelchair accessible. Street and lot parking are available. Assistive listening devices and large print programs are available for every performance.

Steppenwolf Theatre Company, Chicago, IL (Martha Lavey, Artistic Director; David Hawkanson, Executive Director) is where great acting meets big ideas. Our passion is to tell stories about how we live now. Our mission is to engage audiences in an exchange of ideas that makes us think harder, laugh longer, feel more. The company was formed in 1976 by a collective of actors and is dedicated to an ethic of mutual respect and the development of artists through ongoing group work. Steppenwolf has grown into an internationally renowned ensemble of 43 artists who represent a remarkable generation of actors, directors and playwrights. For additional information, visit www.steppenwolf.org, www.facebook.com/SteppenwolfTheatre and www.twitter.com/SteppenwolfThtr.

Photo Flash: Michael Brosilow