BJ Jones ARTISTIC DIRECTOR
Timothy J. Evans
presents
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
THE WORLD PREMIERE OF
BY
Bruce Graham DIRECTED BY
Scenic Design Costume Design Lighting Design Sound Design Dramaturg Production Stage Manager
BJ Jones Brian Sidney Bembridge, USA Rachel Laritz, USA JR Lederle Andrew Hansen Kristin Leahey, Ph.D. Rita Vreeland, AEA
OPENING NIGHT: MAY 10, 2013 At the North Shore Center for the Performing Arts in Skokie
This play was originally commissioned by Northlight Theatre as the annual recipient of the Selma Melvoin Playwrighting Award.
PRODUCTION SPONSORS
INDIVIDUAL PRODUCTION SPONSOR BJ JONES & CANDY CORR
FOUNDATION AND CORPORATE PRODUCTION SPONSORS EDGERTON FOUNDATION NEW AMERICAN PLAYS AWARD
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CAST & PRODUCTION CAST (in order of appearance) Francis Guinan*............................................................................................................... Lou Ed Flynn*.................................................................................................................... Donnie Rhea Perlman*..............................................................................................................Stella Understudies: Lucinda Johnston (Stella), Andy Luther (Donnie), Steve Schine (Lou) Understudies will not substitute for listed players unless a specific announcement is made at the time of the performance. *Member of the Actors Equity Association, the union of professional actors and stage managers.
Stella & Lou will be performed without an intermission.
ADDITIONAL PRODUCTION STAFF Casting Director ............................................................................................ Lynn Baber Props Master ................................................................................................. Brad Sauper Assistant Props Designer ............................................................................ Jillian Luce Costume Supervisor ........................................................................... Maureen Strobel Assistant to the Director................................................................................Cody Estle
The video and/or audio recording of this performance by any means whatsoever is strictly prohibited.
SPECIAL THANKS Hugo Melvoin Rodeway Inn Skokie The Charcoal Oven Restaurant Thom Dennis Marie O’Donoghue Andrea Mitchell Steve Rosengren OPENING NIGHT SPONSORS
ARTISTIC CIRCLE RECEPTION SPONSOR
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PROGRAM NOTES FROM THE ARTISTIC DIRECTOR When I first talked to Bruce Graham about writing a new play after his success with the Jeff Award-winning The Outgoing Tide, our discussion centered around the characters that would inhabit the play. He had written a film years before with characters that continued to fascinate him, and interestingly were facing life choices that mirror those faced by our audience. There are members of our audience, as in theatres across the country, who are older and single by virtue of divorce or the death of a spouse. In some cases they are reviving their interest in life and are searching for a companion to share that new energy with. There are some, however, who have lost the road map for their lives since the person that was reading that map is no longer in the passenger seat. Stella and Lou are two such people: one yearning for a new life, one mourning a loss of direction, both still vital and worthy of sharing their lives with another. This critical crossroads is a moment to either embrace or to succumb to for people at a certain age (and the “baggage” they lug with them). Many of us are there, at that turning point, and whether or not we make the “right” choice, it will and can only be our choice. We’re living longer, hopefully healthier, and with a renewed sense of purpose this time of life can be vivid and exciting. It will determine the legacies by which our loved ones will remember us. How do we wish to live this next chapter? How do we wish to honor those that have gone before, and how do we want to reawaken the spirit of our youth in our later years? I know my answer...how about yours?
BJ Jones, Artistic Director
INTERVIEW WITH PLAYWRIGHT BRUCE GRAHAM by Resident Dramaturg Kristin Leahey, Ph.D.
KRISTIN LEAHEY: What has been Stella & Lou’s development process? BRUCE GRAHAM: Stella & Lou began as a screenplay about twenty-five years ago, entitled Riley’s Last Request. Hollywood wasn’t interested in a middle-aged love story because the couple’s ages were “unattractive” by movie standards. So, I put it on a shelf. A couple of years ago, BJ asked about developing another piece. I kept returning to the story of Stella and Lou. I wrote it as a two-character play originally. Donnie, the third character who appears in the play, is in the film. I did two readings with the work as a two-character play and two readings with the addition of the third character, Donnie. It was the first time I have ever added a character to a later draft of a new play. I’ve cut characters before, but I’ve 4
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PROGRAM NOTES INTERVIEW WITH PLAYWRIGHT cont. never added a character. I thought thematically it worked, and it really helped the play. It is the quietest play I’ve ever written. KL: What is the relevance of Philadelphia in your work? BG: I grew up in Philadelphia and have lived there most of my life. To me, Philadelphia is a muse. Tennessee Williams had New Orleans and the South and Clifford Odets had New York; I have a fondness for Philly. I do think that where you grow up influences your writing. With Philadelphia, I also locate the bluecollar characters I write about, although everyone can empathize with them and their situations regardless of where the plays is set or who you are. As long as the emotions are universal, you can set the play on the moon. KL: How autobiographical is Stella & Lou? BG: The initial situation of a woman asking a man out on a date, after they have known each other for a long time, is autobiographical. My mother died over thirty years ago. A few years later a woman asked my father out on a date and they ended up living together for twentyseven years. She was terrific and a real godsend for us all. I didn’t know what to do with my father – he wasn’t a sociable guy. It’s not like he was going out to clubs and having a good time; he went to work and he came home. It is a real problem with people as they get older; you lose a spouse and it is not like you can or want to run out and start over again.
KL: Any other plays or films that are going into production? BG: My play North of the Boulevard just opened at the Theatre Exile. They produced Belmont Avenue Social Club a few years back at an actual social club. It was the best set: I could smell the cigarettes and everything! And I have a play opening up off-Broadway in April. It’s an old play called According to Goldman. In the span of one month I will have an opening in Philadelphia, New York, and Skokie. KL: Do you feel like these plays have a different resonance in each city? BG: That’s interesting; my plays don’t have an abstract concept behind them. I did The Outgoing Tide with Northlight, in Delaware, Philly, and New York, and it has been pretty much the same everywhere. Primal emotion wise my plays kinda play the same. When Northlight did Belmont Avenue Social Club, and I first met BJ, he asked me, “Do you mind if we set it in Chicago.” He said, “Instead of bushel of crabs we say bucket of clams, and instead of down the shore, we say down the lake.” With just a couple of regional changes, I said go ahead. I have such a good feeling in Chicago. I love Chicago. If I didn’t live in Philadelphia, I’d live here. KL: What are your favorite sports teams? BG: I’m a huge baseball and football fan from Philly. My brother and I like the Flyers. I also love college basketball. If the Eagles were out, I would root for the Bears.
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PROGRAM NOTES NORTHLIGHT’S INTERPLAY READING SERIES John Mahoney, Linda Kimbrough and Mike Nussbaum, Better Late Interplay, 2008.
There is nothing quite like being in the audience as a play is performed for the first time - hearing it come to life and getting behind-the-scenes insight from the playwright, the director, and the actors. Providing audiences the opportunity to witness a part of the evolutionary process from initial idea to full theatrical production is the mission of the Interplay Reading Series at Northlight Theatre. Since its inception in 2006, Interplay has presented exciting new works by American and international playwrights and granted audiences a glimpse into the critical stages of early play development. The series helps Northlight learn about emerging
writers and artists and further solidify relationships between artists and the theatre, while serving as an important development step for many of the plays before they move on to full productions. In preparation for the Interplay presentations, the director, dramaturg, and casts rehearse for one or two days, where many important questions and ideas are raised about the continued development of the play. As of spring 2012, Interplay has staged readings of 24 new plays, over 20 of which have gone on to full productions at Northlight, in Chicago, and around the country, and two of which continued to international acclaim at Ireland’s Galway Arts Festival. From Interplay, Northlight has fully produced many important works you have seen on our stage, including Lady by Craig Wright (2007), Po Boy Tango by Kenneth Lin (2007), Better Late by Larry Gelbart and Craig Wright (2009), The Outgoing Tide by Bruce Graham (2011), Ten Chimneys by Jeffrey Hatcher (2012), and the production you are attending today– Stella & Lou by Bruce Graham. And next season Northlight will produce Chapatti by Christian O’Reilly, which was showcased at Interplay last fall. The staggering success rate has established Interplay as a valuable incubator for new work in the American theatre. With nearly 40 world premieres produced by Northlight in our 38-year history, Northlight has become an important contributor to the American theatrical canon.
John Mahoney, dramaturg Kristin Leahey, playwright Christian O’Reilly and Penny Slusher at Interplay reading of Chapatti, 2013.
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PROGRAM NOTES THE MAKING OF STELLA & LOU The artistic relationship between BJ Jones and playwright Bruce Graham began when Jones appeared in Graham’s play The Belmont Avenue Social Club at Northlight Theatre in 1992. When Jones became Artistic Director of Northlight Theatre in 1998, interested in Bruce’s writing, he actively began reading and following the writer’s new plays in consideration for the Northlight stage. In 2009, Jones approached Graham to pen a play as a vehicle for actor John Mahoney, which led to The Outgoing Tide. In the spring of 2009, with a first but strong draft of the play, The Outgoing Tide was workshopped and read in our Interplay Reading Series. By engaging with the audience in a postreading discussion, the playwright was able to directly ask them about their thoughts, which further assisted him in crafting the work.
2011 Chicago Jeff Awards and was awarded “Best New Play.” In 2012, the production transferred to the Galway Arts Festival, where it was met with an equally enthusiastic response from both Irish audiences and critics. Perhaps most importantly, Graham was provided an artistic home and the flexibility to work with Northlight Theatre on how to best develop his plays.
In April of 2011, Northlight began rehearsals for the full production of The Outgoing Tide with the stellar acting company of John Mahoney, Rondi Reed, and Thomas Cox. Graham joined the rehearsal process, where he made changes to the end of the play. He returned again during the preview process, where he was able to see the full production and continue to finesse the work. The play was a box-office smash and a major critical and artistic achievement for Northlight Theatre. The Outgoing Tide was nominated for a number of
Ed Flynn, Rhea Perlman and Francis Guinan, Stella & Lou Interplay, 2013.
As a result of this important and successful collaboration, Northlight commissioned Stella & Lou. Graham describes the piece as an intimate departure from his more robust, comic work, in which characters are trying to define their rather fragile and new relationship. During the spring of 2012, Northlight held an invitation-only reading in our rehearsal room for an audience of previous Interplay attendees. In addition, Northlight held a closed reading of the piece at the famed
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PROGRAM NOTES THE MAKING OF STELLA & LOU Players Club in New York City. As a result of these readings and rigorous note sessions with the Northlight artistic team, Graham added the third character of Donnie, in hopes of fleshing out the narrative, and removed the intermission in an effort to drive the pace of the piece, among other reasons. This past fall, in collaboration with Philadelphia’s Arden Theatre and Arden Artistic Director Terry Nolen, a reading took place in the city where the play is set. Graham learned more about what played in his hometown, as well as its universality. In January of 2013, an Interplay reading of the work was performed at Northlight with Ed Flynn, Francis Guinan, and Rhea Perlman, who reprise their roles in our current production. We hope that by sharing a glimpse into of our development processes through Interplay, it will help us continue to create new plays and musicals for our Northlight audience and the American Theatre.
Before
After
Case in Point: Playwright Bruce Graham “A play cannot be written in a vacuum. A good play should run the audience through a gamut of emotions. We want you to laugh, cry, fall in love, get angry, be scared. Smart playwrights LISTEN to an audience. That joke you wrote that was hilarious on Monday morning just dies on Friday night. That touching love scene has people shifting in their seats and looking at their watches. That bold moment of revelation in Act Two gets unintentional laughs. “We need an audience – real, live people - to tell us this stuff. On a practical matter, it’s much more economical to find out if a play works or not using one day of rehearsal, some actors and a couple of chairs as opposed to a full production. Play readings are good business sense. “George Burns once lamented the death of vaudeville by saying, ‘Now young comics have no place to be lousy.’ Well, none of us set out to write a lousy play but sometimes we do. Or write good plays with lousy sections. Interplay – and programs like it – make it possible for us to see the lousy stuff, fix it, and write better plays.” – Bruce Graham, writer of The Outgoing Tide and Stella & Lou
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PROFILES Ed Flynn (Donnie) couldn’t be happier to be standing on a stage in Chicago. Notable credits include Troy in I Am Going To Change The World (Chicago Dramatists), Scott in Suicide, Incorporated (Gift) and Mitch (as a performing understudy) in David Cromer’s A Streetcar Named Desire (Writers’). Ed is a member of the Gift Theatre Company, where he is CoArtistic Director of giftFILM and is a founding member of NATURAL GAS, the Gift’s house improv team. Ed is a graduate of Steppenwolf, The Second City, iO and UCB. He is not a graduate of Ohio State. Ed currently lives in Los Angeles, and yet remains very pale. Francis Guinan (Lou) returns to Northlight where he was seen in Season’s Greetings and Inherit the Wind. He has been a member of the Steppenwolf Theatre Ensemble since 1979 where he has appeared in over 30 productions including The Birthday Party, Time Stands Still, The Book Thief, American Buffalo, and August: Osage County. He has also appeared at Victory Gardens (A Guide for the Perplexed), Goodman (Seagull) and American Blues (Rantoul and Die). Television appearances include Boss in the role of Gov. Cullen, filmed here in Chicago; Eerie, Indiana, ER, Frasier and several Star Trek franchise episodes. Film roles include appearances in The Last Airbender, Typing, Low Tide, and Constantine. For Kate, always.
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Rhea Perlman (Stella) is a fourtime Emmy winner for her role as Carla on the NBC TV show Cheers and has been a star of television, stage and film for more than 30 years. Stage credits include Love, Loss and What I Wore (in which she appeared with her daughter Lucy) at the Geffen Playhouse in Los Angeles and on Broadway; the Broadway production of The Tale of the Allergist’s Wife; the Off-Broadway play The Exonerated; the Los Angeles production of Last Night at Ballyhoo and the London West End revival of Boeing-Boeing. Film credits include The Sessions, Sunset Park, Canadian Bacon and Carpool, and Matilda, co-starring and directed by her husband, Danny DeVito. Television credits include Taxi, Hung, Law & Order: SVU, Kate Brasher, Hot in Cleveland, and Pearl, in which she starred and executive produced, and television movies including The Christmas Choir, Houdini, Secret Cutting and How to Marry a Billionaire. This fall Perlman reunites with Kirstie Alley in TV Land’s new comedy, Kirstie’s New Show in which she plays Alley’s assistant and best friend, Thelma. Perlman lives with her family in Los Angeles. BJ Jones (Director and Northlight Artistic Director) is in his 15th season as Artistic Director of Northlight Theatre where he directed the world premieres of The Outgoing Tide (Jeff Nomination – Best Director), Lady, Better Late, Rounding Third with George Wendt, and Sky Girls, as well as productions of The Odd Couple, Grey Gardens, Season’s Greetings, The Lady with All the Answers, A Skull in Connemara, The Cripple of Inishmaan, and The Lieutenant of Inishmore. He has guided the world premieres of The Last Five Years, The Gamester, and Studs Terkel’s ‘The Good War’. Other Chicago directorial credits include: Pitmen Painters (Jeff Nomination –
PROFILES Best Director, Timeline), A Number (Next), 100 Saints You Should Know (Steppenwolf), The Dresser (Body Politic). Regional: Glengarry Glen Ross (Suzie Bass Nominee - Best Director, Atlanta’s Alliance Theatre), Enchanted April (Asolo Theatre), and productions at Cherry Lane Theatre NY, Galway Arts Festival, Baltimore Center Stage, and Utah Shakespeare Festival. As a performer, Mr. Jones is a two-time Jeff Award winner and has appeared at Northlight, Goodman, Steppenwolf, Court, and other theatres throughout Chicago. Film/TV credits include The Fugitive, Body Double, Law and Order: Criminal Intent, Early Edition, Cupid and Turks, among others. Bruce Graham (Playwright) Plays: The Outgoing Tide (2011 Jeff Award – Best New Play), 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), According to Goldman, The Philly Fan, Mister Hart and Mister Brown. He has won consecutive Barrymore Awards for Best New Play for Something Intangible and Any Given Monday. 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. 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 lives in South Philly with Stephanie and Truman, a beagle. Brian Sidney Bembridge (Set Design) Chicago: Northlight, Goodman, Steppenwolf, Chicago Shakespeare, Second City, Lookingglass (production affiliate), Court, Ravinia, Drury Lane, Writers’, Victory Gardens, TimeLine (artistic associ ate), Teatro Vista (artistic associate), among others. Off-Broadway: The Public Theater, Second Stage, Jean Cocteau Repertory, Kids with Guns and Theatre @ St. Clement’s. International: Theatre Royal Stratford East in London, and CarriageWorks in Sydney Australia. Regional: Guthrie, Children’s Theatre Company, Actors Theatre of Louisville, Alliance, Arden, California Shakespeare, Round House, Virginia Opera, Opera Omaha, Milwaukee Repertory, Madison Repertory, St. Louis Repertory, Asolo Repertory, and Circle X Theatre Co. (company member), among others. Production Design: Wallace Shawn’s Marie and Bruce, Holding Out, Stray Dogs, and sets for Muppets from Space. Awards: five Jeff Awards, two Hewes Design Award nominations, two Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle awards, two Back Stage Garland awards, an Ovation Award, an L.A.
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PROFILES Skokie Fire Department Deputy Chief James Walters is
Weekly Award, and was named one of the five most prolific theater artists of the decade by Time Out Chicago.
Back in Action!
Rachel Laritz (Costume Design) is happy to be joining Northlight for the twelfth time including this season’s The Whipping Man and The Odd Couple. Off-Broadway: Pearl Theatre. Regional Theatre: Utah Shakespeare Festival, Actors Theatre Louisville, Milwaukee Repertory Theatre, Court Theatre, Illinois Shakespeare Festival, Remy Bumppo, Peninsula Players, Timeline, Route 66, Next Act, Chamber Theatre, Renaissance Theaterworks, Skylight Opera, Children’s Theatre Madison, and the University of Michigan. Other professional credits include: NBC’s Law & Order, American Players Theatre, Chicago Opera Theatre, Garsington Opera (London, England) and the Spoleto Festival USA. Rachel is a recipient of a 2011 Emerging Artist Alumni Award from the University of Michigan and a 2009 Jeff Award for Voysey Inheritance and is an adjunct instructor at DePaul University.
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JR Lederle (Lighting Design) Northlight credits include The Odd Couple, Ten Chimneys, Season’s Greetings, The Outgoing Tide and Better Late (both also at the Galway Arts Festival, Ireland), A Life, Grey Gardens, The Retreat From Moscow, Lady. Other work has been seen at Lookingglass, Victory Gardens, About Face, Remy Bumppo, Writers’, Steppenwolf, and Walkabout. JR designed lighting for seven years of the Steppenwolf Traffic Series, and five Steppenwolf performances in Chicago’s Millennium Park. He has served as head of the Lighting Department at Steppenwolf since 1995. Andrew Hansen (Original Music and Sound Design) returns to Northlight where he previously collaborated on The Odd Couple, The Outgoing Tide, She Stoops to Conquer and Mauritius. Andy is an Associate Artist at TimeLine Theatre where he has
PROFILES been designing since 1999. Recent productions include Frost/Nixon, To Master The Art, In Darfur, and The Front Page at Timeline, Do The Hustle and Heartbreak House at Writers’ Theatre, and Mary and A Christmas Carol at The Goodman. Regionally he has composed for American Players Theatre, Indiana Repertory Theatre, Summer Shakespeare at Notre Dame, and Montana Shakespeare in the Parks. Rita Vreeland (Production Stage Manager) has been stage managing at Northlight Theatre since 2007. Most recent Northlight credits: Woody Sez, [title of show], Black Pearl Sings!, Snapshots, and The Outgoing Tide. Recent credits elsewhere in the Chicagoland area include Little Shop of Horrors and many other productions at Theatre at the Center; The Christmas Schooner (Mercury); and the World Premieres of A Twist of Water (Route 66), El Nogalar (Goodman), and We Are Proud to Present... (Victory Gardens). Rita was the set designer at Harold Washington College from 2001-2012 and is a member of the Route 66 Theatre Company in Chicago. She is a graduate of the University of Northern Colorado and a proud member of Actors Equity. All my love to Tom and Charlie! Dr. Kristin Leahey (Dramaturg) is the Resident Dramaturg at Northlight Theatre and formerly the Literary Manager at Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company in Washington, DC. Her dramaturgical credits include productions with the Goodman Theatre, The Kennedy Center, the Indiana Repertory Theatre, Cleveland
Play House, Victory Gardens Theater, Notre Dame Shakespeare Festival, Collaboraction, Teatro Luna, Teatro Vista, Eclipse Theatre Company, Redmoon Theater, Next Theatre Company and A Red Orchid Theatre, among others. Her publications include articles in Theatre Topics, Theatre History and Theatre Studies. Her teaching credits include courses taught at The University of Texas, Lake Michigan College, DePaul University, and Columbia College. She received her doctorate in dramaturgy and performance studies at The University of Texas at Austin. Timothy J. Evans (Executive Director) Prior to his arrival at Northlight, Tim spent a 20-plus year career at Steppenwolf Theatre where he served in management and producing positions. He created, curated and produced Steppenwolf’s acclaimed TRAFFIC Series, which included a partnership with Chicago Public Radio for subsequent broadcasts. Tim founded Steppenwolf Films, of which he is still a partner with Gary Sinise, Terry Kinney and Jeff Perry, to develop film and television projects. He produced the feature films Diminished Capacity with Matthew Broderick (premiered 2008 Sundance Film Festival) and The Last Rites of Joe May with Dennis Farina (premiered 2011 Tribeca Film Festival). He currently serves on the Board of Directors of the League of Chicago Theatres, previously served on the board of the Independent Film Project (IFP) and was a charter member of the Governor’s Task Force for Media Development.
The Director is a member of the Society of Stage Directors and Choreographers, Inc., an independent national labor union. The scenic, costume, lighting and sound designers in LORT Theatres are represented by United Scenic Artists, Local USA-829 of the IATSE. NORTHLIGHT THEATRE |
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ABOUT NORTHLIGHT DEVELOPING YOUNG ARTISTS Northlight’s education programming is built on the belief that selfexpression, creative thought and confidence are the keys to well-being. Each school year, Northlight serves over 2,000 students through its various education programs. Gifts from donors like you provide the support necessary to fund our programs including scholarships for underserved students to attend our Performing Arts Camp. Northlight’s Performing Arts Camp combines professional theatre training with timeless summer camp traditions and an end-of-session showcase performed on our stage for family and friends. Northlight’s commitment to supporting young playwrights in our summer performing arts camp is unique and sets us apart from many of our sister theatre summer programs. 14 plays have been commissioned by our education program and five of these plays have been published, including Chicago playwright Laura Jacqmin’s piece We’ll Be Better Later, commissioned for Northlight’s summer camp and published this year by Playscripts. Please consider giving a gift as generous as possible to support Northlight’s education programming and vision. On behalf of the entire Northlight family, we thank you for your generosity. For more information, please contact Andria Venezia, Associate Director of Development, at avenezia@northlight.org or 847.324.1613.
2013 PERFORMING ARTS CAMP JUNIOR CAMP Grades 3-6
SENIOR CAMP Grades 7-10
Two 4-week sessions June 17 - July 12 | July 16 - August 9 1-week “Adventures in Playmaking” August 12-16 (Grades 2-6 only) FOR MORE INFORMATION: visit northlight.org/camp NORTHLIGHT THEATRE |
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NORTHLIGHT SUPPORTERS SEASON SPONSORS
KATTEN MUCHIN ROSENMAN
MERLE RESKIN
THE OFFIELD FAMILY FOUNDATION
THE SULLIVAN FAMILY FOUNDATION
Cheney Foundation || Clune Construction || Cramer Krasselt || Kirkland & Ellis || Madison Dearborn Partners || Melvoin Award for Playwriting || North Shore Center for the Performing Arts Foundation || Nuveen Investments || The Pauls Foundation || The Daniel F. and Ada L. Rice Foundation || The Saints || The Farny R. Wurlitzer Foundation
NORTHLIGHT BOARDS BOARD OF TRUSTEES Timothy P. Sullivan, Chairman Susan Karol, President Dan Peterson, Vice President Rahul Roy, Secretary Eileen Frank, Treasurer Michael R. Callahan* Timothy J. Evans Howard A. Feinstein Michael Guerra Freddi Greenberg BJ Jones Paul Lehman* Jennifer Newton Evelyn Salk* Robert S. Silver Bob Silverman Jill Soderberg Thomas D. Stringer Greg Taubeneck Matthew Udoni Michael Pauken, ex officio Norman Rosen, ex officio
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ADVISORY BOARD Joan Barr Smith*, Chair Steven J. Bernstein Karl Berolzheimer Gerhard Bette H. Woods Bowman Margo Brown Joe Cappo Jack Crocker Stephen Engelman Paul Finnegan* Craig Golden Eleanor Hall Lynn Hiestand Harry J. Lennix James Lytle Max McGee Steve Mullins* Mike Nussbaum Sheldon Patinkin Merril Prager Sandra Rosenbloom Esther Saks* David Seidman* Trimmy Stamell* Susan Van Dusen
Patricia Vile Bernice Weissbourd George Wendt ASSOCIATES BOARD Jennifer Newton, Chair Noah Eisner Ross Erlebacher Randal Hamburg Hannah Olsen Lesli Jennings Leslie Schreiber Abby Strauss Chris Walsh *Past President/Chairperson
NORTHLIGHT SUPPORTERS DONORS Northlight Theatre is deeply grateful to the following contributors for their generous support. This list reflects gifts received January 1, 2012 through April 1, 2013. If you would like your name to appear differently or prefer to remain anonymous, please contact Carrie Cole at 847.324.1616 or ccole@northlight.org.
CORPORATIONS, FOUNDATIONS & GOVERNMENT AGENCIES Principal Sponsors $50,000 and Above The John D. & Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation The Offield Family Foundation The Shubert Foundation, Inc. The Sullivan Family Foundation Premiere Sponsors $20,000 - $49,999 BMO Harris Bank ComEd Edgerton Foundation New American Plays Award Kirkland & Ellis Foundation Executive Sponsors $10,000-$19,999 Draftfcb Chicago Illinois Arts Council Madison Dearborn Partners North Shore Center for the Performing Arts Foundation Nuveen Investments The Pauls Foundation The Daniel F. & Ada L. Rice Foundation Tom Stringer Design Partners Presenting Sponsors $5,000-$9,999 The Elizabeth F. Cheney Foundation Clune Construction Ernst & Young Evanston Community Foundation Homestead/Quince Mid-Atlantic Foundation USArtists International NorthShore University HealthSystem Sanborn Family Foundation The Farny R. Wurlitzer Foundation Lead Sponsors $2,500-$4,999 Arts Midwest Touring Fund Bloomingdale’s Fund of the Macy’s Foundation Cramer-Krasselt First Bank & Trust of Evanston McKinsey & Company Chicago Plante Moran Room and Board The Pritzker Pucker Family Foundation
The Saints Sage Products Sponsors $1,000 - $2,499 The Allyn Foundation Florida Association of Medical Staff Services Gand Music and Sound The Irving Harris Foundation The Joyce Foundation Modestus Bauer Foundation Polk Bros Foundation Skokie Fine Arts Commission Target Under $1,000 Francis Beidler III and Prudence R. Beidler Foundation GoodSearch Illinois Risk Management Services Massachusetts Association of Medical Staff Services Mole-Richardson Co. Morrisey Associates, Inc. NAMSS New York State Association of Medical Staff Services North Shore Community Bank & Trust Professional Facilities Management, Inc. Matching Gift Companies Bank of America Computing Technology Industry Association, Inc. Markel Corporation Nuveen Investments Océ North America, Inc. PepsiCo Foundation Polk Bros Foundation NORTHLIGHT ARTISTIC CIRCLE Executive Producers $25,000 and above Anonymous Paul Lehman & Ronna Stamm Melanie & Dan Peterson Evelyn Salk The Sullivan Family Foundation Producers $10,000 - $24,999 Mr. & Mrs. Nick Alexos Michael & Joan Callahan Freddi Greenberg & Daniel Pinkert BJ Jones & Candy Corr
Carole & Joseph Levy Hugo & Lois Melvoin Carol & Steve Mullins Merle Reskin Robert S. & Sandra G. Silver Thomas D. Stringer & Scott E. Waller Greg & Anne Taubeneck Family Fund Matt & Christine Udoni Playwrights $5,000 - $9,999 Anonymous Sandra Barnett-White & Jim White Gerhard & Kathy Bette Joyce Chelberg Robert & Maurita Freas The Friedland Family in honor of Waldo & Lucille Friedland M.J. O’Brien Family Foundation Sam & Marianne Oliva Rahul & Anuradhika Roy Directors $2,500 - $4,999 Julie & Josh Chernoff Richard & Catherine Corr Bernard Dowling Kathy & Stuart Edwards Howard Feinstein & Brenda Hansen Susan Karol & Glenn Warning Samuel & Ann Mencoff Carol Saunders & Greg Harbaugh Bob & Lisa Silverman Gloria Yuen Designers $1,000 - $2,499 Anonymous A.R.T. League, Inc. Larry & Mary Boeder Colleen & Joe Chappelle Lynne Curtis Joseph Danno Timothy & Jane Evans Chris & Karen Felix Paul & Mary Finnegan Eileen & Peter Frank in memory of Arthur Klawans Colleen Hughes & Donald Rothschild Cameron & Emily Jones Vivian S. Kaplan Suzanne & Jim Kenney Klaff Family Foundation John Mahoney Colon McLean & Matthew Holt NORTHLIGHT THEATRE |
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NORTHLIGHT SUPPORTERS Charlie & Nancy McPike Audrey Morris Jennifer Newton Tom & Karen O’Keefe Norma Olsen Sanford & Jody Perl Merril Prager & John Levine Frank Quinn Mr. & Mrs. Joel Radakovitz Susan & Tim Salisbury David & Christine Seidman Dr. G. Stephen & Ellen Scholly Francis Sheahen Neal & Trimmy Stammel Lynn & Douglas Steffen Avy & Marcie Stein Andrew & Rosemary Thomas Jim Thompson Jim & Kim Walsh Bernice Weissbourd INDIVIDUAL ANNUAL FUND DONORS Partners $500 - $999 Anonymous (4) Ellen & Richard Anderson Mr. & Mrs. Ronald R. Baade Frank & Barbara Brady in honor of BJ Jones Douglas R. Brown Richard Campbell Mary Anne & Joe Cappo Lloyd & Monica Cassidy Peter M. Christie & Joan Corwin John Cialone & David Seleb Bruce Ettelson P.C. & Missy Bundy Mark Evans & Maureen Moran Thomas & Patricia Gahlon Eleanor Northrop Hall Emily & Kevin Hansen Molly & Scott Hansen Lynn Hiestand Janet & Brian Hoffman Mr. & Mrs. Horner Mel & Annie Kahn Kennedy Family Foundation Martin J. & Susan B. Kozak Fund Ted & Almeda Maynard Peter McGuire & Kate Briand Bill & Maureen McInerny John & Linnea Mead Robert & Linda Meyers Bill & Pepe Miller Neal Moglin & Mark Tendam Mike & Gina Moorman Ellen K. Munro in honor of John Mahoney Adele & Seymour Neems Donald & Mary Ellen Newsom Hon. Sheila O’Brien & Hon. Wayne Andersen in honor of BJ Jones and Jim & Debby Shellard Joe O’Leary Richard Porter Erica Regunberg & Rob Dann 20
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Jeffrey Richards Norman & Sally Rosen Jonathan & Piper Rothschild Esther S. Saks in honor of Evelyn Salk Stan & Kay Schlozman in honor of Paul Lehman & Ronna Stamm Nancy & Tom Silberman Anita & Praba Sinha Diane Sobel Abby Strauss William & Barbara Welke Avers & Gloria Wexler Seymour Zitomersky & Barbara LaSpesa Advocates $250 - $499 Anonymous (4) Robert & Barbara Agdern Moreen Alexander Eve & Maurice Alfille Peggy Bagley & Rabbi Douglas Goldhamer Diane & Karl Berolzheimer John Blanchard Margo & Paul Brown Ted & Barbara Buenger Mr. Frank Cella & Mr. Trev Minnaert in honor of Neal Moglin & Mark Tendam Lynn & Robert Clark Marvin R. Cohen & Jane Richman in honor of Paul Lehman Ellen Collar Michael & Brenda Corr David & Kathy Cudnowski Mr. & Mrs. Eldred DuSold Roz & Seth Eisner Mr. & Mrs. Albert Erlebacher in honor of Robert & Sandra Silver’s 50th Wedding Anniversary Maurice & Ruth Ettleson Roy & Marta Evans Mark Fennell Raymond Fessler Jerome Fitzgerald Kenneth E. Frazee Robert & Jessica Freas Janet Freund & Jo Mathews in honor of Merril Prager & John Levine William & Lynda Frillman Susan Mabrey Gaud Linda & Hal Gerber Laura Glenn & John Lister Anneliese & Howard Glick Diane Gottlieb Tim & Trude Harrington in honor of Michael Callahan Robert & Elizabeth Hayward Mitchell Hertz & Anne Carlucci Judy & Jay Heyman Don & Betsy Hohman Donna & Steven Horwitz Anne & Mike Houghton
Mr. & Mrs. Carter Howard Karen & David Hughes Lesley Hyatt & Bernard Friedman Michaela Jones Chris & Pamela Kallos Dennis & Barb Kessler Dr. & Mrs. Barry Kirschenbaum Sandy & Saul Klibanow Mark & Stephanie Layden Tom & Joan Lindsey Ms. Ethel Liten in honor of Evelyn Salk Joe McInerney Sheila & Harvey Medvin Alice Merrick Ed Mills Dennis & Linda Myers P.C. Bill & Jean O’Neill Jim Ossyra & Carol Remen Michael & Diane Paley Sheldon Patinkin Heidi & Greg Peterson Sally Prager Clay & Sharon Purdy Marilyn Melvoin Richman Mr. & Mrs. George C. Rimnac Roberta & Howard Rosell Ira Rosenthal James & Cynthia Rowe Bruce Sagan & Bette Cerf Hill Anthony Salk Keith & Ann Sarpolis in memory of Richard Sarpolis Margaret & Alan Silberman Pamela & Charles Smith Mrs. Eleanor Springer in memory of Jack Springer Ann Stevens Donna Suhey Edward Swan Thomas & Beverly Tabern Ms. Karen Teitelbaum Vicki Truax William Vickers Patricia Vile Stephen & Alice Vile Lorrayne & Steve Weiss Robert White Lawrence & Nancy Wojcik Alan Wolf Julie Womack Michael Wright Supporters $150 - $249 Anonymous (6) Mr. & Mrs. Alberti Mr. & Mrs. Kirk Allen Patricia Anderson Robert & Joan Beaubaire in honor of Robert & Sandra Silver’s 50th Wedding Anniversary Debbie & Elliot Berman Lois M. Berman Wally Bobkiewicz Carol & Roger Brice
NORTHLIGHT SUPPORTERS Steven & Phyllis Brody Ruth & Ronald Buchanan Allen & Barbara Bullard Pat Butkus Rachel Cantor Ron & Mary Charles Bradley & Jennifer Cohen John Dainauskas Barbara & Peter DeBerge David & April Deming Maria Depa Mary Louise Devens Joseph E. & Ruth B. Doninger Jean & Dick Doub Deanna Dunagan David Dziedzic Noah & Gillian Eisner Ross & Susie Erlebacher Mr. & Mrs. Robert Flynn Sidney & Jackie Freedman Ruth & Nathaniel Friedman Sono Fujii & Claudio Katz Nancy & James Golding Sally & Ralph Goren John & Angela Graham Roz & David Greenstein Mary Ann & David Grumman Betsy Gutstein Susan & Harlan Haimes John & Suzanne Hales Del & Ginger Hall Becky Harris George & Marianne Hartnett Tom & Jan Hazlett Elaine & Richard Heuberger Allen & Nancy Hirschfield Mary Jane & Lawrence Horwitz Packy Hyland Judith Ivey in memory of Martin Pakledinaz Gitta K. Jacobs Dr. Claudia Katz Mary King Dalia Kleinmuntz Lynn Kopon Rachel Kraft in honor of Tim Evans Karen Kuehner Robert & Sherry Labate Jules H. & Marilyn R. Last Fund Marianne & Michael Lembeck Karen Leonard Elaine & Steve Lev Sherry & Mel Lopata Charles MacKelvie Brad & Sue Matson Margaret F. May Mara & Bob Mihlfried Mr. & Mrs. Thomas Monahan Howard & Marlene Nagle Michael & Kathleen Nash Roberta Nichols Kathy Fredericks Oswald
Trustee Don Perille Genevieve F. Phelps Chuck & Judy Piper Mr. & Mrs. Jonathan Plotkin Marion Porento Sandi Riggs Edwin & Susan Ritts Henry & Dolores Rosenbaum Jeff & Lisa Rosenkranz Patricia Roth Jane G. Rozoff Sue & Mike Rubnitz Penelope & Toby Sachs Warren & Beatrice Saunders Julie Schmidt Margot Sersen Art & Jan Sherman Bruce & Sarane Siewerth Jill & Leif Soderberg Elyssa Joy Springer in memory of Jack Springer Lisa & Paul Stern Harriet C. Stone in memory of Norman A. Stone Arthur Styzen Gail & Bernard Talbert Mr. & Mrs. John W. Taylor III Mrs. Vernon B. Thomas Betsy E. Tolstedt Lori Tuffield Lois & Sye Unell James & Mary Ellen Van Ness J & JR Weertman Nancy M. Williams Sylvia Wolfson & Seymour Nordenberg Nettie Zelkowitz Laura & Bruce Zimmerman IN KIND Anonymous Abt Electronics Christine & Dave Alexander Eve J. Alfille Gallery & Studio Emily Berezowsky Biaggi’s Ristorante Italiano The Blendermann Family Bloomingdale’s Old Orchard Blue Plate Catering BMO Harris Bank Buona Terra Ristorante Michael & Joan Callahan Charcoal Oven Restaurant Julie & Josh Chernoff Chicago Public Media - WBEZ Carrie & Andrew Cole The Doubletree Hotel Draftfcb Chicago Timothy & Jane Evans Father & Son Italian Kitchen Howard Feinstein & Brenda Hansen
Francesca’s North Gand Music and Sound GAVIN Evanston Glunz Beers, Inc Hecky’s Barbecue Hertz Corporation Hilton Garden Inn The Homestead Hota Illinois Holocaust Museum & Education Center JetBlue Airways The Joffrey Ballet Joseph Jefferson Awards Committee Justin’s Bar Chicago Kabul House Katten Muchin Rosenman Tim Kazurinsky Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises, Inc. Libertad Restaurant Lisa Lukas Bonnie & Jay Lytle Maggiano’s Maplewood Hotel Marigold McGaw YMCA Mole-Richardson Co. Mumbai Indian Grill New Prospects Boutique Jennifer Newton Errol & Fran Pearlman Dan & Melanie Peterson PRP Wine International Quince at The Homestead Relevant Theatricals Rahul & Anuradhika Roy Real Russian Vodka Rodeway Inn Skokie Room & Board Sage Products Carol Saunders & Greg Harbaugh Schaefer’s Fine Wines & Spirits Neal & Trimmy Stamell Steppenwolf Theatre Company Thomas D. Stringer and Scott E. Waller The Sullivan Family Foundation Sutton Studios Sweety Pies Bakery George & Susan Van Dusen Vermilion Kimberley Vuitel Weber-Stephen Products George Wendt Whole Foods Market Downtown Evanston Whole Foods Market Northbrook Wicks Park Bar & Grille Williams Next Door Harry Wojcik
To Make Your Gift Today : Contact Carrie at 847.324.1616 or ccole@northlight.org, or donate online at northlight.org. NORTHLIGHT THEATRE |
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NORTHLIGHT STAFF Artistic Director BJ Jones
Executive Director Timothy J. Evans
ARTISTIC Artistic Administrator/ Casting Director/Internship Coordinator Lynn Baber
Resident Dramaturg
Kristin Leahey, Ph.D.
Interns
Jerico Boling Gina Ciametti Brandy Reichenberger
PRODUCTION Production Manager
Director of Development
Company Manager/Assistant Production Manager
Janet Mullet
Emily Hansen
Associate Director of Development Andria Venezia
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Malcolm S. Brown
Master Electrician/Light Board Operator
Marketing Associate
Sound Engineer/Sound Board Operator
Mara Mihlfried
L. Corwin Christie
Director of Finance
Michelle Blendermann
Joanne Dubach Matt Farabee Sarah Rose Graber Kristyn Hegner Michael Leon Diane Mair Sam Roberson Jeff Trainor
Technical Director
Director of Marketing & Communications
Education Associate and Performing Arts Camp Director Educators
Victoria Martini-Rosowicz
Production Assistant
Carrie Cole
EDUCATION Director of Education
Amanda Jane Dunne
Christopher J. Fitzgerald
Development Manager
Lisa Stern
Mechelle Moe
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ADMINISTRATION General Manager
Group Sales Coordinator/ Administrative Assistant
Kelly Crook
Paul Doran
Jennifer Udoni-Sharp
Wardrobe Mistress Jessica Korpela
Floor Manager Jason Shivers
Public Relations
Scenic Charge
Usher Coordinator
Master Carpenter
Insurance
Carpenters
Cathy Taylor PR, Inc. Vicki Weisberg, The Saints Robert Nichols
Joanna Iwanicka Nate Crawford Kevin Biel Jeremiah Barr Ray Fitzgerald Kevin Lynch
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PLAYING THIS SUMMER AT WRITERS’ THEATRE
THE LIAR BY DAVID IVES ADAPTED FROM THE COMEDY BY PIERRE CORNEILLE DIRECTED BY WILLIAM BROWN
May 21 - July 28, 2013 Performed at 325 Tudor Court, Glencoe Minutes from Chicago on the Edens or the Metra “Savor every meticulously groomed conceit [and] every assiduously manicured joke!” -Washington Post
TICKETS ARE NOW ON SALE—ORDER TODAY! WRITERSTHEATRE.ORG | 847-242-6000 2012/13 Season Sponsor
Corporate Sponsor Partner