Remy Bumppo Theatre Company Announces Dates for Winter Readings on Ravenswood

Save the Dates: ChiIL Live Shows On Our Radar

Remy Bumppo Theatre Company's Winter 2024 

Readings on Ravenswood Series

First row - (L to R) Artistic Director Marti Lyons (director, Heroes of the Fourth Turning), Creative Producer Christina Casano (director, Dear Elizabeth); Katie Lupica (director, Everybody)

Second row - (L to R) Georgette Verdin (director, Two Sisters and a Piano); Core Ensemble Member Annabel Armour (Far Away,  Everybody); Core Ensemble Member Linda Gillum (director, Far Away)

Third row - (L to R) Core Ensemble Member Aurora Real de Asua (Dear Elizabeth, Far Away); Core Ensemble Member Terry Bell (Everybody); Core Ensemble Member Charín Álvarez (Two Sisters and a Piano)

Fourth row - (L to R) Core Ensemble Member Chiké Johnson (Everybody, Two Sisters and a Piano); Core Ensemble Member Tiffany Renee Johnson (Everybody); Core Ensemble Member Eduardo Xavier (Everybody, Two Sisters and a Piano)

Remy Bumppo Theatre Company is proud to announce the dates for its winter 2024 Readings on Ravenswood series, curated by Artistic Director Marti Lyons and Creative Producer Christina Casano. The series will launch January 22, 2024 and continue through February 26, 2024 on Monday nights at Remy Bumppo’s rehearsal space, 1751 W. Grace. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. and readings will begin at 7 p.m. Readings on Ravenswood are free to attend with a suggested donation. Reservations for the winter 2024 readings will be available starting Wednesday, Nov. 8 at RemyBumppo.org. 

“This winter, Remy Bumppo Theatre Company will host a reading series celebrating our artists and the plays we love at our home on Ravenswood,” said Artistic Director Marti Lyons (she/her/hers). "I’m thrilled to welcome our audiences into our rehearsal space to hear significant plays of the past and present, and to engage in dialogue with our core ensemble and close collaborators. We invite you to spend some winter evenings with us and enjoy great language, great company and great conversation.”

Creative Producer Christina Casano (she/her/hers) added, “I'm excited to partner with Marti on the curation of this reading series. One of my favorite things about my work as creative producer has been to explore what makes a script right for Remy Bumppo. Our reading series is a way to bring forward the text by centering the story while actors bring the language to life."

All Readings on Ravenswood will take place at Remy Bumppo’s rehearsal space at 1751 W. Grace. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. and readings will begin at 7 p.m. The 2024 winter series includes:

Monday, Jan. 22 

Dear Elizabeth

by Sarah Ruhl

Directed by Creative Producer Christina Casano

featuring Core Ensemble Member Aurora Real de Asua

Monday, Jan. 29 

Far Away

by Caryl Churchill

Directed by Core Ensemble Member Linda Gillum

featuring Core Ensemble Members Annabel Armour and Aurora Real de Asua 

Monday, Feb. 5

TBA

Monday, Feb. 12

Everybody

by Branden Jacobs-Jenkins

Directed by Katie Lupica

featuring Core Ensemble Members Annabel Armour, Terry Bell, Linda Gillum, Chiké Johnson, Tiffany Renee Johnson and Eduardo Xavier  

Monday, Feb. 19

Two Sisters and a Piano

by Nilo Cruz

Directed by Georgette Verdin 

featuring Core Ensemble Members Charín Álvarez and Eduardo Xavier

Monday, Feb. 26

Heroes of the Fourth Turning

by Will Arbery 

Directed by Artistic Director Marti Lyons

COMING UP NEXT FROM REMY BUMPPO:

Love Song

March 21 – April 21, 2024

Press Opening: Monday, March 25 at 7 p.m.

By John Kolvenbach

Directed by Artistic Director Marti Lyons

Theater Wit, 1229 W. Belmont

More information at RemyBumppo.org 

Beane has always been different. Joan, his sister, is his only real bridge to the outside world, but she is consumed with her own life, climbing the corporate ladder and sparring with her husband, Harry. When Beane falls madly in love with Molly, Beane’s world suddenly expands and the seismic shift forces all of them to reexamine their own relationships and discover new facets of human connection. An off-kilter romantic comedy, Love Song by John Kolvenbach is a quick-witted exploration of the countless complexities of love and the endless capacity of the heart.

ABOUT REMY BUMPPO THEATRE COMPANY

Remy Bumppo Theatre Company expands and enriches their community’s view of the world, and their own, by producing both the great plays of the past and the important plays of today. As an ensemble-driven theater company, Remy Bumppo authors a more humane culture that listens to, and seeks to understand, the voices, the ideas and the stories of one another. 

Remy Bumppo Theatre Company’s season sponsors are Brenda and James Grusecki, Lynne Simon and Charlotte Toerber. 

SAVE THE DATES: Chicago Premiere of Describe the Night Via Steppenwolf Theatre March 2 – April 9, 2023

ChiIL Live Shows On Our Radar

Steppenwolf Theatre continues its 47th Season

with the Chicago premiere of

Describe the Night

By ensemble member Rajiv Joseph

Directed by ensemble member Austin Pendleton

March 2 – April 9, 2023  

The cast of Steppenwolf Theatre’s Chicago premiere of Describe the Night includes (top row, l to r) Glenn Davis, James Vincent Meredith and Sally Murphy (middle row, l to r) Caroline Neff and Yasen Peyankov (bottom row, l to r) Karen Rodriguez, Jack Cain and Jon Hudson Odom.

Steppenwolf Theatre Company, the nation’s premier ensemble theater company, is pleased to continue its 47th season with ensemble member Rajiv Joseph’s Chicago premiere of Describe the Night, directed by ensemble member Austin Pendleton. This thrilling mystery buried by years of history, fiction and conflict will play March 2 – April 9, 2023 in Steppenwolf’s stunning new in-the-round Ensemble Theater in Honor of Helen Zell, the centerpiece of its recently unveiled Liz and Eric Lefkofsky Arts and Education Center, 1646 N. Halsted St. in Chicago. I'll be out for the press opening March 12th, so check back shortly after for my full review.

Describe the Night will feature ensemble members Glenn Davis, James Vincent Meredith,Sally Murphy, Caroline Neff, Yasen Peyankov and Karen Rodriguez with Jack Cain and Jon Hudson Odom.

Truth is lie; lie is truth. 1920: Jewish writer Isaac Babel begins a journal while serving in war. Ninety years later, this same journal is found in the wreckage of a suspicious plane crash. What did Babel write, and why does it matter? Ensemble member Rajiv Joseph’s epic thriller ricochets through place and time following the unlikely lives of seven individuals – soldiers and poets, KGB agents and babushkas – as they unearth mysteries buried by decades of history, fiction and blood. 

Single tickets for Describe the Night starting at $20 are now on sale at steppenwolf.org and the Box Office at (312) 335-1650.

Steppenwolf 2022-23 Flex Memberships are currently on sale: Black Card Memberships with six tickets for use any time for any production, and Red Card Memberships for theatergoers under 30.  

 

Production Information

In Steppenwolf’s Ensemble Theater in Honor of Helen Zell, 1646 N. Halsted St., Chicago

March 2 – April 9, 2023

Press opening: Sunday, March 12, 2023 at 6 pm

Ticket information: Single tickets starting at $20 are now on sale at steppenwolf.org and the Box Office at (312) 335-1650.

The creative team includes Collette Pollard (Scenic Designer), Raquel Adorno (Costume Designer), Keith Parham (Lighting Designer), Pornchanok Kanchanabanca (Sound Designer), Gigi Buffington (Company Voice and Text Coach), Tom Pearl (Producing Director), JC Clementz, CSA (Casting Director), Christine D. Freeburg (Production Stage Manager) and Kathleen Barrett (Assistant Stage Manager). For full cast and creative team bios, visit steppenwolf.org/tickets--events/seasons-/2022-23/describe-the-night/.

 

Artist Biographies:

Rajiv Joseph (Playwright) is a Steppenwolf Theatre Company ensemble member. His play Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo was a 2010 Pulitzer Prize finalist for Drama and also awarded a grant for Outstanding New American Play by the National Endowment for the Arts. He has twice won the Obie Award for Best New American Play, first in 2016 for Guards at the Taj (also a 2016 Lortel Winner for Best Play), and again in 2018 for Describe the Night. Other plays include King James, which recently had its world premiere at Steppenwolf, Letters of Suresh, Gruesome Playground Injuries, Animals Out of Paper, The North Pool, The Lake Effect, Archduke and Mr. Wolf. He is a graduate of Cleveland Heights High School in Ohio. He received his Bachelor’s degree from Miami University in Ohio, and his MFA from New York University’s Tisch School for the Arts.

Austin Pendleton (Director) began working with Steppenwolf in 1979, when he directed the Ensemble in Say Goodnight, Gracie by Ralph Pape. After that, he returned to direct Loose Ends (by Michael Weller), Three Sisters and Cat on a Hot Tin Roof.  Then he was cast opposite Laurie Metcalf in Educating Rita, directed by Jeff Perry, and on the first day of rehearsal for that was asked to join the Ensemble officially. Since then, he has acted and directed at Steppenwolf frequently, and most recently acted on Broadway in the Steppenwolf-originated The Minutes, by Tracy Letts, directed by Anna D. Shapiro. He has acted over the years in several Broadway shows (the first being the original production of Fiddler on the Roof, in which he was the first Motel, the Tailor), and many off-Broadway and off-off-Broadway shows. He has also directed in these venues, winning a Tony nomination for The Little Foxes (with Elizabeth Taylor) and an Obie Award for Three Sisters (with Peter Sarsgaard and Maggie Gyllenhaal). He's appeared in about 300 movies, and on TV in recurring roles in Oz and Homicide. He has written three plays: Orson's Shadow (which started at Steppenwolf, directed by David Cromer, that moved to off-Broadway and ran for a little under a year); Uncle Bob (the second production of the play, after its New York premiere); and Booth, which, after its New York premiere played at Writers' Theatre in Glencoe. He was also commissioned by Writers' Theatre to write the libretto for A Minister's Wife, a musical adapted from Shaw's Candida, with music by Josh Schmidt and lyrics by Jan Tranen, conceived and directed by Michael Halberstam, which then moved to the Newhouse Theatre at Lincoln Center, in New York. All these works are published and have been frequently produced around the country, and, in the case of Orson's Shadow, in London, and in the case of Uncle Bob, in Paris, translated by Jean-Marie Besset.

 

The Expanded Steppenwolf Campus

Steppenwolf Theatre Company’s trailblazing new 50,000 square foot theater building and education center, the Liz and Eric Lefkofsky Arts and Education Center, was designed by world-renowned architect Gordon Gill FAIA of Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill Architecture, with construction by Norcon. The centerpiece of the new Arts and Education Center is the new 400-seat in-the-round Ensemble Theater in Honor of Helen Zell—one of its kind in Chicago—with theater design and acoustics by Charcoalblue.

The expanded Steppenwolf campus is a cultural nexus for Chicago, offering bold and ambitious opportunities for creative expression, social exchange, unparalleled accessibility, and arts-driven learning for Chicago youth in The Loft, Steppenwolf’s first-ever dedicated education space. The campus expansion also features bright new lobbies and two new full-service bars for socializing designed by fc STUDIO, inc. The $54 million new building is part of Steppenwolf’s multi-phase $73 million Building on Excellence expansion campaign. Learn more about Steppenwolf’s campus expansion at steppenwolf.org/buildingonexcellence.

A Safe Return

As the Chicago theatre community continues to navigate the COVID-19 pandemic, Steppenwolf Theatre remains committed to the safety of its patrons and staff. For the most up-to-date information on our venue’s COVID precautions, please visit steppenwolf.org/welcomeback.

Accessibility

Steppenwolf offers accessible services to ensure all audience members have access to our work, including American Sign Language interpretation (available for student matinees as scheduled with education staff or per public performances below), Spanish Language captions, wheelchair accessible seating and more. With questions, email access@steppenwolf.org.

Sponsor Information 

Describe the Night is generously supported in part by the Zell Family Foundation and PNC. United Airlines is the Official and Exclusive Airline of Steppenwolf. Steppenwolf is also grateful for the significant season support from Northern Trust, Allstate Insurance Company, Amazon, ComEd, Conagra Brands Foundation, JPMorgan Chase, PNC and Vinci Restaurant. Steppenwolf also acknowledges support from the Illinois Arts Council Agency. This project is partially supported by a CityArts Grant from the City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs & Special Events.

Steppenwolf Theatre Company is a Chicago theater that is home to America’s ensemble. The company began performing in the mid-1970s in the basement of a Highland Park, IL church—today Steppenwolf is the nation’s premier ensemble theater with 49 members who are among the top actors, playwrights and directors in the field. Deeply rooted in its ensemble ethos, the company is committed to equity, diversity, inclusion and making the Steppenwolf experience accessible to all. Groundbreaking productions from Balm in Gilead and August: Osage County to Downstate and Pass Over—and accolades that include the National Medal of Arts and 12 Tony® Awards—have made the theatre legendary. Artistic programming includes a main stage season; a Steppenwolf for Young Adults season; LookOut, a multi-genre performance series; and the Steppenwolf NOW virtual stage. The nationally recognized work of Steppenwolf Education engages more than 20,000 participants annually in Chicagoland communities promoting compassion, encouraging curiosity and inspiring action. While firmly grounded in the Chicago community, more than 40 original Steppenwolf productions have enjoyed success nationally and internationally, including Broadway, Off-Broadway, London, Sydney, Galway and Dublin. 2021 marked the opening of Steppenwolf’s landmark Liz and Eric Lefkofsky Arts & Education Center—deepening the company’s commitment to Chicagoland teens and serving as a cultural nexus for Chicago. Glenn Davis and Audrey Francis are the Artistic Directors and E. Brooke Flanagan is Executive Director. Keating Crown is Chair of Steppenwolf’s Board of Trustees.

Steppenwolf’s Mission: Steppenwolf strives to create thrilling, courageous and provocative art in a thoughtful and inclusive environment. We succeed when we disrupt your routine with experiences that spark curiosity, empathy and joy. We invite you to join our ensemble as we navigate, together, our complex world. 

steppenwolf.org, facebook.com/steppenwolftheatre, twitter.com/steppenwolfthtr and instagram.com/steppenwolfthtr.        

SAVE THE DATES: VENUS CABARET THEATER ANNOUNCES FALL PROGRAMMING

ChiIL Live Shows On Our Radar

 Fall line-up to include:

Chicago Gay Men's Chorus presents On the Radio;

Barb Bailey – The Sequel: Hollywood Stories; Tim Murray is Witches!; Hocus Pocus Halloween Bash starring Ginger Minj from Hocus Pocus 2; Carrie 2: The Rage, The Unauthorized Musical Parody; David Fiorello: The Beautiful City Project; With a Twist! featuring Kevin Bishop, Steve Kimbrough, Paul Motondo and Nick Sula and Merry Christmas Darling: Heidi Kettenring sings Karen Carpenter

 

Venus Cabaret Theater, the intimate performance space at Mercury Theater Chicago, under the director of Cabaret Director Honey West, Artistic Director Christopher Chase Carter, Managing Director Kristi J. Martens and Executive Producers Walter Stearns and Eugene Dizon,announces programming for Fall 2022.

Venus Cabaret Theater is Mercury Theater Chicago’s second performance space, offering a unique theatrical experience complemented by specialty cocktails. Tickets for all Venus Cabaret Theater and Mercury Theater Chicago performances are available at MercuryTheaterChicago.com.

Cabaret Director Honey West comments, “As a performer, the Venus Cabaret Theater is one of my favorite places for cabaret. It’s a beautiful and intimate room and we thrilled to share it this fall with so many talented performers, including the Chicago Gay Men’s Chorus, Ginger Minj, Heidi Kettenring, Barb Bailey, Tim Murray and David Fiorello—and more! I know that performers and audience members, alike, will fall in love with the room, just as I have.”

The Venus Cabaret Theater Fall line-up includes:

 

Chicago Gay Men's Chorus presents On the Radio            

Saturday, September 17 at 7 pm and 9 pm

Tickets: $40 Reserved Seat, $25 General Admission

Tickets available on CGMC website https://www.cgmc.org/get-tickets/

 

On the Radio highlights Orson Welles' radio play "War of the Worlds" in a very CGMC-branded way. 29 chorus members celebrate 32 hits that permeated the airwaves. Whether it's about the radio, happened while listening to the radio, or Donna Summer's hit "On the Radio," the CGMC has it covered. Tune in this September. 

 

 

Barb Bailey – The Sequel: Hollywood Stories

Saturday, September 24 at 7:30 pm

Tickets: $35 General Admission (in-advance), $40 General Admission (day-of)

 

New songs and more stories! A heartwarming and hilarious show about how a baby was found in a cardboard box in West Virginia and how she ended up in the Music Business in Hollywood. That baby was Barb Bailey. Her escapades with famous stars are tell-all; bombshell and unforgettable. With a song list just as eclectic as Barb is - the audience is regaled with Sondheim, Peter Allen, and Ella - and everyone in between. Hollywood is a thrill ride exposing celebs from Burt Reynolds to Lady Gaga to high class call girls. Barb is a gorgeous powerhouse of intimacy and unbridled laughter. And her audiences keep bombarding the box offices for more!

 

 

Tim Murray is Witches!

Saturday, October 8 at 8 pm

Tickets: $20 General Admission (in-advance), $25 General Admission (day-of)

 

Wicked-obsessed stand-up comedian and TikTok gay Tim Murray performs original comedy songs about his favorite pop culture witches! Murray has made a brand out of loving the musical Wicked and now he has harnessed his passion into a super gay Halloween show about his favorite witches from several different movies and shows. Tim is a stand-up comedian, host of Slumber Party Podcast on iHeart Radio and can be seen on The Other Two on HBO Max, The Vivienne Takes Hollywood, the film Swan Song starring Jennifer Coolidge, and all over TikTok with his viral (often Wicked themed) sketch comedy videos. He has appeared in 50 Shades the Musical Off-Broadway (New York Times’ Critics Pick), Voldemort and the Teenage Hogwarts Musical Parody in London, and has toured his hour of stand-up in the UK, US and appeared at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, SF Sketchfest, DragCon UK and DragCon LA.

 

 

Hocus Pocus Halloween Bash

Starring Ginger Minj from Hocus Pocus 2

Featuring Ginger Galore, Aria Hard and Michael Burlow

Presented by Fruit Wine Productions

Friday, October 14 at 8:30 pm and 10:30 pm

Saturday, October 15 at 8:30 pm and 10:30 pm

Sunday, October 16 at 2 pm

Tickets: $40 General Admission

 

It's been 30 years and the Sanderson sisters are back! Join Ginger Minj, fresh off her appearance in Hocus Pocus 2, Gidget Galore and Aria Hard as Winnifred, Mary and Sarah for The Hocus Pocus Halloween Bash! Are you ready to run amok amok amok?

 

 

Carrie 2: The Rage, The Unauthorized Musical Parody

October 17 at 7:30pm

Tickets: $25

 

Since 1976 you've been in love with Carrie White, the telekinetic teen whose catastrophic prom night captivated the nation and led to thrilling adaptations, musicals, and revivals. Since 1999, you've completely missed the fact that Carrie has a legitimate cinematic sequel that tells the story of Carrie's half-sister, Rachel, an angst-ridden rebel whose life seems to be looking up until her mysterious powers take hold. 

 

Now, with Carrie 2: The Rage, The Unauthorized Musical Parody (In Concert), you can relive the magic of Carrie in nearly every way as prom night survivor-turned-school counselor Sue Snell seeks to help Rachel before it's too late, Rachel's hyper-religious mother tries to kill her, and popular high schoolers prove, once again, they are the absolute worst. 

 

 

David Fiorello: The Beautiful City Project

Monday, October 31 at 7:30 pm

Tickets, $25, will be available October 1 at http://www.thebeautifulcityproject.com

 

Join The Beautiful City Project as they present Project Moonfall, a Halloween-inspired evening of some of the darker songs in musical theater. Featuring many of the city's top talent, these shows tend to sell out quickly, so if you haven't seen one of their projects yet, now is absolutely the time!

 

 

With a Twist!

Featuring Kevin Bishop, Steve Kimbrough, Paul Motondo, and Nick Sula

Friday, November 18 at 7:30 pm

Saturday, November 19 at 7:30 pm

Tickets: $25 General Admission

 

With A Twist! is comprised of Kevin Bishop, Steve Kimbrough, Paul Motondo, and Nick Sula. The mixologists of song bring you their concoction of potent arrangements and refreshing mashups celebrating icons. They put their twist on classic and contemporary songs transforming them into unique, fun three-part harmony. They have been performing together since 2011 with numerous hit shows at Davenport’s, Park West, Stage 773, The Skokie Theater and Uptown Underground. Come on and get Twisted!

 

 

Merry Christmas Darling: Heidi Kettenring sings Karen Carpenter

Friday, November 25 at 8:30 pm

Saturday, November 26 at 3:30 pm and 8:30 pm

Sunday, November 27 at 3:30 pm

Tickets: $70

 

Chicago’s favorite leading lady Heidi Kettenring (Wicked, Broadway in Chicago) and her exceptional band present the timeless treasures and holiday hits of Karen Carpenter. A storyteller sure to stir the heart, multi-award-winner Kettenring tenderly chronicles Carpenter’s troubles and triumphs with a familiar angelic radiance. Around the Town Chicago calls the show, “Glorious. An elegant, tear jerking, sing along concert event." Songs include "Close To You," "Merry Christmas Darling," "For All We Know," and "The Christmas Song." Presented by Artists Lounge Live.

COVID PROTOCOL: Mercury Theater Chicago follows the CDC and State of Illinois recommendations about maintaining a COVID safe environment. Any interaction with the public poses an inherent risk of exposure to COVID-19. By visiting Mercury Theater Chicago, it is understood that everyone voluntarily assumes all risks related to exposure.

 

Patrons are highly encouraged to wear masks throughout the performance when not actively eating or drinking regardless of vaccination status.

About Mercury Theater Chicago

The beautifully renovated Mercury Theater Chicago is in the heart of the Southport Corridor at 3745 North Southport Avenue, within a sophisticated neighborhood of restaurants and boutiques just steps from Wrigley Field. A delightful destination, Mercury Theater Chicago is a live-theater seating 280 people, adjoining Venus Cabaret Theater (seating 80). 

 

The building that houses the Mercury opened in 1912 as a silent film nickelodeon, named The Blaine Theatre after actor and former Senator and Secretary of State James G. Blaine. The Blaine became obsolete when talking pictures became popular nationwide in 1928. The building served a variety of uses until 1994, when it was purchased by theater producer Michael Cullen and transformed into a live theatre, named the Mercury Theatre.

 

In 2010 the building was sold again and reopened as Mercury Theater Chicago under the direction of Walter Stearns, a veteran theater director and producer. Mercury Theater Chicago's second performance space, Venus Cabaret Theater, offers a unique intimate theatrical experience complemented by specialty cocktails. Mercury Theater Chicago is thrilled to be part of the city's vibrant theatre community, boasting record-setting long runs, employing hundreds of artists, and recognized with dozens of award nominations. Mercury Theater Chicago's team includes Christopher Chase Carter (Artistic Director), Walter Stearns and Eugene Dizon (Executive Producers), Kristi J. Martens (Managing Director) and Honey West (Cabaret Director). Visit MercuryTheaterChicago.com.

SAVE THE DATES: City Lit’s 2022-23 Season Announced

ChiIL Live Shows On Our Radar

City Lit’s 2022-23 season to include a classic by Pinter  and two world premieres: a Kingsley Day/Philip LaZebnik musical and the first installment of a trilogy

City Lit Theater today announced its lineup for the 2022-23 season – its 42nd. The season will begin in October with the world premiere of THE MARK OF KANE, by Chicago playwright/actor Mark Pracht, continue in January and February with Harold Pinter’s THE BIRTHDAY PARTY and conclude in late spring with the world premiere of Kingsley Day and Philip LaZebnik’s musical AZTEC HUMAN SACRIFICE.  In a departure from previous years, this season will include three rather than four productions, as the company’s previous season of four plays had its start delayed until January 2022 due to COVID and will conclude in early October when its current production of HAY FEVER closes. City Lit’s eclectic three-show season announced today by the company’s Producer and Artistic Director Terry McCabe will return the company’s scheduling to the more common industry pattern of beginning in fall and continuing into late spring and summer.  Future seasons will include four productions. Pracht's play, ranging in setting across eight decades, begins in 1939 as Bob Kane and Bill Finger create the comic book character Batman; one of them goes on to fame and fortune while the other languishes in obscurity  THE MARK OF KANE is the first play of "The Four-Color Trilogy," a set of plays Pracht is writing for City Lit that will make their world premieres over the next three seasons and will highlight major turning points in the history of the comic book industry, once a denigrated art form but now at the center of American pop culture. McCabe will direct. THE MARK OF KANE will open to the press on Sunday, October 30, following previews from October 21 and will play through December 4, 2022.   City Lit will return after the holidays with Harold Pinter’s THE BIRTHDAY PARTY, his first full-length play and the work which established him as a major writer. McCabe will direct this dark comedy, which like Pinter’s later work, is ambivalent in its plotting, presentation of characters, and ending, but is a work of undeniable power and originality. Like Pinter’s later plays, it is often called “a comedy of menace,” in which a character is suddenly threatened by the vague horrors at large in the outside world. It is an unquestioned classic of 20th Century theater. THE BIRTHDAY PARTY will open to the press on Sunday, January 22, following previews from January 13. It will play through February 26, 2023.   The season will end with the world premiere of AZTEC HUMAN SACRIFICE, a musical by Chicagoan (and City Lit regular performer) Kingsley Day and Hollywood screenwriter Philip LaZebnik (POCAHONTAS, MULAN, THE PRINCE OF EGYPT), authors of the legendary Chicago musical comedy SUMMER STOCK MURDER. The musical, rescheduled from its previously announced slot in City Lit’s 41st season, concerns the “Chosen One” to be sacrificed to the Sun God, but who has instead run off with the Emperor’s daughter. The community pursues the young man, who must be found and sacrificed so that the world does not end. AZTEC HUMAN SACRIFICE will open to the press on Sunday, May 14, 2023, following previews from May 5, and will play through June 18, 2023.   Subscriptions for the three-show season are available at $75.00, good for all performances, or $58.50 for preview performances. Subscriptions may be ordered online at www.citylit.org. Single tickets for the 22-23 season are priced at $30 for previews and $34 for regular performances and will be on sale at www.citylit.org. Senior prices are $25 for previews and $29 for regular performances. Students and military are $12.00 for all performances.   HEALTH PRECAUTIONS AT CITY LIT   Everyone at City Lit--casts, crews, and office staff alike--is or will be fully vaccinated by the time performances begin.  Patrons will be required to show their vaccination cards and wear masks at all times while in the building. We will also be following CDC ventilation guidelines on a daily basis to ensure a complete exchange of air in the theatre between performances. City Lit will of course comply with the full set of whatever official health guidelines are in place at any time. THE MARK OF KANE By Mark Pracht WORLD PREMIERE Directed by Terry McCabe October 21 – December 4, 2022 Previews October 21 – 29, 2022 Friday and Saturday at 7:30 pm, Sunday at 3 pm. Preview ticket prices $30.00, seniors $25, students and military $12.00 (all plus applicable fees) PRESS OPENING Sunday, October 30, 2022 – 3 pm Regular run October 30 – December 4, 2022 Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 pm, Sundays at 3 pm. Mondays November 21 and 28 at 7:30 pm Regular run ticket prices $34.00, seniors $29.00, students and military $12.00 (all plus applicable fees) Performances at City Lit Theatre, 1020 W. Bryn Mawr Ave. Chicago 60660 (Inside Edgewater Presbyterian Church) Info and tickets at www.citylit.org and by phone at 773-293-3682. In 1939, two young friends huddled in a Bronx apartment and created a legend – the comic book character Batman. One, Bob Kane, goes on to fame and fortune while the other, Bill Finger, languishes in obscurity. THE MARK OF KANE is the first play of "The Four-Color Trilogy," a set of plays Mark Pracht is writing for City Lit that will make their world premieres over the next three seasons and will highlight major turning points in the history of the comic book industry, once a denigrated art form but now at the center of American pop culture.   THE BIRTHDAY PARTY By Harold Pinter Directed by Terry McCabe January 13 – February 26, 2023 Previews Jan. 13 – 21, 2023 Friday and Saturday at 7:30 pm, Sunday at 3 pm. Preview ticket prices $30.00, seniors $25, students and military $12.00 (all plus applicable fees) PRESS OPENING Sunday, January 22, 2023 – 3 pm Regular run January 22 – February 26, 2023 Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 pm, Sundays at 3 pm. Mondays ­­­February 13 and 20 at 7:30 pm Regular run ticket prices $34.00, seniors $29.00, students and military $12.00 (all plus applicable fees) Performances at City Lit Theatre, 1020 W. Bryn Mawr Ave. Chicago 60660 (Inside Edgewater Presbyterian Church) Info and tickets at www.citylit.org and by phone at 773-293-3682.   A comedy of menace. Stanley may or may not play the piano, and today may or may not be his birthday, and he may or may not be hiding from someone in Meg's boarding house where he's lived for a year. But he's definitely made nervous by news that two new boarders are about to arrive, and she's definitely throwing him a party.   AZTEC HUMAN SACRIFICE Music & Lyrics by Kingsley Day Book by Kingsley Day and Philip LaZebnik May 5 – June 18, 2023 Previews May 5 – 13, 2023 Friday and Saturday at 7:30 pm, Sunday at 3 pm. Preview ticket prices $30.00, seniors $25, students and military $12.00 (all plus applicable fees) PRESS OPENING Sunday, May 14, 2023 – 3 pm Regular run May 14 – June 18, 2023 Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 pm, Sundays at 3 pm. Mondays ­June 5 and 12 at 7:30 pm Regular run ticket prices $34.00, seniors $29.00, students and military $12.00 (all plus applicable fees) Performances at City Lit Theatre, 1020 W. Bryn Mawr Ave. Chicago 60660 (Inside Edgewater Presbyterian Church) Info and tickets at www.citylit.org and by phone at 773-293-3682   It’s the night before the beginning of the Aztec empire’s new millennium, and the Chosen One – so named because he is to be sacrificed in order to make the sun rise next morning -  has run off with the Emperor’s daughter.  If he is not found, the sun will not rise and the world will end.  By the writer of the legendary Chicago musical comedy SUMMER STOCK MURDER.

BIOS   Mark Pracht (Playwright, THE MARK OF KANE) has worked as an actor, director and playwright in Chicago since 2001. He has appeared on stage at City Lit in the title role of PROMETHEUS BOUND, as The Creature in FRANKENSTEIN, and as Milt Shanks in THE COPPERHEAD, among other roles. He was a company member of the Shelterbelt Theatre in Omaha, where he helped develop and produce seven world premiere productions, including his own full-length play, NEON.  He is an ensemble member of The Artistic Home, where he won a Jeff Award for Leading Performer in a Play for REQUIEM FOR A HEAVYWEIGHT. Beyond THE MARK OF KANE, his Four-Color Trilogy includes THE INNOCENCE OF SEDUCTION, about the 1950s Congressional investigation of horror comics, and THE HOUSE OF IDEAS, about the 1960s rise of Marvel.   Harold Pinter (Playwright, THE BIRTHDAY PARTY) was one of the most influential modern British dramatists, with a writing career that spanned more than 50 years. His best-known plays include THE BIRTHDAY PARTY (1957), THE HOMECOMING (1964), and BETRAYAL (1978), each of which he adapted for the screen. His screenplay adaptations of others' works include THE SERVANT (1963), THE GO-BETWEEN (1971), THE FRENCH LIEUTENANT'S WOMAN (1981), THE TRIAL (1993), and SLEUTH (2007). He also directed or acted in radio, stage, television, and film productions of his own and others' works.

Kingsley Day (Composer, Lyricist, Co-bookwriter AZTEC HUMAN SACRIFICE) has composed the scores for City Lit’s productions of PROMETHEUS BOUND, LONDON ASSURANCE, THE TEMPEST, and VOLPONE. With Philip LaZebnik, he cowrote the comedy TOUR DE FARCE, which premiered at the old Wisdom Bridge Theatre in Chicago starring Steve Carell and Hollis Resnik under the direction of Terry McCabe and has since been performed across the United States and Europe, and the book for the musical STATE STREET, premiered by City Lit as directed by Sheldon Patinkin.

Day’s other collaborations with LaZebnik include writing the music and lyrics and cowriting the books for the musicals SUMMER STOCK MURDER, which ran for 18 months and won a record-setting eight Jeffs in its premiere production; DEAR AMANDA, which starred Alene Robertson at Pheasant Run Playhouse; BYRNE, BABY, BYRNE, which with its sequel ran a total of three years at Zanies Comedy Club; THE JOY OF SOCKS, premiered and revived by the Chicago Premiere Society; and the upcoming AZTEC HUMAN SACRIFICE.   Philip LaZebnik (Co-bookwriter AZTEC HUMAN SACRIFICE) has written screenplays for films including POCAHONTAS, MULAN, THE PRINCE OF EGYPT, THE ROAD TO EL DORADO, He wrote the book for the musical FAIRY TALE, about Hans Christian Andersen with songs by Stephen Schwartz, and wrote the book and lyrics for DreamWorks' theatrical musical version of THE PRINCE OF EGYPT with songs by Stephen Schwartz. LaZebnik also wrote episodes for WINGS, STAR TREK: THE NEXT GENERATION, STAR TREK: DEEP SPACE NINE, THE TORKELSONS and ALMOST HOME.   Terry McCabe (Producer, Artistic Director, Director THE MARK OF KANE, THE BIRTHDAY PARTY) has been City Lit’s artistic director since February 2005 and its producer since July 2016. He has directed plays professionally in Chicago since 1981. He was artistic director of Stormfield Theatre for four years, resident director at Wisdom Bridge Theatre for five years, and worked at Body Politic Theatre three separate times in three different capacities over a span of 14 years. His City Lit adaptations of HOLMES AND WATSON, GIDGET (co-adapted with Marissa McKown), THE HOUND OF THE BASKERVILLES, SCOUNDREL TIME, and OPUS 1861 (co-adapted with Elizabeth Margolius) were Jeff-nominated. He won two Jeff Citations for directing at Stormfield and has been thrice nominated for the Jeff Award for Best Director, for shows at Court Theatre, Wisdom Bridge, and Victory Gardens. He has directed at many Chicago theatres either long-gone or still with us, as well as off-Broadway at the Cherry Lane Theatre and at Vienna’s English Theatre.  His book MIS-DIRECTING THE PLAY has been denounced at length in American Theatre magazine and from the podium at the national convention of The Literary Managers and Dramaturgs of the Americas but has been used in directing courses on three continents and is now available in paperback and Kindle e-book.   HEALTH PRECAUTIONS AT CITY LIT   Proof of vaccination is required for all attendees of all performances (physical vaccination card or legible image of vaccination card. Refunds will not be issued if admittance is refused due to lack of vaccination documentation.   ABOUT CITY LIT   For over four decades, City Lit Theater has been dedicated to the vitality and accessibility of the literary imagination. City Lit produces theatrical adaptations of literary material, scripted plays by language-oriented playwrights, and original material. City Lit Theater was founded with $210 pooled by Arnold Aprill (at the time the Body Politic Theatre’s box office manager), David Dillon, and Lorell Wyatt on October 9, 1979, and was incorporated on March 25, 1980. There were still so few theatres in Chicago that at City Lit’s launch event, they were able to read a congratulatory letter they had received from Tennessee Williams.   City Lit is in the historic Edgewater Presbyterian Church building at 1020 West Bryn Mawr Avenue. We are two blocks east of both the Bryn Mawr Red Line stop and the #36 Broadway and the #84 Peterson buses. We are one block west of the #147 Sheridan and #151 Sheridan buses. Divvy bike stations are located at Bryn Mawr & Lakefront Trail, and at Broadway & Ridge at Bryn Mawr. The metered street parking pay boxes on Bryn Mawr have a three-hour maximum duration and are free on Sundays. There are additional details about parking and dining options at www.citylit.org.  City Lit is supported by the MacArthur Funds for Arts and Culture at the Richard H. Driehaus Foundation, the Gaylord and Dorothy Donnelley Foundation, the Ivanhoe Theater Foundation, the Illinois Arts Council Agency and is sponsored, in part, by A.R.T. League.    For more information and to donate, visit www.citylit.org and by phone at 773-293-3682.

Broadway In Chicago Season To Feature 1776, TINA – THE TINA TURNER MUSICAL, A SOLDIER’S PLAY, JAGGED LITTLE PILL, and MJ

BROADWAY IN CHICAGO SEASON TO FEATURE

1776, TINA-THE TINA TURNER MUSICAL, A SOLDIER’S PLAY,

JAGGED LITTLE PILL, AND MJ

Now Available to Current Subscribers for Renewal

Current subscribers can now renew by visiting BroadwayInChicago.com or calling (312) 977-1717. New subscriptions will go on sale to the public on Monday, August 15, 2022. Subscriber benefits include savings of up to 58% off ticket prices this season, discounts on both parking and suite service, invitations to Broadway In Chicago exclusive events, free exchange privileges based on availability and more.

The Broadway In Chicago line-up, including performance dates and venues, is as follows:

1776

February 28 – March 12, 2023

CIBC Theatre (18 W. Monroe St.)

What will it take to get two dozen powerfully passionate, exceedingly complicated, and all-too-human individuals to settle their differences, while they hold the very future of a nation in their hands? American Repertory Theater/Roundabout Theatre Company’s new production of the Tony Award(R)-winning Best Musical, 1776, is a tuneful, witty, and constantly surprising reexamination of a pivotal moment in American history from directors Jeffrey L. Page (Violet) and Diane Paulus (Waitress). 1776 comes to Chicago with the celebrated Broadway cast that reflects multiple representations of race, gender, and ethnicity. You may never think about our country—who we are and why—the same way again.  

TINA – THE TINA TURNER MUSICAL

March 14 – April 2, 2023

James M. Nederlander Theatre (24 W. Randolph St.)

HER VOICE IS UNDENIABLE. HER FIRE IS UNSTOPPABLE. HER TRIUMPH IS UNLIKE ANY OTHER.

An uplifting comeback story like no other, TINA – THE TINA TURNER MUSICAL is the inspiring journey of a woman who broke barriers and became the Queen of Rock n’ Roll.

A SOLDIER’S PLAY

April 4 – 16, 2023

CIBC Theatre (18 W. Monroe St.)

A SOLDIER’S PLAY, the 1982 Pulitzer Prize-winning thriller by Charles Fuller, has rocketed back into the spotlight, thanks to this 2020 Tony Award®-winning Best Revival from Roundabout Theatre Company. In 1944, on a Louisiana Army base, two shots ring out. A Black sergeant is murdered. And a series of interrogations triggers a gripping barrage of questions about sacrifice, service, and identity in America. Broadway’s Norm Lewis leads a powerhouse cast in the show Variety calls “a knock-your-socks-off-drama," directed by Tony winner Kenny Leon. 

JAGGED LITTLE PILL

April 11 – 23, 2023

James M. Nederlander Theatre (24 W. Randolph St.)

SOME SHOWS YOU SEE. THIS SHOW YOU FEEL.

Joy, love, heartache, strength, wisdom, catharsis, LIFE—everything we’ve been waiting to see in a Broadway show— is here in the exhilarating, fearless new musical based on Alanis Morissette’s world-changing music. Directed by Tony Award winner Diane Paulus (Waitress, Pippin, upcoming 1776) with a Tony-winning book by Diablo Cody (Juno) and Grammy-winning score, this electrifying production about a perfectly imperfect American family “vaults the audience to its collective feet” (The Guardian). “Redemptive, rousing and real, JAGGED LITTLE PILL stands alongside the original musicals that have sustained the best hopes of Broadway." (The New York Times) 

You live, you learn, you remember what it’s like to feel truly human… at JAGGED LITTLE PILL.  

MJ

August 1 – September 2, 2023 

James M. Nederlander Theatre (24 W. Randolph St.) 

Production Photos Available Here. 

The music. The showmanship. The icon. Now, the unparalleled artistry of the greatest entertainer of all time comes to Chicago as MJ, the Tony Award®-winning new musical centering on the making of the 1993 Dangerous World Tour, begins a tour of its own. Created by Tony Award®-winning Director/Choreographer Christopher Wheeldon and two-time Pulitzer Prize winner Lynn Nottage, MJ offers not just Michael Jackson's singular moves and signature sound, but also a thrilling glimpse into the creative spirit and obsessive mind that created the biggest pop superstar the world has ever known. MJ is startin' somethin' as it makes its national tour premiere at the James M. Nederlander Theatre in August 2023.

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 more than 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.

Masks are recommended, but not required. Our COVID protocol can change without notice. For complete information on our COVID protocol visit www.BroadwayInChicago.com/covid19.

For more information and tickets, visit www.BroadwayInChicago.com.

Facebook @BroadwayInChicago ● Twitter @broadwaychicago 

● Instagram @broadwayinchicago ● #broadwayinchicago

SAVE THE DATES: TimeLine Theatre Company Announces 26th season for 2022-2023

TIMELINE THEATRE COMPANY ANNOUNCES 2022-23 SEASON

Pictured (from left): TimeLine 2022-23 season artists Will Allan, Nick Bowling, Alice Childress, Ron OJ Parson, Malkia Stampley, and LaDarrion Williams. TimeLine Theatre Company, acclaimed for presenting plays that explore today’s social and political issues through the lens of the past, is thrilled to announce its 26th season. After celebrating its 25th Anniversary in residence at Theater Wit—a season that featured the world premiere, acclaimed hit Relentless, which went on to an extended run at Goodman Theatre—the company will return to its longtime home in Chicago’s Lakeview East neighborhood, located at 615 W. Wellington Avenue, for three productions.                                               TimeLine’s 2022-23 season will feature two previously announced plays that were postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, including a world premiere developed through the same TimeLine Playwrights Collective that nurtured Relentless and a landmark classic that recently enjoyed a Tony Award-nominated production on Broadway. The third is an exciting world premiere from a Los Angeles-based playwright new to Chicago. TimeLine’s 2022-23 subscription season includes three riveting plays that link past, present and future:   The world premiere of Campaigns, Inc. by TimeLine Company Member Will Allan, developed through TimeLine’s Playwrights Collective and directed by TimeLine Associate Artistic Director Nick Bowling, is a hilarious and timely true story about the power that persuasion, deceit, and perception hold in the U.S. electoral system. 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. 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, is a story of dreamers striving to overcome considerable obstacles and fighting for recognition amidst the racism and inequity of Hollywood.   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.   “These quintessential American stories, set in the 1930s, ‘40s and ‘50s, explore the intersection of politics, race, and entertainment and brim with humor and poignancy about our culture today,” Artistic Director PJ Powers said. “Following the success of TimeLine’s homegrown play Relentless, we’re proud to feature another new work developed during the same cohort of our Playwrights Collective—Will Allan’s Campaigns, Inc. This hilarious political comedy was originally planned to coincide with the 2020 presidential election. Following a COVID delay, it hasn’t lost any of its resonant irony as we head into a contentious midterm election season.”   Powers continued: “Another previously delayed play finally makes it to our stage—Alice Childress’ Trouble In Mind. It’s a story that is both funny and searing in its exploration of power and representation both within the American theatre and outside its walls. And we’ll further that conversation with the world premiere of Boulevard of Bold Dreams, shining a light on the trailblazing Hattie McDaniel on the historic night she won her Oscar for Gone With the Wind, introducing the powerful voice of LaDarrion Williams to Chicago through his play about dreamers, obstacles, and the not-so-changing landscape of Hollywood from the 1940s to today.”

THE 2022-23 TIMELINE THEATRE SUBSCRIPTION SEASON IS: World Premiere Campaigns, Inc. by TimeLine Company Member Will Allan directed by TimeLine Associate Artistic Director Nick Bowling August 11 – September 18, 2022 (previews 8/3 – 8/10)                                             Based on the true story of Leone Baxter and Clem Whitaker, who formed the first political consulting firm in U.S. history, 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.”   It is 1934, and famous novelist Upton Sinclair is all but guaranteed to become the first Democratic governor of the state of California—until a young, unknown pair of consultants from the shadows of the challenger’s campaign attempt to take him down. As 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 smear campaigns ever.                                             Previously announced as the season opener for TimeLine’s 2020-21 season, this world premiere play was developed through TimeLine’s Playwrights Collective, 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 the third play developed through the Collective to receive a full production, following Brett Neveu’s To Catch a Fish, presented at TimeLine in 2018; and Tyla Abercrumbie’s Relentless, presented in an acclaimed world premiere run at TimeLine followed by an extended sold-out run at Goodman Theatre in 2022. Campaigns, Inc. received its first public reading as part of TimeLine’s inaugural First Draft Playwrights Collective Festival in December 2018.   Trouble in Mind by Alice Childress directed by TimeLine Company Member Ron OJ Parson November 10 – December 18, 2022 (previews 11/2 – 11/9)              Acclaimed by The New York Times as “a rich, unsettling play that lives up to its title [and] lingers in one’s memory long after its conclusion,” this scathingly funny backstage drama about interracial politics explores the complex, difficult, and often emotional way people talk about race.            On stage at a Broadway theater in New York City in the mid-1950s, a group of actors has gathered for their first day rehearsing a new play called Chaos in Belleville, an anti-lynching Southern drama. But as the cast rehearses, tensions flair between Wiletta, the Black actress in the starring role, and her white director about his interpretation of the play. The result is an explosive conversation about equality, power, and how race is portrayed in the American theatre.   Written by Alice Childress (the first Black woman to have a play professionally produced in New York City) and featuring a play-within-a-play structure, Trouble in Mind is a groundbreaking backstage satire of egos and attitudes and an insightful look at the importance of honest representation. It was previously announced to take place in TimeLine’s 2020-21 season, and most recently enjoyed an acclaimed Broadway production nominated for four 2022 Tony Awards, including Best Revival of a Play. The critics raved that this “masterpiece of astonishing power” (New York Magazine) is “the play of the moment” (The New York Times) and “will take your breath away” (Associated Press).   World Premiere Boulevard of Bold Dreams by LaDarrion Williams directed by Malkia Stampley February 16 – March 26, 2023 (previews 2/8 – 2/15)              It is February 29, 1940, the night of the Academy Awards in Hollywood, California. Bartender Arthur Brooks, an ambitious Black man from rural Alabama, dreams of becoming a movie director. His best friend, Dottie Hudson, is a maid at the Ambassador Hotel who finds herself to be a cynic of all dreams. But when the actress Hattie McDaniel stops in at the bar and decides not to attend the biggest event in show business, Arthur and Dottie must do everything in their power to convince her to go and claim her historic win—all while confronting their dark past and making their own dreams come to life.   This play about race, class, gender, and the ever-changing landscape of Hollywood has previously had public readings at The Echo Theatre Company (featuring TimeLine Company Member Mildred Marie Langford) and Morgan-Wixson Theatre’s New Works Festival. TimeLine’s production will be its world premiere.   Casting for all plays will be announced at a later date.    HEALTH AND SAFETY   TimeLine is currently requiring proof of vaccination for entry and mask-wearing to attend. Patrons are asked for their vaccination card or a picture of their vaccination card when they arrive along with valid photo ID, and are asked to wear a mask over their nose and mouth throughout their visit. These protocols are subject to change as the pandemic continues to evolve. For more information about TimeLine’s Health & Safety policies, visit timelinetheatre.com/health-and-safety.

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 25th Anniversary season, TimeLine has presented 82 productions, including 11 world premieres and 38 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 the Abe and Ida Cooper Foundation, Paul M. Angell Family Foundation, Arts Consulting Group, Bayless Family Foundation, The Elizabeth F. Cheney Foundation, City of Chicago, Crown Family Philanthropies, Joseph and Bessie Feinberg Foundation, Forum Fund, Lloyd A. Fry Foundation, Illinois Arts Council Agency, Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, 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, Campaigns, Inc.), a TimeLine Company Member and member the 2017-18 Playwrights Collective, is a former Chicago actor and playwright who is now based 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 thrilled 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. 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, Campaigns, Inc.) 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.  

Alice Childress (Playwright, Trouble in Mind, 1916–1994) was raised during the Harlem Renaissance under the watchful eye of her beloved maternal grandmother and grew up to become first an actress and then a playwright and novelist. A founding member of the American Negro Theatre, she wrote her first play, Florence, in 1949. The script was written in one night on a dare from her close friend, the actor Sidney Poitier, who had told Alice that he didn’t think a great play could be written overnight. She proved him wrong, and the play was produced Off-Broadway in 1950. In 1952, Childress became the first African American woman to see her play (Gold Through the Trees) professionally produced in New York. In 1955, Childress’ play Trouble in Mind opened Off-Broadway at the Greenwich Mews Theatre. The production was a critical and popular success and immediately drew interest from producers for a Broadway transfer. In an ironic twist echoing the tribulations of the characters in the play itself, the producers wanted changes to the script to make it more palatable to a commercial audience. Childress refused to compromise her artistic vision, and the play never opened on Broadway, ending her chance of being the first African American woman playwright to have a play on Broadway. Trouble in Mindreceived a well-reviewed Off-Broadway revival in 1998 by the Negro Ensemble Company and has since been produced by a multitude of prestigious theatres such as Yale Repertory Theatre, Centerstage, Milwaukee Repertory Theatre, and Arena Stage, and in a Tony Award-nominated revival in 2022. Childress is known for A Hero Ain’t Nothin’ But a Sandwich, her 1973 novel about a 13-year-old Black boy addicted to heroin, which was subsequently made into a movie in 1978. Her other plays include Just a Little Simple (1950), Wedding Band: A Love/Hate Story in Black and White (1966), and Gullah(1984). Throughout her career, Childress examined the true meaning of being Black, and especially of being Black and female. As she herself once said, “I concentrate on portraying have-nots in a have society.”

Ron OJ Parson (Director, Trouble in Mind) became a TimeLine Company Member in 2016. His TimeLine credits include Relentless(also at Goodman Theatre), Too Heavy for Your Pocket, To Catch a Fish, Paradise Blue, Sunset Baby, and A Raisin in the Sun. He is a native of Buffalo, New York, and a graduate of the University of Michigan’s professional theater program. He is the co-founder and former Artistic Director of Onyx Theatre Ensemble of Chicago and a co-founder and co-director of Ripe ManGo Productions. Parson is a Resident Artist at Court Theatre and an Associate Artist with Teatro Vista, and an Associate Artist at Writers Theatre. Since moving to Chicago from New York in 1994, he has worked as both an actor and director. His Chicago credits include work with The Chicago Theatre Company, Victory Gardens, Goodman, Steppenwolf, Chicago Dramatists, Northlight, Court, Black Ensemble Theatre, Congo Square, Northlight Theatre, Urban Theatre Company, City Lit Theater, ETA Creative Arts, and Writers. Regionally, Parson has directed shows at Studio Arena Theatre, Alliance Theatre, Actors Theatre of Louisville, Milwaukee Repertory, South Coast Repertory, Pasadena Playhouse, Geva Theatre, Virginia Stage, Roundabout Theatre, Wilshire Theatre, The Mechanic Theatre, CenterStage, St. Louis Black Repertory, Pittsburgh Public Theater, Pittsburgh Playwrights Theatre, Signature Theatre (New York), Kansas City Rep, and Portland Stage, among others. In Canada, he directed the world premiere of Palmer Park by Joanna McClelland Glass at the Stratford Festival. He is a member of AEA, SAG-AFTRA, and SDC. For further information, visit ronojparson.com.

Malkia Stampley (Director, Boulevard of Bold Dreams) was born and raised in Milwaukee where she attended Marquette University for Theater Arts. She joined Goodman Theatre as Producer in October 2021 after serving as founding Artistic Producer for the Milwaukee Black Theater Festival. Directing credits include Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar and Grill (Farmer's Alley Theatre); The Gift of the Magi (American Players Theater); Black Nativity (Black Arts MKE, three years); Stew (Milwaukee Chamber Theatre); Nunsense(Milwaukee Repertory Theater); Five Guys Named Moe (Skylight Music Theatre); Antarctica, WI (First Stage), IN:FLUENCE/SPIRATION (University of Wisconsin-Madison) with workshops and readings at American Players Theatre, Northern Sky, Milwaukee Fringe Festival, #ENOUGH and Texas State University Black and Latino Playwright Celebration. As a budding playwright, Stampley co-authored Lines, commissioned by Theatre LILA in 2018. Stampley is a founder of Milwaukee Black Theater Festival and Bronzeville Arts Ensemble, a theater established in Milwaukee, where she served as Producing Artistic Director for three seasons. She is also an actor for television, film, and stage. She currently has a guest star recurring role on AMC's 61st Street and her last stage performance was 9 Circles at Next Act Theatre, directed by Michael Cotey. 

LaDarrion Williams (Playwright, Boulevard of Bold Dreams) is a Los Angeles based-playwright, filmmaker, author, and screenwriter whose goal is to cultivate a new era of Black fantasy, providing space and agency for Black characters and stories in a new, fresh and fantastical way. His first play, Katrina, won first place at the Alabama State Thespian Conference. It was also a part of A Noise Within Theatre for their Noise Now Reading Series. His adaptation of the best-selling memoir, Feeding A Monster, was directed by award-winning actor and director Art Evans at the Hudson Theatre in Hollywood, CA. In 2019, he was invited to be a guest writer for Center Theatre Groups’ August Wilson Monologue Competition. His play Black Creek Risin’ was a part of the Great Plains Theatre Conference in Omaha, Nebraska. In September 2019, his play, Coco Queens, was a part of the Sundance Institute’s Playwriting Intensive and was also a semi-finalist for the 2020 Eugene O’Neill National Playwriting Conference. In 2021, his play Boulevard of Bold Dreamswas a part of the New Works Festival at the Morgan-Wixson Theatre in Santa Monica, California. After TimeLine’s production, it will also premiere at Greater Stage Boston in March 2023. Williams is currently a resident playwright/co-creator of The Black Creators Collective where his play UMOJA made its West Coast premiere in January 2022, and he also produced North Hollywood’s first Black playwrights festival at the Waco Theater Center. Serving as a writer-producer, Williams has curated three short films on YouTube. His viral and award-winning short film Blood at the Root is anticipated to become a Young Adult fantasy novel.