Jason Southerland (Artistic Director) is an award-winning director and producer who joined Next Theatre Company in December after a decade as the founding Artistic Director of Boston Theatre Works. During his time at BTW, the company produced twelve world premieres and developed over sixty scripts through commissions, development agreements and BTW Unbound, an annual festival of new plays. As a director, Jason has staged several award-winning productions for BTW including the New England premieres of Homebody/Kabul, Not About Nightingales, Angels in America: Parts I & II and The Laramie Project. Other notable regional premieres at BTW include Pulp, The Sweetest Swing in Baseball, Four Baboons Adoring the Sun and I Am My Own Wife. Jason also spent five years in New York City, where he worked with BACA Downtown, Circle Rep Laboratory, Lehman/Engel BMI Workshop, Alice's Fourth Floor and the Sanford Meisner Theatre. Additionally, he directed the world premiere of Love Kills, by frequent collaborator Kyle Jarrow, at the 45th Street Theater in New York in September, 2007. Regional work includes Gloucester Stage Company, Foothills Theatre, Diversionary Theatre, Stoneham Theatre, Albuquerque CLO and the University of Kent at Canterbury. Jason studied directing at the American Repertory Theatre/Harvard University Institute for Advanced Theatre Training. He has served as production assistant and/or assistant director for Julianne Boyd, Jerry Zaks, Hal Prince, Des McAnuff, Oskar Eustis, Christopher Ashley and many others. He holds a B.A. cum laude in political science from the University of California at Berkeley. He is a two-time winner of the Joe Hardy Directing Fellowship, received a Drama League Fellowship, was honored with an Elliot Norton Award for Outstanding Direction for his 2008 production of Angels in America and was chosen by Boston magazine as #4 on their list of the "40 Bostonians to Watch."

Jason studied directing at the American Repertory Theatre/Harvard University Institute for Advanced Theatre Training, working with Ron Daniels, Bob Scanlan, and Robert Brustein. He holds a B.A. cum laude in political science from the University of California at Berkeley. He is a two-time winner of the Joe Hardy Directing Fellowship, received a Drama League Fellowship, was honored with an Elliot Norton Award for Outstanding Direction for his 2008 production of Angels in America and was chosen by Boston magazine as #4 on their list of the "40 Bostonians to Watch."

Kevin Heckman (Managing Director) comes to Next Theatre from Stage Left Theatre, Chicago’s like-minded storefront venue, where he has served for seven seasons, initially as the Managing Director and most recently as the Producing Artistic Director. Under his leadership, Stage Left has tripled its individual giving, seen unprecedented board development and modernized its internal infrastructure. As a theater artist, Heckman has received numerous accolades for directing, writing, performance and design, including a total of seven Joseph Jefferson Award nominations for productions he has helmed. Heckman is an associate artist at Chicago Dramatists and an ensemble member at Stage Left. He has taught acting at North Shore Academy in Highland Park, a school for at-risk youth, and is a contributing writer for PerformInk newspaper where he edited the first four editions of The Book: An Actor's Guide to Chicago. A 1992 graduate of Wesleyan University (Middletown, CT), Heckman received degrees in theatre and mathematics. He resides in Evanston with his wife Christine.

Jim Davis (Production Manager) is in his fourth season here at The Next Theatre Company. He relocated to the Chicagoland area in 2006 from St. Louis where he was the Managing Director and Production Manager for St. Louis Shakespeare and the Arts Center Manager of the St. Louis Conservatory and School for the Arts. Also while in St. Louis, Jim produced and managed many special events, including serving for a decade as the Executive Producer of the St. Charles Christmas Traditions Festival and spent many years as the Production Manager for the Working Women’s Survival Show. In addition to his work here at the Next, he works as a freelancer here in Chicago. He is in his second year as the Production Manager for the Chicago Symphony's Welcome Yule at Orchestra Hall, and he also served for three years on the leadership board of the McDonald’s Thanksgiving Parade in downtown Chicago. Jim is a proud Evanston resident and enjoys gardening in his spare time.

Kate Holst (Audience Services Manager) Kate is originally from Grand Rapids, Michigan and recently completed her MFA in Theatre Management from Florida State University where she also worked as a box office manager, marketing coordinator and the director of the Student Theatre Association. As part of the three year training program, Kate spent a year working as the management associate for the Tony Award-winning Alliance Theatre in Atlanta, Ga. Prior to moving to Chicago, she has also held positions at the Lincoln Center Festival in New York City and the Weston Playhouse in Vermont. Kate is thrilled to be a part of the team at Next Theatre Company and to make Chicago her home.

Artistic Support:
Julie Ganey, Outreach Director

Administrative Support:
Paczolt Financial Group, Insurance
Hugh Smith, Brook Weiner & Assoc., Accountants
Lee Keenan, Webmaster

Production Staff:
Jim Davis, Production Manager
Nancy Staiger, Production Stage Manager
Patrick Fries, Properties Master
Mac Vaughey, Master Electrician
Grant Sabin, Charge Scenic Artist

Artistic Associates:
Jennifer Avery
David Cromer
Toy DiOrio
Diane Fairchild
Laura T. Fisher
Jennifer Gadda
Allen Gilmore
Cindy Gold
Sarah Gubbins
Tim Hendrickson
Scotty Iseri
Celise Kalke
Carson Kreitzer
Bill McGough
Michael Montenegro
Bill O’Connor
Justin D.M. Palmer
Keith Parham
Lisa Portes
Wendy Robie
Joshua Schmidt
Kimberly Senior
Michelle Tesdall
Penelope Walker
Natalie West
Jacqueline Williams
Joseph Wycoff
Matthew J. York

Board of Directors:
Judy Kemp, President
David Hart, Vice President
Jeff Emrich, Treasurer
Ann Zastrow, Secretary
Robert Andalman
Muriel Chalem
Kevin Heckman
Ra Joy
Arnold Kanter
Jordan Nerenberg
Greg Rothman
David Saunders
Ralph Segall
Jason Southerland
Linda Stevenson
Adrienne Voltattorni
John Wertymer