Northlight Theatre to Bring STELLA & LOU to Galway Arts Festival, July 16-21

Northlight Theatre, under the direction of Artistic Director BJ Jones and Executive Director Timothy J. Evans, announces that the company's acclaimed World Premiere production of Stella & Lou by Bruce Graham and directed by BJ Jones, will be presented at the Town Hall Theater in association with Galway Arts Festival in Galway, Ireland, July 16-21, 2013. Penny Slusher as Stella will join original cast members Francis Guinan and Ed Flynn for the production.

Stella & Lou is currently playing at Northlight, starring Rhea Perlman, Francis Guinan and Ed Flynn through June 9. Tickets for the Northlight production are available through the box office, located at 9501 Skokie Blvd, Skokie, 847.673.6300; northlight.org. Following the Northlight production, Rhea Perlman will return to Los Angles to begin taping the new TV Land series Kirstie, featuring Kirstie Alley.

"We are pleased to return to one of Europe's most prestigious arts festivals with another Northlight world premiere," says BJ Jones."Stella & Lou is a prime example of our dedication to new work. As part of the Interplay Series, the play was developed here at Northlight and we are thrilled to see it carry on at Galway."

"This is Northlight's third invitation and appearance at the Galway Arts Festival in six years. This on-going collaboration with GAF continues Northlight's initiative to bring its work to a wider national and international audience," says Tim Evans. "Over a dozen Northlight mainstage productions have enjoyed transfer productions to other American theaters and nearly all of the 24 new plays presented in our Interplay Series have gone on to full productions in professional theatres across the country."

Stella & Lou was first developed at Northlight Theatre through its Interplay reading series. Since its inception in 2006, Interplay has presented exciting new works by American and international playwrights, granting audiences a glimpse into the critical stages of early play development. As of spring 2012, Interplay has staged readings of twenty-four new plays, over twenty of which have gone on to full productions at Northlight, in Chicago, and around the country, with two plays continuing to international acclaim at Ireland's famed Galway Arts Festival. Next season, Northlight will produce the world premiere of Chapatti by Christian O'Reilly, which was showcased at Interplay last fall. The staggering success rate of Interplay has established Northlight as a valuable incubator for new work in the American theatre. With over 40 world premieres fully produced by Northlight in its 38-year history, Northlight is an important contributor to the American theatrical canon.

The designers are Brian Sidney Bembridge (Scenic Design), Rachel Laritz (Costume Design), JR Lederle (Lighting Design) and Andrew Hansen (Sound Design). The production stage manager is Rita Vreeland.

Bruce Graham (Playwright) has written The Outgoing Tide, which premiered at Northlight in a production that transferred to The Galway Arts Festival; Burkie; Early One Evening at the Rainbow Bar & Grille; Moon Over the Brewery; Belmont Avenue Social Club; Desperate Affection; Coyote on a Fence, Winner of The Rosenthal Prize, Two Drama Desk Nominations - the West End production starred Ben Cross; According to Goldman; The Philly Fan. He has won consecutive Barrymore Awards for Best New Play forSomething Intangible and Any Given Monday. Mister Hart and Mister Brown opens at People's Light and Theatre in 2012. Film:Dunston Checks In, Anastasia, Steal This Movie. TV: Roseanne, Ring of Endless Light (Humanitas Award Winner - Best Children's Screenplay), The Most Wonderful Time of the Year. Trading Christmas will play on the Hallmark Channel during the upcoming holiday season. Graham is a past winner of the Princess Grace Foundation Statuette. Along with Michele Volansky, he is the author of the book The Collaborative Playwright. Graham teaches film and theatre courses at Drexel University . He resides in South Philadelphia .

BJ Jones (Artistic Director/Director) is in his 14th season as Artistic Director of Northlight Theatre, where he most recently directedThe Odd Couple and has piloted the world premieres of The Outgoing Tide with John Mahoney and Rondi Reed, Craig Wright's Lady, Larry Gelbart and Craig Wright's Better Late, Rounding Third with George Wendt, and Sky Girls. As a producer he guided the world premieres of Jason Robert Brown's The Last Five Years, The Gamester, and Studs Terkel's 'The Good War'. BJ has directed at Steppenwolf, Cherry Lane Theatre NY , Atlanta 's ALLIANCE THEATRE, The Utah Shakespeare Festival, The Asolo Theatre, Intiman Theatre, TimeLine and Next Theatre in Evanston . Directorial work includes Northlight's Grey Gardens, The Lady with All the Answers,The Retreat From Moscow, A Skull in Connemara, The Cripple of Inishmaan, and The Lieutenant of Inishmore, as well as productions of A Number, Twelfth Night, Glengarry Glen Ross (Suzie Bass Nominee - Best Director), Pygmalion, The Price (Jeff Nomination - Best Director), and 100 Saints You Should Know. 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. Film/TV credits include The Fugitive, Body Double, Law and Order: Criminal Intent, Early Edition, Cupid and Turks, among others.

Galway Arts Festival Galway Arts Festival is Ireland's largest international arts festival. Founded in 1978 it has grown into an event with a significant reputation where, in 2012, there were 162,000 attendances at 176 performances, talks and exhibitions in 27 venues over 14 days. The Festival showcases a wide variety of International Artists alongside the best of Irish talent and includes music (popular, contemporary, jazz, world, classical and traditional), theatre (indoor and outdoor), visual arts, dance, talks, discussions, family events and comedy in its program.

The Festival has consolidated its reputation nationally and internationally and continues to develop its profile through the international media and attracts 27% of its audience from abroad. It has developed a profile within the 'festival world' where it now is viewed as operating on an international circuit, with a reputation equal to that of much larger international festivals. Visiting interNational Theatre and dance companies have included The Royal National Theatre, Propeller, The Royal Court, Steppenwolf Theatre, Northlight Theatre, The Abbey Theatre, Druid Theatre Company and the Bristol Old Vic.

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 38th season, the organization has mounted nearly 200 productions, including over 40 world premieres. Northlight has earned 151 Joseph Jefferson Award nominations and 28 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.

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