The Farnsworth Invention

by Aaron Sorkin
directed by Nick Bowling

Chicago Premiere

Apr 14, 2010 - Jun 13, 2010

From Aaron Sorkin, the creator of The West Wing and A Few Good Men comes this fascinating new play direct from Broadway. Two ambitious visionaries — Philo T. Farnsworth, an Idaho farmboy, and David Sarnoff, head of RCA — battle through corporate espionage, family tragedy, financial disaster and the thrill of discovery for the rights to one of the greatest inventions of all time: the television.

Nick Bowling ~ + Director

Cast

Larry Baldacci George Everson, Ensemble

Michael Kingston Understudy

Jamie Vann Leslie Gorrell, Ensemble

PJ Powers * + David Sarnoff

Justine Turner

Bill McGough Justin Tolman, Walter Gifford, Ensemble

Tom McEleroy * William Crocker, Ensemble

Kurt Brocker Wachtel, Ensemble

Paul Dunckel Douglas Fairbanks, Jim Harbord, Ensemble

Rob Fagin Philo T. Farnsworth

Sean Patrick Fawcett Eddie Simms, Vladimir Zworykin, Ensemble

Jeremy Glickstein Harlan Honn, Ensemble

Zach Gray Stan Willis, Ensemble

Maris Hudson Betty, Ensemble

Zach Kenney Cliff Gardner, Ensemble

Bridgette Pechman Pem Farnsworth, Ensemble

Eliza Stoughton Agnes Farnsworth, Ensemble

Justine C. Turner Lizette Sarnoff, Mary Pickford, Ensemble

Production Team

Julie Eberhardt Assistant Props Designer

Eva Breneman ^ Dialect Coach

John Culbert # ^ Scenic Designer

Keith Parham # ^ Lighting Designer

Ana Espinosa * Stage Manager

Mike Tutaj # ^ Projections Designer

Maren Robinson + Dramaturg

Bridget Dehl Assistant Director

Susan Muirhead Lobby Display Video Designer

Emily Guthrie Properties Designer

Josh Altman Production Assistant

Lindsey Pate Costume Designer

Emily Guthrie Properties Designer

James Odgen Production Manager/Technical Director

Cheney Tardio Assistant Stage Manager/Assistant Producer

Joshua Altman Production Assistant

Kristin Grace Assistant Costume Designer

Casey Diers Assistant Lighting Designer

Coco Ree Lemery Scenic Painting

Mieka van der Ploeg Wardrobe Supervisor

Mac Vaughey Master Electrician

* Member of Actors Equity Association

# Member of United Scenic Artists

~ Member of Stage Directors and Choreographers Society

+ TimeLine Company Member

^ TimeLine Associate Artist

§ TimeLine Playwrights Collective

Reviews

The Wall Street Journal

May 28, 2010

TimeLine’s spare, bare-bones staging, directed by Nick Bowling … scrapes all the slickness off Mr. Sorkin’s script and infuses it with a surging physical vitality that knocked me off my feet.

—Terry Teachout

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EDGE

April 21, 2010

A cornucopia of success at each elemental level required for a great stage experience: technical, performance, direction, writing … a near perfect piece of storytelling … TimeLine’s final offering of the season is a must-see.

—Becky Sarwate

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Daily Herald

April 23, 2010

TimeLine Theatre once again demonstrates it has more than enough talent to realize its ambitions … The thrill Farnsworth and his crew experience upon observing their first transmission is palpable … these scenes and others demonstrate once again that TimeLine’s time has come.

—Barbara Vitello

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Chicago Critic

April 18, 2010

[PJ] Powers and [Rob] Fagin are outstanding as the fanatical visionaries both consumed by the possibilities of television … The journey has a mysterious quality that keeps us on the edge of our seats wondering what will happen next … There is a lot to love, and if you haven’t learned something new by the time the show is over I would be very surprised.

—Tom Williams

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