is so very happy to be in the inaugural production at Northlight’s new home. Past Northlight shows include The First Lady of Television, The Mousetrap, Faceless, Inherit the Wind, and All in the Timing. He’s also worked at Goodman, Chicago Shakespeare, Lookingglass, Court, Paramount, Theatre Wit, Remy Bumppo, many others, and most recently at Drury Lane Oak Brook, performing the titular role in Father of the Bride. Joe is an alum of the Neo-Futurists and The Second City National Touring Company. Congrats to BJ, Tim, and the Northlight staff on the new digs!

 Northlight: The First Lady Of Television, The Book Of Will, The Odd Couple; Steppenwolf: Amadeus, Choir Boy (Jeff Award-Ensemble); Goodman: Inherit The Wind, A Christmas Carol, Bernhardt/Hamlet, Father Comes Home From The Wars, Blind Date; Chicago Shakespeare: The Comedy of Errors, All’s Well That Ends Well, among many; TimeLine: The Pitmen Painters (Jeff Award-Ensemble). Regional: Guess Who’s Coming To Dinner, The Little Foxes (Asolo Repertory); Henry IV, 1&2 (Notre Dame Shakespeare Festival); plus Milwaukee Repertory, Madison Repertory, and Los Angeles Theatre Center. TV: Dark Matter, Emperor Of Ocean Park, A League Of Their Own, 4400, Fargo, Chicago Fire, Empire. Film: Fred Claus, Stranger Than Fiction, The Break Up, The Merry Gentleman, Oz The Great And Powerful, The Company.

Northlight: Little Women (Jeff Nomination). Chicago: Little Bear Ridge Road (Steppenwolf), The Sound Inside (Goodman), The Da Vinci Code (Drury Lane), A Lie of the Mind (Raven). Broadway: Death of a Salesman, Little Bear Ridge Road. Regional: American Players Theatre, Constellation Stage & Screen. Television: Monster. Film: Patient.

returns to Northlight where she has performed in Birthday Candles, Mother of the Maid, Beauty Queen of Leenane, Outside Mullingar, and The Miser. Other work in Chicago includes productions with Writers’ Theatre, Chicago Shakespeare Theatre, Goodman Theatre and Court Theatre.  Elsewhere, she has worked with American Conservatory Theatre (San Francisco), Center Theatre Group (LA), Shakespeare Theatre (DC), Rep Theatre of St. Louis and Lincoln Center (NYC).  TV: episodes on Chicago PD (NBC), Monster (Netflix), Boss (STARZ), Proven Innocent (Fox), Empire (Fox). Kate is married to actor/teacher Timothy Edward Kane. 

Chicago credits: The First Lady of Television, Pride and Prejudice, Jekyll and Hyde, Mothers and Sons, and Awake and Sing (Northlight); The Most Spectacularly Lamentable Trial of Miz Martha Washington (Steppenwolf); Measure for Measure, Christmas Carol (Goodman); Wipeout (Rivendell); Indecent (Victory Gardens); Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (Drury Lane); Taming of the Shrew (Chicago Shakespeare), Showboat, My Fair Lady (Lyric Opera). Regional: The Cake (Asolo Theatre); Showboat, Daughter of the Regiment (The Kennedy Center); Music Man (Glimmerglass Opera); and several summers with Peninsula Players. She won a Jeff Award for her performance in Loving Repeating. Recent TV appearances include Work in Progress, Empire, Chicago Fire, and Leverage. Film: Ghostlight, I Used to Go Here. Cindy is Professor Emeritus of Theatre at Northwestern University. Represented by Stewart Talent.

is pleased to return to Northlight, having previously appeared in Gaslight, Birthday Candles, Faceless, Lost in Yonkers, The Miser, and She Stoops to Conquer. Other Chicago credits include work with Court Theatre, Chicago Shakespeare Theatre, Writers Theatre, Rivendell, TimeLine, Goodman, and Steppenwolf. International and Regional credits: The Royal Shakespeare Company (UK), The Mark Taper Forum, Notre Dame Shakespeare, Peninsula Players, and the Illinois Shakespeare Festival. TV: Chicago P.D. (NBC), Chicago Fire (NBC), and Empire (FOX). Awards: two Jeff Awards, AfterDark, and Chicago Magazine’s actor of the year. Mr. Kane is married to actress Kate Fry, with whom he has two sons; he is an Assistant Professor of Theatre at Loyola University Chicago.

has received three Joseph Jefferson Awards – for Les Misérables, Ragtime, and Forbidden Broadway. Select theatre: First Lady of Television and Mr. Dicken’s Hat (Northlight); The Diary of Anne Frank (People’s Light); Fiddler on the Roof (Drury Lane/Lyric Opera); Titanic (Marriott); No Man’s Land (Steppenwolf); Clue (Mercury); The Band’s Visit (TheatreSquared); Kinky Boots (Paramount); and premieres with Chicago Shakespeare, About Face, Goodman, and Skylight Theatres. Concert appearances: She Loves Me (w/Bryce Pinkham); Cabaret (Gulf Coast Symphony); and Ragtime  – opposite Ashley Brown (Cincinnati Pops). Mark toured the US as Zazu in The Lion King. TV: Utopia (Amazon); Chicago Fire (NBC). Film: Adult Children and the upcoming Patient. Mark is a part of Season of Concern, an organization that supports those who work in the performing arts.

got his start at Chicago’s Second City Theatre. Movie appearances include Neighbors, Somewhere in Time, and three Police Academy films.  A former cast member of NBC’s Saturday Night Live, Tim came home to Chicago to co-write such screenplays as My Bodyguard, About Last Night…, The Cherokee Kid, and For Keeps. He was nominated for a BAFTA and Writers’ Guild Award for his screenplay for Strange Relations, starring Julie Walters, Paul Reiser, and dear friend George Wendt. Tim still loves performing and has appeared on Curb Your Enthusiasm, Still Standing, and According to Jim in guest star roles. He has previously appeared at Northlight in The Odd Couple and Funnyman. Tim lives in Evanston with his wife, Marcia, kids Zoe & Pete, and Zippy the dog.

returns for his sixth production with Northlight, having previously appeared in Tom Jones, She Stoops To Conquer, Inherit The Wind, Red Herring, and Lady Windermere’s Fan. Theatre credits include numerous productions with Steppenwolf, Writers, The Goodman, Chicago Shakespeare, APT, and Lyric Opera. Film and TV credits include Public Enemies (Universal), Animals (Oscilloscope), The Secret Santa (TLC), Never Not Yours (Adult Children), Chicago Fire (NBC), Chicago Med (NBC), Patriot (Amazon), easy (Netflix), The Red Line (CBS), and Dark Matter (Apple TV+). John is a proud union member, represented by Stewart Talent Management. He is especially excited to be working for the first time with Artistic Director BJ Jones.

is a founding member and Artistic Director of Steep Theatre where he has performed in numerous productions over the last 25 years, including A Slow Air, The Writer, Light Falls, Pomona, Birdland, Brilliant Adventures, Harper Regan, If There Is I Haven’t Found It Yet, A Brief History of Helen of Troy, and some other impossibly long titles. Other credits: I am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter, The Crucible, and August: Osage County (U/S) (Steppenwolf); Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom (Writers); In the Canyon (Jackalope); The Downpour, (Route 66 Theatre). Film & TV: Chicago Fire, Chicago PD, Chicago Med, Chicago Justice (NBC); Emperor of Ocean Park (MGM+); The Red Line (CBS); and the Bollywood blockbuster Dhoom 3. Pete is represented by Gray Talent Group.

is a Chicago-based actor, playwright, and graduate of The School at Steppenwolf. A recipient of the prestigious 2011 Princess Grace Award, she is an ensemble member at A Red Orchid Theatre, where her credits include The Targeted, Do You Feel Anger?, An Evening at the Talk House, and the world premiere of Grey House. She is making her Northlight Theatre debut and has performed across major regional stages, appearing in You Will Get Sick (Steppenwolf); Support Group for Men, A Christmas Carol (Goodman); The Nativity Variations (Milwaukee Repertory); and the world premiere of The Humans (American Theatre Company). Film: All Happy Families and The Wise Kids. Television: Shining Girls, Somebody Somewhere, Patriot, The Red Line, and Bettendorf Talks.

is thrilled to return to Northlight for this exciting world premiere! Chicago credits include The Porch on Windy Hill (Northlight); Spring Awakening, Pump Boys and Dinettes (Porchlight); Jekyll and Hyde, Amélie (Kokandy); Million Dollar Quartet Christmas, Buddy – The Buddy Holly Story (Marriott); Sunny Afternoon, The Lord of the Rings (Chicago Shakespeare); Ring of Fire (Drury Lane); The Choir of Man (Apollo); Camp Rock (The Beautiful City Project); Bright Star (Boho Theatre), Haymarket (Underscore Theatre). Regional/International credits include The Lord of the Rings (Auckland Civic Theatre); Plaid Tidings, Lost Highway, Buddy – The Buddy Holly Story (Timber Lake Playhouse); and Once (Bristol Valley Theatre). Love to Kara, and his late brother Riley. www.kelanmsmith.com

Northlight Theatre debut. Off-Broadway: The Opponent (59E59). Select Regional: Berlin, Arsenic and Old Lace (Court); Sweat (Huntington); Sign in Sidney Brustein’s Window (Goodman); Simpatico (McCarter); The Time of Your Life (Steppenwolf – Seattle Rep – A.C.T.); Taking Care (Steppenwolf); Trouble In Mind (Timeline); Cleansed (Defiant); Eleven Rooms of Proust (Lookingglass – About Face – Goodman); Mann ist Mann (Famous Door). Founder of A Red Orchid with over 15 performance credits. TV: The Bear (FX); Power Book IV: Force (Starz); Chicago Fire (NBC); Fargo (F/X); The Red Line (CBS); Boss (Starz); The Beast (A&E). Film: Captive State (Lionsgate); Take Shelter (Sony); The Dilemma (Universal Pictures); The Merry Gentleman (Samuel Goldwyn); The Weatherman (Paramount); Ali (Sony Pictures). Former Chicago Fire Department Lieutenant. Agency: Paonessa Talent; Management: WEG Talent, NYC.

Jeffrey Hatcher is an American playwright and screenwriter. He grew up in Ohio before attending New York University to study acting. After a brief career on stage, he turned his hand to writing. His many award-winning original plays have been performed on Broadway, Off-Broadway, regionally across the United States, and abroad. Hatcher has also written the screenplay for Casanova for director Lasse Hallstrom, as well as screenplays Secretary and Boys Don’t Cry directed by Kim Pierce.

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.

Jeffrey is an award-winning Production Designer for theatre and television. His designs have been seen on NBC, Apple+, Comedy Central and the CW, as well as Norwegian Cruise Line, Northlight Theatre, The Rev, Chicago Shakespeare Theatre, The Lyric Opera, Theatre Under the Stars, Paramount Theatre, Drury Lane Theatre, Marriott Theatre, Timeline Theatre, American Players Theatre, Porchlight, Raven Theatre, The Artistic Home, Illinois Shakespeare Festival, Arkansas Shakespeare Theatre, Heritage Theatre Festival and The Children’s Theatre of Charlotte. Jeffrey received his MFA from the University of Virginia, BA from Illinois State University and is a member of USA 829.

Northlight credits include Birthday Candles, The Beauty Queen of Leenane, The Legend of Georgia McBride, Relativity, By the Water, Charm, Shining Lives, Outside Mullingar, White Guy on the Bus,  Detroit ’67, The Odd Couple, Ten Chimneys, Season’s Greetings, A Life, Grey Gardens, The Retreat From Moscow, Lady, Stella & Lou, The Outgoing Tide, Better Late and Chapatti (the last four also at the Galway International Arts Festival, Ireland). Other work has been seen at Lookingglass, Victory Gardens, About Face, Remy Bumppo, Writers, Steppenwolf, and Walkabout. JR designed lighting for seven years of the Steppenwolf TRAFFIC Series, and five Steppenwolf performances in Chicago’s Millennium Park. He has served as head of the Lighting Department at Steppenwolf since 1995.

Andre has designed the Broadway productions of Metamorphoses, I Am My Own Wife and 33 Variations (Drama Desk Award nomination) as well as the world premiere of The Clean House at Yale Repertory and Lincoln Center. Based in Chicago, his work has appeared on most of the city’s stages including Northlight (Shining Lives with Amanda Dehnert), Goodman, Steppenwolf, Court, and Lookingglass where he is an associate artist. He has composed music and designed sound for theaters around the U.S., most frequently at the Oregon and California Shakespeare Festivals, Berkeley Repertory, Arena Stage, American Conservatory Theater, Seattle Repertory, La Jolla Playhouse and Center Theater Group. Choral works include: Winesburg, Ohio,Eastland, Whitman, Undone (with Ben Sussman), and Paris By Night (with Amy Warren).

Nick is a freelance prop and scenic artist based in Chicago. Theatrical prop design credits include: Twisted Melodies, Prayer for the French Republic, The Heart Sellers, Little Women, 2 Pianos 4 Hands, Brooklyn Laundry (Northlight Theatre), Charlotte’s Web, Bob Marley’s Three Little Birds, Last Stop on Market Street, The Diary of Anne Frank (Young People’s Theatre of Chicago), Misery (American Blues Theater), The Normal Heart (Redtwist Theater). Nick has also worked as a prop artisan with Steppenwolf Theater, Drury Lane Productions, Milwaukee Repertory Theater, Utah Shakespeare Festival, Kehoe Designs, Glimmerglass Opera, and The Texas Shakespeare Festival. To view more of Nick’s work, or to make inquiries, you can visit his website nickbartleson.wixsite.com/nickbartleson 

Katie returns to Northlight for her sixth season where credits include The First Lady of Television, Prayer for the French Republic, The Heart Sellers, Little Women, The Flying Lovers of Vitebsk, Brooklyn Laundry, Dial M for Murder, The Porch on Windy Hill, Georgiana & Kitty: Christmas at Pemberley, Intimate Apparel, Mr. Dickens’ Hat, The Wickhams: Christmas at Pemberley, Landladies, and others. National: Hamilton (Eliza Tour Sub); Sorin: A Notre Dame Story (Tour). Regional: Lake Tahoe Shakespeare, Geva Theater Center, ArtsEmerson. Other recent Chicago credits include Dhaba on Devon Avenue, The Hot Wing King, Eurydice, A Distinct Society, Tiger Style!, Wife of a Salesman, Into the Woods (Writers); Dhaba…, Notes from the Field (TimeLine); Villette (Lookingglass) and productions at Victory Gardens, Theater Wit, About Face Theater and ten seasons at American Theater Company.