American Theater Company Continues 30th Anniversary Season with Stephen Karam's THE HUMANS

American Theater Company (ATC), 1909 W. Byron Street, continues its 30th Anniversary season with the World Premiere of The Humans, written by Pulitzer Prize finalist and ATC signature playwright Stephen Karam and directed by ATC Artistic Director PJ Paparelli,November 14 - December 21; with an official opening night of Monday, November 17. The Humans is produced here under special arrangement with New York's Roundabout Theatre Company where it will premiere in New York next season.

New York City. Today. After a sleepless night, Mr. Blake brings his family from Pennsylvania to celebrate Thanksgiving at his daughter's new apartment. As darkness falls outside the crumbling pre-war duplex, mysterious things start to go bump in the night and family tensions reach a boiling point. Karam (columbinus, Sons of the Prophet, Speech & Debate) takes a fresh look at the hilarity, heart and horrors of the modern American family.

The cast includes Lance Baker, Hanna Dworkin, Keith Kupferer, Jean Moran, Kelly O'Sullivan, and Sadieh Rifai; O'Sullivan and Rifai are members of the ATC ensemble.

"This is ATC's fourth Stephen Karam play and certainly his most innovative. We are thankful to Stephen and the Roundabout to allow us to premiere it here in Chicago. If people enjoyed The Big Meal, they will love this family story," said Paparelli.

Added Karam: "I'm excited to premiere my new play in Chicago at American Theater Company. The support I've received from ATC has not only helped launch my previous plays, but exposed me to the singular and unrivaled energy of the Chicago theater community. I'm convinced there's no better place for a world premiere; Chicago audiences continue to amaze me with their adventurous spirit and support for new work. I'm grateful to be back at ATC and working with PJ, and to have the opportunity to shape the play specifically for this incredible cast is thrilling."

BIOS:

Lance Baker (Richard) has appeared at ATC in Doubt and Speed the Plow. Other Chicago credits include Thom Pain (based on nothing) (Theater Wit); King Lear, Henry VIII and Amadeus (Chicago Shakespeare Theater); Invisible Man and Travesties (Court Theatre), The Agony and the Ecstasy of Steve Jobs (16th Street), Becky Shaw and Hunger and Thirst (A Red Orchid), Mauritius and Lady (Northlight Theatre), A Steady Rain (Chicago Dramatists), Dollhouse and Lobby Hero (Goodman Theatre), Up Against It (Lookingglass Theatre), This is Our Youth and Dealer's Choice(Roadworks), and Mad Forest (Remains). Regional credits include Around the World in 80 Days (Lookingglass/KC Rep), Fanny Brice: the Real Funny Girl (Asolo/Maltz), Sleuth and The Fox on the Fairway (Theater at the Center) and Ecstasy (Odyssey). He has received one Joseph Jefferson Award and one After Dark Award. He was the director for The Earl and co-director of A Very Merry Unauthorized Children's Scientology Pageant, both at A Red Orchid, where he is an ensemble member.

Hanna Dworkin (Deirdre Blake) was last seen at ATC in Distracted, also directed by PJ Paparelli. Chicago credits include Picnic (Writers' Theatre);Ghetto, Early and Often, The Living, Remembrance, Mann Ist Mann, Pride's Crossing, Hellcab, A Yard of Sun (Famous Door); Humble Boy (Remy Bumppo), Mornings at Seven (Drury Lane); Pulp (About Face); 'Tis Pity She's a Whore, Saturday Stories (A Red Orchid); The Laramie Project, Welcome Home Jenny Sutter (Next Theatre); Refuge, From a Fading Light (Plasticene); Regional credits include A...My Name is Alice (Madison Repertory), The Red Shoes, The Clown of God, The Cookie Jar (Minneapolis Children's Theatre Company). Recent television credits include Detroit 187, Boss, Chicago Fire, Chicago PD, and the upcoming Netflix series, Sense8. Dworkin can also be seen in the upcoming film Henry Gamble's Birthday Party.

Keith Kupferer (Erik Blake) makes his ATC debut in The Humans. Other Chicago credits include The Qualms, Good People, Middletown, South of Settling, Of Mice & Men, Carter's Way, Men of Tortuga; Things Being What They Are; Jesus Hopped The A Train and Tavern Story (Steppenwolf Theatre); God of Carnage, High Holidays, Sarah Ruhl's Passion Play and The Old Neighborhood (Goodman Theatre); Appropriate (Victory Gardens Theatre); Gypsy (Chicago Shakespeare Theater); Execution of Justice (About Face Theatre); Cat Feet and The Old Neighborhood (Northlight Theatre); Desire Under The Elms, a co-production between Philadelphia's Freedom Theatre and Chicago's Court Theatre; and the long running hit,Shear Madness. Kupferer is a founding member of Rivendell Theatre Ensemble where he has performed in nine productions since 1996 and was most recently seen in their world premiere production of American Wee-Pie. Other Chicago credits include The Unseen, The Meek, Canus Lunis Balloonis (for which he was nominated for a 1998 Joseph Jefferson award for Best Ensemble), and The Physicists (A Red Orchid); and Big Lake, Big City, Trust and Hillbilly Antigone (Lookingglass Theatre). Film credits include the latest Ron Howard project, The Dilemma; Dark Knight; Public Enemies; The Express; Stranger Than Fiction; Road to Perdition directed by Sam Mendes; Fred Klaus; The Last Rights of Joe May ; The Merry Gentleman directed by Michael Keaton and the soon-to-be-released films Finding Santa; Resurrecting McGinn; Open Tables. TV credits include ABC's Betrayal; NBC's Crisis and Chicago Fire; ABC's Detroit 187; A&E's The Beast, the Fox series Prison Break; The Jamie Kennedy Experiment on WB and the CBS series Early Edition.

Jean Moran (Fiona "Momo" Blake) makes her American Theater Company debut in The Humans. Other Chicago area credits include Little Women(Drury Lane), Float (Theater Wit) and Sketchbook 10 (Collaboraction), in addition to substantial UK credits including The Chicago Seven (Open Space Theatre), The Mousetrap (Ambassador Theatre) and A Flea in Her Ear (Blackfriars Theatre), and touring companies of The Reluctant Debutant andThe Tender Trap. Radio & TV includes: Listen to the Drums on BBC TV, Johnny Appleseed for BBC Radio, and Z Cars for Granada TV, while film credits include Raising the Roof for Shepperton Studios.

Kelly O'Sullivan (Brigid Blake), an ensemble member of American Theater Company, has performed at ATC in columbinus and The Dark at the Top of the Stairs. Other theater credits include The Internationalist, Honest, Good Boys and True, The Crucible, and 100 Saints You Should Know(Steppenwolf); The Seagull (Goodman); Hesperia (Writers); My Wonderful Day - Barrymore Award nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Play (The Wilma Theatre); The Lieutenant of Inishmore (Northlight); Jon and Sketchbook 7 (Collaboraction); The Glory of Living (Profiles Theatre); and Mr. Marmalade- Joseph Jefferson Award Nomination for Principal Actress in a Play (Dog & Pony Theatre). She has acted at the Pacific Playwrights Festival and the Ojai Playwrights Conference. TV credits include The Mob Doctor, Battleground and the character "Voodoo" on Sirens, while film credits include In Memoriam, Jessica, Offsides and Henry Gamble's Birthday Party. O'Sullivan is a recipient of a 2014 Princess Grace Award for Theatre.

Sadieh Rifai (Aimee Blake), an ensemble member of American Theater Company, has performed at ATC in: columbinus, The Catholic Repertory: Doubt & Agnes of God, The Amish Project, The Original Grease, Welcome to Arroyo's, Hedwig and the Angry Inch, Distracted, and Speech & Debate for which she won an After Dark Award for Outstanding Performance. Other Chicago credits include The Piano Teacher (Next Theatre), Merchant on Venice (Silk Road Theatre), Ski Dubai (Steppenwolf Theatre First Look) and understudying the role of Johnna Monevata in August: Osage County (Steppenwolf Theatre). Film credits include: the award- winning The Wise Kids (New Fest, Out Fest and NYC LGBT Film Festival) and the feature film Nate and Margaret. She's also a recurring character in the mockumentary Bad Sides, which was recently a finalist in the Chicago Comedy TV Pilot Competition.

Stephen Karam (Playwright) is the author of Sons of the Prophet, a finalist for the 2012 Pulitzer Prize and the recipient of the 2012 Drama Critics Circle, Outer Critics Circle, Lucille Lortel and Hull-Warriner Awards for Best Play. Other plays include Speech & Debate, the inaugural production of Roundabout Underground; columbinus (New York Theatre Workshop); and the libretto for Dark Sisters, an original chamber opera with composer Nico Muhly. Karam is a MacDowell Colony fellow and the recipient of the inaugural Sam Norkin Off-Broadway Drama Desk Award. He teaches graduate playwriting at The New School. He grew up in Scranton, PA and is a graduate of Brown University.

PJ Paparelli (Director/Artistic Director) is in his eighth season as Artistic Director of American Theater Company. His ATC directing credits includeHair, Sons of the Prophet, columbinus (Five Jeff Nominations), The Catholic Rep: Doubt & Agnes of God, The Original Grease (Jeff Award for Best Musical), Escape, The Amish Project, Distracted, Yeast Nation (the new musical from the writers of Urinetown), Hedwig and the Angry Inch, The Black & White Rep: True West (Caucasian & African American casts), and the regional premiere of Speech & Debate (Jeff Nomination). His ATC writing credits include columbinus and Every Year is This Year, which was co-written by Maria Irene Fornes for ATC's The Silver Project. He is currently developing The Project(s), a documentary play on the history of Chicago's public housing.

Performance schedule & pricing:

Previews: Friday, Nov. 14, 8pm; Saturday, Nov. 15, 8pm; Sunday, Nov. 16, 2pm.

Opening performance: Monday, Nov. 17, 7pm

Regular Run, Nov. 20 - Dec. 21: Thursdays and Fridays, 8pm; Saturdays, 2 and 8pm; Sundays, 2pm. There will be no performance on Thanksgiving or Black Friday (Nov. 27 or 28).

Single tickets for The Humans at American Theater Company, 1909 W. Byron Street, range from $38-$48 and are available by calling the ATC box office at 773-409-4125, or visiting www.atcweb.org. Subscription packages are also available.

About American Theater Company - American Theater Company is an ensemble of artists committed to producing new and classic American stories that ask the question, "What does it mean to be an American?" ATC's Ensemble includes Usman Ally, Patrick Andrews, Kareem Bandealy, Jaime Castañeda, Kelly O'Sullivan, Tyler Ravelson, and Sadieh Rifai.

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