Steppenwolf to Honor AUGUST: OSAGE COUNTY's Juliette Lewis, Margo Martindale & Julianne Nicholson at Women in the Arts Fundraiser, 12/9

Steppenwolf Theatre Company and ensemble member Tracy Letts, Pulitzer Prize- and Tony Award-winning playwright of August: Osage County, will host Juliette Lewis, Margo Martindale and Julianne Nicholson as the guests of honor at the fifth annual Steppenwolf Salutes Women in the Arts fundraising luncheon on Monday, December 9, 2013 at 12 noon (location TBD). All three of these dynamic women are featured in Letts's highly anticipated film adaptation of August: Osage County. This year's event will featured a behind-the-scenes glimpse at the film, in addition to an insightful conversation with Lewis, Martindale and Nicholson, moderated by Letts in a format similar to Inside The Actors Studio. Previous honorees at Steppenwolf Salutes Women in the Arts include ensemble members Joan Allen and Martha Plimpton, Julianna Margulies and Mary-Louise Parker.

The fifth annual luncheon will bring together nearly 300 leaders from Chicago's business and civic communities to honor Ms. Lewis, Ms. Martindale and Ms. Nicholson for their work on the much anticipated, soon-to-be-released film, August: Osage County. The event raises funds for Steppenwolf's professional development programs, including Steppenwolf for Young Adults and the School at Steppenwolf, as well as the Professional Leadership Programs, providing apprenticeships, fellowships and internships for the next generation of arts managers and producers.

Table sponsorships for Women in the Arts are currently available. Individual tickets, if available, start at $200 and go on sale November 1. To purchase tickets or learn about table sponsorship opportunities, contact Steppenwolf's Special Events Department at 312-654-5632 or specialevents@steppenwolf.org.

BMO Harris Bank is a lead sponsor of the fifth annual Women in the Arts luncheon. United Airlines is the Official and Exclusive Airline Partner of Steppenwolf Theatre Company.

Tracy Letts has been a Steppenwolf Theatre ensemble member since 2002 and is the author of Killer Joe (scheduled for Broadway in 2014), Bug (also a feature film), Man from Nebraska (Pulitzer Prize finalist), August: Osage County (Pulitzer Prize, Tony Award for Best Play) and Superior Donuts. An accomplished actor as well, Letts garnered the 2013 Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Play for his portrayal of George in Steppenwolf's Broadway production of Edward Albee's Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? Television audiences will see him in season three of Homeland on Showtime.

Juliette Lewis has been recognized as one of Hollywood's most talented and versatile actors of her generation since she first stunned audiences and critics alike with her Oscar-nominated performance as Danielle Bowden in Cape Fear. To date, she has worked with some of the most revered directors in the industry, including Martin Scorsese, Woody Allen, Lasse Hallström, Oliver Stone and Garry Marshall. Whether lending dramatic authenticity or a natural comedic flair to her roles, Lewis graces the screen with remarkable range and an original and captivating style.

At 16, Lewis starred in the critically acclaimed television movie Too Young to Die?, catching the attention of Martin Scorsese, who cast her in his thriller Cape Fear. Her powerful scenes with Robert De Niro earned her an Oscar and Golden Globe nomination for Best Supporting Actress.

She next worked with Woody Allen in Husbands and Wives, quickly following suit with a succession of starring roles in a variety of blockbusters and critically acclaimed projects including Kalifornia, Romeo Is Bleeding, What's Eating Gilbert Grape and Natural Born Killers. Lewis recently wrapped production on the indie drama Kelly and Cal and will next star opposite AaRon Paul in the film Hellion. She has also signed on to co-star opposite Matt Dillon in the upcoming Fox event series Wayward Pines, from M. Night Shyamalan.

Tony Award nominee and Emmy Award winner Margo Martindale is one of the world's busiest and most acclaimed character actresses. In September, TV audiences will see her starring in the highly anticipated Greg Garcia CBS series The Millers opposite Will Arnett and Beau Bridges.

Margo received the 2011 Emmy Award for Best Supporting Actress in a Drama Series for her performance as Mags Bennett on the FX drama, Justified. The role also earned her the Critics' Choice Television Award for Supporting Actress in a Drama Series and a 2011 Television Critics Association Award nomination for Individual Achievement in Drama. Her association with FX continued this past season on the brilliant cold war spy series The Americans, where Margo, as the deadly KGB handler Claudia, kept viewers and critics riveted.

Margo began her career on the New York stage when she originated the iconic role of Truvy in the original production of Steel Magnolias. She also received a Tony Award nomination for her portrayal of Big Mama in the 2004 revival of Cat on a Hot Tin Roof.

Moviegoers will recognize her work in Million Dollar Baby, Secretariat, Dead Man Walking, Nobody's Fool, Lorenzo's Oil, The Hours, Practical Magic, Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story, Hannah Montana: The Movie, Paris, Je T'aime and Win Win among others. In 2013, she appeared in Beautiful Creatures with Emily Rossum and Jeremy Irons.

Julianne Nicholson first worked with John Wells, director of August: Osage County on the medical drama Presidio Med, which he produced. She is also well known for her work on Conviction and Law and Order: Criminal Intent.

Independent film work has been a staple for Nicholson with leading roles in Hilary Birmingham's Tully, opposite James Franco in Jay Anania's Shadows & Lies, in Bill Condon's Kinsey and alongside Ethan Hawke in Staten Island. Nicholson also draws fans internationally, working with such acclaimed directors as Peter Chan in The Love Letter, Alain Berliner's Passion of Mind and Nick Hurran in Little Black Book.

Her stage work includes the premiere of Sam Shepard's latest play Heartless, Melissa James Gibson's new play This and Rattlestick's production of Adam Rapp's Hallway trilogy.

Nicholson is currently in production on The Red Road for the Sundance Channel. She will also guest star in a multi-episode arc on Showtime's much buzzed about new series, Masters of Sex. Additionally she'll reprise her role as Esther Randolph in Season 4 of HBO's award winning series Boardwalk Empire.

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 43 actors, writers and directors. Artistic programming at Steppenwolf includes a five-play Subscription Season, a two-play Steppenwolf for Young Adults season and three repertory series: First Look Repertory of New Work, Garage Rep and Next Up. 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 Chair of Steppenwolf's Board of Trustees. For additional information, visit steppenwolf.org, facebook.com/steppenwolftheatre and twitter.com/steppenwolfthtr.

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