Northlight Theatre Announces Casting for 2017-18 Season, Featuring 'GEORGIA MCBRIDE', SKELETON CREW and More

Northlight Theatre, under the direction of Artistic Director BJ Jones and Executive Director Timothy J. Evans, announces casting for the full 2017-2018 season, which includes The Legend of Georgia McBride by Matthew Lopez, The Book of Will by Lauren Gunderson, Skeleton Crew by Dominique Morisseau, The Beauty Queen of Leenane by Martin McDonagh and Cry It Out by Molly Smith Metzler.

The cast of The Legend of Georgia McBride includes: Sean Blake, Keith Kupferer, Jeff Kurysz, Nate Santana and Leslie Ann Sheppard. The cast of The Book of Will includes: Rengin Altay, Dana Black, McKinley Carter, Thom Cox, William Dick, Sam Hubbard, Gregory Linington, Jim Ortleib, Luigi Sottile and Austin Tichenor. The cast of Skeleton Crew includes: Bernard Gilbert, Kelvin Roston Jr., Jacqueline Williams and Anji White. The cast of The Beauty Queen of Leenane includes: Kate Fry, Nathan Hosner, Casey Morris and Wendy Robie. The cast of Cry It Out includes: Laura Lapidus, Gabriel Ruiz, Darci Nalepa, and Kristina Valada-Viars.

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The 2017-18 Season with casting is as follows:

THE LEGEND OF GEORGIA MCBRIDE

By Matthew Lopez

Directed by Lauren Shouse

Featuring Sean Blake (Miss Tracy Mills), Keith Kupferer (Eddie), Jeff Kurysz (Rexy/Jason), Nate Santana (Casey) and Leslie Ann Sheppard (Jo)

September 14 - October 22, 2017

Press Opening: Friday, September 22, 2017 at 8pm

A down-on-his-luck Elvis impersonator has an overdrawn checking account and a baby on the way. When a drag show takes over the entertainment at the Florida Panhandle bar where he performs, he'll also be out of a job...unless he's willing to step into some high heels. This heartwarming, music-filled comedy celebrates the unexpected path to finding your true voice.

THE BOOK OF WILL

By Lauren Gunderson

Directed by Jessica Thebus

Featuring Rengin Altay (Hemings/Hathaway), Dana Black (Alice/Susannah), McKinley Carter (Liz Cond/Lanier), Thom Cox (Crane), William Dick (Jonson/Dering), Sam Hubbard (Marcus/Bernardo), Gregory Linington (Henry Condell), Jim Ortleib (John Heminges), Luigi Sottile (Knight/I.Jagg) and Austin Tichenor (Burb/W.Jagg/Horatio)

November 9 - December 17, 2017

Press Opening: Friday, November 17, 2017 at 8pm

William Shakespeare wrote some of the world's most beloved plays - but without his friends, they may have been lost to history! Follow the members of Shakespeare's own company as they cunningly navigate the production of the First Folio in 1623. They may not have any money or clear-cut rights to his work, but they're armed with wit, humor, a deep camaraderie and a passion to preserve the plays that shaped their lives. With the help of their wives and colleagues, two actors set out not only to print a collection, but to uphold a legacy for the world.

SKELETON CREW

By Dominique Morisseau

Directed by Ron OJ Parson

Featuring Bernard Gilbert (Dez), Kelvin Roston Jr. (Reggie), Jacqueline Williams (Faye) and Anji White (Shanita)

January 25 - March 4, 2018

Press Opening: Friday, February 2, 2018 at 8pm

At the start of the Great Recession, rumors of impending closure surround one of the last auto plants in Detroit. The nation's financial crisis gets personal as each of the workers confronts the life-altering choices they must make if their plant goes under, while the supervisor is torn between allegiances to his makeshift family of co-workers and management's "cost-saving" demands. When pushed to the limits of survival, how far over the lines are people willing to cross?

The third play in Dominique Morisseau's Detroit trilogy, Skeleton Crew was named one of Time Magazine's 10 Best Shows of the Year.

THE BEAUTY QUEEN OF LEENANE

By Martin McDonagh

Directed by BJ Jones

Featuring Kate Fry (Maureen Folan), Nathan Hosner (Pato Dooley), Casey Morris (Ray Dooley) and Wendy Robie (Mag Folan)

March 15 - April 22, 2018

Press Opening: Friday, March 23, 2018 at 8pm

This Tony Award-winning dark comedy is set in the provincial Irish town of Leenane. Forty-year-old spinster Maureen Folan lives with her manipulative aging mother Mag, stuck in a caretaking relationship that has them both seething with resentment. When a romantic encounter finally sparks Maureen's hopes for an escape from her dreary existence, Mag's interference sets in motion a chain of events that is as tragically funny as it is terrifying.

CRY IT OUT

By Molly Smith Metzler

Directed by Jessica Fisch

Featuring Laura Lapidus (Lina), Gabriel Ruiz (Mitchell), Darci Nalepa (Jessie), and Kristina Valada-Viars (Adrienne)

May 10 - June 17, 2018

Press Opening: Friday, May 18, 2018 at 8pm

Cooped up on maternity leave and eager for conversation, Jessie invites the funny and forthright Lina for coffee on their neighboring patios. They become fast friends, quickly bonding over their shared "new mom" experience-and arousing the interest of a wealthy neighbor hoping for a similar connection. This insightful comedy takes an honest look at the absurdities of new motherhood, the dilemma of returning to work versus staying at home, and how class impacts parenthood and friendship.

Cry It Out was commissioned by Actors Theatre of Louisville and premiered at the Humana Festival of New American Plays in spring 2017. Northlight's production, directed by Jessica Fisch, will be the first outside of the Festival.

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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 2017-18 Northlight Season are available through the box office, 9501 Skokie Boulevard in Skokie, by phone at 847.673.6300 or online at northlight.org. Individual tickets to the first three shows of the season go on sale August 1, 2017. 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. Individual tickets range from $30-$81, with discounted rates available for Groups and Students. 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 entering its 43rd season, the organization has mounted over 200 productions, including nearly 40 world premieres. Northlight has earned 198 Joseph Jefferson Award nominations and 34 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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