"After cohabiting in a common-law arrangement for the past fifteen years or so," Norris said in a statement, "Steppenwolf Theatre and I have finally decided to make it official. I would have no so-called career as a so-called writer without the help of Steppenwolf generally and Martha Lavey in particular. I'm up to my eyeballs in debt to her."

"It is an honor to make official the long and happy creative partnership Steppenwolf has forged with Bruce Norris. We welcome Bruce into the ensemble on the eve of his eighth production at the theater — our most produced playwright — and look forward to many years of our work together," artistic director Martha Lavey added.

Norris' written works include Clybourne Park, Domesticated, The Low Road, The Infidel, Purple Heart, We All Went Down to Amsterdam, The Pain and the Itch, The Unmentionables and A Parallelogram.

Steppenwolf has produced seven of Norris' plays since 2000, including Clybourne Park and the world premieres of A Parallelogram, The Unmentionables, The Pain and the Itch, We All Went Down to Amsterdam, Purple Heart and The Infidel.

Norris' play The Qualms will play Steppenwolf's Downstairs Theatre, with performances beginning July 3 and continuing through Aug. 31. Here's how the production is billed: "At a beachside apartment complex, a group of friends gathers for their regular evening of food, drink, drugs and partner-swapping. When Chris and Kristy attempt to become the newest members, the evening does not go as planned. The artichoke dip grows cold as the party devolves into a territorial battle over mating privileges. Does sex ruin everything? And what is the purpose of monogamy? Bruce Norris's comedy explores the eternal struggle for power, status and getting laid."

Visit steppenwolf.org for more information.