Wellington Memories
Return to “FareWellington: A final goodbye”
As TimeLine ended our 25-year residency at Baird Hall, we reflected on not just the countless memories we’ve made during our time here, but on what this space has meant to Off-Loop Chicago theatre since at least the mid-1960s, and as a community hub for more than 100 years. We asked our community to share with us all that 615 West Wellington Avenue has meant to them, and below is some of what they shared.
You can also read a timeline of TimeLine Theatre’s history here.
1960 – 1970
1968 My first visit as a spectator was in 1968 or ’69 when I saw June Pyskacek’s production for the Chicago City Players of Jean-Claude van Itallie’s “America Hurrah!” there. —Gary H., Director
1990 – 1997
1993 As a part of the European Repertory company I had some of the most creatively fulfilling times of my life, in shows like AGAMEMNON, “Electra” “uncle vanya” “ivanhov” “scenes from an execution” to name a few, the love of ensemble theatre was imprinted on my heart forever. We ran Stephen Berkoff’s “Agamemnon” for two years, unheard of for small non-equity theatre at the time. Years later I was able to come back to Baird Hall to perform in “my kind of town” with Timeline, it was so amazing to be back at Baird Hall where so many of my memories were still crisp in my mind. I left the show early for another show and have always regretted it. I am proud to be a small part of the legacy of Baird hall, European rep, TimeLine, and Chicago Theatre. —Carolyn H. Actor
1998 I reviewed many productions at Baird Hall by TimeLine, European Rep, The Journeymen, and others. Also attended LGBT community meetings at various spaces in the Wellington Ave. UCC for LGBT rights ordinance campaign. Illinois Gay and Lesbian Task Force had its office there and we used Baird Hall for some meetings. —Albert W., Journalist
1997 – 2010
1999 I was blessed when my husband Louis introduced me to Julia when she was working at DePaul University. We attended the Gaslight production and we were hooked to TimeLine. I enjoyed my time as a Board Member and subscriber. My husband and I came to all the productions with our good friends Félix and Mari. Felix and Louis passed away in 2022 and Maria has moved to Miami but I will always have a special place in my heart for the wonderful experiences shared with them at Timeline and the amazing conversations resulting from the viewings. I look forward to seeing productions in the new home. —Debra F.L. Former Board Member
It is a LONG story of friendship and love of theater…Our group which both has expanded to include other UofC Basic Program Groupies and celebrations planned around TimeLine and has decreased with deaths, moves, mobility issues. But several of us still come, enjoy the fine performances, and then sit at The Bagel for hours. I now primarily attend only smaller theaters and have become a Saint to support them. Thank you for the history and the joy. —Mary D., Audience Member
2003 The magic of live theatre imbues spaces like Baird Hall with life, with breath, and with memory. Being an audience member at Hauptmann and Hannah & Martin cemented my desire to work at TimeLine, and I am extremely proud to have worked in this space and on these wonderful productions with their amazing team of artists. I look forward to TimeLine’s next chapter! —Audrey C., Stage Manager
2003 In November 2003 the city decided to inspect a number of storefront theaters that lacked Public Place of Amusement (PPA) licenses. Despite the fact that Baird Hall had been hosting live theater for 90 years, and no one told us we needed a PPA, the city shut down our run (The Lion in Winter) – which was a big hit. We lost three weeks of that production, but did obtain our license in time to open Paragon Springs in February 2004. It was a crazy time, but like countless other setbacks, TimeLine survived and ultimately prospered. —John S. Board Member
2003 I was the ASM for The Lion in Winter, which was on track to become the longest-running TimeLine show ever when it closed. The run went from blistering summer to drizzly fall. During summer, there was a very loud, through-the-wall air conditioning unit that had to be unplugged during performances due to its volume, and I distinctly remember the audible groan from the audience as I unplugged it just before places. —Audrey C., Stage Manager
2004 I was also the Stage Manager for It’s All True. During one performance, a lightning strike tripped our circuit breaker, and we lost all our lights and sound. There was enough ambient light on stage that the company (troupers, all) went on with the performance while I tried in vain to find the circuit breaker in the pitch-black attic. Naturally the balance of these productions went off without a hitch! 🙂 —Audrey C., Stage Manager
2004 In Fall 2004 I brought a big group via bus to TimeLine’s production of Noel Coward’s This Happy Breed. It was a trial run to see if I could connect the dots between my TimeLine circle and my parish men’s club circle. Well, This Happy Breed ended up winning a raft of non-equity Jeff awards including Best Play, Best Director (Nick Bowling), Best Ensemble, Best Actor in a Leading Role (Terry Hamilton), Best Incidental Music (Andrew Hansen), and Best Costume Design (Nicole Rene Burchfield). That opened the door to annual group visits to TimeLine for many years. A truly wonderful show. —John S., Board Member
2006 First date was to see Fiorello. Husband quietly sang the entire score while watching. We are married 61 years. Saw it at TimeLine two times. —Marilyn M., Audience Member
I was in one of countless TimeLine Board committee meetings, this one for some reason being held in the theatre lobby. PJ’s phone rang. It was Shelly calling to tell him she was going into labor…and today Zoe is a rising high school senior. —John S., Former Board Member
2006 A friend suggested I join her at TimeLine’s production of Fiorello. PJ was the lead. I could not believe TimeLine was able to create the scenery for that production in the tiny space. However, I loved it and TimeLine and have been a subscriber and donor ever since. —Dani J., Audience Member
2006 Mechelle Moe’s dynamic performance as Karen in The Children’s Hour. The intensity and passion she showed while gouging the word “Lesbians” into the floor was one of the most powerful and memorable moments of theatre I’ve experienced, at TimeLine…or anywhere. —John S., Former Board Member
2007 I loved my experience being in [Fioello!]. Everyone from PJ down was so nice to work with. I’ll never forget that PJ gave EVERYONE an opening night card. Imagine the Artistic Director taking the time to write a quick note to each of us. He wanted to make sure we were ALL valued. Nick, our Director, was a joy to work with. The cast was talented! And so nice! I loved every minute in that creaky old building. Felt so Chicago! —Joe S., Actor
2007 Talking with Biljana (Janet Ulrich Brooks) in the “Museum”, AKA the TimeLine lobby, before Tesla’s Letters. —John S., Former Board Member
2009 I was most impressed when you transformed your space into a dormitory in which each of The History Boys had his own room. That’s when I became a subscriber. —Chris S. Subscriber
2009 I lived 1/2 block from Timeline for 14 years before I ever realized there was a theatre at that church down the street. A colleague of mine said he was sure I’d enjoy Timeline’s work and the first show I saw was The History Boys in 2009. I was hooked. We became subscribers and haven’t missed a show since. I eventually joined the board in 2018 and am very invested in in the growth of Timeline in the future. —Anne V. Board Member
2009 For my 14th birthday, I got to sit in on the first rehearsal of All My Sons. It was my first glimpse of professional theatre work and cemented that I wanted a career in this field. I am endlessly grateful for PJ and Juliet’s mentorship all these years. —Delaney S., friend of theatre
2010 I spent a good chunk of my 20s at TimeLine. Watched them go equity, and went along with them. There are so many stories to tell but I’ll start with my favorite. Opening night of The Farnsworth Invention. Flash paper and a little gunpowder were the ingredients, power outages were the outcome. We had figured out that night that the cute little fake boom we made also took out my whole booth. As quietly as I could on a headset I had the ASM and now my dear friend Cheney run to get James our PA from the opening night staging area in the basement and get him on a headset to help us reset the power. Everyone had a very important job and what seemed like hours in retrospect was maybe 1-2 minutes. James tripped the power back on, Cheney reset the dimmers while I frantically powered all the equipment still trying to follow the script to make sure I made it back to the right cue. PJs look up to the booth will forever be engrained in my memory. Timeline shaped me, it molded me, and it made me who I am today. Resilient, comfortable with the uncomfortable and quite frankly just appreciative of being able to live in the moment. That building will forever be in my heart. —Ana E.S. Actor (PIC)
2010 | Never have scrambled eggs smelled so delicious as when they were cooked live, on stage, in TimeLine’s world premiere of To Master the Art. —Jay K., PR Consultant
2010 The smell of shallots sautéing in butter wafting through the air in To Master the Art. —John S., Former Board Member
2010 It’s final preview of To Master the Art. I had a quick costume change from Marie, the vegetable seller in the market, to Simone Beck, Julia Child’s cookbook collaborator. The change was set up behind the audience in the (tiny) inner lobby office where a fellow actor was also transforming into a new character. I pulled off my boots, apron, knitted hat, gingham dress, and fat suit, and put on the slip, blond wig, sparkly jewelry, and high heels, and stepped into the party dress. Unbeknownst to me, the costumes had just returned from the dry cleaner in preparation for Opening Night, and suddenly, I discovered that my dress had shrunk and was shorter and tighter than it had ever been before. My fellow actor zipped me up in the back, squeezing me into the dress, only to tell me that my slip was now showing an inch below the hem. I knew this would not do for the exacting Simone, so we released me from the dress, pulled the slip back over my head, poured me back into the dress, re-pinned the wig, and I went bravely out onto the stage, taking very shallow breaths and hoping for the best. —Jeannie A., Actor
2011 – 2024
2011 I just remember vacuuming the black carpet in theater lobby/performance space before every performance of Enron, and the video clip on repeat (“why? why? why?”) as part of the lobby display. I actually tried to find that same video clip (Enron commercial) a few years later when I was teaching writing and literature to 9th graders in Denver CO, could not find it unfortunately. That same year, 2011-2012, I was finishing my MFA thesis for Columbia University and PJ so graciously agreed to let me interview him about being a founding artistic director. I included many quotes from that interview, and the addition of that first hand account is obviously why it finally passed and I am now a Master of Fine Art in Dramaturgy! Couldn’t have done it without the whole TimeLine family! —Molly M. House Manager
Several TimeLine productions rank among the top Chicago theatre productions I’ve seen. Yet what keeps coming back to me as I think of visiting TimeLine is the warmth of the TimeLine community that greeted me. —Allen D., Audience Member
2011 I have an abundance of great TimeLine memories, but I think the one that sticks out the most is during tech for The Front Page. We had a vintage toilet (likely provided by Nick) that was to be installed in the lobby area/fake bathroom set. For April’s Fool’s Day, myself and another production team member (I wish I remembered who) decided to take the toilet up to PJ’s office and replace his desk chair. So, when he went on lunch break, and would typically get in some quick emails at his desk, PJ had to sit on the toilet to work. Of all the memories, that one still makes me laugh to this day. Oh, and the “Senator Fiorello!” newspaper is another good laugh I’ll have for a long time. —Julie J, Former Associate Artist
2012 My Kind of Town was the play that we chose to go to by donating at the annual gala before we became subscribers. We gathered together 8 friends, went to dinner, then the play. Imagine our surprise when it turned out not to be “Chicago is a great town”, but rather about corruption in Chicago. —Mary F., Audience Member
2013 Walking through the somewhat grungy corridors of a Chicago apartment building (AKA the TimeLine lobby) and into the apartment of the Younger family in A Raisin in the Sun. —John S., Former Board Member
2013 I believe our first play together was Blood and Gifts in 2013, and we have brought a play to my students every year since then (with the exception of the pandemic years). Each group of students has a unique experience with the Living History teaching artists, the plays, and the actors. I am absolutely floored each year when I witness a handful of quiet, reserved students come out of their protective shell as they engage with the teaching artists. To see them light up when they hear a line of dialogue during the play that they learned in class is truly magical! Further magic occurs when students dream up their own versions of scenes from the plays before they see the actual play. Their creative potential amazes me every time – and I’m forever grateful to the teaching artists for encouraging students and helping to bring out their beautiful ideas. —Michelle L., Living History teacher
In addition to always looking forward to seeing whatever was posted in the entrance lobby, I was always amazed at the creative use of space – from the configuration of the stage to the arrangement of the audience seating. —Toni S., Audience Member
2015 My time with The Price is one of my most cherished memories, and a personal highlight of my career. Working with Lou Contey and the cast was terrific, as was the whole TimeLine production team. But the piece-de-resistance was the opportunity to watch, up close every night, the late, great Mike Nussbaum create Solomon, a role he was born to play. The cherry on the cake was to get to perform this gem in Wellington Hall, one of the greatest of the great Chicago “intimate” theatres. —Rick P., Actor
2016 About 8 years ago I saw a play about the Tiananmen Square event. It was mind-blowing. —David D., Audience Member
2017 I have so many fond memories of stage managing for TimeLine! One of my favorites has to be A Disappearing Number. There was so much chalk to clean up every night, and I was honored to make a cameo as a shadow. The best part was though was the cast. I loved working with all of them. —Luci K., Stage Manager
2017 The first TimeLine show I saw was in the next room at Theater Wit because my professor Maren Robinson was offering extra credit if you wrote something about it. I went, enjoyed it immensely, but didn’t think much of it. Cut to 3 years later, and TimeLine is looking for a Bookkeeper part-time. I took the job and
stayed for 4 years. The best four years of my life so far. —Elizabeth Tyska, Former Bookkeeper
2018 I had the honor of understudying Mama/Mother through the entire run of A Shayna Maidel, directed by Vanessa Stalling. I was lucky to perform the role several times and absolutely loved working with the incredible cast, designers, crew and all. Because the show was such a success, it enjoyed a long run and made me feel a part of an important piece of female-driven theatre, shining a light on women’s histories, relationships, experiences and transformations. Thank you TimeLine for the great theatre you have made! Looking forward to all that is to come in your new home. —Julie P., Actor
2022 Relentless was the first show I worked on with TimeLine! —Bobby B., Scenic Carpenter
2022 Trouble in Mind: what a joy to be asked to be a part of such a wonderful play and cast! —Chuck S., Actor
2023 At the end of the performance [of What the Constitution Means to Me], the actors asked the audience how they voted: to keep the current U.S. Constitution with some adjustments or to scrap it for something new. A female audience member, randomly chosen to reply for the sold-out house, announced despairingly: “But I’m from Canada!” The place exploded with laughter. A memorable moment in the theater. —Wynne D. Audience Member
2023 The Lehman Trilogy was my first and only time in the Wellington Space. It felt like being in a museum of art and antiquities but also felt like someone welcoming you into their home. I’ll cherish my small time working in that space and all of the stories that were told there. —Corbin P., Stage Manager
We hope you’ve enjoyed delving down memory lane with us! If you have any other memories to add, please do not hesitate to contact emma@timelinetheatre.com.