Behind the ‘Line

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A play ahead of its time

Welcome to the long overdue Chicago debut of Githa Sowerby’s Rutherford and Son. Written and originally produced to great acclaim in 1912, this was a play ahead of its time. It initially drew comparisons to dramas by Ibsen and Shaw and was hailed for its powerful exploration of gender, class, and family politics. It’s a play about-and set amidst-a moment of change. Tragically, its progressiveness also became its downfall, driven by a revelation about who ...
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A conversation with the women of RUTHERFORD AND SON

  During rehearsals for Rutherford and Son, director Mechelle Moe (MM) and cast members Jeannie Affelder (JA), Christina Gorman (CG), and Rochelle Therrien (RT) chatted about the play and their responses to it. (MM) Hi everybody! Happy Wednesday afternoon! I’d like for everyone just to say ...
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History: It’s complicated

When I tell new friends or extended family that I’m a history PhD, they unfailingly ask: “So do you love Downton Abbey?” or “What do you think of Hamilton?” You’re a historian, so you must like historical drama. I mean, obviously! The “Oslo” dramaturgy team ...
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OSLO: Additional Resources

Fascinated by the people, themes, and content of Oslo? Longing to learn more? We’ve got you. Dig deeper into the world in and around Oslo with these additional materials to read and watch. PUBLICATIONS From Oslo to Jerusalem: The Palestinian Story of the Secret Negotiations by ...
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Our largest production to date

I am so pleased to celebrate the opening night of our first production of the 2019-20 Season, J.T. Rogers’ Oslo. Whether you’ve followed our work in Chicago for years, or are coming across a TimeLine production for the first time, we are delighted to introduce ...
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A conversation with J.T. Rogers

During rehearsals for Oslo, director Nick Bowling (NB) spoke with playwright J.T. Rogers (JTR) about his award-winning play, the real people who inspired it, that dinner with President Bill Clinton, and much more! (NB) First of all, I want to start by saying how excited and honored we are to be presenting the Chicago premiere of Oslo at TimeLine. When you first mentioned it to us, you told PJ [Powers, TimeLine’s Artistic Director] that it ...
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Living History: Year in review

Currently wrapping up its 12th season, TimeLine’s Living History Education Program has quickly grown from a handful of classroom residencies in a select few schools to having a presence in numerous schools throughout Chicago; several student matinees at our Wellington space per season; and last ...
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Announcing the architect for our new home

PLEASE NOTE: This post is one from a series of blog posts that tells the story of TimeLine’s New Home Project over several years. Therefore, some information presented below may no longer be accurate. For the most up-to-date information about the project, please visit our ...
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