Chicago—Steppenwolf Theatre Company presents the world premiere of Love Song by John Kolvenbach, directed by ensemble member Austin Pendleton and featuring ensemble members Francis Guinan, Mariann Mayberry and Molly Regan with Ian Barford. The production, part of Steppenwolf’s 30th season devoted entirely to new work, begins performances on March 30, 2006 in the Steppenwolf Downstairs Theatre, 1650 N. Halsted. The press performance is on April 7, 2006 at 7:30 p.m.
Award-winning director, actor and playwright Austin Pendleton (Orson’s Shadow and Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune) returns to Steppenwolf to direct this off-beat romantic comedy and world premiere work from hot young playwright John Kolvenbach, whose work has been produced from New York to London’s West End.
“Reading Love Song, we knew we had found the play that would be a gift for our audience and a thrilling opportunity for our artists,” reveals artistic director Martha Lavey. “Kolvenbach’s voice, animated as it is by a compassion for our human foibles and enlivened by a generous sense of humor, has wonderful insight of the beautiful contagiousness of love.”
John Kolvenbach’s on an average day premiered at the Comedy Theatre on the West End with Woody Harrelson and Kyle MacLachlan, The Gravity of Means premiered at MCC in New York and Gizmo Love will be produced in London this fall. Austin Pendleton last directed at Steppenwolf in 2004 with Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune. His play Orson’s Shadow, first produced at Steppenwolf, recently had a successful run at New York’s Barrow Street Theatre. Austin will appear in Cormac McCarthy’s The Sunset Limited in the Garage Theatre this summer.
Ensemble member Francis Guinan was most recently seen in last season’s acclaimed Cherry Orchard. Ensemble member Molly Regan directed last season’s Pacific and last appeared at Steppenwolf in Maria Arndt. Ensemble member Mariann Mayberry recently appeared with ensemble members Tracy Letts and Amy Morton in Steppenwolf’s production of Last of the Boys. Ian Barford returns to Steppenwolf after appearing in last spring’s Lost Land.
The designers of Love Song are Brian Sidney Bembridge (set), Michelle Habeck (lights), Rachel Anne Healy (costumes) and Andre Pluess and Ben Sussman (sound). Deb Styer is the stage manager and Michelle Medvin is the assistant stage manager.
Previews for Love Song are March 30 – April 7, 2006. The production opens Sunday, April 9, 2006 at 6:00 p.m., and runs until June 4, 2006. Please note that the performance on April 8, 2006 is our Annual Gala, for tickets please contact Judith Simons, Director of Special Events, at (312) 654-5617. Curtain times are as follows: Tuesday through Sunday at 7:30 p.m., Saturday and Sunday matinees at 3:00 p.m. Wednesday matinees on May 10, 17, 24 and 31, 2006 at 2:00 p.m. There will be no Sunday evening performances May 14, 21, 28 and June 4, 2006. There will be no performance Tuesday, April 10, 2006.
Tickets are $20-60. For tickets, visit www.steppenwolf.org or call 312-335-1650. Twenty tickets are available for $20 on the day of the performance at 11 a.m. (Mon-Sat) and 1 p.m. (Sun). Twenty for $20 tickets may be purchased by phone or in person. Limit 2 per person.
There will be free post-show discussions offered daily throughout the run.
The Sara Lee Foundation is the Exclusive Production Sponsor of Love Song.
Committed to the principle of ensemble performance through the collaboration of a company of actors, directors and playwrights, Steppenwolf Theatre Company’s advances 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 thirty-five artists whose talents include acting, directing, playwriting, filmmaking and textual adaptation.
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