Arthur Przybyszewski owns a decrepit donut shop in the uptown neighborhood of Chicago. Franco Wicks, a black teenager who is his only employee, wants to change the shop for the better. This comedy-drama, set in the heart of one of Chicago’s most diverse communities, explores the challenges of embracing the past and the redemptive power of friendship.

Superior Donuts made its Broadway premiere direct from a sold-out engagement at Steppenwolf Theatre Company where it had its world premiere in the summer of 2008. Tina Landau also made her Broadway straight play directing debut with this production, which she directed at Steppenwolf.   The Steppenwolf production of Superior Donuts was produced on Broadway by Jeffrey Richards, Jean Doumanian and Jerry Frankel, the producers of August: Osage County.

Category: Play, Original, Broadway
Setting: “Superior Donuts,” a small donut shop in Chicago’s Uptown neighborhood.
1^st Preview Performance: September 16, 2009
Opening Night Performance: October 1, 2009
Final Performance: January 3, 2009
Total # of Performances: 109 

Awards & Nominations:
2010 Tony Award^® Best Featured Actor in a Play – Jon Michael Hill (nominee)
2010 Theatre World Award – Jon Michael Hill (winner)
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Opening Night Production Credits 

Opening Night Cast
Jane Alderman (Lady Boyle)
Kate Buddekke (Office Randy Osteen)
Cliff Chamberlain (Kevin MaGee)
Michael Garvey (Kiril Ivakina)
Jon Michael Hill (Franco Wicks)
Robert Maffia (Luther Flynn)
Michael McKean (Arthur Przybyszewski)
James Vincent Meredith (Office James Hailey)
Yasen Peyankov (Max Tarasov) 

Understudies: Marilyn Dodds Frank (Lady Boyle, Officer Randy Osteen), Stephen Payne (Arthur Przybyszewski), Sean Patrick Reilly (Kevin MaGee, Luther Flynn, Max Tarasov), Michael Rossmy (Kiril Ivakina), Samuel Stricklen (Franco Wicks, Officer James Hailey). 

Theatre Owned / Operated by The Shubert Organization (Phillip J. Smith: Chairman; Robert E. Wankel: President)

Produced by Jeffrey Richards, Jean Doumanian, Jerry Frankel, Awaken Entertainment, Debra Black, Chase Mishkin, Karmichelle Productions/Robert G. Bartner, Dena Hammerstein/Pam Pariseau, Barry and Carole Kaye/Irv Welzer, Andrew Asnes, Rebecca Gold, Kathleen K. Johnson, George Kaufman, Charles McAteer, Terry Schnuck, Michael Gardner/David Jaroslowicz, Stewart F. Lane/Bonnie Comley and Roy Gottlieb/Raise the Roof Two; Associate Producer: Jeremy Scott Blaustein, Patrick Daly, Susan Jean Steiger and Donna Roehn Ward

World Premiere presented at: The Steppenwolf Theatre Company (Martha Lavey: Artistic Director; David Hawkanson: Executive Director)

Written by Tracy Letts
Directed by Tina Landau

Scenic Design by James Schuette; Costume Design by Ana Kuzmanic; Lighting Design by Christopher Akerlind; Sound Design by Rob Milburn and Michael Bodeen; Hair and Wig Design by Chuck LaPointe; Associate Lighting Design: Ben Krall; Associate Sound Design: Jeremy J. Lee

General Manager: Richards / Climan, Inc.; Company Manager: Mary Miller

Technical Supervisor: Hudson Theatrical Associates; Production Stage Manager: Arthur Gaffin; Stage Manager: Lauren Hickman

General Press Representative: Jeffrey Richards Associates and Irene Gandy; Dramaturg: Edward Sobel; Original casting: Erica Daniels; New York casting: Telsey + Company; Fight direction by Rick Sordelet; Advertising: SPOTCo, Inc.; Photographer: Robert J. Saferstein 

“TRACY LETTS has a finely hones sense of comic rhythms, as he displayed in ‘August,’ JON MICHAEL HILL is making a confident Broadway debut, playing Fraco with boudless, buoyant charm. MICHAEL McKEAN gives a moving performance.”
– Charles Isherwood, The New York Times

“3½ STARS (OF 4).”
– Elisabeth Vincentelli, New York Post

“3½ stars, TASTY, WARM and FULFILLING!”
– Joe Dziemianowicz, Daily News

“A BREAKOUT STAR-MAKING BROADWAY DEBUT by JON MICHAEL HILL.”
– Linda Winer, Newsday

MICHAEL MCKEAN (Arthur Przybyszewski) Broadway: The Homecoming (2008 Drama Desk, ensemble), The Pajama Game, Hairspray, Accomplice (Theatre World Award). Off-B’way: Woody Allen’s A Second Hand Memory. Elsewhere: Love Song (London), South Pacific (Hollywood Bowl), On the Razzle (Williamstown). TV: Laverne & Shirley, Dream On, Sessions, Tracy Takes On, Saturday Night Live, Primetime Glick, Friends, The X Files, The Simpsons, Law & Order, Alias, Boston Legal, The Unit, etc.  Film: This is Spinal Tap, The Big Picture (co-wrote both), Clue, Coneheads, The Brady Bunch Movie, True Crime, Jack, Best in Show, A Mighty Wind, For Your Consideration, Whatever Works, many more. Recently toured 30 U.S. cities with Christopher Guest and Harry Shearer ("Unwigged & Unplugged") and appeared with Spinal Tap at the 2009 Glastonbury Festival and Wembley Arena in support of the recently released Tap recording, Back From The Dead.  Co-wrote the Grammy-winning theme to A Mighty Wind (with Guest and Eugene Levy), and the Oscar-nominated A Kiss at the End of the Rainbow, with his wife Annette O’Toole.  

JANE ALDERMAN (Lady Boyle) prior to her Broadway debut she was an award winning casting director for theatre, feature film and television for 30 years. (Rudy,Normal,Early Edition,Love Jones,Nothing In Common). Acting: Theatre: The Goodman's groundbreaking production of Curse Of The Starving Class (with John Malkovich and Glenne Headley), Superior Donuts (Steppenwolf), Honus And Me (Goodman), Funny Girl (Marriott Lincolnshire), Vagina Monologues (Apollo).  Film: The Break-Up, Betty Ann Walters, Prelude To A Kiss, Ordinary People.  Proud member of Equity.

KATE BUDDEKE (Officer Randy Osteen) Kate is a Chicagoan who returns to Broadway where she appeared in Carousel, Death of A Salesman, A Streetcar Named Desire and Gypsy.  Off-B’way: Bug, The Paris Commune and Mill Fire.  In Chicago she is a proud member of American Blues Theater, and is the recipient of four Joseph Jefferson Awards.  Film and TV include: "Choking Man", "The Northern Kingdom", "Payback", "Evil Has A Face", "Law & Order: Criminal Intent", and "The Sopranos". Kate has sung solo the national anthem, twice, at Chicago's Wrigley Field.

CLIFF CHAMBERLAIN (Kevin Magee) makes his Broadway debut with Superior Donuts. Regional:  Steppenwolf, The Goodman, Chicago Shakespeare, The House, Timeline, Writers', Northlight, and Sandbox Theatre Project.  Film and Television: Counting Backwards; Truce and “The Beast”.  Training:  UC Santa Barbara and The School at Steppenwolf. Thanks to Tracy, Tina, Erica, and The Geddes Agency. Love to Robyn.

MICHAEL GARVEY (Kiril Ivakina)Theater credits include the Steppenwolf and Trap Door Theatre. Film/TV: Men in Black 2, Bruce Almighty, “ER”, “JAG” and “Star Trek: Enterprise ”.In 2002,  Michael began writing and performing the ongoing M.S. Garvey's Letters to the President – which in collaboration with Trap Door Theatre and the Robert Berman Gallery has played the Abbie Hoffman Festival, Chicago, Blue Slipper Theater, Montana, Electric Lodge, L.A., and most recently Romania.

JON MICHAEL HILL (Franco Wicks) Jon received his BFA in Acting from U of Illinois in Champaign/Urbana.  A Steppenwolf ensemble member since 2007. his credits there include Superior Donuts and The Tempest, both directed by Tina Landau, The Unmentionables directed by Anna Shapiro, and Kafka on the Shore, directed by Frank Galati.  Other theater credits include: the Shakespeare in the Park production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, directed by Daniel Sullivan, In the Red and Brown Water at the Alliance Theater and The Cure at Troy at Seattle Rep, both directed by Tina Landau.  Jon had a recurring role on “Guiding Light” and made his Opera debut as Puck in A Midsummer Night’s Dream at the Houston Grand Opera. 

ROBERT MAFFIA (Luther Flynn) appeared in the original production of Superior Donuts at Steppenwolf. Los Angeles : world premiere of Paula Killen’s The Dominant 7th. TV credits include “24”, “CSI:NY”, “Jericho”, “Cold Case”, “ER”, “McBride”with John Larroquette, “Boston Public”, “The Guardian”, “Judging Amy” and “Kingpin”. Films include Cinema's Exiles (PBS), The Big Tease, Mercury Rising and Hoffa. He originated the title role in the English language world premiere of Bertolt Brecht's "Fatzer" with Prop Thtr. in Chicago.For Lawrence J. Maffia (1918-2009) 

JAMES VINCENT MEREDITH (Officer James Hailey) Broadway debut. Off B’way: The Bluest Eye (Steppenwolf at the Duke).  Chicago: multiple productions at Chicago Shakespeare Theater; 6 productions at Steppenwolf, including Pain and the Itch, Tempest, and The Crucible; Others include Othello (Writers'), A Raisin in the Sun (Goodman), Someone Who'll Watch Over Me (Piven), and Take Me Out (About Face). Steppenwolf Ensemble member since 2007. Piven Theater Workshop ensemble member since 2004.  TV: “E.R.”, “Prison Break”, and “The Beast”.

YASEN PEYANKOV (Max Tarasov) A Steppenwolf member since 2002, he has appeared in over 17 productions including, The Time Of Your Life, Frankie and Johnny…, Cherry Orchard, Lost Land, The Pillowman, and Diary of Anne Frank. Film: The Company, Payback, US Marshals, Novocain, TV: The Beast, The Unit, Alias, The Practice and others. Mr. Peyankov heads the Theatre Program at UIC where he teaches acting and is a recipient of a 2002 Fox Fellowship.

TRACY LETTS (Playwright) Recipient of the 2008 Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award for Best Play for August: Osage County; author of Killer Joe, which has been produced in Chicago, London and New York, Bug, which has played in New York, Chicago and London and an adaptation of Anton Chekov’s  Three Sisters. He became a Steppenwolf ensemble member in 2002 and was recently named an artistic associate. His play Man From Nebraska was produced at Steppenwolf in 2003. He has appeared on television in “The District,” “Profiler,” “Prison Break,” “The Drew Carey Show,” “Seinfeld” and “Home Improvement.” Film appearances include Guinevere, U.S. Marshals and Chicago Cab.

TINA LANDAU (Director) is a writer and director, and an ensemble member at Steppenwolf Theater where directing credits include Superior Donuts, The Tempest, The Time of Your Life (also Seattle Rep, A.C.T.), Diary of Anne Frank, The Cherry Orchard, and Chuck Mee's Berlin Circle and Time to Burn. New York credits include Tarell McCraeny’s Wig Out! (Vineyard)and In the Red and Brown Water (Public), Mee’s Iphigenia 2.0 (Signature), and the Broadway revival of Bells are Ringing. Tina’s original work includes Space (Public, Taper, Steppenwolf), Floyd Collins with Adam Guettel (Playwrights Horizons, Prince, Old Globe, Goodman), Dream True with Ricky Ian Gordon (Vineyard),and the upcoming BEAUTY with composer Regina Spektor and lyricist Michael Korie.   She is a USA Fellow, teaches at the Yale School of Drama, and is the author, with Anne Bogart, of The Viewpoints Book.