The Writer
By Ella Hickson
Directed by Georgette Verdin
A U.S. Premiere
A playwright wants to create a new story for a new world - something cathartic, something transformative, something mythic. But artistic integrity clashes with commercial pressure as she tries to wrest away the narrative from the establishment and its gatekeepers.
"a gutsy look at theater itself, as seen through a feminist lens...caustic, unsparing, and entertaining" - Chris Jones, Chicago Tribune
"I totally loved this production and this play....if you don’t mind being challenged both intellectually and emotionally...you may well see it as the artistic gem it is."- Karen Topham, Chicago on Stage
"enraging and engaging...The Writer doesn’t let you look away." - Catey Sullivan, Chicago Reader
"an assault on theater and on the patriarchy...if you care about theater, you will want to see it." - Nancy S. Bishop, Third Coast Review
“The Writer is a shimmering example of why we go to theater.” Katy Walsh, The Fourth Walsh
“…under the sure-fire direction of Georgette Verdin…[The Writer] is the anti-Barbie exploring the patriarchy, empowerment, and self-determination in a world without a hint of pink.” - Kerstin Broockmann, Buzz Center Stage
Tickets & Information
Performance Location
The Edge Theater
5451 N Broadway
Chicago, IL 60640
Note: The Writer will be performed at The Edge Theater while Steep moves forward with construction on our new home.
Ticket Pricing
General Admission: $30
Reserved Seats: $40
Access Tickets: $10*
Group Tickets: Contact us for a discounted rate for groups of 10 or more.
*Access tickets are our universal discount available to anyone in need of a discount
Contact us at access@steeptheatre.com or 773-649-3186 for more information or to reserve tickets.
Performance Schedule
Previews: August 5 - August 10
Press Opening: Friday, August 11
Performances: August 11 - September 16
Thursday, Friday, and Saturday evenings at 7:30 pm
Sunday afternoons at 3 pm
Run Time: 2 hours and 15 minutes with an intermission.
Covid Protocol: Masking during the performance is optional.
Production Sponsors: The ADJLM Foundation, Ken Burlington, James T. O'Neill, Lisa & Randy White, and Martha Anne & Stephen Yandle
Content Advisory: This production is intended for adult audiences. For more information about the content of this show, please click here.
Accessibility
Audio Description will be available on Sunday, August 27 and open captioning will take place on Saturday, September 2 and Sunday, September 3. Additionally, a fully masked performance will be held on September 8.
CAST
CAST
Lucy Carapetyan*^
Nate Faust^
Jodi Gage
Peter Moore^
Krystal Ortiz
Allyce Torres
Creative Team
Director – Georgette Verdin
Stage Manager – Lauren Lassusˆ
Scenic Designer – Sotirios Livaditis
Lighting Designer - Brandon Wardell^
Sound Designer – Thomas Dixon^
Costume Designer – Gregory A. Graham
Props Designer – Lonnae Hickman
Projection Designer - Erin Pleake
Movement Director - Claire Bauman
Intimacy Director – Gaby Labotka
Dialect Coach - Adam Goldstein
Dramaturg - Caroline Uy
Production Manager – Jennifer Aparicio
Technical Director – Andy Cahoon
Assistant Director - Maddy Brown
Casting Director - Lucy Carapetyan*^
Casting Associate - Lisa Troi Thomas^
Sound Engineer/Assistant - Morgan Durdaryk
Props Assistant - Theo Wampuszyc
Costume Assistant - Caitlin McCarthy Lead/Master Electrician - Kieran O’Connor
ˆ Steep Company Member
* Appearing through an Agreement between Steep Theatre and Actors' Equity Association, the Union of Professional Actors and Stage Managers in the United States
Ella Hickson
Ella Hickson is an award-winning playwright whose work has been performed throughout the UK and abroad. Ella’s theatre credits include ‘Adult Children’ (2021) a VR piece for the Donmar co-created with Sacha Wares and ScanLAB Projects, ‘Swive’ (2019) at The Globe, ‘Anna’ (2019) at the National Theatre, ‘The Writer’ (2018) and ‘Oil’ (2016) at The Almeida Theatre, and ‘Wendy and Peter Pan’ (2015) at The Royal Shakespeare Company. She is a member of the Royal Society of Literature, a Thornton Wilder Fellow, and has twice been a MacDowell Colony Fellow, as well as a recipient of The Catherine Johnson Award.
Georgette Verdin
Georgette Verdin (she/her) is a queer, Cuban-American director passionate about creating visceral theatrical experiences that elicit radical empathy and help marginalized women gain visibility. She is the Associate Artistic Director of Northlight Theatre and a proud member of Rivendell Theatre Ensemble. She was profiled as one of 50 artists in NewCity Magazine’s 2023 edition “Players: Who Really Performs for Chicago Right Now” and in Chicago Reader’s “Best of Chicago 2022.” 2022 also brought two Joseph Jefferson Awards nominations for Director of a Play (Midsize) for the Chicago premiere of This Wide Night (Shattered Globe/Interrobang Theatre Project) and the world premiere of Spay (Rivendell Theatre). Other recent directing credits include the following World Premieres: A Mile in the Dark (Interrobang Theatre Project/Rivendell); Enough to Let the Light In (Teatro Vista at Steppenwolf 1700) and Chagall in School (Grippo Stage Company). Georgette was the 2022 Michael Maggio Directing Fellow at Goodman Theatre. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Theatre Performance from McNeese State University in Lake Charles, LA and a Master in Directing from the Chicago College of Performing Arts at Roosevelt University. She was a 2021 recipient of a 3Arts Make-A-Wave grant and is an associate member of Stage Directors and Choreographers Society.