Performance Policies

Entry and re-entry to the theater is not guaranteed once a performance has begun. 

Due to the intimate nature of live performance in our small theater spaces, patrons entering after the show has started can be distracting for the performers and the rest of the audience. Alternatives will vary from production to production, and may include watching a monitor in the lobby or being shown a seat in the back of the theater during a scene transition. If you arrive during the first act of a play with an intermission, we'll be happy to show you to your ticketed seats at the break. If you anticipate a scenario where you may need to leave the theater during the show for a medical condition or emergency contact, please email access@steppenwolf.org prior to your visit– we'd love to find you seats and come up with a plan that will allow us to minimize distraction while allowing you to enjoy as much of the play as possible. 

Drinks and approved snacks are allowed in our theaters. Approved snacks include our in-house mixes and boxes, and clam-shell containers will be available by house doors if you choose to transfer your snacks to a quiet container. We also recommend pre-ordering your drinks from the bar to be picked up at intermission.

Photography and recording are never allowed inside the theater.

Ever. We appreciate the compliment, but it's distracting for the performers and the rest of the audience. That goes for before the show starts too– the set and everything on it is copyright-right protected, and we appreciate everyone's respect of our artists' intellectual property. If you'd like some great photos of our shows, please check out each play's production page on the site. 

If you misplace your tickets, we are always happy to reprint them for you, or email you new print-at-home tickets. Simply stop by the box office prior to your show or call Audience Services at (312) 335-1650.

Once a play has opened you may find out the running time by visiting the Tickets & Events section of our website and clicking on the production you are coming to see or by calling Audience Services at (312) 335-1650 and pressing 1. 

During your visit, you or members of your family may be filmed, videotaped, and/or photographed by a Steppenwolf employee, contract photographer or the media. Your attendance at Steppenwolf events serves as permission for the use of your image, or the image of your family members, by Steppenwolf.

Steppenwolf does not proactively offer advisories about subject matter, as sensitivities vary from person to person. If you have any questions about content, age-appropriateness or stage effects (such as strobe lights or theatrical fog) that might have a bearing on patron comfort, please contact Audience Services at (312) 335-1650.