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Showing posts with label Vanessa Stalling. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Vanessa Stalling. Show all posts

Tuesday, February 7, 2023

TimeLine Theatre to open 2023-24 season with Chicago premiere production of THE LEHMAN TRILOGY, 2022 Tony Award Winner for Best Play SEPTEMBER 19 – OCTOBER 29th, 2023

SAVE THE DATES:

ChiIL Live Shows On Our Radar 

TimeLine Theatre to open 2023-24 season with Chicago premiere production of 

THE LEHMAN TRILOGY

2022 Tony Award Winner for Best Play

BY STEFANO MASSINI, ADAPTED BY BEN POWER, CO-DIRECTED BY NICK BOWLING AND VANESSA STALLING

PRESENTED AT BROADWAY IN CHICAGO’S BROADWAY PLAYHOUSE AT WATER TOWER PLACE, SEPTEMBER 19 – OCTOBER 29 

 

Pictured (from left): Playwright Stefano Massini, adapter Ben Power, and co-directors Nick Bowling and Vanessa Stalling.

TimeLine Theatre Company is pleased to announce that its Chicago premiere production of the internationally acclaimed and Tony Award-winning play THE LEHMAN TRILOGY by Stefano Massini, adapted by Ben Power, will open the company’s upcoming 2023-2024 season.

Co-directed by TimeLine Associate Artistic Director Nick Bowling and Vanessa Stalling, THE LEHMAN TRILOGY will run September 19 – October 29, 2023 at Broadway In Chicago’s Broadway Playhouse at Water Tower Place, 175 E. Chestnut St., Chicago. Opening Night is Wednesday, September 27 at 7:30 p.m. Casting for THE LEHMAN TRILOGY, plus details of the three other productions planned for TimeLine’s 2023-2024 season, are still to be announced.

“TimeLine is elated to create a new production of the monumental play THE LEHMAN TRILOGY,” said TimeLine Artistic Director PJ Powers. “Tailor-made for TimeLine’s mission of exploring history, the theatrical ambition of this play is thrilling, yet told in an astonishingly simple way, utilizing only three actors. The opportunity for Nick Bowling and Vanessa Stalling to envision a new production specifically for Chicago audiences is an honor—as is the furthering of our relationship with Broadway In Chicago, with whom we partnered on another epic Tony Award-winning play, Oslo, in 2019.”

Told in three parts over one evening, THE LEHMAN TRILOGY is the quintessential story of western capitalism, rendered through the lens of a single immigrant family. On a cold September morning in 1844, a young man from Bavaria stands on a New York dockside dreaming of a new life in the new world. He is soon joined by his two brothers, and an American epic begins. 163 years later, the firm they establish—Lehman Brothers—spectacularly collapses into bankruptcy, triggering the largest financial crisis in history. Weaving together nearly two centuries of family history, this theatrical event charts the humble beginnings, outrageous successes, and devastating failure of the financial institution that would ultimately bring the global economy to its knees.                      

TimeLine’s production of THE LEHMAN TRILOGY is its Chicago premiere. The Italian theatre production had its world premiere in 2015 at the Piccolo Teatro in Milan, directed by the late Italian theater innovator Luca Ronconi. THE LEHMAN TRILOGY made its English-language debut in London on July 12, 2018 at the National Theatre's Lyttelton Theatre. On October 14, 2021, the play opened on Broadway. Both the London and Broadway premieres were directed by Sam Mendes.                 

Throughout its production history, THE LEHMAN TRILOGY has been met with extraordinary international acclaim. The Guardian proclaimed it “a kaleidoscopic social and political metaphor” and “an intimate epic about the shifting definition of the American Dream.” The Chicago Tribune praised it as “a masterwork” and The New York Times as “a vivid tale of profit and pain.” Vanity Fair raved that it is “true blockbuster theatre that will hold you captive until the final curtain call,” with Time Out New York saying “it leaves you dazzled.” And the Wall Street Journal declared that THE LEHMAN TRILOGY “surpasses all praise.”                                       

THE LEHMAN TRILOGY received five 2022 Tony Awards, including Best Play, plus Drama League and Outer Critics Circle awards, and was nominated for five Laurence Olivier Awards, including Best New Play.

 

PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE AND LOCATION

TimeLine’s Chicago premiere of THE LEHMAN TRILOGY begins performances on Tuesday, September 19. Opening Night is Wednesday, September 27 at 7:30 p.m. Performances run through October 29, 2023 at the Broadway Playhouse at Water Tower Place, 175 E. Chestnut St., Chicago.

The performance schedule is Tuesdays at 7:30 p.m., Wednesdays at 7:30 p.m. (also 2 p.m. matinees on October 4, 11, and 25), Thursdays at 7:30 p.m., Fridays at 7:30 p.m., Saturdays at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m., and Sundays at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. (except no 7:30 p.m. on October 8, 15, and 29).

 

BUYING TICKETS

The best way to secure seats to THE LEHMAN TRILOGY is to purchase a 2023-2024 TimeLine FlexPass Subscription. Four different tiers of 4-Admission FlexPasses, priced from $119 - $275, will go on sale soon (specific date to be announced). The three other productions of TimeLine’s 2023-2024 season are still to be announced. For more information, call (773) 281-8463 x6 or visit  timelinetheatre.com.

THE LEHMAN TRILOGY will be part of the upcoming Broadway In Chicago season on sale in Spring 2023. Individual tickets for THE LEHMAN TRILOGY will go on sale in July 2023 (specific date to be announced). Group tickets for 10 or more are now on sale by calling Broadway In Chicago Group Sales at (312) 977-1710. For more information, visit  or  timelinetheatre.com.



ABOUT THE ARTISTS

Stefano Massini (Playwright) is an internationally renowned novelist and playwright who regularly contributes to the Italian newspaper La Repubblica. For several years he has served as artistic consultant at Piccolo Teatro di Milano - Teatro d'Europa. His works, including The Lehman Trilogy, have been translated into 27 languages, and his plays have been performed in more theaters around the world than those of any other living Italian writer, produced as far afield as Iran and Korea, and staged by directors such as Luca Ronconi and Sam Mendes. His most acclaimed works, beyond The Lehman Trilogy, include Intractable Woman, a decades-long international success; Ladies Football Club, which premiered to wide acclaim in Spain; and 7 Minutes, hailed by LeMonde as a "masterpiece" at the Comédie Française. He has won numerous Italian awards, including the Premio Vittorio Tondelli and the Premio Ubu. Qualcosa sui Lehman (The Lehman Trilogy) was among the most acclaimed novels published in Italy in recent years and won the Selezione Campiello Prize, the Super Mondello Prize, the De Sica Prize, the Prix Médicis Essai and the Prix Meilleur Livre Stranger. He is currently creating a new multi-part play about the history of the atomic bomb, entitled Manhattan Project.

Ben Power (Adapter) is a writer for theatre and the screen. For the last 12 years he has worked at the National Theatre as associate director and deputy artistic director and was responsible for the temporary theatre The Shed. Work for the screen includes Munich: The Edge of War and The Hollow Crown (BAFTA nominations for Best Single Drama and Best Mini-Series). Work for the stage includes adaptations of DH Lawrence’s Husbands & Sons, Euripides' Medea and Ibsen’s Emperor & Galilean, all for the National; A Tender Thing for the RSC and Complicite’s A Disappearing Number (Olivier and Evening Standard Awards). He was associate director of Headlong where he adapted Pirandello’s Six Characters in Search of an Author and Marlowe’s Faustus. He is currently creating a television series for Working Title and is published by Faber & Faber.

Nick Bowling (Co-Director) was the founding Artistic Director and is now Associate Artistic Director and a Company Member of TimeLine Theatre, where he has directed more than 30 productions. He is the recipient of eight Jeff Awards for Outstanding Direction (The History Boys, The Normal Heart, Fiorello!, This Happy Breed, and The Crucible at TimeLine, Ragtime at Marriott Theatre, Sondheim on Sondheim at Porchlight Music Theatre, and Another Part of the Forest at Eclipse Theatre) and also received Jeff Award nominations for Oslo, Blood and Gifts, The Farnsworth Invention, Hauptmann, and The Lion in Winter at TimeLine; Closer Than Ever at Porchlight Music Theatre; and The Sound of Music, City of Angels, The King and I, and Man of La Mancha at Marriott Theatre. Other recent credits at TimeLine include the Chicago premiere of J.T. Rogers’ Oslo at Broadway In Chicago’s Broadway Playhouse, Campaigns, Inc.; Master Class; The Audience; A Disappearing Number; The Last Wife; and Blood and Gifts. Other Chicago credits include Marriott’s Oliver! and The Bridges of Madison County, Paramount's A Christmas Story, Northwestern University’s Guys and Dolls and Cabaret, Porchlight’s A Catered Affair, Writers Theatre's Bach at Leipzig, and Shattered Globe Theatre's Time of the Cuckoo and Frozen Assets.

Vanessa Stalling (Co-Director) returns to TimeLine, where she previously directed the sold-out, extended production of A Shayna Maidel. She is the director and adaptor of the Jeff Award-winning play United Flight 232. Stalling was the Associate Artistic Director of Redmoon Theater in Chicago, a Michael Maggio Fellow at Goodman Theatre, and has been recognized as one of “The Fifty People Who Really Perform” for Chicago by Newcity magazine. Recent productions include Fen at The Court Theatre, The Great Leap at Asolo Rep, and Roe at the Goodman. She is also the Head of Directing at the University of California San Diego.


ABOUT TIMELINE’S CURRENT 2022-2023 SEASON 

Now playing at TimeLine Theatre is the world premiere of Boulevard of Bold Dreams by LaDarrion Williams, a Los Angeles-based playwright new to Chicago audiences, directed by Malkia Stampley. Set on the night in 1940 that Hattie McDaniel made history at the Oscars, this is a story of dreamers striving to overcome considerable obstacles and fighting for recognition amidst the racism and inequity of Hollywood. Performances run through March 19. For more information and to purchase tickets, call (773) 281-8463 x6 or visit timelinetheatre.com.

Following Boulevard of Bold Dreams, TimeLine has added an exciting fourth production, the first Chicago-based production of What the Constitution Means to Me by Heidi Schreck, directed by Helen Young, May 10 – June 24, 2023. 

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. Currently celebrating its 26th season, TimeLine has presented 85 productions, including 12 world premieres and 39 Chicago premieres, and launched the Living History Education Program, which brings 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 58 Jeff Awards, including an award for Outstanding Production 11 times.

The company has long been bursting at the seams of its current leased home located at 615 W. Wellington Avenue in Chicago’s Lakeview East neighborhood, where the theatre has been in residence since 1999. In December 2018, TimeLine announced the purchase of property at 5033-35 North Broadway in Chicago’s Uptown neighborhood to be the site of its new home. Plans feature an intimate black box theater seating up to 250 audience members, expanded area for the immersive lobby experiences that are a TimeLine hallmark, new opportunities for education and engagement, room to allow audience members to arrive early and stay late for theatergoing experiences that extend far beyond the stage, and more. TimeLine is working with HGA as architect for its new home project, which is expected to be completed in 2024.

TimeLine is led by Artistic Director PJ Powers, Executive Director Mica Cole, and Board President John Sterling. TimeLine Company members are Tyla Abercrumbie, Will Allan, Nick Bowling, Janet Ulrich Brooks, Behzad Dabu, Charles Andrew Gardner, Lara Goetsch, Juliet Hart, Anish Jethmalani, Mildred Marie Langford, Mechelle Moe, David Parkes, Ron OJ Parson, PJ Powers, and Maren Robinson.

Major corporate, government and foundation donors providing season support via TimeLine’s Annual Fund include: Abe and Ida Cooper Foundation; Crown Family Philanthropies; Joseph & Bessie Feinberg Foundation; Laughing Acres Family Foundation; Lloyd A. Fry Foundation; The MacArthur Fund for Culture, Equity, and the Arts at Prince; National Endowment for the Arts; Polk Bros. Foundation; The Shubert Foundation; Van Dam Charitable Foundation; and Walder Foundation. TimeLine also acknowledges the support of a CityArts Grant from the City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs & Special Events and a grant from the Illinois Arts Council Agency.

For more information, visit timelinetheatre.com or Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram (@TimeLineTheatre).


ABOUT BROADWAY IN CHICAGO

Broadway In Chicago was created in July 2000 and over the past 22 years has grown to be one of the largest commercial touring homes in the country. A Nederlander Presentation, Broadway In Chicago lights up the Chicago Theater District entertaining up to 1.7 million people annually in five theatres. Broadway In Chicago presents a full range of entertainment, including musicals and plays, on the stages of five of the finest theatres in Chicago’s Loop including the Cadillac Palace Theatre, CIBC Theatre, James M. Nederlander Theatre, Auditorium Theatre, and just off the Magnificent Mile, the Broadway Playhouse at Water Tower Place. 

For more information, visit BroadwayInChicago.com or Facebook (@BroadwayInChicago), Twitter (@broadwaychicago), and Instagram (@broadwayinchicago), and #broadwayinchicago.




Sunday, August 19, 2018

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.

Thursday, August 31, 2017

OPENING: House Theatre's Heartfelt and Harrowing UNITED FLIGHT 232 Returns To Chopin Theatre 9/1-10/21


THE HOUSE THEATRE OF CHICAGO ANNOUNCES THE RETURN OF 
THE JOSEPH JEFFERSON AWARD WINNING 
UNITED FLIGHT 232, 
ADAPTED AND DIRECTED BY VANESSA STALLING AND BASED ON LAURENCE GONZALES’ BOOK, SEPTEMBER 1 – OCTOBER 21

Production image of United Flight 232 (2016) by Michael Brosilow


The Play Based on True Events is the Winner of the 2016 Joseph Jefferson Awards for 
“Best Production of a Play” and “Best Ensemble”

We're beyond elated that The House Theatre's highly acclaimed production of United Flight 232 is returning to Chopin Theatre’s Upstairs space. We'll be out for the press opening so check back soon for our full review.



The House Theatre of Chicago is proud to announce the return of the 2016 Joseph Jefferson award-winning show for “Best Production of a Play (midsize),” adapted and directed by Vanessa Stalling+, United Flight 232. The adaptation of Laurence Gonzales’ book Flight 232 tells the story of the harrowing July 19, 1989 flight bound for Chicago’s O’Hare airport. United Flight 232 runs September 1 through October 21 and plays at Chopin Theatre’s Upstairs Theater, 1543 W. Division St.  

Previews begin Friday, September 1 and play through Saturday, September 9. Opening/press night is Sunday, September 10 at 7 p.m. Regular performances are Thursdays - Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 7 p.m., and Saturdays and Sundays at 3pm from September 14 – October 21. Preview tickets are $15 and regular run tickets range from $25 to $45. $15 same-day tickets for students and industry professionals are available for all dates, seats permitting. 

For more information and to purchase tickets, please visit www.thehousetheatre.com or call 773.769.3832.

A show you “shouldn’t miss” and is “deeply engrossing”
-  Chicago Tribune. 

“Documentary theater doesn’t get much better”
- Chicago Reader.

On July 19, 1989, a DC-10 headed for O’Hare with 296 aboard is paralyzed mid-air. For 44 minutes, the aircraft descended towards an emergency landing and crashed at Sioux City Gateway airport. To the astonishment of all who witnessed the event, 184 of 296 passengers and crew survived. Drawing on the interviews and research conducted by Evanston author Laurence Gonzales for his critically acclaimed book, Flight 232: A Story of Disaster and Survival this award-winning original play, United Flight 232, is a reflection on how to comprehend tragedy and celebrate human ingenuity in the face of overwhelming challenges.

The House Theatre of Chicago welcomes back four members the 2016 Joseph Jefferson Award winning cast for “Best Ensemble,” which includes Company Members Brenda Barrie*+, Elana Elyce+, and Johnny Arena+, along with guest artist Alice da Cunha who’s performances are heralded in Performink as “authentic, heartbreaking and funny.”  Joining the 2017 cast is Company Member Abu Ansari+ and guest artists Dan Lin, Carlos Olmedo, Joseph Sultani, and Jessica Dean Turner.

The Production and Design team includes John Musial, Scenic Designer; Delia Ridenour, Costume Designer; William C. Kirkham*, Lighting Designer; Kaili Story, Associate Lighting Designer; Steve Labedz, Sound Designer & Composer; Matthew Muniz+, Music Director; Paul Deziel, Projection Designer; Eleanor Kahn, Props Designer, and Brian DesGranges, Stage Manager*+.

United Flight 232 was commissioned and developed by The House Theatre of Chicago and the Chicago Performance Lab through the Theatre and Performance Studies Program at the University of Chicago. 

*Member Actor’s Equity Association

+Company Member of The House Theatre of Chicago

ABOUT LAURENCE GONZALES, author
Laurence Gonzales was born in St. Louis, Missouri, and grew up in Houston and San Antonio, Texas.  His book about the crash of United Flight 232 at Sioux City, Iowa, July 19, 1989, Flight 232: A Story of Disaster and Survival, from W.W. Norton, was published on July 7, 2014. San Francisco Chronicle called the book, “A richly detailed story that is equal parts heartbreaking [and] inspiring…” while The Washington Post said, “Flight 232 stands alone for its absolutely riveting depiction of the flight’s last minutes and the horrendous aftermath: for its vivid sympathetic portraits of many of those aboard the plane, the crew most particularly.” 

He is also the author of numerous books, including the bestseller Deep Survival: Who Lives, Who Dies, and Why and the sequel, Surviving Survival: The Art and Science of Resilience (both from W.W. Norton). Gonzales has won many awards, including two National Magazine Awards and the Distinguished Service Award from the Society of Professional Journalists. He has appeared as a speaker before groups ranging from the Santa Fe Institute to Legg Mason Capital Management, the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, and the Sloan School of Management at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He is also on the adjunct faculty at Northwestern University in the Medill School of Journalism. His most recent novel is Lucy (Alfred A. Knopf). His essays are collected in the book House of Pain (University of Arkansas Press). He is a Miller Scholar the Santa Fe Institute.

He divides his time between Evanston and Santa Fe. For more, see laurencegonzales.com                                                    

ABOUT VANESSA STALLING, adaptor and director
Vanessa Stalling is excited to once again be at The House, where she is now a company member. Most recently, she directed Lauren Yee's Hookman at Steep Theatre. 

Her upcoming productions include Sarah DeLappe’s The Wolves at The Goodman Theatre. Vanessa is also known for her work as an artist of Redmoon Theater. While at Redmoon, she enjoyed performing, directing and serving as associate artistic director. Redmoon directing credits include a remount of The Cabinet, Winter Pageant, Princess Club, and roaming performances for President Obama’s White House Halloween Celebrations. She is also an instructor of theater and has taught students at Columbia College, Roosevelt University, and University of Chicago.

ABOUT THE HOUSE THEATRE OF CHICAGO 
The House is Chicago's premier home for intimate, original works of epic story and stagecraft. Founded and led by Artistic Director Nathan Allen and driven by an interdisciplinary ensemble of Chicago’s next generation of great storytellers, The House aims to become a laboratory and platform for the evolution of the American theatre as an inclusive and popular artform.

The House was founded in 2001 by a group of friends to explore connections between Community and Storytelling through a unique theatrical experience. Since becoming eligible in 2004, The House has been nominated for 66 Joseph Jefferson Awards (23 wins), became the 
first recipient of Broadway in Chicago’s Emerging Theater Award in 2007, and was awarded a 
2014 National Theatre Company Grant by the American Theatre Wing, founder of the Tony Awards. The 16th season of original work will begin September 2017 and The House will continue its mission to unite Chicago in the spirit of Community through amazing feats of Storytelling.  

The House Theatre of Chicago is proud to announce the return of the 2016 Joseph Jefferson award-winning show for “Best Production of a Play,” adapted and directed by Vanessa Stalling, United Flight 232. The adaptation of Laurence Gonzales’ book Flight 232 tells the story of the harrowing July 19, 1989 flight bound for Chicago’s O’Hare airport. United Flight 232 runs September 1 through October 21 and plays at Chopin Theatre’s Upstairs Theater, 1543 W. Division St.  Previews begin Friday, September 1 and play through Saturday, September 9. Opening/press night is Sunday, September 10 at 7 p.m. Regular performances are Thursdays -  Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 7 p.m., and Saturdays and Sundays at 3pm from September 14 – October 21. Preview tickets are $15 and regular run tickets range from $25 to $45. $15 same-day tickets for students and industry professionals are available for all dates, seats permitting. For more information and to purchase tickets, please visit www.thehousetheatre.com or call 773.769.3832.

Monday, January 12, 2015

ON SALE: Circuscope Is Coming To Actors Gymnasium February 14th-March 22

Circuscope
February 14 - March 22, 2015 


Here at ChiIL Live Shows and ChiIL Mama, we've been captivated by the stellar circus arts at Actors Gym for years. They're a ground breakingly creative collective featuring some of the top physical actors in the city. We'll be there to review opening night. In the meantime, get your tickets early for the best seats, and range of dates. Their seating area is small and fills fast! 


Enthralled by the extraordinary shapes and sizes of life, the creators of the Actors Gymnasium Winter Circus will explore a fascinating world on the other side of the microscopic lens. Directed by spectacle-theatre veteran Vanessa Stalling and featuring acclaimed Chicago clown Dean Evans, Circuscope will transport audiences through surprising acrobatics, mime, live music and other-worldly design. Circuscope also features Meredith "Tommy" Tomlins, Molly Plunk, and Leah Leor. 

Circuscope is written by Deans Evans and Vanessa Stalling with percussion choreography by Rick Kubes, musical composition by Ronnie Kuller, choral direction by Alex Balestrieri, lighting design by Nick Carroll, sound design by Connor Murray, video design by Asher White, costume design by Delia Ribenour, performance object design by Elizabeth Brietand circus choreography by Sylvia Hernandez-DiStasi. 

Beat the rush - Get your tickets today at www.actorsgymnasium.org/shows 

February 14 - March 22, 2015 
Fridays at 7:30pm 
Saturdays 4:30 pm and 7:30 pm 
Sundays at 3:00 pm 

$20 for adult tickets! 
$15 for children, students and seniors! 



The Actors Gymnasium is dedicated to bringing a new physicality to the American Theatre. Encouraging ground-breaking theatrical exploration, The Actors Gymnasium teaches circus arts, physical theatre and multi-disciplinary performance to children and adults; produces original, daring works of circus-theatre; and serves as a talent resource, providing performance opportunities to our students and innovative professional event entertainment for a wider audience.  At The Actors Gymnasium, people Learn To Fly - physically, emotionally, and creatively. 

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