Hansol Jung Playwright

Mechelle Moe + Director

Cast

Adia Alli Adiel, Ruth

Kai A. Ealy * Soldier, Paul

Kearstyn Keller Chris

Freedom Martin Pika, Francis

Production Team

Eva Breneman ^ Dialect Coach

Jared Bellot ^ Dramaturg
Jennifer Wernau Properties Designer
Jeffrey D. Kmiec # Scenic Designer
Elle Erickson Costume Designer
Brandon Wardell # Lighting Designer
David Kelepha Samba Sound Designer
Amy Peter Properties Designer
Jon Beal Fight Choreographer
Fredrick Harris Music Director
Kristina Fluty Intimacy Choreographer
Fatima Sowe Movement Choreographer
Luci Kersting * Stage Manager
Clare Brennan Assistant Director
Airos Sung-En Medill Assistant Director
John Bisegerwa Uganda Consultant
Dina Spoerl Lobby Display Designer
Molly Weaver Production Assistant

Understudies

Destini Huston Adiel, Ruth

Matthew Lolar Soldier, Paul

Jelani Pitcher Pika, Francis

Natalie Santoro Chris

Reviews

Chicago Reader

January 25, 2019

RECOMMENDED. “Cardboard Piano succeeds on multiple fronts. It’s a riveting story. … With each pivot in the intricate plot, Jung reveals a new perspective on both the individual characters and the lethal, institutionalized bigotry overpowering them. … There’s beauty in the ethereal, haunting hymn that closes Cardboard Piano, and perhaps the distant prospect of healing.”

—Catey Sullivan

Chicago Tribune

January 17, 2019

“A very carefully wrought play … Director Mechelle Moe’s production has a lot to like, not the least of which is a stunner of a set from Jeffrey D. Kmiec that constructs an entire sanctuary inside TimeLine’s space … It’s a beautiful piece of artistry, gorgeously lit by Brandon J. Wardell so that is reveals itself only gradually, morphing from a kind of war-zone hiding place to a place that might offer absolution, if the right kinds of truth and reconciliation occurs within its walls. Powerful acting moments are present, too; they’re mostly the work of actors who’ve not been at this theater before. … It’s a very gutsy performance.”

—Chris Jones

Chicago Sun-Times

January 17, 2019

★★★ “Love, hate, forgiveness are centerstage … The play’s first half leads to remarkable payoffs in the end.”

—Kris Vire

Newcity Stage

January 21, 2019

“Hansol Jung’s emotionally rich drama, now making its Chicago premiere at TimeLine Theatre Company, is as delicate and priceless a work of theater as the titular object … What I’d dare to call the first “Must-See” show of 2019.“

—Ben Kaye

Chicago On Stage

January 17, 2019

“The first great play of 2019 … As it did with Boy last year, Timeline Theatre has begun 2019 with a show that is powerful and provocative and memorable. I would not be surprised to find, next December, that it remains one of the brightest spots of Chicago theatre for the year.”

—Karen Topham

Broadway World

January 18, 2019

“[Playwright Hansol] Jung’s utterly human, multidimensional characters allow her to find success … Throughout Cardboard Piano, she takes many small, emotionally rich moments and allows audiences to contemplate big themes without feeling as if we’re being taught a lesson.“

—Rachel Weinberg

Performink

January 19, 2019

“This play has beautiful moments of intimacy, singing, and (as the poster portrays) interracial love. It is honest, tragic, and raises many important questions without providing answers.“

—Josh Flanders

Stage and Cinema

January 17, 2019

“In a forceful staging by TimeLine Theatre, Cardboard Piano is an exercise in betterment over bitterness. Here is proof — if a play can indeed provide it — that, for what it’s worth, love wins out over time and rage.“

—Lawrence Bommer

Chicago Theatre Review

January 18, 2019

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. “Dynamic and gritty … These four actors work well together, seamlessly mining every ounce of emotion from their characters, while making this tale of trauma and its survivors a living, breathing moment from history.“

—Colin Douglas

Ada Grey Reviews for You

January 31, 2019

“I had so much love for the characters and really cared about how the story would turn out. … This show is really beautiful, heartbreaking, and amazingly acted. All the elements in this play were beautifully done.”

—Ada Grey

Let's Play

January 18, 2019

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. “Powerful and thought-provoking … This in your face, explosive play is like being on a roller coaster that drops you right into the action. Moe hits upon all of the emotional and sensitive keys that will make each person in the audience walk away with a different perspective about who and what is right. Can we lose the ability to forgive even though we need forgiveness?”

—Brenda and Rick McCain

Picture This Post

January 17, 2019

“There are some very strong performances in this production. [Playwright Hansol] Jung’s Act II gives the characters passionate moments to show their acting chops, and especially [Kai] Ealy, who is clearly up to the task. … For this writer, it is [Freedom] Martin’s portrayal of a wide-eyed and tortured child soldier in the first act that is totally arresting and for lovers of superb acting well worth putting Cardboard Piano on their calendars.“

—Amy Munice

Picks in Six

January 18, 2019

“[A] gripping drama … [Hansol] Jung’s riveting dialogue in Cardboard Piano, born from a unique, informed and international perspective, with the inspired performances of an emerging group of talented actors, will certainly stay with you.“

—Ed Tracy

Playlist HQ

January 18, 2019

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. “Dramatic and exciting. The audience is on the edge of their seats… The cast is superb.”

—Quinn Delaney

Rescripted

January 21, 2019

“A romance that reckons with historical pain … Cardboard Piano is a gut-wrenching exploration of what it means to love, to forgive, and to heal.”

—Yasmin Mikhaiel

Around The Town Chicago

January 28, 2019

“This is a story that one can learn from, along with being highly entertained … You will find yourself caught in the web of intrigue.”

—Alan Bresloff