Displaying items by tag: John Culbert

Timeline Theatre unveils their chic, new Uptown home with its inaugural production–Henrik Ibsen’s ever-relevant “An Enemy of the People”. A streamlined text by acclaimed playwright Amy Herzog cuts right to the bone in this fast-paced version straight from Broadway.

It shouldn’t come as a surprise that Timeline chose to open their new space with Ibsen’s classic play about a town that prioritizes economics over public health. History continues to repeat itself. Whispers of AI data centers seemed to be on everyone’s lips during the intermission as the modern day parallel is impossible to ignore. Timeline, who is known for their dramaturgical installations by Maren Robinson, doesn't shy away from the ugly reality that our Great Lakes are under attack from the tech billionaire class who aim to guzzle ungodly amounts of our fresh water. 

The play begins on a chipper note, an economically downtrodden town brims with excitement for their new spa and resort that is sure to boost local prospects. That is until plucky Dr. Thomas Stockmann (Will Allan) makes a chilling discovery about the contaminated water source. At first his friends at the local newspaper are behind his decision to inform the townspeople, but as his brother Peter, the mayor (Behzad Dabu), becomes involved support begins to waver. Soon his adult daughter Petra (Campbell Krausen) is his only ally. 

Petra Stockmann (Campbell Krausen, background from left), Hovstad (Grayson Kennedy), and Captain Horster (Charles Andrew Gardner) watch attentively as Dr. Thomas Stockmann (Will Allan, foreground) reviews shocking scientific revelations.

Herzog’s version is more akin to a chamber play than Ibsen’s, perhaps less grand in scale but certainly easier to digest. She also inserts some modern political flourishes that give more depth to the female protagonist Petra. With a slimmer cast and script, individual performances stand out and the intensity is more sustained. And by the second act, the audience becomes part of the cast in a way. This device works especially well because of the brilliant performances of this intimate cast.

“An Enemy of the People” becomes just as frustrating as Miller’s “The Crucible”. That infectious sense of outrage comes down to Will Allan’s devastatingly honest portrayal of a man who loses everything for the pursuit of truth. Allan has a gift for physicality, often interjecting some levity wherever possible. Audience participation becomes hard to contain as he’s continuously silenced by the newspaper staff and his greedy brother. Behzad Dabu opts for a more pragmatic interpretation of the mayor than straight up villain. In fact, there are moments where despite the poisonous water, you might find yourself agreeing with him, therein lies the danger. The emotional anchor of the show is Campbell’s Krausen’s Petra. Much like Allan’s performance, the shift from light to dark is heartbreaking.

Timeline’s glow up from Wellington to North Broadway is something to marvel at. Uptown has gained a Steppenwolf-level theater. Legendary Chicago director Ron OJ Parson brings a certain sophistication well deserving of this sleek 250-seat theater. Everything is just right here. John Culbert’s stylish set and stage magic really fills this gorgeous new performance space. Uptown really is quite lucky to have this wonderful new theater in its backyard. 

Through June 14 at Timeline Theatre. 5035 N Broadway. 773-281-8463 x1

Prepare to be taken on a journey with Timeline Theatre at their production of "Chimerica." Directed by Nick Bowling, "Chimerica" is an epic saga of a play by British playwright Lucy Kirkwood. While a solid three hours of theater may be discouraging for some, this play makes it well worth the time. 

Spoiler alert, "Chimerica" is a story about Chinese-American relations, not Chicago. That said, John Culbert's stage design addresses it pretty head-on. One side of the stage is an ironically vintage New York City apartment, a wide gulf separates it from a shabby Beijing tenement. A Macbook sits on the coffee table of the American apartment, a well-known symbol of strife between these two worlds. 

Lucy Kirkwood's play makes its American debut at Timeline. It is the story of a photo journalist, Joe Schofield, who took the famous picture of a man standing in front of a tank during the Tiananmen Square Massacre in 1989. We catch up with Schofield (Coburn Goss) in 2012 as he tries to persuade his magazine editor to do a story about the Tank Man 23 years later. Joe's kept a long-time friendship with a professor in Beijing, Zhang (Norman Yap), who is the story's window into Chinese life. Joe falls in love with largely uninvolved marketing expert, Tessa (Eleni Pappageorge) who's on a mission to "figure out" the Chinese for a credit card company. Joe becomes determined to track down the man he accidentally made famous, and in the process, a global chase ensues. 

There are a ton of characters in this play. Some more consequential than others. Nick Bowling has assembled a very talented cast of Asian-American actors on which the moral backbone of this story hinges. In fact, there's not a bad performance in this play. 

One could dissect the themes of this show for hours, but for the sake of brevity, we won't. What is immediately fascinating is that this is a story told from the mindset of someone caught in the middle. It's a story about how America and China are becoming more alike as well as their inherent differences. It’s a story about what is actually dictating "free press" in America. It’s a story about how foreign countries see American politics, particularly Hillary Clinton. It's also a story with great heart. Lucy Kirkwood is not just delivering a geo-political thesis, but also a compassionate look at the lives of ordinary people. At times this very-right-now drama can seem to go on and on, but in the end it adds up to a very bittersweet conclusion and a lot to take home and unpack. 

Through July 31st at Timeline Theatre. 615 W Wellington Ave. 773-281-8463.