TimeLine Theatre Company's RELENTLESS Extended at the Goodman

As the TimeLine Theatre Company production of Relentless by Tyla Abercrumbie, directed by Ron OJ Parson opens tonight at the Goodman, strong demand for tickets have spurred a six-performance extension. The acclaimed original cast-including Ayanna Bria Bakari (Annelle, Mother), Jaye Ladymore (Janet), Demetra Dee (Zhuukee, also called Annabelle Lee), Travis Delgado (Marcus), Rebecca Hurd (Mary Anna Elizabeth) and Xavier Edward King (Franklin)-appears in this "downtown debut," which weaves a mother's past with her daughters' present in a centuries-spanning tale of family, legacy and progress. Relentless opens tonight, Monday, April 11, and continues through May 8. Added performances include May 5 at 2pm and 7:30pm; May 6 at 8pm; May 7 at 2pm and 8pm; and May 8 at 2pm (closing). Tickets ($15 - 63, subject to change) are now available at GoodmanTheatre.org/Relentless or by phone at 312.443.3800. The Goodman is grateful for the support of JP Morgan Chase & Co. (Lead Corporate Sponsor) and Winston & Strawn LLP (Corporate Sponsor Partner).

Set in the Black Victorian era, TimeLine Theatre's acclaimed production of Relentless looks at the deep personal secrets we keep to protect the ones we love most. The year is 1919. After the death of their mother, two sisters come home to Philadelphia to settle her estate. Annelle is a happy socialite desperate to return to the safe illusion of a perfect life with her husband in Boston. Janet is a single, professional nurse, determined to change history and propel Black women to a place of prominence and respect. After discovering diaries left by their late mother, they find themselves confronted with a woman they never really knew, exposing buried truths from the past that are chillingly, explosively relentless.

THE COMPANY OF RELENTLESS

Artist bios and headshots are available at GoodmanTheatre.org/Relentless

Ayanna Bria Bakari.......Annelle, Mother

Jaye Ladymore............. Janet

Demetra Dee................ Zhuukee, also called Annabelle Lee

Travis Delgado...............Marcus

Rebecca Hurd................Mary Anna Elizabeth

Xavier Edward King.......Franklin

ENHANCED AND ACCESSIBLE PERFORMANCES

Visit Goodman theatre.org/Access for more information about Goodman Theatre's accessibility efforts.

Touch Tour and Audio-Described Performance: Sunday, April 24, 12:30pm Touch Tour; 2pm performance - The action/text is audibly enhanced for patrons via headset. NOTE: Touch Tours for the 2021/2022 Season will not have access to the stage due to current health and safety protocols, but will feature alternate pre-show sensory introductions.

Spanish Subtitles: Thursday April 28 at 7:30pm.

ASL-Interpreted: Saturday, April 30 at 2pm - An American Sign Language interpreter signs the action/text as played.

Open-Captioned: Sunday, May 1 at 2pm - An LED sign presents dialogue in sync with the performance.

ABOUT TIMELINE THEATRE COMPANY

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. Currently celebrating its 25th Anniversary season, TimeLine has presented 83 productions, including 11 world premieres and 38 Chicago premieres, and launched the Living History Education Program, which brings 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 58 Jeff Awards, including an award for Outstanding Production 11 times.

The company has long been bursting at the seams of its current leased home located at 615 W. Wellington Avenue in Chicago's Lakeview East neighborhood, where the theatre has been in residence since 1999. In December 2018, TimeLine announced the purchase of property at 5033-35 North Broadway in Chicago's Uptown neighborhood to be the site of its new home. Plans feature an intimate black box theatre seating up to 250 audience members, expanded area for the immersive lobby experiences that are a TimeLine hallmark, new opportunities for education and engagement, room to allow audience members to arrive early and stay late for theatergoing experiences that extend far beyond the stage, and more. TimeLine is working with HGA as architect for its new home project, which is expected to be completed in early 2024.

TimeLine is led by Artistic Director PJ Powers, Managing Director Elizabeth K. Auman and Board President John Sterling. Company members are Tyla Abercrumbie, Will Allan, Nick Bowling, Janet Ulrich Brooks, Wardell Julius Clark, Behzad Dabu, Charles Andrew Gardner, Lara Goetsch, Juliet Hart, Anish Jethmalani, Mildred Marie Langford, Mechelle Moe, David Parkes, Ron OJ Parson, PJ Powers, and Maren Robinson.

Major corporate, government and foundation supporters of TimeLine Theatre include the Abe and Ida Cooper Foundation, Paul M. Angell Family Foundation, Arts Consulting Group, Bayless Family Foundation, The Elizabeth F. Cheney Foundation, City of Chicago, Crown Family Philanthropies, Joseph and Bessie Feinberg Foundation, Forum Fund, Lloyd A. Fry Foundation, Illinois Arts Council Agency, Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, Laughing Acres Family Foundation, MacArthur Fund for Arts and Culture at Prince, National Endowment for the Arts, Polk Bros. Foundation, Pritzker Traubert Foundation, The Shubert Foundation, United States Small Business Administration, and Walder Foundation. TimeLine's production of Relentless is supported in part by the Bayless Family Foundation and the National Endowment for the Arts, with additional support provided by Douglas Bradbury and The Elizabeth F. Cheney Foundation. For more information, visit timelinetheatre.com or Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram (@TimeLineTheatre).

ABOUT GOODMAN THEATRE

Chicago's theater since 1925, Goodman Theatre is a not-for-profit arts and community organization in the heart of the Loop, distinguished by the excellence and scope of its artistic programming and community engagement. Led by Artistic Director Robert Falls and Executive Director Roche Schulfer, the theater's artistic priorities include new play development (more than 150 world or American premieres), large scale musical theater works and reimagined classics. Artists and productions have earned two Pulitzer Prizes, 22 Tony Awards and more than 160 Jeff Awards, among other accolades. The Goodman is the first theater in the world to produce all 10 plays in August Wilson's "American Century Cycle." Its longtime annual holiday tradition A Christmas Carol, now in its fourth decade, has created a new generation of theatergoers in Chicago. The Goodman also frequently serves as a production and program partner with national and international companies and Chicago's Off-Loop theaters.

As a cultural and community organization invested in quality, diversity and community, Goodman Theatre is committed to using the art of theater for a better Chicago. Using the tools of the theatrical profession, the Goodman's Education and Engagement programs aim to develop generations of citizens who understand the cultures and stories of diverse voices. The Goodman's Alice Rapoport Center for Education and Engagement is the home of these programs, which are offered free of charge for Chicago youth-85% of whom come from underserved communities-schools and life-long learners.

Goodman Theatre was founded by William O. Goodman and his family in honor of their son Kenneth, an important figure in Chicago's cultural renaissance in the early 1900s. The Goodman family's legacy lives on through the continued work and dedication of Kenneth's family, including Albert Ivar Goodman, who with his late mother, Edith-Marie Appleton, contributed the necessary funds for the creation of the new Goodman center in 2000.

Today, Goodman Theatre leadership also includes the distinguished members of the Artistic Collective: Rebecca Gilman, Henry Godinez, Dael Orlandersmith, Steve Scott, Kimberly Senior, Chuck Smith, Regina Taylor and Mary Zimmerman. Goodman Theatre's Board of Trustees Chairman is Jeff Hesse and Fran Del Boca is Women's Board President, Craig McCaw is President of the Scenemakers Board for young professionals.

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