Fresh from a hit Broadway run, award-winning comedian Alex Edelman brings his acclaimed solo show Just For Us to Steppenwolf Theatre for two weeks only, playing February 15 – 25, 2024 in the Downstairs Theater, 1650 N. Halsted St. in Chicago. A special Steppenwolf member pre-sale begins Thursday, November 9, 2023 at 12 pm. Tickets go on sale to the general public on Tuesday, November 14 at 12 pm. For tickets, visit steppenwolf.org/justforus or call the Box Office at (312) 335-1650.
Expertly crafted by one of comedy’s most distinctive voices, this singular theatrical experience is an exploration of identity and our collective capacity for empathy – and it’s also “belly-laugh funny!” (The New York Times). In the wake of a string of anti-Semitic rhetoric pointed in his direction online, standup comic Edelman decides to go straight to the source; specifically, Queens, where he covertly attends a meeting of White Nationalists and comes face-to-face with the people behind the keyboards. What happens next forms the backbone of the shockingly relevant, utterly hilarious and only moderately perspirant stories that comprise Just for Us.
Production Details:
Dates: Thursday, February 15 – Sunday, February 25, 2024
Performance schedule: Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays at 7:30 pm; Saturdays at 3 pm & 7:30 pm; and Sundays at 3 pm.
Tickets: $52 - $88. A special Steppenwolf member pre-sale begins Thursday, November 9, 2023 at 12 pm. Tickets go on sale to the general public on Tuesday, November 14 at 12 pm. For tickets, visit steppenwolf.org/justforus or call the Box Office at (312) 335-1650.
What the critics are saying about Just For Us:
“Superb! Just for Us has been chiseled to diamond-cut perfection.
It’s a joyous, uproarious 90-minute show from one of the funniest minds of this generation – or any generation.” –The Washington Post
“Very clever and very funny! Alex Edelman’s one-man show Just for Us carries on [the]tradition of great Jewish comedians and clever storytellers.” –New York Daily News
“HILARIOUS! A one-man show with three-jokes-per-minute. (Yes, I laughed at every one.)” –The New York Times
“This is brilliant comedy. A ROLLICKING, MUST-SEE WORK OF GENIUS.
Alex Edelman is peerless.” –Daily Beast
“HILARIOUS AND IRRESISTIBLE.” –Variety
“SHEER STORYTELLING BRAVADO.
A raconteur who has a remarkable ability to walk right up to the abyss, peer in – and walk away with jokes to tell.” –Deadline
About the Artists
Alex Edelman is a comedian, actor and writer. He is known for his TV writing, his love of black-and-white cookies and his solo shows – all created in collaboration with director Adam Brace and all award-winning, sell-out hits in London’s West End and at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. Alex made his Broadway debut with Just For Us in 2023, after sold-out runs Off-Broadway (Obie Award, Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle Award nominations), in Washington, D,C., Boston (his hometown), Melbourne, Edinburgh (Herald Angel Award), London and more. His first solo show, Millennial, won the 2014 Edinburgh Comedy Award for Best Newcomer, the first American show to do so since 1997. He has appeared on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, Late Night with Seth Meyers and Conan. He is also the creator of Peer Group – a show about young people – on BBC Radio 4. At the start of the pandemic, he served as the head writer and executive producer of Saturday Night Seder, a star-studded 70-minute special posted on YouTube that has so far raised $3.5 million for the CDC Foundation (COVID-19) Emergency Response Fund. He has two differently-sized feet and is very grateful you’re here.
Adam Brace (Director) was Associate Director at Soho Theatre, London where he worked across Comedy, Theatre and Performance Art, and in roles spanning dramaturg, director and writer. In comedy, he developed a varied range of work including eight Edinburgh Comedy Award-nominated shows, two Herald Angel Award-winners, two nominees for the Melbourne Barry Award and two Southbank Sky Arts Awards. Directing credits include all of Alex Edelman's shows, most recently Just For Us (2023 Obie Award winner, 2022 Drama Desk & Outer Critics Circle Nominee); Liz Kingman’s One Woman Show and Leo Reich’s Literally Who Cares?! Off-Broadway, Haley McGee’s Age is a Feeling (Fringe First 2022, Soho Theatre); all of Sh!t Theatre's multi-award-winning international shows. Other credits include Ahir Shah's HBO Max special Dots and Creative Supervisor on two series of Soho Theatre Live on Amazon Prime. Previously, he was a playwright and was produced by Almeida Theatre, The National Theatre and The Donmar Warehouse; his plays are published by Faber and Faber.
Accessibility
Steppenwolf is committed to making the theatergoing experience accessible to everyone. Assisstive listening devices 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/plan-your-visit/accessibility If you have questions or would like to make a specific request, email access@steppenwolf.org or call our box office at 312-335-1650.
Sponsor Information
United Airlines is the Official and Exclusive Airline of Steppenwolf. Steppenwolf is also grateful for the significant season support from Northern Trust, Allstate Insurance Company, Amazon, Conagra Brands Foundation, PNC, ArentFox Schiff, 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.
Steppenwolf Theatre Company is a Chicago theater that is home to America’s ensemble. The company began performing in the mid-1970s in the basement of a Highland Park, IL church—today Steppenwolf is the nation’s premier ensemble theater with 49 members who are among the top actors, playwrights and directors in the field. Deeply rooted in its ensemble ethos, the company is committed to equity, diversity, inclusion and making the Steppenwolf experience accessible to all. Groundbreaking productions from Balm in Gilead and August: Osage County to Downstate and Pass Over—and accolades that include the National Medal of Arts and 12 Tony® Awards—have made the theatre legendary. Artistic programming includes a membership series; a Steppenwolf for Young Adults season; and LookOut, a multi-genre performance series. The nationally recognized work of Steppenwolf Education engages more than 20,000 participants annually in Chicagoland communities promoting compassion, encouraging curiosity and inspiring action. While firmly 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. 2021 marked the opening of Steppenwolf’s landmark Lefkofsky Arts & Education Center—deepening the company’s commitment to Chicagoland teens and serving as a cultural nexus for Chicago. Glenn Davis and Audrey Francis are the Artistic Directors and E. Brooke Flanagan is Executive Director. Keating Crown is Chair of Steppenwolf’s Board of Trustees.
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.