TimeLine Will Close the Curtain on MASTER HAROLD... AND THE BOYS, 3/21

TimeLine Theatre Company will close its production of Athol Fugard's ‘Master Harold' ... and the Boys, directed by Jonathan Wilson, on March 21st at the TimeLine Theatre. The production was a part of TimeLine's 13th season.

Acclaimed for both its universal themes of humanity and its unforgettable dialogue, this widely admired masterpiece explores life in South Africa during the 1950s era of apartheid. When a white 17-year-old and two black workers he has known all his life connect on one rainy day, their wide-ranging discussions illustrate all that unites us, and the gulf of what still divides us. The New York Times called Fugard's masterpiece "lyrical in design, shattering in impact" and said it "still wields the power to astonish. This devastating play affirms life."

"TimeLine is delighted to join Court and Remy Bumppo in a celebration of the work of one of the most important dramatists of our generation, Athol Fugard," said TimeLine Artistic Director PJ Powers. "With ‘Master Harold' ..., Fugard gives us perhaps his most personal and autobiographical story - a hopeful, yet complex, tale of the possibility of human progress - while also shining a burning light on how far we have to go in terms of race relations and coming together."

The cast of ‘Master Harold' ... and the Boys features Daniel Bryant (Willie), Nate Burger (Hally) and AlFrEd Wilson (Sam).

TimeLine's ‘Master Harold' ... and the Boys is one of three major productions of Fugard's plays occurring in Chicago during 2010. In celebration, TimeLine has partnered with Court Theatre and Remy Bumppo Theatre, in association with the League of Chicago Theatres, to launch Fugard Chicago 2010 to promote all three productions. Fugard Chicago 2010 begins with ‘Master Harold' ... and the Boys and is closely followed by Remy Bumppo's The Island (running January 27 - March 7, 2010), directed by James Bohnen. It concludes with Court Theatre's Sizwe Banzi is Dead (May 13 - June 13, 2010), directed by Ron OJ Parson.

The collaboration's centerpiece is a Web site portal - fugardchicago2010.org. The Web site features information about the playwright, ticket information for all three productions, and links to each theater's Web site where further information about the individual plays and related events can be found. In addition, the site offers theatre-goers the opportunity to purchase a 3-play Fugard Chicago 2010 pass for $75, as well as to sign up to receive a 20% discount on individual tickets.

The production staff for ‘Master Harold' ... includes Timothy Mann (Scenic Design), Alex Wren Meadows (Costume Design), Heather Gilbert (Lighting Design), Christopher Kriz (Sound Design), Julia Eberhardt (Properties Design), Kelli Marino (Dramaturg), Ana Espinosa and Cheney Tardio (Stage Managers), James Ogden (Production Manager/Technical Director), JamAl Howard (Assistant Director), Nan Withers-Wilson (Dialect Coach), Mac Vaughey (Master Electrician), James Keister (Lobby Display Design), Susan Muirhead (Lobby Display Video Design), PJ Powers (Artistic Director) and Elizabeth K. Auman (Managing Director).

Athol Fugard (Playwright) was born in Middelburg, South Africa on June 11, 1932. Most of his plays take place in South Africa, and include universal themes focusing on humanity and racial issues. In addition to more than 30 dramatic works (including collaborations with John Kani and Winston Ntshona on Sizwe Banzi is Dead and The Island), he has written a novel, Tsotsi, memoirs, and several film scripts (with Ross Devenish). Fugard regularly directs and acts in his work, and appeared briefly in the films Gandhi and The Killing Fields. His first major play, Blood Knot, was written in 1961, and was promptly banned in his home country, as have been many of his other works, including ‘Master Harold' .... Fugard is the recipient of numerous awards and honors, including several Tony Award nominations, including a nomination for Best Play for ‘Master Harold' ... and the Boys in 1982.

Jonathan Wilson (Director) has been a professor of theatre and drama in Loyola University's Department of Fine and Performing Arts for more than 30 years and has also been actively involved in the professional theater in Chicago and around the country for 25 years. In Chicago, his work has been seen at the Court, Goodman, Northlight, Organic, Pegasus Players, Steppenwolf and Victory Gardens theater companies. Outside Chicago, he has directed successful productions at Circle-in-the-Square in New York, Arena Stage in Washington, D.C., Hartford Stage in Connecticut, Alley Theatre in Houston, the Seattle Repertory Theatre, and Playhouse in the Park in Cincinnati. He directed Athol Fugard's Playland for Steppenwolf Theatre Company in 1994. Wilson has received several Jeff Award nominations for his direction and received the award in 2006 for Two Trains Running at Pegasus. Wilson holds degrees in play direction from Daeman College in Buffalo, New York, the University of Cincinnati, and Northwestern University.

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.

Still to come in TimeLine's 2009-10 season:

Chicago premiere of THE FARNSWORTH INVENTION by Aaron Sorkin, directed by Nick Bowling, April 17 - June 13, 2010 (previews 4/14 - 4/16). 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.

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