in The Cherry Orchard
(© Chris Ocken)
Jennifer Avery has been hired as the interim artistic director at the Next Theatre, according to a report in The Chicago Tribune. Her appointment comes following the departure of Jason Sutherland.
Avery is an actress with ties to not only Next Theatre, but also Strawdog Theatre. Among her credits are Knives in Hens, for which she earned a Jeff Award nomination, and the latter company’s production of The Cherry Orchard, in which she played Lovey, a reimagined incarnation of Chekhov’s Madame Ranevskaya.
In related news, Kevin Heckman, Next Theatre’s managing director, has announced his departure. The theater will embark on a national search to fill both the artistic and managing director slots during the coming months.
