Namir Smallwood News

Steppenwolf Theatre Company presents a unique discussion celebrating the historic and contemporary importance of True West to Steppenwolf.

Now in rehearsals, Steppenwolf Theatre Company presents its first revival of the play that launched the theatre onto the national scene in 1982, True West, directed by ensemble member Randall Arney. 

Steppenwolf Theatre Company announced today the full casting for its revival production of Sam Shepard's True West. Longtime ensemble member Randall Arney directs Steppenwolf's first revival of the play that launched the theatre onto the national scene in 1982. Reimagined with a new generation of Steppenwolf artists, the 2019 production stars previously announced ensemble members Jon Michael Hill (CBS's Elementary; Steppenwolf, Lincoln Center, and Spike Lee's Pass Over) and Namir Smallwood (Lincoln Center's Pass Over and Pipeline). Joining Hill and Smallwood are ensemble member and original cast member Francis Guinan and celebrated Chicago actor Jacqueline Williams.

Steppenwolf Theatre Company announced the 2019/20 Season today. With seven Steppenwolf main series productions and two Steppenwolf for Young Adults (SYA) productions, the 44th season brings together the talents of revered Steppenwolf legends and captivating new ensemble members in a powerful lineup that celebrates a dynamic range of exciting voices.

I have the great fortune to talk to fabulous people all of the time, and Multi-Award Winning Playwright and Screenwriter, Dominique Morriseau, is no exception.  This playwright has taken to the written word to create amazing conversations with her plays like SUNSET BABY, DETROIT 67, SKELETON CREW.  Her recent Off Broadway play, PIPELINE, starring one of my fierce STAGE/FILM//TV Divas, Theater World Award Winner, Karen Pittman, ( Broadway's DISGRACED, Marvel's LUKE CAGE, FX's THE AMERICANS).  It is a discussion about the pipeline that is taking young men of color out of our schools and right into the prison system, and some of the forces that could be responsible for making this happen.

Steppenwolf Theatre Company announced today the addition of longtime stage managerMalcolm Ewen into the world-renowned Steppenwolf ensemble. Ewen has worked at Steppenwolf since 1987 and has stage managed more than 40 shows and taken four Steppenwolf productions to Broadway-including The Grapes of Wrath and Edward Albee's Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? both of which won Tony Awards.

In honor of Black History month, the Live from Lincoln Center presentation of PIPELINE will air Friday, February 8 at 9 p.m. on PBS*. Produced in partnership with BroadwayHD, PIPELINE depicts a mother's hopes for her son and their clash with an educational system rigged against him. The powerful work was originally staged at Lincoln Center Theater in 2017 to wide critical acclaim, and was hailed as “potent and intensely acted” by the New York Times, and confirmed Dominique Morisseau's “reputation as a playwright of piercing eloquence”.

In honor of Black History month, the Live from Lincoln Center presentation of PIPELINE will air Friday, February 8 at 9 p.m. on PBS*. Produced in partnership with BroadwayHD, PIPELINE depicts a mother's hopes for her son and their clash with an educational system rigged against him. The powerful work was originally staged at Lincoln Center Theater in 2017 to wide critical acclaim, and was hailed as "potent and intensely acted" by the New York Times, and confirmed Dominique Morisseau's "reputation as a playwright of piercing eloquence". 

Steppenwolf Theatre Company is thrilled to announce that longtime ensemble member Randall Arney will direct the highly anticipated Steppenwolf revival of Sam Shepard's True West-the production that catapulted Steppenwolf onto the American Theatre scene in 1982. Reimagined through the eyes of the new generation of Steppenwolf artists, the 2019 production of True West features ensemble members Jon Michael Hill and Namir Smallwood. True West runs July 5 - August 18, 2019 in the Downstairs Theatre. Tickets ($20 - $96) go on sale April 26, 2019 at 312-335-1650 and steppenwolf.org

New York Stage and Film has announced that Donja R. Love's soft will be the second installation in their NYC Reading Series at Barnard College, held on Monday, October 29th at 7:00pm at the Glicker-Milstein Theater at The Diana Center. Directed by Awoye Timpo, the cast of soft features Gabriel Diego Hernandez, Galen Ryan Kane, Obie and AUDELCO Award winner Russell G. Jones, Andy Lucien, Joshua E. Nelson, Cristina Pitter, Lortel Award nominee Namir Smallwood, Ryan Jamaal Swain, and James Udom.

Today, BroadwayHD makes the world streaming debut of PIPELINE, a play depicting a mother's hopes for her son and their clash with an educational system rigged against him. The powerful work was captured for the screen by Live From Lincoln Center during its original, critically acclaimed staging at Lincoln Center Theater in 2017. Hailed as 'potent and intensely acted' and confirming Dominique Morisseau's 'reputation as a playwright of piercing eloquence' (New York Times), the play was recently featured in cinemas across the U.S. including Los Angeles, Detroit, and Chicago.

A teacher struggles against the chaos of a tough inner city public school and the system that threatens her son.

Tickets are now available for the debut cinema run of PIPELINE, coming to movie theaters nationwide October 3, 5, and 7. The LIVE FROM LINCOLN CENTERpresentation-produced in partnership with BroadwayHD-depicts a mother's hopes for her son and their clash with an educational system rigged against him. The powerful work was originally staged at Lincoln Center Theater in 2017 to wide critical acclaim. Hailed as 'potent and intensely acted' and confirming Dominique Morisseau's 'reputation as a playwright of piercing eloquence' (New York Times), the film will be available in cities across the U.S. including New York City, Los Angeles, and Chicago. Distributed by Screenvision Media, a full list of theaters and ticketing information is available at PipelineInCinema.com.

Tickets are now on sale for the debut cinema run of PIPELINE, coming to movie theaters nationwide October 3, 5, and 7. 

Tickets are now on sale for the debut cinema run of PIPELINE, coming to movie theaters nationwide October 3, 5, and 7. The Live From Lincoln Center presentation—produced in partnership with BroadwayHD—depicts a mother's hopes for her son and their clash with an educational system rigged against him. The powerful work was originally staged at Lincoln Center Theater in 2017 to wide critical acclaim. Hailed as “potent and intensely acted” and confirming Dominique Morisseau's “reputation as a playwright of piercing eloquence” (New York Times), the film will be available in cities across the U.S. including New York City, Los Angeles, and Chicago. Distributed by Screenvision Media, a full list of theaters and ticketing information is available at PipelineInCinema.com.

Steppenwolf Theatre Company Artistic Director Anna D. Shapiro announced today the addition of Rajiv Joseph and Karen Rodriguez to the world-renowned Steppenwolf ensemble. An Obie Award-wining and Pulitzer Prize finalist playwright, Rajiv Joseph's Guards at the Taj was produced at Steppenwolf this past May to great acclaim. Karen Rodriguez, a celebrated Chicago-based actor, recently performed at Steppenwolf in The Doppelganger (an international farce) and The Rembrandt, and will be featured in this season's world premiere of Isaac Gomez's La Ruta, in a role written specifically for her.

Artistic Directors Douglas Aibel and Sarah Stern announce casting for Vineyard Theatre's Developmental Lab production of Tori Sampson's THIS LAND WAS MADE, directed by Whitney White.

Artistic Directors Douglas Aibel and Sarah Stern announce casting for Vineyard Theatre's Developmental Lab production of Tori Sampson's THIS LAND WAS MADE, directed by Whitney White.

Lincoln Center Theater/LCT3 has announced that it has extended the run of its critically acclaimed production of PASS OVER, a new play by Antoinette Nwandu, directed by Danya Taymor, featuring Gabriel Ebert, Jon Michael Hill, and Namir Smallwood, at the Claire Tow Theater (150 West 65 Street). PASS OVER, which was originally scheduled to end its limited engagement on Sunday, July 15, will perform an additional four performances on Saturday, July 21 and Sunday, July 22, at 2pm and 7pm on both days.

If upon entering a theatre, the stage is populated by a young black man sleeping under a street lamp as another young black man quietly scrutinizes all in attendance, while the pre-show music plays Doris Day singing 'Que Sera, Sera,' it's a good sign that there are going to be some strong opinions expressed.