Behind the ‘Line

View Articles:

In conversation with Nick Bowling and Vanessa Stalling

Right before the start of performances for The Lehman Trilogy, co-directors Nick Bowling (NB) and Vanessa Stalling (VS) sat down with dramaturgs Carol Ann Tan (CAT) and DeRon S. Williams (DSW) to unpack the play, this all-new Chicago production, and how they’ve been working as co-directors.  This interview has been edited for length. Carol Ann Tan (CAT): The Lehman Trilogy tells the story of the rise and fall of Lehman Brothers, an American global financial ...
Read More >

Explore & Learn: Our 2023-24 Season

TimeLine is back in the fall with a 4-play subscription season that brims with humor, poignance, outrage, and passion. Our 27th season spans centuries—from the 19th century all the way up to 2023—and reflects everyone’s history. What connects these four premieres is TimeLine’s mission to ...
Read More >

In Conversation with WHAT THE CONSTITUTION MEANS TO ME

Before rehearsals for What the Constitution Means to Me began, dramaturg Maren Robinson (MR) sat down with our two experts, Northwestern University history professors Joanna Grisinger (JG) and Kate Masur (KM), to talk a bit more about the Constitution. Read their conversation below. I appreciate ...
Read More >

In Conversation with BOULEVARD OF BOLD DREAMS

Early in the rehearsal process of Boulevard of Bold Dreams, director Malkia Stampley (MS) sat down with playwright LaDarrion Williams (LW) to discuss the inspiration for writing the play, what has made this process so exciting, and the play’s ongoing relevance to our world today. ...
Read More >

Happy Birthday, Alice Childress!

Today we’re celebrating Alice Childress’ birthday and her legacy as the only Black woman to have written, produced, and published plays across four decades. Production still from the original off-Broadway production of “Trouble in Mind,” 1955. Playwright Alice Childress. Alice Childress was born on October 12, 1916 (although this year varies depending on the source) in Charleston, S.C., and died August 14, 1994 in New York City. She grew up in Harlem, where she acted ...
Read More >

In Conversation with CAMPAIGNS, INC.

During early performances of Campaigns, Inc., director Nick Bowling (NB) took some time with playwright Will Allan (WA) to learn more about his inspirations for writing the play, what has made this process so exciting, and the all too real connections to our world today. ...
Read More >

The Limits of Humanity

A History of the American Freak Show This was a marvelous diversion. I’ve always adored carnivals and freak shows. – Atung as Andrew Jackson, The Chinese Lady While Afong Moy may have been the first Asian woman to immigrate to the United States, she was far from ...
Read More >

An interview with playwright Lloyd Suh

As rehearsals were gearing up for The Chinese Lady, dramaturg Yiwen Wu (YW) posed a few questions to New York-based playwright Lloyd Suh (LS) about the reverence he has for Afong Moy, the value of interrogating social constructs, and how he thinks about his connections ...
Read More >

Mica Cole named new Executive Director

We’re thrilled to announce that TimeLine has named Mica Cole as the company’s new Executive Director! Effective May 16, Mica will become the co-equal leader of TimeLine alongside PJ Powers as Artistic Director, guiding the company’s strategic and financial direction, Board and staff development, productions, ...
Read More >