Steep Theatre will produce Eldridge's Under the Blue Sky

Steep Theatre says it will follow its current five-star production of Simon Stephens's Pornography, closing next week, with another Midwest premiere by a young British playwright: David Eldredge's Under the Blue Sky, about the classroom and bedroom foibles of a group of high school teachers. Eldredge penned the stage adaptation of Festen that was a defining hit for Steep earlier this year; Under the Blue Sky, an earlier work, was named the Best New Play in the West End by Time Out London when it debuted in 2000.

Steep's production will feature ensemble members Alex Gillmor, Caroline Neff, Jim Poole, Melissa Riemer, Michael Salinas and Julia Siple. Ensemble member Brad Akin returns to direct after finishing the M.F.A. directing program at Northwestern last spring; his NU classmates Scott Davis and Emily Tarleton join him to design set and costumes respectively. Under the Blue Sky runs October 13–November 19. The rest of Steep's 2011–2012 season will be announced shortly.