Steep Theatre Company is a not-for-profit theatre company located in the Edgewater neighborhood of

Chicago, Illinois (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

. Founded in 2000 by Peter Moore, Alex Gillmor, and Alex Gualino, Steep has become known as one of Chicago's iconic ensemble-based storefront

theatres Theatre or theater is a collaborative form of performing art that uses live performers, usually actor, actors or actresses, to present the experience of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place, often a stage. The p ...

. Chicago is known for its brand of bold, collaborative, actor-driven theatre in intimate venues scattered throughout the city's many

neighborhoods A neighbourhood (British English, Irish English, Australian English and Canadian English) or neighborhood (American English; American and British English spelling differences, see spelling differences) is a geographically localised community ...

, and Steep is an embodiment of this theatrical movement. The ensemble has produced over 60 plays and cultivated a growing community of artists and audience members. In 2019, through a gift from the Bayless Family Foundation, Steep announced it would become an

Equity Equity may refer to: Finance, accounting and ownership * Equity (finance), ownership of assets that have liabilities attached to them ** Stock, equity based on original contributions of cash or other value to a business ** Home equity, the dif ...

theater.

Current Season

2018–2019

''Zürich'' by Amelia Roper ''Red Rex'' by

Ike Holter Ike Holter (born 1985) is an American playwright.

''First Love is the Revolution'' by Rita Kalnejais ''Pomona'' by

Alistair McDowall Alistair McDowall is an English playwright who grew up in Great Broughton, North Yorkshire, Great Broughton in North Yorkshire. His play ''Brilliant Adventures'' was awarded a Bruntwood Prize in 2011. His plays include ''The Glow'', ''all of it'' ...

History

After two years of producing plays as an itinerant company, Steep opened its first storefront theatre in the Wrigleyville neighborhood of Chicago. Over the years, Steep has grown from an original founding of three actors into an ensemble of 41 artists driven by a shared commitment to their

mission Mission (from Latin ''missio'' "the act of sending out") may refer to: Organised activities Religion *Christian mission, an organized effort to spread Christianity *Mission (LDS Church), an administrative area of The Church of Jesus Christ of ...

: "To bring out the everyday truths in the stories we tell through ensemble work and to reach out to non-traditional theater goers by seeking out stories and creating experiences relevant to them." In October 2008, Steep moved to a new storefront – a newly renovated theatre in Chicago's Edgewater neighborhood. This flexible

black box theatre A black box theater is a simple performance space, typically a square room with black walls and a flat floor. The simplicity of the space allows it to be used to create a variety of configurations of stage and audience interaction. The black ...

seats approximately 55 people. Steep continues to flourish in its new home, where an impressive string of hits has cemented its reputation as one of the most compelling ensembles in the city. Steep's growing artistic ensemble, engaged board of directors, and current leadership team, founder and Artistic Director Peter Moore and Executive Director Kate Piatt-Eckert, are poised to continue Steep on its trajectory of growth and artistic accomplishment. In 2015, Steep Theatre produced the National Premiere of "Martyr" by Marius Von Mayenburg. In 2016, '' The Student'' based much of its imagery off of Steep Theatre's production including the use of Chalk art in its poster In addition to the mainstage theater, Steep operates a bar and small cabaret-style performance space in the adjoining storefront. This space, The Boxcar, opened to the public in August 2018. It features free programmed performances Sunday and Monday evenings. Steep Ensemble Member Thomas Dixon serves as The Boxcar's Artistic Curator.

Ensemble Members and Artistic Associates

Ensemble

Steep Theatre Company members include actors, directors, artists, writers, and other theatre artists.

Artistic Associates

Productions

† indicates World Premiere production ‡ indicates U.S. Premiere production Season 1 (2001–02) * ''Life During Wartime'' by

Keith Reddin Keith Reddin (born July 7, 1956) is an American actor and playwright. He received his B.S. in 1978 from Northwestern University and then went on to attend Yale School of Drama until he received his M.A. in 1981. Reddin grew up in Englewood, New ...

* ''Search and Destroy'' by

Howard Korder Howard Korder is an American screenwriter and playwright. He is the author of the 1988 coming-of-age play '' Boy's Life'', which earned him a Pulitzer Prize for Drama nomination. His play ''Search and Destroy'' was adapted into a film in 1995. ...

* ''Pvt. Wars'' by James McLure * †''These Flowers are for My Mother'' by Michael McGuire * ''

Geography of a Horse Dreamer ''Geography of a Horse Dreamer'' is a play by Sam Shepard. Production history ''Geography of a Horse Dreamer'' was first performed at the Theatre Upstairs in London, on 21 February 1974. The cast was as follows: *Cody – Stephen Rea *Beaujo � ...

'' by

Sam Shepard Samuel Shepard Rogers III (November 5, 1943 – July 27, 2017) was an American actor, playwright, author, screenwriter, and director whose career spanned half a century. He won 10 Obie Awards for writing and directing, the most by any write ...

Season 2 (2002–03) * ‡''The Aspidistra Code'' by Mark O’Rowe * ''The Job'' by Shem Bitterman * ''My Donkey Lady'' by John Wilson * ''Below the Belt'' by

Richard Dresser Richard Dresser (born 1951) is an American playwright, screenwriter, novelist and teacher whose work has been performed in New York, leading regional theaters, and all over Europe. His first dystopian fiction novel, ''It Happened Here,'' an oral hi ...

* ''The Hot House'' by

Harold Pinter Harold Pinter (; 10 October 1930 – 24 December 2008) was a British playwright, screenwriter, director and actor. A Nobel Prize winner, Pinter was one of the most influential modern British dramatists with a writing career that spanne ...

Season 3 (2004) * ''The Time Trial'' by Jack Gilhooley * '' Dealer’s Choice'' by

Patrick Marber Patrick Albert Crispin Marber (born 19 September 1964) is an English comedian, playwright, director, actor, and screenwriter. Early life Marber was born and raised in a middle-class Jewish family in Wimbledon, London, the son of Angela (Benjam ...

Season 4 (2004–05) * ''Howie the Rookie'' by Mark O’Rowe * ''

Incident at Vichy ''Incident at Vichy'' is a one-act play written in 1964 by American dramatist Arthur Miller. It depicts a group of men who have been detained in Vichy France in 1942; they are being held for their "racial" inspection by German military officer ...

'' by

Arthur Miller Arthur Asher Miller (October 17, 1915 – February 10, 2005) was an American playwright, essayist and screenwriter in the 20th-century American theater. Among his most popular plays are '' All My Sons'' (1947), ''Death of a Salesman'' ( ...

* ''Book of Days'' by

Lanford Wilson Lanford Wilson (April 13, 1937March 24, 2011) was an American playwright. His work, as described by ''The New York Times'', was "earthy, realist, greatly admired ndwidely performed."Margalit Fox, Fox, Margalit"Lanford Wilson, Pulitzer Prize-Wi ...

* †''Pleasanton'' by John Wilson Season 5 (2005–06) * ''

Catch-22 ''Catch-22'' is a satirical war novel by American author Joseph Heller. He began writing it in 1953; the novel was first published in 1961. Often cited as one of the most significant novels of the twentieth century, it uses a distinctive non-chr ...

'' by

Joseph Heller Joseph Heller (May 1, 1923 – December 12, 1999) was an American author of novels, short stories, plays, and screenplays. His best-known work is the 1961 novel ''Catch-22'', a satire on war and bureaucracy, whose title has become a synonym for ...

* ''The Night Heron'' by

Jez Butterworth Jeremy "Jez" Butterworth (born March 1969) is an English playwright, screenwriter, and film director. He has written screenplays in collaboration with his brothers, John-Henry Butterworth, John-Henry and Tom. Life and career In March 1969, But ...

* ''

Of Mice and Men ''Of Mice and Men'' is a novella written by John Steinbeck. Published in 1937, it narrates the experiences of George Milton and Lennie Small, two displaced migrant ranch workers, who move from place to place in California in search of new job o ...

'' by

John Steinbeck John Ernst Steinbeck Jr. (; February 27, 1902 – December 20, 1968) was an American writer and the 1962 Nobel Prize in Literature winner "for his realistic and imaginative writings, combining as they do sympathetic humor and keen social ...

* ''

Bang the Drum Slowly ''Bang the Drum Slowly'' is a novel by Mark Harris, first published in 1956 by Knopf. The novel is the second in a series of four novels written by Harris that chronicles the career of baseball player Henry W. Wiggen. ''Bang the Drum Slowly'' ...

'' by Mark Harris, adapted by

Eric Simonson Eric Simonson (born June 27, 1960 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin) is an American writer and director in theatre, film and opera. He is a member of Steppenwolf Theatre in Chicago, and the author of plays '' Lombardi'', ''Fake'', ''Honest'', '' Magic/B ...

Season 6 (2006–07) * ''

The Last Days of Judas Iscariot ''The Last Days of Judas Iscariot'' is a play by American playwright Stephen Adly Guirgis first staged Off-Broadway at The Public Theater on March 2, 2005, directed by Philip Seymour Hoffman. Plot summary ''The Last Days of Judas Iscariot'' tells ...

'' by

Stephen Adly Guirgis Stephen Adly Guirgis is a Pulitzer Prize Winning American playwright, screenwriter, director, and actor. He is a member and a former co-artistic director of New York City's LAByrinth Theater Company.Blake, Leslie (Hoban)"Comin' Uptown" ''Theater ...

* ''

Otherwise Engaged ''Otherwise Engaged'' is a bleakly comic play by English playwright Simon Gray. The play previewed at the Oxford Playhouse and the Richmond Theatre, and then opened at the Queen's Theatre in London on 10 July 1975, with Alan Bates as the star ...

'' by

Simon Gray Simon James Holliday Gray (21 October 1936 – 7 August 2008) was an English playwright and memoirist who also had a career as a university lecturer in English literature at Queen Mary, University of London, for 20 years. While teaching at Que ...

* ''

The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui ''The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui'' (german: Der aufhaltsame Aufstieg des Arturo Ui, links=no), subtitled "A parable play", is a 1941 play by the German playwright Bertolt Brecht. It chronicles the rise of Arturo Ui, a fictional 1930s Chicago m ...

'' by

Bertolt Brecht Eugen Berthold Friedrich Brecht (10 February 1898 – 14 August 1956), known professionally as Bertolt Brecht, was a German theatre practitioner, playwright, and poet. Coming of age during the Weimar Republic, he had his first successes as a pl ...

* ''Insignificance'' by Terry Johnson Season 7 (2007–08) * ''Coronado'' by

Dennis Lehane Dennis Lehane (born August 4, 1965) is an American author. He has published more than a dozen novels; the first several were a series of mysteries featuring recurring characters, including ''A Drink Before the War''. Of these, four were adapted a ...

* ''

Breathing Corpses ''Breathing Corpses'' is a 2005 play by the British playwright Laura Wade which first premiered at the Royal Court Theatre. Plot The play traces backwards, starting from the discovery of a corpse of a man named Jim in a hotel room by the seemingly ...

'' by

Laura Wade Laura Wade is an English playwright. Early life Wade was born in Bedford, Bedfordshire. She grew up in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, where her father worked for a computer company. After completing her secondary education at Lady Manners School i ...

* ''Greensboro: A Requiem'' by Emily Mann Season 8 (2008 – 09) * †''Seven Days'' by Egan Reich * ''

In Arabia We’d All Be Kings IN, In or in may refer to: Places * India (country code IN) * Indiana, United States (postal code IN) * Ingolstadt, Germany (license plate code IN) * In, Russia, a town in the Jewish Autonomous Oblast Businesses and organizations * Independ ...

'' by Stephen Adly Gurgis * ''Parlour Song'' by

* ''The Hollow Lands'' by

Season 9 (2009–10) * ''Kill the Old Torture Their Young'' by

David Harrower David Harrower (born 1966) is a Scottish playwright who (as of 2005) lives in Glasgow. Harrorwer has published over 10 original works, as well as numerous translations and adaptations. Career Harrower's first play, ''Knives in Hens'', which p ...

* ‡''

Harper Regan ''Harper Regan'' is a two-act play by Simon Stephens that premiered at the National Theatre in 2008. Setting Set in UK, Autumn of 2006 : from Uxbridge to Stockport to Manchester and back. Synopsis One woman's struggle with the difficulties of ...

'' by

Simon Stephens Simon Stephens (born 6 February 1971) is an English playwright and Professor of Scriptwriting at Manchester Metropolitan University. Having taught on the Young Writers' Programme at the Royal Court Theatre for many years, he is now an Artistic ...

* ‡''2,000 Feet Away'' by Anthony Weigh Season 10 (2010–11) * ''A Brief History of Helen of Troy'' by Mark Shultz * ''

Lakeboat ''Lakeboat'' is a semi-autobiographical play by David Mamet, written in 1970 and first produced in 1980 (revised version, with the help of John Dillion of the Milwaukee Repertory Theater). Plot As he would later do with '' Glengarry Glen Ross ...

'' by

David Mamet David Alan Mamet (; born November 30, 1947) is an American playwright, filmmaker, and author. He won a Pulitzer Prize and received Tony Award, Tony nominations for his plays ''Glengarry Glen Ross'' (1984) and ''Speed-the-Plow'' (1988). He first ...

* ''Festen'' by David Elridge,

Thomas Vinterberg Thomas Vinterberg (; born 19 May 1969) is a Danish film director who, along with Lars von Trier, co-founded the Dogme 95 movement in filmmaking, which established rules for simplifying movie production. He is best known for the films ''The Celeb ...

, Morgan Rukov, Bo Hr. Hansen * ''Pornography'' by

Season 11 (2011–12) * ''

Under the Blue Sky ''Under the Blue Sky'' is a three- act play written by David Eldridge. It premiered at the Royal Court Theatre in London on 14 September 2000, directed by Rufus Norris. Original West End production The original West End production opened at the ...

'' by David Eldridge * ''Love and Money'' by Dennis Kelly * ''The Receptionist'' by

Adam Bock Adam Bock (born November 4, 1961) is a Canadian playwright currently living in the United States. He was born in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. In the fall of 1984, Bock studied at the National Theater Institute at The Eugene O'Neill Theater Center. ...

* ‡''Moment'' by Dierdre Kinahan Season 12 (2012–13) * ''Making Noise Quietly'' by

Robert Holman Robert Holman (1952 – 3 December 2021) was a British dramatist whose work has been produced by the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) and the Royal Court Theatre, as well as in the West End theatre, West End and elsewhere, since the 1970s. He was ...

* ''Luther'' by Ethan Lipton * ‡''The Knowledge'' by John Donnelly * ''Fallow'' by Kenneth Lin Season 13 (2013–14) * ‡''Motortown'' by

* ''strangers, babies'' by Linda McLean * '' If There Is I Haven’t Found It Yet'' by

Nick Payne Nick Payne (born 1984) is a British playwright and screenwriter. Early life and education Payne studied at the University of York and subsequently at the Central School of Speech and Drama. He is also a graduate of the Royal Court Young Write ...

* ''A Small Fire'' by

Season 14 (2014–15) * ''The Vandal'' by Hamish Linklater * T''he Life and Sort of Death of Eric Argyle'' by Ross Dungan * ‡''Martyr'' by

Marius von Mayenburg Marius von Mayenburg (born 21 February 1972 in Munich) is a German playwright and dramaturg. Education In 1994, Mayenburg began his studies at the Berlin University of the Arts, Hochschule der Künste in Berlin. His first play, ''Haarmann (play) ...

* ‡''Brilliant Adventures'' by

Season 15 (2015–16) * †''The Cheats'' by Hamish Linklater * ''

Posh Posh is an informal adjective for "upper class". It may also refer to: Entertainment * ''Posh'' (album), a 1980 album by Patrice Rushen *"Posh!", a 1968 song from the musical ''Chitty Chitty Bang Bang'' * ''Posh'' (2006 TV series), a 2006 Philipp ...

'' by

* ''The Few'' by

Samuel D. Hunter Samuel D. Hunter (born 1981) is an American playwright living in New York City. Hunter was born and raised in Moscow, Idaho. He is best known for plays ''A Bright New Boise'', which won the 2011 Obie Award for playwriting, and ''The Whale'', ...

* ‡''Wastwater'' by

Season 16 (2016–17) * †''Bobbie Clearly'' by Alex Lubischer * ''

Earthquakes in London ''Earthquakes in London'' is a play by Mike Bartlett. It received its world premiere at the Royal National's Cottesloe Theatre on 4 August 2010, following previews from 29 July 2010. The production was directed by Rupert Goold in a co-producti ...

'' by Mike Bartlett * ''Hookman'' by

Lauren Yee Lauren Yee ( zh, 余秀菊) is an American playwright. Early life and education Yee was born and raised in San Francisco, California. She graduated from Lowell High School in 2003. Yee graduated from Yale University in 2007, majoring in Englis ...

* ‡''Lela & Co.'' by Cordelia Lynn Season 17 (2017–18) * ''The Invisible Hand'' by

Ayad Akhtar Ayad Akhtar (born October 28, 1970) is an American playwright, novelist, and screenwriter of Pakistani heritage, awarded the 2013 Pulitzer Prize for Drama. His work has received two Tony Award for Best Play, Tony Award nominations for Best Play, ...

* †''Hinter'' by Calamity West * ‡''Birdland'' by

* ''Linda'' by

Penelope Skinner Penelope Skinner is a British playwright. She came to prominence after her play ''Fucked'' was first produced in 2008 at the Old Red Lion Theatre and the Edinburgh Festival to huge critical acclaim and has had successive plays staged in London ...

Awards and nominations

Steep was named 2010 Broadway in Chicago Emerging Theatre Award winner.

Jeff Awards

{, class="wikitable sortable" !Year !Work !Category !Artist !Result , - , rowspan="2" , 2006 , rowspan="2" , ''Book of Days'' , Ensemble , N/A , Nominated , - , Actress in a Principal Role , Krista Forster , Nominated , - , 2008 , ''

'' , Production – Play , N/A , Nominated , - , rowspan="5" , 2009 , ''Greensboro: A Requiem'' , Actress in a Supporting Role , Lily Mojekwu , Nominated , - , rowspan="4" , ''

In Arabia We'd All Be Kings ''In Arabia We'd All Be Kings'' is a dramatic play (theatre), play set in New York City, written by Stephen Adly Guirgis. It chronicles the demise of a group of individuals living in New York's Hell's Kitchen, Manhattan, Hell's Kitchen around the ...

'' , Actress in a Supporting Role , Rinska Prestinary , Nominated , - , Ensemble , N/A , Won , - , Director – Play , Joanie Schultz , Nominated , - , Production – Play , N/A , Nominated , - , 2010 , ''

'' , Actress in a Principal Role , Kendra Thulin , Won , - , 2011 , ''A Brief History of Helen of Troy'' , Actress in a Principal Role , Caroline Neff , Won , - , 2012 , ''

'' , Actress in a Supporting Role , Caroline Neff , Nominated , - , rowspan="3" , 2013 , ''The Receptionist'' , Actress in a Principal Role , Cheryl Roy , Nominated , - , rowspan="2" , ''Moment'' , Ensemble , N/A , Nominated , - , Production – Director , Jonathan Berry , Nominated , - , rowspan="7" , 2014 , rowspan="4" , '' '' ''The Knowledge'' , Production – Play , N/A , Nominated , - , Production – Director , Jonathan Berry , Nominated , - , Ensemble , N/A , Nominated , - , Actress in a Principal Role , Caroline Neff , Nominated , - , rowspan="2" , ''Motortown'' , Actor in a Principal Role , Joel Reitsma , Nominated , - , Actress in a Supporting Role , Ashleigh LaThrop , Nominated , - , ''Fallow'' , Actor in a Supporting Role , Jose Antonio Garcia , Nominated , - , rowspan="3" , 2015 , rowspan="2" , ''The Vandal'' , Actor in a Principal Role , Kendra Thulin , Nominated , - , Actor in a Supporting Role , Jack Miggins , Nominated , - , ''

If There Is I Haven't Found It Yet ''If There Is I Haven't Found It Yet'' is the first full-length professionally produced play by the British playwright Nick Payne. It was produced at the Bush Theatre in London in 2009. Productions London The play opened in London in 2009 at th ...

'' , Actor in a Supporting Role , Shane Kenyon , Won , - , rowspan="3" , 2016 , rowspan="3" , ''

'' , Production – Play , N/A , Nominated , - , Ensemble , N/A , Won , - , Director – Play , Jonathan Berry , Nominated , - , rowspan="3" , 2017 , rowspan="2" , ''Wastwater'' , Actress in a Supporting Role , Kendra Thulin , Nominated , - , Sound Design , Thomas Dixon , Nominated , - , ''Bobbie Clearly'' , New Play , Alex Lubischer , Won , - , rowspan="11" , 2018 , rowspan="6" , ''Lela & Co.'' , Production – Play , N/A , Won , - , Director – Play ,

Robin Witt Robin Witt is an American theater director. She is an ensemble member at both the Griffin Theatre and Steep Theatre Company in Chicago. Witt's notable productions include Enda Walsh's ''The New Electric Ballroom'' at A Red Orchid Theatre, Dennis Ke ...

, Won , - , Performer in a Principal Role – Play , Cruz Gonzalez-Cadel , Won , - , Performer in a Supporting Role – Play , Chris Chmelik , Nominated , - , Scenic Design , Joe Schermoly , Nominated , - , Lighting Design , Brandon Wardell , Nominated , - , rowspan="5" , '' The Invisible Hand'' , Production – Play , N/A , Nominated , - , Director – Play , Audrey Francis , Nominated , - , Performer in a Principal Role – Play , Joel Reitsma , Nominated , - , Performer in a Supporting Role – Play , Owais Ahmed , Won , - , Sound Design , Thomas Dixon , Nominated

References

Theatre companies in Chicago 2000 establishments in Illinois