SEPT. 1997
BY LUCIA MAURO
Northlight Theatre’s "aurora-borealis"-inspired name and its new permanent home, the North Shore Center for the Performing Arts (NSCPA) may suggest that one of the area’s largest not-for-profit companies is partial to the northern hemisphere. Artistic director Russell Vandenbroucke compares the name to a visual artist’s preference for a northern exposure, because "the light is cool, constant and diffused."
But as the troupe celebrates its first full season at its expansive Skokie facility, its mission continues to stretch beyond any implied geographic boundaries. Known as a "playwright’s theatre," Northlight traditionally includes in its repertoire world and Midwest premieres, new musicals, fresh takes on the classics and works that have a strong national and international voice.
To balance its often weighty presentations of issues that tug at our collective consciences, Northlight also creates more commercialized, folksy musicals (like the long-running Always...Patsy Cline, now playing at the Apollo Theatre, and Mark Twain and the Laughing River). Intellectual and emotional stimulation join hands to encircle audiences and allow them to think and feel about the complexities that touch the essence of the human experience.
Since I began reviewing shows at Northlight over three years ago (when it toggled between Northwestern University’s Barber and Lewis theatres), I have come away with wildly divergent feelings. I might be moved to tears (Driving Miss Daisy), bothered by the frigid didacticism of a script (Atomic Bombers) or get riled up by the fiercely opposing views presented (Fires in the Mirror).
But, regardless of my critiques–which have ranged from stinging to ecstatic–I typically leave a Northlight show feeling fortified. I may find fault with a script or a director’s approach, yet much integrity bolsters its production, and professionalism (together with a conscious desire to challenge its audiences) are in the forefront. There’s a depth, substance and commitment here that, for quite some time, made me forget that the company has been largely itinerant for the past seven seasons.
"Northlight was conceived by Greg Kandel back in 1974 as a fully professional Equity theatre," says Richard Friedman, managing director for the past five years. "At that time, we did not have the large off-Loop theatre community that exists today. It was originally called the Evanston Theatre Company, but that name was soon changed to reflect our scope beyond a specific geographic area."
For its first 15 years of existence, Northlight secured space at Evanston’s Kingsley Elementary School Auditorium and signed up 750 subscribers for its first three-play series. Mike Nussbaum was the first artistic director, with Kandel serving as managing director. Frank Galati directed the first show, Tom Stoppard’s Jumpers. And, later, Eric Steiner and Michael Maggio became artistic directors. In 1981, John Malkovich directed Simon Gray’s The Rear Column.
Vandenbroucke, previously head of St. Louis’ Repertory Theatre, came on board as artistic director in 1987. He became tangled in the throes of Northlight’s itinerancy–especially when it relocated from Kingsley to an old movie house in south Evanston, then rented space throughout the city and suburbs. He believes that the theatre’s permanent home has truly grounded the company.
"For the past nine seasons, the control of a permanent facility has been a major issue for us," notes Vandenbroucke. "And to have accomplished this so that the theatre is an intrinsically integrated space that’s affordable, modern and serves our patrons well has been especially rewarding.
"We just completed our rehearsal hall, and our offices are located right on the premises. We can be much more productive this way. Our relationship here is that, while we have a lease in perpetuity, we’re not responsible for a leaky roof or any other needed repairs."
Adds Friedman, "When we contact licensing houses, it’s certainly dicier to have a permanent space. They regard you as an established institution."
He credits their trustees and a strong board of directors with getting their $2 million "Capital Campaign" under way. Since relocating to Skokie earlier this year (with the premiere of Vandenbroucke’s Atomic Bombers), Northlight has added 3,000 new subscribers to its existing 3,400. Friedman claims that their location, just off the Edens Expressway, makes it easy to draw audiences from the city and suburbs (about 70 percent are suburban). Its ample, free parking also makes it an attractive sell.
Approximately 70 percent of Northlight’s annual budget of $1.4 million is generated through ticket sales. The remainder comes from board and individual contributions, fundraisers and grants. Northlight also recently absorbed the now-defunct National Jewish Theatre, but Friedman says their mission has remained the same. Northlight has a track record of premiering works by prominent Jewish playwrights, together with writers from around the globe. He clarifies that their overall focus is on human stories capable of speaking to all races and ethnicities.
Although the NSCPA’s mammoth lobby has prompted some naysayers to view the edifice as a dinosaur, the actual Northlight Theatre space is really quite intimate. It features a thrust stage with a seating capacity of 350. State-of-the-art equipment is utilized, but I wouldn’t exactly call their shows high-tech extravaganzas. An intense respect for the writing remains a Northlight hallmark.
"Forgotten plays" have been Vandenbroucke’s ongoing interest. And, even when Northlight presents musicals and classics, they are usually new, obscure or given an inventive interpretation. Their first full season at the NSCPA proves Vandenbroucke’s dual analogies that their offerings are like a diverse five-course meal or a journey that encompasses eclectic experiences.
"We want to produce works that can enter the lexicon of American theatre," urges Friedman. "We want to create something that lives on."
Likening their new space to the embracing quality of ancient Greek and Roman theatres, Vandenbroucke ultimately views performance as a democratic duty.
"An institutional theatre is a civic entity with civic responsibilities," he insists. "It’s not about glorifying ourselves. It’s about cultivating a collective experience."