CHICAGO — The Theatre School at DePaul University is pleased to present “Our Town” as the inaugural production in the new building, located at Racine and Fullerton on the Lincoln Park Campus. Performances will be in the Fullerton Stage theatre, a 250-seat thrust theatre located on the first floor of the school.

Thornton Wilder’s “Our Town,” directed by Damon Kiely, premieres Oct. 4 and runs through Oct. 13. Each night of this production will feature a surprise appearance by special guest alumni including (in alphabetical order), Tom Amandes, Gillian Anderson, W. Earl Brown, Ann Dowd, Mary Grill, John Hoogenakker, Lisa Joyce, Adam Poss, PJ Powers, John C. Reilly and Lucy Sandy.

About the production: 1901, in Grover’s Corners. Winner of the 1938 Pulitzer Prize for Drama, this haunting and unsentimental piece shares moments from the lives of two families in their small New England town. Often called the Great American play, “Our Town” challenges us to realize life as we live it.

Performances are Wednesdays through Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. An additional matinee performance will be held at 2 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 5. Previews are on Oct. 2 and 3, at 7:30 p.m.

Tickets are $15, preview tickets are $10 and student tickets are always $5. Subscriptions and group rates (6 or more people) are available at 312-922-1999. All tickets are reserved seating. Tickets are available by calling the Box Office at 312-922-1999 or visiting the online Box Office at theatre.depaul.edu.

The Theatre School at DePaul University is located at 2350 N Racine Ave (at Fullerton). The school is easily accessible via the Fullerton CTA station and the Fullerton (74) bus. Call the Box Office for additional transit suggestions or visit the Chicago Transit Authority for specific routes from your location. Visitors and audience members can park in DePaul University’s Clifton Parking Deck, 2330 N Clifton Ave.

Damon Kiely (Director) is a professional director and writer, as well as a full time professor of directing and acting for The Theatre School at DePaul University. He has directed for Next Theatre, TimeLine Theatre Company, A Red Orchid Theatre, American Theatre Company, Chicago Dramatists, and Route 66. His world premiere adaptation of “Thieves Like Us” was produced by the House Theatre of Chicago and The Theatre School. He served as the Artistic Director of American Theater Company from 2002 to 2007. Directing credits at ATC include “Oklahoma!” (Nominated for six Jeff Awards including Best Musical and Best Direction of a Musical), “The Dark At The Top Of The Stairs,” “Orpheus Descending,” “A View From The Bridge,” “Strictly Dishonorable,” and “The Hairy Ape.” At The Theatre School he has directed “There’s a Boy in the Girls Bathroom,” “A Streetcar Named Desire,” “Medea, Haroun and the Sea of Stories,” his own adaptation of “Nancy Drew and the Sign of the Twisted Candles,” and “Spring Awakening.” Prior to moving back to Chicago he produced, directed, and taught in New York City. He is a winner of the 2000-02 NEA/TCG Career Directing Program, the 2000 Drama League Fall Directing Program and the 1997 Princess Grace Award.

The cast features Tiffany Oglesby (Mrs. Gibbs), Abie Irabor (Mrs. Webb), Alissa Walker (Emily Webb), Riley Isabel Andrews (Rebecca Gibbs), Olga Aguilar (Mrs. Soames), Lauren Mitchell (Joe Crowell), Joseff Stevenson (Doc Gibbs), Jason Goff (Mr. Webb), Max Stewart (Howie Newsome), Leo Chappell (Wally Webb), Nathan Simpson (George Gibbs), David Giannini (Simon Stimson), Clayton Louis (Constable Warren), Juwan Lockett (Joe Stoddard/Belligerent Man/Baseball Player), Denzel Irby (Si Crowell/Sam Craig) and Sean Wiberg (Stage Manager).

The production staff includes Damon Kiely (Director), Claudia Anderson (Vocal Coach), Julia Neary (Movement Coach), Megan Truscott (Scenic Designer), Catharine Young (Costume Designer), Peyton B. Smith (Lighting Designer), Kami Siu (Sound Designer), Catherine Miller (Dramaturg) and Emily Hitmar (Stage Manager).

An Opening Night Reception will be held after the performance on Oct. 4. The performance on Oct. 13 at 2 p.m. will include live audio description services for patrons who are blind or have low vision, as well as a pre-performance touch tour. This performance also will be interpreted in American Sign Language. TTY 773-325-7975.

The new building for The Theatre School at DePaul was designed by renowned architect César Pelli and his firm Pelli Clarke Pelli Architects, The Theatre School is the venue for presenting the school’s contemporary plays and classics, as well as new work. The Theatre School is proud to continue to present Chicago Playworks for Families and Young Audiences at DePaul’s historic Merle Reskin Theatre in the South Loop.

The Theatre School at DePaul University educates, trains, and inspires students of theatre in a conservatory setting that is rigorous, disciplined, and culturally diverse. The school and its students strive for the highest level of professional skill and artistry. A commitment to diversity and equality in education is central to its mission. As an integral part of the training, The Theatre School produces public programs and performances from a wide repertoire of classic, contemporary, and original plays that challenge, entertain, and stimulate the imagination. The school seeks to enhance the intellectual and cultural life of the university community, the city, and the profession. More at http://theatre.depaul.edu.