Northlight Celebrates Most Successful Season in its History
By: Steve Leary Sep. 11, 2008
NORTHLIGHT THEATRE CELEBRATES MOST SUCCESSFUL SEASON IN ITS HISTORY
Highlights include attendance and box office records, first international production
and continued success for plays featured in Interplay series
Northlight Theatre’s 33rd Season and Artistic Director BJ Jones’ 10th Anniversary Season broke attendance and box office records, surpassed all revenue and fundraising goals and celebrated its first-ever international production with Better Late at the Galway Arts Festival. The theatre is well-poised to kick-off its season in September with its 5-play season and Interplay, its staged reading series of new plays.
The 2008-2009 NORTHLIGHT SEASON follows:
The Chicago Premiere of
Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde
adapted by Jeffrey Hatcher, based on the novella by Robert Louis Stevenson
directed by Jessica Thebus
featuring Patrick Clear, Thomas J. Cox, Cindy Gold, Danny McCarthy, Nick Sandys, and Cora Vander Broek
September 17- October 26, 2008
PRESS OPENING: Thursday, September 25, 2008 at 7:30pm
The Tony Award-winning musical
Grey Gardens
book by Doug Wright
music by Scott Frankel
lyrics by Michael Korie
directed by Artistic Director BJ Jones
music direction by Doug Peck
featuring Sean Blake (Brooks), Arielle Dayan (Lee Bouvier), Grace Etzkorn (Jacqueline Bouvier), George Keating (George Gould Strong), Dennis Kelly (Major Bouvier/Norman Vincent Peale), Hollis Resnik (Edith/Edie), Patrick Sarb (JP Kennedy/Jerry), Tempe Thomas (Little Edie) and Ann Whitney (Edith)
November 12- December 21, 2008
PRESS OPENING: Thursday, November 20, 2008 at 7:30pm
The World Premiere of
Po Boy Tango
by Kenneth Lin
directed by Chay Yew
January 7- February 15, 2009
PRESS OPENING: Thursday, January 15, 2009 at 7:30pm
The Chicago Premiere of
Mauritius
directed by Rick Snyder
February 25- April 5, 2009
PRESS OPENING: Thursday, March 5, 2009 at 7:30pm
The Chicago Premiere of
The Lieutenant of Inishmore
directed by Artistic Director BJ Jones
April 29- June 7, 2009
PRESS OPENING: Thursday, May 7, 2009 at 7:30pm
Northlight Theatre celebrates attendance and box office records
Northlight Theatre ended its 2007-08 season exceeding all of its revenue goals, which resulted in a significant surplus for the budget year. Attendance and single ticket revenue for the year were more than double the five year average. Subscribership was at an all-time high at 8,800.
Three of the 5 productions broke box office records, selling more single tickets than any other show in its time slot. In fact, Ella set the record for highest presale, largest attendance, most tickets, most revenue and greatest capacity. All of those records were then broken by Better Late later in the year. More people saw Better Late (18,776) than any show in Northlight’s history. Ella was second at over 16,000 attendees.
Northlight’s production of Better Late sold out at the prestigious Galway Arts Festival
Better Late, which was commissioned by Northlight and played a sold-out run at Northlight, transferred to the prestigious Galway Arts Festival, July 14-27, 2008. Better Late was selected as the closing production of the prestigious festival. The entire run in Galway was sold out.
Interplay, Northlight’s staged reading series of new plays resulted in several full productions throughout the country
Interplay, Northlight Theatre's reading series celebrating new work, completed its second successful season. The 2007-08 Interplay included two Northlight commissions: Better Late by Larry Gelbart and Craig Wright and Ground: A Play about Borders by Lisa Dillman, as well as new plays by Bess Wohl (Touched), Laura Maria Censabella (Three Italian Women) and Kenneth Lin (Po Boy Tango).
Interplay's audiences continued to grow in 2007-08; the five one-night events were attended by a total of 750 people who participated in discussions with the artists and light receptions following each reading.
Several Interplay commissions from last season received subsequent productions across the country, including Brett Neveu’s Gas for Less at the Goodman Theatre; Melanie Marnich’s These Shining Lives at Centerstage (Baltimore, MD) and History Theatre (St. Paul, MN); and Craig Wright’s Lady at Asolo Repertory Theatre (Sarasota, FL), The Road Theatre Company (Los Angeles, CA), Third Rail Repertory Company (Portland, OR) and Stages Repertory Theatre (Houston, TX).
From this year’s Interplay season, Gelbart and Wright’s Better Late was produced at Northlight and transferred to the Galway Arts Festival; Kenneth Lin’s Po Boy Tango will be produced as part of Northlight’s upcoming season.
The upcoming Interplay season will include 5 new works, including Auctioning the Ainsleys, a Northlight commission by Laura Schellhardt, along with four other new works, to be announced.
Northlight Theatre honored with seven Jeff nominations
Northlight was recently honored by seven Jeff Award Equity Wing Nominations for Ella, The Miser and The Lady with All the Answers. The award ceremony will be held Monday, October 20, 2008, at the North Shore Center for the Performing Arts. Northlight’s nominations include:
Production, Revue: Ella
Director, Play: Mark E. Lococo, The Miser
Director, Revue: Rob Ruggiero, Ella
Actress in a Supporting Role, Jacqueline Williams, The Miser
Actress in a Revue, E. Faye Butler, Ella
Musical Direction, George Caldwell, Ella
Solo Performance: Judith Ivey, The Lady with All the Answers
Northlight honored with six Black Theatre Alliance Awards
Northlight was recently honored by six nominations for the Black Theatre Alliance Awards for Ella and Gee’s Bend. The award ceremony will be held Monday, September 29, 2008, at the Fairmont Hotel in Chicago. Northlight’s nominations include:
Best Ensemble: Gee’s Bend
Best Director of a Play: Chuck Smith, Gee’s Bend
Best Performance in an Ensemble (Actor): John Steven Crowley, Gee’s Bend
Best Performance in an Ensemble (Actress): Charlette Speigner, Gee’s Bend
Best Performance in an Ensemble (Actress): Jacqueline Williams, Gee’s Bend
Best Leading Actress in a Play (Musical or Revue): E. Faye Butler, Ella
For the second year in a row, Northlight Theatre received the 2008 Edgerton Foundation New American Play Award
Po Boy Tango is a recipient of the Edgerton Foundation New American Plays Award. This prestigious $10,000 grant will support the development of Po Boy Tango by Kenneth Lin. Po Boy Tango will celebrate its world premiere production at Northlight Theatre January 7-February 15, 2009. Last year, Northlight received the Edgerton Foundation New American Plays Award for its production of Better Late.
The funding supports an extension of the rehearsal period. The goal is to achieve a stronger first production, thereby increasing the chances of a continued life for the plays.
Northlight’s Annual Gala, which honored BJ Jones’ 10th Anniversary as Artistic Director, raised over $200,000
On March 1, 2008, Northlight Theatre’s Board of Trustees and Gala Chairs held Applause 2008: Feel the Heat at Sunset Ridge Country Club, 2100 Sunset Ridge Road in Northfield. The event raised over $200,000 for the theater.
The event featured live entertainment by E. Faye Butler, the incomparable star of Northlight’s recent hit musical Ella. Stage and screen actress Beth Broderick, star of Sabrina the Teenage Witch and Northlight’s 2007 production of Bad Dates, was the mistress of ceremonies and celebrity auctioneer.
Executive Director Timothy Evans presented Artistic Director BJ Jones with the Evie Award in this his 10th Anniversary Season for his passionate and extraordinary service to the theatre. This annual award is given in the name of longtime Board member Evelyn Salk.
Northlight Theatre Academy announces fall classes after a successful season
In 2007-08, Northlight Theatre Academy, STAR matinees and sold-out Performing Arts Camp served over 5,000 students from over 13 Chicagoland cities and villages.
Highlights of Northlight's Junior and Senior Performing Arts Camps included field trips to Wicked, Willy Wonka at Chicago Shakespeare, Chicago Children’s Theatre’s production of Esperanza Rising at The Goodman Theater, Aladdin at Emerald City Theatre Company and an Exploring Arts in Alternative Spaces workshop at the Block Museum. Campers were visited by guest artists Henry Godinez, Nancy Voigts, Plasticene Physical Theater, Steppenwolf’s Casting Director Erica Daniels and actor Michael Fosberg. Open registration for next summer will begin in January 2009.
Northlight Theatre Academy’s (NTA) offers classes that specialize in acting, improv, technique and performance, for grades 3-12. Registration is now open and audition appointments are available.
NTA also has a Performance Company, which will produce Edgar & Ellen and Night of the Living Dead during the fall term with student actors. Auditions for the Performance Company, which will be held October 1, are open to all, but experience is preferred.
The innovative NTA classes are offered for 3 sessions throughout the summer: Fall (Sept. 15-Nov. 8, 2008), Winter (Jan. 12 – Mar. 7, 2009), and Spring (April 4 - May 2, 2009). For more information and registration, call (847) 679-9501 ext. 3301 or visit www.northlight.org.
ABOUT NORTHLIGHT
Under the direction of Artistic Director BJ Jones and Executive Director Timothy J. Evans, Northlight embarks upon its 34th season in 2008-09 as the fourth largest non-profit theatre in Chicago. Dedicated to enhancing the cultural life of the North Shore and Chicago, Northlight presents theatrical works which reflect and challenge the values and beliefs of the community it serves while continuing to grow its reputation for launching world premieres, new musicals, heartwarming plays and intelligent dramas.
In its 34-year history, the organization has mounted over 160 productions, including over 33 world premieres, and garnered 140 Joseph Jefferson Award nominations and 24 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. For more information about Northlight Theatre, visit www.northlight.org.
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