The Ernest Dawkins Trio, Samana and the Kahil El'Zabar Quartet, and two Chicago teens -- 17-year-old saxophonist Aaron Getsug and 16-year-old trombonist Norman Palm III -- are among the performers scheduled to perform on Oct. 27 at the mainstage of Chicago's Steppenwolf Theatre Company.

The performance kicks off this season's "Traffic" series, a showcase for the performing arts which has a mission to introduce new audiences to Steppenwolf, according to Martha Lavey, the theatre's artistic director.

Kahil El'Zabar is the series curator.

Upcoming "Traffic" presentations include an exploration of the novels of Leon Forrest, Nov. 17; Art Ensemble of Chicago, Dec. 15; a tribute to Allen Ginsberg, Jan. 12; an evening of poetry featuring Amiri Baraka, Oliver Lake, and Steve Colson, Feb. 23; "Dance and Jazz Summit" with Robert Henry Johnson and the Von Freeman Quartet, Mar. 30; Stravinsky's "The Soldier's Tale," May 18; the performance group Cultural Odyssey, June 8; performance artist Guillermo Gomez-Pena, July 20; and a conversation with dancers Maria Tallchief and Carmen De Lavallade, Aug. 17.

For information, call Steppenwolf at (312) 335-1650. -- By Rebecca Paller