Steppenwolf Education + Engagement is excited to offer opportunities for your students to engage with the work on and around our stages. See below for the various offerings and if you have any questions, please do not hesitate to reach out to fieldtrips@steppenwolf.org.
MAKER WORKSHOPS
Maker Workshops are a hands-on opportunity to learn about the work behind the scenes. One pathway is to invite students to our Halsted campus to work with our talented in-house artists in acting, devised storytelling, and dramaturgy/playwriting. The other pathway takes students to our Scene Shop in Humboldt Park to learn from our experienced team of Carpenters, Props Artisans, and Scenic Painters. Teachers interested in learning more about these workshops can reach out to fieldtrips@steppenwolf.org.
Student Matinees
Steppenwolf Theatre Company is proud to welcome over 10,000 students each year to their Student Matinee Series that is focused on creating an intentionally intergenerational experience across all audiences. All schools attending student matinees receive a show-specific Study Guide, as well as have the opportunity to participate in a post-show discussion. We invite you to keep an eye out on this webpage for more resources that can help deepen your students’ experience around the shows!
Pricing and Logistics
All student matinee performances begin at 10:00am. Tickets are $5/student, and chaperones are free. If this ever presents a cost barrier, please let us know. To register, please fill out this Student Matinee Interest Form. A member of our education team will follow up to book your field trip. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to reach out to fieldtrips@steppenwolf.org.
2025/26 Season
The Dance of Death
Written by August Strindberg
In a new version by Conor McPherson
Directed by ensemble member Yasen Peyankov
Student Matinee Dates:
- Thursday, February 12, 2026
- Wednesday, February 18, 2026
- Tuesday, February 24, 2026
- Thursday, February 26, 2026 - Spanish Language Captioned Performance
- Tuesday, March 3, 2026 - ASL Interpreted Performance
- Wednesday, March 4, 2026
About the Show
How far is too far when a simple battle of wits becomes a storm of manipulative chaos?
In the high stone tower of an isolated naval fortress, Alice and Edgar are about to celebrate 25 years of wedded bliss—if decades of resentment, recrimination and mutual sabotage count as bliss. But when an alluring visitor arrives, the delicate balance of their tedious arrangement falls off its axis, cracks growing into canyons. In Conor McPherson’s wicked take on Strindberg’s masterclass in marital warfare, a twisted love triangle waltzes off the edge of a cliff, plunging us all into the deep.
Recommended for grades 9+, The Dance of Death explores themes of relationships, family, and adaptation. In addition to Theater classes, we highly recommend this play for English Literature and Writing classes.
WINDFALL
WORLD PREMIERE
Written by ensemble member Tarell Alvin McCraney
Directed by Awoye Timpo
Student Matinee Dates:
- Thursday, April 23, 2026
- Tuesday, April 28, 2026
- Wednesday, April 29, 2026
- Tuesday, May 5, 2026 - Spanish Language Captioning
- Wednesday, May 6, 2026 - ASL Interpreted Performance
About the Show
When on the brink of losing everything, what is the cost of survival?
This is a story about money. Don’t let them fool you otherwise. When a Chicago father loses his child in a clash with the police, he is visited by three strangers who advise him to take the city’s cash settlement, relocate and forget his grief–or else remain, haunted by memories of the world his child fought so hard to protect. This lyrical world premiere from Academy Award-winning ensemble member Tarell Alvin McCraney is a vital and timely look at the spirit of activism set against the most indifferent system of them all: the almighty dollar.
Recommended for Grades 9+, Windfall (in collaboration with Awoye Timpo - director of last season’s Leroy and Lucy) explores themes of gender, justice, grief, sexuality, race, and class. In addition to Theater classes, we highly recommend this play for History, English Literature, and Social Science classes.
Study Guides
We invite you to take a look at past Study Guides—Study Guides are interactive resources created by Steppenwolf Education to deepen your experience with each produciton.
2026/27 Season
Topdog/Underdog
Written by Suzan–Lori Parks
Directed by Kenny Leon
Featuring ensemble members Glenn Davis and Namir Smallwood
- Thursday, October 1, 2026 at 10:00am
- Tuesday, October 6, 2026 at 10:00am *Spanish-Language Captioned Performance
- Tuesday, October 20, 2026 at 10:00am
- Thursday, October 22, 2026 at 10:00am
- Thursday, October 29, 2026 at 10:00am *ASL-Interpreted Performance
About the Show
“Take thuh cards and show me whatcha got!”
Brothers Lincoln and Booth, named in jest, are two Black men living in America just trying to get by. Lincoln dresses like his namesake, reenacting his assassination for money and laughs. Booth stays stuck in their apartment, working tirelessly on his three-card hustle. Sibling rivalry and a lifetime of resentment come to a head in this fast-paced and ferocious thrill ride from Suzan-Lori Parks. The deck is stacked with a Tony Award-winning director, a Pulitzer Prize-winning script and a tour-de-force showdown for ensemble members Glenn Davis and Namir Smallwood.
Recommended for grades 9+, Topdog/Underdog explores themes of family, relationships, identity, legacy, and what we are owed. In addition to theater classes, we highly recommend this play for English Literature, History, and Social Science classes.
Adirondack Chair Circle
Written by Stephanie Alison Walker
Directed by Pam MacKinnon
Featuring ensemble member Audrey Francis
- Thursday, November 5, 2026 at 10:00am
- Tuesday, November 10, 2026 at 10:00am
- Tuesday, November 17, 2026 at 10:00am *ASL-Interpreted Performance
- Thursday, November 19, 2026 at 10:00am *Spanish-Language Captioned Performance
About the Show
Banna has it all… Or at least that’s what the other suburban moms think.
Beneath the charcuterie boards, backyard soirees and pickleball, there’s a funny feeling bubbling underneath this seemingly perfect facade. Is it the pressure to save her children from the beliefs of the school district? Or is it just that suspicious crow watching her every move? A piercing world premiere from a playful Chicago voice, Stephanie Alison Walker’s Adirondack Chair Circle exposes the hilarious hypocrisy of the clubs we join and the company we keep. And has a damn good time doing it.
Recommended for grades 9+, Adirondack Chair Circle explores themes of relationships, identity, politics, book-banning, and education. In addition to theater classes, we highly recommend this play for English Literature, History, and Social Science classes.
The Comeuppance
Written by Branden Jacobs-Jenkins
Directed by ensemble member Tina Landau
A co-production with American Conservatory Theater
Featuring ensemble members Celeste M. Cooper, Caroline Neff, Karen Rodriguez and Namir Smallwood
- Thursday, February 18, 2027 at 10:00am
- Wednesday, February 24, 2027 at 10:00am *ASL-Interpreted Performance
- Thursday, March 4, 2026 at 10:00am *Spanish-Language Captioned Performance
- Thursday, March 11, 2026 at 10:00am
About the Show
Welcome back, St. Anthony’s graduating class of 2002!
On the night of their 20th high school reunion, a group of misfit Millennial classmates reconnect for a familiar pregame: drinks, pot, a limo ride and a whole lot of messy memories. But, in Branden Jacobs-Jenkins' riveting dark ensemble comedy, a specter looms over the proceedings, reminding us that time only marches forward, even for ‘90’s kids. This Chicago premiere from the Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright of Purpose is a contemplative, hilarious and grave reflection on life and death.
Recommended for grades 9+, The Comeuppance explores themes of relationships, identity, and what we leave behind. In addition to theater classes, we highly recommend this play for English Literature and Writing classes.
Ellen B.
Written byMarius von Mayenburg
Translated into English byDaniel Brunet
Directed by Whitney White
- Thursday, April 22, 2027 at 10:00am
- Thursday, April 29, 2027 at 10:00am
About the Show
Wolfram is coming over, and Astrid doesn’t know why.
Astrid, a teacher, lives with Klara, her considerably younger partner—and also her former student. When Wolfram, the school’s headmaster, drops by for a visit, he brings with him uncomfortable accusations, and the search for truth erupts into a wicked game of power and desire. In this psychological thriller with no easy answers, internationally-lauded playwright Marius von Mayenburg touches the nerve between past and present, professional and private, truth and lie.
Recommended for grades 10+, Ellen B. explores themes of relationships, identity, regret, truth, and justice. In addition to theater classes, we highly recommend this play for English Literature and Social Science classes.