You can't keep a schizophrenic performance artist down. Two years ago, Heather Woodbury presented What Ever: An American Odyssey in 8 Acts, her one-person, marathon creation, at the Steppenwolf Theatre Company Studio. The show, in which Woodbury plays 100 characters, was so successful it extended for two weeks.

Now Woodbury is back for the holidays. She will perform on Dec. 11, What Ever: The Lost Christmas Episode, as part of Steppenwolf's "Traffic" series. The show is billed as a sequel to her "performance novel."

The original What Ever evolved over several years. In the play, Woodbury weaves a complicated, cross-country Dickensian yarn featuring ten major characters and 90 supporting players. The 1998 Steppenwolf production was divided into four evenings, each two acts long. Theatregoers were invited to attend one or all of the segments.

On Dec. 11, Woodbury will also read from her work in progress, Tale of 2 Cities: An American Joyride on Multiple Tracks.

— By Robert Simonson