Steppenwolf to Present McPherson's 'Dublin Carol', Directed by Amy Morton

Steppenwolf Theatre Company continues its 2008-2009 season, an exploration of the imagination, with a special engagement of Dublin Carol, by Conor McPherson, directed by ensemble member Amy Morton.  The production, featuring Stephen Louis Grush, William Petersen and Nicole Wiesner, runs November 6 – December 21, 2008 in Steppenwolf's Upstairs Theatre, 1650 N. Halsted St.   The press performance is Sunday, November 16 at 3:00 p.m.

John, a man whose life was nearly destroyed by drinking, now holds down a steady job at a Dublin undertaker's office.  When his estranged daughter appears on Christmas Eve with disturbing news, it sets off a series of painful confessions that ultimately offer John a chance to escape the burden of his past.

Dublin Carol is the first of two plays by Conor McPherson premiering in Chicago at Steppenwolf this season. McPherson's The Seafarer makes its Chicago debut December 4, 2008 – February 8, 2009 in Steppenwolf's Downstairs Theatre, following its critically-acclaimed Broadway run.

Ensemble member Amy Morton received a 2008 Tony nomination for her role in Steppenwolf's August: Osage County on Broadway, after transferring from a sold-out Chicago run in 2007.  She most recently directed Dublin Carol at Trinity Repertory Theatre in Rhode Island, as well as Conor McPherson's The Weir at Steppenwolf.  Additional Steppenwolf directing credits include The Pillowman, Love-Lies-Bleeding, which traveled to the Kennedy Center's Terrace Theater, and Glengarry Glen Ross, which traveled to Dublin and Toronto.

Born in Dublin, playwright Conor McPherson's plays include include The Seafarer (premiered on Broadway in 2007), Poor Beast in the Rain, Port Authority, Dublin Carol (premiered on Broadway in 2002), The Weir (premiered on Broadway in 1999), St Nicholas and This Lime Tree Bower. Mr. McPherson won London's prestigious Olivier Award for The Weir and received a Tony nomination for Shining City.   

Dublin Carol is directed by ensemble member Amy Morton.  The design team includes:  Kevin Depinet (sets), Ana Kuzmanic (costumes), Robert Christen (lights) and Rob Milburn and Michael Bodeen (sound).  Michelle Medvin is the Stage Manager.

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

Committed to the principle of ensemble performance through the collaboration of a company of actors, directors and playwrights, Steppenwolf Theatre Company's mission is to advance the vitality and diversity of American theater by nurturing artists, encouraging repeatable creative relationships and contributing new works to the national canon.  The company, formed in 1976 by a collective of actors, is dedicated to perpetuating an ethic of mutual respect and the development of artists through on-going group work.  Steppenwolf has grown into an internationally renowned company of forty-one artists whose talents include acting, directing, playwriting, filmmaking and textual adaptation.  For additional information, visit www.steppenwolf.org.

Photo Credit Walter McBride/Retna Ltd.

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