Northlight Announces Changes to Upcoming Season

Northlight Theatre, under the direction of Artistic Director BJ Jones and Executive Director Timothy J. Evans, announces the addition of Cry It Out, written by Molly Smith Metzler, to close its 43rd season, May 10 - June 17, 2018. The previously announced The Legend of Georgia McBride, directed by Lauren Shouse, has been re-scheduled to open the season, playing September 14 - October 22, 2017, replacing Bruce Graham's Sanctions.

Cry It Out was commissioned by Actors Theatre of Louisville and premiered at the Humana Festival of New American Plays in spring 2017. Northlight's production, directed by Jessica Fisch, will be the first outside of the Festival.

Cooped up on maternity leave and eager for conversation, Jessie invites the funny and forthright Lina for coffee in their neighboring backyards. They become fast friends, quickly bonding over their shared "new mom" experience-and arousing the interest of a wealthy neighbor hoping for a similar connection. This insightful comedy takes an honest look at the absurdities of new motherhood, the dilemma of returning to work versus staying at home, and how class impacts parenthood and friendship.

Molly Smith Metzler's plays include Elemeno Pea, The May Queen, Carve, Training Wisteria and Close Up Space (Susan Smith Blackburn Prize finalist). Regional Theatre: South Coast Repertory, the O'Neill National Playwrights Conference, Chautauqua Theater Company, Geva Theatre Center, and City Theatre Company, among others. Off-Broadway: Manhattan Theatre Club. Awards include the Lecomte du Nouy Prize from Lincoln Center, the Kennedy Center National Student Playwriting Award, the Association for Theatre in Higher Education's David Mark Cohen Award, and the Mark Twain Comedy Prize. Metzler is an alum of Ars Nova's Play Group and the Dorothy Strelsin New American Writers Group at Primary Stages. She is currently under commission at Manhattan Theatre Club and South Coast Repertory. Television: Codes of Conduct (HBO); Casual (Hulu); Orange Is the New Black (Netflix). Metzler was educated at State University of New York Geneseo, Boston University, New York University's Tisch School for the Arts, and The Juilliard School.

The 2017-18 Season is now as follows:

THE LEGEND OF GEORGIA MCBRIDE

By Matthew Lopez

Directed by Lauren Shouse

September 14 - October 22, 2017

Press Opening: Friday, September 22, 2017 at 8pm

A down-on-his-luck Elvis impersonator has an overdrawn checking account and a baby on the way. When a drag show takes over the entertainment at the Florida Panhandle bar where he performs, he'll also be out of a job...unless he's willing to step into some high heels. This heartwarming, music-filled comedy celebrates the unexpected path to finding your true voice.

THE BOOK OF WILL
By Lauren Gunderson

Directed by Jessica Thebus

November 9 - December 17, 2017

Press Opening: Friday, November 17, 2017 at 8pm

William Shakespeare wrote some of the world's most beloved plays - but without his friends, they may have been lost to history! Follow the members of Shakespeare's own company as they cunningly navigate the production of the First Folio in 1623. They may not have any money or clear-cut rights to his work, but they're armed with wit, humor, a deep camaraderie and a passion to preserve the plays that shaped their lives. With the help of their wives and colleagues, two actors set out not only to print a collection, but to uphold a legacy for the world.

SKELETON CREW

By Dominique Morisseau

Directed by Ron OJ Parson

January 25 - March 4, 2018

Press Opening: Friday, February 2, 2018 at 8pm

At the start of the Great Recession, rumors of impending closure surround one of the last auto plants in Detroit. The nation's financial crisis gets personal as each of the workers confronts the life-altering choices they must make if their plant goes under, while the supervisor is torn between allegiances to his makeshift family of co-workers and management's "cost-saving" demands. When pushed to the limits of survival, how far over the lines are people willing to cross?

The third play in Dominique Morisseau's Detroit trilogy, Skeleton Crew was named one of Time Magazine's 10 Best Shows of the Year.

THE BEAUTY QUEEN OF LEENANE

By Martin McDonagh

Directed by BJ Jones

Featuring Kate Fry

March 15 - April 22, 2018

Press Opening: Friday, March 23, 2018 at 8pm

This Tony Award-winning dark comedy is set in the provincial Irish town of Leenane. Forty-year-old spinster Maureen Folan lives with her manipulative aging mother Mag, stuck in a caretaking relationship that has them both seething with resentment. When a romantic encounter finally sparks Maureen's hopes for an escape from her dreary existence, Mag's interference sets in motion a chain of events that is as tragically funny as it is terrifying.

CRY IT OUT

By Molly Smith Metzler
Directed by Jessica Fisch

May 10 - June 17, 2018

Press Opening: Friday, May 18, 2018 at 8pm

Cooped up on maternity leave and eager for conversation, Jessie invites the funny and forthright Lina for coffee on their neighboring patios. They become fast friends, quickly bonding over their shared "new mom" experience-and arousing the interest of a wealthy neighbor hoping for a similar connection. This insightful comedy takes an honest look at the absurdities of new motherhood, the dilemma of returning to work versus staying at home, and how class impacts parenthood and friendship.

Curtain times are: Tuesdays at 7:30 p.m.; Wednesdays at 1:00 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.; Thursdays at 7:30 p.m.; Fridays at 8:00 p.m.; Saturdays at 2:30 p.m. and 8:00 p.m.; Sundays at 2:30 p.m. and 7:00 p.m.

Subscriptions to the 2017-18 Northlight Season are available through the box office, 9501 Skokie Boulevard in Skokie, by phone at 847.673.6300 or online at northlight.org. With its wide range of ticket prices, discounted subscription packages and complimentary parking, Northlight remains of one of the best theatrical values in Chicagoland.

Subscriptions range in price from $99-$250. A limited number of season subscriptions for the Opening Night performances (also includes a reception with the cast) are available for $325, subject to availability. Northlight subscribers will have the first chance to purchase additional tickets before they go on sale to the general public. For more information, visit northlight.org.

Northlight Theatre aspires to promote change of perspective and encourage compassion by exploring the depth of our humanity across a bold spectrum of theatrical experiences, reflecting our community to the world and the world to our community.

Now in its 42nd season, the organization has mounted over 200 productions, including nearly 40 world premieres. Northlight has earned 198 Joseph Jefferson Award nominations and 34 Awards. As one of the area's premier theatre companies, Northlight is a regional magnet for critical and professional acclaim, as well as talent of the highest quality.

Northlight is supported in part by generous contributions from Allstate Insurance; the Paul M. Angell Family Foundation; Robert & Isabelle Bass Foundation; BMO Harris Bank; Henrietta Lange Burk Fund; The Elizabeth F. Cheney Foundation; The Chicago Community Trust; ComEd, An Exelon Company; The Davee Foundation; Edgerton Foundation for New American Plays Award; Evanston Community Foundation; Full Circle Foundation; Illinois Arts Council, a state agency; Kirkland & Ellis Foundation; The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation; Melvoin Award for Playwriting; Modestus Bauer Foundation; National Endowment for the Arts; Niles Township; The Offield Family Foundation; The Pauls Foundation; Room & Board; Sanborn Family Foundation; Dr. Scholl Foundation; The Shubert Foundation, Inc.; The Harold and Mimi Steinberg Charitable Trust; The Sullivan Family Foundation; and Tom Stringer Design Partners.

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