Rory Kinnear's THE HERD to Make U.S. Premiere at Steppenwolf Next Month

Rehearsals are underway for Steppenwolf Theatre Company's U.S. premiere production of The Herd, a deftly comic play by Olivier Award-winning actor Rory Kinnear and directed by ensemble member and Tony Award-winning director Frank Galati. The cast features ensemble members Francis Guinan as Ian, John Mahoney as Brian, Molly Regan as Carol and Lois Smith as Patricia with Cliff Chamberlain as Mark and Audrey Francis as Claire. The Herd begins previews April 2, 2015 (Opening night is April 12, 2015; Press performances are April 11 at 3pm and April 14 at 7:30pm) and runs through June 7, 2015 in Steppenwolf's Downstairs Theatre (1650 N Halsted St).

Carol, a harried matriarch in suburban London has arranged a small family party to celebrate the 21st birthday of her son Andy. But as everyone begins to gather, things go off the rails as two surprise guests pop up-one a newcomer and one all too familiar. And then Andy and his caregiver are running late-very, very late. With a deft comic touch, The Herd introduces us to a spirited middle class clan confronting the possibilities of reconciliation, the power of the past and the irresistible pull of family.

"There is a very gratifying level of attention paid to language in The Herd," shares SteppenwolfArtistic Director Martha Lavey, "which is a pleasure in itself, but is significant as well to the psychological territory that Rory Kinnear is mining: the way in which words can be weapons, or conversely, the currency of intimacy...I love that Rory explores the terrain. He does so with a wit and wisdom that are lightly carried and dramatically gratifying. I am very pleased that Steppenwolfis able to animate this family play with so many members of the Steppenwolf family."

The production team includes Walt Spangler (scenic design), Nan Cibula-Jenkins (costume design), Keith Parham (lighting design), Josh Schmidt (sound design and original music) and Eva Breneman (dialect coach). Additional credits include Erica Daniels (casting), Malcolm Ewen (stage manager) and Christine D. Freeburg (assistant stage manager).

The Herd is the debut play from Olivier Award-winning actor Rory Kinnear. As an actor, Kinnear is well-known for his film roles in The Imitation Game and the James Bond films Quantum of Solace and Skyfall; in the Showtime series Penny Dreadful and as Bolingbroke in Richard II as part of the BBC miniseries, The Hollow Crown; and on stage as Hamlet in Hamlet and Iago in Othello at the National Theatre in London; and Angelo in Measure for Measure at the Almeida Theatre.

Director Frank Galati has been a member of the Steppenwolf ensemble since 1986. He has received nine Joseph Jefferson Awards for his work in Chicago theater. He won two Tony Awards in 1990 for his adaptation and direction of Steppenwolf's production of The Grapes of Wrath and was nominated for a Tony Award in 1998 for directing the musical Ragtime. He has staged operas for Chicago Opera Theatre, Lyric Opera of Chicago and the Metropolitan Opera House. In 1989, Galati was nominated for an Academy Award for his screenplay (with Lawrence Kasdan) of The Accidental Tourist and in 2000 he was inducted into the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. He is a professor emeritus in the department of performance studies at Northwestern University.

Tickets ($20-$86) are on sale now through Audience Services (1650 N Halsted), at 312-335-1650 and steppenwolf.org.

Free post-show discussions are offered after every performance in the Subscription Season.Steppenwolf is located near all forms of public transportation and is wheelchair accessible. Street, lot and valet parking are available. Assistive listening devices and large-print programs are available for every performance.

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 Garage Theatre. Formed in 1976 by a collective of actors, Steppenwolf has grown into an ensemble of 44 actors, writers and directors. Artistic programming at Steppenwolf includes a five-play Subscription Season, a two-play Steppenwolf for Young Adults season and two repertory series: First Look Repertory of New Work, and Garage Rep. While firmly grounded in the Chicago community, nearly 40 original Steppenwolf productions have enjoyed success both nationally and internationally, including Off-Broadway, 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. Martha Lavey 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 steppenwolf.org, facebook.com/steppenwolftheatre and twitter.com/steppenwolfthtr.

Pictured: Audrey Francis (Claire), Cliff Chamberlain (Mark) and ensemble member Molly Regan (Carol) in THE HERD. Photo by Saverio Truglia.

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