Steppenwolf for Young Adults launches its 2011/12 season with The Heart Is A Lonely Hunter adapted by Rebecca Gilman , based on the novel by Carson McCullers and directed by Hallie Gordon, playing October 11 - November 4, 2011 in Steppenwolf's Upstairs Theatre, 1650 N. Halsted St. The production features ensemble member Alan Wilder with Jessica Honor Carleton, Derrick C. Cooper, Walter Coppage, Ann Joseph, Loren Lazerine, Colm O'Reilly , Jay Reed, Robert Schleifer and Nick Vidal . Weekday matinees (Tuesdays through Fridays) are reserved for school groups only, with weekend (Saturday and Sunday) performances available to the public. Single tickets and tickets for school groups are currently on sale.

The Heart Is A Lonely Hunter follows John Singer, a deaf man who resides in a local boarding house, and four other vivid but desperately lonesome residents in a Georgia mill town during the 1930s. Mick Kelly, a 14-year-old tomboy who dreams of becoming a concert pianist; Benedict Copeland, the town's only black doctor; Jake Blount, a drunken political activist; and Biff Brannon, a recent widower and owner of the town's diner and bar. As each finds solace in Singer's ability to listen, they all unintentionally overlook their confidant's profound isolation in this timeless tale woven from the lives of ordinary people.

Rebecca Gilman 's plays include A True History of the Johnstown Flood, Boy Gets Girl, Spinning Into Butter, Blue Surge, Dollhouse, The Glory of Living, The Sweetest Swing in Baseball and The Crowd You're in With. Her plays have received numerous productions at regional theatres and abroad, including productions at the Goodman Theatre , The Royal Court Theatre , Lincoln Center Theatre, The Public Theater , Manhattan Theatre Club , New York Theatre Workshop, and Manhattan Class Company . Carson McCullers wrote The Heart Is A Lonely Hunter at the age of 23. Perhaps best known for her unflinching exploration of human isolation, she is the author of four novels, two plays, a host of essays and short fiction as well as an unfinished autobiography, published more than 30 years after her death.

The The Heart is Lonely Hunter production team includes: Collette Pollard (sets), Myron Elliott (costumes), J.R. Lederle (lights) and Christopher Kriz (sound) and Mike Tutaj (projections). Additional credits include Erica Daniels (casting) and Rose Marie Packer (stage manager).

Title: The Heart Is A Lonely Hunter
Adapted by: Rebecca Gilman
Based on the novel by: Carson McCullers
Directed by: Hallie Gordon

Featuring: Ensemble member Alan Wilder (Charles Park er, MR. Kelly , Millworker 2, Deputy 1, Asylum Patient 1) with Jessica Honor Carleton (Mick Kelly), Derrick C. Cooper (Willie, Hospital Attendant), Walter Coppage (Dr. Copeland), Ann Joseph (Portia), Loren Lazerine (Jake Blount), Colm O'Reilly (Biff Brannon), Jay Reed (Antanapoulos, Preacher, Millworker 1, Deputy 2) Robert Schleifer (John Singer) and Nick Vidal (Harry, Asylum Patient 2).

Location: Steppenwolf Upstairs Theatre, 1650 N. Halsted St.

Dates: October 11 - November 4, 2011
Public Performances: Saturdays at 7:30 pm and Sundays at 3 pm
Weekday matinee performances (Tuesdays - Fridays at 10 am) are available for school groups only
Public Ticket Price: $20 on Saturdays, 2-for-1 on Sundays ($15 student tickets available via phone/box office only)

Audience Services: 1650 N. Halsted, (312) 335-1650
Online ticketing available at www.steppenwolf.org
For information on Steppenwolf for Young Adult weekday school performances, contact the SYA Education Assistant Lauren Sivak at (312) 654-5643.

Accessible Performances:
Open captioned performance: Sunday, October 23 at 3 pm
Sign language-interpreted performance: Saturday, October 29 at 7:30 pm

Steppenwolf for Young Adults' unique approach combines play production with educational components to enhance arts education for young audiences, as well as their teachers and families. SYA creates two full-scale professional productions each season specifically for teens. Working closely with the Chicago Public and metropolitan area schools and other community partners, SYA annually ensures access to the theater for more than 15,000 participants from Chicago's diverse communities. The initiative also includes post-show discussions with artists; classroom residencies led by Steppenwolf-trained teaching artists in more than 30 classrooms in 14 public high schools; professional development workshops for educators; and the Young Adult Council, an innovative year-round after school initiative that uniquely engages high school students in all areas of the theater's operations.

JPMorgan Chase & Co. is the Corporate Sponsor of Steppenwolf for Young Adults.
Target is the Sponsor of the Target 2-for-1 Sundays.
Partial support for open captioning provided by Theatre Development Fund .

Steppenwolf is located near all forms of public transportation and is wheelchair accessible. Street and lot parking are available. Assistive listening devices are available for every performance in the Upstairs or Downstairs Theatres.

Steppenwolf Theatre Company, Chicago, IL (Martha Lavey , Artistic Director; David Hawkanson , Executive Director) is one of the nation's leading ensemble theatres, producing up to 16 productions each year in its three Chicago theater spaces - including programming dedicated to the development of new plays and theatre for young adults. Steppenwolf's productions have enjoyed success both nationally and internationally, including off-Broadway, Broadway, London, Sydney and Dublin. Formed in 1976 by a collective of actors, Steppenwolf has grown into an ensemble of 43 actors, writers and directors. For additional information, visit www.steppenwolf.org , www.facebook.com/SteppenwolfTheatre and www.twitter.com/SteppenwolfThtr .