Cast, Creative Team Announced for U.S. Premiere of THE LAST WIFE at TimeLine Theatre

Fresh off an acclaimed 2015 world premiere at The Stratford Festival in Canada-where it was thrice-extended and completely sold-out-TimeLine Theatre presents the U.S. premiere of THE LAST WIFE, a feminist and fearless new play about the sixth wife of King Henry VIII that is a timely examination of politics, sex, and women's rights.

Written by Kate Hennig, directed by TimeLine Associate Artistic Director Nick Bowling and featuring Anji White (TimeLine's SUNSET BABY) in the title role, THE LAST WIFE runs September 29 - December 18, 2016 (previews 9/21 - 9/28), at TimeLine Theatre, 615 W. Wellington Ave., Chicago. Press Night is Wednesday, September 28 at 7:30 p.m.

Katherine Parr is smart and passionate: a rising star in a world of intense competition. She also has just been crowned the sixth wife of King Henry VIII. In the process, she's started an illicit affair, inherited three children, and launched a political career at the head of the country, alongside a husband as well known for his insanity as his brutality. Now's not the time to lose her head.

As Hillary Clinton aspires to become the first female president of the United States, THE LAST WIFE is a bold and contemporary return to Tudor England that confronts issues as relevant today as they were 500 years ago. The London Free Press declared, "[THE LAST WIFE] blows the doors off the way we see women in history and, perhaps, makes us consider our own place in the world."

The cast of TimeLine's U.S. premiere features Steve Pickering as Henry, Anji White as Kate, Paola Sanchez-Abreu as Mary, Nate Santana as Thom, Caroline Heffernan and Peyton Shaffer alternating the role of Bess, and Matthew Abraham and Chinguun Sergelen alternating the role of Eddie.

Winner of seven Jeff Awards for Outstanding Direction, TimeLine Associate Artistic Director Nick Bowling is the creative force behind many of TimeLine's most popular shows, including THE HISTORY BOYS, THE FARNSWORTH INVENTION, FIORELLO! and more, as well as recent hit productions at the Marriott Lincolnshire (MAN OF LA MANCHA, THE KING AND I and CITY OF ANGELS), Porchlight Music Theatre (SONDHEIM ON SONDHEIM) and Paramount Theatre (A CHRISTMAS STORY).

The production team for THE LAST WIFE includes Regina Garcia (Scenic Design), Mike Durst (Lighting Design), Melissa Torchia (Costume Design), Victoria Deiorio (Sound Design), Vivian Knouse (Properties Design), Jared Bellot (Dramaturgy), Sydney Chatman (Associate Director), Matt Hawkins (Fight Choreography) and Richard Lundy (Stage Management).

Performances of THE LAST WIFE will take place at TimeLine Theatre's home, located at 615 W. Wellington Ave. in Chicago's Lakeview East neighborhood. Tickets are $22 - $51. For tickets and information, visit timelinetheatre.com or call (773) 281-TIME (8463).

PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE:

PREVIEWS: Wednesday 9/21, Thursday 9/22, Friday 9/23 and Saturday 9/24 at 8 pm., Sunday 9/25 at 2 p.m.; Tuesday 9/27 at 8 p.m.; and Wednesday 9/28 at 7:30 p.m. PRESS NIGHT: Wednesday 9/28 at 7:30 p.m.

OPENING NIGHT: Thursday 9/29 at 7:30 p.m.

REGULAR RUN: Wednesdays and Thursdays at 7:30 p.m., Fridays at 8 p.m. Saturdays at 4 p.m. and 8 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m., through December 18, 2016. EXCEPTIONS: No show on Saturday 10/1 at 4 p.m. and Thursday 11/24. Additional performance on Friday 11/25 at 4 p.m.

DISCUSSION & ACCESSIBILITY EVENTS:

Post-Show Discussions: A brief, informal post-show discussion hosted by a TimeLine Company Member and featuring the production dramaturg and members of the cast on Wednesday 10/5, Thursday 10/13, Sunday 10/16, Sunday 10/30, Thursday 11/3 and Wednesday 11/9.

Pre-Show Discussions: Starting one hour before these performances, a 30-minute introductory conversation hosted by a TimeLine Company Member and the production dramaturg with members of the production team on Sunday 10/23 and Wednesday 10/26.

Captioned Performance: An open-captioned performance with a text display of words and sounds heard during the performance on Saturday 10/22 at 4 p.m. Partial support of open captioning is provided by Theatre Development Fund.

Sunday Scholars Panel Discussion: A one-hour post-show discussion featuring experts on the themes and issues of the play on Sunday 11/13.

Company Member Discussion: A post-show discussion with the collaborative team of artists who choose TimeLine's programming and guide the company's mission on Sunday 11/20.

All discussions are free and open to the public. For further details about all planned discussions and events, visit timelinetheatre.com/the-last-wife.

TICKETS:

Only TimeLine FlexPass Subscribers enjoy priority access to tickets to THE LAST WIFE. 4-Admission FlexPass Subscriptions for TimeLine's 2016-17 season are now on sale, priced from $80 to $204. For more information and to purchase FlexPass Subscriptions, call (773) 281-TIME (8463) or visit timelinetheatre.com.

Single ticket prices are $38 (Wednesday through Friday), $46 (Saturday evenings) and $51 (Saturday and Sunday matinees). Preview tickets are $22. Student discount is $10 off regular price with valid ID. Military Service Discount is $5 off regular price with valid military/veteran ID. Discounted rates for groups of 10 or more are available. Ticket buyers age 18-35 may join TimeLine's free MyLine program to obtain access to discounted tickets, special events and more. Visit timelinetheatre.com/myline for details.

Advance purchase is recommended as performances may sell out. For tickets and information, visit timelinetheatre.com or call the Box Office at (773) 281-8463.

LOCATION/TRANSPORTATION/PARKING:

THE LAST WIFE will take place at TimeLine Theatre, 615 W. Wellington Ave., Chicago. TimeLine Theatre is located near the corner of Wellington and Broadway, inside the Wellington Avenue United Church of Christ building, in Chicago's Lakeview East neighborhood. The location is served by multiple CTA trains and buses. TimeLine offers discounted parking at the Standard Parking garages at Broadway Center ($8 with validation; 2846 N. Broadway, at Surf) or the Century Mall ($9 with validation; 2836 N. Clark). There are several other paid parking options nearby. There is also limited free and metered street parking.

ACCESSIBILITY:

TimeLine Theatre is accessible to people with disabilities. Two wheelchair lifts provide access from street level to the theatre space and to lower-level restrooms. Audience members using wheelchairs or who need to avoid stairs, and others with special seating or accessibility needs should contact the TimeLine Theatre Box Office in advance to confirm arrangements. See information above about the scheduled open-captioned performance, for patrons who are deaf or hard of hearing, under DISCUSSION & ACCESSIBILITY EVENTS.

ABOUT THE ARTISTS:

Playwright Kate Hennig began playwriting in 2003 as an expansion of her flourishing career as a theatre artist and teacher. THE LAST WIFE had its world premiere at the Stratford Festival in July 2015 and she is currently writing two companion pieces: THE VIRGIN TRIAL and FATHER'S DAUGHTER. This Queenmaker Trilogy views the Tudor queens Katherine Parr, Mary I, and Elizabeth I through a contemporary lens and dramatizes the complex relationship between women and power. Kate's other plays include THE ELEVENTH DAVID, WATERWORKS and MORE. She is a diverse, multi-award-winning theatre artist, with more than 30 years of professional experience as a performer, including seasons on Broadway, with the Royal Shakespeare Company, and with both the Shaw and Stratford Festivals. She has received two Dora Awards (RATBAG, Billy Elliot); a Toronto Theatre Critics' Award (Billy Elliot); three Betty Mitchell Awards (CABARET, BEAUTY QUEENE OF LEENANE, COSI); two Dora Award nominations (RIFLES, THE DANISH PLAY); two Betty Mitchell Award nominations (BERLIN TO BROADWAY, THE BLUE LIGHT); a Genie Award nomination (32 SHORT FILMS ABOUT GLENN GOULD). She has an MA degree (Distinction) in Voice Studies from the Central School of Speech and Drama, and has recently taught at the Birmingham Conservatory for Classical Theatre, and Sheridan College. For more information, please visit katehennig.com.

Director Nick Bowling was the founding Artistic Director and is now Associate Artistic Director and a Company Member of TimeLine Theatre. He is the recipient of seven Jeff Awards for Outstanding Direction (THE HISTORY BOYS, THE NORMAL HEART, FIORELLO!, THIS HAPPY BREED and THE CRUCIBLE at TimeLine, SONDHEIM ON SONDHEIM at Porchlight Music Theatre, and ANOTHER PART OF THE FOREST at Eclipse Theatre) and also received Jeff Award nominations for BLOOD AND GIFTS, THE FARNSWORTH INVENTION, HAUPTMANN and THE LION IN WINTER at TimeLine; CLOSER THAN EVER at Porchlight Music Theatre; and CITY OF ANGELS and THE KING AND I at Marriott Theatre. Other recent credits at TimeLine include DANNY CASOLARO DIED FOR YOU, JUNO, 33 VARIATIONS and MY KIND OF TOWN. Other Chicago credits include Marriot's MAN OF LA MANCHA, Paramount's A CHRISTMAS STORY, Northwestern University's CABARET, Porchlight's A CATERED AFFAIR, Writers Theatre's BACH AT LEIPZIG and Shattered Globe Theatre's TIME OF THE CUCKOO and FROZEN ASSETS.

TimeLine Theatre Company, recipient of the prestigious 2016 MacArthur Award for Creative and Effective Institutions, was founded in April 1997 with a mission to present stories inspired by history that connect with today's social and political issues. To date over 19 seasons, TimeLine has presented 67 productions, including nine world premieres and 27 Chicago premieres, and launched the Living History Education Program, now in its 10th year of bringing the company's mission to life for students in Chicago Public Schools. 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 52 Jeff Awards, including an award for Outstanding Production 11 times.

ALSO NOW PLAYING, at Stage 773: TimeLine's Chicago premiere of BAKERSFIELD MIST by Stephen Sachs, a provocative and hilarious look at what makes art-and people-authentic, directed by Kevin Christopher Fox and featuring TimeLine Company Member Janet Ulrich Brooks and TimeLine Associate Artist Mike Nussbaum, is now playing through October 15, 2016 at Stage 773, 1225 W. Belmont Ave.

TimeLine is led by Artistic Director PJ Powers, Managing Director Elizabeth K. Auman and Board President John M. Sirek. Company members are Nick Bowling, Janet Ulrich Brooks, Behzad Dabu, Lara Goetsch, Juliet Hart, Mildred Marie Langford, Mechelle Moe, David Parkes, Ron OJ Parson, PJ Powers, Maren Robinson and Benjamin Thiem.

Major corporate, government and foundation supporters of TimeLine Theatre include Alphawood Foundation, Paul M. Angell Family Foundation, Bloomberg Philanthropies, The Crown Family, Forum Fund, Lloyd A. Fry Foundation, Illinois Arts Council Agency, Laughing Acres Family Foundation, MacArthur Fund for Arts and Culture at Prince, The Pauls Foundation, Polk Bros. Foundation and The Shubert Foundation.

TimeLine is a member of the League of Chicago Theatres, Theatre Communications Group, Lakeview East Chamber of Commerce and Chicago's Belmont Theater District.

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