Goodman Theatre

High Holidays, by Alan Gross directed by Steven Robman, begins October 31, 2009 in the Goodman's Owen Theatre.

Design by Kelly Rickert.

A Chicago native, Alan Gross (Playwright), is the author of a dozen plays, including Lunching, The Phone Room, The Conversion of Leo Novotny, La Brea Tarpits, The Man in 605, Morning Call and The Secret Life of American Poets. He has also written several books for children, most notably, What if the Teacher Calls on Me? He is also a prize-winning poet.

Photo courtesy of Goodman Theatre.

Steven Robman (Director) returns to the Goodman where he directed the premiere of Ron Hutchinson's Moonlight and Magnolias in 2004. Other work in Chicago includes Hutchinson's Rat in the Skull at Wisdom Bridge Theatre and the revival of Alan Gross' Lunching for the Apollo Group. He has staged plays at other theaters around the United States (Mark Taper Forum in Los Angeles, Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis, Arena Stage in Washington, Long Wharf Theatre in New Haven, Actors Theatre of Louisville and Yale Repertory Theatre) and in New York (Manhattan Theatre Club, Playwrights Horizons, Chelsea Theater Center and The Phoenix Theater, where he served as Artistic Director from 1980 to 1982). Robman has also directed premieres of plays by Wendy Wasserstein, D.L. Coburn, Fay Weldon, Adrian Mitchell and Alan Knee. He served as a staff director at the Eugene O'Neill Theater Center's National Playwrights Conference for five summers. A graduate of the University of California at Berkeley and the Yale School of Drama, Robman has taught acting and directing at Yale University, Circle in the Square Theatre School in New York, UCLA Extension and the American Film Institute. For television he has directed numerous episodes of dramatic and comedy series, movies-of-the-week and the ABC miniseries The Audrey Hepburn Story.

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Rengin Altay (Essie) Altay's Goodman credits include Jolly in Jolly, Petra in A Little Night Music, Pearl in The Iceman Cometh, ensemble in 'Tis Pity She's a Whore and two seasons of A Christmas Carol as Fred's wife and Belle. Other Chicago credits include The Merchant of Venice and Macbeth at Chicago Shakespeare Theater, Cat Feet at Northlight Theatre, the Chicago premiere of Prelude to a Kiss at Wellington Theater, Necessary Targets and Zorba at Apple Tree Theatre, Long Day's Journey Into Night at The Irish Repertory Theatre, The Vagina Monologues at Apollo Theater, Mom's the Word at Royal George Theatre, as well as appearances with Wisdom Bridge, The Organic Theater Company, Court Theatre and Victory Gardens Theater. Regional credits include Northeast Local at Trinity Repertory Company; As You Like It at Huntington Theatre Company and Pittsburgh Public Theater; All My Sons and You Can't Take It With You at Peninsula Players; and Arms and the Man at Madison Repertory Theatre. Film credits include Stranger Than Fiction with Will Ferrell, Light It Up, Crush and A Piece of Eden. Television and voice-over credits include: E.R., Early Edition, Cupid, The Human Factor and the voice of Yeesha in the MYST computer-game series.

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Ian Paul Custer (Rob) makes his Goodman debut. His recent Chicago theater credits include High Fidelity: The Musical with Route 66 Theatre Company, Weekend with TimeLine Theatre Company, Hedda Gabler with Raven Theatre Company and The Changeling with Caffeine Theatre. Other credits include Alceste in The Misanthrope, Nasty/Interesting Man in Eurydice and Sigismund in Life's a Dream. He received his BFA from The Theatre School at DePaul University.

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Keith Kupferer (Nate) returns to the Goodman, where his credits include Passion Play: a cycle in three parts and The Old Neighborhood. Other Chicago credits include Of Mice and Men, Carter's Way, Men of Tortuga, Things Being What They Are, Jesus Hopped The 'A' Train and Tavern Story at Steppenwolf Theatre Company; Execution of Justice at About Face Theatre; Cat Feet and The Old Neighborhood at Northlight Theatre; Desire Under The Elms, a co-production between Court Theatre and Philadelphia's Freedom Theatre; and the long-running hit Shear Madness. Kupferer is a founding member of Rivendell Theatre Ensemble where he appeared in Expecting Isabel, Indulgences in the Louisville Harem, Be Aggressive, The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole Aged 13 ¾, Mamapalooza!, My Simple City, Hamlet and Twenty-Seven Wagons Full of Cotton. Other Chicago credits include The Unseen, The Meek, Canus Lunis Balloonis (nominated for a Jeff Award for Best Ensemble) and The Physicists for A Red Orchid Theatre and Hillbilly Antigone at Lookingglass Theatre Company. His film credits include Dark Knight, The Express, Meet the Browns, Stranger Than Fiction and Road to Perdition directed by Sam Mendes and Bad City, Fred Klaus and The Merry Gentleman directed by Michael Keaton. His television credits include The Beast on A&E, Prison Break on Fox, The Jamie Kennedy Experiment on WB and Early Edition on CBS.

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Max Zuppa (Billy) makes his Goodman debut. Other theater credits include Seussical: The Musical at Theatre of Western Springs and several local productions including playing Bert in All My Sons and Grandpa Joe in Willy Wonka, Jr. Film credits include Fred Claus and Eden Court. He recently completed his third session with The Second City Youth Ensemble performing both sketch comedy and improvisation. He is an accomplished musician and songwriter. He is in eighth grade and will be turning thirteen during this production.

Photo courtesy of Goodman Theatre.