Eamonn Walker to Lead Steppenwolf's Chicago Premiere of BETWEEN RIVERSIDE AND CRAZY; Cast Announced!

Steppenwolf Theatre Company announced today the complete cast for the Chicago premiere of BETWEEN RIVERSIDE AND CRAZY, a rowdy dark comedy written by 2015 Pulitzer Prize winner Stephen Adly Guirgis and directed by ensemble member Yasen Peyankov.

The cast features London-born actor Eamonn Walker as ex-cop Pops and ensemble member James Vincent Meredith as his son, Junior, with ensemble member Tim Hopper as Lieutenant Caro, Audrey Francis as Detective O'Connor, Victor Almanzar as Oswaldo, Elena Flores as Lulu and Lily Mojekwu as Church Lady.

BETWEEN RIVERSIDE AND CRAZY runs June 23 - August 21, 2016 in the Downstairs Theatre; Press performances are July 9 at 3pm and July 12 at 7:30pm; Opening night is July 10. Tickets to BETWEEN RIVERSIDE AND CRAZY ($20-$89) go on sale Friday, April 15 at 11am through Audience Services (1650 N. Halsted) at 312-335-1650 and steppenwolf.org.

Ex-cop "Pops" Washington and his ex-con son Junior are barely holding on to one of the last great rent stabilized apartments in Manhattan. Pops has his hands (not to mention his apartment) full as he navigates a steady stream of sketchy houseguests and sweats out the impending verdict on his law suit against the police department. From the wildly original author of The Motherf**ker with the Hat, BETWEEN RIVERSIDE AND CRAZY is a celebration of the glorious contradictions that make up human nature while looking at the slippery nature of justice, and the grit it takes to finally move on.

Eamonn Walker is a British film, television and theatre actor who currently stars on NBC's Chicago Fire. He is well-known for his role as 'Kareem Saïd' in the HBO series Oz, for which he won a CableACE Award, as well as his work in the films Once in the Life, Unbreakable, Tears of the Sun and Lord of War. In 2007 Walker became the first black actor to play the role of Othello at the Globe Theatre. Ensemble member James Vincent Meredith, who recently played Othello at Chicago Shakespeare Theater to critical acclaim, has performed in many notable Steppenwolf performances including The Crucible, Clybourne Park, The Hot L Baltimore and Superior Donuts. Ensemble member Tim Hopper was last seen in John Steinbeck's East of Eden and Steppenwolf for Young Adults' The Compass this season, as well as Grand Concourse, Marie Antoinette and The Night Alive in the 2015/16 season. Audrey Francis performed in last season's The Herd and Victor Almanzar was also seen last season in Grand Concourse. Completing the cast are Lily Mojekwu, who performed in Steppenwolf for Young Adults' fml: how Carson McCullers saved my life, and Elena Flores, who makes her Steppenwolf debut.

The production team includes Collette Pollard (scenic design), Natasha Dukich (costume design), Scott Zielinski (lighting design) and Josh Schmidt (sound design and original music). Additional credits include Jessamyn Fuller (casting), Laura D. Glenn (stage manager) and Cassie Calderone (assistant stage manager).

Also this summer, Steppenwolf presents the Chicago premiere of Constellations by Nick Payne, directed by Steppenwolf Artistic Producer Jonathan Berry. Featuring ensemble member Jon Michael Hill as 'Roland' (CBS's Elementary, Steppenwolf's Superior Donuts), Constellations begins previews May 26, 2016 (Press/Opening night is Wednesday, June 1 at 7:30pm) and the production runs through July 3, 2016 in Steppenwolf's Upstairs Theatre, 1650 N Halsted St. Tickets ($20 - $89) are available through Audience Services (1650 N Halsted), 312-335-1650 and steppenwolf.org.

In May 2016, Steppenwolf's new 80-seat black box at 1700 N Halsted opens under the name, 1700 Theatre. A casual, intimate and flexible space, the new theater will be dedicated to showcasing the work of the Steppenwolf ensemble and emerging local theater companies. It will also be the home of LookOut-a new performance series presenting a wide variety of genres and shows, from dance to live music to spoken word and beyond. Programming and ticket information are available at stepppenwolf.org/lookout.

Steppenwolf's 2016/17 Subscription Season includes the world premiere of Visiting Edna by David Rabe, directed by Artistic Director Anna D. Shapiro (September 15 - November 6, 2016); the world premiere of The Fundamentals by Erika Sheffer, directed by ensemble member Yasen Peyankov (November 10 - December 23, 2016); the Chicago premiere of The Christians by Lucas Hnath, directed by ensemble member K. Todd Freeman (December 1, 2016 - January 29, 2017); the Chicago premiere of Straight White Men, written and directed by Young Jean Lee (February 2 - March 19, 2017); the world premiere of Linda Vista by Tracy Letts, director TBA (March 30 - May 21, 2017); and the Chicago premiere of Hir by Taylor Mac, director TBA (June 29 - August 20, 2017).

Steppenwolf Theatre Company is America's longest standing, most distinguished ensemble theater, producing nearly 700 performances and events annually in its three Chicago theater spaces-the 515-seat Downstairs Theatre, the 299-seat Upstairs Theatre and the 80-seat 1700 Theatre. Formed in 1976 by a collective of actors, Steppenwolf has grown into an ensemble of 44 actors, writers and directors. Beginning in 2016/17, Steppenwolf expands artistic programming to include a seven-play Season; a two-play Steppenwolf for Young Adults season; Visiting Company engagements; and Lookout, a new multidisciplinary performance series. While firmly grounded in the Chicago community, nearly 40 original Steppenwolf productions have enjoyed success both nationally and internationally, including Broadway, Off-Broadway, London, Sydney, Galway and Dublin. Steppenwolf has the distinction of being the only theater to receive the National Medal of Arts, in addition to numerous other prestigious honors including an Illinois Arts Legend Award and 12 Tony Awards. Anna D. Shapiro is the Artistic Director and David Schmitz is the Managing Director. Nora Daley is Chair of Steppenwolf's Board of Trustees. For additional information, visit www.steppenwolf.org, facebook.com/steppenwolftheatre and twitter.com/steppenwolfthtr.

Photo Credit: Elizabeth Morris/NBC

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