Displaying items by tag: Cliff Chamberlain

If you can imagine “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Wolf” being played for laughs, you’ve got a pretty good idea of what’s in store at Steppenwolf Theatre's production of “The Dance of Death.” Written in Swedish by August Strindberg in 1900, the remarkably comical show is loaded with laughs in Irish playwright Conor McPherson’s 2012 version presented here. Directed by Yasen Peyankov with truly wonderful scenic design by Collette Pollard, it is thoroughly enjoyable 125 years after its debut.

The action is set at a military installation on a Nordic island. We learn the island is a short ferry ride away from Copenhagen, but its exact location isn’t named. Here the military officer and his wife live alienated from their military colleagues, their servants, even from their children, subsumed as they are in a 25-year marital war between each other. 

Jeff Perry and Cliff Chamberlain

Steppenwolf’s production opens powerfully in a silent tableau: the soaring interior of a massive, tapering round granite tower more than three stories tall. With rows of arched windows across the second and third levels, the military fortification widens as it descends to a great drawing room on the main floor that runs the full width of the stage.

A late middle-aged officer in military garb sits stage left—the Captain (Jeff Perry). Gradually our attention is drawn to the figure of a woman, Alice (Kathryn Erbe) hair swirling up in piles Edwardian style, wearing a high-collared long sleeved dress, her full skirt grazing the floor. She stands contemplatively in silhouette against the lingering evening light, framed by a gothic French doorway.

This scene, so reminiscent of an Ingmar Bergman film, grounds us in the Nordic setting, but as soon as the characters Captain and Alice open their mouths, we encounter the casual American English that Irish playwright Conor McPherson has chosen for his scintillating version of Strindberg’s battle of the sexes.

Jeff Perry and Kathryn Erbe

Perry in particular shows his comedic chops, and Perry and Erbe together display that special stage mastery we associate with Steppenwolf. It was so fresh and funny that I set about reading Strindberg’s 1900 original. There I found that McPherson tracks it very closely. But oh how he sharpens the humor, heightens the dramatic line, and injects the venomous choreography that marks this couple’s intimacy. Dark it is, yes, but light also, and just plain funny. 

In the run up to their silver wedding anniversary, Alice and Captain express openly the regret they have over being shackled to each other. They charge each other with having dashed their dreams. Add to that another combustible—a difference in age and vitality. The Captain’s health is clearly unstable, while the younger Alice pants for emancipation by any means. Soon enough a third character arrives—the much younger Kurt (Cliff Chamberlain)—with whom both have a history.

Not having seen this pair for 15 years, Kurt arrives on assignment to the island on which this tower is situated. So we get to see in real time how Alice and the Captain each work their wiles on Kurt to lure him to their respective sides in the marital discord. In the course of this, Alice and the Captain are both revealed to be manipulative, unapologetic liars. At first the Captain seems to bond with Kurt, though its really more of an effort to manipulate him for allegiance. Soon enough Alice is ahead in the battle for Kurt’s affections. This is not really a love triangle, but much more an unstable atom ready to explode.

Alice claims to long for the Captain’s death—or a divorce or other legal means—to set herself free. With Kurt soon under her spell, Alice initiates communications with the Captain’s superiors that could see the Captain relieved of his command, and perhaps incarcerated. As that moment of truth arrives, the infatuation with Kurt withers, and we find the Captain and Alice really are in love, and love to hate each other. It’s at least part of what has made this marriage work!

Without question, McPherson improves on Strindberg, not only making the play accessible to audiences over a century later, but turning it into something immensely more entertaining. Humor is a fragile thing, and comedy is all in the timing of the delivery—the pauses, the quick breaks, the fast retort. McPherson has deftly heightened the impact of the core of Strindberg’s work, finding the key to the characters and dynamics much of which honestly I could not see in the original.

Early in a run, the director is still getting a bit of that timing nailed down, so by the time you see it it will be even funnier. But as it was, there are many, many moments that are over the top funny. Perry and Erbe are masterful in their deliveries, kind of shock and awe hilarious at moments. Chamberlain gives a full-throated energy to his performance as his character Kurt is driven to distraction when he finds himself sucked into the toxicity of the relationship.

“The Dance of Death” runs through March 22, 2026 at Steppenwolf Theatre in Chicago, and comes highly recommended.

This review is proudly shared with our friends at www.TheatreInChicago.com. 

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Steppenwolf Theatre Company, the nation's premier ensemble theater company, is pleased to continue its 50th Anniversary Season with August Strindberg's masterclass in marital warfare The Dance of Death, adapted by Conor McPherson, directed by ensemble member Yasen Peyankov and featuring an all ensemble cast. The Dance of Death will play January 29 – March 22, 2026 in Steppenwolf's Downstairs Theater, 1650 N. Halsted St. in Chicago. Single tickets starting at $20 are now on sale at steppenwolf.org or the Box Office at (312) 335-1650. The press opening is Saturday, February 7, 2026 at 7:30 pm.

Steppenwolf ensemble member Jeff Perry (No Man's Land, August: Osage County, Scandal) returns home to the company he co-founded five decades ago, joined by fellow ensemble members Cliff Chamberlain (You Will Get Sick, Fool for Love, The Minutes) and Kathryn Erbe (The Grapes of Wrath, A Streetcar Named Desire, Law & Order: Criminal Intent), who returns to the Steppenwolf stage for the first time in nearly three decades.

About the Production:

In the high stone tower of an isolated naval fortress, Alice and Edgar are about to celebrate 25 years of wedded bliss – if decades of resentment, recrimination and mutual sabotage count as bliss. But when an alluring visitor arrives, the delicate balance of their tedious arrangement falls off its axis, cracks growing into canyons. In Conor McPherson's wicked take on Strindberg's masterclass in marital warfare, a twisted love triangle waltzes off the edge of a cliff, plunging us all into the deep.

Steppenwolf Artistic Directors Glenn Davis and Audrey Francis comment, "When we set out to program the 50th Anniversary Season, our priority was to welcome a large host of ensemble members from across Steppenwolf's storied history back home. Nowhere is this clearer than in The Dance of Death, which has an all ensemble cast and an ensemble director at the helm. With Jeff, Katie and Cliff – representing three generations of ensemble members – in one room, we know we're in store for a quintessentially Steppenwolf night of combustible and provoking theater."

The creative team includes Collette Pollard (Scenic Design), Ana Kuzmanic (Costume Design) Lee Fiskness (Lighting Design), Rick Sims (Sound Design), Jyreika Guest (Fight and Intimacy Consultant), Jason K. Martin (Voice Coach), Claire Kaplan (Movement Consultant), Abhi Shrestha (Dramaturg), Patrick Zakem (Creative Producer), Tom Pearl (Producing Director), JC Clementz, CSA (Casting), Laura D. Glenn (Production Stage Manager) and Kathleen Barrett (Assistant Stage Manager). For full cast and creative team bios, click here.

Production Details:

Title: The Dance of Death
Playwright: August Strindberg
Adaptor: Conor McPherson
Director: ensemble member Yasen Peyankov
Cast: ensemble members Cliff Chamberlain (Kurt), Kathryn Erbe (Alice) and Jeff Perry (Captain)

Location: Steppenwolf's Downstairs Theater, 1650 N. Halsted St., Chicago
Dates: Previews: Thursday, January 29 – Friday, February 6, 2026
Press performance/Opening: Saturday, February 7, 2026 at 7:30 pm
Regular run: Tuesday, February 10 – Sunday, March 22, 2026
Curtain Times: Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays at 7:30 pm; Saturdays at 3 pm & 7:30 pm; and Sundays at 3 pm. Please note: there will not be 7:30 pm performances on Tuesday, February 3, Wednesday, February 11, Tuesday, February 17, Wednesday, February 25, Thursday, February 26, Tuesday, March 3 and Tuesday, March 17; there will not be 3 pm performances on Saturday, February 7, Saturday, March 14 and Sunday, February 8; there will be an added 2 pm matinee on Wednesday, March 11.

Tickets: Single tickets for The Dance of Death ($20 – $148.50*) are now on sale at steppenwolf.org and the Box Office at (312) 335-1650. Steppenwolf Flex Memberships are currently on sale at steppenwolf.org/memberships: Black Card Memberships with six tickets for use any time for any production and RED Card Memberships for theatergoers under 30. *Pricing includes an $8.50 handling fee

Steppenwolf offers 20 tickets for $20 (no added fees) for each performance of every membership series production. Use promo code 20FOR20 to redeem this offer online, available in advance until they're sold out for every main series show. Limit 2 tickets per person. You can also purchase by phone at (312) 335-1650 on the day-of show at 12 pm for main series performances. Limit 2 tickets per person.

Accessible Performance Dates:

Audio-Described and Touch Tour: Sunday, March 1 at 3 pm (1:30 pm Touch Tour)
Open-Captioned: Saturday, February 28 at 3 pm & Thursday, March 12 at 7:30 pm
ASL-Interpreted: Friday, March 6 at 7:30 pm

Education and Engagement:

Throughout the 2025/26 season, Steppenwolf continues its commitment to the next generation of theatre learners, makers and appreciators with robust education and engagement programming. Programming includes dedicated student matinee performances during four of the five Membership Series productions including Mr. Wolf, Amadeus, The Dance of Death and Windfall, in-school residencies in partnership with Chicago Public schools, workshops, panels and events specifically geared towards teens, as well as professional development trainings and resources for educators. Additionally, Steppenwolf is reimagining their community engagement and will pilot new public programming, continue accessibility programming and offer opportunities for deeper explorations for audiences throughout the season. For additional information about Steppenwolf's Education and Engagement programming and to register your school for a field trip visit steppenwolf.org/education-and-engagement/steppenwolf-field-trip-series.

Artist Biographies:

August Strindberg (Playwright) Johan August Strindberg was a Swedish author and playwright whose work engaged the concepts of naturalism and expressionism. He was born in Stockholm on January 22, 1849, to an unsuccessful shipping agent and a maidservant. He attended the University of Uppsala, but he would often leave to act at the Royal Dramatic Theatre in Stockholm, teach or write plays. He left Uppsala permanently in 1872 to work as a journalist and a librarian at the Royal Library in Stockholm. In 1879, Strindberg published his novel "The Red Room," making him famous in Sweden. His play Master Olof, a historical drama published in 1872, was finally performed in 1881, and he wrote several plays criticizing social conventions in Sweden, including Lucky Peter's Travels (1882), The Father (1887), Miss Julie (1888), Creditors (1888), The Stronger (1888) and Playing with Fire (1892). During the 1890s, Strindberg suffered from psychological and emotional stress, which he described in his novel "Inferno," that culminated in his adoption of mysticism. The post-"Inferno" period was more productive for Strindberg. He wrote thirty-six plays from 1898 to 1909, including To Damascus (1898), a trilogy, Gustav Vasa (1899), Erik the Fourteenth (1899), Easter (1900), The Dance of Death (1900), A Dream Play (1901), Queen Christinia (1901), Storm (1907), The Ghost Sonata (1907) and The Great Highway (1909). He died in Stockholm on May 14, 1912. 

Conor McPherson (Adaptor) was born in Dublin in 1971. He attended the University College in Dublin, where he began to write and direct. His plays include Rum & Vodka, The Good Thief, This Lime Tree Bower, St. Nicholas, The Weir (Olivier Award, Best Play), Dublin Carol, Port Authority, Shining City (Tony Award nomination, Best Play) and The Seafarer. Film work includes I Went Down, Saltwater, Samuel Beckett's Endgame and The Actors. Other awards include the George Devine Award; Critics' Circle Award; Evening Standard Award; Meyer Whitworth Award; Stewart Parker Award; two Irish Film & Television Academy Best Screenplay Awards; CICAE Best Film Award, Berlin Film Festival (Saltwater); Best Film and Best Screenplay Awards, San Sebastian Film Festival (I Went Down).

Yasen Peyankov (Director) last directed at Steppenwolf Theatre his own adaptation of Anton Chekhov's Seagull in 2022 and has been an Ensemble Member since 2002. Other Steppenwolf main stage directing credits include: The Fundamentals, Between Riverside and Crazy (Jeff nomination for Best Production), Grand Concourse and Russian Transport. He also directed Hushabye for Steppenwolf's First Look Repertory and The Glass Menagerie for Steppenwolf for Young Adults. He most recently directed Samuel Beckett's Endgame at Facility Theatre. He also translated and directed the Bulgarian premieres of August: Osage County and Doll's House, Part 2 (still running) at the National Theatre in Sofia, Bulgaria. As an actor he has appeared in over 20 productions at Steppenwolf Theatre Company, some of which include: Time of Your Life (also in Seattle and San Francisco), Morning Star (Jeff Award), Hysteria, Lost Land, Cherry Orchard, Frankie and Johnny at the Claire De Lune (also in Dublin), Superior Donuts (also on Broadway), and others. Film: Maestro, Captive State, A Very Harold and Kumar Christmas, The Company, US Marshalls, and others. Television: Chicago Med, Chicago P.D., Madame Secretary (recurring), FBI, Stranger Things, The Mob Doctor, Alias, The Practice, The Unit, Numb3rs, and others. Mr. Peyankov is a Professor and Head of Theatre at the School of Theatre and Music at UIC where he teaches acting and directs plays.

Cliff Chamberlain (Kurt) joined the Steppenwolf Theatre Company ensemble in 2018. Steppenwolf Theatre Company: You Will Get Sick, Fool For Love, The Minutes, Belleville, Clybourne Park, Theatrical Essays, Superior Donuts. Chicago: The Seagull (Goodman Theatre); The Sparrow (The House Theatre of Chicago). Broadway: The Minutes, Superior Donuts. Television: Homeland, Altered Carbon, The Act, Easy, State of Affairs, Chicago P.D., Paper Girls, The Chair. Film: The Rip, Moses the Black, The Wise Kids. Cliff trained at UCSB and The School at Steppenwolf.

Kathryn Erbe (Alice) first worked with Steppenwolf on the Broadway production of The Grapes of Wrath (1990 Tony Award for Best Play) and became an ensemble member in 1992. Steppenwolf: Curse of the Starving Class, My Thing of Love and A Streetcar Named Desire. Broadway: The Speed of Darkness (Tony nomination), A Month In the Country, The Father. Off-Broadway: Down the Shore (Atlantic Theater Company – company member since 1993), Yosemite, Ode To Joy, AZAK (Rattlestick), Checkers, Nikolai and the Others (Mitzi Newhouse LTC), Something Clean (Roundabout Underground), Ashes & Ink (AMT Theater). Television: Breathing Lessons (Hallmark), Homicide, Oz, Law & Order: Criminal Intent and SVU, How To Get Away With Murder, The Sinner, POSE, City On A Hill, Black Rabbit. Film: What About Bob?, Rich In Love, D2:The Mighty Ducks, Kiss of Death, The Addiction, Dream With the Fishes, Stir of Echoes, Speaking of Sex, 3 Backyards, Mistress America, Assassination Nation, Alex Strangelove, Red Pill, No Alternative, The Good House and the upcoming The Plea.

Jeff Perry (Captain) is a co-founder of the Steppenwolf Theatre Company, and has acted and directed in over 40 Steppenwolf productions. Regional: Seagull, Streamers, Time of Your Life, Anna Christie, A Steady Rain, No Man's Land. International: The Grapes of Wrath, August: Osage County. Television: Nash Bridges, Grey's Anatomy, Scandal, $1, Dirty John, Inventing Anna, Alaska Daily. Upcoming: Co-Producer of The Steppenwolf Theatre Documentary. "I owe my life in art to every teacher, artist, student, and storytelling colleague I've been blessed to share time and space with."

Accessibility:

As a commitment to make the Steppenwolf experience accessible to everyone, performances featuring American Sign Language Interpretation, Open Captioning and Audio Description are offered during the run of each STC production. Assistive listening devices (ALDs), large-print programs and Braille programs are available for every performance and all our spaces are equipped with an induction hearing loop. Our building features wheelchair accessible seating and restrooms, push-button entrances, a courtesy wheelchair and all-gender restrooms, with accessible counter and table spaces at our bars. For additional information regarding accessibility, visit steppenwolf.org/access or e-mail This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Sponsor Information:

United Airlines is the Official and Exclusive Airline of Steppenwolf. Steppenwolf is also grateful for the significant season support from lead sponsors Allstate Insurance Company, Paul M. Angell Family Foundation, Crown Family Philanthropies, Caroline and Keating Crown, Julius Frankel Foundation, Lefkofsky Family Foundation, Northern Trust, Anne and Don Phillips, John Hart and Carol Prins, Shubert Foundation, Inc, Walder Foundation, and Zell Family Foundation. Steppenwolf also acknowledges generous support from premier sponsors Anonymous, Andrew and Amy Bluhm, Michael and Cathy Brennan, Ann and Richard Carr, Chicago Community Trust, Steven and Nancy Crown, Conagra Brands Foundation, Rich and Margery Feitler, FROST CHICAGO, Joyce Foundation, Harold and Mimi Steinberg Charitable Trust, The Orlebeke Foundation, PNC, Polk Bros. Foundation, Thoma Bravo, Bryan Traubert and Penny Pritzker, Sacks Family Foundation, Smart Family Foundation of Illinois, and Vinci Restaurant. Steppenwolf also acknowledges support from the Illinois Arts Council. 

About Steppenwolf Theatre Company:

Steppenwolf Theatre Company is the nation's premier Ensemble Theater with 49 members who are among the top actors, playwrights and directors in the field. Thrilling, powerful, groundbreaking productions have made this theatre legendary. From the 1980 phenomenon of Balm in Gilead, to The Grapes of Wrath, August: Osage County, Downstate, The Brother/Sister Plays, and now, the 2025 Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award-winning Purpose, Steppenwolf Theatre has had a long-running and undeniable impact on American Theater and Chicago's cultural landscape. Founded in 1976, Steppenwolf started as a group of teens performing in the basement of a church. Today, the company's artistic force remains rooted in the original vision of its founders: an artist-driven theatre, whose vitality is defined by its appetite for bold and innovative work. Every aspect of Steppenwolf is rooted in its Ensemble ethos, from the intergenerational artistic programming to the multi-genre performance series LookOut, to the nationally recognized work of Steppenwolf Education and Engagement which serves nearly 15,000 teens annually. While grounded in the Chicago community, more than 40 original Steppenwolf productions have enjoyed success nationally and internationally, including Broadway, Off-Broadway, London, Sydney, Galway and Dublin. Steppenwolf also holds accolades that include the National Medal of Arts, 14 Tony Awards, two Pulitzer Prize-winning commissions and more. Led by Artistic Directors Glenn Davis and Audrey Francis, Executive Director Brooke Flanagan and Board of Trustees Chair Keating Crown — Steppenwolf continually redefines the boundaries of live theater and pushes the limits of acting and performance.

Steppenwolf's Mission: Steppenwolf strives to create thrilling, courageous and provocative art in a thoughtful and inclusive environment. We succeed when we disrupt your routine with experiences that spark curiosity, empathy and joy. We invite you to join our ensemble as we navigate, together, our complex world. steppenwolf.org, facebook.com/steppenwolftheatre, twitter.com/steppenwolfthtr and instagram.com/steppenwolfthtr.

TICKETS HERE

Court Theatre, under the continuing leadership of Marilyn F. Vitale Artistic Director Avery Willis Hoffman and Executive Director Angel Ysaguirre, is proud to present the new musical, Out Here. Directed by Chay Yew, this charming and bold take on the American kitchen sink drama brings Court's 2025/26 season to a joyous conclusion. This production will run April 10 – May 10, 2026 at Court Theatre, 5535 S. Ellis Ave. 

The cast of Out Here includes Becca Ayers (Dawn); Cliff Chamberlain (Brian); Ellie Duffey (Cleo); Alex Goodrich (Martin); Z Mowry (Jet); Amanda Pulcini (Gina); and Bethany Thomas (Robin).

The creative team includes Christie Chiles Twillie (Music Supervisor); Breon Arzell (Movement Director); Andrew Boyce and Lauren M. Nichols (Co-Scenic Designers); Christine Pascual (Costume Designer); Lee Fiskness (Lighting Designer); Mikhail Fiksel (Sound Design); David J. Levin (Production Dramaturg); Becca McCracken, CSA (Director of Casting and Artist Cultivation), with Celeste M. Cooper (Associate Casting Director); Katrina Herrmann (Production Stage Manager); and Jaclynn Joslin (Assistant Stage Manager).

Dawn has a house, a husband, and a family, but she wants more. She wants her ex-girlfriend, Robin. She wants nothing to change and she wants everything to change, and she wants to control all the terms. As she's caught between what's been and what's next, Dawn must learn to reimagine her expectations, harmonize with loved ones, and trust the process. If she can do all that, she might just learn a new song. Strikingly original, Out Here explores the unexpected freedom in relinquishing control, and how, sometimes, you have to break something apart to create something better.

Life happens outside of your comfort zone. Out Here is a courageous new musical, developed through an extended and dynamic collaboration between Court Theatre and the Neubauer Collegium at the University of Chicago. Audiences will have the rare opportunity to be the first to experience this fresh and intimate look at a family reconfiguring itself and rediscovering joy.

Led by acclaimed director Chay Yew, making his Court debut, Out Here arrives as a bold, innovative work that invites Chicago audiences to be among the very first to witness its evolution—bringing the 2025/26 season to a joyous conclusion.

Tickets to Out Here are on sale now, and can be purchased by calling the Box Office at (773) 753-4472 or online atCourtTheatre.org. Out Here is supported by the Charles Newell Production Fund.

Court will present a series of engagement programming throughout the run of the show that complements themes within the production. More information will be available at CourtTheatre.org or by calling the Box Office at (773) 753-4472.

This production was developed in partnership with University of Chicago Professors Leslie Buxbaum and David J. Levin; musician, writer, and producer Erin McKeown; and the Arts Labs research project at the Neubauer Collegium for Culture and Society. The Neubauer Collegium cultivates new communities of inquiry at the University of Chicago. Their faculty-led research projects bring together scholars and practitioners whose collaboration is required to address complex questions on any topic. Their Visiting Fellows program brings the most creative thinkers from around the world for collaboration, animating the intellectual and creative environment on campus. Their gallery presents art exhibitions in the context of academic research, and their public events invite broad engagement with the scholarly inquiries we support. The aim of these activities is to deepen knowledge about the world and our place in it.

Fact Sheet / Out Here
Title:                              Out Here

Concept by:                  Leslie Buxbaum, David J. Levin, and Erin McKeown

Book and Lyrics by:       Leslie Buxbaum

Music and Lyrics by:      Erin McKeown

Dramaturgy by:             David J. Levin

Directed by:                  Chay Yew

Featuring: Becca Ayers (Dawn); Cliff Chamberlain (Brian); Ellie Duffey (Cleo); Alex Goodrich (Martin); Z Mowry (Jet); Amanda Pulcini (Gina); and Bethany Thomas (Robin).

Creatives: Christie Chiles Twillie (Music Supervisor); Breon Arzell (Movement Director); Andrew Boyce and Lauren M. Nichols (Co-Scenic Designers); Christine Pascual (Costume Designer); Lee Fiskness (Lighting Designer); Mikhail Fiksel (Sound Design); David J. Levin (Production Dramaturg); Becca McCracken, CSA (Director of Casting and Artist Cultivation), with Celeste M. Cooper (Associate Casting Director); Katrina Herrmann (Production Stage Manager); and Jaclynn Joslin (Assistant Stage Manager).

Dates:               

Previews:                    April 10 – 17, 2026

Press Opening:           April 18, 2026 at 7:30pm

Regular Run:               April 10 – May 10, 2026

Schedule:         Wed/Thurs/Fri:            7:30pm

                         Sat/Sun:                      2:00pm & 7:30pm

Accessible         Touch Tour: Saturday, May 2 at 12:30pm

Performances: Audio Description and ASL Interpretation: Saturday, May 2 at 2:00pm

Open Captioning: Sunday, May 3 at 2:00pm
                       

Location:         Court Theatre, 5535 S. Ellis Ave.

Tickets:            $42.00 – $74.00 Previews
                        $60.00 – $90.00 Regular Run

Student, group, and military discounts available

Box Office: Located at 5535 S. Ellis Avenue, Chicago; (773) 753-4472 or www.CourtTheatre.org.

Winner of the 2022 Regional Theatre Tony Award, Court Theatre reimagines classic theatre to illuminate our current times. In residence at the University of Chicago and on Chicago's historic South Side, we engage our audiences with intimate and provocative experiences that inspire deeper exploration of the enduring questions that confront humanity and connect us as people.

If ever given the chance to see Amy Morton on her home stage at Steppenwolf–take it. She stars in the Chicago premiere of Noah Diaz’s ‘You Will Get Sick’ alongside fellow ensemble members Cliff Chamberlain, Namir Smallwood, Jordan Arredondo and Sadieh Rifai. Steppenwolf Theatre Artistic Director Audrey Francis directs this inventive new production with theatricality and compassion.

‘You Will Get Sick’ comes from writer and screenwriter Noah Diaz. It was previously seen at The Roundabout Theatre in which the late Linda Lavin starred to rave reviews. It’s the oddball story of a man with a secret (Namir Smallwood) who pays a woman (Amy Morton) to have uncomfortable conversations with the people in his life. At first the woman seems only motivated by money, but in time she becomes his unlikely confidant. The woman is preoccupied with her own dreams of starring in a local production of ‘The Wizard of Oz’. As his condition worsens, they live under the constant threat of attack from giant birds overhead.

The list of things that make this play unique is much longer than the list of things that make it familiar. On one hand, it’s not hard to draw a connection between the man’s wasting illness and his new friend’s obsession with being Dorothy Gale in ‘The Wizard of Oz’. This a story about a queer man and the illness that he will eventually succumb to. All the while, an off-stage narrator gives the internal stage directions for how the man feels. Each actor embodies several other unnamed characters that revolve around him in some way.

Sadieh Rifai portrays a handful of zany characters from nurses to new age theatre teachers, but as his sister receives bad news from Amy Morton’s character, her fury is electrifying. Rifai makes the most of Diaz’s gallows humor. Amy Morton’s performance is the centerpiece of the play though. As with her co-stars she wears a few unnamed character’s hats throughout the show, but as what’s described as “an older woman” who’s both a profit-driven jerk and a reliable caregiver–she’s complex and utterly realistic.

Diaz makes a point with ‘You Will Get Sick’ that illness in our society is seen as a moral failing. The man is ashamed for people to know he’s ill, but he’s even more embarrassed of his failing limbs. Namir Smallwood is heartbreaking as a man so lonely he has to pay people to be kind. Conversely, Cliff Chamberlain hilariously plays a swirl of toxically positive characters that seem to only exist to annoy those dealing with traumatic reality.

There’s something hard to define about ‘You Will Get Sick’, but instead of wondering what it’s about, perhaps Diaz wants you to feel what it’s about. Between the dreamy dialogue and Audrey Francis’ sumptuous vision for this production, there’s an emotional energy on stage that is quite literally magic in some parts. Even though there is tragedy in life, what this play explores is what can grow out of that and what parts of people do we carry with us after they’re gone?

Through July 20 at Steppenwolf Theatre Company. 1650 N Halsted St. 312-335-1650

*This review is also featured on https://www.theatreinchicago.com/!