Steppenwolf for Young Adults Sets ANIMAL FARM Cast, Running 10/15-11/9

Steppenwolf for Young Adults (SYA) has announced casting for the first production of its 2014/15 season, George Orwell's Animal Farm, a world premiere adaptation by Althos Low. Directed by SYA Artistic and Educational Director Hallie Gordon, the cast of professional actors features Will Allan, Jasmine Bracey, Lucy Carapetyan, Amelia Hefferon, Matt Kahler, Mildred Marie Langford, Blake Montgomery, Dana Murphy, Lance Newton and Sean Parris. Animal Farm runs October 15 - November 9, 2014; 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 3 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 at 312-654-5643.

George Orwell's revolutionary masterpiece comes to the stage with Steppenwolf for Young Adults' world premiere adaptation of Animal 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.

Althos Low (Playwright, Animal Farm) is the pen name for Shanghai Low Theatricals (SLT), an adaptation development group based in Chicago. For the Animal Farm collaboration, co-founder Steve Pickering serves as Adaptor, playwright Alice Austen as co-Adaptor and SLT House Artists Fred Baxter and Tom Kyzivat provide pre-production art and dramaturgy. Formed in 2001 as a group of theatre craftspeople adapting literary works for the stage, in 2009 the company expanded into the creation of graphics and visual development. 2014 projects include adapting Alastair Reynolds' science fiction novella Diamond Dogs for the stage and Lion Miller's 1953 story The Available Data on the Worp Reaction as a picture book. For more information, please visit shanghailow.org.

Hallie Gordon (Director, Animal Farm) serves as Artistic and Educational Director of Steppenwolf for Young Adults. Along with selecting the young adult productions each season, she has created the Young Adult Council, a group of high school students who collectively help to create innovative programming for their peers. As Educational Director, Hallie has worked closely with the Chicago Public Schools to create an environment in which all students and teachers have access to theater. As a theater artist, Hallie has directed Eclipsed at Northlight Theatre and Eat Your Heart Out at Rivendell Theatre Ensemble. For Steppenwolf, Hallie has directed Leveling Up, The Book Thief, The Heart is a Lonely Hunter, To Kill a Mockingbird, the world premiere of a new adaptation by Tanya Saracho of The House on Mango Street and Harriet Jacobs, adapted for the stage by Lydia R. Diamond. A new premiere of Toni Morrison's The Bluest Eye, also adapted by Lydia R. Diamond, won a Black Excellence Award from the African American Arts Alliance of Chicago and also transferred Off-Broadway to The New Victory Theatre. She has directed staged readings for Goodman Theatre, TimeLine Theatre Company, Chicago Dramatists and Steppenwolf Theatre Company. Hallie is the recipient of The Helen Coburn Meier and Time Meier Achievement Award.

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). Additional credits include: Cassie Calderone (stage manager).

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