Steppenwolf For Young Adults Presents the World Premiere Adaptation of George Orwell's ANIMAL FARM

Rehearsals are underway for Steppenwolf for Young Adults' (SYA) first production of its 2014/15 season: George Orwell's Animal Farm, a world premiere adaptation by Althos Low. SYA's Artistic and Educational Director Hallie Gordon directs the production in Steppenwolf's Upstairs Theatre, which features Will Allan as Benjamin; Jasmine Bracey as Julia and Old Major; Lucy Carapetyan as Maggie; Amelia Hefferon as Squealer; Matt Kahler as Boxer; Mildred Marie Langford as Muriel; Blake Montgomery as Napoleon; Dana Murphy as Mollie; Lance Newton as Pinkeye and Moses; and Sean Parris as Snowball. The SYA 2014/15 season explores the theme, "Create a Movement: The Art of Revolution."

Animal Farm runs October 15 - November 9, 2014; with an additional week of student performances now offered November 11 - 14, 2014 at 10am. The press performance is on Saturday, October 18 at 3pm. Performances Tuesday through Friday at 10am are reserved for school groups only; public performances are scheduled Friday at 7:30pm (except October 17), Saturday at 3pm and 7:30pm and Sunday at 3pm. Single tickets ($20) are on sale now through Audience Services (1650 N Halsted St), 312-335-1650 and steppenwolf.org. School group tickets are available through Education and Community Programs Coordinator Lauren Sivak at312-654-5643.

George Orwell's revolutionary masterpiece comes to the stage with Steppenwolf for Young Adults' world premiere adaptation ofAnimal Farm. After revolting against the reign of their negligent human master, the animals of Mr. Jones's farm create their own ideal society in which all animals are equal and rules are set by democratic vote. It's all working pretty well until the allure of power leads the animals to a chilling fate. Animal Farm illustrates how new tyranny replaces old and power corrupts even the noblest of causes.

"We have been delighted by the enthusiastic response from educators and audiences eager to see this classic come to life onstage. Animal Farm is a very timely piece that is in direct conversation with our season-long exploration of what it takes for us to create movements and ignite revolutions," shares SYA Artistic and Educational Director Hallie Gordon.

"Today, in our technology-driven landscape, anyone can generate ideas that travel quickly around the world: any individual, any politician, any community organizer, any tech innovator, any artist. But what does it take to create a movement? A desire for change is required for something to become more than an idea. So how does that happen? What is the art of a revolution?" adds Gordon.

The production team for Animal Farm includes Brian Sydney Bembridge (scenic design), Izumi Inaba (costume design), JR Lederle (lighting design) and Rick Sims (sound design and original music). Additional credits include: Cassie Calderone (stage manager).

Tickets to public performances of Animal Farm ($20) are on sale now through Audience Services (1650 N Halsted St), 312-335-1650 and steppenwolf.org. Student Discounts: a limited number of $15 student tickets are available through Audience Services (1650 N Halsted St) or by calling 312-335-1650. Must present a valid student ID for each ticket. School Performancesare currently on sale: performances Tuesday through Friday at 10am are reserved for school groups only; student performances have been extended to include performances November 11-14 at 10am (contact Education and Community Programs Coordinator Lauren Sivak at 312-654-5643). Public performances are scheduled Friday at 7:30pm (except October 17), Saturday at 3pm and 7:30pm and Sunday at 3pm. Adult Groups: all groups of 10 or more receive a discounted rate for any performance throughout the season. For additional information, visit steppenwolf.org/groups.

Steppenwolf for Young Adults' unique approach combines play production with educational components to enhance arts education for young audiences, as well as their teachers and families. SYA creates two full-scale professional productions each season specifically for teens. Working closely with the Chicago Public and metropolitan area schools and other community partners, SYA annually ensures access to the theater for more than 12,000 participants from Chicago's diverse communities. The initiative also includes post-show discussions with artists; classroom residencies led by Steppenwolf-trained teaching artists in more than 30 classrooms in 14 public high schools; professional development workshops for educators; and the Young Adult Council, an innovative year-round after-school initiative that uniquely engages high school students in all areas of the theater's operations.

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 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 Hawkanson is the Executive Director. Nora Daley is the Chair of Steppenwolf's Board of Trustees. For additional information, visit steppenwolf.org, facebook.com/steppenwolftheatre and twitter.com/steppenwolfthtr.

Photo Credit: Saverio Truglia

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