Griffin Theatre Presents the Chicago Premiere of THE HARVEST

Griffin Theatre Company is pleased to conclude its 30th anniversary season with the Chicago premiere of THE HARVEST, Samuel D. Hunter's drama about a group of young missionaries preparing to travel to the Middle East, directed by Jonathan Berry. THE HARVEST will play July 21 - August 25, 2018 at The Den Theatre (2B), 1331 N. Milwaukee Ave. in Chicago. Tickets are currently available at www.griffintheatre.com or by calling (773) 697-3830.

THE HARVEST will feature Kathryn Acosta, Patrick Blashill, Taylor Del Vecchio, Raphael Diaz, Paloma Nozicka, Collin Quinn Rice and Kiayla Ryan.

In the basement of a small evangelical church in southeastern Idaho, a group of young missionaries is preparing to go to the Middle East. When one of the missionaries - a young man - has a crisis of faith on his spiritual journey, it reminds us that faith doesn't come easily, no matter where you look for it.

The production team for THE HARVEST includes: Sotirios Livaditis (scenic design), Mieka van der Ploeg (costume design), Heather Gilbert (lighting design), Sarah Ramos (sound design), Lacie Hexom

(properties design), Catherine Allen (production manager), Spenser Diedrick (asst. director) and Jacqueline Marschke (stage manager).

Griffin Theatre was recently honored with four 2018 non-Equity Jeff Awards for its production of Ragtime including Best Ensemble, Best Musical, Best Director-Musical (Scott Weinstein) and Best Performer in a Supporting Role-Musical (Katherine Thomas).

About the Artists

Samuel D. Hunter's (Playwright) plays include The Whale (Drama Desk Award, Lucille Lortel Award for Outstanding Play, GLAAD Media Award, Drama League and Outer Critics Circle nominations for Best Play), A Bright New Boise (Obie Award, Drama Desk nomination for Best Play), The Few, A Great Wilderness, Rest, Pocatello, Lewiston, Clarkston, and most recently, The Healing and The Harvest. He is the recipient of a 2014 MacArthur "Genius Grant" Fellowship, a 2012 Whiting Writers Award, the 2013 Otis Guernsey New Voices Award, the 2011 Sky Cooper Prize, the 2008 PONY/Lark Fellowship and an honorary doctorate from the University of Idaho. His plays have been produced in New York at Playwrights Horizons, Lincoln Center Theater, Rattlestick Playwrights Theater, Clubbed Thumb and Page 73, and around the country at such theaters as Seattle Rep, South Coast Rep, Victory Gardens, Williamstown Theater Festival, The Old Globe, Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company, Denver Center Theatre Company, the Dallas Theater Center, Long Wharf Theatre, and elsewhere. His work has been developed at the O'Neill Playwrights Conference, the Ojai Playwrights Conference, Seven Devils and PlayPenn. Two published anthologies of his work are available from TCG books. He is a member of New Dramatists, an Ensemble Playwright at Victory Gardens, and was a 2013 Resident Playwright at Arena Stage. A native of northern Idaho, Sam lives in NYC. He holds degrees in playwriting from NYU, The Iowa Playwrights Workshop and Juilliard.

Jonathan Berry (Director) is an Artistic Producer at Steppenwolf and a director and teacher in Chicago. Steppenwolf credits include The Crucible, Gary and A Separate Peace for Steppenwolf for Young Adults. Jonathan is an ensemble member at Steep Theatre where credits include Posh, If There Is I Haven't Found It Yet, The Knowledge, Festen and Moment. He is also an ensemble member at Griffin Theatre where his credits include Pocatello, Balm in Gilead, Golden Boy, Spring Awakening, Punk Rock, Port and On the Shore of the Wide World. Jon was the assistant director for Anna D. Shapiro's Broadway productions of Of Mice and Men and This Is Our Youth. Other credits include Dirty, Othello, Suicide, Incorporated (Gift Theatre); The Solid Sand Below, The World of Extreme Happiness for New Stages (Goodman Theatre); Kill Floor (American Theatre Company); Little Shop of Horrors, Sideman (American Blues Theater); I am Going to Change the World (Chicago Dramatists); and The Casuals (Jackalope Theatre Company). He pursued his MFA in directing from Northwestern University. He has taught at University of Michigan, Northwestern University, University of Chicago, Columbia College and The School at Steppenwolf.

The Griffin Theatre Company's 2017/2018 Premiere Season Sponsors are Michael and Mona Heath.

Additional Season Sponsor Support: Kassie Davis and Bruce Beatus, Mary Grover, Randy and Lloyd Gussis, Terrance Stevenson and Gale Dreas and Tom Brennan,

The Griffin Theatre Company is a Blue Star Theater and is proud to support our military enlisted and veterans.

About Griffin Theatre Company

Established in 1988 and celebrating its 30th season, the mission of the Griffin Theatre Company is to create extraordinary and meaningful theatrical experiences for both children and adults by building bridges of understanding between generations that instill in its audience an appreciation of the performing arts. Through artistic collaboration the Griffin Theatre Company produces literary adaptations, original work and classic plays that challenge and inspire, with wit, style and compassion for the audience.

The Griffin Theatre Company is the recipient of 115 Joseph Jefferson Award nominations for theater excellence in Chicago. The Griffin was honored with four 2018 Jeff awards for Ragtime including Best Ensemble, Best Musical, Best Director-Musical and Best Performer in a Supporting Role-Musical. Additionally, the company was the repeat winner of the 2016 Jeff Award for Best Production of a Play for London Wall having won the same award in 2015 for its production of Men Should Weep.

The Griffin Theatre Company is partially supported by the Illinois Arts Council, a state agency.

For additional information, visit www.griffintheatre.com.

PHOTO CREDIT: The cast of Griffin Theatre Company's Chicago premiere of THE HARVEST includes (top, l to r) Kathryn Acosta, Patrick Blashill, Taylor Del Vechio, Raphael Diaz (bottom, l to r) Paloma Nozicka, Collin Quinn Rice and Kiayla Ryan.

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