Pictured: Brett Neveu

TimeLine Theatre has announced the line-up for the company’s 21st season, featuring the Chicago premiere of an acclaimed play by FROST/NIXON playwright Peter Morgan, a new TimeLine production by Chicago native Sarah Ruhl, the Chicago premiere of a Kilroys List play by Anna Ziegler, and the first world premiere developed through TimeLine’s Playwrights Collective, written by Brett Neveu.

“Our 21st season features four plays inspired by history that ignite discussion around several issues that are increasingly critical to confront today,” said TimeLine Artistic Director PJ Powers. “TimeLine’s Company Members are eager to explore these stories about styles of political leadership, women’s equality, gender identity and law enforcement tactics—all through intimate, provocative productions.”

The 2017-18 TimeLine Season (from the press release):

Chicago Premiere
THE AUDIENCE
by Peter Morgan
directed by TimeLine Associate Artistic Director Nick Bowling
August 16 – November 12, 2017
Presented at TimeLine Theatre, 615 W. Wellington Ave.
Featuring company member Janey Ulrich Brooks
A portrait of a dynamic and provocative woman—the symbol of a nation—as she weathers decades of history and political strife. Every Tuesday afternoon for more than 60 years, Queen Elizabeth II has met with each of her 12 Prime Ministers in a private audience, a gesture of unity between government and Crown. Through moments of tension, negotiation, war, and unrest, these conversations with political leaders from Winston Churchill to Harold Wilson to Margaret Thatcher have remained a constant across the years. Playwright Peter Morgan re-imagines each of these meetings, giving us a glimpse at the queen’s role in guiding the circumstances that have shaped Great Britain, and a window into the mystery, compassion and humor of the woman behind the iconic crown.

IN THE NEXT ROOM, OR THE VIBRATOR PLAY
by Sarah Ruhl
directed by TimeLine Company Member Mechelle Moe
October 20 – December 17, 2017
Presented at Stage 773, 1225 W. Belmont Ave.
A story of awakening, equality, and the need for connection that was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize for Drama. It is the 1880s and Thomas Edison’s invention of the electric light has begun to change the fabric of daily life. Inspired by Edison’s discovery, scientist and inventor Dr. Givings creates a piece of machinery to treat the increasingly common affliction of female hysteria. When he starts to see a new patient regularly, his wife’s curiosity with the invention and what occurs “in the next room” grows, leading to discoveries of her own. This intimate and humorous story of self-discovery debunks the expectation of sexuality as a dirty word and shows that human connection is not simply a means to an end, but a vital part of life itself.

Chicago Premiere
BOY
by Anna Ziegler
directed by Damon Kiely
January 10 – March 18, 2018
Presented at TimeLine Theatre, 615 W. Wellington Ave.
A moving and poignant story, inspired by true events, about a search for personal identity and acceptance. In the 1960s, a surgical accident causes a well-intentioned doctor to convince the parents of twin boys to raise one as a girl. Two decades later, the repercussions of that choice continue to unfold, as those involved struggle to connect with each other and themselves, stuck between their hope for the future and their uncertainty about the past. BOY explores the beauty of finding love, the complexity of gender identity, and the consequences of the choices we make for those we love.

World Premiere
TO CATCH A FISH
by Brett Neveu
directed by TimeLine Company Member Ron OJ Parson
April 25 – July 1, 2018
Presented at TimeLine Theatre, 615 W. Wellington Ave.
Developed through TimeLine’s Playwright’s Collective and inspired by true events, this compelling new play examines how the pursuit of justice—however well intentioned—can devastate a family and a community. In a low-income, residential neighborhood of Milwaukee, Terry Kilbourn has just begun a new job passing out flyers for a discount warehouse. When his bosses start asking more of him, his loved ones begin to question what is really going on. As higher stakes are revealed and relationships tested, the clarity of who to trust and what to believe grows increasingly murky. Both hilarious and heart wrenching, TO CATCH A FISH walks the line between good intentions and deceit, testing the bonds we have to family and community.

For more information on TimeLine Theatre visit timelinetheatre.com.