We are on sacred ground. Northwestern University is on the traditional homelands of the people of the Council of Three Fires—the Ojibwe, Potawatomi, and Odawa—as well as the Menominee, Miami, and Ho-Chunk nations. Before it was stolen from them through colonization and forced removal, this land was a site of trade, travel, gathering, and healing for more than a dozen other native tribes. The state of Illinois is still home to more than 100,000 tribal members. In the spirit of healing and making amends for the harm that was done, we acknowledge the native and indigenous peoples who called this land home. We pledge ourselves as members of the Northwestern School of Communication to turn our statements into action and build better relationships with native and indigenous communities in Evanston, in Chicago, and throughout the region.
Imagine looking up at the night sky and seeing thousands and thousands of stars and maybe even planets twinkling above you. Each entity is a world unto itself. There may even be a form of life out there. It’s an extraordinary, beautiful, chaotic mess. Yet people before us have also looked up at the night sky and given labels to these pinpricks of light and even organized them into constellations or pictures, so we can tell stories about how this beautiful chaos can guide us.
Reading Caryl Churchill’s Love and Information is like trying to organize the stars in the night sky. In the script, there are seven numbered sections and the scenes within each one are titled, but there is no list of characters, no note requiring a particular number of actors to perform the play, and no indication of who reads what line. The play is an extraordinary, beautiful, chaotic mess of scenes that capture fragments and snippets of the lives happening all around us. And yet, I also found that many of these scenes capture very real, relatable, and mundane moments. I recognized the nostalgia of watching a home video, the ravenous devotion of a celebrity-obsessed teenager, and the guilt of forgetting about a loved one’s plans, again. I recognized that some of these moments make me feel wonderful, loved, and connected to others. And other moments make me feel overwhelmed, isolated, and frustrated.
So, what can make these moments overwhelming in one instance and wonder-ful in the next? What makes each moment in life ordinary or extraordinary, mundane or fantastic? Together, this talented, generous cast, design team, and I have explored the myriad answers to these questions in each of Churchill’s expertly crafted scenes. And while there may be infinite answers to these questions, we do know that play, curiosity, and wonder help us find them, no matter how overwhelming and mysterious it may feel to make our way through the extraordinary, beautiful, chaotic mess of an individual life. We are excited to explore these potential answers with you today. And then, I hope you can look up at the night sky soon and find yourself among the glittering vastness of those stars.
Special thanks to: Alex O’Shea, Ze Alexander, Capri Gehred-O’Connell, Ali Foley, Kyle Ringley, Diane Li, Sasha Durta, Dylan Mak, Nora Fox, Hannah Gill, Ash Aranha, Mia Van De Mark, TaLea Carter, Annika Raj, Sopheen Lee, Sarah Villamil, Harrison Whitfill, Gaby Gutierrez, Gavin Yi, Louise Sims, Patrick Howard, Jessica Thebus, and Mark H.
Rachel Alvarez, Clio Maya Siegel, Asher Leopold, Mehret Marsh, Kaleb Morgan, Annanya Karthik, Skye Papa, Theo Rickert, Tyler Faragson, Alice Chilton – Run Crew
We thank our donors who make it possible to develop and sustain the quality of productions at Northwestern University. The following individuals and institutions have made gifts to one or more of the following areas: the Virginia Wadsworth Wirtz Center for the Performing Arts, American Music Theatre Project and the Music Theatre Funds. All gifts were made between September 1, 2025 and January 13, 2026.
Donate online at giving.northwestern.edu.
Thank you for supporting Northwestern University Theatre and Dance!
E. Patrick Johnson, Dean of the School of Communication and Annenberg University Professor
Lori Barcliff Baptista, Associate Dean for Undergraduate Programs and Advising
Roderick Hawkins, Associate Dean of External Affairs and Chief of Staff
Molly Losh, Associate Dean for Research
Bonnie Martin-Harris, Associate Dean for Faculty Affairs
Jeff Brown, Associate Dean for Finance and Administration
Rayvon Fouche’, Associate Dean for Graduate Education
Tanya Palmer, Assistant Dean & Executive Artistic Director
Bharath Chandrasekaran, Roxelyn and Richard Pepper Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders
Jeremy Birnholtz, Communication Studies
Joshua Chambers-Letson, Performance Studies
Jacob Smith, Interim Chair of Radio/Television/Film
Henry Godinez, Theatre
Melissa Blanco Borelli, Director of Dance
Megan Roberts, Associate Chair of Roxelyn and Richard Pepper Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders
Courtney Lynam Scherr, Associate Chair of Communication Studies
Erin Courtney, Associate Chair of Radio/Television/Film
Tommy Rappley, Associate Chair of Theatre
Jorge Silva — Director of Business Operations & Managing Director
Michael Constantino — Associate Managing Director
Pete Brace — Marketing & Development Manager
Heather Basarab — Production Manager
Valerie Tu — Production Manager, Chicago
Gianna Carter — Production Coordinator
Aziza Macklin — Audience Experience Manager
Jamie L. Mayhew — Box Office Manager
Lynn Kelso — Imagine U Artistic Mentor
Ryan T. Nelson — Music Supervisor
Dylan Reyno — Technical Coordinator
Shannon Perry — Technical Supervisor
Emily Baker — Assistant Technical Supervisor
Dylan Jost — Scenic Carpenter
Micah Hofferth — Scenic Carpenter
James Weber — Scenic Artist
Eileen Rozycki — Assistant Scenic Artist
Chris Wych — Properties Supervisor
Kathy Beach Parsons — Properties Assistant
Eileen Clancy — Costume Shop Supervisor
Jessica Donaldson — Assistant Costume Shop Supervisor
Kristy White — Cutter/Draper
Renee Werth — Stitcher/Crafts Supervisor
Eli Hunstad — First Hand
Peter Anderson — Lighting & Sound Supervisor
Michael Trudeau — Associate Lighting & Sound Supervisor
Nate Walczyk — Lighting and Sound Technician
Sara Kurensky — Marketing Assistant
Stephen J. Lewis — OGMC Arts and Media Producer
Stephanie Kulke — OGMC Fine Arts Editor
Masi Asare — AMTP Artistic Director
Alaina Parr, Alec Westland-Hurwitz, Alex Myres, Alex Yang, Allyson Vasquez, Amanda Swickle, Amy Xu, Anah Shaikh, Arawen Alberg, Arran Kennedy Orive, Ashley Flores, Avery England, Aydn Calhoun, Ayla Richardson, Benny Wu, Cannon Elliott, Ciara Farris, Clio Siegel, Crom Amaya, Daniel Cho, Elijah Curtin-Adelman, Elle Pierre, Ellsworth Sullivan, Gavin Yi, Gemma Cohen, Ghino Lee, Haley Randall, Henry Rohrback, Isabella Mason, Jessica Guo, Jordin Amoah, Josaphina Brinkerhoff, Josefina Espino, Katherine Li, Kira Carpenter, Kris Lambert, Lucian Cruz, Mariah Waters, Maya Avery, Michael Peterson, Millie Rose Taub, Miracle Idowu, Morgan Marin, Natalie Mendoza, Noor Maghaydah, Nora Fox, Olivia Kieffer, Olivia Wise, Owen Meehan-Egan, Pranav Singh, Poseybelle Stoeffer, Roie Dahan, Rose Peters, Ryan Cooke, Sarah Charles Lewis, Sebastian Vidra, Seidy Pichardo, Sophia Mitton-Fry, Sydney Chan, Sydney Frazure, Tamyrha Dunac, Tvesha Gupta, Valentina Brander, Vicky Laguerre, Walter Todd, Will Claudius, Yehuda Zilberstein, Yooha Park, Yumi Tallud
