Steppenwolf Theatre Company’s acclaimed Ensemble and Board of Trustees are pleased to host Steppenwolf Gala 2026, an unforgettable evening that continues the theater’s 50th Anniversary celebration. This year’s Gala will be held on Saturday, May 9, 2026 at 6:30 pm at Rockwell on the River, 3057 N. Rockwell St. in Chicago.
Join Steppenwolf’s famed artists alongside civic and business leaders and raise a glass to the trailblazers and risk-takers that have come before and step into the next 50 years of bold and courageous theatre. The star-studded evening includes cocktails and a progressive dinner followed by a live auction featuring once-in-a-lifetime experiences with Steppenwolf’s artists. Cap off the evening with an after-hours lounge, DJ and dancing. Luxe fashion-forward cocktail attire. Sneakers welcome.
Steppenwolf Theatre ensemble members celebrate at Gala 2025. Photo by Kyle Flubacker.
Steppenwolf’s Gala generates vital funding to provide an artistic home for our Ensemble, bring bold and innovative theatrical experiences to the stage, and create educational programs that reach thousands of teens throughout the Chicago region.
This year’s honorees include Douglas R. Brown and Rachel E. Kraft.
Gala 2026 Co-Chairs include Aimee Graham and Nigel Caine, Christopher Keogh and Verett Mims.
Single tickets starting at $1,500 and sponsorships for 2026 Gala are currently available online here or by contacting Steppenwolf’s Development Department at (312) 654-5690 or specialevents@steppenwolf.org.
Founding Sponsors: Douglas R. Brown and Rachel E. Kraft, CRC Group, Caroline and Keating Crown, GCM Grosvenor, Liz and Eric Lefkofsky ,Northern Trust, Pritzker Traubert Foundation, Toma Bravo, and Zell Family Foundation. Innovators: Allstate, Rich and Margery Feitler, Christopher M. Keogh, GS Gives, Verett Mims, Anne and Don Phillips, PNC and Deborah and Stephen Quazzo.
About Steppenwolf Theatre Company:
Steppenwolf Theatre Company is the nation’s premier Ensemble Theater with 49 members who are among the top actors, playwrights and directors in the field. Thrilling, powerful, groundbreaking productions have made this theatre legendary. From the 1980 phenomenon of Balm in Gilead, to The Grapes of Wrath, August: Osage County, Downstate, The Brother/Sister Plays, and now, the 2025 Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award-winning Purpose, Steppenwolf Theatre has had a long-running and undeniable impact on American Theatre and Chicago's cultural landscape. Founded in 1975 by Terry Kinney, Jeff Perry and Gary Sinise, Steppenwolf started as a group of young people in their teens and early 20s performing in the basement of a church. Today, the company's artistic force remains rooted in the original vision of its founders: an artist-driven theatre, whose vitality is defined by its appetite for bold and innovative work. Every aspect of Steppenwolf is rooted in its Ensemble ethos, from the intergenerational artistic programming to the multi-genre performance series LookOut, to the nationally recognized work of Steppenwolf Education and Engagement which serves nearly 15,000 teens annually. While grounded in the Chicago community, more than 40 original Steppenwolf productions have enjoyed success nationally and internationally, including Broadway, Off-Broadway, London, Sydney, Galway and Dublin. Steppenwolf also holds accolades that include the National Medal of Arts, 14 Tony Awards, two Pulitzer Prize-winning commissions and more. Led by Artistic Directors Glenn Davis and Audrey Francis, Executive Director E. Brooke Flanagan and Board of Trustees Chair Keating Crown — Steppenwolf continually redefines the boundaries of live theater and pushes the limits of acting and performance.
Steppenwolf’s Mission: Steppenwolf strives to create thrilling, courageous and provocative art in a thoughtful and inclusive environment. We succeed when we disrupt your routine with experiences that spark curiosity, empathy and joy. We invite you to join our ensemble as we navigate, together, our complex world. steppenwolf.org, facebook.com/steppenwolftheatre, twitter.com/steppenwolfthtr and instagram.com/steppenwolfthtr.