Recipient of the Alford-Axelson Award for Nonprofit Managerial Excellence and the Richard Goodman Strategic Planning Award from the Association for Strategic Planning, TimeLine has received 58 Jeff Awards, including an award for Outstanding Production 11 times. A.R.T./NY to Release WHAT'S OFF? Grier gives the character a solid arc; she's not just ignorant, but we see how Judy's eyes are opened to the deeply problematic situation in the rehearsal room over the course of the play. That is just the air that he breathes, and he cannot understand what shes talking about or where her anger and frustration are coming from, Decker says.
'Trouble in Mind' puts backstage drama center stage For Rivers, Childress message in Trouble in Mind remains vital. Terry Teachout, The Wall Street Journal, A combination of panache and physical dynamism that I find altogether irresistible.. All discussions are free and open to the public. Director Al Manners (Tim Decker, left) instructs Wiletta Mayer (Shariba Rivers) about what he seeks from her performance. There are two added matinees: Tuesday, November 22 at 2 p.m. and Friday, November 25 at 4 p.m. TimeLine Theatre Company's 2022-23 season continues this fall with the landmark classic Trouble in Mind by Alice Childress, directed by TimeLine Company Member Ron OJ Parson, running November 2 - December 18, 2022. This article is available exclusively for our subscribers, who help fund our work at the Chicago Tribune. Henry (Charles Stransky, from left), Sheldon Forrester (Kenneth D. Johnson), Judy Sears (Jordan Ashley Grier), Al Manners (Tim Decker), John Nevins (Vincent Jordan), Eddie Fenton (Adam Shalzi), Wiletta Mayer (Shariba Rivers) and Millie Davis (Tarina J. Bradshaw) in "Trouble in Mind," directed by Ron OJ Parson at TimeLine Theatre. Wiletta Mayer ( Shariba Rivers) takes in the moment as she stands on a Broadway stage before rehearsals begin. Laughing Cat Production, Interviews, Non-Theater Reviews, Stories, Whatever. She has an absolute star turn. The critics raved that this masterpiece of astonishing power (New York Magazine)is the play of the moment(The New York Times)and will take your breath away(Associated Press). He doesnt have the wherewithal to process any of that or understand her point of view.. Currently celebrating its 26th season, TimeLine has presented 85 productions, including 12 world premieres and 39 Chicago premieres, and launched the Living History Education Program, which brings the company's mission to life for students in Chicago Public Schools.
One of the ways the play remains relevant is the idea of the Black experience being reflected through the lens of whiteness, says Tim Decker, who portrays Al Manners, the unseeing director Wiletta goes up against. Trouble is an important work by an accomplished writer that boasts an interesting production history. Though ultimately it becomes a nasty battle between two characters, it is basically an ensemble piece that, from the start, highlights the ways in which Black performers were routinely belittled by the White men in charge of the plays. Childress wasnt the first female Black playwright on Broadway. At the interval my companion and I were debating which was finer the script, the acting, or the production and at the final curtain we were still unable to single one out. Podcast - Listen to the Trailer Now! TimeLine Theatre, 615 West Wellington. We and our partners use data for Personalised ads and content, ad and content measurement, audience insights and product development. Wednesday, November 16 Sunday, November 20 Thursday, December 1 Wednesday, December 7 Previews start February 1, 2023. Childress is a woman and a Black woman, and you can hear that in her writing, Parson says. Trouble in Mind runs through December 18, 2022 at TimeLine Theatre, 615 W. Wellington Ave., in Chicago's Lakeview neighborhood. The strife in the outer world bleeds through the walls of the theater (designed by Caitlin McLeod as a lifelike blend of grunge and glamour), creating an ever-mounting tension between Al, the shows domineering director, and the mostly Black cast, notably veteran actress Wiletta, who has worked previouslyand not entirely happilywith Al in Hollywood. This romance between an American teen circa the 1980s and the United States Constitution circa the 1780s demonstrates just how much can change in a lifetime.
'Trouble in Mind' Still Resonates Even After Nearly 70 Years Wiletta, who seems to be the authors stand-in, conveys all the frustration of an artist thrust into parts beneath her talents and dignity. Intimate, literate theater aimed at those with serious, curious minds., The more I see of Chicagos TimeLine Theatre Company, the more impressed I am TimeLine takes care to choose interesting plays, then mounts them with a combination of panache and physical dynamism that I find altogether irresistible., We celebrate the past to awaken the future., One of the classiest and most consistently talented ensembles on the Off-Loop theatre scene., We learn from history that we learn nothing from history.. It took 66 years forTrouble in Mindto finally receive its Broadway premiere, in a Tony Award-nominated production at Roundabout Theatre in 2021. Its not the fault of director Parson, who elicits solid, thought-through performances from his well-cast ensemble. Thus, TROUBLE IN MIND takes a few beats to get to its main point, but once Al and Wiletta start going head-to-head in act two, it's impossible to look away. Discounted rates for groups of 10 or more are also available. (Liz Lauren / HANDOUT). Written by Alice Childressthe first Black woman to have a play professionally produced in New York CityTrouble in Mind recently enjoyed an acclaimed Broadway production nominated for four 2022 Tony Awards, including Best Revival of a Play. The Broadway transfer never came. Shes the feisty Southern belle of Chaos in Belleville, hes her father. Since moving to Chicago from New York in 1994, he has worked as both an actor and director. Company Member Discussion:A post-show discussion with the collaborative team of artists who choose TimeLines programming and guide the companys mission on Sunday, December 4. Trouble in Mind runs through through December 18, 2022, at TimeLine Theatre, 615 W. Wellington St., Chicago IL. I maintain there is only one race.
Review: Timeline Theatre Company Gives New Life to Trouble in Mind, a In December 2018, TimeLine announced the purchase of property at 5033-35 North Broadway in Chicagos Uptown neighborhood to be the site of its new home. The Den Theatrehas announced a special appearance by Puerto Rican actress, comedian, and writer Gina Brillon, featuring four stand-up performances on October, 13 and 14, 2023 at 7:15 and 9:30 p.m. on The Heath Mainstage. Post-Show Discussions:A brief, informal post-show discussion hosted by a TimeLine Company Member and featuring the dramaturg and members of the production team on Wednesday, November 16; Sunday, November 20; Thursday, December 1; and Wednesday, December 7.
The Troubled History of Alice Childress's Trouble In Mind Literally. Single tickets to regular performances start at $42 (Wednesday through Friday), $49 (Saturday evenings) and $57 (Saturday and Sunday matinees). TROUBLE IN MIND focuses on Broadway actor Wiletta Mayer, a middle-aged Black woman cast in the "anti-lynching" play CHAOS IN BELLEVILLE. While the play does meander through the first act and part way into the second to really get at the heart of.
Trouble in Mind - TimeLine Theatre For the most updated information about TimeLines Health & Safety policies, click here . I saw Trouble in Mind on Broadway last season and was deeply disappointed in the production, frankly. Shes also known forA Hero Aint Nothin But a Sandwich, her 1973 novel about a 13-year-old Black boy addicted to heroin, which was made into a movie in 1978. Under Parsons direction, TimeLines new Chicago production ofTrouble in Mindis sure to be an explosive conversation about equality, power, and how race is portrayed in the American theatre. As her frustrations grows, she clashes with the director. Lacking reflective distance, the play fails to dig deeply into Wiletta. We never learn what motivates her switch from the opportunist philosophy she shares with a younger colleague at the beginning of the play (Remember, white folks cant stand an unhappy Negro) to her later defiance of Al, which could potentially end her career. The pitch perfect direction by OJ Parson seems to let every actor in this production shine, and especially gives Shariba Rivers an opportunity to deliver a tour de force performance. In this revised version of the play (prepared for the planned Broadway debut that would occur decades later), the year is 1957. It didnt debut on Broadway until 2021. The scene that becomes a Rubicon in the rehearsal room. Parson . Tim Decker, who plays the domineering white director, has to watch that: when he keeps the needle in the middle of the dial, he is devastatingly effective. As a serious drama that reveals much about a crucial moment in history (the early Civil Rights movement), the play is right in TimeLines wheelhouse. But there is such a thing as a writer sticking too closely to her own experience.
Wilettas realization of how she has betrayed her dream of being a real actor as she refuses to play her role as a stooped-over and long-suffering Black mother; enrages not only Manners but the rest of the cast. That pretty much sums up Alice Childress Trouble in Mind, her 1955 off-Broadway play, which is presented at TimeLine in a polished and thought-provoking but dramatically inert production directed by Ron OJ Parson. Thats the least of the indignities and outright dehumanization Wiletta endures during the troubled, 1957-set backstage play-within-the-play plot of Alice Childress scorching Trouble in Mind, which unfolds during rehearsals for Chaos in Belleville.. She is called Afong Moy by the white men who presented her in a museum beginning in the mid-nineteenth century. Timeline Theatre TROUBLE IN MIND. That honor eventually would go to Lorraine Hansberry for another classic of Black theater A Raisin in the Sun, which debuted in 1959. Girl From The North Country and Peter Pan have been added to the Broadway in Chicago 2023-24 season. Trouble in Mindbegins previews November 2, 2022. But there is such a thing as a writer sticking too closely to her own experience. Student discount is 35% off regular price with valid ID. Rivers digs very deep here and, as her character talks to fellow performers richly played by Kenneth D. Johnson, Vincent Jordan and Tarina J. Bradshaw, the show ripples with energy, anger and the moral dilemma known to anyone who has inhabited a competitive workplace: when to tell the bosses what they want to hear and when to take a stand. Not Without A Fight: A Review of "Relentless" at TimeLine Theatre. Posted December 2, 2022 1:39 PM. But shes limited by the script, which provides her with no life beyond the theater walls, and little history. In TimeLine Theatre Companys cant-look-away staging, director Ron OJ Parson shapes a production that is both period-perfect and urgently of the moment. TimeLine is served by multiple CTA trains and buses. Alice Childress created Wiletta Mayer, the protagonist of her 1955 play, "Trouble in Mind," to paint a realistic portrait of what it was to be Black in the theater industry. Nobody can hear her. She refused. Suddenly, nobody is acting anymore, as the rehearsal of the silly, sentimental play slams against the wall of real life. This project is partially supported by a CityArts Grant from the City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs & Special Events and a grant from the Illinois Arts Council Agency. (Lara Goetsch / HANDOUT). Like Dorothy Parker, the humor comes embedded with barbs aimed at societys most noxious mores, racism and sexism predominant among them. Major corporate, government and foundation donors providing season support via TimeLines Annual Fund include Abe and Ida Cooper Foundation, Bayless Family Foundation, Crown Family Philanthropies, Forum Fund, Joseph & Bessie Feinberg Foundation, John A. A man was shot and is in critical condition. Van Swearingen veers between the role of Southern patriarch and needy actor with disorienting ease: As the former, OWray delivers confident, chilling proclamations that wouldnt be out of place in Mein Kampf. OWray the actor, by contrast, is a quivering mass of insecurities. Childress refused to compromise, and the play never opened on Broadway, ending her chance of being the first African American woman playwright to have a play on Broadway. His Chicago credits include work with The Chicago Theatre Company, Victory Gardens, Goodman, Steppenwolf, Chicago Dramatists, Northlight, Court, Black Ensemble Theatre, Congo Square, Northlight Theatre, Urban Theatre Company, City Lit Theater, ETA Creative Arts, and Writers. What's more, in an instance of life imitating art, Childress was posed to become the first Black female playwright to have her work produced on Broadway-but she was pressured to give TROUBLE IN MIND a happier ending and title. But whereas Ma Rainey is tragic in its depiction of a white promoter turning Black musicians against each other and themselves, Trouble in Mind remains more of a high-level melodrama, its impact blunted by a weak ending, which is neither happy nor unhappy, but simply flat. Theater, Dance, Comedy and Performance in Chicago, November 15, 2022 at 7:00 am by Hugh Iglarsh, TimeLine Theatres Trouble in Mind; Director Al Manners (Tim Decker, left) instructs Wiletta Mayer (Shariba Rivers) on what he seeks from her performance/Photo: Liz Lauren, In The King, Eugene Jareckis documentary about Elvis Presley, a Black activist interviewed by the filmmaker observes that America inflicts pain on Black people, denies it inflicts the pain, then benefits from the soulful cry that arises from the pain.. As she herself once said, I concentrate on portraying have-nots in a have society..
Trouble in Mind is Timeline Theatre's Latest Thought Provoking Play Visittimelinetheatre.com/discountsfor more about available discounts. Decker is disquieting and entirely convincing as Al; he's immensely believable in his unlikeability. Childress (who died in 1994) lived far longer than Hansberry, who was dead at just 35 years old. Press Night is Wednesday, November 9 at 7:30 p.m. Captioned Performances:Open-captioned performances with a text display of words and sounds heard during performances are Friday, December 9, and Saturday, December 10 at 4 p.m. Audio-Described Performance:On Friday, December 16, the performance will feature narration about visual elements of the production around the dialogue, available for individual patrons via headphones. In the fall of 2021, Alice Childress' play "Trouble in Mind" finally made its Broadway debut, which would have happened more than six decades earlier if not for the Black playwright's decision to keep her vision for the insightful work intact. Its not the kind Manners is expecting. July 9 - July 15 This Week in Indiana History, WNDR Museum to Host Largest Iteration of SAUCED Night Market to Date, "Roaring Twenties" at Indiana State Museum, LCA to Host Director's Gallery Talk of "Vivian Maier: In Color", 2005-2035 Spotlight on Lake - All rights reserved. Jordan Ashley Grier makes nice work of Yale drama graduate Judy Sears, who's well-intentioned but also blind to her privilege. Director Al Manners (Tim Decker, center) is a dominating presence in the rehearsal room, witnessed by stage manager Eddie Fenton (Adam Shalzi, left) and cast member Millie Davis (Tarina J. Bradshaw, right). Parsons fast-moving show manages to do that most of the time, although there were moments on opening night when it came close to veering over the top. This is a director ignoring the very history and context of the play hes attempting to direct. Pre-Show Discussions:Starting one hour before the performance, a 25-minute introductory conversation hosted by a TimeLine Company Member and the dramaturg on Sunday, November 27 and Thursday, December 8. This website stores data such as cookies to enable essential site functionality, as well as marketing, personalization, and analytics. While the show has a predominantly Black cast, Wiletta soon discovers that the play's white male director has little concept that CHAOS IN BELLEVILLE is a deeply problematic and misrepresentative play. TimeLine is led by Artistic Director PJ Powers, Executive Director Mica Cole, and Board President John Sterling. Childress would be quite pleased., a blistering portrait of racial and gender politics on Broadway Its both fascinating that were now able to experience TROUBLE IN MINDfor the first time in Chicago in 2022, but its also chilling how relevant the play still is., TimeLines production stars Shariba Rivers as Wiletta, and its a stunning performance that should not be missedits a pure joy to see her move here with nimble leaps from sardonic asides to anguished take-no-prisoners confrontations with Tim Deckers Manners.
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