John Mahoney, Rondi Reed and Thomas J. Cox received a standing ovation after an outstanding performance of Bruce Graham’s emotional The Outgoing Tide at Northlight Theatre on Saturday May 21, 2011.
Recipient of a 2010 Edgerton Foundation New American Play Award and Northlight Theatre’s Selma Melvoin Playwriting Award, The Outgoing Tide tells the moving story of a family’s rocky past, challenged present and unorthodox plans for the future, with humor and humanity.
Playwright Graham brings extensive experience to the world premiere production, having written Burkie, Early One Evening at the Rainbow Bar & Grille, Moon Over the Brewery, Belmont Avenue Social Club, Desperate Affection, Coyote on a Fence (winner of The Rosenthal Prize and two Drama Desk nominations), According to Goldman, The Philly Fan.
He has won consecutive Barrymore Awards for Best New Play for Something Intangible and Any Given Monday. And is the past winner of the Princess Grace Foundation Statuette. In addition to writing for television shows such as Roseanne, his film credits include Dunston Checks In, Anastasia, and Steal This Movie. He is also the co-author of the book The Collaborative Playwright.
In The Outgoing Tide, John Mahoney is sublime as Gunner, a role tailor-made for him. Best-known for his role on Frasier, the Tony, Emmy and Golden Globe nominee has also appeared in iconic films Moonstruck, Say Anything and Barton Fink. He received a Tony (for The House of Blue Leaves), as well as the prestigious Sarah Siddons Award—only the second male (after Brian Dennehy) to be so honored. A local favorite, Mahoney has appeared in more than 30 Steppenwolf productions, where he is a member of the ensemble.
Rondi Reed returns to Northlight where she previously appeared in The Retreat From Moscow. A Steppenwolf ensemble member since 1979, she won a Tony Award in 2008 for August: Osage County and received Joseph Jefferson Awards for The Fall to Earth and Waiting for the Parade. Reed also played Madame Morrible in Wicked in Chicago and on Broadway.
Rounding out the cast is Thomas J. Cox, a founding ensemble member of Lookingglass. He returns to Northlight, where he has appeared in Pride & Prejudice, Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde, and three Interplay Series readings.
The play, directed by Northlight Theatre Artistic Director BJ Jones, runs until June 19, 2011 at the North Shore Center for the Performing Arts on 9501 Skokie Boulevard in Skokie. Tickets are $40-$50, and can be purchased by phone at 847-673-6300 or online at northlight.org.
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