NNorthlight Theatre, under the direction of Artistic Director BJ Jones and Executive Director Timothy J. Evans, announces its 44th season, opening with Curve of Departure by Rachel Bonds, directed by BJ Jones and featuring Mike Nussbaum and Sean Parris. The season continues with the World Premiere of Mansfield Park,Kate Hamill's new adaptation of Jane Austen's classic tale of social satire and the quest for romance, directed by Stuart Carden, and featuring Kayla Carter and Heidi Kettenring; followed by the World Premiere of The Janice, written by Sharyn Rothstein; and Christina Ham's Nina Simone: Four Women. Closing out the season is Into The Breeches! by George Brant.
"From the genius of Nina Simone to the brilliant and witty Jane Austen, next season spans centuries and themes by celebrating women's voices," comments BJ Jones. "Kate Hamill, whose Pride and Prejudice and Sense and Sensibility were the talk of New York, gives us the seldom seen Mansfield Park in a world premiere commissioned by Northlight. Mike Nussbaum stars in Rachel Bonds' fresh look at the nuclear family in Curve of Departure. Sharyn Rothstein, whose By the Water moved our audience, has given us The Janice, a world premiere about a single mother's struggle to create a safe home. Christina Ham fashions an evening of Civil Rights history laced with songs by Hall of Fame inductee Nina Simone. And Morton Grove and Northwestern alum George Brant pens Into The Breeches!, a touching comedy about a group of women rallying to keep theatre alive during WWII. This season tells diverse stories spanning historical moments of sociological impact, both electrifying and entertaining."
The 2018-19 Season includes:
CURVE OF DEPARTURE
By Rachel Bonds
Directed by BJ Jones
Featuring Mike Nussbaum and Sean Parris
September 13 - October 21, 2018
Press Opening: Friday, September 21, 2018 at 8pm
In a cramped motel room in New Mexico, a "ragtag little group of humans" gathers in anticipation of the funeral of a man they loved but did not like. But the dearly departed is not their only concern, as they grapple with the demands of ordinary life and the decisions of an uncertain future. Northlight favorite Mike Nussbaum returns as the patriarch of an unconventional family in this delicate and gently comic drama.
The World Premiere of
MANSFIELD PARK
By Kate Hamill
Based on the novel by Jane Austen
Directed by Stuart Carden
Featuring Kayla Carter and Heidi Kettenring
November 8 - December 16, 2018
Press Opening: Friday, November 16, 2018 at 8pm
When shy but clever Fanny Price is sent away by her overburdened parents, she must learn to navigate life as the poor relation at her aunt and uncle's wealthy estate. Playwright Kate Hamill, known for her "rollicking, heartfelt 'Sense and Sensibility' and a naughty and frantic 'Vanity Fair'" ( New York Times ), brings her unique sense of playfulness and theatricality to Jane Austen's classic tale of social satire and the quest for romance.
The World Premiere of
THE JANICE
By Sharyn Rothstein
January 24 - March 2, 2019
Press Opening: Friday, February 1, 2019 at 8pm
Self-made landlord Marti and her new tenant Christine strike up a complicated relationship in this compelling world premiere. Despite a tentative friendship, neither can afford the luxury of forgetting her own best interests. Faced with impossible dilemmas of fairness versus kindness, honesty or eviction, these two women reveal the vulnerability as well as the ingenuity of people who know the value of having a home, and the threat of losing one.
NINA SIMONE: FOUR WOMEN
By Christina Ham
March 14 - April 20, 2019
Press Opening: Friday, March 22, 2019 at 8pm
In the aftermath of 1963's 16th Street Baptist Church bombing, Nina Simone rocked the nation with "Four Women," her tribute in song to the four little girls lost in the tragedy. Powerful anthems such as "Mississippi Goddam," "Old Jim Crow," and "To Be Young, Gifted and Black" followed, fueling the Civil Rights movement and transforming her public persona from songstress to activist. Celebrate Ms. Simone's lasting legacy in this provocative and personal musical journey.
INTO THE BREECHES!
By George Brant
May 9 - June 16, 2019
Press Opening: Friday, May 17, 2019 at 8pm
It's 1942 and with the men off at war, the Oberon Play House is lacking its director and leading men. The season will be canceled… until the director's wife rallies the troops at home for an all-female production. With the opportunity to move from the sidelines to centerstage, the women forge ahead with a spirit of collaboration, dauntless enthusiasm, and a belief in the power of art to move us forward. This surprisingly modern comedy proves that the show not only must, but will go on.
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 2018-19 Northlight Season are available through the box office, 9501 Skokie Boulevard in Skokie, by phone at 847.673.6300 or online at northlight.org . Renewals are currently available. New subscriptions will be available beginning in May 2018. 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 $340, 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 43rd season, the organization has mounted over 200 productions, including nearly 40 world premieres. Northlight has earned 207 Joseph Jefferson Award nominations and 36 Awards, as well as nine Edgerton Foundation for New Play 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; 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 Northern Trust Charitable Trust; The Offield Family Foundation; The Pauls Foundation; Pelino Family 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.
