Northlight Theatre Presents Hugh Leonard's A LIFE Featuring John Mahoney

Northlight Theatre continues its 35th Anniversary Season with Hugh Leonard's A Life, directed by Artistic Director BJ Jones and featuring Tony Award winner John Mahoney with an all-Chicago cast.

The production runs March 18 - April 25, 2010 at Northlight Theatre, 9501 Skokie Blvd in Skokie.

A Life is an evocative play about the evolution of friendships in a small Irish town, and the sequel to the late Hugh Leonard's most celebrated work, Da.

As Desmond Drumm nears retirement his memories come to life, reminding him of the triumphs and tragedies of his youth and prompting him to mend relationships with a childhood friend and the love interest that had charmed them both. But as scenes from the past shed light on the misunderstandings of today, Desmond must realize that his lifelong ability to use his great intellect and acerbic wit as a means of self-defense has come at a cost.
"A Life is a darkly comic play spanning forty years in the lives of two couples. Led by our dear friend John Mahoney, this wonderful ensemble piece is a delicate, yet unsentimental look at the turns not taken in the life of an Irish civil servant," says BJ Jones. "A Life is a play I have been carrying around with me for some time and the opportunity to work with John, Linda Kimbrough, Penny Slusher and Brad Armacost, along with some of Chicago's finest young actors, is a director's dream."

The production features Bradley Armacost, Robert Belushi, Joanne Dubach, Melanie Keller, Linda Kimbrough, John Mahoney, Matt Schwader and Penny Slusher.

The designers are Jack Magaw (Set Design), Rachel Laritz (Costume Design), JR Lederle (Lighting Design) and Lindsay Jones (Sound Design). The production Stage Manager is Laura D. Glenn.

Bradley Armacost (Kearns) Chicago credits include The Seafarer, Maria Arndt, Playboy of the Western World and Faith Healer (Steppenwolf); The Trip to Bountiful, Oedipus Complex, Zoo Story, A Christmas Carol and A Touch of the Poet (Goodman); Cymbeline, Two Gentlemen of Verona, Antony and Cleopatra, Comedy of Errors, The Merchant of Venice and Timon of Athens (Chicago Shakespeare). He is an Artistic Associate with Provision Theatre. He was the narrator for The Rite of Spring and Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme (Chicago Symphony Orchestra). Television and film credits include Untouchables, Early Edition, Missing Persons, Angel Street, Repetition, The Company, Eight Men Out, Backwoods and Barbershop II.

Rob Belushi (Lar) is pleased to have the opportunity to appear at Northlight in the cast of A Life. Credits include: Of Mice and Men (Steppenwolf); The Lion in Winter (Writers); girl, 20 (Serendipity Theater Collective); Summer People (The Gift); Sketchbook '06 (Collaboraction) and This is Our Youth (Pine Box Theater). Rob has performed sketch and improv comedy at The Second City (resident stage Las Vegas, understudy for the Chicago Main Stage and the National Touring Company), as well as The IO, the Annoyance, Atlanta Improv Festival, Chicago Improv Festival, and the Chicago Sketch Comedy Festival. Film and television credits include Valentine's Day (New Line Cinema), Sorority Row (Karz Entertainment), The Christians (Splitpillow), Riff Raff (Best Supporting Actor, Tenerife Film Festival) and According to Jim (ABC). Rob received an Honors BA in Film Studies from Wesleyan University (Middletown, CT) and is a graduate of the School at Steppenwolf. He is a member of the Actors Equity Association.

Joanne Dubach (Dorothy) has been acting in Chicago for almost two years. She most recently played Ahab in Moby Dick...Rehearsed with The State Theatre of Chicago. She has also worked with Theatre-Hikes and Pasta Fazool Players. Regional theatre credits include The Lieutenant of Inishmore and The Little Dog Laughed with The Phoenix Theatre. She is very happy to be performing at Northlight for the first time in A Life.

Melanie Keller (Mibs) is pleased to be making her Northlight debut. She was the 2007-08 Chicago Fellow at the Stratford Festival of Canada, where she appeared in Caesar and Cleopatra, Love's Labour's Lost and Romeo and Juliet. She is an artistic associate of First Folio where she has appeared in Jeeves in Bloom, Design for Living, Private Lives, Angel Street, and The Importance of Being Earnest. She is also a member of Signal Ensemble Theatre and has appeared in their productions of The Weir (Jeff Nomination-Best Supporting Actress), She Stoops to Conquer, Landslide and Much Ado about Nothing. Other credits include Hamlet and King John (Chicago Shakespeare), Marathon '33 (Strawdog), The Long Christmas Ride Home (Next), A Christmas Carol and To Kill A Mockingbird (Metropolis), and The Misanthrope (BackStage). Melanie trained at the Birmingham Conservatory of Stratford and at RADA in London, and is a graduate of Illinois Wesleyan University.

Linda Kimbrough (Mary) last appeared at Northlight in Better Late, opposite John Mahoney and Mike Nussbaum. Previous Northlight appearances include She Stoops to Conquer, Red Herring, The Gamester, Hearts and The Old Neighborhood. Recent regional credits include The History Boys at the P.I.C.T. Theatre in Pittsburgh, Noises Off at The Cleveland Play House, and Pride & Prejudice, also at P.I.C.T. Some favorite roles include the title role in Miss Witherspoon (Next), Amelia Pickles in The Uneasy Chair (Writers'), The Woman in The Play About the Baby (Goodman), Nurse Preen (opposite John Mahoney) in The Man Who Came to Dinner (Steppenwolf and The Barbican Theatre in London), Mme. Sganarelle (opposite Brian Bedford) in The Moliere Comedies (Shubert/Chicago Shakespeare Theatre) and The Countess in All's Well That Ends Well (Chicago Shakespeare). She has volunteered for 25 years at CRIS radio, reading the newspaper to the sight-impaired and neurologically handicapped.
John Mahoney (Drumm) most recently appeared in The Seafarer at Steppenwolf. He last appeared at Northlight in Better Late. Recent credits include Prelude to a Kiss on Broadway, Romance in London and I Never Sang for my Father at Steppenwolf. He received a Tony Award for his performance in The House of Blue Leaves. Films include Moonstruck, Tin Men, Say Anything, Dan in Real Life and the soon to be released Flipped. On TV he most recently appeared in In Treatment. Other TV credits include The Water Engine, Burn Notice, E.R. and Frasier, for which he received several Emmy and Golden Globes nominations.

Penny Slusher (Dolly) is making her Northlight debut. Most recently she was seen as Margaret in Old Glory at Writers' Theatre. Other appearances include Another Part Of The Forest, Bus Stop, and The Subject Was Roses (Writers' Theatre); Uncle Vanya, The Importance of Being Earnest and James Joyce's The Dead (Court Theatre). She has appeared in The Outfit (Serendipity); Picnic and All The Way Home (Griffin Theatre) and The Cider House Rules (Famous Door Theatre). Penny has also worked with Steppenwolf and Apple Tree Theatres. Her film credits include What's Wrong With Virginia, Meet The Browns, Grace Is Gone, and Death Of A President. She is the recipient of a Jeff Award and two After Dark Awards.

Matt Schwader (Desmond) has appeared in Chicago in A Life in the Theatre and A Christmas Carol (Goodman);Titus Andronicus (Court); Othello, Henry IV parts 1 & 2, Measure for Measure, Merry Wives of Windsor and The Moliere Comedies (Chicago Shakespeare); Shakespeare's R&J (co-production Apple Tree Theatre and Chicago Shakespeare); All Night Strut (Marriott); Mrs. Warren's Profession (Remy Bumppo); and Polish Joke (Noble Fool Theatricals). He has also performed with Actors Theatre of Louisville, Indiana Repertory, and Summer Shakespeare Notre Dame. Matt is a company member with American Players Theatre in Spring Green, WI where he will be appearing in As You Like It, All's Well that Ends Well, and Major Barbara this coming season. He holds an MFA from the University of Delaware's Professional Theatre Training Program.

Tickets for A Life, $35-50, are available by phone, 847.673.6300, or online at northlight.org. Young Adult tickets (25 and Under) are $10 (one per person with valid ID).

The Box Office is located at the North Shore Center for the Performing Arts, 9501 Skokie Boulevard, in Skokie. Box Office hours are Monday-Friday 10:00am-6:00pm, and Saturdays 12:00pm-5:00pm. On performance days, the box office hours are extended through showtime. The Box Office is closed on Sundays, except on performance days when it is open two hours prior to showtime.

Curtain times are: Tuesdays at 7:30pm (except March 23 and April 6 and 20); Wednesdays at 1:00pm (except Mar. 24); and 7:30pm; Thursdays at 7:30pm; Fridays at 8:00pm; Saturdays at 2:30 pm (except March 20); and 8:00pm; Sundays at 2:30pm and 7:00pm (except March 28 when it will begin at 6pm, April 4, and 18).

Northlight continues its 35th season in 2009-2010 as one of the largest non-profit theatres in Chicago. 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. The Theatre seeks to entertain, enlighten, and electrify audiences through contemporary dramas, intimate musicals, and refreshed classics and is relentless in its pursuit of new work.

In its 35-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 on the 35th Anniversary Celebration and Northlight Theatre, visit northlight.org.

Special Event:

Northlight Theatre will host a special pre-show panel discussion, "How the Irish Saved Theater: The Legacy of Irish Plays and Playwrights," on April 10 at 12pm. The discussion is free and open to the public, but reservations are required. For reservations, 847.679.9501 x3555.

For more information, visit www.northlight.org