Steppenwolf Theatre Company Welcomes Three New Board Trustees

Steppenwolf Theatre Company has announced the addition of three members to its Board of Trustees, Caryn Harris, Cari B. Sacks and Bryan Traubert, under the leadership of Board Chair Eric Lefkofsky.

"It is my pleasure to welcome Caryn Harris, Cari B. Sacks and Bryan Traubert to the Steppenwolf Board of Trustees. They bring a wealth of experience and generosity to the table, and I know that they each will be instrumental in helping Steppenwolf as it continues to evolve its vision and position as an artistic force in the American Theatre," shares Board Chair Eric Lefkofsky.

"We are grateful for the wisdom, passion and commitment of our Board. Their tremendous work as advocates for theatre and theatre education has allowed Steppenwolf to expand its vision and reach every year. We are very fortunate to be adding three new trustees whose support and dedication will foster a future for Steppenwolf that encourages the innovation, growth and artistic excellence that people have come to expect from our theatre," says Executive Director David Schmitz.

All three members are longtime Steppenwolf subscribers and donors. In total, 56 members sit on Steppenwolf's Board of Trustees.

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ABOUT THE NEW BOARD TRUSTEES:

Caryn Harris is actively engaged in a number of civic activities. She serves as a Trustee of the Art Institute of Chicago, The Arts Club of Chicago, Chicago Council of Global Affairs, Harris Theater for Music and Dance, and the Field Museum. She is also a Life Trustee at the Lincoln Park Zoo and the Chicago Botanic Garden. She has been a long-time member of the Women's Boards at the Art Institute, Field Museum, Lyric Opera, Northwestern University and the University of Chicago, where she is also a member of their Humanities Committee. A trained educator, Ms. Harris had a 12-year career as a nursery school teacher preceded by a year as a primary school teacher. She is a graduate of Boston University.

Cari B. Sacks serves as a Trustee of the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago and Erickson Institute. She is a Board member of the Midwest Region for the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, Personal Pac and Food Allergy Research and Education Chicago Advisory Board. She served on the President's Advisory Committee on the Arts for the John F. Kennedy Center for Performing Arts from 2010-2017 and the Cultural Advisory Council for the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events. Ms. Sacks received her BA in Psychology from the University of San Diego and her MA in Early Childhood Development from the Erikson Institute. She is a MA candidate in Contemporary Art History from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago in 2018.

Bryan Traubert is Chairman of The Pritzker Traubert Family Foundation, serves on the Board of WBEZ/Chicago Pubic Media (Vice Chairman), the National Park Foundation (Vice Chairman), Noble Street Charter Schools and The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. He founded Take the Field and ChicagoRun, and he founded and serves on the Board of the Chicago Parks Foundation. He is a former Board member of the Harvard School of Public Health, Partnership for a Healthier America, Wendy Will Case Cancer Fund, Children's Memorial Hospital, Chicago Lighthouse for the Blind, National Public Radio, Citadel Foundation, Facing History and Ourselves and The Renaissance Society. Mr. Traubert was the past chairman of Marwen, and was appointed in 2010 and served through 2015 as President of the Chicago Park District Board. From 2009 - 2013, he served on the White House Fellows Commission. Mr. Traubert practiced ophthalmology in Chicago for more than 30 years. He received his BS from The Citadel and his MD degree from the University of Illinois. He completed his ophthalmology residency at Michael Reese Hospital in Chicago, and a fellowship in clinical medical ethics at the University of Chicago. He spent 2016 as a Fellow at The Distinguished Careers Institute at Stanford.

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Steppenwolf's 2016/17 Season opened with the world premiere of Visiting Edna by David Rabe, directed by Artistic Director Anna D. Shapiro (September 15 - November 6); followed by the world premiere of The Fundamentals by Erika Sheffer, directed by ensemble member Yasen Peyankov (November 10 - December 23, 2016); the Chicago premiere of The Christians by Lucas Hnath, directed by ensemble member K. Todd Freeman (December 1, 2016 - January 29, 2017); and the Chicago premiere of Straight White Men, written and directed by Young Jean Lee (February 2 - March 19, 2017). Currently playing is the world premiere of Linda Vista by ensemble member Tracy Letts, directed by Dexter Bullard (extended through May 28, 2017); followed by the world premiere of Pass Over by Antoinette Nwandu, directed by Danya Taymor (June 1 - July 9, 2017) and concluding with the Chicago premiere of Hir by Taylor Mac, directed by Hallie Gordon (June 29 - August 20, 2017).

Steppenwolf Theatre Company is the nation's premier ensemble theater. Formed by a collective of actors in 1976, the ensemble has grown to 49 members who represent a remarkable cross-section of actors, directors and playwrights. Thrilling and powerful productions from Balm in Gilead to August: Osage County-and accolades that include the National Medal of Arts and 12 Tony Awards-have made the theater legendary. Steppenwolf produces hundreds of performances and events annually in its three spaces: the 515-seat Downstairs Theatre, the 299-seat Upstairs Theatre and the 80-seat 1700 Theatre. Artistic programing includes a seven-play season; a two-play Steppenwolf for Young Adults season; Visiting Company engagements; and LookOut, a multi-genre performances series. Additional outreach initiatives include Steppenwolf Education, which engages 15,000 participants annually from Chicago's diverse communities with teen programming, educator training and community partnerships; the esteemed School at Steppenwolf; and Professional Leadership Programs for arts administration training. While firmly grounded in the Chicago community, nearly 40 original Steppenwolf productions have enjoyed success both nationally and internationally, including Broadway, Off-Broadway, London, Sydney, Galway and Dublin. Anna D. Shapiro is the Artistic Director and David Schmitz is the Executive Director. Eric Lefkofsky is Chair of Steppenwolf's Board of Trustees. For additional information, visit steppenwolf.org, facebook.com/steppenwolftheatre, twitter.com/steppenwolfthtr and instagram.com/steppenwolfthtr.

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