Steppenwolf Extends THE HERD

Steppenwolf Theatre Company announced today the extension of The Herd, the debut play of Olivier Award-winning actor Rory Kinnear currently playing to critical acclaim in its U.S. premiere production in Steppenwolf's Downstairs Theatre. In a four-star review, the Chicago Tribune raves, "A family drama that sticks with you...this is Steppenwolf acting at its best" and The New York Times says, "a buoyantly entertaining play [that] breathes with real, complicated life." Directed by ensemble member and Tony Award-winning director Frank Galati, The Herd adds six additional performances, extending the run through June 14, 2015 with the original cast. Tickets ($20-$89) to the added performances are now on sale through Audience Services (1650 N Halsted), at 312-335-1650 and steppenwolf.org.

The "stellar cast" (Chicago Sun-Times) features longtime 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.

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.

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, Skyfall and soon to be released Spectre; in the Showtime series Penny Dreadful and as Bolingbroke in Richard II, part of the BBC miniseries, The Hollow Crown; and on stage in Hamlet and Othello at the National Theatre in London.

Director Frank Galati has been a member of the Steppenwolf ensemble since 1985. 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.

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).

Tickets to The Herd ($20 - $89) are available through Audience Services (1650 N Halsted St), 312-335-1650 and steppenwolf.org. Prices are subject to change. 20 for $20: twenty $20 tickets are available through Audience Services beginning at 11am on the day of each performance (1pm for Sunday performances). Rush Tickets: half-price rush tickets are available one hour before each show. Student Discounts: a limited number of $15 student tickets are available online. Limit 2 tickets per student; must present a valid student ID for each ticket. Group Tickets: all groups of 10 or more receive a discounted rate for any performance throughout the season. For additional information, visit steppenwolf.org/groups. Accessible performances include American Sign Language interpretation on Sunday, May 10 at 7:30pm, Open Captioning on Saturday, May 23 at 3pm and an Audio Description and a Touch Tour on Sunday, May 24 at 1:30pm (curtain at 3pm). For more information, visit steppenwolf.org/access.

United Airlines is the Presenting Sponsor of The Herd. Allstate Insurance Company is the Corporate Production Sponsor of The Herd. ComEd is the 2014/15 Season Lighting Sponsor.

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's 2014/15 season explores the question, How did I get here?, through five stories about losing-and finding-your way. Concluding the 2014/15 Subscription Season is the Chicago premiere of Grand Concourse by Heidi Schreck, directed by ensemble member Yasen Peyankov (July 2 - August 30, 2015) in the Downstairs Theatre.

Steppenwolf's 2015/16 Subscription Season includes the world premiere adaptation of John Steinbeck's East of Eden, adapted by ensemble member Frank Galati, directed by ensemble member Terry Kinney (September 17 - November 15, 2015); the Chicago premiere of Domesticated written and directed by ensemble member Bruce Norris (December 3, 2015 - February 7, 2016); the Chicago premiere of The Flick by Annie Baker, directed by Dexter Bullard (February 4 - May 8, 2016); the world premiere of Mary Page Marlowe by ensemble member Tracy Letts, directed by ensemble member Anna D. Shapiro (March 31 - May 29, 2016); and the Chicago premiere of Between Riverside and Crazy by Stephen Adly Guirgis, directed by ensemble member Yasen Peyankov (June 23 - August 21, 2016).

Photo Credit: Michael Brosilow

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