Northlight Theatre Announces 2010-11 Season

Artistic Director BJ Jones and Executive Director Timothy J. Evans are proud to announce the 2010-11 Northlight Season, which includes Daddy Long Legs, the new musical from the director of Les Miserables and the creators of Jane Eyre; Paula Vogel's holiday production for all ages and faiths, A Civil War Christmas: An American Musical Celebration; Eclipsed, Danai Gurira's play about five Liberian women whose lives have been upturned by civil war; Jon Jory's world premiere adaptation of Jane Austen's classic Sense and Sensibility; and The Outgoing Tide, a new play by Bruce Graham to be directed by BJ Jones and feature John Mahoney.

Artistic Director BJ Jones comments, "Our work asks us, as artists-and our audience as collaborators-to take a journey, to bring our hearts and minds to the Theatre and to engage in the artistic process. This coming season we'll explore historical power and diversity, romance and innocence, courage, humanity and intense moral struggles, and we ask our audiences to join us with us with an open heart and an open mind, to fully explore the range of perspective that we have to present."

The 2010-11 Northlight season includes:

Daddy Long Legs
Based on the novel by Jean Webster
Book by John Caird
Music & Lyrics by Paul Gordon
Directed by John Caird
September 16 - October 24, 2010
Press opening: September 25, 2010
This charming musical love story from the Tony and Olivier Award-winning director of Les Miserables and the creators of Jane Eyre is presented in co-production with Rubicon Theatre Company, Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park and TheatreWorks.

Jerusha Abbott's prayers seem answered when the generosity of an anonymous gentleman allows her to move from orphanage to university. Through her grateful letters, Jerusha shares her life with her mysterious benefactor as she grows into an intelligent, independent New American Woman and discovers a budding romance with a wealthy young suitor. Yet there is one startling fact that Jerusha has yet to uncover-one that will change her life forever.

A Civil War Christmas: An American Musical Celebration
By Paula Vogel
Directed by Henry Godinez
November 11 - December 19, 2010
Press opening: November 20, 2010
On Christmas Eve in 1864, a fugitive from slavery and her young daughter have become separated in unfamiliar Washington, DC. As the desperate mother searches the snowy streets for her child and Mary Todd Lincoln searches for the perfect Christmas tree for the White House, familiar faces from our nation's history cross paths and storylines in this uplifting epic filled with traditional music and themes of family, reconciliation and communal hope.

Eclipsed
By Danai Gurira
January 13 - February 20, 2011
Press opening: January 22, 2011
Amid the wreckage of the Liberian civil war, the "wives" of a rebel officer band together to form a fragile community-until the balance of their lives is upset by the arrival of two newcomers and the return of a former "wife" turned rebel soldier. As the war draws to a close, each must discover her own personal means of survival in this deeply felt portrait of women finding and testing their own strength.

The World Premiere of
Sense and Sensibility
By Jon Jory
Adapted from the novel by Jane Austen
Directed by Jon Jory
March 10 - April 17, 2011
Press opening: March 19, 2011
A lack of family fortune means difficult marriage prospects for the Dashwood sisters- two girls who couldn't be more different. Both are seeking a husband, but find that neither Elinor's common sense nor Marianne's passion offer a key to happiness. Startling secrets and unexpected twists line the path to true love in this tale of flirtation and folly, based on Jane Austen's first novel.

The World Premiere of
The Outgoing Tide
By Bruce Graham
Directed by BJ Jones
Featuring John Mahoney
May 12 - June 19, 2011
Press opening: May 21, 2011
In a small cabin on the bank of Chesapeake Bay, Gunner has hatched an unorthodox plan to secure his family's future but meets with resistance from his wife and son, who have plans of their own. As winter approaches, the three must quickly find common ground and come to an understanding-before the tide goes out. This new drama hums with dark humor and powerful emotion.

All plays, dates and artists are subject to change.

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 2010-11 Northlight Season are available through the box office, 9501 Skokie Boulevard in Skokie, by phone at 847.673.6300 or online at northlight.org.

Subscriptions range in price from $99-$230. A limited number of season subscriptions for the Opening Night performances (also includes a reception with the cast) are available for $275, subject to availability.

Subscriptions are now on sale to the public. With its wide range of ticket prices, discounted subscription packages and complimentary parking, Northlight remains of one of the best theatrical values in Chicagoland.

Northlight is supported in part by generous contributions from The Allyn Foundation; the Elizabeth F. Cheney Foundation; ComEd, An Exelon Company; Ernst & Young; First Bank & Trust of Evanston; Illinois Arts Council, a state agency; Kirkland & Ellis Foundation; The Lehman Family American Experience Series; The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation; McKinsey & Company; National Endowment for the Arts; The Pauls Foundation; Sanborn Family Foundation; Dr. Scholl Foundation; The Shubert Foundation; the Skokie Fine Arts Commission; the Sullivan Family Foundation; The Chicago Community Trust; and Tom Stringer Design Partners.

Northlight will enter its 36th season in 2010-11 as one of the largest non-profit theatres 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, classic plays and intelligent dramas.

In its 36-year history, the organization has mounted over 160 productions, including over 33 world premieres, and garnered 145 Joseph Jefferson Award nominations and 27 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 about Northlight Theatre, visit northlight.org.

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