“THE DAY WILL COME WHEN PEOPLE LIKE YOU WILL CURSE DUH DAY YOU EVAH LAID EYES ON PEOPLE LIKE US. AND WE GONE BE ALL DUH BETTER FO’ IT.”

ABOUT THIS SHOW

The recently widowed “Mother of America” lies alone in her Mount Vernon bed, ravaged by illness and attended to by the enslaved people who will be free the moment she dies. This uproarious form-shifting fever dream takes us deep into the ramifications of one of America's original sins. Dizzying and fantastical, this Chicago premiere from Pulitzer winner James Ijames boldly remixes this country's dark history with a delicate balance of truth and humor.

Watch & Listen

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Cast & Artists

The Artists

Reviews

"In the fairy tale version of our country’s racial politics, we all learn about justice and skip happily toward the future. I, for one, am done with fairy tales as history—and patient explanations. Give me the harder truth of Ijames’s fantastical version any day." — The New York Times

 

“Remarkably gritty and humorousa bitter history lesson that unfolds like a surreal painting come to life.” — Chicago Theatre Review 

 

“The cast… is a constant source of joy and revelation, as they weave song and dance into their roles.”  — New City

 

"Roars along in the most assured way, its highly presentational style of acting embraced with zest and aplomb, not to mention a bravura kind of theatricality."  — Chicago Tribune

 

 "Curious, outlandish, vicious and uproarious!" — Chicago Sun-Times 

Sponsors

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.

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.

Effects and Content Advisory

     

Membership has its perks

Get insider access, great savings and the ultimate flexibility when you become a member!

LEARN MORE

Discounts

$20 tickets, Pay-What-You-Can performances, discounts and more. Find the right ticket for you.

LEARN MORE

Accessible Performances

Open captioned:
Thursday, September 22 at 8pm and Saturday, October 1 at 3pm

ASL interpreted:
Friday, September 23 at 8pm

Audio-described and touch tour:
Sunday, October 2 at 3pm (1:30pm touch tour, 3pm curtain)