Karen L. Erickson is a retired educator and teaching artist where for 25 years she worked as a Workshop Leader for the John F. Kennedy Center.  Before that she worked for 30 years as a professional playwright, actress, director and artistic director of Trinity Square Ensemble in Chicago.  She had the good fortune in her career to work as a young assistant to Tennessee Williams on his last productions.  Currently she runs two businesses:  Creative Directions where she consults to teachers who want to integrate the arts into their curriculum and OneStopDramaShop.com where she has an online marketplace for teachers of integrated drama materials for use in the classroom based on 9 books she authored.  With the support of the Northlight Highlights program and the Hermitage Artist Retreat, Karen continues to invest time into writing her memoirs, her poetry, and trying her hand at short story writing.

Mina is an accomplished educator, storyteller, and filmmaker.  She uses her background in social justice and civic engagement to bring a creative light to underserved voices.  The driving force behind her work is to explore how we as individuals create community and a sense of belonging.  She launched the Republic of Kindness (RoK) in response to the growing polarization and culture of disconnection in our lives.  Her film Between the Silence explores the epidemic of loneliness and desire for community through the lives of two socially isolated elderly immigrant women. She combines the RoK workshops and the film screening to spark conversation on creating meaningful gatherings to cultivate a sense of belonging.  A global citizen, she has lived, volunteered, and studied all over the world and has come to the conclusion that the universal desire to belong is found in all cultures. 

Joanne, a Chicago native with an insatiable thirst for adventure, has traversed the globe, immersing herself in diverse cultures from France to Qatar. Fluent in French and dabbling in Arabic, she seamlessly navigates cultural landscapes. Joanne now leads literacy initiatives as the Director of Program Development at Literacy Chicago. Passionate about impacting lives, she oversees a team of 150 volunteers while indulging in her love for acting, storytelling, and reading. Her book, 33 Ways Not to Screw Up Teaching Adults to Read, reflects her dedication to literacy and offers insight and practical strategies for educators working with adult learners. She aims to empower teachers and advocates alike, providing a roadmap for effective adult literacy instruction that fosters transformative Change. Through her dedication to pioneering approaches like ALfA (Accelerating Literacy for All), Joanne continues to push the boundaries of literacy education, striving to make meaningful impacts on learners’ lives.

BJ JONES is in his 25th season as Artistic Director of Northlight. Mr. Jones is a two-time Joseph Jefferson Award Winning actor and a three-time nominated director. He’s directed the world premieres of Charm (Jeff Award Best New Play), The Outgoing Tide (Jeff Award Best New Play), White Guy on the Bus (Jeff Nominated Best New Play), Chapatti (Nominated Jeff Award Best New Play), Better Late, and Rounding Third. Notably, he has directed productions of Outside Mullingar, Grey Gardens, The Price, The Lieutenant of Inishmore, and The Beauty Queen of Leenane. As a producer he has guided the three world premieres of The Christmas at Pemberley Trilogy (Jeff Award Best New Play), Shining Lives, The Last Five Years, and Studs Terkel’s ‘The Good War’. Additional directorial credits include Pitmen Painters (Timeline, Jeff Award Best Production); 100 Saints You Should Know (Steppenwolf); Glengarry Glen Ross (Alliance Theatre, Atlanta, Suzi Bass nomination Best Director); The Lady with All the Answers (Cherry Lane, New York); Animal Crackers (Baltimore Center Stage); Three Musketeers, The Tempest, Twelfth Night, Much Ado About Nothing (Utah Shakespeare Festival), and four productions at the Galway International Arts Festival. As a performer, he has appeared at Northlight, Goodman, Steppenwolf, Court, and other theatres throughout Chicago. Film/TV credits include The Fugitive, Body Double, Law and Order: Criminal Intent, Early Edition, Cupid, and Turks, among others.