Seanachaí Announces 2011-2012 Season Starring Pickerign and Armacost

Seanachaí proudly announces the company's second season at its permanent home, the 3rd Floor Theatre at the Irish American Heritage Center. Sean O'Casey's political tragicomedy The Shadow of a Gunman unveils the theme of the 2011-2012 season, Classic Voices - The Revolutionaries. In spring 2012, veteran Chicago actors Brad Armacost and Steve Pickering star as Phil Hogan and James Tyrone, in iconoclast Eugene O'Neill's emotionally searing A Moon for the Misbegotten.

Long celebrated for producing contemporary Irish works, Seanachaí journeys back to explore these early 20th century revolutionary masters, the now classic voices of Irish/American theatre.

Steve Pickering recently appeared in the world premiere of Thomas Bradshaw's Mary, directed by May Adrales, and Robert Falls' production of Chekhov's The Seagull - adding to a total of over 30 productions for Chicago's Goodman Theatre since 1987.

Other Goodman credits for Falls include, in 2002, as Jamie Tyrone opposite Brian Dennehy, David Cromer, Pamela Peyton-Wright and Susan Bennett in O'Neill's Long Day's Journey Into Night, and, in 2006, as Kent opposite Stacy Keach in King Lear, remounted last year at the Shakespeare Theatre in Washington, DC.

In 2005, Steve completed over 700 performances of Falls' Tony Award-winning production of Death of a Salesman, also opposite Dennehy - at Goodman, on Broadway, for the National Tour, the Showtime network, and in London's West End.

In 2010, he appeared in Jason Loewith's War with the Newts at the Next, at Milwaukee Rep in George M. Cohan's Seven Keys To Slaughter Peak for Joe Hanreddy - his ninth show with the company - in Stuart Carden's production of Blackbird for Pittsburgh City Theatre, and as the title role in John Clancy's Fatboy, directed by Guy van Swearingen for Red Orchid.

Brad Armacost has a long association with Irish theatre in Chicago. Last fall he played the role of Jack in Seanachaí's critically acclaimed, Jeff Recommended production of The Weir by Conor McPherson, directed by Matt Miller.

Brad received the Joseph Jefferson Award for his work in Brian Friel's Faith Healer at the upstairs theatre at Steppenwolf, as well as appearing in Steppenwolf productions of The Seafarer, Playboy of the Western World and Maria Arndt. He appeared in O'Neill's A Touch of a Poet with Brian Dennehy at the Goodman Theatre as well as A Life at Northlight with John Mahoney. Other Goodman credits include A Christmas Carol, Zoo Story, Oedipus Complex, and The Trip To Bountiful.

Brad is an artistic associate with Provision Theatre where he has received Joseph Jefferson nominations for his work as Scrooge in A Christmas Carol, and the one man show C S Lewis Onstage. He recently appeared for Provision as C S Lewis in Shadowlands. His television credits include Missing Persons, Angel Street, and recurring roles on The Untouchables and Early Edition. Film credits include Robert Altman's The Company, Alderman Brock in Barbershop 2, Repetition, Eight Men Out and Backwoods.

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