OPENING: TimeLine Theatre Company's Master Class Starring Janet Ulrich Brooks as Maria Callas Through December 9, 2018

Chi, IL LIVE Shows On Our Radar:

JANET ULRICH BROOKS STARS AS LEGENDARY

OPERA DIVA MARIA CALLAS

TIMELINE PRESENTS TERRENCE McNALLY’S 

MASTER CLASS, 

DIRECTED BY

NICK BOWLING WITH MUSIC DIRECTOR DOUG PECK,

“Is this a story that we need to continue to tell? With

Janet Ulrich Brooks in the role, under Nick Bowling’s heartfelt and purposeful direction, the answer is a resounding yes.”

-New City 

OCTOBER 19 – DECEMBER 9, 2018 AT STAGE 773

TimeLine Theatre Company announces members of the cast and creative team for Master Class, Terrence McNally’s Tony Award-winning play about the formidable opera star Maria Callas, inspired by a series of classes she taught at Julliard in the 1970s. I'll be out to catch the show November 4th, so check back shortly after for my full review.

"A magnetic, mercurial performance

by Janet Ulrich Brooks"

"Like opera itself, TimeLine’s staging is filled with huge emotions. There’s ecstasy and agony in “Master Class,”

both writ huge, like the art form Callas dominated."

-Chicago Sun-Times 

TimeLine Company Member Janet Ulrich Brooks (she/her) stars as the legendary opera diva Maria Callas. Brooks is a six-time Jeff Award nominee for her roles at TimeLine including 33 Variations, A Walk in the Woods, and All My Sons. She most recently played to critical acclaim last season as Queen Elizabeth II in TimeLine’s extended run of Peter Morgan’s The Audience.

TimeLine’s Master Class will also feature Eric Anthony Lopez (he/him), a past American Idol contestant with credits on Broadway and London’s West End, as Tenor/Tony; Molly Hernandez (she/her), named one of the Chicago Tribune Theater Loop’s “Hot New Faces of Chicago Theatre” in 2017, as First Soprano/Sophie; and Keirsten Hodgens (she/her), who recently wowed audiences in Ragtime at Marriott Theatre, as Second Soprano/ Sharon. Also appearing will be Stephen Boyer (he/him) as Manny and Raymond Hutchison (he/him) as Stagehand.

TimeLine Associate Artistic Director Nick Bowling (he/him), who also directed The Audience, will stage McNally’s glorious, raw, and bittersweet look at one of opera’s most iconic talents. Bowling is a seven-time Jeff Award recipient for Outstanding Direction, including for TimeLine’s memorable productions of The History Boys, The Normal Heart, and Fiorello!

TimeLine’s Master Class will be music directed by six-time Jeff Award recipient Doug Peck (he/him), who previously music directed Fiorello! and Juno at TimeLine. Peck’s extensive credits include work at Chicago’s Court, Goodman, and Chicago Shakespeare theaters, and regional theaters across the United States.

The production team includes Arnel Sancianco (Scenic Designer, he/him); Sally Dolembo (Costume Designer, she/her); Jessica Neill (Lighting Designer, she/her); TimeLine Associate Artist Andrew Hansen (Sound Designer and Composer, he/him); Katie Cordts (Wig and Hair Designer, she/her); Vivian Knouse (Properties Designer, she/her); TimeLine Associate Artist Eva Breneman (Dialect Designer, she/her); Lucas Garcia (Co-Dramaturg, they/them); Maren Robinson (Co-Dramaturg, she/her); and Luci Kersting (Stage Manager, she/her).

Performances run through December 9 at Stage 773, 1225 W. Belmont Avenue in Chicago, TimeLine’s alternate location for one production each season. For tickets and information, visit timelinetheatre.com or call the Stage 773 Box Office at (773) 327-5252.

Playwright Terrence McNally (from left), director Nick Bowling, and cast members Janet Ulrich Brooks, Eric Anthony Lopez, Molly Hernandez, and Keirsten Hodgens. 

Maria Callas

MORE ABOUT MASTER CLASS

Witness a master class conducted by legendary opera diva Maria Callas. Glamorous and demanding, Callas critiques and regales a new crop of opera’s finest. Both frustrated and amazed by the students thrust before her, she escapes into recollections of the glories and failures of her past, remembering her rise as one of opera’s biggest underdogs. This authentic and musically rich Master Class presents a portrait of a fading star who refuses to be anything but unapologetically herself.

Master Class debuted in 1995 at the Philadelphia Theatre Company, followed by productions at the Mark Taper Forum and the Kennedy Center. It premiered on Broadway under the direction of Leonard Foglia at the John Golden Theatre on November 15, 1995 and closed on June 29, 1997 after 598 performances and 12 previews. The play won the 1996 Drama Desk Award for Outstanding New Play, the 1996 Tony Award for Best Play, plus Tony Awards for original cast members Zoe Caldwell (as Callas) and Audra McDonald (as Sharon) for Actress and Featured Actress, respectively. Since its Broadway debut, such luminaries as Patti LuPone, Faye Dunaway, Dixie Carter, and Tyne Daly have all essayed the coveted lead diva role in Master Class, and there have been countless tours and international and regional productions since.


MASTER CLASS PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE/EVENTS

Previews of Master Class are Friday, October 19 and Saturday October 20 at 8 p.m.; Sunday, October 21 at 2 p.m.; and Tuesday October 23 and Wednesday, October 24 at
8 p.m.

Regular performances continue through December 9: Wednesdays and Thursdays at 7:30 p.m. (except no performance on Thanksgiving, November 22); Fridays at 8 p.m.; Saturdays at 4 p.m. and 8 p.m. (except no performance October 27 at 4 p.m.); and Sundays at 2 p.m. There is an added 4 p.m. performance on Friday, November 23.


DISCUSSION & ACCESSIBILITY EVENTS:

—    Post-Show Discussions: A brief, informal post-show discussion hosted by a TimeLine Company Member and featuring a production dramaturg and members of the cast on Thursday, November 1; Sunday, November 4; Thursday, November 15; Thursday, November 29; and Wednesday, December 5.

—    Pre-Show Discussions: Starting one hour before these performances, a 30-minute introductory conversation hosted by a TimeLine Company Member and the production dramaturg on Wednesday, November 7, and Sunday, November 11.

—    Company Member Discussion: A post-show discussion with the collaborative team of artists who choose TimeLine’s programming and guide the company’s mission on Sunday, November 18.

—    Captioned Performance: An open-captioned performance with a text display of words and sounds heard during the performance on Saturday, November 10 at 4 p.m.

—    Sunday Scholars Panel Discussion: A one-hour post-show discussion featuring experts on the themes and issues of the play on Sunday, December 2.

All discussions are free and open to the public. For further details about all planned discussions and events, visit timelinetheatre.com.


BUYING TICKETS

The best way to secure seats to Master Class is to purchase a 2018-19 TimeLine Theatre FlexPass Subscription, on sale now, offering four amazing shows, starting at only $88.

Preview tickets are $27.50. Single tickets to regular performances are $42.50 (Wednesday through Friday), $51.50 (Saturday evenings) and $56.50 (Saturday and Sunday matinees). Student discount is 35% off regular price with valid ID. TimeLine is also a member of TCG’s Blue Star Theatre Program and is offering $27.50 tickets to U.S. military personnel, veterans, first responders, and their spouses and family.

Discounted rates for groups of 10 or more are available. Ticket buyers age 18-35 may join TimeLine’s free MyLine program to obtain access to discounted tickets, special events and more. Visit timelinetheatre.com/discounts for more about Blue Star, MyLine and other available discounts.

For more information, visit timelinetheatre.com or call the Stage 773 Box Office at (773) 327-5252.


LOCATION/TRANSPORTATION/PARKING/ACCESSIBILITY
                 
Master Class will take place at Stage 773, 1225 W. Belmont Ave., Chicago. Stage 773 is located one-half block west of the corner of Belmont and Racine and immediately east of Theater Wit in Chicago’s Lakeview East neighborhood. The theater is accessible via the CTA El stop at Belmont (Red/Brown/Purple lines). CTA bus #77-Belmont stops at Racine. Valet parking is available for $12 and there is also limited free and metered street parking nearby. Visit timelinetheatre.com for complete directions and parking information. Stage 773 is accessible for people with disabilities.


BIOGRAPHIES


Terrence McNally (Playwright) is a recipient of the Dramatists Guild Lifetime Achievement Award and the Lucille Lortel Lifetime Achievement Award. He has won four Tony Awards, for his plays Master Class and Love! Valour! Compassion! and his musical books for Kiss of the Spider Woman and Ragtime. The Kennedy Center recently produced three of his plays under the title Terrence McNally’s Nights at the Opera: Master Class, The Lisbon Traviata, and the world premiere of Golden Age. He has written a number of TV scripts, including Andre’s Mother, for which he won an Emmy Award. He has received two Guggenheim Fellowships, a Rockefeller Grant, and a citation from the American Academy of Arts and Letters. In 1996, he was inducted into the Theater Hall of Fame. He recently wrote the book for the Tony Award-nominated musical, The Visit, which opened on Broadway in the spring of 2015 with music and lyrics by John Kander and Fred Ebb. He wrote the libretto for the opera Great Scott as well as Dead Man Walking, both with music by Jake Heggie. His play It’s Only a Play opened on Broadway in the fall of 2014. He is the writer of the book for the musical Anastasia, which is currently playing on Broadway. His newest play, Fire and Air, premiered at Classic Stage Company in the winter of 2018. Other plays include Tony Award-nominated Best Play Mothers and Sons; And Away We Go; Frankie and Johnny in the Claire de Lune; Lips Together, Teeth Apart; Corpus Christi; The Ritz; Some Men; A Perfect Ganesh; and Deuce.

 
Nick Bowling (Director, he/him) was the founding Artistic Director and is now Associate Artistic Director and a Company Member of TimeLine Theatre. He is the recipient of seven Jeff Awards for Outstanding Direction (The History Boys, The Normal Heart, Fiorello!, This Happy Breed and The Crucible at TimeLine, Sondheim on Sondheim at Porchlight Music Theatre, and Another Part of the Forest at Eclipse Theatre) and also received Jeff Award nominations for Blood and Gifts, The Farnsworth Invention, Hauptmann and The Lion in Winter at TimeLine; Closer Than Ever at Porchlight Music Theatre; City of Angels, The King and I and Man of La Mancha at Marriott Theatre. Other recent credits at TimeLine include The Audience, A Disappearing Number, The Last Wife, Danny Casolaro Died for You and Juno. Other Chicago credits include Marriott’s The Bridges of Madison County, Paramount's A Christmas Story, Northwestern University’s Cabaret, Porchlight’s A Catered Affair, Writers Theatre's Bach at Leipzig and Shattered Globe Theatre's Time of the Cuckoo and Frozen Assets. 
Doug Peck (Music Director) is one of Chicago’s leading music directors, having received six Joseph Jefferson Awards (The Jungle Book; Porgy and Bess; Caroline, or Change; Carousel; Fiorello!; and Man of La Mancha) and two After Dark Awards (Guys and Dolls, Hello, Again), as well as the Sarah Siddons Award and the Siddons Award and the Guy Adkins Award, for his music direction and orchestrations in Chicago and across the country. Other favorite projects include Dreamgirls; Animal Crackers; Shenandoah; Candide; Fiddler on the Roof; Hair; Cabaret; Oh, Coward!; James Joyce’s The Dead; A Catered Affair; Grey Gardens; and Raisin. Peck’s work has been heard in Chicago at Court Theatre, Goodman Theatre, Chicago Shakespeare Theater, Writers Theatre, TimeLine Theatre, Northlight Theatre, Paramount Theatre, Drury Lane Oakbrook Terrace, Porchlight Music Theatre, and the Ravinia Festival. Regional credits include work at the Huntington Theatre Company, the Shakespeare Theatre Company, Long Wharf Theatre, Asolo Repertory Theatre, and Peninsula Players Theatre, among others. Peck can be heard on the recordings Bright Young People: The Songs of Noël Coward, Foiled Again Live, and Loving Repeating: A Musical of Gertrude Stein. For the Chicago Humanities Festival, he was part of presenting Assassins and Follies in concert, as well as the original concert evenings Birds Do It, Bees Do It and A Night At The Oscars, a chronological survey of every single song that has won the Academy Award. Peck is a graduate of Northwestern University and also trained at the Interlochen Center for the Arts. He is a creative partner with the Goodman, an artistic associate with Porchlight Music Theatre, and a faculty member of the National High School Institute of the Arts. Additional projects include Juno at TimeLine Theatre, the world premiere musical Days Like Today at Writers Theatre, and Carousel at the Glimmerglass Opera.

 
Janet Ulrich Brooks (Maria Callas) is a TimeLine Company Member, and Master Class marks her 12th production with the company. She most recently appeared at TimeLine as Queen Elizabeth II in the extended hit The Audience last season, and in Bakersfield Mist with Mike Nussbaum in 2016. She received Jeff Award nominations for her work at TimeLine in 33 Variations, A Walk in the Woods, All My Sons, Not Enough Air, When She Danced and Weekend. Other recent credits include The Lady with all the Answers at Theatre at the Center, Plantation at Lookingglass Theatre, 2666 and Vanya & Sonia & Masha & Spike at the Goodman Theatre (Equity Jeff Award nomination, Actress in a Principal role – Play), and Women Laughing Alone with Salad at Woolly Mammoth Theatre in Washington, D.C. (Helen Hayes Award nomination, Outstanding Lead Actress in a Play). Other credits include the remount of TimeLine’s To Master the Art (Chicago Commercial Collective and Broadway in Chicago at the Broadway Playhouse); A True History of the Johnstown Flood, Teddy Ferrara, and The Seagull (Goodman); Native Gardens and Failure: A Love Story (Victory Gardens); South of Settling (Steppenwolf); Ten Chimneys (Northlight); and portraying Golda Meir in Golda’s Balcony (Pegasus Players, Non-Equity Jeff Award, Outstanding Solo Performance). Brooks’ television credits include the Netflix series Sense8, Chicago Fire, Boss, Underemployed, and The Playboy Club. Film credits include Divergent, Conviction, Polishbar, One Small Hitch, The Middle Distance, I Heart Shakey, and Recursive Pictures’ short film For a Good Time. Brooks was the first recipient of the Ed See Outstanding Theatre Alumnus Award from the University of Central Missouri. She is a proud member of AEA and SAG/AFTRA and is represented by Gray Talent Group.



MORE ABOUT TIMELINE’S 2018-19 SEASON

In addition to Master Class at Stage 773, TimeLine’s Theatre’s 2018-19, four-show subscription season includes three more shows at the company’s home base,
615 W. Wellington in Chicago’s Lakeview neighborhood: 

—    A Shayna Maidel by Barbara Lebow, directed by Vanessa Stalling, a poignant story about two sisters reunited after years of separation brought on by the rise of the Nazis; now extended by popular demand through December 2, 2018.

—    The Chicago premiere of Cardboard Piano by Hansol Jung, a powerful story of faith, love, and the human capacity for forgiveness set amidst violent conflict in northern Uganda, directed by TimeLine Company Member Mechelle Moe, January 9 – March 17, 2019.

—    The Chicago premiere of Too Heavy for Your Pocket by Jiréh Breon Holder, a hopeful and moving story taking place at the height of the Civil Rights Movement that explores family, responsibility, and the personal sacrifices that enable progress, directed by TimeLine Company Member Ron OJ Parson, April 24 – June 29, 2019.

Save on tickets to TimeLine’s 2018-19 season with a FlexPass Subscription. Four tiers, priced from $88 to $204, are now on sale. For more information and to purchase a FlexPass, call (773) 281-8463 x6 or visit timelinetheatre.com.

PLUS, TIMELINE PARTNERS WITH FIREBRAND THEATRE’S FALL PRODUCTION OF CAROLINE, OR CHANGE:

In addition to its 2018-19 four-show subscription series, TimeLine Theatre is excited to be partnering with Firebrand Theatre—Chicago’s new musical theatre company committed to employing and empowering women—on Firebrand’s upcoming fall production of the Tony Award-nominated musical Caroline, or Change, featuring music by Jeanine Tesori (Fun Home)

KUDOS TO TIMELINE THEATRE COMPANY'S NEW MEMBERS: TYLA ABERCRUMBIE, WILL ALLAN, WARDELL JULIUS CLARK, CHARLES ANDREW GARDNER, AND ANISH JETHMALANI

TIMELINE THEATRE COMPANY NAMES FIVE ACCLAIMED CHICAGO ARTISTS AS NEW COMPANY MEMBERS: 

TYLA ABERCRUMBIE, WILL ALLAN, 

WARDELL JULIUS CLARK, CHARLES ANDREW GARDNER, AND ANISH JETHMALANI

In addition, four new members are named to the Board of Directors, 

and Jared Bellot becomes an Associate Artist

New TimeLine Company Members (from left): Tyla Abercrumbie, Will Allan, Wardell Julius Clark, 

Charles Andrew Gardner, and Anish Jethmalani.

Here at ChiIL Live Shows we're elated about the new additions to TimeLine Theatre Company. These five are some of our favorite multi faceted individuals on Chicago's theatre scene, bringing many talents to the table as actors, directors, teachers, activists, arts ed advocates and writers. Kudos to all of you. I can't wait to see what's next. 

TimeLine Theatre Company is pleased to announce the addition of several new artists and community leaders to its ranks. Chicago artists Tyla Abercrumbie, Will Allan, Wardell Julius Clark, Charles Andrew Gardner, and Anish Jethmalani have been named Company Members at the theater, effective immediately. Additionally, the theater is welcoming JoAnne Dobrick, Anne Voshel, Richard G. Weinberg, and Nicholas Yassan to its Board of Directors, and Jared Bellot as a new Associate Artist.

FIVE CHICAGO ARTISTS NAMED TIMELINE COMPANY MEMBERS
TimeLine Theatre’s Company Members are the artistic leaders of the company, working together collaboratively to shape the artistic vision and choose the programming for the organization. These five artists have extensive histories with TimeLine, working in a variety of capacities including acting, directing, playwriting and teaching, and they bring a tremendous range of experience, strengths, and perspectives to the team:

— Tyla Abercrumbie is an actor, playwright, and director who has appeared in numerous productions in Chicago and around the country (including Paradise Blue and In Darfur at TimeLine) and in film and television (recently Showtime’s The Chi and FOX’s Proven Innocent). She is the author of multiple plays and the book Red Wine and the Bles’sed Monkey, a collection of prose and poetry. She is a current member of TimeLine’s Playwrights Collective and directed the TimePieces reading of Repairing A Nation.

— Will Allan is an actor and writer who made his Chicago professional acting debut as part of the award-winning ensemble of The History Boys at TimeLine, going on to appear in productions at Steppenwolf, Goodman, Victory Gardens, and Greenhouse Theater Solo Celebration, among many others locally and regionally. He is a current member of TimeLine’s Playwrights Collective. 

— Wardell Julius Clark is an actor, director, teaching artist, and social justice activist whose recent credits in Chicago include directing acclaimed productions of The Shipment (Red Tape) and Insurrection: Holding History (Stage Left) and acting in Suddenly Last Summer (Raven), Silent Sky (First Folio), and the upcoming Flyin’ West (American Blues). He first appeared in A Raisin in the Sun at TimeLine and works as a Teaching Artist with TimeLine’s Living History Program in Chicago Public Schools.

— Charles Andrew Gardner is an actor, teaching artist, arts education advocate, and entertainment industry leader whose career spans television, film, theatre, commercials, and voice over. He appeared on stage at TimeLine in Paradise Blue and the world premiere of My Kind of Town and is a Teaching Artist with TimeLine’s Living History Education Program. As the President of Chicago Local SAG-AFTRA, he travels the country representing the interests of Chicago artists within the entertainment industry.

— Anish Jethmalani is an actor, director, and arts administrator whose career spans three decades in the Chicago theatre community. He has appeared in countless productions at the city’s leading theatres (including In the Next Room or the vibrator play, A Disappearing Number, Blood and Gifts, and Inana at TimeLine) and directed a variety of plays at theatres such as 16th Street, Eclipse, Rasaka, and, most recently, TimeLine for the TimePieces reading of Lions and Tigers. He is the former Artistic Director of Eclipse Theatre Company and Rasaka Theatre Company, in addition to having served on the board of The League of Chicago Theatres.

“These five artists have forged remarkable careers through their undeniable talent, personal values, and commitment to Chicago Theatre,” TimeLine Artistic Director PJ Powers said. “At TimeLine, they have provided significant thought leadership and represented our mission, vision and values in the community through their work on productions, the development of new work, and our Living History Education Program in Chicago Public Schools. We couldn’t be more thrilled to welcome each of them as a part of the team.”
Powers continued: “This expansion of our core team will not only further diversify the skills and viewpoints of our current group of Company Members, it will also play an important role in our ongoing artistic development. As we celebrate TimeLine’s 22nd season and continue to plan for a new home, we are furthering the vision of TimeLine’s founders—to build a collective of artists with varied backgrounds, points of view, and aesthetics who work to shape seasons that are unique, inclusive, and mission-centric.”

Abercrumbie, Allan, Clark, Gardner, and Jethmalani join current Company Members Nick Bowling, Janet Ulrich Brooks, Behzad Dabu, Lara Goetsch, Juliet Hart, Mildred Marie Langford, Mechelle Moe, David Parkes, Ron OJ Parson, PJ Powers, Maren Robinson and Ben Thiem. 

JARED BELLOT NAMED A TIMELINE ASSOCIATE ARTIST
Working closely with TimeLine's Company Members, Associate Artists contribute to TimeLine’s artistic programming and growth, serving as non-voting advisers and contributors to artistic planning. TimeLine’s newest Associate Artist is:

— Jared Bellot is a theatre artist, dramaturg, and educator who has worked at TimeLine as dramaturg for The Audience, Paradise Blue, The Last Wife, Sunset Baby, and the upcoming production of Cardboard Piano, as well as serving as assistant director for In the Next Room or the vibrator play. Bellot currently serves as Education Manager at Steppenwolf Theatre Company and also has worked around Chicago for theatres such as Definition (where he is also Literary Manager), Stage Left, Porchlight, Jackalope, and The Yard (where he serves as Resident Artist Mentor).

“Jared has made enormous contributions to the work on TimeLine’s stage through his dramaturgy work and has also been a leader off stage, making TimeLine a better place to work for our artists,” said Powers. “We’re very excited to welcome him to the TimeLine family in this new capacity.”
Bellot joins an already distinguished group of Associate Artists that includes Brian Sidney Bembridge, Eva Breneman, William Brown, Aaron Carter, Andrew Carter, Louis Contey, Charles Cooper, John Culbert, Mikhail Fiksel, Megan Geigner, Dennis William Grimes, Terry Hamilton, Andrew Hansen, ] Jerod Haynes, Josephine Kearns, Kymberly Mellen, Danica Monroe, Mike Nussbaum, Keith Parham, Andre Pluess, Collette Pollard, Mark Richard, Chris Rickett, Kimberly Senior, Demetrios Troy, Mike Tutaj, Ann Wakefield and Alex Weisman. To view complete biographies for all of TimeLine’s Associate Artists, please visit timelinetheatre.com/people/associates.

FOUR NEW LEADERS NAMED TO BOARD OF DIRECTORS
TimeLine Theatre also is pleased to recognize four business and community leaders who joined its Board of Directors in September:

— JoAnne Dobrick, now retired, was the Founder and Director of the Dobrick Gallery of Art for more than a decade, and also worked extensively as a teacher in Chicago Public Schools. Previous board experience has included the Chicago Art Dealers Association, the Contemporary Museum of Art, the Women’s Board of Steppenwolf Theatre, the Chicago Film Festival, and the Industrial Water, Waste & Sewage Group.

— Anne Voshel founded AVA Consultants in 1999 and was formerly a Senior Vice President with LaSalle Partners, Ltd. (now JLL) and co-head of the Development Management Group, responsible for cultural, performing arts, corporate and retail facilities. Voshel is also the Chair of the State Street Commission (SSA #1-2015) and a member of the Auditorium Theatre Facilities Committee, the Fourth Presbyterian Church Facilities and Building Committees, and the LUMA8 Board. She is an Emeritus Board Member of Landmarks Illinois.

— Richard G. Weinberg, has been President of Judd Enterprises, Inc., a private investment firm, for the past 33 years. Prior to that, he worked in television and feature production at Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc., and CBS. He has served on many other boards, including the Sundance Institute, USC School of Dramatic Arts, and American Jewish Committee, and has invested in numerous artistic projects, including The Producers, Hairspray, and A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder, among others.

— Nicholas Yassan is a Principal at Rany Management, LLC (RANY), a privately owned business specializing in commercial and residential real estate investment and property management in the Chicago area since 1979. He is committed to being active in his community, participating in various boards and chambers of commerce. In addition, he is the Ravenswood Commissioner, where he consults on community improvements.

“This impressive group has joined TimeLine’s Board of Directors at a critical juncture in the company’s history,” said Managing Director Elizabeth K. Auman. “Guided by our long-term strategic plan, we are planning for a future that supports our unique mission and can serve an inclusive audience. There is much work to do and we couldn’t be more pleased to have these leaders at the table.”
TimeLine’s Board of Directors is led by Eileen LaCario (President), Philip E. Cable (Vice President), Brian Douce (Treasurer) and Thaddeus J. Malik (Secretary), and also includes Elizabeth K. Auman, J. Robert Barr, Karen B. Case, Behzad Dabu, Lawrence Gill, Tom Gosline, Sondra Healy, Alvin Katz, Michael J. Kennedy, William A. Obenshain, Susan A. Payne, PJ Powers, Matthew R. Reilein, Elizabeth Richter, John M. Sirek, and Renée L. Zipprich. To view complete biographies for all of TimeLine’s Board of Directors, please visit timelinetheatre.com/people/board.

ABOUT TIMELINE THEATRE COMPANY
TimeLine Theatre Company, recipient of the prestigious 2016 MacArthur Award for Creative and Effective Institutions, was founded in April 1997 with a mission to present stories inspired by history that connect with today's social and political issues. To date over 21 seasons, TimeLine has presented 75 productions, including 10 world premieres and 33 Chicago premieres, and launched the Living History Education Program, now in its 12th year of bringing the company's mission to life for students in Chicago Public Schools. Recipient of the Alford-Axelson Award for Nonprofit Managerial Excellence and the Richard Goodman Strategic Planning Award from the Association for Strategic Planning, TimeLine has received 54 Jeff Awards, including an award for Outstanding Production 11 times.

Now playing at TimeLine is the 4-STAR (Chicago Tribune, Chicago Sun-Times) production of Barbara Lebow’s A Shayna Maidel, directed by Vanessa Stalling, a poignant story about two sisters reunited after years of separation brought on by the rise of the Nazis, through November 4, 2018.


Also still to come during the 2018-19 season:
— Master Class, Terrence McNally’s acclaimed play about the formidable opera star Maria Callas, inspired by a series of classes she taught at Julliard in the 1970s, directed by TimeLine Associate Artistic Director Nick Bowling, music directed by Doug Peck, and starring TimeLine Company Member Janet Ulrich Brooks, presented at Stage 773, October 19 – December 9, 2018.

— The Chicago premiere of Cardboard Piano by Hansol Jung, a powerful story of faith, love, and the human capacity for forgiveness set amidst violent conflict in northern Uganda, directed by TimeLine Company Member Mechelle Moe, January 9 – March 17, 2019.

— The Chicago premiere of Too Heavy for Your Pocket by Jiréh Breon Holder, a hopeful and moving story taking place at the height of the Civil Rights Movement that explores family, responsibility, and the personal sacrifices that enable progress, directe by TimeLine Company Member Ron OJ Parson, April 24 – June 29, 2019.

PLUS, TIMELINE PARTNERS WITH FIREBRAND THEATRE ON THEIR PRODUCTION OF CAROLINE, OR CHANGE:
TimeLine is excited to be partnering with Firebrand Theatre—Chicago’s new musical theatre company committed to employing and empowering women—on the Tony Award-nominated musical Caroline, or Change, featuring music by Jeanine Tesori, book and lyrics by Tony Kushner, and direction by Lili-Anne Brown. This production is presented at Firebrand’s resident home, The Den Theatre, located at 1331 N. Milwaukee Ave. in Chicago’s Wicker Park neighborhood, through October 28, 2018.

TimeLine is led by Artistic Director PJ Powers, Managing Director Elizabeth K. Auman and Board President Eileen LaCario.

Major corporate, government and foundation supporters of TimeLine Theatre include Alphawood Foundation, The Elizabeth F. Cheney Foundation, The Chicago Community Trust, The Crown Family, Forum Fund, The Joseph and Bessie Feinberg Foundation, Lloyd A. Fry Foundation, Illinois Arts Council Agency, Laughing Acres Family Foundation, A.L. and Jennie L. Luria Foundation, MacArthur Fund for Arts and Culture at Prince, The Pauls Foundation, Polk Bros. Foundation, and The Shubert Foundation.

TimeLine is a member of the League of Chicago Theatres, Theatre Communications Group, Choose Chicago, Lakeview East Chamber of Commerce, Chicago Green Theatre Alliance, and Chicago’s Belmont Theater District. 

OPENING: CAROLINE, OR CHANGE Via Firebrand Theatre at The Den Theatre September 22 – October 28, 2018

Chi IL Live Shows On Our Radar:

Firebrand Theatre Announces Casting for

CAROLINE, OR CHANGE

Music by Jeanine Tesori

Book & Lyrics by Tony Kushner

Directed by Lili-Anne Brown

Music Direction by Andra Velis Simon

September 22 – October 28, 2018 at The Den Theatre

Presented in Partnership with TimeLine Theatre Company

Firebrand Theatre, in partnership with TimeLine Theatre Company, is pleased to announces casting for its revival of the Tony Award-nominated Best Musical CAROLINE, OR CHANGE, featuring music by Jeanine Tesori (Fun Home, Violet), book and lyrics by Tony Kushner (Angels in America), direction by Lili-Anne Brown and music direction by Andra Velis Simon.

(left to right) Bre Jacobs, Rashada Dawan and Blair Robertson in a publicity image for Firebrand Theatre and TimeLine Theatre Company's production of CAROLINE, OR CHANGE. Photo by Rob Riddle/Ghost Light Headshots.

CAROLINE, OR CHANGE will feature Rashada Dawan as Caroline with Roberta Burke as Radio 3, Kevin Grubb as Grandpa Gellman, Nicole Michelle Haskins as Dotty, Rosalind Hurwitz as Grandma Gellman, Bre Jacobs as Emmie, Michael Kingston as Mr. Stopnick, Princess Isis Lang as Jackie, Alejandro Medina as Noah, De'Jah Perkins as Radio 1, Blair Roberston as Rose, Jonathan Schwart as Stuart, Lyric Sims as Joe, Sasha Smith as Moon/Washer and Emma Sipora Tyler as Radio 2.

Launching Firebrand’s 2018-19 season, CAROLINE, OR CHANGE will play September 22 – October 28, 2018, at The Den Theatre’s Heath Main Stage, 1331 N. Milwaukee Ave. in Chicago. Tickets now on sale at firebrandtheatre.org. Season subscriptions are currently available. 

Firebrand is the first musical theatre company committed to employing and empowering women by expanding opportunities on and off the stage.

CAROLINE, OR CHANGE is set in Lake Charles, Louisiana: the end of 1963. America is changing. Caroline Thibodeaux is a mother of four and a maid, working for the southern Jewish Gellman family. Caroline struggles with changes monumental and mundane, and her relationship with the young, grieving boy who lives in the house she cleans. Riveting, moving and awe-inspiring, CAROLINE, OR CHANGE features a virtuosic score by Jeanine Tesori (Fun Home, Violet) and a breathtaking book and lyrics by Pulitzer Prize winner Tony Kushner (Angels in America), the music ranges from Motown to Klezmer, the storytelling from political to magical.

The production team for CAROLINE, OR CHANGE includes: Lauren Nichols (scenic design), Noël Huntzinger (costume design), Cat Wilson (lighting design), Victoria Deiorio and Karli Blalock (sound design), Lacie Hexom (props design), Brigitte Ditmars (choreographer), Harmony France (producer), Heather Larkin (production manager), Adelina Feldman-Schultz. (casting director), Joshanna Robinson (run crew, child wrangler), JC Widman (stage manager) and Kirby Gibson (assistant stage manager).

PHOTO CREDIT: The cast of Firebrand Theatre and TimeLine Theatre Company's production of CAROLINE, OR CHANGE includes (top, l to r) Rashada Dawan, Roberta Burke, Kevin Grubb, Nicole Michelle Haskins and Rosalind Hurwitz (middle, l to r) Bre Jacobs, Michael Kingston, Princess Isis Lang, Alejandro Medina, De'Jah Perkins (bottom, l to r) Blair Roberston, Jonathan Schwart, Lyric Sims, Sasha Smith and Emma Sipora Tyler.

Cast (in alphabetical order): Roberta Burke (Radio 3), Rashada Dawan (Caroline), Kevin Grubb (Grandpa Gellman), Nicole Michelle Haskins (Dotty), Rosalind Hurwitz (Grandma Gellman), Bre Jacobs (Emmie), Michael Kingston (Mr. Stopnick), Princess Isis Lang (Jackie), Alejandro Medina (Noah), De'Jah Perkins (Radio 1), Blair Roberston (Rose), Jonathan Schwart (Stuart), Lyric Sims (Joe), Sasha Smith (Moon/Washer) and Emma Sipora Tyler (Radio 2).

Swings: JiGi Fabulous, Kirby Gibson, Tyler Franklin, Ted Kitterman, Micheal Lovette and Corrbette Pasko.

Location: The Den Theatre's Heath Main Stage, 1331 N. Milwaukee Ave.
Dates: Previews: Saturday, September 22 at 7:30 pm and Sunday, September 23 at 3 pm

Regular run: Thursday, September 27 – Sunday, October 28, 2018
Curtain Times: Thursdays, Fridays & Saturdays at 7:30 pm; Sundays at 3 pm
Tickets: Previews $25. Regular run $45. $20 students/industry rush tickets available at the box office. Tickets go on sale Saturday, July 28, 2018 at firebrandtheatre.org. Season subscriptions are currently available at firebrandtheatre.org.

About The Creative Team

Lili-Anne Brown (Director) is a native Chicagoan who works as a director, actor and educator, both locally and regionally. She is the former artistic director of Bailiwick Chicago, where she directed Dessa Rose (Jeff Award), Passing Strange (BTA Award and Jeff nomination for Best Director of a Musical), See What I Wanna See (Steppenwolf Theatre Garage Rep) and the world premiere of Princess Mary Demands Your Attention by Aaron Holland. Other directing credits include Kristiana Rae Colón's Tilikum (world premiere, Sideshow Theatre), Buddy: The Buddy Holly Story (American Theatre Company), Ike Holter's The Wolf at the End of the Block (16th Street Theatre), Lottery Day (Goodman Theatre New Stages Festival), Marie Christine (Boho Theatre), Peter and the Starcatcher (Metropolis Performing Arts), The Wiz (Kokandy Productions), Xanadu (American Theatre Company), Jabari Dreams of Freedom by Nambi E. Kelley (world premiere, Chicago Children’s Theatre), American Idiot (Northwestern University); the national tour of Jesus Snatched My Edges; and Little Shop of Horrors, Hairspray, Unnecessary Farce, Cabaret, Sweet Charity, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee at Timber Lake Playhouse. She is a member of SDC, SAG-AFTRA and a graduate of Northwestern University.

Andra Velis Simon (Music Director) is thrilled to be the Resident Music Director for Firebrand, where she music directed Lizzie and 9 to 5 for their inaugural season. Her work as a music director, adapter, arranger, pianist and vocal coach has been seen regionally at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, A.R.T. in Cambridge, Brooklyn Academy of Music, NYU’s Skirball Center, Actors Theatre of Louisville, Pasadena Playhouse, Berkeley Rep and Olney Theatre in Maryland. In Chicago, she has worked with The Goodman Theatre (The Iceman Cometh and Camino Real); The Hypocrites (Cinderella at the Theater of Potatoes, American Idiot, Pirates of Penzance, The Mikado and H.M.S. Pinafore); Theater Wit (Mr. Burns and 10 out of 12); Chicago Children’s Theatre (The Hundred Dresses, A Year with Frog and Toad, Goodnight Moon and Last Stop on Market Street), and many others. In addition, Andra has taught musical theatre performance at  Columbia College Chicago since 2008. Upcoming projects include A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder at Porchlight and Next to Normal at Writers Theatre.   

Firebrand Theatre’s 2018-19 season sponsor: Michael and Mona Heath of the HeathFund.

About the Companies

Firebrand Theatre is a musical theatre company committed to employing and empowering women by expanding their opportunities on and off the stage. Firebrand is a 501(c)(3) Equity theatre.

Company members: Artistic Director: Harmony France, Advisory Board: Lili-Anne Brown, Emjoy Gavino, Kate Garassino, Amber Mak, Danni Smith, Company Members: Kasey Alfonso, Sydney Charles, Heather Clark, Adelina Feldman-Schultz, Tyler Franklin, Amanda Horvath, Jon Martinez, Eric Martin, Amelia Jo Parish and Andra Velis-Simon.

TimeLine Theatre Company was founded in April 1997 with a mission to present stories inspired by history that connect with today's social and political issues. To date over 21 seasons, TimeLine has presented 75 productions, including 10 world premieres and 33 Chicago premieres, and launched the Living History Education Program working with Chicago Public Schools. 

TimeLine is led by Artistic Director PJ Powers, Managing Director Elizabeth K. Auman and Board President Eileen LaCario. Company members are Nick Bowling, Janet Ulrich Brooks, Behzad Dabu, Lara Goetsch, Juliet Hart, Mildred Marie Langford, Mechelle Moe, David Parkes, Ron OJ Parson, PJ Powers, Maren Robinson and Benjamin Thiem. More information at timelinetheatre.com.

OPENING: TIMELINE THEATRE’S 2018-19 SEASON OPENER, A SHAYNA MAIDEL 8/22-11/4/18

Chi IL Live Shows On Our Radar:

TWO SISTERS ARE REUNITED AFTER THE HOLOCAUST IN 

A SHAYNA MAIDEL, 

TIMELINE THEATRE’S 2018-19 SEASON OPENER, 

AUGUST 22 – NOVEMBER 4, 2018

Lusia (Emily Berman, left) and Rose (Bri Sudia) are two sisters trying to reconnect after years of separation brought on by the rise of the Nazis.

Photo by Lara Goetsch

Vanessa Stalling to make her TimeLine directorial debut,

Emily Berman and Bri Sudia to star as separated sisters 

in Barbara Lebow’s moving exploration of 

family, faith, and forgiveness

Here at ChiIL Live Shows, we're looking forward to Timeline's season opener and I'll be out for the press opening. Check back soon for my full review. I've enjoyed Vanessa Stalling's directing all over town, particularly at House Theatre and The Goodman, and I'm eager to see her Timeline directing debut. Timeline has long been a favorite of ours for thought provoking choices and stellar production values. We're also huge fans of their lobby installation tie-ins with each show. I can't wait to see what they have in store for us this season.

(Top, from left) Playwright Barbara Lebow, director Vanessa Stalling, and cast members Emily Berman, Carin Schapiro Silkaitis (bottom, from left) Charles Stransky, Alex Stein, Bri Sudia, and Sarah Wisterman. 

TimeLine Theatre Company announces the cast and creative team for the launch of its 22nd season—a revival of A Shayna Maidel, Barbara Lebow’s moving family drama about two sisters reunited after years of separation caused by the rise of the Nazis.

Director Vanessa Stalling, who recently helmed the Goodman Theatre’s critically acclaimed production of Sarah DeLappe’s The Wolves, makes her TimeLine debut with A Shayna Maidel.

Previews begin August 22. Press Night is Wednesday, August 29 at 7:30 p.m. Opening Night is August 30 and performances run through November 4 at TimeLine Theatre, 615 W. Wellington Ave., Chicago. For tickets and information, visit timelinetheatre.com or call the TimeLine Box Office at (773) 281-8463 x6.

A powerful and poignant drama, A Shayna Maidel begins with the story of a daughter and her father, Rose and Mordechai Weiss, who escaped Poland shortly before World War II and have adapted to life as new Americans in New York City. In their escape, they were forced to leave behind Rose's sister Lusia and her mother. When Rose and Lusia are reunited, Rose struggles to engage with an older sister who, having survived the horrors of war overseas, now seems a stranger. And Lusia—haunted by vivid memories of her past—is uncertain about connecting with a family she’s never known.

Stalling’s revival of A Shayna Maidel for TimeLine will feature Emily Berman (she/her) as Lusia and Bri Sudia (she/her) as Rose. The cast also includes Carin Schapiro Silkaitis as Mama (she/her), Alex Stein as Duvid (he/him), Charles Stransky as Mordechai (he/him) and Sarah Wisterman as Hanna (she/her). Note: Carin Schapiro Silkaitis steps in for Hanna Dworkin, originally announced as Mama.

The production team includes TimeLine Associate Artist Collette Pollard (Scenic Designer, she/her); Samantha C. Jones (Costume Designer, she/her); Rachel K. Levy (Lighting Designer, she/her); Jeffrey Levin (Sound Designer and Composer, he/him); Elise Kauzlaric (Dialect Designer, she/her); and Deborah Blumenthal (Dramaturg, she/her).

Written in 1984, A Shayna Maidel was widely produced by America's leading regional theaters and became a long-running success Off Broadway from 1987 to 1989. The New York Times hailed A Shayna Maidel as “a tribute to the sustaining power of family,” The Hartford Journal Inquirer called the play “an emotional powerhouse of almost overwhelming proportions,” and the Atlanta Constitution raved that “anyone who sees it will not soon forget it.” The Chicago Reader, in a 2002 review, wrote that it presents “history as intimate as a snapshot,” underscoring the play’s fit with TimeLine’s history-based mission. 

Fast forward to this April, when The New York Times reported that 41 percent of Americans, as well as 66 percent of Millennials, “cannot say what Auschwitz was,” and lack “basic knowledge” about the Holocaust. 

“Don’t we know our own history?” responded Stalling. “It's disturbing to recognize our country's current ignorance about the Holocaust while at the same time witnessing rising anti-Semitism and white nationalism. Rather than shaping a world informed by the mistakes and traumas of our past, our lack of historical knowledge is shaping a country that feels like it's regressing. Simply put, our ignorance is dangerous.”



Vanessa Stalling (Director) most recently directed Joshua, by Ali Viterbi, for the Wagner New Play Festival. Prior to that, she directed Sarah DeLappe’s The Wolves at The Goodman, which earned a four-star review from Chicago Tribune critic Chris Jones, who called her “a specialist in immersive productions and a true artist.” Other productions include Lauren Yee's Hookman at Steep Theatre, and United Flight 232, a production she adapted from the book Flight 232 by Laurence Gonzales, for The House Theatre of Chicago, which received Jeff Awards for Outstanding Production – Midsize Theatre and Ensemble. Stalling was a primary artist at Redmoon Theater, serving as a director, performer, and Associate Artistic Director. As an artist at Redmoon, she directed several productions, including a remount of The Cabinet, which toured Brazil as part of the FILO Festival; Last of My Species; Winter Pageant; Princess Club; Twilight Orchard; and roaming performances for President Obama's Halloween celebrations at The White House. She has held teaching positions at Roosevelt University, Columbia College, University of Chicago, and is an assistant professor of directing at the University of California San Diego's Department of Theatre & Dance. She was the 2016 Michael Maggio Fellow at the Goodman Theatre and a Newcity 2018 Player. 



Barbara Lebow (Playwright) is a California resident who grew up in New York, moved to Atlanta in the 1960s and joined The Academy Theatre's developmental workshop, eventually becoming playwright in residence. Among her plays with first productions there are A Shayna Maidel (which ran Off Broadway 1987-89 and continues to receive regional and international productions), The Left Hand Singing, The Keepers, Cyparis, Little Joe Monaghan, The Adventures of Homer McGundy Revised, Trains, and Tiny Tim is Dead. In addition to her own writing, Lebow facilitates play creation with disenfranchised segments of the population including homeless and addicted individuals, youth at risk, developmentally and physically disabled persons, and women in prison. In recent years, she has worked with residents of Los Prietos Boys Camp, supported by a grant from the Fund for Santa Barbara. She has received a Guggenheim Fellowship in Playwriting, a TCG/Pew Theatre Artists Residency, an NEA/TCG Residency, an Atlanta Mayor's Fellowship in the Arts, a Georgia Governor's Award in the Arts, and a Distinguished Service Award from the Santa Barbara County Probation Department. Other recent plays include The Phenom; Plumfield, Iraq; La Niñera: The Nursemaid; and Killing Spiders. Her newest play, The Hebbles, deals with the effects of a mass shooting on one small American family.

A SHAYNA MAIDEL PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE/EVENTS

Previews of A Shayna Maidel are Wednesday, August 22 through Saturday, August 25 at
8 p.m.; Sunday, August 26 at 2 p.m.; and Tuesday August 28 at 7:30 p.m.

Press Night is Wednesday, August 29 at 7:30 p.m.

Opening Night is Thursday, August 30 at 7:30 p.m.

Regular performances continue through November 4: Wednesdays and Thursdays at
7:30 p.m. (except no performance on Wednesday, September 19, and additional matinee performance on Thursday, September 20 at 2 p.m.); Fridays at 8 p.m.; Saturdays at
4 p.m. and 8 p.m. (except no performance September 1 at 4 p.m.); and Sundays at
2 p.m.

DISCUSSION & ACCESSIBILITY EVENTS:

—    Post-Show Discussions: A brief, informal post-show discussion hosted by a TimeLine Company Member and featuring the production dramaturg and members of the cast on Wednesday, September 5; Thursday September 13; Sunday, September 16; Thursday, October 11; Sunday, October 14; and Wednesday, October 17.

—    Pre-Show Discussions: Starting one hour before these performances, a 30-minute introductory conversation hosted by a TimeLine Company Member and the production dramaturg on Sunday, September 30, and Wednesday, October 3.

—    Company Member Discussion: A post-show discussion with the collaborative team of artists who choose TimeLine’s programming and guide the company’s mission on Sunday, September 23.

—    Captioned Performance: An open-captioned performance with a text display of words and sounds heard during the performance on Saturday, September 29 at 4 p.m.

—    Sunday Scholars Panel Discussion: A one-hour post-show discussion featuring experts on the themes and issues of the play on Sunday, October 7.
                                     
All discussions are free and open to the public. For further details about all planned discussions and events, visit timelinetheatre.com.

BUYING TICKETS

The best way to secure seats to A Shayna Maidel is to purchase a 2018-19 TimeLine Theatre FlexPass Subscription, on sale now, offering four amazing shows, starting at only $88.

Single tickets go on sale July 10, 2018. Preview tickets are $25. Single tickets to regular performances are $40 (Wednesday through Friday), $49 (Saturday evenings) and $54 (Saturday and Sunday matinees). Student discount is 35% off regular price with valid ID. TimeLine is also a member of TCG’s Blue Star Theatre Program and is offering $25 tickets to U.S. military personnel, veterans, first responders, and their spouses and family.

Discounted rates for groups of 10 or more are available. Ticket buyers age 18-35 may join TimeLine’s free MyLine program to obtain access to discounted tickets, special events and more. Visit timelinetheatre.com/discounts for more about Blue Star, MyLine and other available discounts.

To purchase a FlexPass, single tickets or for more information, visit timelinetheatre.com or call the Box Office at (773) 281-8463 x6.

LOCATION/TRANSPORTATION/PARKING

A Shayna Maidel will take place at TimeLine Theatre, 615 W. Wellington Ave., in Chicago’s Lakeview neighborhood, near the corner of Wellington and Broadway, inside the Wellington Avenue United Church of Christ building. TimeLine is served by multiple CTA trains and buses. TimeLine offers discounted parking at the Standard Parking garages at Broadway Center ($8 with validation; 2846 N. Broadway, at Surf) or the Century Mall ($9 with validation; 2836 N. Clark), with other paid parking options nearby, plus limited free and metered street parking.

ACCESSIBILITY

TimeLine Theatre is accessible to people with disabilities. Two wheelchair lifts provide access from street level to the theatre space and to lower-level restrooms. Audience members using wheelchairs or who need to avoid stairs, and others with special seating or accessibility needs should contact the TimeLine Box Office in advance to confirm arrangements. See DISCUSSION & ACCESSIBILITY EVENTS above for information about the open-captioned performance for patrons who are deaf or hard of hearing.

MORE ABOUT TIMELINE’S 2018-19 SEASON

In addition to A Shayna Maidel, TimeLine’s Theatre’s 2018-19, four-show subscription season includes: 

—    Master Class, Terrence McNally’s acclaimed play about the formidable opera star Maria Callas, inspired by a series of classes she taught at Julliard in the 1970s, directed by TimeLine Associate Artistic Director Nick Bowling, music directed by Doug Peck, and starring TimeLine Company Member Janet Ulrich Brooks (The Audience), presented at Stage 773, October 19 – December 9, 2018.

—    The Chicago premiere of Cardboard Piano by Hansol Jung, a powerful story of faith, love, and the human capacity for forgiveness set amidst violent conflict in northern Uganda, directed by TimeLine Company Member Mechelle Moe, January 9 – March 17, 2019.
                  
—    The Chicago premiere of Too Heavy for Your Pocket by Jiréh Breon Holder, a hopeful and moving story taking place at the height of the Civil Rights Movement that explores family, responsibility, and the personal sacrifices that enable progress, directed by TimeLine Company Member Ron OJ Parson, April 24 – June 29, 2019.

Save on tickets to TimeLine’s 2018-19 Season with a FlexPass Subscription. Four tiers, priced from $88 to $204, are now on sale. For more information and to purchase, call (773) 281-8463 x6 or visit timelinetheatre.com.

PLUS, TIMELINE PARTNERS WITH FIREBRAND THEATRE’S FALL PRODUCTION OF CAROLINE, OR CHANGE:

In addition to its 2018-19 four-show subscription series, TimeLine Theatre is excited to be partnering with Firebrand Theatre—Chicago’s new musical theatre company committed to employing and empowering women—on Firebrand’s upcoming fall production of the Tony Award-nominated musical Caroline, or Change, featuring music by Jeanine Tesori (Fun Home, Violet), book and lyrics by Tony Kushner (Angels in America), and direction by Lili-Anne Brown. Rashada Dawan stars in the title role as Caroline.

Riveting, moving and awe-inspiring, Caroline, or Change features music ranging from Motown to Klezmer, and storytelling from political to magical. This production will be presented at Firebrand’s resident home, The Den Theatre, located at 1331 N. Milwaukee Ave. in Chicago’s Wicker Park neighborhood.

PLEASE NOTE: Caroline, or Change is not included in TimeLine’s 2018-19 FlexPass Subscription, but the partnership will include exclusive ticket opportunities for TimeLine subscribers and patrons.



ABOUT TIMELINE THEATRE COMPANY

TimeLine Theatre Company, recipient of the prestigious 2016 MacArthur Award for Creative and Effective Institutions, was founded in April 1997 with a mission to present stories inspired by history that connect with today's social and political issues. To date over 21 seasons, TimeLine has presented 75 productions, including 10 world premieres and 33 Chicago premieres, and launched the Living History Education Program, now in its 12th year of bringing the company's mission to life for students in Chicago Public Schools. Recipient of the Alford-Axelson Award for Nonprofit Managerial Excellence and the Richard Goodman Strategic Planning Award from the Association for Strategic Planning, TimeLine has received 54 Jeff Awards, including an award for Outstanding Production 11 times.

TimeLine is led by Artistic Director PJ Powers, Managing Director Elizabeth K. Auman and Board President Eileen LaCario. Company members are Nick Bowling, Janet Ulrich Brooks, Behzad Dabu, Lara Goetsch, Juliet Hart, Mildred Marie Langford, Mechelle Moe, David Parkes, Ron OJ Parson, PJ Powers, Maren Robinson and Benjamin Thiem.

Major corporate, government and foundation supporters of TimeLine Theatre include Alphawood Foundation, The Chicago Community Trust, The Crown Family, The Ensemble Studio Theatre/Alfred P. Sloan Foundation Science & Technology Project, Forum Fund, The Joseph and Bessie Feinberg Foundation, Lloyd A. Fry Foundation, Illinois Arts Council Agency, Laughing Acres Family Foundation, A.L. and Jennie L. Luria Foundation, MacArthur Fund for Arts and Culture at Prince, The Pauls Foundation, Polk Bros. Foundation, and The Shubert Foundation.

TimeLine is a member of the League of Chicago Theatres, Theatre Communications Group, Choose Chicago, Lakeview East Chamber of Commerce, Chicago Green Theatre Alliance, and Chicago’s Belmont Theater District.