Photo Flash: Masha Obolensky's NOT ENOUGH AIR

This world premiere drama follows famed journalist-turned-playwright Sophie Treadwell as she is drawn into the real-life tragedy of Ruth Snyder's famous 1928 murder trial. Treadwell is haunted by Ruth's story and finds herself compelled to bring it to the stage in the form of her landmark play Machinal, acclaimed as one of the highpoints of expressionist theater on the American stage. In this astonishing exploration of media sensationalism and ethics as well as interpretation and manipulation in the creative process, Obolensky illuminates the lives of two women who pushed against the limitations and expectations imposed upon them by society.

"We've been involved in the development of this remarkable new work over the last two years," TimeLine Artistic Director PJ Powers said. "Masha has been a true collaborator, wrestling with big ideas, making changes and treating the process like a laboratory to experiment. We are honored to premiere her dynamic new play for Chicago audiences."

The cast of A House With No Walls features TimeLine Company members Janet Ulrich Brooks (Sophie Treadwell) and David Parkes (Man #2), and TimeLine Associate Artist Terry Hamilton (Man #3), with Danica Ivancevic (Ruth Snyder), Zach Kenney (Man #1) and Mechelle Moe (The Young Woman).

Not Enough Air runs Wednesdays (3/4, 3/11 and 3/18 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 Sunday, March 22, 2009.

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, January 29, February 5 and 12; Sundays, February 15 and 22; and Wednesday, March 4.

SUNDAY SCHOLARS SERIES: A free hour-long post-show panel discussion with experts on the themes and issues of the play on February 8.

DISCUSSION WITH TIMELINE COMPANY MEMBERS: Free post-show discussion with TimeLine Company members on Sunday, March 1.

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 773.281.TIME (8463) or visit timelinetheatre.com.

Dramaturgical lobby displays, a production Study Guide and other information will be made available at timelinetheatre.com. A streaming video preview will be available at StageChannel.com.

Not Enough Air is presented with support from the National Endowment for the Arts and the Elizabeth F. Cheney Foundation. TimeLine's 2008-09 season is sponsored in part by the McCormick Foundation.

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 Diversey (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. There is limited street parking, but several paid parking facilities are located 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.

The production staff for Not Enough Air includes Brian Sidney Bembridge (Scenic Design), Lindsey Pate (Costume Design), Heather Gilbert (Lighting Design), Andrew Hansen (Sound Design & Original Music), Tramon Crofford (Properties Design), Maren Robinson (Dramaturg), Ana Espinosa (Stage Manager), James Ogden (Production Manager/Technical Director), Mac Vaughey (Master Electrician), Eva Breneman (Assistant Director), Bill Paton (Assistant Lighting Designer), Scott Flores-Deter (Assistant Stage Manager), Kristin Eaves (Wardrobe Supervisor), Robert Coleman (Graphic Designer), James Keister (Lobby Display Designer), Lara Goetsch (Director of Marketing and Communications), PJ Powers (Artistic Director) and Elizabeth K. Auman (Managing Director).

Masha Obolensky (Playwright) is a director, playwright and performer. She has written and directed several original performance pieces, which have been presented in New York City by La Mama E.T.C., New Georges, Here Arts Center, 78th Street Theatre Lab, Access Theatre and The Director's Collective. A reading of her play Not Enough Air was presented at the Association for Theatre in Higher Education/Women in Theatre Conference in Chicago as the recipient of the 2006 Jane Chambers Award. It also was awarded First Prize by Boston Theatre Works and was presented in their 2005 Unbound Festival of New Plays. As an actor, Obolensky has worked with many theater companies in New York and regionally, including New York Theatre Workshop, La Mama E.T.C., Target Margin, Mabou Mines, The Culture Project, New Jersey Shakespeare Festival, Actors Theatre of Louisville, Minnesota Shakespeare Company and Austin Arts Center. Her most recent directing credits include a reading of Dano Madden's Beautiful American Soldier for Boston Theatre Works, Frank Wedekind's Spring Awakening for Emerson Stage, Coming Together for the 2005 Cambodian Expressions Festival, The Bug Opera for a tour across New England, and A Thousand Cranes at 59E59 Theatres and the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, where it was nominated for a Total Theatre Award. Obolensky is on the theater faculty at The Boston Conservatory and at Middlesex Community College and is currently pursuing her MFA in playwriting at Boston University.

Nick Bowling (Director) was the founding artistic director of TimeLine and is now a Company member. He is the recipient of four Non-Equity Jeff Awards for Outstanding Direction (This Happy Breed, The Crucible and Fiorello! at TimeLine, Another Part of the Forest at Eclipse Theatre). He also was nominated for TimeLine's Hauptmann and The Lion in Winter, and for an Equity Jeff Award for Closer Than Ever at Porchlight Music Theatre. At TimeLine, he also directed The Children's Hour, Guantanamo: Honor Bound to Defend Freedom, Summit Conference, Gaslight, the world premiere of Streeterville and concert readings of The Cradle Will Rock and Thrill Me: The Leopold and Loeb Story. Other credits include Writers' Theatre's Bach at Leipzig, Shattered Globe Theatre's Time of the Cuckoo and Frozen Assets, Shakespeare's Motley Crew's Present Slaughter, Rivendell Theatre's Factory Girls and Buffalo Theatre Ensemble's Angels in America., 2008

TimeLine was founded in April 1997 by six graduates of The Theatre School at DePaul University. The company's mission is to present stories inspired by history that connect with today's social and political issues.

TimeLine's first 11 seasons featured 35 productions, including five world premieres and eight Chicago premieres. Praised as "a must-see company" (Chicago Sun-Times) and a "fast-rising Chicago company" (The New York Times) and recipient of the 2006 Alford-Axelson Award for Nonprofit Managerial Excellence, TimeLine has received 37 Non-Equity Jeff Awards, including an award for Outstanding Production in six of the past eight seasons: Not About Nightingales (2001); The Crucible (2002), Awake and Sing! (2003), Hannah and Martin (2004), This Happy Breed (2005) and Fiorello! (2007). TimeLine's 2008-09 season is presented under contract with Actors Equity Association.

The rest of TimeLine's 2008-09 season will include:

* The Chicago premiere of THE HISTORY BOYS, by Alan Bennett, directed by Nick Bowling, April 25 - June 21, 2009 (previews 4/22 - 4/24)

Company members are Nick Bowling, Janet Ulrich Brooks, Lara Goetsch, Juliet Hart, David Parkes, Maureen Powers, 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.

Photos by Ryan Robinson and Lara Goetsch

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