TimeLine Presents Chicago Premiere of Aaron Sorkin's THE FARNSWORTH INVENTION

TimeLine Theatre Company concludes its record-breaking 2009-10 season with the highly anticipated Chicago premiere of Aaron Sorkin's The Farnsworth Invention, directed by TimeLine Company member Nick Bowling. The Farnsworth Invention runs April 17 - June 13, 2010 (previews April 14 through April 16) at TimeLine Theatre, 615 W. Wellington Ave., Chicago. Press Opening performances are Saturday, April 17 at 7 p.m. and Sunday, April 18 at 2 p.m. To purchase tickets or for more information, call the TimeLine Theatre Box Office at 773.281.8463 x24 or buy online via www.timelinetheatre.com.

From the creator of television's The West Wing and the play and feature film A Few Good Men comes this fascinating new play in its local premiere. Two ambitious, larger-than-life visionaries - Philo T. Farnsworth, an Idaho farmboy, and David Sarnoff, head of RCA - battle through corporate espionage, family tragedy, financial disaster and the thrill of discovery for the right to claim one of the greatest inventions of all time - the television. "These men dreamed television into existence and changed the world in the process," wrote The New York Times upon the play's premiere on Broadway in 2007. "Who dreams that big nowadays?"

"Aaron Sorkin's signature rapid-fire dialogue propels this play across decades and illuminates the dramatic story behind of one of the most influential inventions of our time," said TimeLine Artistic Director PJ Powers. "Our team of artists is poised to maximize the flexibility of TimeLine's intimate theatre and bring this epic story and its large cast of characters to our audience in an exciting, Chicago-style premiere of Sorkin's newest play."

The cast of The Farnsworth Invention features Rob Fagin as Philo T. Farnsworth and PJ Powers as David Sarnoff, with the remaining cast of more than 70 characters played by an ensemble including Larry Baldacci, Kurt Brocker, Paul Dunckel, Sean Patrick Fawcett, Jeremy Glickstein, Zach Gray, Maris Hudson, Zach Kenney, Tom McElroy, Bill McGough, Bridgette Pechman, Eliza Stoughton, Justine Turner and Jamie Vann.

The production also features the TimeLine debut of award-winning scenic designer John Culbert. "In addition to his prolific career as a designer, John is currently dean of The Theatre School at DePaul University, the school at which TimeLine's founding members studied," Powers noted. "So this production brings together John and many alumni of that program, including myself, director Nick Bowling, and several members of the design team and cast."

Performance Schedule/Events

Preview performances of The Farnsworth Invention are Wednesday, April 14 through Friday, April 16 at 8 p.m. The play opens on Saturday, April 17 at 7 p.m. and then runs Wednesdays (5/26, 6/2 and 6/9 only) 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 June 13, 2010.

POST-SHOW DISCUSSIONS: Free post-show discussions led by a TimeLine Company Member and featuring the production dramaturg and members of the cast on Thursdays, April 22, 29 and May 6; Sundays, May 9 and 16; and Wednesday, May 26.

SUNDAY SCHOLARS SERIES: A free hour-long post-show panel discussion with experts on the themes and issues of the play on Sunday, May 2.

DISCUSSION WITH TIMELINE COMPANY MEMBERS: Free post-show discussion with TimeLine Company members on Sunday, June 13.

Buying Tickets

Tickets are $25 (Wednesday - Friday) or $35 (Saturday & Sunday). Preview tickets are $15. Student discount is $10 off the regular ticket price with valid ID. Group rates for groups of 10 or more are available. Advance purchase is recommended as performances may sell out. To purchase tickets or for more information, call the Timeline Theatre Box Office at 773.281.8463 x24 or buy online via timelinetheatre.com.

Location/Transportation/Parking/Accessibility

TimeLine Theatre is located at 615 W. Wellington Ave., inside the Wellington Avenue United Church of Christ building, near the corner of Wellington and Broadway in Chicago's Lakeview East neighborhood. CTA El stops at Wellington (Brown/Purple lines) and Belmont (Red/Brown/Purple lines) are nearby. CTA busses #36-Broadway, #76-Diversey, #77-Belmont, #22-Clark and #8-Halsted stop nearby. TimeLine offers parking for $8 with validation at the Standard Parking garages at Broadway Center (2846 N. Broadway, at Surf) or the Century Mall (2836 N. Clark), both within two blocks of TimeLine. There is also limited street parking and other paid parking lots nearby. Visit timelinetheatre.com for complete directions and parking information. There are two flights of stairs totaling 18 steps between the street and the theater space, with no elevator.

Production Staff

The production staff for The Farnsworth Invention includes John Culbert (Scenic Design), Lindsey Pate (Costume Design), Keith Parham (Lighting Design), Kevin O'Donnell (Sound Design), Emily Guthrie (Properties Design), Mike Tutaj (Projections Design), Maren Robinson (Dramaturg), Ana Espinosa (Stage Manager), James Ogden (Production Manager/Technical Director), Bridget Dehl (Assistant Director), Eva Breneman (Dialect Coach), Julia Eberhardt (Assistant Properties Design), Cheney Tardio (Assistant Producer/Assistant Stage Manager), Mieka Van Der Ploeg (Wardrobe Supervisor), Mac Vaughey (Master Electrician), Joshua Altman (Production Assistant), James Keister (Lobby Display Design) and Susan Muirhead (Lobby Display Video Design).

Sponsors

The Farnsworth Invention is supported in part by The Elizabeth F. Cheney Foundation and also by The Pauls Foundation.

Biographies

Aaron Sorkin (Playwright) first received critical acclaim after his stage play A Few Good Men opened on Broadway. The play earned Sorkin an Outer Critics Circle Award for Outstanding American Playwright and was later adapted into a feature film. Other film and television credits include Charlie Wilson's War, The American President, Malice, Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip, The West Wing and Sports Night. The Farnsworth Invention, his most recent play, debuted on Broadway in December 2007. Sorkin has been the recipient of two Golden Globe nominations in the Best Screenplay category, and has won five Emmy Awards in the categories of Outstanding Drama Series, Outstanding Special Class Program and Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series.

Nick Bowling (Director) was the founding artistic director and is now a Company member of TimeLine Theatre. He is the recipient of one Equity Jeff Award for Outstanding Direction (The History Boys at TimeLine) and four Non-Equity Jeff Awards for Outstanding Direction (Fiorello!, This Happy Breed and The Crucible at TimeLine, Another Part of the Forest at Eclipse Theatre) and also received Jeff Award nominations for Hauptmann and The Lion in Winter at TimeLine and for Closer Than Ever at Porchlight Music Theatre. Recent credits at TimeLine include When She Danced, The History Boys, Not Enough Air and Fiorello!. Other Chicago credits include Writers' Theatre's Bach at Leipzig, Shattered Globe Theatre's Time of the Cuckoo and Frozen Assets, Rivendell Theatre's Factory Girls and Buffalo Theatre Ensemble's Angels in America, among others.

About TimeLine Theatre Company

Founded in April 1997, TimeLine Theatre Company's mission is to present stories inspired by history that connect with today's social and political issues. During its first 12 seasons, TimeLine has presented 40 productions, including six world premieres and 11 Chicago premieres. Recipient of the 2006 Alford-Axelson Award for Nonprofit Managerial Excellence and the 2009 Richard Goodman Strategic Planning Award from the Association for Strategic Planning, TimeLine has received 42 Jeff Awards, including an award for Outstanding Production seven times. TimeLine's 2009-10 season is presented under contract with Actors Equity Association.

Announced for TimeLine's 2010-11 season (three additional productions are still to be announced):

- Chicago premiere of FROST/NIXON by Peter Morgan, directed by Louis Contey

TimeLine is led by Artistic Director PJ Powers and Managing Director Elizabeth K. Auman. Company members are Nick Bowling, Janet Ulrich Brooks, Lara Goetsch, Juliet Hart, David Parkes, PJ Powers and Benjamin Thiem. TimeLine is a member of the League of Chicago Theatres, Theatre Communications Group and the Lakeview East Chamber of Commerce.