Northlight Theatre Presents Kaufman & Hart’s “You Can’t Take It With You” Nov. 6- Dec. 13
Northlight Theatre, under the direction of Artistic Director BJ Jones and Executive Director Timothy J. Evans, presents the Pulitzer Prize-winning play You Can’t Take It With You, continuing Northlight’s 41st Season. You Can’t Take It With You, directed by Devon de Mayo, runs November 6 – December 13, 2015 at Northlight Theatre, 9501 Skokie Blvd in Skokie.
Meet the Sycamores – a madcap clan who sets the bar for eccentricity. When Alice brings her high society fiancé home to meet the parents, fireworks (figuratively and literally) nearly bring the house down. Despite their zany antics and unconventional ways, this tight-knit family offers hope that love and laughter lead to happiness, even in the hardest of times.
One of the most popular and successful comedies in American theatre, this Pulitzer Prize-winning, Depression-era classic has a timeless appeal.
“You Can’t Take It With You feels fresher now than ever. It has a sense of resonance and urgency that we can all tap into,” says BJ Jones. “We all yearn to tell the IRS to leave us alone. We all wish we could write that play, paint that picture, or create those fireworks, and never worry about where our next meal is coming from. A meal with loved ones who accept our peccadilloes for what they are, and seasoned with an acknowledgement that there might just be someone or something watching over us.”
The cast includes, Brad Armacost, Jenny Avery, Bernie Balbot, Lucy Carapetyan, Patrick Clear, Joanne Dubach, Sean Fortunato, Kroydell Galima, Tom Hickey, John Judd, Andy Nagraj, Keith Neagle, Colm O’Reilly, Ericka Ratcliff, Hollis Resnik, Samuel Roberson, and Penny Slusher.
The designers are Courtney O’Neill (Set Design), Izumi Inaba (Costume Design), Heather Gilbert (Lighting Design), Kevin O’Donnell(Original Music and Sound Design) and Stephan Mazurek (Projection Design). The Stage Manager is Kimberly McCann.
This production is supported in part by U.S. Trust, North Shore Community Bank, and RATIO Architects.
DEVON DE MAYO (Director) is thrilled to return to Northlight after directing Lost in Yonkers and formerly serving as the theatre’s Director of Education. Most recently, Devon worked as the Resident Director under Stephen Daldry on the Tony-winning Broadway production of The Audience. Directing credits: Jet Black Chevrolet (side project); Compulsion and Everything is Illuminated (Next); An Actor Prepares (Logan Center); Roadkill Confidential, The Further Adventures of Hedda Gabler, Clouds (Dog & Pony); Infiltrating Bounce (Luminaria, San Antonio); and 52 (Canal Café, London). Directing & devising credits: Guerra: A Clown Play (performances in Chicago, New York, Albuquerque, Madrid, Bogota, and Mexico City); The Whole World is Watching, As Told by the Vivian Girls (Dog & Pony), and The Twins Would Like to Say (Dog & Pony, Steppenwolf Garage Rep). She is the co-artistic director of Dog & Pony Theatre and received her MFA from Middlesex University in London.
BRAD ARMACOST (Paul Sycamore) returns to Northlight (Benefactors, A Life) and is an Artistic Associate with Irish Theatre of Chicago (2014 Jeff Award – Ensemble, Seafarer, as well as nominations for The Weir and Moon for the Misbegotten). Elsewhere in Chicago: Steppenwolf (Jeff Award – Faith Healer), Goodman, Next (Jeff Award – Are You Now…) and Chicago Shakespeare (Jeff Award – Madness of King George). He is also part of Provision’s ensemble, receiving Jeff nominations for his work in A Christmas Carol, CS Lewis, Onstage and Shadowlands. His television credits include Empire, Chicago Fire, Mind Games, Missing Persons, The Untouchables and Early Edition. Film credits: Warren, The Company, Barbershop 2, Repetition, Eight Men Out and Backwoods. He guest narrates with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra.
JENNY AVERY (Miriam Kirby) is thrilled to be making her Northlight debut. Jenny has worked at a number of theaters in Chicago, including Steppenwolf (Annie Bosch is Missing), Writers (Puppetmaster of Wodz, Duchess of Malfi), Victory Gardens (Four Places, Class Dismissed), Next (Compulsion, Welcome Home Jenny Sutter, Maple and Vine, Long Christmas Ride Home), Chicago Dramatists (Feast), American Theater Company (American Dead, Living Out), About Face (Cloud 9, Undone), Collaboraction (Life and Times of Tulsa Lovechild, Apocalyptic Butterflies) and Strawdog (Cherry Orchard, Three Sisters, Aristocrats). She will be seen this winter in Richard III at Gift.
BERNIE BALBOT (Tony Kirby) Chicago credits include: She Loves Me (Writers); A Midsummer Night’s Dream in the Parks, Short Shakespeare! Macbeth (Chicago Shakespeare); We Are Proud to Present a Presentation… (Victory Gardens); Rich and Famous (Jackalope);The Original Grease, Yeast Nation, It’s a Wonderful Life: A Radio Play (American Theater Company) and A Christmas Carol (Drury Lane). Regional credits include: American Conservatory, Asolo Repertory, Milwaukee Repertory, Utah Shakespeare, Pittsburgh Irish and Classical Theatre and Hangar Theatre. TV/Film: Chicago Fire, Warrior. Bernie is a graduate of Carnegie Mellon University School of Drama and NTI’s Moscow Art Theatre Program. Up next: Of Mice and Men at Milwaukee Repertory/Arizona Theatre Company.
LUCY CARAPETYAN (Alice Sycamore) is happy to make her Northlight debut and to work again with Ms. de Mayo. Credits include: Animal Farm, The Crucible (Steppenwolf); The Life and Sort of Death of Eric Argyle, The Hollowlands, Breathing Corpses (Steep); Woman in White,Wuthering Heights (Lifeline); On The Shore of the Wide World, Stage Door (Griffin); Roadkill Confidential (Dog & Pony); The Oxford Roofclimber’s Rebellion (Caffeine); The Magnificents, Rose and the Rime, All the Fame of Lofty Deeds (House); American Storm (Theatre Seven); Twelfth Night (Oak Park); Ring Cycle (Building Stage); Look Back in Anger (Redtwist); A Midsummer Nights Dream, As You Like It(Two Pence). Lucy is a company member with Steep and Two Pence, and on staff at Actors Gymnasium. She is a Northwestern graduate and is represented by Paonessa Talent.
PATRICK CLEAR (Anthony Kirby) returns to Northlight where he has been seen in The Mousetrap, The Miser, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde andPride and Prejudice. He has appeared in more than 60 productions in the Chicago area, including Henry V (Chicago Shakespeare), Port Authority (Writers), Meet Vera Stark and Teddy Ferrara (Goodman), The March (Steppenwolf) and Seascape (Remy Bumppo). His regional credits include appearances at Hartford Stage, Asolo Repertory, Indiana Repertory, Cleveland Playhouse, Maltz Jupiter, Arena Stage, Guthrie, American Shakespeare, Centerstage, Huntington and the Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park. He appeared on Broadway in Noises Off andHollywood Arms. Film and television credits include The Dark Knight, Chicago PD, Boss, The Untouchables and Early Edition.
JOANNE DUBACH (Essie Carmichael) has worked onstage with Lookingglass, Jackalope, Silent Theatre Company and Chicago Dramatists, where she is also an artistic associate. She has also worked regionally at Phoenix Theatre Inc. Joanne was Jeff-nominated for her performance in The Glass Menagerie with Mary-Arrchie and was awarded the Jack Springer Award for her performance in A Life at Northlight. She has her B.A. in Theatre and Drama from Indiana University and is a graduate of The School at Steppenwolf.
SEAN FORTUNATO (Boris Kolenkhov) Credits include: The Diary of Anne Frank, Hedda Gabler, The Real Thing, Travels With My Aunt,Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead (Writers); Rene Gallimard in M. Butterfly (Court); Measure for Measure (Goodman); Detective Cioffi inCurtains (Drury Lane); over 20 productions with Chicago Shakespeare and work at Timeline, Marriott, Theatre at the Center, Remy Bumppo, About Face, Intiman (WA), Old Globe (CA), The Duke on 42nd (NY) and twelve seasons with Peninsula Players (WI), where he played George in Sunday in the Park with George. TV/Film: Chicago PD and The Merry Gentleman directed by Michael Keaton. Sean has received four Joseph Jefferson nominations and an After Dark Award. Next: 2666 (Goodman) and Death of a Streetcar Named Virginia Woolf (Writers).
KROYDELL GALIMA (G-Man 3) is happy to be working with Northlight for the first time. He has worked all over Chicago’s stages including TimeLine’s Concerning Strange Devices From the Distant West directed by Lisa Portes, Silk Road’s The Hundred Flowers Project directed by Joanie Schultz, Adventure Stage Chicago, Victory Gardens, understudied for Lookingglass’s world premiere of Keith Huff’s Big Lake Big City directed by David Schwimmer and most recently closed the Chicago premiere of In Love And Warcraft with Halcyon. He has also co-starred in an episode of Chicago Fire. He holds a B.F.A in Acting from The Theatre School at DePaul University.
TOM HICKEY (Wilbur C Henderson/G-Man 1) is pleased to be working with Northlight for the first time. He has been a member of Strawdog Theatre Company for a loooong time, appearing in over two dozen productions including Fail/Safe, Conquest of the South Pole, Master and Margarita, Uncle Vanya, Cherry Orchard, Aristocrats, Detective Story and Julius Caesar. Other shows in Chicago include Macbeth (Artistic Home), Seminar (Haven), Killer Angels (Lifeline), Dirty (Gift), North Plan (Theatre Wit and Steppenwolf First Look), Pillowman (RedTwist) andThieves Like Us (House). Television credits: Underemployed, Chicago PD, Betrayal and Crisis. He is represented by Gray Talent Group.
JOHN JUDD (Martin Vanderhof) returns to Northlight where he appeared in The Cripple of Inishmaan and The Lieutenant of Innishmore. Chicago credits include: Goodman, Steppenwolf, Chicago Shakespeare, Writers, Court, Lookingglass, Shattered Globe, A Red Orchid, About Face, Next, Profiles, Victory Gardens, Fox Theatricals, The Journeymen and Irish Repertory of Chicago. New York: BAM, Barrow Street and59E59. Regional and international: Actor’s Theatre Of Louisville, Philadelphia Theatre Company, City Theatre (Pittsburgh), Old Globe (San Diego), McCarter (Princeton), Huntington (Boston), Williamstown Theatre Festival, Westport Country Playhouse, BeaverCreek Theatre Festival and Town Hall Theatre (Galway, Ireland). Film credits include: Public Enemies, Batman Begins, Mr. 3000, Road to Perdition, Ride with the Devil, Losing Isaiah and Hoffa. TV credits include: Chicago PD, Boss, Chicago Code, Prison Break, ER and Early Edition.
ANDY NAGRAJ (Ed Carmichael) is thrilled to be making his debut at Northlight. A recent Chicago transplant, his regional stage credits include Milwaukee Repertory, Court, Silk Road Rising, TimeLine and the Utah, Texas, Ohio and Virginia Shakespeare Festivals. TV: Chicago Fire. Andy is also the co-author of the musical comedy Murphy’s Law, which will receive its world premiere this spring at Pittsburgh’s Strand Theatre, and he has served on the theatre faculty at the University of Pittsburgh.
KEITH NEAGLE (Mr. De Pinna) returns to Northlight after appearing last season in The Mousetrap. An ensemble member with Gift, he will appear in their upcoming production of Richard III. Previous productions with Gift include Othello and Night and Her Stars. Other recent Chicago credits include: Harry & the Thief, Breaks & Bikes, Girl You Know It’s True, punkplay, Fracture/Mechanics, Arrangements and Lipstick Traces (Pavement Group); The Birds (Griffin); Travesties (Remy Bumppo); Seminar (Haven); Orange Flower Water (Interrobang); Sweet Confinement (SiNNERMAN); We Live Here and Yes, This Really Happened to Me (Theatre Seven); Sweet Bird of Youth (Artistic Home); The Pigeons (Walkabout); and Everything Freezes: another winter’s tale (Sideshow). Keith is a graduate of Texas A&M University and the School at Steppenwolf, and is represented by Actors Talent Group.
COLM O’REILLY (G-Man 2) is a company member of Theater Oobleck, with whom he’s appeared in Song About Himself, There is a Happiness that Morning Is (NYC and Chicago), An Apology for the Course & Outcome of Certain Events Delivered by Doctor John Faustus on This His Final Evening, The Strangerer (NYC and Chicago), Letter Purloined, The Hunchback Variations and Spirits to Enforce. Other credits include Sweet Bird of Youth (Goodman); Trevor (A Red Orchid); Heart is a Lonely Hunter (Steppenwolf); Elevator Tours (Barrie Cole); Still in Play, The Caretaker, Waiting for Godot, Love Horse (Curious Theatre Branch); The Cabinet (Redmoon). He also played Stanislavski #1 in Mickle Maher’s An Actor Prepares at the University of Chicago. He is the recipient of 3 Orgie Theater Awards.
ERICKA RATCLIFF (Rheba) Credits include: Marie Antoinette (Steppenwolf); Black Diamond: The Year the Locusts Have Eaten, Around the World in 80 Days, Peter Pan A Play (Lookingglass); The Nutcracker, Rose And The Rime (House); Court Martial at Fort Devens (Victory Gardens); Sketchbook (Collaboraction); Ruined (Mixed Blood); Raisin in the Sun (Milwaukee Repertory); Seven Guitars (Pittsburgh Playwrights); Funk It Up About Nothin and Taming of the Shrew (Chicago Shakespeare); Stickfly, African Company Presents Richard III, Talented Tenth, The Colored Museum, 365 Plays/365 Days and Bulrusher with Congo Square, where she is also an ensemble member. She is a graduate of The Theatre Conservatory at Roosevelt University.
HOLLIS RESNIK (Gay Wellington/Grand Duchess Olga Katrina) is happy to return to Northlight after having been seen as Big/Little Edie inGrey Gardens, The Immigrant and Enter the Guardsman. She was last seen as Miriam in Court’s The Good Book. National tours: Les Miseables, Thoroughly Modern Millie, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels and Sister Act. Recipient of the 2012 Lunt/Fontaine Fellowship, several Jeff awards, 2 Sarah Siddons Awards and a Helen Hayes Award. Hollis is a proud member of Actors Equity.
SAMUEL ROBERSON (Donald) is the Artistic Director of Congo Square and a Howard University alum. He is the recipient of a 3Arts Award and is a TCG Young Leader of Color. Roberson most recently directed Twisted Melodies at Congo Square. Other directing credits include The Last Cadillac and The Last Hand. He also assisted on Bulrusher and Twelve Angry Men. Chicago acting credits include: Samuel J and K(Steppenwolf), Civil War Christmas (Northlight), The Colored Museum and Sanctified (Congo Square), Living Green and The Lost Boys of Sudan (Victory Gardens) and The Ballad of Emmett Till (Goodman). Other acting credits: Penumbra, Children’s Theatre Company, Pillsbury House, Illusion, Imagination Stage, Source and Studio. He has taught with Victory Gardens, Congo Square, Steppenwolf, American Theatre Company, 16th Street and Children’s Theatre Company of Minneapolis.
PENNY SLUSHER (Penelope Sycamore) last appeared at Northlight in Chapatti. Other productions here include Sense & Sensibility and A Life. Chicago credits include: Sweet Bird of Youth with Diane Lane (Goodman); Uncle Vanya (After Dark Award), The Importance of Being Earnest, James Joyce’s “The Dead” (Court); Old Glory, Another Part of the Forest (Jeff Award), Bus Stop, The Subject Was Roses (Writers).Regional: My Fair Lady (Asolo Repertory), Sense & Sensibility (Actors Theatre of Louisville and Saint Louis Repertory). International Theatre: Chapatti and Stella & Lou (Northlight at Galway International Arts Festival, Ireland), August: Osage County (Steppenwolf at Sydney Theatre, Australia). Film: Virginia, Meet the Browns, Grace is Gone. Television: The Connie Banks Show.
MOSS HART (Playwright, 1904-1961) was an award-winning and commercially successful playwright, collaborating with fellow writer George S. Kaufman on works like Once in a Lifetime, Merrily We Roll Along, The Man Who Came to Dinner, The Fabulous Invalid, George Washington Slept Here and the Pulitzer Prize-winning You Can’t Take It With You. Also a stage director and film screenwriter, Hart won the Tony Award as the director of My Fair Lady, directed the original Broadway production of Camelot, and penned the Judy Garland classic A Star Is Born.
GEORGE S. KAUFMAN (Playwright, 1889 – 1961) was an American playwright, theatre director and producer, humorist and drama critic. Best known works include: The Royal Family, Dinner at Eight and Stage Door co-written with Edna Ferber; Merrily We Roll Along, You Can’t Take It With You (Pulitzer Prize) and The Man Who Came to Dinner with Moss Hart; the Marx Brothers musicals The Cocoanuts and Animal Crackers with Morrie Ryskind; and Of Thee I Sing! (Pulitzer Prize) with Ryskind and George and Ira Gershwin. He also won the Tony Award as a director for the musical Guys and Dolls.
Northlight is continuing its popular special event series in conjunction with each production. All events are free.
Backstage with BJ is a mid-day discussion with Artistic Director BJ Jones, featuring special guest artists, actors, directors and designers, offering behind-the-scenes insight into each production while it is still in rehearsal. Backstage with BJ for Funnyman will be held on Friday, October 30 at 12:00pm and will last approximately one hour. Reservations are required, 847.679.9501 x3605 orspecialevents@northlight.org.
Curt’s Café will host a Community Discussion entitled Income Inequality: The Great Depression vs. Today on Wednesday, November 18 at 6:30pm. Panelists include the 13th District Cook County Commissioner and representatives from the City of Evanston and Youth Job Center of Evanston. Free, but reservations are required, 847.324.1614 or khoopingarner@northlight.org.
Artist Q&A discussions will be held on November 17 from 3-4pm at the Skokie Public Library and on December 2 from 10:30-11:30am at the Highland Park Public Library. Free and open to the public.
Post-show Audience Talkbacks with members of the artistic staff will be held after performances: Sunday, November 8 2:30pm;Tuesday, November 10 7:30pm; Wednesday, November 11 7:30pm; Wednesday, November 18 1:00pm; Sunday, November 22 2:20pm; Tuesday, November 24 7:30pm; and Wednesday, November 25 1:00pm.
Post-show Panel Discussions featuring guest experts will be held following the 2:30 performance on November 22 – discussion on Multi-Generational Relationships with speakers from North Shore Village, Levy Senior Center in Evanston, Little Bros Friends of the Elderly and Northeastern University; and following the 2:30 performance on December 5 –discussion on finances and financial planning, with financial advisors and bank representatives.
An Open Captioning performance is scheduled for Saturday, November 28 at 2:30pm.
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 41st season, the organization has mounted over 200 productions, including more than 40 world premieres. Northlight has earned 194 Joseph Jefferson Award nominations and 32 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 BMO Harris Bank; Cramer Krasselt; Draft FCB; the Elizabeth F. Cheney Foundation; ComEd, An Exelon Company; Edgerton Foundation for New American Plays Award; Evanston Community Foundation; First Bank and Trust; The Homestead Hotel; Illinois Arts Council, a state agency; Kirkland & Ellis Foundation; The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation; Melvoin Award for Playwriting; Modestus Bauer Foundation; North Shore Center for the Performing Arts Foundation; The Offield Family Foundation; The Pauls Foundation; Plante Moran; Pioneer Press; Quince at the Homestead; Daniel F. and Ada L. Rice Foundation; Room & Board; Sage Products; Sanborn Family Foundation; Shubert Foundation; Skokie Fine Arts Council; Harold and Mimi Steinberg Charitable Trust; Sullivan Family Foundation; Tom Stringer Design Partners; and the Venturous Theater Fund.