Behind the ‘Line

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On the cusp of what’s next

We have so much to share.  It’s been five years since we purchased the site for our new home in Uptown. Four since we began the design process to envision its shape and amenities. Three since a global pandemic upended our productions and planning. Two since we returned to production with the Jeff Award-winning (and Goodman Theatre remounted) world premiere of Relentless. And one since we began 2023 and a series of artistic, organizational, and ...
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The path to Uptown

Every Chicago theatre company seems to have a neighborhood bar. In TimeLine’s early days, that bar was the Green Mill in Uptown.  A young Nick Bowling during his competitive ballroom dancing days. When I was much younger, I was a competitive ballroom dancer.  So as ...
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Ted DeLong named Managing Director

Ted DeLong We’re thrilled to share that TimeLine has named Ted DeLong as the company’s new Managing Director! Ted comes to TimeLine following a decade at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival (OSF) as General Manager and Associate Producer, and more recently, serving as Woolly Mammoth Theatre’s ...
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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 ...
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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 ...
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Let’s talk Constitution! In conversation with Helen Young and Beth Lacke

Right before the start of performances for Heidi Schreck’s What the Constitution Means to Me, director Helen Young (HY) sat down with Beth Lacke (BL) to chat the rehearsal process, amendments, and the document that continues to spark conversation and controversy, hundreds of years after it was created. This interview has been edited for length.                     From left: Beth Lacke and Helen Young Helen Young: Hi, ...
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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 ...
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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. ...
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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 ...
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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. ...
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