King James

“A young playwright in demand… [Joseph’s] keen eye for conflict– and absurd humor–  infuses much of Joseph’s work.” – Washington Times

“Likely will be a big hit for Steppenwolf and rightly so“ – Chicago Tribune

“Charms from start to finish… an impeccable Steppenwolf production” – Chicago Sun-Times

“King James is hands-down one of the best new works you'll see this year.” – Theatermania

“Filled with crisp, smart dialogue…. deftly written” – Newcity

“You could watch these two razz each other all day long. The duo delivers truly excellent performances.” – Chicago Reader

grand Production sponsors

individual production sponsors

Elizabeth F. Cheney Foundation

Toni Sandor Smith

Steppenwolf's New Plays Initiative is supported by the Zell Family Foundation.

Accessibility Services sponsored by John Hart and Carol Prins

We gratefully acknowledge the sponsors from our postponed 2020 production of King James, including Laurents/Hatcher Foundation, National Endowment for the Arts, Northern Trust, Rich and Margery Feitler, John Hart and Carol Prins, Matthew Shapiro, John and Carol Walter, Leigh and Henry Bienen, Douglas R. Brown and Rachel Kraft, Bob and Amy Greenebaum, Laurie Anne Kladis, Harry Seigle, and Colette Cachey Smithburg and Tom Smithburg.

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.

We are committed to becoming a racially, culturally and socially just organization rooted in anti-oppressive values, and we invite you to commit with us to maintaining a safe and accessible environment wherein our patrons, staff, artists, students, donors, trustees and volunteers are all part of our ensemble.

We invite you to join our ensemble by:

• Treating everyone with respect, dignity and equity.
• Centering those whose experiences you may not identify with or understand.
• Celebrating various forms of expression and trusting that there is enough space for us all.

If we witness harm being caused, we commit to:
• Having the courage to interrupt and lead with compassion.
• Centering the needs of the harmed party(ies) if physical or emotional harm is caused.
• Working together to rectify a situation when harm is caused, intentionally or accidentally.

Ensemble ethos is what this company is built on. It’s not always easy, but we believe prioritizing community is how we achieve a better tomorrow.

While we pride ourselves on staging provocative work that elicits strong emotions, reactions and connections, it is essential that we reduce the harm that has occurred too often in our physical and virtual spaces. Therefore, we reserve the right to refuse service, relocate and/or remove any person from our theater who disregards this Code of Conduct.

If you would like to share your thoughts with Steppenwolf leadership, please reach out to the company’s department heads at igotthoughts@steppenwolf.org.