Behind the ‘Line

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An interview with playwright Anna Ziegler

Playwright Anna Ziegler Enjoy this “Backstory Bonus” interview between TimeLine Artistic Director PJ Powers (PJP) and playwright Anna Ziegler (AZ): (PJP) Can you share how this play began for you? (AZ) I was interested in writing about gender, and I discovered a Rolling Stone article online by John Colapinto about David Reimer. It was so compelling and strange and sad. I pitched the story to the Sloan Foundation’s play-commissioning arm and happily, got the commission. ...
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Exploring the roots of a revolution

Something profound is happening around gender, whether we choose to see it or not. – National Geographic Earlier this year National Geographic declared us to be in the midst of a “gender revolution.” It’s no secret that issues affecting transgender and intersex people have recently ...
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“She knows Greek!”

Warning: the following blog post contains spoilers for In The Next Room or the vibrator play.  Melissa Canciller as Mrs. Sabrina Daldry (left) and Dana Tretta as Annie in TimeLine’s production of “In the Next Room or the vibrator play.” So many of the most ...
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A second chance with Sarah Ruhl

Tonight we open the second production of TimeLine’s 21st Season, Sarah Ruhl’s funny and beautiful In the Next Room or the vibrator play. We couldn’t be happier to have Sarah’s work on our stage, at long last, after years admiring her artistry. I admit, however, ...
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Our commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion

TimeLine’s mission is to learn from the past to better understand where we are today and to inform what we do tomorrow. With widening divides in our country, it seems harder and harder to identify what lessons have truly been learned from history. What progress ...
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A work of art inspired by PARADISE

True Jazz is a living, breathing thing. Melodies dance about, changing and shifting as different instruments take the forefront. A smooth piano solo flows into a trumpet riff that inspires a bouncing bass take over, which creates a new foundation—leading the whole lot to start all over again, continuing to create something new and beautiful. Like the incredible attention and collaboration that exists in jazz music, we were inspired to create an art project that would take ...
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Celebrating Carol K. Cyganowski

TimeLine’s production of The Audience is dedicated to the memory of Carol K. Cyganowski, scholar and lover of theatre, and sponsored in part by Dan and Claudia Cyganowski. TimeLine celebrates the life and memory of one of our most ardent supporters, Dr. Carol Klimick Cyganowski. ...
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A vanished hometown history

My parents were born and raised in Detroit. I went to school in the city and grew up in a suburb on its northern border. Though I’ve called Chicago home for the last 26 years, I will always be deeply influenced by my Detroit roots. ...
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An interview with Orbert Davis

During rehearsals, dramaturg Jared Bellot (JB) caught up with renowned jazz musician Orbert Davis (OD), who composed and recorded the original music for Paradise Blue, to ask about his 30-year career, his approach to working on the play, and the power of jazz. JB: What ...
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