in association with
presents
A STEADY RAIN by Keith Huff Directed by Russ Tutterow CAST Denny*............................................................................................................... Randy Steinmeyer Joey*............................................................................................................................. Peter DeFaria * Actors’ Equity Member
SETTING The not-too-distant past. Chicago.
PRODUCTION TEAM Becky Mock......................................................................................................... General Manager Wendye Clarendon*............................................................................................ Stage Manager Tom Burch**................................................................................................................ Set Designer Jeff Pines.............................................................................................................Lighting Designer Mike Tutaj...............................................................................................................Sound Designer Samantha Jones..............................................................................................Costume Designer Kristin Deitos......................................................................................... Asst. Costume Designer Jarrod Bainter....................................................................................................Technical Director * Actors’ Equity Member **member of United Scenic Artists
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BIOGRAPHIES (cont.) Randy Steinmeyer (Denny) a long time resident of Lincoln Park, last appeared on stage in McMeekin Finds Out for Route 66 at the Biograph Theater. Mr. Steinmeyer reprises his role as Denny opposite Mr. DeFaria’s Joey in the Jeff award winning A Steady Rain, by Keith Huff for which he won the Best Actor in a Principle Role in 2008. Other Chicago credits include: The Prophet of Bishop Hill, Man and Superman, The Infernal Machine, The Bourgeois Gentleman, Out of Order, Brigadoon, The Diviners, Rough for Theatre 2/ Catastrophe, Larger than Life, and All That Entertainment. Regional credits include: The Tempest, Twelfth Night, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Wait Until Dark, Reckless, A Wrinkle in Time and Psychedelic Sundae. He performed in national tours of Between The Times and Peace Works. Mr. Steinmeyer has appeared in the following films: Public Enemies, Transformers 3, The Babe, Mario and the Mob, Troll and the Elephant Prince (made for cable) and in episodes of “The Playboy Club”, “Chicago Code”, “The Beast”, “Early Edition”, “Turks”, and “The Untouchables”. He is represented exclusively by Grossman & Jack Talent. Randy has been married to his wife Heather, Associate General Counsel for WellPoint Insurance, for 22 years. They have a son Conrad who is a junior at Lincoln Park High School. Peter DeFaria (Joey Doyle) is very grateful to the Chicago Commercial Collective and Chicago Dramatists for this opportunity to reprise his role in A Steady Rain. Peter has lived in Chicago all his adult life working with such theater companies as; The Goodman, Steppenwolf, Chicago Dramatists, Artistic Home, TUTA, A Red Orchid, Mary-Arrchie, Collaboraction, Shattered Globe. Regionally, he has 2 Chicago Commercial Collective
worked in Kansas City at The New Theater, The Indiana Rep in Indianapolis, Clarence Brown in Knoxville, TN, and Fox Valley Rep in St. Charles, IL. Film and TV work includes roles in The Dark Knight, Public Enemies, The Last Rites of Joe May and “Chicago Code”. He is married to Maria Stevens. This is for Turk Muller. Russ Tutterow (Director) has nurtured the art and careers of countless playwrights at Chicago Dramatists, where he has been Artistic Director since 1986. To honor his 25th year as Artistic Director and his contribution to the cultural life of Chicago, May Street (adjacent to Chicago Dramatists) was recently proclaimed “Russ Tutterow Way” by the City of Chicago. Mr. Tutterow is the recipient of the 2005 League of Chicago Theatres Artistic Leadership Award for his “outstanding achievement in developing new plays and his long time contribution to Chicago theatre,” the 2007 Achievement in Theatre Award from the Illinois Theatre Association, and the 2010 Actors’ Equity Spirit Award for his commitment to non-traditional casting and diversity. At Chicago Dramatists, he has directed countless new play readings, and nurtured the art and careers of hundreds of playwrights, including Rebecca Gilman, Tina Fey, Sarah Ruhl, Keith Huff, Lydia R. Diamond, Tanya Saracho, Brett Neveu, Rick Cleveland, David Barr, and Roger Rueff, to name just a few. Recently, he directed Chicago Dramatists’ world premiere productions of the Jeff Award-winning hit, “A Steady Rain” by Keith Huff (which was subsequently produced on Broadway, starring Daniel Craig and Hugh Jackman), “Blizzard ’67” by Jon Steinhagen, “Hickorydickory” by Marisa Wegrzyn, “Water” by Alice Austen (Jeff Award nomination for New Work), “Voyeurs de Venus” by Lydia R. Diamond (Jeff Award for New Work), “Heat” by Marsha Estell (Jeff Award nomination for New Work), and “Drawing War” by Brett Neveu. Mr. Tutterow also has directed, managed or taught for such Chicago theatres
BIOGRAPHIES (cont.) as Goodman, Victory Gardens, Royal George, Mercury, Briar Street, Prop, Zebra Crossing, Igloo, and Cullen, Henaghan & Platt Productions, as well as Café LaMama Hollywood, and served on the 2005 First Look Council at Steppenwolf Theatre. He has held positions as Adjunct Associate Professor of Theatre at the University of Wisconsin and Director of Theatre at Lake Forest College. Mr. Tutterow holds an M.A. in Theatre from Northwestern University and a B.A. in Theatre from Ball State University.
Colombia, Madrid, and London’s West End in 2012-2013. Keith has an MFA from the University of Iowa’s Playwright’s Workshop, is a Resident Alumnus at Chicago Dramatists, and is the recipient of a Joseph Jefferson Award, the Cunningham Prize, the John Gassner Award, the Berrilla Kerr Award, and three Illinois Arts Council Playwriting Fellowships. He currently divides his time between Chicago and Los Angeles, but his home base is Chicago, where he lives with his wife, Georgette, and his daughter, Robin.
Keith Huff (Playwright) is currently Writer/Producer for the upcoming David Fincher/NetFlix series “House of Cards”, featuring Kevin Spacey and Robin Wright. He is also writing the screenplay for a Chicago-based thriller Kill Switch for Alexandra Milchan (New Regency & EMJAG Films). He has written the film adaptation of A Steady Rain for Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson (EON Films), original pilots for HBO, Steven Spielberg/Dreamworks TV, and AMC, and was Writer/CoProducer for season 4 of AMC’s Emmy- and Golden Globe Awardwinning series Mad Men, for which he won a 2011 Writers Guild Award (Best Drama Series). Recent theater productions include The Detective’s Wife (Writer’s Theater), A Steady Rain featuring Daniel Craig and Hugh Jackman (Broadway), and Pursued By Happiness and The Bird and Mr. Banks (Road Theater). Upcoming theater productions include Big Lake Big City at Chicago’s Lookingglass Theater (directed by David Schwimmer) and productions of The Detective’s Wife in Milwaukee and Los Angeles. A Steady Rain continues to be produced across the US and around the world, most recently in France (Paris & national tour), Buenos Aires, Mexico City, Spain (Barcelona & Catalan tour), and Canada. It is currently running in Hungary and Greece, on tour in Argentina (with Rodrigo de la Serna and Jaoquin Furriel), Chile, and Uruguay, and new productions are scheduled to open in Brazil, Prague, Venezuala, Tokyo,
Tom Burch (Scenic designer) is thrilled to revisit A Steady Rain. Other CD credits:Jade Heart and St. Colm’s Inch. Other Chicago credits include shows at Goodman, Chicago Shakespeare, Court, Northlight, Hypocrites and many others. Four Jeff noms (1win), and 3 After Dark Awards. Regional credits includes shows at Actors Theatre Louisville, Arizona Theatre Co, Cleveland Playhouse, Milwaukee Rep, and the off-Broadway production of Mistakes Were Made (Barrow St.Theatre). His work can be seen online at www.tomburch.com Jeff Pines (Lighting Designer) is excited to be lighting A Steady Rain again at Chicago Dramatists with the fabulous team assembled here. Jeff is an Associate Artist and the resident lighting designer at Chicago Dramatists, as well as resident lighting designer for Loop Players at Harold Washington College. He has designed a wide range of shows for Chicago Dramatists from the Playwrights for the 90’s through more recent productions including Bordello, Hickorydickory, and Blizzard ‘67. Jeff has worked with a variety of other Chicago theatre companies in the past including Famous Door, Noble Fool, Victory Gardens, City Lit, Rivendell, Powertap, and Prop Thtr. Samantha C. Jones (Costume Designer) is delighted to be working with Chicago Commmercial Collective on this great production. In Chicago A Steady Rain 3
BIOGRAPHIES (cont.) her work has recently been seen at Chicago Dramatists (Blizzard ‘67, HickoryDickory, Jade Heart) American Blues Theatre (Waiting for Lefty, Rantoul and Die, It’s a Wonderful Life: Live at the Biograph!), Congo Square Theatre (Brothers of the Dust, A Colored Museum), 16th Street Theatre (Menorca, Fires in the Mirror, Unveiled, and The End of the Tour). Elsewhere she has designed for Peninsula Players Theatre (A Day in Hollywood/A Night in the Ukraine, Wait Until Dark, Around the World in 80 Days, Heroes, Over the Tavern, The Nerd), and Florida Studio Theatre (Playmakers). This fall her designs will be seen Congo Square’s production of Bulrusher, and American Blues Theatre’s Illegal Use of Hands. Special thanks to Kristin DeiTos for being awesome. Kristin DeiTos (Assistant Costume Designer) is the current costume design assistant at Lookingglass Theatre Company, and a proud ensemble member of American Blues Theater. In 2010, she received an Equity Jeff Award (along with Sarah E. Ross) for their co-costume design of Tobacco Road (American Blues Theater). Next Kristin will be designing the United States premiere of Idomeneus with Sideshow Theatre Company in August. Thanks to Samantha Jones and the Chicago Commercial Collective. Wendye Clarendon (Stage Manager) works both as an actor and a stage manager around town and is so excited to be part of the birth of Chicago Commercial Collective. Most recently, she stage managed The Four of Us at Theater Wit with previous shows including Aiming for Sainthood at The Jay Pritzker Pavillion for Chicago Dramatists, A Very Merry Unauthorized Children’s Scientology Pageant for A Red Orchid and Shear Madness at The Chicago Theatre. As an actor, Wendye is an Associate Artist at Chicago Dramatists and has worked with Stage
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Left, Human Race Theatre, Victory Gardens Theatre, The Chicago Theatre, The Goodman Theatre along with several theatres in Dallas. Thank you Errol for all that you do-couldn’t do it without you! Member AEA, SAG, AFTRA. Becky Mock (General Manager) Becky is thrilled to be working on her first production with Chicago Commercial Collective. She has served as Production Manager at Chicago Dramatists and Red Tape Theatre where she is also a proud ensemble member. She has worked at Steppenwolf Theatre Company as the the Production Management Apprentice (09-10) and also assisted on their Garage Rep Series for the 2010-2011 season. Becky has previously served as the Assistant Production Manager at Emerald City Theatre where she coordinated all touring productions during their 2008-2009 season. Alex Huntsberger (Assistant Producer) is actor, writer, critic and producer based in Chicago. He was recently seen rapping in the The State Theatre’s production of “A Crowded House” and his theatre reviews can be found at Centerstage Chicago. He also served as assistant director for “The Xylophone West” by Alex Lubischer at Fine Print Theatre and helped produce “Next Stop: A New Chicago Musical” at Route 66. Alex graduated from Oberlin College in 2009 with a degree in theatre. Chicago Commercial Collective (Producer) This is the first production for the Chicago Commercial Collective. It is a new company focused on producing Chicago theater of incredible quality and commercial appeal by Chicago artists and theatre companies. The company is a partnership between Brian Loevner, Aurelia Fisher and Monty Cole. www.chicagocommercialcollective.com