John Mahoney Leaves Cast of Steppenwolf's Upcoming Production of Penelope

By Michael Gioia
22 Nov 2011

John Mahoney
John Mahoney
Photo by Aubrey Reuben

John Mahoney, best known for his work on the television series "Frasier,"  will not be part of the cast of Steppenwolf Theatre Company's upcoming production of Penelope, which will run Dec. 1, 2011-Feb. 5, 2012, at Steppenwolf's Downstairs Theatre in Chicago.

"Due to an unexpected death in his family, John is traveling back to his home of Manchester, England, immediately," said Steppenwolf artistic director Martha Lavey in a statement. "Our hearts and prayers go out to John during this difficult time… and we hope to announce a replacement shortly."

Written by Enda Walsh and directed by ensemble member Amy Morton, the production also features Ian Barford, Yasen Peyankov, Scott Jaeck and Logan Vaughn. Penelope will officially open Dec. 11.

Steppenwolf's Downstairs Theatre is at 1650 N. Halsted St. For tickets and information, call (312) 335-1650 or visit www.steppenwolf.org.