from BJ Jones, Artistic Director
I never watch opening nights, I’m superstitious.  After two weeks of watching every show, I give myself a break and let the actors revel in their achievement without my observations whispering in their ears.  Opening night of The Outgoing Tide was different.  I decided to watch along with our audience, and (gasp) the critics.  I was as moved by the performance as our audience was.  Apparently the critics felt the same way.

The Outgoing Tide is a risk for a theatre like ours, in that it talks about the dark tunnel that the path at end of life sometimes turns into.  Our audiences, like many in American theatres, are older and facing their own mortality, so we approached this project with some trepidation – but also with the confidence in our cast that we had the chemistry and craftsmanship to render the work with the appropriate mix of humor and empathy and still hit the audience in the gut.

I am receiving so many congratulatory e mails and heartfelt responses that even I am taken aback by the depth of the audiences response.  Here are some examples:

Just want to tell you that The Outgoing Tide, which we saw Sunday, was SUPERB, a triumph of live theater. And you couldn’t get better reviews. You deserve a Standing O.
– John A.

At any rate, my wife and I just returned from the Sunday matinee of The Outgoing Tide and I wanted to congratulate you and your team on an outstanding performance. Forget about the fact that I cried through both acts, not just because the events spoke to me but mostly because I instantly felt as though I was involved in the play. Several times, I wanted to get up and go speak to Gunner or Peg, to wrap my arms around them and somehow share their pain and their memories (don’t worry, I stayed comfortably in my seat!).
– Marc P.

I wanted to reach out and thank you and the actors for a truly impactful afternoon. I am sure that three actors of that caliber don’t need me to tell them how well they do their craft, but please do let them know that they made a strong impression and delivered a performance that we will discuss often.  Thank you for a wonderful (but emotionally trying ) afternoon.
– Debbie P.

It’s thrilling to have this response both from the audience and the critics, to hear their laughter, to see their tears, and to know that they are thinking of Bruce’s play days afterwards, and that they need to express their appreciation in e-mails.

Two world premieres in a row, Sense & Sensibility and The Outgoing Tide, making an impact with our audience and the box office and both having future productions is such a gratifying validation of our work here at Northlight.

I hope you are all as proud of your theatre as we are!