Jenny Avery (Lou) was an Artistic Associate with with the company for five years before becoming Artistic Director.  She has performed in a number of Next productions, including The Love Song of J. Robert Oppenheimer, The Long Christmas Ride Home, War with the Newts, and most recently, Maple and Vine. She brings a rich experience in arts administration, having served as Development Director and Managing Director for Roadworks Productions, the Director of Education at American Theater Company, and the Assistant to the Executive Director of the Harris Music and Dance Theater.  She has performed at Victory Gardens, Writers Theatre, American Theatre Co., About Face, Roadworks, Collaboraction and Strawdog, where she is an ensemble member. Jenny also serves as an adjunct professor at DePaul University’s Theatre School. 

Kurt Brocker (Donald) most recently appeared in The Laramie Project: Ten Years Later, which ran concurrent with The Laramie Project as a staged reading, both with Redtwist Theatre. Kurt has worked at Timeline, Theatre Mir and with Running With Scissors in Pan & Boone for which he was presented an After Dark Award for his performance. Other companies include Red Moon, European Rep., Court Theatre, Famous Door, Rivendell Ensemble, Prop Thtr, and A Red Orchid Theatre. Kurt went to New York with Famous Door’s Beautiful Thing that enjoyed several months at the Cherry Lane Theatre. He and his family are urban farmers growing all kinds of delicious food. He’s grateful for this opportunity to work with the good people at Next. 

Lawrence Grimm (Buddy) is pleased to return to Next as an Artistic Associate after appearing in Maple and Vine here last season. He is a founding ensemble member of A Red Orchid Theater and co-founder of its Youth Ensemble. With Red Orchid, he has appeared in numerous productions, including Mr. Kolpert, Abigail's Party, and Megacosm by Brett Neveu. Previous credits include Court Theatre (Orlando), Steppenwolf (A Fair Country, I Never Sang for My Father), Lookingglass (The Brothers Karamazov), Piven Theatre (Late: A Cowboy Song, Two by Pinter) and Raven Theatre (The Glass Menagerie - Supporting Actor Jeff Award Citation).

Lily Mojekwu (Jenny Sutter) is tickled to be working at Next Theatre again after appearing in The Overwhelming (Jeff Nomination – Best Production) and Well. She is also very much looking forward to working with Next Theatre in The Exonerated next spring! Favorite Chicago credits include: fml: How Carson McCullers Saved My Life, The Elephant Man, The Brother Sister Plays (performing u/s), Intimate Apparel (performing u/s) (Steppenwolf), This (Theatre Wit), Romeo and Juliet (Chicago Shakespeare), A Twist of Water (Route 66 Theatre Co), Greensboro: A Requiem (SteepTheatre, Non-Equity Jeff Nomination – Best Supporting Actress) and In Arabia, We’d All Be Kings (Steep Theatre, Non-Equity Jeff Award – Best Ensemble). MUCH love to my new husband Jim and my new stepdaughter Sophia.