YOU FORGOT SOMETHING? THIS WILL MAKE YOU REMEMBER. THE LEECHES ARE DEAD. LET’S EAT.
ABOUT THIS SHOW
Truth is lie; lie is truth. 1920: Jewish writer Isaac Babel begins a journal while serving in war. Ninety years later, this same journal is found in the wreckage of a suspicious plane crash. What did Babel write, and why does it matter? Ensemble member Rajiv Joseph’s epic thriller ricochets through place and time following the unlikely lives of seven individuals – soldiers and poets, KGB agents and babushkas – as they unearth mysteries buried by decades of history, fiction and blood.
Watch & Listen
Running Time
Content Advisory
Steppenwolf does not 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 the box office at 312-335-1650.
Digital Program
Cast & Artists
The Artists
- Playwright Rajiv Joseph
- Director Austin Pendleton
- Scenic Designer Collette Pollard
- Costume Designer Raquel Adorno
- Lighting Designer Keith Parham
- Sound Designer Pornchanok Kanchanabanca
- Company Voice and Text Coach Gigi Buffington
- Producing Director Tom Pearl
- Casting Director JC Clementz
- Production Stage Manager Christine D. Freeburg
- Assistant Stage Manager Kathleen Barrett
- Understudy Nate Faust
- Understudy Kenneth La'ron Hamilton
- Understudy Marika Mashburn
- Understudy Matt Rosin
- Understudy Liz Sharpe
- Understudy Eileen Doan
Featured Ensemble Members
The Cast
Open captioned:
Thursday, March 23 at 7:30pm
Saturday, April 8 at 2:30pm
ASL interpreted:
Friday, March 24 at 7:30pm
Audio-described and touch tour:
Sunday, April 2 at 2:30pm
(1pm touch tour, 2:30pm curtain)
Reviews
“Superb performances” - Chicago Tribune
“Epic-sized work about… truth, art and power” - Chicago Sun-Times
“A sprawling exploration of… fact, censorship and the quest to preserve truth.” - Broadway World
"Fascinating, intriguing, gripping and often funny...Rajiv Joseph’s [Describe the Night is] a profound examination of how truth is a lie, but lies are truth." - Chicago Theatre Review
Sponsors
Lead Production Sponsor
Zell Family Foundation
Grand Production Sponsors
James Kochalka
Mr. and Mrs. Matthew Shapiro
Individual Production Sponsors
Amy and Cameron Findlay
Aimee Graham and Nigel Caine
Michele Kenner
Maridee Quanbeck
Accessibility Services sponsored by John Hart and Carol Prins
Welcome to our ensemble
Steppenwolf prides itself on being one of the premiere ensemble theaters in America. Being in an ensemble means being open to perspectives that differ from our own, being willing to allow multiple truths to exist and, perhaps most importantly, being open to change.
By visiting Steppenwolf, you agree to adhere to the theatre’s Patron Code of Conduct and Health and Safety Protocols.