Steppenwolf Adds CONSTELLATIONS to 2016-17 Season; Jon Michael Hill to Star

Steppenwolf Theatre Company has announced the addition of Constellations by Nick Payne to this summer's lineup. Directed by Steppenwolf Artistic Producer Jonathan Berry, the Chicago premiere production features ensemble member Jon Michael Hill as 'Roland' (CBS's Elementary, Steppenwolf's Superior Donuts). Casting for the role of 'Marianne' will be announced at a later date. Constellations debuted in London at the Royal Court to critical acclaim before moving on to successful runs in both The West End and on Broadway. Previews begin May 26, 2016 (Press/Opening night is Wednesday, June 1 at 7:30pm) and the production runs through July 3, 2016 in Steppenwolf's Upstairs Theatre, 1650 N Halsted St. Tickets ($20 - $89) go on sale Friday, March 18 at 11am through Audience Services (1650 N Halsted), 312-335-1650 and steppenwolf.org.

Roland (a bee keeper) and Marianne (a theoretical physicist) meet at a party. In that single moment, an unfathomable multitude of possibilities unfold. Their chance meeting might blossom into a meaningful relationship or a brief affair: it might lead to nothing at all. Each step along those possible paths in turn offers a new series of potential outcomes: a marriage can exist alongside a breakup and a tragic illness can exist on a parallel plane to a happily ever after. In this clever, eloquent, and moving story, Roland and Marianne's romance plays out over a myriad of possible lifetimes, capturing the extraordinary richness of being alive in the universe.

"Constellations is a play that has been on my radar for some time. It's a beautiful navigation of all that is extraordinarily complex and imminently possible within a human relationship. I can't imagine a better place to explore this work than at Steppenwolf, where the focus can so fully be on the work of the two actors in this intimate space," shares director Jonathan Berry.

Nick Payne is a British playwright and screenwriter. He won the prestigious George Devine Award in 2009 with his play, If There Is I Haven't Found It Yet, which was produced at the Bush Theatre in 2009 and went onto the Roundabout Theatre, starring Jake Gyllenhaal and directed by Michael Longhurst. Constellations opened at the Royal Court in 2012 and transferred to the West End where it received universally glowing reviews, won the Evening Standard Best Play Award and was nominated for an Olivier Award for Best New Play. In 2015 Constellations transferred to Broadway starring Jake Gyllenhaal and Ruth Wilson and directed by Michael Longhurst to critical acclaim. Payne is currently under commission at Paines Plough, the Royal Court and Manhattan Theatre Club/Alfred P Sloan Foundation writing a new play about Nobel Prize-winning mathematician, Paul Dirac.

Jonathan Berry joined the Steppenwolf staff as Artistic Producer in June 2015. A prolific director, he began his work in Chicago as Steppenwolf's Artistic Office intern in 1998, and has continued a strong relationship with the company. His Steppenwolf directing credits include Melinda Lopez's Gary for the First Look new play series and A Separate Peace for Steppenwolf for Young Adults, as well as assisting on The Weir, The Man Who Came to Dinner, Mother Courage and Her Children and This is Our Youth. He makes his Steppenwolf main season directorial debut with Constellations. Since 2009, Berry has taught Viewpoints for the School at Steppenwolf. A company member of both Steep and Griffin Theatres, Berry has also directed for many Chicago companies, including Goodman Theatre, Steep, Griffin, Remy Bumppo, Lifeline, The Gift and Fox Valley Theatricals. He recently directed Griffin's critically acclaimed production of Pocatello, and Steep's production of Posh, now playing through March 12, 2016.

Constellations production team includes Joe Schermoly (scenic design), Izumi Inaba (costume design), Heather Gilbert (lighting design) and Christopher Kriz (sound design and original music). Additional credits include Christine D. Freeburg (stage manager), Jessamyn Fuller (casting) and Hallie Gordon (artistic producer).

Jon Michael Hill currently appears as 'Detective Marcus Bell' in the CBS-TV series, Elementary. He was nominated for a Tony Award and won an Outer Critics Circle and Theatre World Award for his role as 'Franco Wicks' in the Broadway production of Superior Donuts by Tracy Letts, a role which he originated at Steppenwolf. A Steppenwolf ensemble member since 2007, Hill has performed in many productions including Hot L Baltimore, The Tempest, Kafka on the Shore and The Unmentionables. Additional television and film credits include Detroit 1-8-7, Eastbound and Down, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit and Person of Interest.

Photo by Walter McBride

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