Steppenwolf Education Announces Latest Young Adult Council Cohort And Upcoming Events

Steppenwolf Education welcomes the Young Adult Council Class of 2018-19. Now in its twelfth year, the Young Adult Council was started out of a need for a professional training program for young people in all aspects of theater, beyond just acting on stage. Each year, a Council made up of 30 high school students from across the Chicagoland area come together weekly to learn how a professional arts organization operates. No prior theater knowledge is required to join, simply a willingness and desire to learn and meet peers who share an interest in the arts. The Young Adult Council is dedicated to the mission of inspiring and investing in the next generation of artists, arts appreciators and arts advocates in Chicago and across the globe. For details about the Young Adult Council program and to watch videos of the Yong Adult Council Members speak about the program visit our website at https://www.steppenwolf.org/education/steppenwolf-for-young-adults/for-teens/young-adult-council/.

The Young Adult Council invites all teens in the Chicagoland area to their upcoming Step In, Step Out and The Scene events.

The Scene
Curated by Steppenwolf's own Young Adult Council, this is an exclusive opportunity for teens to score a cheap ticket to a Steppenwolf production, meet the artists involved with the play and connect with like-minded teens. The Council's fall scene event around The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime is upcoming on Saturday, October 20 at 3pm. Teens can purchase a ticket by calling (312) 335-1650 and using code 43428.

Step In and Step Out
A free series that offers teens the chance to participate in hands-on theatre workshops led by some of the industry's top artists. Workshops take place at Steppenwolf and community partner sites throughout the city. Steppenwolf's Young Adult Council members serve as ambassadors at these events, helping to welcome in young folks from all over the city. Teens can learn more and RSVP for our upcoming event on (Halloween) Wednesday, October 31 at 4:30pm focused on stage make-up. Visit https://www.steppenwolf.org/education/steppenwolf-for-young-adults/for-teens/

Through the Young Adult Council program, teens get an all-access pass to Steppenwolf while at the same time building leadership and public speaking skills, growing confidence and getting the chance to share their interest in theatre with like-minded teens from neighborhoods and schools they might not otherwise have the opportunity to meet. Council members annually attend over 30 plays throughout Chicago (all at no cost to them), participate in workshops with leading theater professionals, observe backstage during a live performance, volunteer at a special pre-show event for local veterans and collaborate as an ensemble to curate teen nights at Steppenwolf. Young Adult Council members receive a travel stipend for weekly travel to the theatre as well as a season subscription to all Steppenwolf main stage and Steppenwolf for Young Adults plays.

Current Young Adult Council member Tia S. shares that she is looking forward to, "Having a visit from a guest theatre company to learn more about marketing and fundraising from a theatre that is newer to the industry."

Young Adult Council alumnus Meitav A. comments, "Being exposed to so much new theatre has opened my mind to new ways of self-expression and a new way to process concepts and stories. The Young Adult Council has become a place of refuge while also being a place where I seek challenges."

The Young Adult Council has an alumni network of over 125 graduates, many of whom have continued to work in theater but also in career paths as diverse as teaching, engineering, law, social work, speech pathology, and the medical field. Graduates are currently studying at or have graduated from Stanford University, Yale University, Simon's Rock College of Bard, Vassar, New York University, Dartmouth College, Northwestern University, Sarah Lawrence, University of Michigan, Kenyon College, Brown University and many others. Graduates remain lifelong arts appreciators, even if they are no longer focused on theater specifically. Alumni are invited back to Steppenwolf twice annually for a night of theater and comradery.

Meet the 2018-19 Young Adult Council
Young Adult Council members come to Steppenwolf each week from across the Chicagoland area. The Young Adult Council is purposefully curated to include a diversity of voices to include high school and neighborhood representation the city and surrounding communities. This year, the Young Adult Council is made up of teens from CPS High Schools such as Prosser Career Academy, William Howard Taft High School, Wendell Phillips Academy High School, Chicago High School for Agricultural Sciences and many more in addition to non-CPS High Schools such as Beacon Academy, Morton East High School, Oak Park River Forest High School and Deerfield High School, and more.

Members include: Courtland A., Jocelyn A., Amy D., Dream D., Ayla E., Ines G., Ethan G., Grace H., Audrey J., Eileen K., Gwyneth L., Morgan K., Jacqueline M., Spencer O., Amber O., Nikhil P., Angel R., Izareza R., Jairo S., Tia S., Tyra S., Maiya S., Ramman T., Kelsey V., Natalie W. and Liam Y.

Steppenwolf Education's unique approach combines play production with educational components to enhance arts education for young audiences, as well as their teachers and families, as well as a Professional Leadership Program for early-career professionals. Every season Steppenwolf for Young Adults (SYA) creates two full-scale professional productions specifically for teens. Working closely with the Chicago Public and metropolitan area schools and other community partners, Steppenwolf Education annually ensures access to the theater for more than 15,000 participants from Chicago's diverse communities. The initiative also includes post-show discussions with artists; classroom residencies led by Steppenwolf-trained teaching artists in almost 100 classrooms in public high schools; professional development workshops for educators; and the Young Adult Council, an innovative year-round after-school initiative that uniquely engages high school students in all areas of the theater's operations, as well as other teen and community-based programs.

Steppenwolf Theatre Company is the nation's premier ensemble theater. Formed by a collective of actors in 1976, the ensemble represents a remarkable cross-section of actors, directors and playwrights. Thrilling and powerful productions from Balm in Gilead to August: Osage County-and accolades that include the National Medal of Arts and 12 Tony Awards-have made the theater legendary. Steppenwolf produces hundreds of performances and events annually in its three spaces: the 515-seat Downstairs Theatre, the 299-seat Upstairs Theatre and the 80-seat 1700 Theatre. Artistic programming includes a seven-play season; a two-play Steppenwolf for Young Adults season; Visiting Company engagements; and LookOut, a multi-genre performances series. Education initiatives include the nationally recognized work of Steppenwolf for Young Adults, which engages 15,000 participants annually from Chicago's diverse communities; the esteemed School at Steppenwolf; and Professional Leadership Programs for arts administration training. While firmly grounded in the Chicago community, nearly 40 original Steppenwolf productions have enjoyed success both nationally and internationally, including Broadway, Off-Broadway, London, Sydney, Galway and Dublin. Anna D. Shapiro is the Artistic Director and David Schmitz is the Executive Director. Eric Lefkofsky is Chair of Steppenwolf's Board of Trustees. For additional information, visit steppenwolf.org, facebook.com/steppenwolftheatre, twitter.com/steppenwolfthtr and instagram.com/steppenwolfthtr.