THE VOICE OF CHICAGO'S GAY, LESBIAN, BI, TRANS AND QUEER COMMUNITY SINCE 1985

Lisa D'Amour's Detroit, which had its world premiere at Steppenwolf Theatre in September 2010, was nominated as a 2011 Pulitzer Prize finalist. The Steppenwolf production, directed by ensemble member Austin Pendleton, is set to transfer to Broadway early fall of 2011.

About Clybourne Park

On two separate afternoons, 50 years apart, a modest bungalow on Chicago's northwest side becomes a contested site in the politics of race. September 1959: Russ and Bev are moving out to the suburbs. They've inadvertently sold the house to the neighborhood's first black family and ignited a community showdown. September 2009: the neighborhood is ripe for gentrification and the house is again changing hands. This time to a young white couple with plans for demolition and a knack for saying the wrong thing at the wrong time. In a provocative nod to A Raisin in the Sun, longtime Steppenwolf collaborator Bruce Norris takes a hilarious look at what happens when home becomes a battleground.

About Bruce Norris

Bruce Norris is a longtime Steppenwolf collaborator, whose plays The Infidel ( 2000 ) , Purple Heart ( 2002 ) , We All Went Down to Amsterdam ( 2003 ) , The Pain and the Itch ( 2004 ) , The Unmentionables ( 2006 ) and A Parallelogram ( 2010 ) all premiered at Steppenwolf Theatre. His work has also been produced at Lookingglass Theatre, Philadelphia Theatre Company, Woolly Mammoth Theatre ( Washington, D.C. ) , The Royal Court Theater ( London ) , and The Staatstheater Mainz ( Germany ) . Mr. Norris is the recipient of the 2009 Steinberg Playwright Award, the Whiting Foundation Prize for Drama, and the Kesselring Prize, Honorable Mention. He also received Joseph Jefferson Awards for Best New Work for his plays, We All Went Down to Amsterdam and The Pain and the Itch.

About Lisa D'Amour

Lisa D'Amour writes plays for theaters and creates interdisciplinary performance. She often makes work with her collaborator, Katie Pearl. Currently, they are creating How to Build a Forest, a performance installation that will premiere at The Kitchen in New York City in June 2011. Other recent projects include Terrible Things, a dance-theater piece she created with Pearl and choreographer Emily Johnson ( PS122 in New York ) , Swimming Cities of Switchback Sea ( a performance for a fleet of seven handmade boats on the Hudson River designed by SWOON ) and Stanley 2006 ( a solo she wrote for her brother Todd to perform, HERE Arts Center in New York ) . Lisa's work has been presented by theaters such as Salvage Vanguard, Infernal Bridegroom Productions, the Walker Arts Center, Crowded Fire Theater, Children's' Theater Company, Clubbed Thumb, HERE Arts Center, New Georges, Theater of a Two-Headed Calf and the Women's Project, and has been supported by the Jerome Foundation, the McKnight Foundation, NYSCA, the MAP Fund, Creative Capital and the NEA/TCG Residency for Playwrights. She received an OBIE Award along with Katie Pearl and Kathy Randels for Nita & Zita, and received the Alpert Award in the Arts for theater in 2008. Lisa often collaborates with ArtSpot Productions in her hometown of New Orleans. She is core alum of the Playwrights' Center and a recent alumna of New Dramatists. D'Amour has been commissioned to write two new plays for Steppenwolf over the next two years through support from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.www.lisadamour.com and www.pearldamour.com .

About Detroit

In a "first ring" suburb outside a mid-sized American city, Ben and Mary fire up the grill to welcome the new neighbors who've moved into the long-empty house next door. The fledgling friendship soon veers out of control, shattering the fragile hold Ben and Mary have on their way of life—with unexpected comic consequences. Detroit is a fresh, off-beat look at what happens when we dare to open ourselves up to something new.

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 andwww.twitter.com/SteppenwolfThtr.