World Premiere of Campaigns, Inc. Now Extended Through September 25, 2022 at TimeLine Theatre

 ChiIL Live Shows On Our Radar

WILL ALLAN’S 

CAMPAIGNS, INC., 

A WORLD PREMIERE, ELECTION SEASON COMEDY ABOUT THE ORIGINS OF “FAKE NEWS,” DEBUTS AUGUST 3 – SEPTEMBER 25, 2022 AT TIMELINE THEATRE

NICK BOWLING DIRECTS ALLAN’S HILARIOUS LOOK AT THE SMEAR CAMPAIGN THAT STYMIED UPTON SINCLAIR’S 1934 CALIFORNIA GOVERNOR’S RACE

Pictured (from top left): Campaigns, Inc. playwright Will Allan and director Nick Bowling. Tyler Meredith and Yuriy Sardarov star as Leone Baxter and Clem Whitaker, the co-founders of Campaigns, Inc. The cast also includes TimeLine Company Members Anish Jethmalani and David Parkes and TimeLine Associate Artist Terry Hamilton, plus Jacqueline Grandt, Matt Mueller, and Mark Ulrich. 

TimeLine Theatre Company returns to its longtime home at 615 W. Wellington Avenue in Chicago’s Lakeview East neighborhood for its 26th season opener, the world premiere of Campaigns, Inc.

Written by TimeLine Company Member Will Allan and directed by TimeLine Associate Artistic Director Nick Bowling, Campaigns, Inc. is a timely, fast-paced, and funny screwball comedy about the serious power that persuasion, deceit, and perception hold in the U.S. electoral system. 

Campaigns, Inc. is a hysterical and jaw-dropping inside look at the underbelly of politics through the lens of two of the undeniable founders of “fake news,” Leone Baxter and Clem Whitaker. The year is 1934, and Baxter and Whitaker have just formed the first political consulting firm in U.S. history. Famous novelist Upton Sinclair is all but guaranteed to become the first Democratic governor of the state of California—until this young, unknown pair of consultants from the shadows of the challenger’s campaign attempt to take him down. As Republican nominee Frank Merriam and Sinclair battle it out in the spotlight—seeking endorsements from the likes of Charlie Chaplin and FDR—Baxter and Whitaker work behind-the-scenes to methodically construct one of the most spectacular, unbelievable, and star-studded political smear campaigns ever.

Campaigns, Inc. co-founders are played by Tyler Meredith (she/her), in her TimeLine debut as Leone Baxter, and Yuriy Sardarov (he/him) as Clem Whitaker. Chicago theatre fans will recall Sardarov performing in TimeLine’s memorable 2009 production of The History Boys before landing the role of Otis on NBC’s Chicago Fire.

The cast also features TimeLine Company Member Anish Jethmalani (he/him) as Upton Sinclair and David Parkes (he/him) as FDR/Louis B. Mayer/Douglas Fairbanks/others, and TimeLine Associate Artist Terry Hamilton (he/him) as Frank Merriam. Jacqueline Grandt (she/her) as Eleanor Roosevelt/Mary Pickford/others, Matt Mueller (he/him) as Charlie Chaplin, and Mark Ulrich (he/him) as George Hatfield complete the cast.

Performances now extended through September 25th, due to popular demand, at TimeLine Theatre, 615 W. Wellington Ave., in Chicago’s Lakeview East neighborhood. For tickets and information, visit timelinetheatre.com or call the TimeLine Box Office at (773) 281-8463 x6.

FAKE NEWS, LIES, AND PROPAGANDA:

BEHIND THE SCENES OF CAMPAIGNS, INC.

 Setting the Stage: CAMPAIGNS, INC.

"The number one thing? Vote. The number two thing? Come see my play." Watch playwright Will Allan set the stage for TimeLine Theatre's world premiere of Campaigns, Inc.

“Campaigns, Inc. is the story of America, or really, it’s the story of how screwed up our political system is,” said director Nick Bowling. “The true story of Baxter and Whitaker is the center of the play, but it is also about the right and left of America—the dirty dealings of politics that pushes those two groups further and further from each other. It’s about the power of winning and what people will do to achieve that.”

“I think my favorite response to this play is ‘wait … is that real?’ And while I have taken some dramatic liberties, a lot of it is very real. I also want people to laugh. The current political climate is so volatile that I wanted a play about politics that is fun to watch,” said playwright Will Allan. “Baxter and Whitaker are relatively unknown and they changed the game of politics forever, especially Leone Baxter, a woman being president of a company and accomplishing what she did in the 1930s, it is truly remarkable.” 

Campaigns, Inc. was developed through the same TimeLine Playwrights Collective that brought Tyla Abercrumbie’s break-out new play, Relentless, to its acclaimed world premiere run last season at TimeLine, followed by a transfer and extended sold-out run at Goodman Theatre.

TimeLine’s Playwrights Collective was launched in 2013 to support Chicago-based playwrights in residence and create new work centered on TimeLine’s mission of presenting plays inspired by history that connect to today’s social and political issues. Campaigns, Inc. is now the third play developed through the Collective to receive a full production, after Relentless and Brett Neveu’s To Catch a Fish, which premiered at TimeLine in 2018.

TimeLine’s production team for Campaigns, Inc. includes Sydney Lynne (Scenic Designer, she/her), Sally Dolembo (Costume Designer, she/her), Jared Gooding (Lighting Designer, he/him), Forrest Gregor (Co-Sound Designer, he/him), Andrew Hansen (Co-Sound Designer, he/him), Rowen Doe (Properties Designer, they/them/), Anthony Churchill (Projections Designer, he/him), Katie Cordts (Co-Wig and Hair Designer she/her), Megan Pirtle (Co-Wig and Hair Designer and Associate Costume Designer, she/her), Sammi Grant (Dialect Director, she/her), Alka Nayyar (Associate Director, she/her), Maren Robinson (Dramaturg, she/her), and Miranda Anderson (Stage Manager, she/her).

CAMPAIGNS, INC. PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE/EVENTS

Regular performances continue through September 25: Wednesdays and Thursdays at 7:30 p.m.; Fridays at 8 p.m.; Saturdays at 4 p.m. and 8 p.m.; and Sundays at 2 p.m. Exceptions: No 4 p.m. performance Saturday August 13. Show time Sunday, August 21 is 4 p.m.

BUYING TICKETS

Single tickets to Campaigns, Inc. go on sale Wednesday, July 6 at timelinetheatre.com or by calling the TimeLine Box Office at (773) 281-8463 x6.

Preview tickets are $25. Single tickets to regular performances start at $42 (Wednesday through Friday), $49 (Saturday evenings) and $57 (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 available discounts.

LOCATION/TRANSPORTATION/PARKING

Campaigns, Inc. will take place at TimeLine Theatre, 615 W. Wellington Ave., in Chicago’s Lakeview East neighborhood, near the corner of Wellington and Broadway, inside the former Wellington Avenue United Church of Christ building, now Chabad East Lakeview.

TimeLine is served by multiple CTA trains and buses. There are multiple paid parking options nearby, plus limited free and metered street parking. Visit timelinetheatre.com for details and available discounts.

DISCUSSIONS, EVENTS, AND ACCESSIBILITY

TimeLine’s schedule of post-show discussions, pre-show discussions, a Company Member discussion, and Sunday Scholars panel discussion, plus accessibility services such as distanced performances, captioned performances, and an audio-described performance, are still to be announced. Event dates and details will be posted on TimeLine’s website at timelinetheatre.com once available.

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.

HEALTH AND SAFETY

Since returning to live performances in January 2022, TimeLine has been ensuring COVID-19 vaccination and mask requirements for audiences, artists, and staff. In general, protocols have required that patrons be masked and fully vaccinated with an FDA-authorized vaccine in order to attend. These protocols are subject to change as the pandemic evolves. For current information about TimeLine’s COVID-19 safety protocols, visit timelinetheatre.com/health-and-safety.

UPCOMING PERFORMANCES

TimeLine’s 2022-23 subscription season includes two more riveting plays that link past, present and future: a landmark classic that recently enjoyed a Tony Award-nominated production on Broadway, and another exciting world premiere from a Los Angeles-based playwright new to Chicago.

Trouble in Mind by Alice Childress, directed by TimeLine Company Member Ron OJ Parson, a scathingly funny backstage drama about interracial politics and the complex, difficult, and often emotional way people talk about race. Previews start November 2, 2022. Press Night is Wednesday, November 9 at 7:30 p.m. Performances run through December 18.

The world premiere of Boulevard of Bold Dreams by LaDarrion Williams, 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. Previews start February 1, 2023. Press Night is Wednesday, February 8 at 7:30 p.m. Performances run through March 19.

Save on tickets to TimeLine’s 2022-23 season with a 3-Admission FlexPass Subscription. Four different tiers, priced from $74.50 to $178, are now on sale. For more information and to purchase, call (773) 281-8463 x6 or visit timelinetheatre.com .

All three 2022-23 productions will be presented at TimeLine Theatre, 615 W. Wellington Avenue in Chicago’s Lakeview neighborhood. 

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 launching its 26th season, TimeLine has presented 84 productions, including 11 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 theatre 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, Wardell Julius Clark, 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 supporters of TimeLine Theatre include Paul M. Angell Family Foundation, Arts Consulting Group, Bayless Family Foundation, The Elizabeth F. Cheney Foundation, Abe and Ida Cooper Foundation, Crown Family Philanthropies, Joseph and Bessie Feinberg Foundation, Forum Fund, Lloyd A. Fry Foundation, Illinois Arts Council Agency, Laughing Acres Family Foundation, MacArthur Fund for Arts and Culture at Prince, National Endowment for the Arts, Polk Bros. Foundation, Pritzker Traubert Foundation, The Shubert Foundation, United States Small Business Administration, and Walder Foundation.

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

BIOGRAPHIES

 

Will Allan (Playwright), a TimeLine Company Member and member of the 2017-18 Playwrights Collective, is a former Chicago-based actor and playwright who now resides in Los Angeles. His Chicago debut was as a member of the original cast of TimeLine's Chicago premiere of The History Boys (directed by Nick Bowling, Equity Jeff Awards—Production and Ensemble). Campaigns, Inc. is his first full-length play, and he is ecstatic that the place he got his start as an actor is the place he'll get his start as a professional playwright. During his decade in Chicago, he performed in numerous productions with Steppenwolf, Goodman, Chicago Shakespeare, Victory Gardens, Remy Bumppo, Theater Wit, and more. Regionally, he has performed with Milwaukee Repertory, Indiana Repertory, Cardinal Stage, and The Human Race Theatre Company. His film and TV acting credits include Awkwafina is Nora from Queens, Chicago Fire, Station 19, Chicago Justice, Runner, and the upcoming Netflix film Unfrosted: The Pop Tarts Story directed by Jerry Seinfeld. His first short film (as screenwriter, producer, and actor), Star Vehicle, will be making the festival rounds throughout 2022 and 2023. A native of Dayton, Ohio, Allan studied at Moscow Art Theatre School in Russia and earned his BA degree in Theatre Performance from North Central College in Naperville, Illinois.

Nick Bowling (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 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, Master Class, The Audience, A Disappearing Number, The Last Wife, and Blood and Gifts. Other Chicago credits include Marriott’s The Sound of Music, 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.

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.