Photo Flash: First Look at Steppenwolf's Chicago Premiere of DOMESTICATED

Rehearsals are underway for Steppenwolf Theatre Company's Chicago premiere production of Domesticated, a scandalously entertaining play written and directed by ensemble member Bruce Norris, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Clybourne Park, The Qualms and The Pain and The Itch. Featuring ensemble member Tom Irwin as publicly shamed politician Bill Pulver opposite venerable Chicago actress Mary Beth Fisher, who plays his wife, Domesticated begins previews December 3, 2015 (press performances are December 12 at 3pm and December 15 at 7:30pm; opening night is December 13) and runs through February 7, 2016 in the Downstairs Theatre. Single tickets ($20 - $89) are available through Audience Services (1650 N. Halsted) at 312-335-1650 andsteppenwolf.org. Check out photos below!

Politician Bill Pulver faces the cameras to stumble his way through a carefully crafted apology as his wife Judy stands stoically behind him...but what is she REALLY thinking? We are about to find out in Bruce Norris's wickedly funny, unpredictable play about a marriage burst apart by a sex scandal. Domesticated is a scathing, wildly entertaining play that investigates gender politics, modern marriage and the sexual mysteries of the animal kingdom.

"We have a civilized agreement, and a reasonable one, that says we can't behave the way some of our animal cousins do. I think that this idea-that everything that men instinctively want, on a primitive level, is basically bad and everything women want, basically good-is how we've constructed our present morality, based on gender," shares writer, director and ensemble member Bruce Norris. "We see women as a civilizing force-the things they want lead to social stability and the things men want lead to chaos and destruction. I don't know if that's true or false, but it's present in how we currently talk about gender."

The cast features ensemble member Tom Irwin as Bill Pulver and Mary Beth Fisher as Judy Pulver along with Emily Chang (Cassidy),Esteban Andres Cruz (Woman in Bar), Meighan Gerachis (Pilar, Judge and others), Rae Gray (Bartender, Becky and others), Beth Lacke (Bobbie), Mildred Marie Langford (Talk Show Host and others), Melanie Neilan (Casey), Meg Thalken (Shrink, Ed, Pat and others) and Karen Janes Woditsch (Jackie, Patient and others). Irwin has been an ensemble member since 1979 and performed in more than 50 Steppenwolf productions, including The Grapes of Wrath, Balm in Gilead and The Seafarer. Fisher, a frequent performer at Goodman Theatre, most recently in Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike, last performed at Steppenwolf in Dead Man's Cell Phone in 2008.

The production team includes Todd Rosenthal (scenic design), Jenny Mannis (costume design), Ann G. Wrightson (lighting design),Rick Sims (sound design) and Jeff Sugg (projection design). Additional credits include Jessamyn Fuller (casting) and Laura Glenn(stage manager) and Christine D. Freeburg (Assistant Stage Manager).

Domesticated was originally commissioned and produced by Lincoln Center Theater in 2013.

Photos by Michael Brosilow

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