Jason Loewith, artistic director of the Next Theater company, received some unexpected news Saturday.

Just four performances into the company’s current season, leading lady Wendy Robie had pinched her sciatic nerve and the evening’s show could not go on — meaning a loss in revenue for the company and an inconvenience to theater-goers.

To her credit, Robie was back onstage the next night, playing “Kath” in Joe Orton’s dark comedy “Entertaining Mr. Sloane.”

Scenes had to be re-blocked 20 minutes before curtain call to accommodate Robie using a cane. But if Loewith had not announced Robie’s health condition at the start of the show, no one in the audience would have noticed.

Such is the passion of the performers at the Next Theater, which is tucked inside the Noyes Cultural Arts Center, 927 Noyes St., a home base for many of Evanston’s artists and arts organizations. Despite its humble size, Next’s three-person staff has built a 21-year-old reputation as one of Chicago’s finest theatrical venues.

The theater’s mission is to provide “artistically challenging and socially provocative entertainment,” said Next’s general manager, Michael Osinsky.

Last Monday, Next picked up its fourth consecutive Joseph Jefferson “best ensemble” nomination for last season’s production of “The Laramie Project,” directed by Kate Buckley. Loewith took over Buckley’s position in July.

The theater fell upon hard times during the last fiscal year, when, according to Ald. Gene Feldman (9th), the company fell about 10 months behind in its rent payments for the space in the city-owned arts center.

“It’s an organization of excellence and great artistry, and it does our city a lot of credit,” Feldman said. “We want to do as much as possible to sustain the art and keep it in Evanston.”

Instead of evicting Next, the city has worked with the theater to pay off its outstanding debt — which Loewith estimates at $24,000 — into a multi-year payment plan.

Next and the city are “still working things out,” Feldman said.

In addition to ticket sales, the theater company gets money from the Illinois Arts Council, Evanston Arts Council and private donors. Loewith said Next’s budget tripled to $200,000 over the last fiscal year because of “aggressive fund-raising” and a “fantastic board.”

When Loewith took over July 1, the theater had no infrastructure and no staff, he said.

“The equipment was falling in terrible disrepair,” he said. “Many things had been stolen.”

When former director Buckley, acclaimed for her four years of work at Next, left to pursue other theater opportunities, her small staff left with her.

“It has been one huge challenge after another,” Loewith said. “Every minor victory takes a major effort.”

In “Entertaining Mr. Sloane” a few choice bits of dialogue reveal the dark satire quality the company prizes.

“You’re completely without morals! I never knew how depraved you are, boy!” Larry Neumann Jr. (“Ed”) exclaims to Brian Hamman (“Sloane”) in a scene where Sloane, the object of attention from both men and women, confesses to sleeping with Kath, his much-older landlady, and with Ed’s sister, whom he calls “Mama.”

In another scene, after Sloane has gone mad with anxiety, Kath and Ed reveal their own depravity by looking fondly at the visibly wrought boy, saying, “He’s close to tears. Now isn’t that sweet? … He is attractive in adversity.”

Orton’s work points out the flaws in 1960s middle class morality, Osinsky said. “He kind of knew the rubbish that lay underneath the cheery and happy facade.”

“Entertaining Mr. Sloane” will run through Dec. 8, followed by the Chicago-area premiere of Suzan-Lori Parks’ “In the Blood” from Jan. 31 to Mar. 2. Shakespeare’s “Measure for Measure” will play from Apr. 18 to May 18.

Hamman, who plays Sloane, said he can see Loewith’s passion for his work and his dedication to both the theater and his actors.

On rehearsal days when Hamman has been working his 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. job stocking shelves at Whole Foods, he depends upon a wake-up call from either Loewith or Jamie Foltz, Next’s communications manager.

“All theaters take care of their actors, but at Next they treat you like you’re part of the family,” Hamman said.

Highland Park residents Jacques and Charlotte Chevalier, who have attended every show at Next Theater for more than 10 years, said the theater has always been a favorite venue of theirs because of its intimate setting.

Now, with the company under new direction, the Chevaliers said Next has regained the standard they have grown accustomed to — at least judging from what they saw at Sunday night’s performance.

“This looks very promising,” Jacques Chevalier said.