OPENING: World Premiere of Queen Begins at Victory Gardens 4/14-5/14

Chi, IL LIVE Shows On Our Radar:

Victory Gardens Theater presents

the World Premiere of

Queen

By Madhuri Shekar

Directed by Joanie Schultz

April 14 – May 14, 2017

Victory Gardens Theater continues its 42nd season with the World Premiere of Queen, written by Madhuri Shekar and directed by Joanie Schultz. Queen runs April 14 – May 14, 2017, with the press performance on Friday, April 21, 2017, at 7:30 pm at Victory Gardens Theater, 2433 N. Lincoln Avenue. 

PhD candidates Sanam and Ariel have spent the better part of the last decade exhaustively researching vanishing bee populations across the globe. Just as these close friends are about to publish a career-defining paper, Sanam stumbles upon a miscalculation. What appears to be a small error could cause catastrophic damage to their reputations, careers, and friendship. Now, Sanam is confronted with an impossible choice: look the other way or stand by her principles and accept the consequences.

The cast of Queen includes Priya Mohanty (Sanam Shah), Darci Nalepa (Ariel Spiegel), Adam Poss (Arvind Patel) and Stephen Spencer (Dr. Philip Hayes).

The creative team includes Chelsea Warren (scenic design), Janice Pytel (costume design), Heather Gilbert (lighting design) and Thomas Dixon (sound design). Lynne Harris is the production stage manager.

Queen by Madhuri Shekar and directed by Joanie Schultz (Cocked, The Whale) returns to Victory Gardens Theater after enthralling audiences at the 2015 IGNITION Festival of New Plays.

”The current conversation around climate change, the disappearance of bees, and our nation’s response to environmental protection continues to be challenging on a daily basis," comments Artistic Director Chay Yew. ”However, it excites me that playwright Madhuri Shekar has kept this dialogue alive and urgent in the world premiere of Queen. With Madhuri's signature wit and her uncanny ability to weave a complex yet remarkably insightful story, this play is framed by two female PhD science students from different races who want nothing more than to protect our planet and the bees that inhabit it – even at the cost of their own friendship."

About the Artists

Madhuri Shekar (Playwright) is based in New York. Her plays include In Love and Warcraft, A Nice Indian Boy, Queen and Antigone, presented by the girls of St. Catherine’s. Her work has been produced, commissioned or developed at the Alliance Theatre, the Old Globe, Center Theatre Group, Victory Gardens, the Kennedy Center, Hedgebrook Playwrights Festival and the Oregon Shakespeare Festival. She is currently a playwriting fellow at the Juilliard School and a member of the Ma-Yi Writers Lab. She co-created the Shakespearean web series Titus and Dronicus (titusanddronicus.com).

Joanie Schultz (Director) Victory Gardens Theater: Cocked, The Whale, Rest, Cocked. Regional: Sex with Strangers (Cleveland Play House); Lot's Wife (Kansas City Repertory Theatre); Hand to God (Studio Theatre). Chicago: Venus in Fur (Goodman Theatre); A Small Fire, The Cheats, Martyr, Luther (Steep Theatre); The Kid Thing (About Face Theatre/Chicago Dramatists); The Girl in the Yellow Dress (Next Theatre); Northanger Abbey (Remy Bumppo Theatre); Bruise Easy (American Theater Company); Spinning (Irish Theatre Chicago); Yankee Tavern (American Blues Theatre); Neighborhood 3 (Strawdog); The Hundred Flowers Project (Silk Road Rising), fml: How Carson McCullers Saved My Life (Steppenwolf for Young Adults); 2013 Co-Artistic Curator for Theater on the Lake. Opera: Bluebeard’s Castle, Der Kaiser von Atlantis, Acis and Galatea, Carmen. Artistic Director: WaterTower Theatre (Addison, TX); former Associate Artistic Producer at Victory Gardens Theater. Fellowships: Leadership U One-on-One Fellowship funded by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation and administered by TCG, Drama League Fellowship, The Goodman Theatre’s Michael Maggio Directing Fellowship, SDCF Denham Fellowship, Lincoln Center Theater Directors Lab. Ensemble Member at Steep Theatre. Theater Faculty Member at Columbia College and the University of Chicago. MFA in Directing (Northwestern University).

PRIYA MOHANTY (Sanam Shah) Collaboraction: Gender Breakdown. Rasaka Theatre: A Widow of No Importance, A Nice Indian Boy, Vanya (That’s Life). Rasaka Theatre & Vitalist Theatre: Multitudes. Cuckoo’s Theatre Project: Anon(ymous)

DARCI NALEPA (Ariel Spiegel) Victory Gardens Debut. Chicago Theater: A Life Extra Ordinary, Good for Otto, Othello, Thinner Than Water, Dirty (The Gift Theatre); Kill Floor (American Theater Company); Yankee Tavern (American Blues Theater); Northanger Abbey (Remy Bumppo); The Drunken City (Steppenwolf Theatre – Next Up); Flare Path, Company (Griffin Theatre); Love and Money (Steep Theatre). Film/TV: Henry Gamble’s Birthday Party, Chicago Fire, Shameless, Patriot.

ADAM POSS (Arvind Patel) Victory Gardens: Oedipus El Rey. Chicago credits: 2666, Teddy Ferrara, The Solid Sands Below, The Magic Play, A Christmas Carol (Goodman Theatre), 1984, Animals Out of Paper (Steppenwolf Theatre), The Lake Effect, Scorched (Silk Road Rising), The Beats (16th St. Theatre). Regional: The North Pool, The Lake Effect (Theatreworks Palo Alto), Macbeth (Actor’s Theatre of Louisville), Lot’s Wife (Kansas City Rep), The History Boys (Studio Theatre DC). Film /TV: The Middle Distance, The Drunk, King of URLS, Speed Dating, Shameless, Chicago Med, Chicago Fire, Chicago PD, Crisis, The Mob Doctor, The Chicago Code.

STEPHEN SPENCER (Dr. Philip Hayes). Chicago: Blizzard ’67 (16th Street); The Life of Galileo, Our Class, Night and Day (Remy Bumppo); Body+Blood (Gift Theatre); The Quality of Life (The Den & TOTL); Ma Rainey's Black Bottom, Wait Until Dark (Court); Joe Turner’s Come and Gone (Congo Square/Goodman); The Liquid Moon (Chicago Dramatists/Associate Artist); Comedy of Errors, Love’s Labour’s Lost (OPFT). Regional: Blackbird (Riverside Theatre); Romeo & Juliet, The Winter's Tale (Illinois Shakespeare Festival); A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Shakespeare Rep); Heroes (Nebraska Rep). Also: Utah Shakespeare, The Asolo. Overseas: Medeamaterial (Moscow's Leninsky Komsomol Theatre); Battery (Edinburgh Festival Fringe). Film/TV: Empire, Public Enemies, Mr. Lonely, Greg’s Leg, Morning Due (Cannes).

Full Performance Schedule

Previews for Queen are April 14-20, 2017. Previews are $15-$40. The Press opening is Friday, April 21 at 7:30pm. Regular performances run April 22 – May14, 2017: Tuesday — Friday at 7:30pm; Saturday at 3pm and 7:30pm; Sunday at 3:00pm.  Regular performances are $15-$60.

Victory Gardens has partnered with mobile theater ticketing app TodayTix to offer free tickets for the first preview of Queen. Free Tickets will be available via TodayTix mobile lottery, launching one week before the first preview on Friday, April 8, 2017. Winners will be notified by email and push notification between 12:00pm and 3:00pm on the day of the first preview, Friday, April 14, 2017. 

Performances are at the Victory Gardens Biograph Theater, 2433 N. Lincoln Avenue, in the heart of Chicago's Lincoln Park neighborhood. For tickets and information, call the Victory Gardens Box Office, 773.871.3000, email tickets@victorygardens.org, or visit www.victorygardens.org. Ask the Box Office about student tickets ($15), senior, and Access. For group discounts, call 872.817.9087.

Public Programs

Public Programs is an event series designed to enhance your experience by exploring themes and issues within Victory Gardens Theater’s productions. Connecting our theater to the world beyond the stage and rehearsal room, Public Programs bridge ideas, provoke dialogue, and deepen the relationship between our audiences and our productions

A full and updated schedule of special events, post-show discussions and presentations centered on performances of Queen is available at www.victorygardens.org . All events are free unless otherwise noted. For more information, call 773.871.3000 or visit the Victory Gardens website.

AFTERWORDS

After every performance of QUEEN (unless otherwise noted)

Join us for one of our intimate post-show conversations. Led by members from the Victory Gardens community—artistic affiliates, subscribers, Artistic staff, Teen Arts Council members, The Council of Community Leaders, and community partners— reflect on what you’ve seen and share your response.

HONEY, HONEY

Pre-show celebration | Post-show conversation

April 18, 2017

Reception begins at 6:30pm in the Victory Gardens lobby

Post-Show conversation to follow the evening performance of Queen

Avocados, coffee, cilantro, strawberries, and, yes, honey. All foods that we enjoy because of bees. What do we lose when we lose bees? Join us for a pre-show honey tasting and beekeeping demonstrations, featuring urban beekeepers in Chicago. After the performance of QUEEN, join local beekeepers to talk about the loss of bees from a more personal perspective.

YAAAS QUEEN

Pre-show celebration | Post-show conversation

April 19, 2017

Reception begins at 6:30pm in the Victory Gardens lobby

Post-Show conversation to follow the evening performance of Queen

STEM: Science, technology, engineering, mathematics. Just 25% of the workforce in these fields is comprised of women. Join us for a pre-show celebration to recognize the women like Sanam and Ariel who have pushed ahead in a field that continually tries to shut them out. After this performance of QUEEN, join us for a discussion with local scholars, researchers, and scientists about their work and experiences in the field.

ARTIST TALK WITH MADHURI SHEKAR

Post-show conversation

April 20, 2017 | Following the evening performance of Queen

Have you ever wondered what goes into writing a play like QUEEN? Join playwright Madhuri Shekar and

our Director of New Play Development Isaac Gomez as they delve into the process of developing a new

play from the ground up.

EARTH DAY

Pre-show celebration

April 22, 2017 | 6:30pm in the Victory Gardens Lobby

Every day should be Earth Day! How can we make daily changes to care for our planet? Join us for an

evening of interactive events including a food waste composting demo, Zero Waste Challenge performances from local artists and activists whose work centers around the environment. Then, join us for an evening performance of QUEEN. Each ticket includes a gift bag with seeds to help you start your

bee-friendly garden and other fun favors!

FROM STEM TO STEAM

April 29, 2017 | Following the evening performance of Queen

Art and science are often seen from the opposite ends of the education spectrum. But they are

more connected than we may think. Science and art are both methods to understand our place in the world and why things happen the way they do. Join us after tonight’s performance of QUEEN for a

post-show full of science-related poetry; applying math and science to the arts, applying art to math and

science.

COLLEGE NIGHT

Pre-show celebration | Post-show conversation

May 12, 2017

Reception begins at 6:30pm in the Victory Gardens lobby

Post-Show conversation to follow the evening performance of Queen

Gender parity is just one issue that the scientists in QUEEN, Sanam and Ariel, face throughout their careers. Even among the struggle, there is joy and pride to be found in the work that they did and will continue to do. Their fight is not just fictional: women comprise only 25% of the workforce in STEM fields.

Join us for a night of short plays written and performed by Chicago college students from Northwestern,

DePaul, University of Chicago, and Columbia, reflecting on the challenges that women face in their professional lives.

BEE IN THE KNOW

May 13, 2017 | Following the evening performance of Queen

In our current political climate, the issue of climate change is an often contentious one. A clear partisan

issue, what does this mean in the years to come? How is climate change affecting our day to day lives

and how can we get involved? Join us after tonight’s performance of QUEEN as we talk with local

scientists, activists, and scholars and dive into climate change and its effect on the bee population, as

well as on our futures.

For more information about Victory Gardens, visit www.victorygardens.org.  Follow us on Facebook at Facebook.com/victorygardens, Twitter @VictoryGardens and Instagram at instagram.com/victorygardenstheater/

Lead Production Sponsor The William and Orli Staley Foundation

  

Production Sponsors: Edgerton Foundation; Author Anupy Singla, Co-founder Indian As Apple Pie; Metropolitan Capital Bank, NEA Art Works, REAM Foundation, Harold and Mimi Steinberg Charitable Trust

Student Matinee and Youth Engagement Sponsors Exelon and AllState

Season Sponsors: Allstate, Alphawood Foundation, Bloomberg Philanthropies, Doris Duke Charitable Trust, Exelon, Harold & Mimi Steinberg Charitable Trust, The Joyce Foundation, The Mellon Foundation, The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, The Prince Charitable Trust, The REAM Foundation, The Shubert Foundation, and The Wallace Foundation

Travel Sponsor: Southwest Airlines

                                               

Queen is the recipient of an Edgerton Foundation New Play Award.

About Victory Gardens Theater

Under the leadership of Artistic Director Chay Yew and Managing Director Erica Daniels, Victory Gardens is dedicated to artistic excellence while creating a vital, contemporary American Theater that is accessible and relevant to all people through productions of challenging new plays and musicals.  Victory Gardens Theater is committed to the development, production and support of new plays that has been the mission of the theater since its founding, set forth by Dennis Začek, Marcelle McVay, and the original founders of Victory Gardens Theater.

Victory Gardens Theater is a leader in developing and producing new theater work and cultivating an inclusive Chicago theater community. Victory Gardens’ core strengths are nurturing and producing dynamic and inspiring new plays, reflecting the diversity of our city’s and nation’s culture through engaging diverse communities, and in partnership with Chicago Public Schools, bringing art and culture to our city’s active student population.  

Since its founding in 1974, the company has produced more world premieres than any other Chicago theater, a commitment recognized nationally when Victory Gardens received the 2001 Tony Award for Outstanding Regional Theatre. Located in the Lincoln Park neighborhood, Victory Gardens Biograph Theater includes the Začek-McVay Theater, a state-of-the-art 259-seat mainstage and the 109-seat studio theater on the second floor, named the Richard Christiansen Theater.

Victory Gardens Ensemble Playwrights include Luis Alfaro, Philip Dawkins, Marcus Gardley, Ike Holter, Samuel D. Hunter, Naomi Iizuka, Tanya Saracho and Laura Schellhardt. Each playwright has a seven-year residency at Victory Gardens Theater.

The Playwrights Ensemble Alumni includes Claudia Allen, Lonnie Carter, Steve Carter, Gloria Bond Clunie, Dean Corrin, Nilo Cruz, Joel Drake Johnson, John Logan, Nicholas Patricca, Douglas Post, James Sherman, Charles Smith, Jeffrey Sweet and Kristine Thatcher.

Victory Gardens Theater receives major funding from The Wallace Foundation, Alphawood Foundation, Bloomberg Philanthropies, The Shubert Foundation, The REAM Foundation, The Joyce Foundation, The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, Allstate Insurance, Polk Bros. Foundation, Crown Family Philanthropies, The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, The William and Orli Staley Foundation, and The National Endowment for the Arts. Additional funding is provided by: Abbot Downing & Wells Fargo, Alliance Bernstein, The Charles H. and Bertha L. Boothroyd Foundation, Exelon, The Lloyd A. Fry Foundation, John R. Halligan Charitable Fund, Illinois Arts Council, Illinois Tool Works, Italian Village Restaurants, Mayer Brown LLP, The McVay Foundation, LLP, The Prince Charitable Trusts, The Saints, Charles & M.R. Shapiro Foundation, Southwest Airlines, The Harold and Mimi Steinberg Charitable Trust, Whole Foods Market, and Wrightwood Neighbors Conservation Association.

Strawdog Theatre Makes New Home In Former Signal Ensemble Space in North Center

STRAWDOG THEATRE ANNOUNCES 30^th SEASON TO TAKE PLACE IN ITS NEW NORTH CENTER LOCATION 

Strawdog’s Main Stage and Late Night Offerings to be held at the Former Signal Ensemble Space, 1802  W. Berenice. 

Congrats to Strawdog Theatre Company on their new home! We'll still miss the bold doors, brickwork, and urban character of their last permanent home, but we're eagerly anticipating what Strawdog will achieve in this stellar new space.

Strawdog Theatre Company is proud to announce the Company has signed a three-year lease for the former Signal Ensemble Theater, 1802 W. Berenice.  The space was also briefly home to Oracle Productions following Signal’s closure, and has a 99-seat theatre. Strawdog’s 30^th Anniversary Season to be celebrated during 2017 – 2018 is to be announced.

“We are so excited to have a home with such a rich connection to the Chicago Theatre community,” said Co-Artistic Director Anderson Lawfer. “We have had a great year at the Factory Theater and thank them for being such fantastic hosts and landlords. Strawdog has been looking for a new home since leaving Lakeview and the North Center location offers many opportunities for celebrating our 30^th Anniversary and planning our future seasons and popular late night programming.”

Strawdog Theatre Company’s final production of the 2016 - 2017 season will take place at the new Factory Theater in Rogers Park, 1621 W. Howard St. The Night Season, written by Rebecca Lenkiewicz and directed by Elly Green, runs May 11 – June 24. Strawdog Theater on Berenice takes residence immediately with the space available for rentals to itinerant companies.

ABOUT STRAWDOG THEATRE COMPANY 

Since its founding in 1988, Strawdog Theatre Company has offered Chicagoland the premiere storefront theatre experience and garnered numerous Non-Equity Jeff Awards with its commitment to ensemble acting and an immersive design approach. The celebrated Company develops new work, re-imagines the classics, melds music with theatre, asks provocative questions and delivers their audience the unexpected.

Strawdog Theatre Company is supported in part by The Alphawood Foundation, The Gaylord and Dorothy Donnelley Foundation, The Richard H. Driehaus Foundation, The Elizabeth F. Cheney Foundation, City of Chicago's Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events, and through the generous contributions of businesses and individuals.

OPENING: Midwest Premiere of By the Water at Northlight 3/16-4/23

Chi, IL LIVE Shows On Our Radar:

Northlight Theatre continues its 2016-17 season with

the Midwest Premiere of

By the Water

By Sharyn Rothstein Directed by Cody Estle

March 16 - April 23, 2017

Northlight Theatre, under the direction of Artistic Director BJ Jones and Executive Director Timothy J. Evans, presents the Midwest Premiere of By the Water, written by Sharyn Rothstein and directed by Cody Estle.  By the Water runs March 16 – April 23, 2017 at Northlight Theatre, 9501 Skokie Blvd in Skokie.

Hurricane Sandy has just ravaged the lifelong home of Marty and Mary Murphy. But the storm has ripped apart more than just the walls: with their neighbors too devastated to stay, the couple’s beloved Staten Island community is in danger of disappearing forever. Determined to rebuild, Marty wages a campaign to save his neighborhood and his home, but when the Murphys’ sons arrive to help their parents dig out, past betrayals come rushing to the surface.

With fierce compassion and poignant humor, By the Water reminds us that the very powers that tear us apart can also bring us together.

The Box Office is located at the North Shore Center for the Performing Arts, 9501 Skokie Boulevard, in Skokie.  Box Office hours are Monday-Friday 10:00am-5:00pm, and Saturdays 12:00pm-5:00pm. On performance days, the box office hours are extended through showtime. The Box Office is closed on Sundays, except on performance days when it is open two hours prior to showtime.

Curtain times are: Tuesdays: 7:30pm (March 21 only); Wednesdays: 1:00pm (except April 5) and 7:30pm; Thursdays: 7:30pm; Fridays: 8:00pm; Saturdays: 2:30pm (except March 18) and 8:00pm; Sundays: 2:30pm (except April 16) and 7:00pm (March 19 and April 9 only)

Tickets:Previews: $30-$57

Regular run: $30-$81

Student tickets are $15, any performance 

(subject to availability)

Box Office: The Box Office is located at 9501 Skokie Blvd, Skokie.

847.673.6300; northlight.org

“Sharyn is a wonderful talent and we are proud to have her work on our stage directed by longtime collaborator Cody Estle, who has assisted me on many projects here at Northlight,” said Artistic Director BJ Jones. “In this play, natural disaster serves as a metaphor for the social and political change that forces generations to confront very real issues about their own lives—lives built on values that have become outmoded. Sharyn's sharp sense of humor built on rich character development is sprinkled throughout, and the themes of justice and family values and loyalties emerge full-throated in her dialogue and her surprising plot.” 

•In the neighborhood that By the Water is based on, 

there were 184 families living on the water.  

When Governor Cuomo’s buyout plan was proposed, 

all but 40 families took it.

Director Cody Estle adds, “It’s about confronting deep-seated personal problems in the face of a generational divide and finding a way to move forward. Times are changing and it’s not about you and me; it’s about our grandchildren, and their children. It’s about all of us making sacrifices today to create a better tomorrow. The harrowing backdrop of a natural disaster also allows for unexpected wit and humor—all in all I think it will engage, move and inspire audiences.”

•By the Water was the recipient of the 2015 American Theater Critic’s Association Francesca Primus Prize, awarded annually to an emerging woman playwright. 

The Primus Prize was founded in 1997 in memory of actress and critic 

Francesca Primus. Previous awardees include Jennifer Haley, Stefanie Zadravec, 

Karen Zacarias, and Lynn Nottage.

The cast of By the Water includes Janet Ulrich Brooks (Andrea Carter), Jordan Brown (Sal), Patrick Clear (Phillip Carter), Amanda Drinkall (Emily), Francis Guinan (Marty Murphy), Joel Reitsma (Brian) and Penny Slusher (Mary Murphy).

The creative team includes Jeffrey D. Kmiec (Scenic Design), JR Lederle (Lighting Design), Rachel Laritz (Costume Design), and Lindsay Jones (Sound Design). The Production Stage Manager is Mara Filler.

Northlight’s production of By the Water is supported in part by Bill and Eleanor Revelle and Hagerty Consulting. 

ABOUT THE ARTISTS

•By the Water marks Cody Estle’s directorial debut for Northlight Theatre where he previously served as an assistant director to BJ Jones on Charm, Season’s Greetings and Stella & Lou, and others, as well as an artistic assistant for the 2014-2015 season.

CODY ESTLE (Director) is a Chicago-based freelance director. Directing credits include The Assembled Parties, A Loss of Roses, Dividing the Estate, Vieux Carré (named by Chicago Tribune as one of the Year's Best in 2014), Good Boys and True, Brighton Beach Memoirs, Boy Gets Girl and Dating Walter Dante at Raven Theatre; Scarcity at Redtwist Theatre; The Seagull and Watch on the Rhine at The Artistic Home; Don't Go Gentle at Haven Theatre; Uncle Bob at Mary-Arrchie Theatre Company and Hospitality Suite at Citadel Theatre. He’s had the pleasure of assistant directing at Northlight, Steppenwolf, Goodspeed Musicals, Court, Writers, Next Theatre and Strawdog. Estle is the Associate Artistic Director at Raven Theatre, an associate member of SDC and a graduate of Columbia College Chicago.

•Sharyn Rothstein’s idea for By the Water sprang from a visit to the areas of Staten Island designated for a buyout following Hurricane Sandy. She said, “Leaving behind a community, a lifetime of memories, seemed like an enormous leap of faith and an incredibly difficult decision, but the destruction was gut wrenching. Yet, in front of one neat, clearly beloved house, a man who looked to be in his sixties was tending his lawn. With his whole neighborhood in ruins, with a majority of his neighbors already gone or figuring out how to leave, here was a man clearly standing firm. The image of him standing there amid so much loss was the genesis of my play.”

SHARYN ROTHSTEIN (Playwright) is a playwright and television writer, whose plays and musicals have been workshopped and produced around the country, as well as internationally. Her play By The Water was first produced by Manhattan Theater Club and Ars Nova in 2014 and was the recipient of the 2015 American Theater Critic’s Association Francesca Primus Prize for a play by an emerging woman playwright. Her play All The Days was the recipient of the Edgerton Foundation Award and was produced at the McCarter Theater Center in 2016, directed by Emily Mann. In addition to playwriting, Sharyn is a writer for the USA Network drama SUITS. She holds an MFA in dramatic writing from NYU and a Masters in Public Health from Hunter College, with a concentration in Urban Health.

JANET ULRICH BROOKS (Andrea Carter) returns to Northlight after previously appearing in Ten Chimneys. A company member of TimeLine, her credits include Bakersfield Mist, The How And The Why, Apple Family Plays and Jeff-nominated performances in All My Sons, When She Danced, Not Enough Air and Weekend.  Other credits include Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike, The Seagull (Goodman); Crazy For You (Drury Lane); Women Laughing Alone With Salad (Helen Hayes nomination - Woolly Mammoth Theatre, DC); Failure: A Love Story (Victory Gardens); Golda’s Balcony (Jeff Award – Pegasus Players) and work with Steppenwolf, ATC, About Face and Writers.  TV: Sense8, Chicago Fire, Chicago Justice and Boss.  Film: Divergent, Conviction, One Small Hitch and Fools. A recipient of the Ed See Outstanding Theatre Alumnus Award from University of Central Missouri, Janet is represented by Gray Talent Group.

Jordan Brown (Sal) returns to Northlight where he previously appeared in White Guy on the Bus and Sense & Sensibility. Other Chicago credits include the Goodman’s Wonderful Town, Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike, Brigadoon (Jeff Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor, Musical) and A Christmas Carol; Iphigenia In Aulis (Court); The Pitmen Painters and Juno (TimeLine) and In The Company Of Men (Profiles). Off-Broadway, he played Claudio in Much Ado About Nothing (Theatre Row in the Beckett Theatre). In Baltimore, he appeared in A Skull in Connemara (Centerstage Theatre). TV credits include Sirens and Crisis. Jordan can also be seen playing the role of Kirt in NBC's web series Bobby & Iza. He is a graduate of the University of the North Carolina School of the Arts.

Patrick Clear (Phillip Carter) returns to Northlight where he was seen as Mr. Kirby in last season’s You Can’t Take It With You. His other Northlight appearances include The Mousetrap, The Miser, Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde and Pride and Prejudice. He has appeared in more than 60 productions with Chicago area theatres including Goodman, Chicago Shakespeare, Steppenwolf, Writers and Remy Bumppo. His regional credits include appearances at Hartford Stage, the Asolo Repertory Theatre, Indiana Repertory Theatre, Cleveland Playhouse, Maltz Jupiter Theatre, Arena Stage, the Guthrie Theater, American Shakespeare Theatre, Centerstage, the Huntington Theatre and the Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park. He appeared on Broadway in Noises Off and Hollywood Arms. Film and television credits include Empire, The Dark Knight, Chicago PD, Boss, The Untouchables and Early Edition.

Amanda Drinkall (Emily) returns to Northlight where she previously appeared in White Guy on the Bus and Funnyman. Other Chicago credits include: King Charles III (Chicago Shakespeare); Mary Page Marlowe (Steppenwolf), Venus in Fur and Measure for Measure (Goodman); Dutchman (American Blues); Last Train to Nibroc (Haven Theatre-Jeff Award, Best Actress), Rest (Victory Gardens), Pygmalion (Oak Park Festival); Great Expectations (Strawdog); Pride and Prejudice (Lifeline); hamlet is dead. no gravity, The Skriker, Brand, The Love of the Nightingale, and Pullman, WA (Red Tape); and sixteen shows with The Back Room Shakespeare Project. Regional credits include North Carolina & Michigan Shakespeare Festivals.  TV credits: Chicago Med, Bobby & Iza. Film credits: The View From Tall. Ms. Drinkall holds a BFA from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and is represented by Gray Talent Group.

Francis Guinan (Marty Murphy) returns to Northlight where he previously appeared in White Guy on the Bus, Stella & Lou, Season’s Greetings and Inherit the Wind. Chicago credits include The Night Alive, The Birthday Party, Time Stands Still, The Book Thief, American Buffalo, Balm in Gilead and Say Goodnight, Gracie (Steppenwolf); The Book of Joseph (Chicago Shakespeare); Twist Your Dickens, Pullman Porter Blues and The Seagull (Goodman); A Guide for the Perplexed (Victory Gardens, Jeff Award); and Rantoul and Die (American Blues). He appeared on Broadway in August: Osage County, The Grapes of Wrath and As Is. His television credits include Boss, Eerie, Indiana, ER, Frasier and several Star Trek franchise episodes. Mr. Guinan’s film credits include Abundant Acreage Available, The Last Airbender, Typing, Low Tide and Constantine.

Joel Reitsma (Brian) is a company member with Steep Theatre, where he performed in Bobby Clearly and Motortown (Joseph Jefferson Award Nomination). He is also a co-founder, writer, performer, and director for The LIVINGroom, a Solo Performance ensemble that tells personal, autobiographical, and universal stories live on stage. Other Chicago credits include A Loss of Roses and Vieux Carré (Raven); Lisbon Traviata (Eclipse); Ecstasy (Cole Theatre); Love and Understanding (Redtwist); and The Brig (Mary Arrchie).

Penny Slusher (Mary Murphy) most recently appeared at Northlight in You Can’t Take It With You. Other Northlight productions include Chapatti, Sense & Sensibility and A Life. Chicago credits include: Sweet Bird of Youth (Goodman); Uncle Vanya (After Dark Award), The Importance of Being Earnest, James Joyce’s “The Dead” (Court); Old Glory, Another Part of the Forest (Jeff Award), Bus Stop, The Subject Was Roses (Writers). Regional: Chapatti and The Hollow (Peninsula Players), My Fair Lady (Asolo Repertory), Sense & Sensibility (Actors Theatre of Louisville and Saint Louis Repertory). International Theatre: Chapatti and Stella & Lou (Northlight at Galway International Arts Festival, Ireland), August: Osage County (Steppenwolf at Sydney Theatre, Australia). Film: Virginia, Meet the Browns, Grace is Gone. Television: The Connie Banks Show.

•Hurricane Sandy was the deadliest and most destructive hurricane of the 2012 Atlantic hurricane season, and the second-costliest hurricane in United States history. In the US, Hurricane Sandy affected 24 states, with particularly severe damage in New Jersey and New York.  Of the five boroughs, Staten Island – where By the Water is set – faced the most death and damage. 

Northlight is continuing its popular special event series in conjunction with each production.  All events are free.  

Inside Look: By the Water

March 29 at 10:45am

at Bernard Weinger JCC

300 Revere Dr, Northbrook, IL

Explore the ​social and ​environmental context of By the Water, as well as aspects of the creative process through a discussion and Q&A session with director Cody Estle​.

Panel Discussion: Changing Climate, Changing Lives

April 1 at 4:00pm

at Evanston Public Library

1703 Orrington Ave, Evanston IL

In Northlight Theatre's By the Water, the Murphy family and their Staten Island neighbors lose their home to Hurricane Sandy - a natural disaster amplified by global warming. Join a panel of environmental experts to discuss the very human implications of climate change, and the many ways our changing environment can affect our lives. 

  

Northlight Theatre aspires to promote change of perspective and encourage compassion by exploring the depth of our humanity across a bold spectrum of theatrical experiences, reflecting our community to the world and the world to our community.

Now in its 42nd season, the organization has mounted over 200 productions, including nearly 40 world premieres. Northlight has earned 198 Joseph Jefferson Award nominations and 34 Awards. As one of the area’s premier theatre companies, Northlight is a regional magnet for critical and professional acclaim, as well as talent of the highest quality.

Northlight is supported in part by generous contributions from Allstate Insurance; the Paul M. Angell Family Foundation; Robert & Isabelle Bass Foundation; BMO Harris Bank; Henrietta Lange Burk Fund; The Elizabeth F. Cheney Foundation; The Chicago Community Trust; ComEd, An Exelon Company; The Davee Foundation; Edgerton Foundation for New American Plays Award; Evanston Community Foundation; Full Circle Foundation; Illinois Arts Council, a state agency; Kirkland & Ellis Foundation; The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation; Melvoin Award for Playwriting; Modestus Bauer Foundation; National Endowment for the Arts; Niles Township; The Offield Family Foundation; The Pauls Foundation; Room & Board; Sanborn Family Foundation; Dr. Scholl Foundation; The Shubert Foundation, Inc.; The Harold and Mimi Steinberg Charitable Trust; The Sullivan Family Foundation; Tom Stringer Design Partners; Turner Construction; and the Venturous Theater Fund of the Tides Foundation.

•By The Water received its world premiere through The Writer’s Room, a new development partnership between Manhattan Theater Club and Ars Nova. The Writer’s Room is designed to commission, develop and support playwrights in the process of creating new work. By the Water marked the first world premiere production from the program and opened off-Broadway in November 2014 at MTC’s Studio at Stage II in New York’s City Center.  

Steppenwolf’s LookOut Series April/May Latinx Lineup Announced

Chi, IL LIVE Shows On Our Radar:

LOOKOUT SERIES LINEUP TO SPOTLIGHT LATINX ARTISTS

SANDRA DELGADO AND STEPPENWOLF ENSEMBLE MEMBER SANDRA MARQUEZ CO-CURATE APRIL AND MAY LOOKOUT PROGRAMMING IN THE 1700 THEATRE

ALSO ANNOUNCED - AUDRA MCDONALD PERFORMANCE ADDED, MAY 22 AT 9PM

Steppenwolf’s LookOut Series is pleased to announce a slate of programming for spring curated by two of Chicago’s most talented and prolific theater artists: Actor/Playwright/Musician Sandra Delgado and Actor/Director Sandra Marquez, who is also a Steppenwolf ensemble member. Sandra Delgado is the playwright and star of Teatro Vista’s upcoming production of La Havana Madrid, also running this spring in Steppenwolf’s 1700 Theatre (April 14-May 21) as part of the theater’s Visiting Company Initiative.

Sandra Delgado and Sandra Marquez have curated an electrifying mix of shows for LookOut this spring featuring only Chicago-based, Latinx artists. Between LookOut and Teatro Vista’s production of La Havana Madrid, all programming in the 1700 Theatre from April 14 through May 21 will spotlight Latinx art and artists.

Tickets to April and May LookOut programming in the 1700 Theatre go on sale Friday, March 17 at 11am at 312-335-1650 and steppenwolf.org. Steppenwolf Red and Black Card Members may use credits towards shows in the 1700 Theatre. Lineup below; prices vary. 

For information, visit steppenwolf.org/lookout.

Steppenwolf’s 1700 Theatre is an 80-seat cabaret-style space connected to Steppenwolf’s own Front Bar: Coffee and Drinks at 1700 N Halsted St. Guests can take drinks into the theater and every Friday a different DJ spins in Front Bar before the performance.

Also announced—due to popular demand, an additional performance of Audra McDonald In Concert has been added on Monday, May 22 at 9pm in Steppenwolf’s Downstairs Theatre, 1650 N Halsted. Presented by the LookOut Series and Mark Cortale, the concert features six-time Tony Award winner Audra McDonald with host and pianist Seth Rudetsky and special guest Will Swenson. Tickets to the 9pm performance of Audra McDonald In Concert go on sale today, March 14 at 11am at 312-335-1650 and steppenwolf.org.

LookOut April/May Lineup
Listed in date order. All artists, dates and prices subject to change.
*Doors open 30 minutes before performance time

Sound + Fury: A Night of Electronic Storytelling
Monday, April 24

7pm

$15

1700 Theatre

Silent Marvin (Marvin Quijada) and MCJK (Gabriel Ruiz) explore the artistic power most of us carry in our pockets and backpacks every day. Sound + Fury is a night of lyrics and vocals weaved through electronically driven Latin, house and hip-hop music featuring special guests.

Saints and Sinners

Hosted by Sandra Delgado
Featuring Musical Guests: Son Monarcas (April 30) & MICHA (May 8)
Sunday, April 30 at 7:30pm

Monday, May 8 at 7pm

$15

1700 Theatre

We live in a binary obsessed culture: black or white, man or woman, gay or straight, winner or loser, citizen or foreigner, saint or sinner. But what lies in between? Saints and Sinners is a storytelling night that explores that grey area through personal stories that defy being put neatly into a box. For this edition, a collection of Latinx Chicagoans will riff off of what Saints and Sinners mean to them through stories that deal with breaking open the boxes that have tried to confine them, bringing us all closer to understanding what Latinidad means. We are not just one thing. We are everything.

An Evening with Carlos Flores and Julio Bishop
Sunday, May 7

7:30pm

Free, but space is limited. RSVP by calling the box office at 312-335-1650

1700 Theatre

Join historian, acclaimed photographer and community/cultural activist Carlos Flores and DJ Julio Bishop for this one-night only event exploring the rich history Puerto Rican culture in Chicago. Mr. Flores will present PUERTORICANCHICAGO MUSIC SCENE & ITS NEIGHBORHOODS, an overview of Puerto Rican history in the city from 1950 through 1990 with a special focus on the Lincoln Park neighborhood, while DJ Julio Bishop spins records from the period drawn from his storied, one-of-a-kind collection.

An Evening of Sizzling Mambo with Saladeen Alamin
Sunday, May 21

7:30pm

Free

1700 Theatre

Join Chicago native Saladeen Alamin for this free evening of Latin dance in Steppenwolf's 1700 Theatre. The evening will begin with a brief instructional session led by Alamin, a legendary dancer and teacher who has been a prominent figure in the Latin dance scene in Chicago since the 1950s. Following the brief lesson, DJ's will spin a variety of styles of music throughout the night, and guests are invited to enjoy the music, dancing and Steppenwolf's bar & cafe, Front Bar. 

Steppenwolf’s Visiting Company Initiative presents
Teatro Vista’s world premiere production of
La Havana Madrid

Conceived and written by Sandra Delgado, directed by Cheryl Lynn Bruce

April 14 – May 21

$15-45

1700 Theatre

Step back in time to 1960s Chicago and right into La Havana Madrid, the long-gone Caribbean night club that drew throngs of newly-arrived Latinos to the city’s north side. La Havana Madrid, a vibrant, musical venue, became a cultural hub for these new Chicagoans. Inspired by real life stories of those who flocked to the club to celebrate and remember, this intimate recreation of the lively 1960s music club, conceived and written by Sandra Delgado and directed by Cheryl Lynn Bruce, this world premiere play features live music and will immerse you in the pulsing sounds of that decade from the mambo to the new sound of salsa.

Legendary Colombian-American musician Roberto "Carpacho" Marin, and his band of 30 years, Carpacho y Su Super Combo, will play live every show. Together, the play’s band and cast will chronicle the history of Caribbean Latino music and Chicagoans throughout the decade.

Previews of La Havana Madrid are April 14-21: Wednesday through Saturday at 8 p.m.; Sunday at 4 p.m. Press opening is Saturday, April 22 at 8 p.m. Performances run through May 21: Thursday-Saturday at 8 p.m.; Sunday at 4 p.m. More info at steppenwolf.org or teatrovista.org.

Audra McDonald In Concert
With special guests Seth Rudetsky and Will Swenson
Monday, May 22

6:30pm & 9pm

$79-$150

Downstairs Theatre

Record-breaking six-time Tony Award winner Audra McDonald will perform at Steppenwolf with special guests Seth Rudetsky and Will Swenson for a spontaneous evening of hilarity and show-stopping songs. The format of the evening will be a seamless mix of intimate behind-the-scenes stories from one of Broadway’s biggest stars—prompted by Seth Rudetsky’s probing, funny, revealing questions—and Audra McDonald singing some of the biggest hits from her musical theatre repertoire.

*Standby tickets available starting at 4:30pm for the 6:30pm performance. Tickets for 9pm performance on sale today at 11am at 312-335-1650 and steppenwolf.org.

The LookOut Series is Steppenwolf’s multi-genre performance series presented year-round and announced on an ongoing basis. John Zinn, Greta Honold and Patrick Zakem are the producers for LookOut. For more information, visit steppenwolf.org/lookout.

Located in front of the 1700 Theatre is Steppenwolf’s café & bar, Front Bar: Coffee and Drinks. Open daily from 8am to midnight, Front Bar is a creative space to grab a drink, have a bite, or meet up with friends and collaborators, day or night. A morning and evening menu is curated by Chef Chris Pandel, and artisanal coffee and expresso is provided by La Colombe. Functioning as a stand-alone entity, the café & bar also connects to Steppenwolf’s existing main building creating an expanded lobby space. More info at front-bar.com.

Steppenwolf Theatre Company is the nation’s premier ensemble theater—redefining the landscape of acting and performance. Formed by a collective of actors in 1976, the ensemble has grown to 48 members who represent a remarkable cross-section of actors, directors and playwrights. Thrilling and powerful productions from Balm in Gilead to August: Osage County—and accolades that include the National Medal of Arts and 12 Tony Awards—have made the theater legendary. Steppenwolf produces hundreds of performances and events annually in its three spaces: the 515-seat Downstairs Theatre, the 299-seat Upstairs Theatre and the 80-seat 1700 Theatre. Artistic programing includes a seven-play season; a two-play Steppenwolf for Young Adults season; Visiting Company engagements; and LookOut, a multi-genre performances series. Education initiatives include the nationally recognized work of Steppenwolf for Young Adults, which engages 15,000 participants annually from Chicago’s diverse communities; the esteemed School at Steppenwolf; and Professional Leadership Programs for arts administration training. Steppenwolf’s own Front Bar: Coffee and Drinks serves coffee, cocktails and a menu curated in partnership with the Boka Restaurant Group day and night. While firmly grounded in the Chicago community, nearly 40 original Steppenwolf productions have enjoyed success both nationally and internationally, including Broadway, Off-Broadway, London, Sydney, Galway and Dublin. Anna D. Shapiro is the Artistic Director and David Schmitz is the Executive Director. Eric Lefkofsky is Chair of Steppenwolf’s Board of Trustees. 

For additional information, visit steppenwolf.org, facebook.com/steppenwolftheatre, twitter.com/steppenwolfthtr and instagram.com/steppenwolfthtr.

SAVE THE DATES: TIMELINE THEATRE COMPANY ANNOUNCES 21ST SEASON FOR 2017-18

Chi, IL LIVE Shows On Our Radar

TimeLine Theatre Company, recipient of the 2016 MacArthur Award for Creative and Effective Institutions and acclaimed for presenting plays inspired by history that connect to today’s social and political issues, announces its 2017-18 season. 

Here at ChiIL Live Shows, we're elated to see that Timeline’s 21st season will feature an even gender balance, with two female and two male playwrights. We're also excited to see works by two Chicago natives and long time favorites of ours, Brett Neveu and Sarah Ruhl. 

This strong season includes the Chicago premiere of an acclaimed play by FROST/NIXON playwright Peter Morgan that has been a hit in both London and New York; a new TimeLine production of a Tony Award-nominated hit by Chicago native Sarah Ruhl; the Chicago premiere of a Kilroys List play by Anna Ziegler that first premiered last year off-Broadway; and the first world premiere developed through TimeLine’s Playwrights Collective, written by Brett Neveu.

TimeLine Theatre’s upcoming 2017-18 season includes:

— The Chicago premiere of THE AUDIENCE by Peter Morgan, the imagined story of Queen Elizabeth II’s weekly meetings with England’s Prime Ministers through decades of history and political strife, directed by TimeLine Associate Artistic Director Nick Bowling and starring TimeLine Company Member Janet Ulrich Brooks as Queen Elizabeth II;

— IN THE NEXT ROOM, OR THE VIBRATOR PLAY, Sarah Ruhl’s Victorian-era tale of a woman’s journey to understand herself and find greater equality in her marriage and the world, directed by TimeLine Company Member Mechelle Moe at Stage 773;

— The Chicago premiere of BOY by Anna Ziegler, inspired by the real-life story of a boy who claims his true identity after being raised as a girl, and finds love, directed by Damon Kiely;

—  And the world premiere of TO CATCH A FISH by Chicagoan Brett Neveu, the first play to be produced that was written and developed through TimeLine’s inaugural Playwrights Collective, about a family and a community torn apart by a flawed search for justice, directed by TimeLine Company Member Ron OJ Parson.

Further casting will be announced at a later date. For a seventh year, one production of TimeLine’s upcoming 2017-18 season will be presented at an alternate location to accommodate the company’s subscriber base and expanding audience. IN THE NEXT ROOM, OR THE VIBRATOR PLAY will be presented at Stage 773, 1225 W. Belmont Avenue in Chicago. All other productions will be staged at TimeLine Theatre’s home at 615 W. Wellington Ave.

Save up to 20% on tickets to TimeLine’s 2017-18 with a 4-Admission FlexPass Subscription. Four different tiers, priced from $88 to $204, are now on sale. For more information and to purchase, call (773) 281-8463 x6 or visit timelinetheatre.com.

“Our 21st season features four plays inspired by history that ignite discussion around several issues that are increasingly critical to confront today,” said TimeLine Artistic Director PJ Powers. “TimeLine’s Company Members are eager to explore these stories about styles of political leadership, women’s equality, gender identity and law enforcement tactics—all through intimate, provocative productions that immerse audiences, letting them walk in others’ shoes and discuss our role in history.”    

THE 2017-18 TIMELINE THEATRE SEASON IS:

Chicago Premiere

THE AUDIENCE

by Peter Morgan

directed by TimeLine Associate Artistic Director Nick Bowling

August 24 – November 12, 2017 (previews 8/16 – 8/23)

Presented at TimeLine Theatre, 615 W. Wellington Ave.      

A portrait of a dynamic and provocative woman—the symbol of a nation—as she weathers decades of history and political strife. Every Tuesday afternoon for more than 60 years, Queen Elizabeth II has met with each of her 12 Prime Ministers in a private audience, a gesture of unity between government and Crown. Through moments of tension, negotiation, war, and unrest, these conversations with political leaders from Winston Churchill to Harold Wilson to Margaret Thatcher have remained a constant across the years. Playwright Peter Morgan re-imagines each of these meetings, giving us a glimpse at the queen’s role in guiding the circumstances that have shaped Great Britain, and a window into the mystery, compassion and humor of the woman behind the iconic crown.

TimeLine’s production will star Company Member Janet Ulrich Brooks, a six-time Jeff Award nominee for roles at TimeLine, including 33 VARIATIONS, A WALK IN THE WOODS and ALL MY SONS, and where she mostly recently appeared opposite Mike Nussbaum in BAKERSFIELD MIST. Her other recent credits include VANYA & SONIA & MASHA & SPIKE (Jeff Award nomination) at the Goodman Theatre, WOMEN LAUGHING ALONE WITH SALAD (Helen Hayes Award nomination) at Woolly Mammonth Theatre in Washington, D.C., and the short film FOR A GOOD TIME.

THE AUDIENCE, previously seen on Broadway and in the West End and acclaimed as “funny and truthful” (The Times) and “hugely enjoyable and cumulatively very affecting” (The Independent), makes its Chicago debut at TimeLine.

Playwright Peter Morgan also penned FROST/NIXON (another TimeLine hit, in 2010) and recently created the Netflix series THE CROWN, inspired by THE AUDIENCE and streaming now.

IN THE NEXT ROOM, OR THE VIBRATOR PLAY

by Sarah Ruhl

directed by TimeLine Company Member Mechelle Moe

October 26 – December 17, 2017 (previews 10/20 – 10/25)

Presented at Stage 773, 1225 W. Belmont Ave.

A story of awakening, equality, and the need for connection that was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize for Drama. It is the 1880s and Thomas Edison’s invention of the electric light has begun to change the fabric of daily life. Inspired by Edison’s discovery, scientist and inventor Dr. Givings creates a piece of machinery to treat the increasingly common affliction of female hysteria. When he starts to see a new patient regularly, his wife’s curiosity with the invention and what occurs “in the next room” grows, leading to discoveries of her own. This intimate and humorous story of self-discovery debunks the expectation of sexuality as a dirty word and shows that human connection is not simply a means to an end, but a vital part of life itself.

Inspired by the book The Technology of Orgasm by Rachel P. Maines, this fascinating, funny, and evocative Tony Award-nominated play is insightful, relatable, and an “enticing blend of irreverent humor and skewed realism” (San Francisco Chronicle). Previously featured at TimeLine in 2016 in a staged reading in collaboration with The Chicago Inclusion Project, the company is thrilled to re-examine this play that illuminates “how much control men had over women’s lives, bodies and thoughts, even their most intimate sensations” (The New York Times).

Playwright Sarah Ruhl is the Pulitzer Prize Finalist and Tony Award-nominated writer of STAGE KISS, THE CLEAN HOUSE, and DEAD MAN’S CELL PHONE, among many others, and a 2006 recipient of the MacArthur Fellowship.

Chicago Premiere

BOY

by Anna Ziegler

directed by Damon Kiely 

January 18 – March 18, 2018 (previews 1/10 – 1/17)

Presented at TimeLine Theatre, 615 W. Wellington Ave.

A moving and poignant story, inspired by true events, about a search for personal identity and acceptance. In the 1960s, a surgical accident causes a well-intentioned doctor to convince the parents of twin boys to raise one as a girl. Two decades later, the repercussions of that choice continue to unfold, as those involved struggle to connect with each other and themselves, stuck between their hope for the future and their uncertainty about the past. BOY explores the beauty of finding love, the complexity of gender identity, and the consequences of the choices we make for those we love.  

Previously featured in 2014 as part of the company’s TimePieces play reading series, TimeLine is proud to stage the Chicago premiere of BOY, an “insightful, gut-wrenching, and beautiful play” that is “dazzlingly, deliciously alive from start to finish” (Talkin’ Broadway).

Playwright Anna Ziegler is an award-winning playwright whose credits include PHOTOGRAPH 51 (produced in the West End starring Nicole Kidman), ACTUALLY and THE LAST MATCH. The Outer Critics Circle nominated her play BOY for the 2016 John Gassner Award.

World Premiere

TO CATCH A FISH

by Brett Neveu

directed by TimeLine Company Member Ron OJ Parson

May 3 – July 1, 2018 (previews 4/25 – 5/2)

Presented at TimeLine Theatre, 615 W. Wellington Ave.

Inspired by true events, this compelling new play examines how the pursuit of justice—however well intentioned—can devastate a family and a community. In a low-income, residential neighborhood of Milwaukee, Terry Kilbourn has just begun a new job passing out flyers for a discount warehouse. When his bosses start asking more of him, his loved ones begin to question what is really going on. As higher stakes are revealed and relationships tested, the clarity of who to trust and what to believe grows increasingly murky. Both hilarious and heart wrenching, TO CATCH A FISH walks the line between good intentions and deceit, testing the bonds we have to family and community.

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. TO CATCH A FISH—the first play developed through the Collective to receive a full production—is sure to spark dialogue about the dangers of intention versus implementation in law enforcement, and when one may in fact overshadow the other.

Chicago-based playwright Brett Neveu’s play HARMLESS also received its world premiere at TimeLine (in 2007). His other recent plays include HER AMERICA, PILGRIM’S PROGRESS, DETECTIVE PARTNER HERO VILLAIN and THE OPPONENT.

BIOGRAPHIES (in alphabetical order)    

Nick Bowling (Director, THE AUDIENCE) was the founding Artistic Director and is now Associate Artistic Director and a Company Member of TimeLine Theatre. He is the recipient of seven Jeff Awards for Outstanding Direction (THE HISTORY BOYS, THE NORMAL HEART, FIORELLO!, THIS HAPPY BREED and THE CRUCIBLE at TimeLine, SONDHEIM ON SONDHEIM at Porchlight Music Theatre, and ANOTHER PART OF THE FOREST at Eclipse Theatre) and also received Jeff Award nominations for BLOOD AND GIFTS, THE FARNSWORTH INVENTION, HAUPTMANN and THE LION IN WINTER at TimeLine; CLOSER THAN EVER at Porchlight Music Theatre; CITY OF ANGELS, THE KING AND I and MAN OF LA MANCHA at Marriott Theatre. Other recent credits at TimeLine include A DISAPPEARING NUMBER, THE LAST WIFE, DANNY CASOLARO DIED FOR YOU, JUNO, 33 VARIATIONS and MY KIND OF TOWN. Other Chicago credits include Paramount's A CHRISTMAS STORY, Northwestern University’s CABARET, Porchlight’s A CATERED AFFAIR, Writers Theatre's BACH AT LEIPZIG and Shattered Globe Theatre's TIME OF THE CUCKOO and FROZEN ASSETS.

Damon Kiely (Director, BOY) is the Chair of Performance at DePaul’s Theatre School and the author of How to Read a Play: Text Analysis for Directors (Routledge 2016). His production of HANK WILLIAMS: LOST HIGHWAY won the Jeff Award for Musical Production Midsized. He previously directed WEEKEND by Gore Vidal for TimeLine Theatre. Kiely served as Artistic Director for American Theatre Company and has directed for American Blues, American Theatre Company, Route 66, A Red Orchid, Next and many others. His original plays THIEVES LIKE US and THE REVEL were produced by The House Theatre of Chicago. Prior to moving back to Chicago, he taught, produced, and directed in New York City. He is a winner of the 2000-02 NEA/TCG Career Directing Program, the 2000 Drama League Fall Directing Program, and the 1997 Princess Grace Award.

Peter Morgan (Playwright, THE AUDIENCE) is an award-winning British film and television screenwriter and playwright. Morgan is best known for writing historical films and plays, including THE QUEEN, FROST/NIXON, THE DAMNED UNITED and RUSH, and is the creator of Netflix's currently running drama series THE CROWN. Other film work includes THE OTHER BOLEYN GIRL, HEREAFTER, 360, MARTHA, MEET FRANK, DANIEL and LAURENCE, and THE LAST KING OF SCOTLAND.

Mechelle Moe (Director, IN THE NEXT ROOM, OR THE VIBRATOR PLAY) Mechelle Moe is a Company Member at TimeLine, where her credits include directing readings of IN THE NEXT ROOM, OR THE VIBRATOR PLAY in collaboration with The Chicago Inclusion Project, CARDBOARD PIANO in artistic alliance with The Yard, and EXPERIMENT WITH AN AIR PUMP, and appearing in THE APPLE FAMILY PLAYS, MY KIND OF TOWN, THE FRONT PAGE, THE CHILDREN’S HOUR, NOT ENOUGH AIR, and PARADISE LOST. She is co-artistic director of The Yard, a youth-based theater company that produces theater relevant to young people; performed by young people. She is also a founding member of The Hypocrites, and currently is a part of its ensemble. Moe is a Jeff Award recipient for Actress in Principal Role for her performance in MACHINAL (The Hypocrites) and received a Jeff Award nomination for Actress in Principal Role for STAGE DOOR (Griffin). She has directed and devised numerous works at Senn Arts and with The Yard, including MILK LIKE SUGAR, THE 4TH GRADER’S PRESENT AN UNNAMED LOVE SUICIDE, ECLIPSED, OUR AMERICA: GHETTO LIFE 101: REMORSE (which she also adapted) and METAMORPHOSES, both of which were selected for the 2014 and 2015 Illinois High School Theatre Festivals, as well as the docudrama BROKEN TEXT, an original work by Moe based on her interviews with men recently released from incarceration and living in a transitional facility. Moe graduated with honors from the University of Illinois Chicago with both a bachelor’s degree in Theater as well as Anthropology.    

Brett Neveu (Playwright, TO CATCH A FISH) is an alumnus of TimeLine’s Playwright’s Collective (2013-2016), and his play HARMLESS received its world premiere at TimeLine in 2007. He has since been commissioned twice by the company to write new plays. Recent theatre productions include HER AMERICA (The Greenhouse Theatre), PILGRIM’S PROGRESS (A Red Orchid Theatre), RED BUD (Signal Ensemble) and THE OPPONENT (Red Orchid; Bisno Productions; and 59e59, New York). A Sundance Institute Ucross Fellow, Neveu is also a recipient of the Marquee Award from Chicago Dramatists, the Ofner Prize for New Work, the Emerging Artist Award from The League of Chicago Theatres, an After Dark Award for Outstanding Musical (OLD TOWN) and has worked with companies including The Atlantic Theatre Company and The New Group in New York, The Royal Shakespeare Company and The Royal Court in London and The Goodman Theatre, Steppenwolf Theatre Company and Writers Theatre in Chicago. He is a resident-alum of Chicago Dramatists, a proud ensemble member of A Red Orchid Theatre and an alumni member of the Center Theatre Group’s Playwrights’ Workshop in Los Angeles. Neveu has taught writing at DePaul University and The Second City Training Center and currently teaches at Northwestern University. A native of Newton, Iowa, Neveu has a BA degree in Acting and Playwriting from University of Iowa and has an MFA degree in Playwriting from Spalding University.

Ron OJ Parson (Director, THE WORLD AND ME) is a Company Member of TimeLine, where he previously directed A RAISIN IN THE SUN, SUNSET BABY, and the upcoming PARADISE BLUE. He is a native of Buffalo, New York, and a graduate of the University of Michigan’s professional theatre 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, as well as a Resident Artist at Court Theatre and an Associate Artist with Teatro Vista. 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, Windy City Playhouse, Urban Theatre Company, City Lit Theater, ETA Creative Arts, and Writers Theatre. 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, and Portland Stage, among others. In Canada, he directed the world premiere of PALMER PARK by Joanna McClelland Glass at the Stratford Festival. Acting credits on television and film include ER, EARLY EDITION, TURKS, AMERICAN PLAYHOUSE, VAMPING, BARBERSHOP 2, PRIMAL FEAR, DROP SQUAD and most recently Starz Network’s BOSS. He is a member of AEA, SAG-AFTRA, and SDC. For more information, visit ronojparson.com.

Sarah Ruhl (Playwright, IN THE NEXT ROOM, OR THE VIBRATOR PLAY) is a Pulitzer Prize Finalist and Tony Award-nominated playwright and has had her work produced across the country. Her plays include STAGE KISS, IN THE NEXT ROOM, OR THE VIBRATOR PLAY (Pulitzer Prize finalist, Tony Award nominee for Best New Play); THE CLEAN HOUSE (Pulitzer Prize Finalist, 2005; The Susan Smith Blackburn Prize, 2004); PASSION PLAY (Pen American award, The Fourth Freedom Forum Playwriting Award from The Kennedy Center); DEAD MAN’S CELL PHONE (Helen Hayes Award); MELANCHOLY PLAY (a musical with Todd Almond); EURYDICE; ORLANDO; DEMETER IN THE CITY (NAACP nomination); LATE: A COWBOY SONG; THREE SISTERS; DEAR ELIZABETH; and most recently, THE OLDEST BOY and FOR PETER PAN ON HER 70TH BIRTHDAY. Her plays have been produced on Broadway at the Lyceum by Lincoln Center Theater, off-Broadway at Playwrights Horizons, Second Stage and Lincoln Center’s Mitzi Newhouse Theater, as well as at Yale Repertory Theater, Berkeley Repertory Theater, and in Chicago at the Goodman Theatre and the Piven Theatre Workshop. Her plays have also been produced internationally and have been translated into more than 12 languages. Originally from Chicago, Ruhl received her MFA degree from Brown University, where she studied with Paula Vogel. An alumna of 13P and of New Dramatists, she received a MacArthur Fellowship in 2006. She was the recipient of the PEN Center Award for a mid-career playwright, the Whiting Writers award, the Feminist Press’ Forty under Forty Award, and a Lilly Award. She served on the executive council of the Dramatist’s Guild for three years, and she is currently on the faculty at Yale School of Drama. Her book of essays on the theater and motherhood, 100 Essays I Don’t Have Time to Write, was a Times Notable book of the year.

Anna Ziegler (Playwright, BOY) is an award-winning playwright whose play PHOTOGRAPH 51 won London’s 2016 WhatsOnStage award for Best New Play. It has also been selected as a “Best of the Year” play by The Washington Post (twice) and The Telegraph. Her play BOY was nominated for the 2016 John Gassner Award by the Outer Critics Circle. In 2017, the Williamstown Theatre Festival and The Geffen Playhouse will co-world-premiere her latest play, ACTUALLY, and The Roundabout Theatre Company will produce the New York premiere of THE LAST MATCH. Her work has been produced on the West End (PHOTOGRAPH 51, starring Nicole Kidman) and at The Old Globe, Seattle Repertory Theatre, The Ensemble Studio Theatre, The Magic Theatre, Playwrights Realm, City Theatre, and many more, and developed at the Sundance Theatre Lab, The O’Neill Playwrights Conference, Soho Rep and the Cape Cod Theatre Project, among others. She is currently writing a television pilot for AMC/Sundance and a screenplay for Scott Free Productions. Oberon Books has published a collection of her work entitled Anna Ziegler: Plays One.

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 20 seasons, TimeLine has presented 70 productions, including nine world premieres and 30 Chicago premieres, and launched the Living History Education Program, now in its 10th 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 53 Jeff Awards, including an award for Outstanding Production 11 times.

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

Major corporate, government and foundation supporters of TimeLine Theatre include Alphawood Foundation, Paul M. Angell Family Foundation, Bloomberg Philanthropies, 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, MacArthur Fund for Arts and Culture at Prince, The Pauls Foundation, Polk Bros. Foundation, The Seabury Foundation, and The Shubert Foundation.

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