PREPARE TO BE INTENSELY ENTERTAINED
PREPARE TO BE INTENSELY ENTERTAINED
Now Playing
By Joshua Harmon
pRAYER FOR THE fRENCH rEPUBLIC
In 1944, a Jewish couple in Paris awaits news of their missing family. Seventy years later, their descendants face the same question: “Are we safe?” Spanning five generations, Prayer for the French Republic is a sweeping, darkly funny exploration of history, identity, and survival. Don’t miss the Chicago premiere of this powerful play, blending sharp humor and profound drama in a story as timely as it is timeless.
April 10 – May 11, 2025
Plan
Your Visit
Upcoming Shows & Events
The CityTalk Series
with Theater Wit
For dates and times, click the link below
TWISTED MELODIES
BY KELVIN ROSTON JR
July 10 – August 10, 2025
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FUTURE HOME IN EVANSTON
Northlight’s bold vision is to build a world-class theatre in Evanston, the vibrant community where Northlight began in 1974. With a new theatre in downtown Evanston, we will entertain and inspire audiences with compelling new and existing work. We’ll nurture and grow the next generation of theatregoers, expand our civic impact, spark economic development, and serve as a cultural hub for the entire community.
NORTHLIGHT NEWS
It’s not every day that two respected Chicago Theatre companies band together to bring audiences an epic production like Prayer for the French Republic. Northlight...
by Jooyoung Cho, Production Dramaturg “It is hard to keep a distance from the play.” This sentiment was among the first exchanges Seoyoung (Jane) and...
by Helaina Michele Coggs The Hart-Celler Act, officially known as the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965, was a groundbreaking law that transformed U.S. immigration...
by Helaina Michele Coggs Lauren Gunderson’s stage adaptation of Little Women breathes new life into Louisa May Alcott’s beloved novel while shining a spotlight on...
Tor: Wow, what a year it’s been at Northlight! I honestly feel like this community has changed me for the better. Northlight: What was one...
Northlight Theatre announces a partnership with Evanston Rules and Shorefront Legacy Center to present “Echoes of Evanston: The Soul of Community Hospital,” a multi-part creative...
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We’re counting down the days to Prayer for the French Republic’s opening night with some actor spotlights!
LAWRENCE GRIMM (Patrick Salomon) has been an actor and teacher for over 30 years. A founding ensemble member of A Red Orchid Theater, Lawrence is a Jeff Award-winning actor who has worked extensively at Chicago’s most prominent theaters, including Goodman, Chicago Shakespeare Theatre, Steppenwolf, Lookingglass, Victory Gardens, Raven, Next, TimeLine, Shattered Globe, Court, Collaboraction, and Piven Theater Workshop. With a Master`s in Education from DePaul University, Lawrence was a high school English and Drama teacher at Stevenson High School and Chicago’s public high school for the arts, Chi-Arts. Film credits include Eric Larue, Captive State, Welcome to Me, Night’s End, Murphy’s Law, Cicero in Winter, and A Perfect Manhattan. TV credits include: Somebody, Somewhere, Chicago PD/Med/ Fire, The Red Line, Unsolved Mysteries, Late Night with Conan O’Brien.
Don’t miss Lawrence and the rest of our cast in Prayer for the French Republic, opening in 2 days on April 17! Brought to you by Northlight Theatre and Theater Wit!

We’re counting down the days to Prayer for the French Republic’s opening night with some actor spotlights!
ROM BARKHORDAR (Charles Benhamou) is making his Northlight/Theater Wit debut with Prayer for the French Republic. Previous Chicago area credits: A Lie of the Mind, (Raven), White Christmas, (Marriott), The Band’s Visit, A Distinct Society, Wife of a Salesman, (Writer’s), Mosque4Mosque (About Face), Acts of God, Around the World in 80 Days (Lookingglass), Yasmina’s Necklace, Ruined (u/s) (Goodman), The Elephant Man, Homebody/Kabul (u/s) (Steppenwolf), The Who and the What (Victory Gardens), Mosque Alert, Night over Erzinga (Silk Road Rising), Pravda, Halcyon Days, Not About Nightingales (TimeLine). Regional credits: The Band’s Visit (TheatreSquared), The Art of Burning (Huntington Theatre) (Hartford Stage), Proof (Kitchen Theatre); Disgraced (Virginia Stage Co.); The Who and the What (HuntingtonTheatre) Around the World in 80 Days (Kansas City Rep.) (Centerstage Theatre). Rom is represented by Gray Talent Group.
Don’t miss Rom and the rest of our cast in Prayer for the French Republic, opening in 3 days on April 17! Brought to you by Northlight Theatre and Theater Wit!

Our 50th Season is on its way! Before we drop our anniversary titles, we want our audience to take a crack at guessing the next four shows to grace the Northlight stage! Check out these hints, and leave your guess in the comments.

We’re counting down the days to Prayer for the French Republic’s opening night with some actor spotlights!
KATHY SCAMBIATTERRA (Irma Salomon) is thrilled to be making her Northlight Theatre and Theater Wit debut. As artistic director and co-founder of The Artistic Home, she has helmed 25 seasons, is director of the AH Acting Studio, and was most recently seen there in Dying for It, for which she received a Jeff nomination. In Chicago, she has worked at Steppenwolf, Drury Lane Oakbrook, Chicago Shakespeare, Goodman Theatre, Rivendell, Raven, among many others, and was a longtime ensemble member at Center Theater. In LA, she was an ensemble member at Pacific Resident Theatre. TV/Film credits: recurring role on Chicago PD (NBC Dick Wolf Productions), Mr. Throwback (Peacock), Philip K. Dick’s Electric Dreams (Amazon), Good Guy with a Gun (One Shot Productions), Monuments (Zaxiefilms), Into the Wake (Diesel Brothers), among others. She is represented by ATG actorstalentgroup.com.
Don’t miss Kathy and the rest of our cast in Prayer for the French Republic, opening in 4 days on April 17! Brought to you by Northlight Theatre and Theater Wit!

We’re counting down the days to Prayer for the French Republic’s opening night with some actor spotlights!
NATE BECKER (Young Pierre Salomon) is thrilled to be making his Northlight and Theater Wit debut. He’s had the opportunity to perform at Chicago Shakespeare Theatre, Provision Theatre, Porchlight Music Theatre, and Theatre at the Center, amongst others. A native Chicagoan, Nate spent the last four years living in NYC, attending NYU Tisch School of the Arts. He is beyond excited to be returning to Chicago and kicking off his post-grad life with such a special show. Shout-out to his mentors and especially his parents for their unwavering support.
Don’t miss Nate and the rest of our cast in Prayer for the French Republic, opening in 5 days on April 17! Brought to you by Northlight Theatre and Theater Wit!

We’re counting down the days to Prayer for the French Republic’s opening night with some actor spotlights!
TORREY HANSON (Adolphe Salomon) Torrey Hanson has performed in over 160 theater productions, regionally at Milwaukee Rep (seventeen seasons), Oregon Shakespeare Festival (five seasons), Alley Theater, Seattle Rep, Cleveland Play House, Indiana Rep, Intiman Theatre, A Contemporary Theatre, Empty Space Theatre, and Utah Shakespeare Festival; in Chicago at Steppenwolf, Goodman, Chicago Shakespeare, Writer’s, Drury Lane, Profiles, Silk Road, The House, and Provision. He’s had guest, recurring, and co-star roles in Emperor of Ocean Park, Somebody Somewhere, Fargo, The Exorcist, Shining Girls, Chicago Med, Chicago Fire, Chicago PD, South Side, Empire, Crisis, Cheers, and Wings. He played Jack Hyde in Jordan Peele’s remake of Candyman. Upcoming: Monsters: The Ed Gien Story on Netflix.
Don’t miss Torrey and the rest of our cast in Prayer for the French Republic, opening in 6 days on April 17! Brought to you by Northlight Theatre and Theater Wit!

The League of Chicago Theatres and Chicago Green Theatre Alliance invite you to bring your drills, sewing needles, cables, and flashlights to their second annual Theatre Tool Drive! Swap or donate your theatre tools and meet other industry professionals. They are collecting items from EVERY sector of Theatre, so make sure to drop by and give your tools a second act!

We’re counting down the days to Prayer for the French Republic’s opening night with some actor spotlights!
HENSON KEYS (Pierre Salomon) is delighted to work at Northlight! Keys is credited with some 125 roles in NYC, Chicago, and such regional theaters as Yale Rep, McCarter, Asolo, and MeadowBrook, including 45 roles in Shakespeare. For 27 years, he led Acting Programs at Ohio University, Alabama Shakespeare, and finally 16 years at the University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana. In Chicago, he’s worked with Chicago Shakes and Steppenwolf.
Don’t miss Henson and the rest of our cast in Prayer for the French Republic, opening in 7 days on April 17! Brought to you by Northlight Theatre and Theater Wit!

Actor Nate Becker is here to tell you why you should grab your tickets to Prayer for the French Republic ASAP! Come see him and the rest of the cast perform this three act epic April 10- May 11, brought to you by Theater Wit and Northlight.

We’re counting down the days to Prayer for the French Republic’s opening night with some actor spotlights!
MAX STEWART (Daniel Benhamou) Theatre: Noises Off (Steppenwolf and Geffen Playhouse); Fairview (Definition Theatre); Southern Gothic, Sons of Hollywood (Windy City Playhouse); Walk on the Wild Side (Pale Horse Playhouse); Romeo and Juliet (Kane Repertory Theatre); Letters Home (Griffin Theatre). Television: Chicago Fire (NBC), Soundtrack (Netflix). Awards: NFAA YoungArts. Education: The Theatre School at DePaul University (B.F.A. Acting), British American Dramatic Academy, The Groundlings. @maxflash4
Don’t miss Max and the rest of our cast in Prayer for the French Republic, opening in 8 days on April 17! Brought to you by Northlight Theatre and Theater Wit!

We’re counting down the days to Prayer for the French Republic’s opening night with some actor spotlights!
MAYA LOU HLAVA (Molly) is thrilled to be making her debut at Northlight Theatre! Additional Chicago credits include, `Little Mermaid`, `Christmas Carol`, `Shrek`, `White Christmas` and `Bye Bye Birdie` (Drury Lane); `The Penelopiad` (Goodman); `Happy Days Are Here (Again)` and `Zurich` (Steep); `The Best Damn Thing` (The Understudy Cafe); `Dory Fantasmagory` and `Last Stop On Marketplace` (YPPT/Greenhouse); `Spring Awakening` (Porchlight); `Act 5`, `The Killing Game` and `The Nether` (A Red Orchid); `Oklahoma` (Marriot); `Violet` (Griffin); `Trevor` (Writers); `The Secret Garden` (Court); `Jane Eyre` (Lifeline); `The Wheel` (Steppenwolf); Film and Television Credits include Will Trent, The Perpetrator, Chicago Med, The Chi, and The Big Leap. Maya is represented by Stewart Talent.
Don’t miss Maya and the rest of our cast in Prayer for the French Republic, opening in 9 days on April 17! Brought to you by Northlight Theatre and Theater Wit!
