Photo Flash: Sneak Peek at Steppenwolf's 2013 FIRST LOOK Lineup

Performances begin in three weeks for Steppenwolf Theatre Company's upcoming eighth annual First Look Repertory of New Work, featuring three developmental productions of new plays presented in rotating repertory July 29 - August 25, 2013 in the Garage Theatre (1624 N Halsted St). First Look 2013 includes: Annie Bosh is Missing by Janine Nabers, directed by Shade Murray; Buena Vista by Edith Freni, directed byensemble member Tim Hopper; and The Gospel of Franklin by Aaron Carter, directed by Robert O'Hara.

The 2013 festival also features free readings of three new plays: BARBECUE written and directed by Robert O'Hara; Tempo by Mike Batistick, directed by ensemble member Ian Barford; and Your Name Will Follow You Home by Carlos Murillo, directed by Dexter Bullard.

Scroll down for a sneak peek at Annie Bosh, Buena Vista and The Gospel of Franklin in rehearsal!

Annie Bosh is Missing
A new play by Janine Nabers
Directed by Shade Murray

Featuring Jennifer Avery, Brittany Burch, Ian Paul Custer, Caroline Neff, David Seeber, Krenée A. Tolson and Phillip Edward Van Lear

Annie Bosh is back. 22 years old and fresh out of rehab, she finds herself working in a bowling alley, living in her mother's ritzy subdivision, and desperate to move on with her life. Slipping out of the front gates, Annie wanders the chaotic streets of a post-Hurricane Katrina Houston, but what exactly is she looking for?

Janine Nabers is a 2012 New York Theatre Workshop playwriting fellow. Her plays include: Welcome to Jesus, Serial Black Face, Annie Bosh is Missing, A Swell in the Ground, West of the Willow Tree, Juniper, Jubilee and book to the musical Mrs. Hughes (composer/lyricist Sharon Kenny).

Buena Vista
A new play by Edith Freni
Directed by ensemble member Tim Hopper

Featuring Leah Karpel, Rich Komenich, Luigi Sottile and Karen Vaccaro

When Noah shows up at his family's isolated Colorado cabin, he discovers his estranged mother has been squatting there for months. Then Dad walks in-questioning the reason for his son's retreat-and Noah's weekend getaway turns into a bizarre, snowed-in family nightmare. A series of revelations igniteBuena Vista's surreal conclusion, unfolding in a frozen wooden box at 12,000 feet above sea level.

Edith Freni's work has been developed and produced at Ensemble Studio Theatre, New York Theatre Workshop, LAByrinth Theatre Company and The Public Theatre, among others. Her plays include Total Power Exchange, The Prince, KidStuff, Baby Girl and Help Yourself. She is a former competitive amateur boxer and a competitive triathlete. She teaches playwriting at the University of Miami, where she is currently at work on a trilogy of classical Greek adaptations commissioned by the University MFA: NYU.

The Gospel of Franklin
A new play by Aaron Carter
Directed by Robert O'Hara

Featuring Rob Fenton, Tim Frank, Keith D. Gallagher, Gavin Lawrence and Julian Parker

Franklin is a man of God with a talent for recognizing people who suffer in secret. A working-class black man, he mentors young white men at the factory with a preacher's zeal. But when Franklin himself needs help, it is his son William who comes to the rescue. The Gospel of Franklin is a warm, fiercely intelligent play that asks the question: can you save someone who doesn't want to be saved?

Aaron Carter is the director of new play development at Steppenwolf Theater Company where he is completing his second season. As a playwright, Aaron's work focuses on race, faith and obscure performance skills. Chicago credits include Panther Burn and First Words, both produced by MPAACT. His playStart Fair was originally developed at Next Theater and has had subsequent readings with Route 66 Theatre Company and the Lorraine Hansberry Theater in San Francisco.

The mission of First Look Repertory of New Work is to develop plays for future production at Steppenwolf and other theaters across the country. Since its inception, 12 of the 21 plays presented during First Look's first seven seasons have enjoyed subsequent world premieres at other theaters, including: Sarah Gubbins' Fair Use, produced by Actors' Express in Atlanta, Georgia; Jason Wells' Perfect Mendacity, produced by Asolo Repertory Theatre in Sarasota, Florida; Wells's Men of Tortuga, also produced by Asolo, with a second production at Profiles Theater in Chicago; The Butcher of Baraboo by Marisa Wegrzyn, produced by 2econd Stage Theatre in New York, with a second production at A Red Orchid Theatre in Chicago; 100 Saints You Should Know by Kate Fodor, produced by Playwrights Horizons in New York; Spare Change by Mia McCullough, produced by Stage Left Theatre in Chicago; Gary by Melinda Lopez, produced by Boston Playwrights' Theatre in Massachusetts; When The Messenger is Hot by Laura Eason, produced by 59E59 Theaters in New York; Eason's Sex with Strangers, produced by Steppenwolf, with a second production scheduled at Second Stage Theatre in New York; Pursued by Happiness by Keith Huff, produced by Road Theater Company in Los Angeles, California; The North Plan by Jason Wells, produced by Portland Center Stage, with a second production at Theater Wit in Chicago; and Oblivion by Carly Mensch is scheduled for Westport Country Playhouse in Connecticut.

The production team for First Look 2013 includes William Boles (scenic design), Joanna Melville (costume design, Annie Bosh is Missing), Sally Dolembo (costume design, Buena Vista), David Hyman (costume design, The Gospel of Franklin), Heather Gilbert (lighting design) and Kevin O'Donnell(sound design). Additional credits include: Erica Daniels (casting), Ryan Bourque (fight choreography), Cassie Wolgamott (lead stage manager), Michelle Medvin (stage manager) and Jonathan Nook (stage manager).

Tickets to First Look Repertory of New Work ($20) are on sale now at steppenwolf.org/firstlook, 1650 N Halsted St or 312-335-1650. Student tickets ($15) are available with valid ID. Passes to all three plays are available for $45.

Photo Credit: Joel Moorman

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