Northlight Theatre Presents The World Premiere Of MANSFIELD PARK

Northlight Theatre, under the direction of Artistic Director BJ Jones and Executive Director Timothy J. Evans, continues its 2018-19 season with Mansfield Park, written by Kate Hamill, based on the novel by Jane Austen, and directed by Stuart Carden. Mansfield Park runs November 8 - December 16, 2018 at Northlight Theatre, 9501 Skokie Blvd in Skokie. The press opening is scheduled for Friday, November 16, 2018 at 8pm.

When shy but clever Fanny Price is sent away by her impoverished parents, she must adapt to life as the poor relation at her aunt and uncle's wealthy estate. But Fanny soon learns that beneath the glitter of wealth and status, people aren't always what they seem. Playwright Kate Hamill, known for her acclaimed adaptations of Sense and Sensibility and Vanity Fair, brings her unique sense of playfulness and theatricality to Austen's classic tale of the clash between love and conscience.

"Sitting in a small theatre off Washington Square Park, listening to rock and watching the actors prepare for a performance of Kate Hamill's Sense and Sensibility, I saw that Jane Austen could be refreshed in an exciting and fun way, both representing the courtly manners of the time and utilizing theatricality that spanned centuries and spoofed style. Her text displayed reverence to the source material and was delightfully cheeky. The blending of style and substance was inspiring. A gifted actress and one of America's most produced playwrights, it became clear that Kate was an important artist that I was eager to share with Northlight's audience," comments BJ Jones. "We are thrilled to commission and produce this world premiere. It is a joy to work with Kate and Stuart Carden and to create this new Jane Austen adaptation for our audience."

The cast of Mansfield Park includes: Anu Bhatt (Maria Bertram/Susan Price), Nate Burger (Henry Crawford/John Price), Kayla Carter (Fanny Price), Kate Hamill (Mary Crawford/Lady Bertram/Chapman), Curtis Edward Jackson (Tom Bertram/Mr. Rushworth/William Price), Heidi Kettenring (Mrs. Norris/Mrs. Price), Mark Montgomery (Sir Thomas Bertram/Mr. Price), and Gabriel Ruiz (Edmund Bertram).

The creative team includes: Yu Shibagaki Taylor (set design), Izumi Inaba (costume design), Christine A. Binder (lighting design) and Andrew Hansen (original music and sound design). The stage manager is Kimberly McCann and the dramaturg is Kanomé Jones.

Northlight's production of Mansfield Park is supported in part by The Elizabeth F. Cheney Foundation, Nan and Wally Greenough, and Kathleen Okrent and Peter Haleas. The 2018-19 Season is supported by BMO Harris and ComEd, An Exelon Company.

Kate Hamill (Playwright, Mary Crawford/Lady Bertram) is Wall Street Journal's 2017 Playwright of the Year and one of the 10 most-produced playwrights in the country (2017-18 and 2018-19). Her work includes her plays Sense and Sensibility with Bedlam (originated the role of Marianne; winner, Off-Broadway Alliance Award; Nominee, Drama League Award); Vanity Fair at the Pearl (originated the role of Becky Sharp; nominee, Off-Broadway Alliance Award); Pride & Prejudice at Primary Stages & Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival (originated role of Lizzy; nominee, Off-Broadway Alliance Award). Plays have been produced internationally and nationally: Off-Broadway, A.R.T., Oregon Shakespeare, Guthrie, Seattle Rep, DTC, PlayMaker's Rep, Folger, and others. Additional acting credits: Cyrano (Amphibian Stage; winner, Outstanding Performance by An Actress - DFW Critics' Forum), The Seagull (Bedlam), Marsupial Girl (PearlDamour), Noises Off (Syracuse Stage), General from America (HVSF). Upcoming world premiere: Little Women. She is currently working on new feminist adaptations of The Odyssey and Scarlet Letter, as well as several original plays (Prostitute Play, In the Mines, Love Poem, The Piper).

Stuart Carden (Director) previously directed Butler at Nortlight. His other Chicago credits include The Old Man and The Old Moon, Yellow Moon, Hesperia, Travels with my Aunt (Writers); The Year of Frog and Toad, The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane, Frederick (Chicago Children's Theatre); Merchant on Venice, Golden Child, Back of the Throat, 10 Acrobats in an Amazing Leap of Faith (Silk Road Rising). Regional credits include The Old Man and The Old Moon (Williamstown Theatre Festival, New Victory, NYC; ArtsEmerson, Boston); Tribes (Philadelphia Theatre Company & City Theatre); Oblivion, Blackbird, Mary's Wedding, The Moonlight Room (City Theatre); Circle Mirror Transformation, In the Next Room (or the vibrator play), Crime and Punishment, The Lieutenant of Inishmore (The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis); The Pillowman, The Lieutenant of Inishmore, The False Servant, Stones in his Pockets (PICT). Stuart served five seasons as associate artistic director at Writers from 2009-14 and two seasons at City Theatre from 2007-2009.

Anu Bhatt (Maria Bertram/Susan Price) is collaborating with Northlight for the first time. An actor, dancer, and playwright in Chicago, her recent theatre credits include Hollow/Wave (one-woman show, Silk Road Rising), The Antelope Party (Theater Wit), A Disappearing Number (TimeLine), The Burials (u/s, Steppenwolf). Her Regional credits include As You Like It and Richard II (Michigan Shakespeare Festival). TV credits include Chicago Fire, Chicago Med (NBC) and Electric Dreams, opposite Terrence Howard (Amazon). Anu is a trained Indian classical dancer and is fluent in French. She received her MFA in Acting from the Chicago College of Performing Arts at Roosevelt University, and is represented by Paonessa Talent Agency.

Nate Burger (Henry Crawford/John Price) returns to Northlight where he previously appeared as Lt. Kelly in Butler. Select Chicago and regional credits include Love's Labor's Lost, The Heir Apparent, SS! A Midsummer Night's Dream (Chicago Shakespeare); The Liar (Writers); Wasteland, 'Master Harold'...And The Boys (Timeline); A Christmas Carol (Goodman); The Man Who Was Thursday (New Leaf Theatre); Red (Forward Theater Co); Shakespeare In Love, Roe (Asolo Rep). He is a core company actor with American Players Theatre in Spring Green, WI, where some favorite roles over 8 seasons include 2nd Lt. Ralph Clark, Plume, Mercutio, Cassio, Orpheus, Troilus, and Claudio, amongst many others. He is a graduate of Loyola University Chicago.

Kayla Carter (Fanny Price) is making her Northlight debut. Other Chicago credits include Smart People (Writers) and work with The Shakespeare Project of Chicago, Artemesia, and Victory Gardens. TV credits include Chicago Med and APB. She will be appearing in the upcoming independent feature film Knives and Skin. She is a graduate of University of North Carolina School of the Arts.

Curtis Edward Jackson (Tom Bertram/Mr. Rushworth/William Price) is making his Northlight debut. Chicago credits include The Gentleman Caller (Raven); Eden Prairie, 1971 (Goodman, New Stages); Hand to God (Victory Gardens); How the World Began (Rivendell Ensemble); Brilliant Adventures (Steep); Men Should Weep, Letters Home (Griffin Theatre); Crumble (Lay Me Down, Justin Timberlake) (Jackalope); A Splintered Soul (ARLA Productions); and Good Boys and True (Kokandy Productions). Regional credits include King Charles III (Cardinal Stage Company); Other Desert Cities (Farmer's Alley Theatre); Richard III, Twelfth Night (Arkansas Shakespeare Theatre). TV/Film credits include Chicago P.D., Teacher, The Falls: Covenant of Grace. Curtis is a graduate of the School at Steppenwolf and Plymouth State University in New Hampshire and is represented by Gray Talent Group.

Heidi Kettenring (Mrs. Norris/Mrs. Price) returns to Northlight where she has appeared in Side Show, Sense & Sensibility and Seasons' Greetings. Chicago credits include Wicked (Broadway in Chicago) and work with Chicago Shakespeare, Court, Marriott, Drury Lane, Writers, American Theatre Company, Theatre at the Center and Porchlight. Regionally she has been seen at Indiana Repertory Theatre, Fulton Theatre, Maine State Music Theatre, Peninsula Players, TheatreWorks, The Hangar Theatre and The Clarence Brown Theatre. She appeared in the National Tour of Disney's Beauty and the Beast. Film and TV credits include Man of Steel, Chicago Fire and Cupid. Heidi can be heard singing on two Disney children's books and has sung concerts all over the country. She has received a Joseph Jefferson Award, The Sarah Siddon's Award, an After Dark Award, The Richard M. Kneeland Award and is a Northwestern Graduate.

Mark Montgomery (Sir Thomas Bertram/Mr. Price) returns to Northlight where he appeared in Discord, Outside Mullingar (Jeff nomination, Best Actor), As Bees in Honey Drown, and Experiment with an Air Pump. Other Chicago credits include 2666, Rapture, Blister, Burn, Camino Real and Stage Kiss (Goodman); Hedda Gabler and The Letters (Writers); Agamemnon, Iphigenia in Aulis and M. Butterfly (Court); Twelfth Night, Troilus and Cressida, Rose Rage, Henry VI Parts 1, 2 and 3 and As You Like It (Chicago Shakespeare); In the Next Room, or the vibrator play (Victory Gardens); The Wheel, The Time of Your Life and Want (Steppenwolf); In the Belly of the Beast: Letters from Prison (Journeymen, After Dark Award) and productions at Remy Bumppo, among others. New York credits include The Seagull and Mamma Mia! (Broadway), Our Town (Barrow Street), Macbeth (Public), The Runner Stumbles (Actors Company) and The Madras House (Mint). Regional credits include Julius Caesar (American Repertory) as well as the show's French tour. Television credits include Law & Order, Chicago Fire, and Empire.

Gabriel Ruiz (Edmund Bertram) previously appeared at Northlight in Cry It Out. A proud ensemble member of Teatro Vista, select Chicago credits include You Got Older, The Rembrandt, The Way West, How Long Will I Cry? and The Motherfucker with the Hat (Steppenwolf); Native Gardens (Victory Gardens); Agamemnon and Man in the Ring (Court); Arcadia and Company (Writers); City of Angels and Singin' in the Rain (Marriott); The Upstairs Concierge (Goodman); The Wolf at the End of the Block and White Tie Ball (Teatro Vista); Creditors (Remy Bumppo); Working: The Musical (Broadway Playhouse); Richard III (Chicago Shakespeare) and Arabian Nights (Lookingglass). His regional credits include Native Gardens (Cincinnati Playhouse), Harvey (Milwaukee Repertory Theatre), and Blood and Gifts (Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, New York). He has composed music and lyrics for Don Chipotle performed at DCASE, Epic Tale of Scale for Chicago Children's Theater, and Vietgone at Writers Theatre. He has appeared on television in Boss, APB, Electric Dreams, Chicago Fire, Chicago Justice, and Chicago PD.

The Box Office is located at the North Shore Center for the Performing Arts, 9501 Skokie Boulevard, in Skokie. Box Office hours are Monday-Friday 10:00am-5:00pm, and Saturdays 12:00pm-5:00pm. On performance days, the box office hours are extended through showtime. The Box Office is closed on Sundays, except on performance days when it is open two hours prior to showtime.

Curtain times are: Tuesdays: 7:30pm (November 13 and 20 only); Wednesdays: 1:00pm (except December 5) and 7:30pm; Thursdays: 7:30pm (except November 22); Fridays: 8:00pm; Saturdays: 2:30pm (except November 10) and 8:00pm; and Sundays: 2:30pm and 7:00pm (November 11 and 25 only).

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