Griffin Theatre gets Simon Stephens's Punk Rock

Griffin Theatre Company says it will produce the American premiere of Simon Stephens's 2009 play Punk Rock. The 40-year-old playwright has busily churned out new works that've been gobbled up in his native Britain—three of London's leading theater critics used the word "cracking" to describe Punk Rock, set in the angsty teenage world of a boarding school.

Stateside, he's been championed by Chicago's Griffin (which produced his On the Shore of the Wide World and Port) and Steep Theatre Company (Harper Regan, Pornography). Jonathan Berry, who directed Wide World and Port as well as Griffin's current production of Spring Awakening, will helm a young Punk Rock cast that includes Jess Berry, Joey deBettencourt, Jeff Duhigg, Ryan Heindl, Leah Karpel, JJ Phillips, Leah Raidt and Brandon Ruiter.

The play replaces the previously announced world premiere of The Pact by Griffin artistic director William Massolia, who's busy with plans for the theater's recently purchased new facility at Foster and Damen Avenues; The Pact will be rescheduled in the 2012–2013 season. Punk Rock runs January 14–March 4 at Theater Wit; tickets are on sale now.