Northlight Theatre Presents-The Lady with All the Answers

 
Northlight Theatre continues its record-breaking 2007-2008 Season with the Midwest premiere of David Rambo's The Lady with All the Answers, directed by Artistic Director BJ Jones, featuring two-time Tony Award winner Judith Ivey as Ann Landers.
 
For decades, newspaper columnist and Chicago icon Ann Landers dispensed wit and wisdom to lovelorn teens, confused couples, and others in need of advice. Now she finds herself writing a column about a new kind of heartbreak—her own. Drawn from her life and letters, this touchingly comic portrait will remind you why so many put their faith in this wise, funny, no-nonsense woman.
 
"Ann Landers certainly did not invent the advice column but no one refined its power and accessibility with more personal warmth and commitment to the job. She was a character with character, and this enjoyable evening of theater comes to life with Northlight veteran and dear friend Judith Ivey," says BJ Jones. "Judith brings to life one of Chicago's most treasured citizens. There are few actresses as accomplished and sublime as she. Judy is an amazing wife, mother and actress who balances a career in film, television, and theatre with equal facility and dedication. We are honored to have her with us here at Northlight."
 
The designers are Tom Burch (scenic), Todd Hensley (lighting), Tatjana Radisic (costume), Kevin O'Donnell (original music and sound). Rose Marie Packer is the stage manager. 
 
Judith Ivey (Ann Landers) directed Northlight's Bad Dates last season. She was a resident actress at Northlight Theatre (then the Evanston Theatre Company) for the 1977-78 season. She was nominated for a Jeff Award for her performance in The Goodbye People, co-starring BJ Jones. Since then Judith has received the Tony Award and Drama Desk Award for her portrayals in Steaming and Hurlyburly, the OBIE Award for The Moonshot Tape, and countless other awards for her stage and film work. Most recently, she was honored with the 2007 Texas Medal for the Arts in Theatre. She has also been inducted into the Texas Film Hall of Fame. Some film credits include 'Devil's Advocate', 'Washington Square', 'Brighton Beach Memoirs', 'Love Hurts', 'What Alice Found', and 'Flags of our Fathers'. Judith has starred in four television series, most memorably 'Designing Women', and was Emmy-nominated for her performance in Hallmark's 'What the Deaf Man Heard'. As a director, Ms. Ivey's most recent credits are Secrets of a Soccer Mom, Southern Comforts, The Butcher of Baraboo, and Fugue, all off-Broadway productions. Just prior to arriving at Northlight for The Lady with all the Answers, Judith completed a critically-acclaimed run of American Dream, written and directed by Edward Albee, at the Cherry Lane in New York.
 
BJ Jones (Director/Northlight Artistic Director) celebrating his 10th season as Artistic Director of Northlight, has been associated with the theater since 1977 when he appeared in The Goodbye People directed by George Keathley and featuring Judith Ivey. As Artistic Director, he has piloted world premieres of Lady, Rounding Third, Sky Girls, and Cat Feet, and as a producer has guided the world premieres of Jason Robert Brown's The Last Five Years, The Gamester, and Stud's Terkel's 'The Good War.' A two time Jeff Award winner, he has appeared at Northlight in dozens of productions and has performed at virtually every major theatre in Chicago, including the Goodman in The Guys and House and Garden, Steppenwolf in The Royal Family and Playboy of the Western World, and Court in Candide and Comedy of Errors. His directorial work includes A Number, The Retreat From Moscow, A Skull in Connemara, The Cripple of Inishmaan, and 100 Saints You Should Know, among others. Within the past year, he has directed at Northlight, The ALLIANCE THEATRE (Atlanta), Steppenwolf, Intiman Theatre (Seattle) the Utah Shakespeare Festival, and Actors Theatre of Louisville.
 
David Rambo (playwright) David Rambo's plays include God's Man in Texas, The Ice-Breaker, The Lady with All the Answers, The Spin Cycle, Babbitt and an all-new book for the classic Lerner and Loewe musical Paint Your Wagon. His plays have been widely produced throughout the country at theatres including Actors Theatre of Louisville, the Geffen Playhouse, The Old Globe, the Huntington Theatre Company, Denver Center Theatre, ALLIANCE THEATRE, Actors Theatre of Louisville, Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park, Repertory Theatre of St. Louis, Northlight Theatre, the Magic Theatre and the Florida Stage. He has adapted several classic screenplays for live performance, including All About Eve, Sunset Boulevard, Casablanca and Adam's Rib. For television, he has spent several seasons on the writing staff of the hit show CSI: Crime Scene Investigation.
 
Tickets for Lady with All the Answers, range in price from $35- $55 and are available by phone, (847) 673-6300, or online at www.northlight.org. 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 10:00 a.m.- 6:00 p.m., and Saturdays 12:00 p.m.-5:00 p.m. 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 at 7:30 p.m. (except June 10); Wednesdays at 1:00 p.m. (except May 28) 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. (except June 8, 22 and 29).
 
Northlight embarked upon its 33rd season in 2007-08, under the direction of Executive Director Timothy J. Evans and Artistic Director BJ Jones, 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 33-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 on The Lady with all the Answers and Northlight Theatre, visit www.northlight.org.
 
   
The Lady with All the Answers
Playwright:        David Rambo
Directed by:       BJ Jones
Featuring:          Judith Ivey
                                                                               
Dates:              
Previews:            May 27- May 31, 2008
Regular run:        June 1-June 29, 2008
 
Schedule:         
Tuesdays:                    7:30 p.m. (except June 10)
Wednesdays:                1:00 p.m. (except May 28) and 7:30 p.m.
Thursdays:                   7:30 p.m.
Fridays:                        8:00 p.m.
Saturdays:                    2:30 p.m. and 8:00 p.m.
Sundays:                      2:30 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. (except June 8, 22 and 29)
 
Location:          
Northlight Theatre is located at the North Shore Center for the Performing Arts, 9501 Skokie Blvd, Skokie.
 
Tickets:            
Previews: $35- $49
Regular run: $35- $55
Opening night June 1, 2008: $60, includes a post-show reception with the company

Call the Box Office at (847) 673-6300  or go to www.northlight.org

Photo: Judith Ivey in Lady with all the Answers