Topdog/Underdog, The Comeuppance, More Revealed For Steppenwolf 2026-2027 Season | Playbill
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Topdog/Underdog, The Comeuppance, More Revealed For Steppenwolf 2026-2027 Season

The season promises revivals, premieres, and more for the Chicago company.

March 09, 2026 By Meg Masseron

Glenn Davis (Heather Gershonowitz)

The return of a Pulitzer Prize-winning drama, two world premieres, a regional premiere, and more are slated for Chicago's Steppenwolf Theatre Company's 2026/27 season. Artistic directors Glenn Davis and Audrey Francis declare the season to be full of "plays that deliver on Steppenwolf’s promise of teeing up gritty, provocative and riotous drama – before you might see it somewhere else."

The season will kick off with the return of Suzan-Lori Parks Pulitzer-winning Topdog/Underdog, directed by Kenny Leon. The drama centers on the sibling rivalry between Lincoln and Booth—two Black men living in America just trying to get by. Lincoln dresses like his namesake, reenacting his assassination for money and laughs, while Booth stays stuck in their apartment, working tirelessly on his three-card hustle. Leon previously directed a 2022 Broadway revival of the work, starring Corey Hawkins and Yahya Abdul-Mateen II. The Steppenwolf production will feature ensemble members Glenn Davis and Namir Smallwood​, performing in their Downstairs Theater September 17-November 1. An official opening night is set for September 27. 

The world premiere of Stephanie Alison Walker's Adirondack Chair Circle will begin performances October 22 in the Ensemble Theater, running through December 6. An official opening night is set for November 1. Directed by Pam MacKinnon and featuring ensemble member Audrey Francis, the play follows Banna, who has it all—or at least that’s what the other suburban moms think. Beneath the charcuterie boards, backyard soirees and pickleball, there’s a funny feeling bubbling underneath the seemingly perfect façade. 

Branden Jacobs-Jenkins's The Comeuppance will make its Chicago premiere in the new year in a co-production with American Conservatory Theater, running February 4-March 21, 2027 in the Downstairs Theater. Featuring ensemble members Celeste M. Cooper, Caroline Neff, Karen Rodriguez, and Namir, it centers on a group of misfit Millennial classmates reuniting for their 20th high school reunion, reconnecting with a familiar pregame: drinks, pot, a limo ride and a whole lot of messy memories. Tina Landau ​is directing.

Marius von Mayenburg's Ellen B. will run in the Ensemble Theatre April 1-May 9, 2027, making its English-language premiere. Directed by Whitney White and translated into English by Daniel Brunet, the play follows Astrid, a teacher, who lives with Klara, her considerably younger partner—and also her former student. When Wolfram, the school’s headmaster, drops by for a visit, he brings with him uncomfortable accusations, and the search for truth erupts into a wicked game of power and desire.

The season will close out with the world premiere of Adam Rapp's The Night Fawn, running May 27-July 3, 2027 in the Downstairs Theater. Featuring ensemble member Cliff Chamberlain​, the play follows Brendan, who has lost his job and his marriage, and is headed back home to settle his late mother’s affairs. It’s there that he finds the need to talk, as an unthinkable secret from his childhood demands attention. 

For tickets and more information, visit Steppenwolf.org.

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