Blog: The Great Debate

Name: Kimberly Senior

Position/Role: Director

1. Is this your first time working at NEXT? No

2. If no, what was the first show you ever did at NEXT? Yellowman (Asst Light Design); Busy World is Hushed (Director)

3. What aspect of your character do you like best? The ability to get along with anyone

4. Most difficult play you ever directed: First time I did Three Sisters – Collaboraction 1998

5. Favorite article of clothing? Pair of Seven jeans from 2000 – holes everwhere!

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Name: Claire Redfield

Position/Role: Assistant Director

1. Is this your first time working at NEXT? Yes

2. What aspect of your character do you like best? Empathy

3. Most difficult play you were ever in? Pinocchio when I was 14

4. Favorite article of clothing? Earrings – does that count?

5. Favorite kid’s book growing up? Where the Wild Things Are or Ella Enchanted

6. As a child, what was your dream job? Ballerina

7. What foreign language would you … Read More >

Name: Chris Kriz

Position/Role: Sound Designer

1. Is this your first time working at NEXT? No

2. If no, what was the first show you ever did at NEXT? Madagascar

3. What aspect of your character do you like best? Optimism.

4. Favorite article of clothing? Anything new.

5. Favorite kid’s book growing up? Where the Sidewalk Ends

6. As a child, what was your dream job? Rock Star

7. What foreign language would you like to learn? French

8. Hidden … Read More >

Greetings from Jim Davis, your friendly neighborhood Production Manager, reporting from the theatre and the first day of technical rehearsals for END DAYS. I am always amazed at how quickly the scenic, prop, lighting, sound and costume elements can change to an entirely new world. We’ve gone from the basement research lab of BOOM to he living room and kitchen of the Stein family of END DAYS in no less than ten days!

The creative team has been hard at … Read More >

Greetings from the first technical rehearsal of BOOM. With the actors onstage and the lighting, sound, scenic designers, technicians and stage managers all sitting in the back of the theatre and facing a line of computer control consoles, we’ve begun the unbelievably complicated and detailed process of programming the lighting and sound cues.

I’d like to introduce to some of these talented individuals that Jason Southerland and I have assembled to do this work:

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Greetings from the rehearsal hall! In just a little over two weeks the Jason Southerland and his cast have made amazing strides. Just yesterday the design team all gathered for the designer run of the show. This is the time that the people responsible for giving the play its world join the cast, stage managers and … Read More >

The beginning of rehearsals for the first production of our 2009-10 Season can only mean one thing… summer has come to a close and it’s time to get to work.

The creative team, production staff, board members and supporters gathered at our new rehearsal hall this week to get things rolling and to see us off for our production … Read More >

Many people ask me what the hardest part of my job is… and I think it has to be assembling just the right people for a specific production team. We’ve been very fortunate to assemble some of the best theatre professionals in the Chicagoland area.

Over the next few weeks, I’d like to introduce you to some of the people who make it possible for our production values to excel in the challenging space in our home here at the … Read More >