Director Randall Arney's production will now play to Feb. 22, 2009. The new block of tickets for performances Feb. 9-22, 2009, will go on sale Jan. 2 at 11 AM. The Seafarer features ensemble members Francis Guinan (through Feb. 1), Tom Irwin (through Feb. 8), John Mahoney and Alan Wilder with Bradley Armacost (Feb. 3-22) and Randall Newsome. Performances began Dec. 4 in Steppenwolf's Downstairs Theatre, 1650 N. Halsted St., in Chicago.

In The Seafarer, "it's Christmas Eve in Dublin. In the rundown house where Sharky cares for his blind brother, old acquaintances gather for a card game — joined by an ominous stranger. As the booze flows and the game intensifies, Sharky discovers he is playing for his soul. In this eerie, darkly humorous tale, celebrated playwright Conor McPherson examines how we face the demons of our past as we struggle to find redemption."

The Seafarer is the second of two plays by Conor McPherson premiering in Chicago at Steppenwolf this season. McPherson's Dublin Carol plays to Jan. 4, 2009, in Steppenwolf's Upstairs Theatre.

Visit www.steppenwolf.org for more information.