Dirt Dogs Theatre Co. Presents A STEADY RAIN

Dirt Dogs Theatre Co. enters 2022 with a restaging of the gritty cop drama, A Steady Rain, written by Keith Huff and directed by Malinda L. Beckham. Originally produced in 2016 as the opening play in Dirt Dogs' inaugural season, the show features Trevor B. Cone and Kevin Daugherty reprising their roles as two Chicago cops. This season's production features reimagined staging and an updated original score composed by cinematic pop musician and performer, Hescher.

A Steady Rain explores the complexities of a lifelong bond tainted by domestic affairs, violence, and the rough streets of Chicago. Joey and Denny have been best friends since kindergarten and, after working together for several years as policemen in Chicago, they are practically family: Joey helps out with Denny's wife and kids; Denny keeps Joey away from the bottle. But when a domestic disturbance call takes a turn for the worse, their friendship is put on the line. The result is a harrowing journey into a moral gray area where trust and loyalty struggle for survival. Who will be the last man standing?

Keith Huff spent more than two decades working in the Chicago storefront theater community before the original production of A Steady Rain opened in 2007 at Chicago Dramatists. Following a second production at the Royal George Theatre a year later, it moved to Broadway in 2009 and starred Hugh Jackman and Daniel Craig. Thereafter, Huff joined the writing staff of Mad Men, which earned him a Writers Guild of America award in 2011. He earned another WGA in 2014 for House of Cards, which had earned him an Emmy nomination in 2013. He was also a two-time Emmy nominee for American Crime. In addition to A Steady Rain, Huff also wrote the plays The Detective's Wife, Six Corners, Big Lake Big City (Lookingglass Theater, directed by David Schwimmer), and Pursued by Happiness (Steppenwolf).

Malinda L. Beckham, artistic director for Dirt Dogs Theatre Co., once again takes the helm as director of A Steady Rain while also serving as the scenic and costume designer. In addition to directing A Steady Rain in dual Dirt Dogs' seasons, Beckham directed the world premiere of The Boundary, Glengarry Glen Ross, The Exonerated, the streaming production of Twilight: Los Angeles, 1992, and co-directed A Lie of the Mind. On restaging the production, Beckham says, "It is exciting to be able to reimagine the play while also maintaining the elements that worked so well in the original. We are not trying to duplicate the production we did in 2016, but rather rediscover it."

Rounding out the creative and production team are John Baker on lighting design, Jon Harvey on sound design, Mark Lewis as production manager, and Barbara Alicea-Aponte as production stage manager.

To post a comment, you must register and login.