Erika Sheffer's THE FUNDAMENTALS World Premiere Begins This Fall at Steppenwolf

Rehearsals are underway for the Steppenwolf-commissioned world premiere production of Erika Sheffer's The Fundamentals, directed by ensemble member Yasen Peyankov, who also directed Sheffer's Russian Transport at Steppenwolf in 2014.

The cast features ensemble member Alana Arenas as Millie, a Manhattan hotel maid with higher aspirations, alongside ensemble members Caroline Neff and Alan Wilder with Audrey Francis and Armando Riesco.

Previews begin November 10, 2016 (press performances are Saturday, November 19 at 3pm and Tuesday, November 22 at 7:30pm; opening night is Sunday, November 23) and the show runs through December 23, 2016 in Steppenwolf's Upstairs Theatre, 1650 N Halsted. Tickets ($20 - $89) are available through Audience Services at 312-335-1650 or steppenwolf.org.

Millie is a smart, resourceful young mother who works as a housekeeper in one of New York's premier luxury hotels. When an opportunity to move into management gives her the chance to leave behind her blue collar life, Millie must decide how much, and who, she's willing to sacrifice to secure her family's future. A funny and scathing look at America's corporate culture, The Fundamentals examines the compromises we make in order to fulfill our dreams.

The Fundamentals was commissioned by Steppenwolf and developed as part of the First Look new play series in 2015. As part of First Look, audiences were able to attend an open rehearsal of The Fundamentals followed by a discussion with Erika Sheffer and the artistic team, in addition to seeing a stage reading. This September, The Guggenheim Museum in New York presented selected scenes from The Fundamentals with the Chicago cast as part of their "Works & Process" series. The reading was followed by a discussion moderated by Julian Sheppard with the cast, director and playwright.

"After working with Erika Sheffer on Russian Transport, it was clear that she possesses a unique talent for combining frank exploration of our cultural myths with surprisingly funny and complex characters. We were thrilled to offer Erika a commission and continue her relationship with Steppenwolf," says Artistic Producer Aaron Carter.

"Erika Sheffer has crafted a remarkably complex central character in the role of Millie - a young mother who, due to her financial and social position, must make difficult choices between her personal relationships and the advancement of her career. The portrayal of Millie is refreshingly unsentimental and her actions will garner a variety of reactions and spark conversations that we're eager to have," shares director Yasen Peyankov.

Erika Sheffer's playwriting debut, Russian Transport, was produced at The New Group (Outer Critics Circle nomination) and Steppenwolf. She is a recipient of The Vineyard's Paula Vogel Playwriting Award. Her plays have been developed at The New Group, The Vineyard, and Primary Stages. Erika has performed original pieces at Upright Citizens Brigade and Dixon Place. She is a member of SPACE on Ryder Farm's Working Farm and Ars Nova Playgroup 2015/2016. She received her BFA in Drama from Syracuse University.

Yasen Peyankov has been a Steppenwolf ensemble member since 2002 and last appeared in The Wheel. Steppenwolf directing credits include Between Riverside and Crazy, Grand Concourse, Hushabye, Russian Transport, as well as The Glass Menagerie for Steppenwolf for Young Adults. He also directed the Bulgarian premiere of August: Osage County at the National Theatre in Sofia, Bulgaria. Other directing credits include Uncle Vanya, Stars in the Morning Sky, Macbeth, Roberto Zucco, Go Away Go Away, Slavs! (European Repertory Company); Overweight, Unimportant, Misshape: A European Supper (Trap Door Theatre); and Ladybird (Rushforth Productions) among others. On stage he has also appeared in productions at Goodman Theatre, Court Theatre, European Repertory Company, Next Theatre Company, Seattle Repertory Theatre, American Conservatory Theatre and made his Broadway debut in Superior Donuts in 2009. Film and television credits include A Very Harold and Kumar Christmas, Contagion, Transformer 3, Crime Fiction, The Company, The Mob Doctor, The Beast, Gifted Hands, Karen Sisco, Alias, The Practice, The Unit, Numb3rs and others. He has translated and adapted Russian plays by Anton Chekhov, Mikhail Bulgakov, Nikolai Kolyada, Alexander Galin and Vassily Sigarevall. His translation of Chekhov's Ivanov, was produced by European Repertory Company and was published by Ivan R. Dee. He is the recipient of a Joseph Jefferson Award, Fox Fellowship and serves as the Head of Theatre in the School of Theatre and Music at the University of Illinois at Chicago where he teaches acting and directs.

Alana Arenas has been an ensemble member since 2007, starring most recently in Marie Antoinette in 2015. Arenas recently received the 2016 Lucille Lortel Award for her performance in Head of Passes at The Public Theatre. Caroline Neff was welcomed in the Steppenwolf ensemble last season after appearing in six productions, including the critically acclaimed Chicago premiere of The Flick. Alan Wilder, an original ensemble member, has appeared in more than 60 Steppenwolf productions, including Mary Page Marlowe and John Steinbeck's East of Eden last season. Audrey Francis returns to the Steppenwolf stage having performed recently in Between Riverside and Crazy and The Herd. Armando Riesco is a film and stage actor celebrated for his work as the title character in The Elliot Trilogy by Quiara Alegría Hudes and recently starred in Avad Akhtar's, Junk at the La Jolla Playhouse. He performed in Roadworks and Steppenwolf's 1999 co-production of This Is Our Youth.

Tickets to The Fundamentals are available through Audience Services (1650 N Halsted St), 312-335-1650 and steppenwolf.org: Previews: $20 - $54 and Regular Run: $20 - $89. Prices subject to change. Rush Tickets: half-price rush tickets are available one hour before each show. Student Discounts: a limited number of $15 student tickets are available online. Limit 2 tickets per student; must present a valid student ID for each ticket, steppenwolf.org/students. Group Tickets: all groups of 10 or more receive a discounted rate for any performance throughout the season, steppenwolf.org/groups. Subscription Memberships: Season Subscriptions available through mid-October for audiences who like to lock in dates and secure seats in advance. Flex Card Memberships: Card memberships are for audiences interested in extreme flexibility with six tickets for use any time for any production. The credits are valid for one year with the option to add additional credits as needed. Perks include easy and free exchanges, access to seats before the general public, savings on single ticket prices and bar and restaurant discounts for pre- and post-show socializing. To purchase a 2016/17 Subscription or Membership, visit Audience Services at 1650 N Halsted St, call 312-335-1650 or visit steppenwolf.org.

Accessible performances include an American Sign Language interpretation on December 4, 2016 at 7:30pm, Open Captioning on December 10, 2016 at 3pm, and an Audio Description and Touch Tour on December 18, 2016 at 3pm. For more information, visit steppenwolf.org/access.

Full performance schedule included at end of the release. Curtain times are Tuesdays through Sundays at 7:30pm; Saturday and Sunday matinees at 3pm and Wednesday 2pm matinees are December 7, 14 and 21. There is no performance on November 24 and no Sunday 7:30pm performances on December 11 and 18.

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 46 actors, writers and directors. Artistic programming includes a seven-play season; a two-play Steppenwolf for Young Adults season; Visiting Company engagements; and LookOut, a new multi-genre 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 receiving 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.

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