Steppenwolf Theatre Company, the nation’s premier ensemble theater company, is pleased to announce full casting for Noah Diaz’s whimsical, wild and heartbreaking Chicago premiere of You Will Get Sick, directed by Artistic Director Audrey Francis (Noises Off, POTUS–Director).
Renowned ensemble member Amy Morton, a Tony Award nominee for August: Osage County and Edward Albee’s Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, returns to the Steppenwolf stage for the first time in nearly a decade, joined by fellow ensemble members Cliff Chamberlain (The Minutes, Superior Donuts) and Namir Smallwood (Pass Over, True West, Bug). Rounding out the cast of You Will Get Sick are Jordan Arredondo (Steppenwolf debut) and Sadieh Rifai (First Look Repertory of New Work).
You Will Get Sick will play June 5 – July 13, 2025 in Steppenwolf’s Downstairs Theater, 1650 N. Halsted St. in Chicago. Single tickets starting at $20 go on sale Thursday, January 23, 2025 at steppenwolf.org or the Box Office at (312) 335-1650. The press opening is Sunday, June 15, 2025 at 6 pm.
The cast of Steppenwolf Theatre’s Chicago premiere of "You Will Get Sick" includes (top, l to r) ensemble members Cliff Chamberlain, Amy Morton and Namir Smallwood with (bottom, l to r) Jordan Arredondo and Sadieh Rifai.
About the Production:
A young man with a secret. An older woman who will listen. A predatory flock of birds. An upcoming audition for The Wizard of Oz. Welcome to You Will Get Sick, a wildly imaginative new play that traces the touching, hilarious, heartbreaking saga of one man’s illness and his unlikely caretaker’s pursuit of her dreams. Admired as “lively, surreal and surprising” by The New York Times, Noah Diaz’s Chicago debut is equal parts comedy, form-bending experiment and sober meditation on mortality.
The creative team includes Andrew Boyce (Scenic Design), Raquel Adorno (Costume Design), Jen Schriever (Lighting Design), Willow James (Sound Design), Skyler Fox (Magic and Illusions Design), Kate DeVore (Vocal Coach), Bryar Barborka (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: You Will Get Sick – Chicago Premiere!
Playwright: Noah Diaz
Director: Artistic Director Audrey Francis
Cast: Ensemble members Cliff Chamberlain (#4). Amy Morton (#2) and Namir Smallwood (#1) with Jordan Arredondo (#5) and Sadieh Rifai (#3)
Location: Steppenwolf’s Downstairs Theater, 1650 N. Halsted St., Chicago
Dates: Previews: Thursday, June 5 – Saturday, June 14, 2025
Press performance/Opening: Sunday, June 15, 2025 at 6 pm
Regular run: Tuesday, June 17 – Sunday, July 13, 2025
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, June 10, Thursday, June 19, Friday, July 4 or Tuesday, July 8; there will be an added 2 pm matinee on Wednesday, July 2.
Tickets: Single tickets for You Will Get Sick ($20 - $108) go on sale Thursday, January 23, 2025 at steppenwolf.org and the Box Office at (312) 335-1650. Steppenwolf Flex Memberships are also currently on sale: Black Card Memberships with six tickets for use any time for any production and RED Card Memberships for theatergoers under 30.
Accessible Performance Dates:
Audio-Described and Touch Tour: Sunday, June 29 at 3 pm (1:30 pm touch tour)
Open-Captioned: Thursday, June 26 at 7:30 pm and Saturday, July 5 at 3 pm
ASL-Interpreted: Friday, July 11 at 7:30 pm
Education and Engagement:
Throughout the 2024/25 season, Steppenwolf continues its commitment to the next generation of theatre learners, makers and appreciators with robust education and engagement programming. During the school year, programming includes dedicated student matinee performances for four of the five Membership Series productions, 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. During You Will Get Sick, Steppenwolf will host a dedicated “Teen Takeover” performance and continue expanding its community engagement through new public programming, our traditional Vet’s Night performance and additional opportunities for deeper explorations for audiences. 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:
Noah Diaz (Playwright) is a playwright and screenwriter from the Iowa/Nebraska border. Productions include You Will Get Sick (Roundabout Theatre, NYT Critic’s Pick), Richard & Jane & Dick & Sally (co-production The Playwrights Realm/Baltimore Center Stage) and The Swindlers (Baltimore Center Stage). Commissions from La Jolla Playhouse, Roundabout Theatre, Manhattan Theatre Club/Sloan, Baltimore Center Stage, Audible/Amazon Studios and Arena Stage. His work has been developed with Berkshire Theatre Group, Two River Theater, The Sol Project, First Floor Theater and The Playwrights Realm, where he was a Page One Resident Playwright. Noah is a recipient of the ASCAP Cole Porter Prize, a five-time recipient of playwriting awards from The Kennedy Center, and a nominee for the Outer Critics Circle’s John Gassner Award. In television, he has written on Nine Perfect Strangers (Hulu), Up Here (Hulu), Joe vs. Carole (Peacock), and has developed projects for ABC, Hulu, 20th Television, The Walk-Up Company, Nyle DiMarco and the team at Eva Longoria’s UnbeliEVAble Entertainment. MFA: Yale School of Drama.
Audrey Francis (Director) currently serves as Artistic Director of Steppenwolf Theatre, alongside Glenn Davis, where she has been an Ensemble member since 2017. She is an actor, director, educator and coach. Most recently, Audrey directed POTUS in Steppenwolf's 23/24 season. Steppenwolf performing credits include Noises Off, The Thanksgiving Play, The Herd, Between Riverside and Crazy, The Fundamentals, The Doppelgänger (an international farce) and Dance Nation. TV credits include Justified: City Primeval, Chicago Med, Chicago Fire and Empire. Film credits include Perpetrator, Knives and Skin, Later Days and Distant Learners. She has taught acting in New York, LA, Toronto, Sydney and Melbourne, as well as at The University of Chicago and The Theatre School at DePaul. Audrey is a professional acting coach for Showtime, NBC, Fox and Amazon, and is the co-founder of Black Box Acting.
Jordan Arredondo (#5) Chicago: SS! Midsummer Night’s Dream (Chicago Shakespeare Theater); In The Heights, Buddy: The Buddy Holly Story (Marriott Theatre); Guys and Dolls, Grease (Drury Lane Theatre); Sweat, Fun Home (Paramount Theatre); Laura and the Sea (Rivendell Theatre); First Love is the Revolution (Steep Theatre); American Jornalero, Romeo and Juliet (Teatro Vista); Waiting for Godot (Tympanic Theatre). Regional: American Mariachi (Two River Theatre); Sanctuary City (Cincinnati Playhouse); A Christmas Carol (Milwaukee Repertory Theater). Film: Killing Eleanor. Television: Chicago Fire (NBC). “All the love to my family, Addie, & the Gray Talent fam! For Chris.” @jordanayee
Cliff Chamberlain (#4) joined the Steppenwolf Theatre Company ensemble in 2018. Steppenwolf Theatre Company: 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, Dirty John: Betty, Easy, State of Affairs, Chicago PD, Paper Girls, The Chair. Film: The Wise Kids, Win it All and Netflix’s upcoming RIP. Cliff trained at UCSB and The School at Steppenwolf. "Love to R + E + E + C.”
Amy Morton (#2) is an actor and director. She has performed in or directed many plays at Steppenwolf including: Edward Albee’s Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (Tony nomination), August: Osage County (Tony nomination), One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest (also on Broadway), Hir, Cherry Orchard, The Berlin Circle, Three Days of Rain, The Unmentionables, Space, The Royal Family and many others. She has directed Guards at the Taj (both Atlantic Theatre and Steppenwolf), Glengary Glen Ross, Clybourne Park, American Buffalo, The Dresser, The Pillowman, Topdog/Underdog, Edward Albee’s Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (Alliance Theatre), Awake and Sing (Northlight Theatre), and many others. Film: Rookie of the Year, 8MM, Falling Down, Backdraft, Up in the Air, Bluebird, It Ends With Us. Television: The Bear, Bluebloods, Girls, Homeland, currently a regular on Chicago PD as Sgt. Trudy Platt. Before joining Steppenwolf, Amy was a member of the Remains Theatre for 15 years.
Sadieh Rifai (#3) Steppenwolf Theatre Company: August: Osage County (u/s), Ski Dubai (First Look). Chicago: Do You Feel Anger, An Evening at the Talk House, Grey House (A Red Orchid Theatre); Support Group for Men, Christmas Carol (Goodman Theatre); The Humans, Hedwig and the Angry Inch, Speech and Debate (American Theatre Company); The Nativity Variations (Milwaukee Repertory Theatre). Film: The Wise Kids, Nate and Margaret, Olympia, All Happy Families. Television: Bettendorf Talks, The Red Line, Patriot, Shining Girls, Somebody Somewhere. Sadieh received the Princess Grace Award in 2011 and is a graduate of The School at Steppenwolf. For Mom, Doug and Adal.
Namir Smallwood (#1) joined the Steppenwolf Theatre Company ensemble in 2017. Steppenwolf: Seagull, Bug, True West, BLKS, Monster, Man In Love, The Hot L Baltimore, Last Night and the Night Before. Broadway: Pass Over. Off Broadway: Pipeline, Pass Over(Lincoln Center). Chicago: Primary Trust (Goodman); Charm (Northlight Theatre); The Grapes of Wrath (The Gift Theatre); East Texas Hot Links (Writers Theatre). Regional: Marin Theatre Company, Pillsbury House Theatre, Ten Thousand Things, Guthrie Theater. International: True West (Galway International Arts Festival). Television: Chicago Fire, Betrayal, Elementary, American Rust (Showtime/FreeVee); Power Book IV: Force (STARZ). Film: Rounding, About Time.
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 (see dates above). Assistive listening devices and large-print 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 access@steppenwolf.org.
Sponsor Information:
You Will Get Sick is supported in part by PNC. 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, Good Chaos, Joyce Foundation, Lefkofsky Family Foundation, Ron and Paula Mallicoat, Northern Trust, Anne and Don Phillips, John Hart and Carol Prins, Robert Rivkin and Cindy Moelis, Shubert Foundation, Inc, Walder Foundation, and Zell Family Foundation. Steppenwolf also acknowledges generous support from premier sponsors Anonymous, ArentFox Schiff, Andrew and Amy Bluhm, Michael and Cathy Brennan, Ann and Richard Carr, Chicago Community Trust, Conagra Brands Foundation, Steven and Nancy Crown, CRC Group, Rich and Margery Feitler, Julius Frankel Foundation, FROST CHICAGO, Goldman Sachs, Shmaila Tahir and Asheesh Goel, Bob and Amy Greenebaum, Kirkland & Ellis, Harold and Mimi Steinberg Charitable Trust, Christopher and Eileen Murphy, The Orlebeke Foundation, Polk Bros. Foundation, Bryan Traubert and Penny Pritzker, Sacks Family Foundation, Smart Family Foundation of Illinois, Gary Sinise Foundation, Elliot A. Stultz, and Vinci Restaurant. Steppenwolf also acknowledges support from the Illinois Arts Council Agency. This project is partially supported by a CityArts Grant from the City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs & Special Events.
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 — from Balm in Gilead and Grapes of Wrath to August: Osage County, Downstate and The Brother/Sister Plays — have made this theatre legendary. 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, 12 Tony Awards, 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 landscape 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.