Ron OJ Parson * ~ + Director
Jiréh Breon Holder Playwright

Cast

Jaye Ladymore * Sally Mae Carter

Ayanna Bria Bakari * Evelyn

Jalen Gilbert Bowzie Brandon

Cage Sebastian Pierre Tony Carter

Production Team

Maggie Fullilove-Nugent Lighting Designer
Am'Ber D. Montgomery Assistant Director
José Manuel Díaz-Soto Scenic Designer
Alexia Rutherford Costume Designer
Vivian Knouse Properties Design
Katie Cordts Wig Designer
Jermaine Hill Original Music and Music Director
Christopher A. Kriz # Original Music and Sound Designer
Dina Spoerl Lobby Display Designer
Sam Hubbard Intimacy Director and Fight Choreographer
Elizabeth VanHaren Production Assistant
Regina Victor Dramaturg
Cara Parrish * Stage Manager

Understudies

Tarina J. Bradshaw Sally Mae Carter

Matthew James Elam Bowzie Brandon

Marcus D. Moore Tony Carter

Kiayla Ryann Evelyn Brandon

Reviews

Chicago Tribune

May 2, 2019

★★★ “If you’ve not heard of Jiréh Breon Holder or his play Too Heavy for Your Pocket, you might well think that the new drama at the TimeLine Theatre is a long-lost play from the so-called golden age of American drama … Rich in poetry, suffused with feeling, longing and upset, and determined to reflect the lives of ordinary people, whatever the urban elites might think. … The acting, direction and design in this production all are of a level that truly elevates the young script. Several of the scenes are deeply moving; all of them are acted with a commitment to truth-telling and, maybe most crucial of all, these flawed characters feel lived and respected.”

—Chris Jones

The Root

May 20, 2019

“The camaraderie and respective romances of these superbly-acted characters evoke the best of black culture—namely, our profound love for each other and ability to laugh, even in the worst of times. … Together, they comprise an incredibly powerful quartet; the emotional output almost overwhelming in its impact.”

—Maiysha Kai

Chicago Reader

RECOMMENDED. “Eminently engaging and candid … Full of joy and humor, singing and crying … It is the exceedingly powerful acting and directing that elevate this production … It’s delightful to see a play that is at once simple and yet produces such profound change for all its characters. … TimeLine reminds us that there is always a battle to achieve freedom—and how important that still is 60 years later.”

—Josh Flanders

Chicago Sun-Times

May 2, 2019

★★★ “[Too Heavy for Your Pocket] takes a long look at the economics of revolution and the steep price it exacts from those who could least afford it. … Director Ron OJ Parson’s richly realized production leaves plenty to ponder.“

—Catey Sullivan

CBS 2

May 3, 2019

★★★ “A moving piece of Southern writing … The show is acted with a kind of poetic authenticity. You really feel like you’re in the long hot summer of 1961.“

—Chris Jones

Newcity

May 6, 2019

RECOMMENDED. “A soul-enriching new work … Featuring four young actors in level up mode, a director at the height of his creative powers (the inimitable Ron OJ Parson) and a text written in scorched earth, neither this play nor its production are “too” heavy. They are, as Kiese Laymon writes, ‘just heavy enough.’… This is a work that moves the needle forward on what the theater is capable of, with a commendable expenditure of talent and effort on the part of everyone involved in this production. Though I will make an effort in terms of quantity, there is no quality of language I can find to effectively express my gratitude to this show. It is, in summary, a blessing.“

—Kevin Greene

Picks in Six

May 3, 2019

“A rich, vibrant cast artfully illuminate Holder’s absorbing study of the relationship between two couples consumed with a sense of purpose that is uniquely of the moment … Parson’s brilliant tapestry [is] a compelling reminder of the enormous courage and sacrifice by Freedom Rider activists of all races and religions during the civil rights movement in the early 1960s and how these events shape and influence the dialogue in America today.”

—Ed Tracy

Stage and Cinema

May 9, 2019

“Fully-freighted … A TimeLine Theatre time capsule thrillingly staged by Ron OJ Parson, this blast from the past goes beyond yesterday’s infamous clash of activists against fire hoses to examine the internal resistance that also marred these moments.”

—Lawrence Bommer

Let's Play / N’Digo

May 5, 2019

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. “The undeniably cast of talented actors was mesmerizing, and they all equally carried the play by complimenting one another in this essential and profound story with vigor … Too Heavy For Your Pocket is by far the #1 play of the year and will have its audience hypnotized by four great performances and asking for more. It’s a riveting powerhouse play that will pull at your emotions with laughter and tears.“

—Rick and Brenda McCain

Chicago On Stage

May 2, 2019

“Parson, one of Chicago’s most gifted directors, uses every bit of José Manuel Diaz-Soto’s set as he pulls these brilliant performances from his actors. … In the midst of a play focusing on a moment in history that dangerously sought to undo some of the powerful mistakes of the past, Holder makes it all very personal because it is. And as we attempt to understand and deal with a resurgence of the hatred that led to slavery and Jim Crow, it behooves us to ask ourselves to stop, breathe deeply, and wonder what we would be willing to risk for our ideals.”

—Karen Topham

Buzz Center Stage

May 6, 2019

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. “Funny, Weighty, and Good … Too Heavy for Your Pocket at TimeLine Theatre is both an important play, and a good one. Powerful, but not too heavy to bear, with a rock-star cast directed by Ron OJ Parson.“

—Bill Esler

Around the Town Chicago

May 9, 2019

★★★★ “Too Heavy For Your Pocket is directed by Ron OJ Parson, who over the years has proven to be one of our best. His deep feeling and probably his own life experiences bring a special inner feeling to the characters and the story, Those of us, of a certain age, were aware of what was happening during this time in the early 1960’s, but in this story, we get up close and personal through the two families that are connected and their lives.”

—Alan Bresloff

Chicago Daily Law Bulletin

May 13, 2019

“This is a little gem of a production, beautifully acted and skillfully directed by Ron OJ Parson.”

—Julian Frazin