BY LUCIA MAURO
BJ Jones—Northlight Theatre’s artistic director since 1998—subscribes to something more concrete than a dream or vision.
"I have a mandate," he stresses, "to provide leadership and discover new creative voices."
Jones assumed the reins of the 28-year-old Northlight—based in Skokie’s North Shore Center for the Performing Arts (NSCPA) since 1997—at a time when subscriptions were dwindling. Audience and critical feedback pointed to a period in the mid- to late-1990s when the company presented a smattering of esoteric material (like The Last Survivor and The Wound and the Bow), which threw off the balance of Northlight’s history of presenting challenging but entertaining plays.
Yet Jones—a longtime Evanston resident—has been involved with the theatre as an actor since 1976 when he played Judith Ivey’s husband in The Goodbye People. At that time, Northlight performed out of an Evanston school, then moved around to other spaces in the area (most notably Northwestern University) before moving into the NSCPA—attracting patrons from Skokie, other North Shore suburbs (Glenview, Morton Grove) and Chicago.
The artistic director admits that when he threw his hat in the ring (following the departure of former artistic director Russell Vandenbrouke) he had no experience in theatre administration. However, as an actor and director, Jones has been a key mover and shaker in what he likes to call "the theatre ensemble of Chicago." He set out to foster larger collaborations among artists here.
Last season, Northlight signed up over 10,000 subscribers. More balanced productions with a notable buzz, as well as expanded audience outreach, helped push annual attendance into the 75,000 range and bump up the budget to $2.6 million.
Jones has been on a mission to "give artists—from actors to playwrights to composers—an opportunity to discover their creative voices." The past few seasons have seen a rise in world premieres. One of them—Jason Robert Brown’s The Last Five Years, moved into an off-Broadway run. Side Show generated much excitement in 1999. Then last year Tom Dudzick’s Over the Tavern became Northlight’s biggest hit. The show, co-produced by Northlight and Pullinsi/D’Angelo Productions (the former team from Candlelight Dinner Playhouse), transferred to the Mercury Theatre, where it’s in an open run. Jones’ goal of giving productions a life beyond the Northlight stage is coming to fruition.
The company’s six-show 2002-03 season features three world premieres—Richard Dresser’s Rounding Third (starring George Wendt); Chicago playwright Jenny Laird’s Sky Girls (about women Airforce Pilots in World War II); and local writers Cheri Coons and Michael Duff’s new musical, At Wit’s End (inspired by New York’s Algonquin Round Table). Other offerings include the Chicago premiere of 2 Pianos, 4 Hands and The Mystery of Irma Vep.
But, back in 1998, Jones was dealing with financial challenges.
"When you fall into a deficit," he explains, "the deficit becomes your artistic mission. So, as quickly as I could, I began to focus on our work and our choices. It was a combination of my own tastes, suited to my artistic sensibilities, and our audience’s needs. It was important to have a dialogue with our audience—and to maintain conversances between entertainment and intellectual engagement."
He has committed to new works, as well as new ways of approaching the classics, while advancing the sort of "artistic empowerment" that has shaped subsequent seasons. The key word for Jones is "multifaceted." He expounds, "You can’t just do arid, intellectual dramas or bawdy boulevard comedies. I think what’s happening is that our audiences are savvier and more adventurous. They’re buying subscriptions in record numbers to shows whose names are not well known."
But Jones’ attention to artistic product also must be balanced with marketing and outreach programs. The recent departure of managing director Richard Friedman (who is now co-director of the new Lakeshore Theatre) has slowed development initiatives. Jones does point out that a search is under way for a new managing director. And the board is looking for an individual with a strong development background.
Northlight’s other goals for this position include someone who can create better branding for the theatre, work with Skokie to present the NSCPA as an arts complex, provide excellent managerial and leadership skills, have a corporate sensibility, and understand Northlight’s artistic mission and place in the larger artistic world.
"We’ve got the respect of our audiences and the artistic and critical community," notes Jones. "Now we have to take that message developmentally to new board members and funders.
"We have the potential to be a lightning rod for other regional theatres. But we need an endowment so I can go and discover burgeoning talent."
Northlight is also planning to do more pervasive community outreach. The Northlight Theatre Academy—headed by Lisa Bany-Winters and Barbara Kanady—was founded in 1998 as a youth education outreach program. It offers a full spectrum of acting and improv classes over three sessions (plus a summer theatre camp) and has attracted over 500 students. The theatre also tours productions to area schools.
As the developmental side of Northlight continues to evolve and progress, Jones welcomes the opportunity to focus more on his directing, acting and discovery of impassioned artists.
"Northlight went from a place where I worried if we would ever exist," states Jones, "to a place where we can take wonderful leaps, challenges and risks. I can focus on my art and finally relax because Northlight as an institution is blossoming.
"I can seek out intellectual and provocative work that has enormous heart, humor and pathos and inspires our audiences to leave the theatre feeling more human."
For more information, call 847/679-9501 or visit www.northlight.org.