Ron OJ Parson * ~ + Director

Tyla Abercrumbie * + Playwright

Cast

Ayanna Bria Bakari * Annelle, Mother

Rebecca Hurd * Mary Anna Elizabeth

Xavier Edward King * Franklin

Jaye Ladymore * Janet

Demetra Dee Zhuukee, also known as Annabelle Lee

Travis Delgado Marcus

Production Team

Mike Tutaj # ^ Projections Designer

Tiffany Fulson Assistant Director
Jack Magaw # Scenic Designer
Christine Pascual # Costume Designer
Heather Gilbert # Lighting Designer
Christopher A. Kriz # Original Music and Sound Design
Jennifer Wernau Properties Designer
Megan E. Pirtle Wig and Hair Designer
Sammi Grant Dialect Director
Rachel Flesher Intimacy and Violence Director
Khalid Y. Long Dramaturg
Miranda Anderson * Stage Manager
Dina Spoerl Lobby Display Designer
Hannah Weiss Production Assistant

Understudies

Sierra Coachman Zhuukee, also known as Annabelle Lee

Jordan Gleaves Marcus

Jordan Ashley Grier Mary Anna Elizabeth

Dylan Rogers Franklin

Aja Singletary Janet

Marlene Slaughter Annelle, Mother

Reviews

Chicago Tribune

Tyla Abercrumbie’s Relentless is the finest new play to emerge in Chicago since the days before the COVID-19 crisis that delayed this world premiere for so many months. Smart, challenging and deeply moving toward its close, Relentless is fully the equal of many of the serious dramas that populated Broadway this past fall. … Parson’s production crackles with pace. The play’s clashing ideas come fast and with a rare level of excitement and spontaneity … I could see a movie coming from this play, or a Netflix series, or, heck, a Broadway showcase. It’s that good. Catch it now.”

—Chris Jones

Let's Play

“One of those plays that should be considered a historical masterpiece that will have you spellbound and wanting more … Abercrumbie blows us away with this brilliant and wonderfully written play that points out one of the main reasons Black Americans feel enslaved by hatred and racism that still plagues us today. … [it’s a] once-in-a-lifetime play that anyone should see.”

—Rick and Brenda McCain

Chicago Sun-Times

“It’s remarkable how timely Relentless proves at a moment in 2022 when so many are expressing an aversion to engaging with history … bracing and truthful … terrific performances … a visual treat … Abercrumbie’s play will likely create some discomfort in the audience. We’d do well to sit in it.”

—Kris Vire

Chicago Reader

“Fits our current moment … the play isn’t just about exploring the past; it’s about pondering what the future might hold in an age of both unrest and promise. … a fascinating era, and one that we don’t often see from the point of view of characters like the ones Abercrumbie has created … [a] big-hearted and complex portrait of ‘Black Victorians,’ particularly Black women, standing on the verge of great change.”

—Kerry Reid

Picks In Six

“The gifted playwright Tyla Abercrumbie’s absorbing and expertly-crafted new play Relentless succeeds on so many complex and interwoven levels … Bakari’s heart-wrenching performance and the overwhelming resolve that churns within Dee’s powerful portrayal … breathe life into Abercrumbie’s rich, profoundly poetic text. In the hands of Parson—truly one of our great interpreters of new works—the humor, pathos and inhumanity of this piece strike often with stunning force and immediacy. … [it’s] one of the most visually satisfying and dramatically fulfilling experiences you will ever have in a theater.”

—Ed Tracy

Windy City Times

“The care and attention invested by director Ron OJ Parson, his ensemble of tireless actors and a team of superlative craftspersons, is evident in the agility with which the individual personae deftly navigate real-world references embedded in the dialogue, trading repartee with never a stumble for the speedy three hours (including an intermission) needed for both the characters, and us, to acknowledge the value of knowing the TRUTH, as well as the wisdom of revealing it to those who are still living.”

—Mary Shen Barnidge

Stage and Cinema

“As the snow falls, a fire is currently smoldering centerstage at Theater Wit. This slow-burning ember is better known as the World Premiere, Relentless. Playwright Tyla Abercrumbie’s ferocious, fierce, determined and monolithic three-hour play is definitely a conversation starter. … Relentless proved itself unrelenting and required viewing.”

—Stephen Best

Splash Magazine

“Beautifully directed by Ron OJ Parson … With this play, [Abercrumbie] offers so much to contemplate about the human condition, white privilege, and the seemingly endless Black struggle for justice and equality. … a powerful and stunning new work, seamlessly performed by a talented cast, and deftly produced by one of Chicago’s finest theaters.”

—Fran Zell

Around the Town

“TimeLine is back … with a vengeance. This is a sterling production with an amazingly powerful cast bringing these characters to life. The set (Jack Magaw) is flawless and makes the venue seem so much larger. Christine Pascual’s costumes are just right and Heather Gilbert’s lighting perfect. Christopher Kriz as always does original music that is perfect for the story.”

—Alan Bresloff

Buzz Center Stage

“One thing you can count in Chicago theatre, if you go to a TimeLine production, you will spend a great deal of time researching what you have just seen … TimeLine productions teach and enlighten, you walk out wiser than when you walked in. … The dialogue is fast, witty and engaging. … [Abercrumbie] was supported in the development process by TimeLine’s Playwrights Collective and the result is pure magic.”

—Wesley David

Newcity

“Though the characters in Relentless are educated and well-to-do, they are far from reserved in world view—their rage seethes, hidden only by the comfort of their surroundings and the decorum of their lives. … It’s a mistake to assume that the expression of Black anger is confined to those marching in the streets or staging acts of civil disobedience. Relentless makes the point that this rage is universal. … The story reveals layers of anger with nuance rather than big dramatic acts.”

—Brian Hieggelke

Hyde Park Herald

“The ending is simultaneously shocking and hopeful, a sign of the ongoing struggle and resilience that propel the action into the present. But what I find most impressive is how much I cared about each and every one of Abercrumbie’s characters. … Kudos also to every aspect of the physical production … one of the more compelling new works I’ve seen in a while.”

—Anne Spiselman

GoPride

“By the end, you will want it to keep going thanks to dynamic performances and intriguing storylines that are woven together throughout … The script is quite unpredictable and tackles tough topics. … Relentless deserves to take home many awards in the future … Make haste to see this production before it closes … don’t miss this story that will haunt you long after it is done!

—Jerry Nunn