The production — a remount of the first 2007 Chicago production of the lurid, monologue-rich play — is the first effort of the Chicago Commercial Collective, which will send the tale of two Midwest cops wrestling with their passions, to Next Act Theatre in Milwaukee, WI (Oct. 25-28) and then to Acorn Theatre in Three Oaks, MI (Nov. 1-2).
Chicago Commercial Collective is a new company "focused on producing Chicago theatre of incredible quality, commercial appeal and fostering a new age among Chicago's mid-sized commercial theaters."
For more information about this mini-tour and The Chicago Commercial Collective, visit ChicagoCommercialCollective.com.
A Steady Rain received its world premiere at the Chicago Dramatists, a tiny storefront space, in fall 2007 and was an instant hit. The production ran for six weeks before moving to the Royal George Theatre for a four-month run. A separate production opened on Broadway starring Hugh Jackman and Daniel Craig in September 2009.
The original production won the 2008 Joseph Jefferson Awards for Best New Work, Best Actor for Randy Steinmeyer and Best Production. The Broadway production with a different creative team (and Hollywood stars) was a smash.
The Chicago Commercial Collective remounted A Steady Rain in Chicago with its original cast and creative team in July at the Chicago Dramatists.
A Steady Rain, according to production notes, "is the story of two seasoned police officers, Denny (Randy Steinmeyer) and Joey (Peter DeFaria) who find themselves caught up in a conflict between family and duty when a seemingly routine domestic disturbance call results in the death of a boy. When the horrific truth of the situation is made public, one of the two must take the blame for the fatal mistake. Their life-long friendship is put to the test, as both men struggle with issues of honor, love and loyalty in the face of adversity."
The design team for A Steady Rain includes set designer Tom Burch, lighting designer Jeff Pines, costume designer Samantha Jones, sound designer Mike Tutaj and stage manager Wendye Clarendon.
Playwright Huff is currently writer-producer for the upcoming David Fincher/NetFlix series "House of Cards," featuring Kevin Spacey and Robin Wright. He has written the film adaptation of "A Steady Rain" for Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson (EON Films), original pilots for HBO, Steven Spielberg/Dreamworks TV, and AMC, and was writer/co-producer for season 4 of AMC's Emmy- and Golden Globe Award-winning series "Mad Men," for which he won a 2011 Writers Guild Award (Best Drama Series). Recent theater productions include The Detective's Wife (Writer's Theater) and Pursued By Happiness and The Bird and Mr. Banks (Road Theater). Upcoming productions include Big Lake Big City at Chicago's Lookingglass Theater (directed by David Schwimmer) and productions of The Detective's Wife in Milwaukee and Los Angeles. A Steady Rain has been produced in theatres around the world.
