Announcing our 2023/24 Season
This coming season, we are thrilled to share a collection of truly remarkable works that shine a light on our shared humanity. We hope you join us on this artistic journey by securing your membership today.
Buckle up: it is going to be a wild ride!
Membership Series
Our 2023/24 membership series features five Chicago premieres.
SANCTUARY CITY
By Martyna Majok
Directed by Steph Paul
Sep 14 – Nov 18, 2023
In the Ensemble Theater
2001. Newark, NJ. Two teenagers, brought to America as children, now face an uneasy question: what are they willing to risk for a future together in the only country they've known? The simple joys of coming-of-age are challenged by the uncertainty of their next chapters. Pulitzer Prize-winner Martyna Majok brings light to the sacrifices made by DREAMers, lovers and lifelong friends in the heart-stirring and hopeful Sanctuary City—a story that fractures time and transcends memory—crossing boundaries, borders and genres in search of a place to call home.
POTUS
OR, BEHIND EVERY GREAT DUMBASS ARE SEVEN WOMEN TRYING TO KEEP HIM ALIVE
By Selina Fillinger
Directed by ensemble member Audrey Francis
Featuring ensemble members Celeste M. Cooper, Caroline Neff, Sandra Marquez and Karen Rodriguez
Oct 26 – Dec 3, 2023
In the Downstairs Theater
It’s just another (omg, wtf, lmfao) day at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. When a White House PR nightmare spins into a legit sh*tshow, seven brilliant and beleaguered women must risk life, liberty, and the pursuit of sanity to keep the commander-in-chief out of trouble. POTUS: Or, Behind Every Great Dumbass Are Seven Women Trying to Keep Him Alive is a bawdy and irreverent look at sex, politics and the women in charge of the man in charge of the free world. Who knew that global crisis is always just a four-letter word away?
Purpose
By Branden Jacobs-Jenkins
Directed by Phylicia Rashad
Featuring ensemble members Alana Arenas, Glenn Davis and Jon Michael Hill
Mar 14 – Apr 21, 2024
In the Downstairs Theater
For decades, the influential Jasper family has been a pillar of Black American Politics: civil rights leaders, pastors and congressmen. But like all families, there are cracks and secrets just under the surface. When the youngest son Nazareth returns home to Illinois with an uninvited friend in tow, the family is forced into a reckoning with itself, its faith and the legacies of Black radicalism. Rowdy, hilarious and filled with intrigue, Purpose is an epic family drama–a long-awaited world premiere from one of the country’s most celebrated voices.
the thanksgiving play
By Larissa FastHorse
Directed by Jess McLeod
Featuring ensemble members Audrey Francis and Tim Hopper
Apr 25 – Jun 2, 2024
In the Ensemble Theater
Four (very) well-intentioned theatre people walk into an elementary school. The work at hand: a Thanksgiving pageant that won’t ruffle any feathers. What could possibly go wrong? In MacArthur Genius Larissa FastHorse’s skewering and satirical comedy, well, just about everything. Rambunctious, thorny and not altogether politically correct, The Thanksgiving Play serves up the hypocrisies of woke America on a big, family-style, platter. Come get ya some.
Little Bear Ridge Road
By Samuel D. Hunter
Directed by Joe Mantello
Featuring ensemble member Laurie Metcalf
Jun 13 – Jul 21, 2024
In the Downstairs Theater
In the outer limits of rural Idaho, the last two members of the Fernsby family tree, an estranged aunt and nephew, reunite to sort the mess left behind after a troubled father's passing. They now face an uncomfortable and universal question: how do we deal with other people? And is connection more trouble than it’s worth? As their relationship begins anew, the two reluctant Fernsby's—separated by age and experience—start to understand the joys and perils of letting someone else into your own story, even if only for a moment.
Steppenwolf for Young Adults
Finding a space to live, forging a world to thrive
We are proud to produce two shows each season for our nationally recognized Steppenwolf for Young Adults (SYA) series, which focuses on creating professional plays specifically for a teen and intergenerational audience. SYA features weekday matinées for school groups, as well as weekend public performances. We bring the same professional caliber of work to these plays that we bring to all Steppenwolf productions.
SANCTUARY CITY
By Martyna Majok
Directed by Steph Paul
Oct 23 – Nov 18, 2023
In the Ensemble Theater
2001. Newark, NJ. Two teenagers, brought to America as children, now face an uneasy question: what are they willing to risk for a future together in the only country they've known? The simple joys of coming-of-age are challenged by the uncertainty of their next chapters. Pulitzer Prize-winner Martyna Majok brings light to the sacrifices made by DREAMers, lovers and lifelong friends in the heart-stirring and hopeful Sanctuary City—a story that fractures time and transcends memory—crossing boundaries, borders and genres in search of a place to call home.
a home what howls (or the house what was ravine)
By Matthew Paul Olmos
Directed by Laura Alcalá Baker
Feb 7 – Mar 2, 2024
In the Ensemble Theater
A coyote howling. A home in disarray. A young woman alone. In Matthew Paul Olmos’ world premiere, Soledad Vargas is in the city, fighting for her family’s right to live on their land. When hope starts to dwindle, how far will she go, and what will she be forced to leave behind? A modern myth drawn from the real life struggles of displaced communities around the globe, a home what howls is a lyrically-rendered quest of youth activism standing against forces of injustice.
Members Make It Happen
Experience the full season with added benefits, such as unlimited ticket exchanges, seating assignments before the general public and invitations to exclusive events.
Sponsors
Thank you for the significant season support from the following donors: