Landladies

Landladies 

by Sharyn Rothstein

Originally produced at Northlight Theatre, Skokie, IL

March 14 to April 20, 2019


About the Premiere Production:

Synopsis: "Self-made landlord Marti and her new tenant Christine strike up a complicated relationship in this compelling world premiere. Despite a tentative friendship, neither can afford the luxury of forgetting her own best interests. Faced with impossible dilemmas of fairness versus kindness, honesty or eviction, these two women reveal the vulnerability as well as the ingenuity of people who know the value of having a home, and the threat of losing one.

Artistic and Grant Statements: In the last five years Northlight's Interplay series has produced 5 Jeff nominated New Works as well as 3 winners. Our next project is by Sharyn Rothstein whose play By the Water was very well received by our audience last season. We admire Sharyn's work and in conversation with her she mentioned the Pulitzer Prize winning book Evicted which focuses on low income housing.  Evicted is Sharyn’s inspiration for Landladies.


A burning issue for so many communities, and certainly one that resonates in our own communities of Evanston and Skokie, is affordable housing; it is a constant focal point of political conversation. This makes Landladies as timely and as important a conversation as we could hope for. Not unlike Charm, White Guy on the Bus and Faceless, all previous Edgerton grantees, they are top of mind, timely and important, and Northlight has become known for producing fresh and vital work thanks to the help from Edgerton.


Sharyn's protagonist is a single mother, and a victim of abuse. The relationship between the landlord and the renter, never comfortable in any situation is only magnified in low income cases, and when children are involved it is even more heartrending. Sharyn also wants to focus on these two women as an examination of socio-economic class, and the struggle to climb up the ladder to the next level.


We are proud of our continued efforts to present work that resonates with our mission, to change perspective and increase compassion. Sharyn Rothstein has delivered us a timely, moving story that is as pertinent today as any work we have commissioned." -BJ Jones, Artistic Director