TimeLine Theatre to Present THE CHINESE LADY On-Demand

TimeLine Theatre Company announced a new way to see its critically acclaimed Chicago premiere of Lloyd Suh's The Chinese Lady, with a central performance by Mi Kang.

Thanks to agreements with Actors' Equity Association; United Scenic Artists; Dramatists Play Service, Inc.; playwright Lloyd Suh; and members of the cast and production team, TimeLine is now able to offer an on-demand, remote viewing option to see this piercing and darkly poetic portrait of America as seen through the eyes the first Chinese woman to arrive in the United States.

A limited number of single tickets for remote viewing will be available starting Tuesday, June 7 at 12 p.m. (CDT) via timelinetheatre.com. Pricing options range from $35 -$50 (inclusive of all fees). Via a portal on TimeLine's website, The Chinese Lady remote view ticket buyers will be directed to the Broadway On Demand service in order to purchase access to a one-time viewing of the full performance, which was captured on four cameras on Friday, May 20.

Through Broadway On Demand, virtual theatergoers will have the ability to start and stop their viewing of the play on demand, and to turn on closed-captioning in either English or traditional Chinese. Access will expire at midnight on Sunday, June 19. To purchase remote view tickets or for more information, visit timelinetheatre.com.

"TimeLine is thrilled to have been able to maximize the number of people who can experience our 25th Anniversary season through virtual options for our previous production of Relentless and now The Chinese Lady," said TimeLine Artistic Director PJ Powers. "If you're a fan of live theater here in Chicago who is hesitant to venture out in person, or if you're far away but don't want to miss out on this extraordinary production, watching virtually is a wonderful option. Just like in-person performances that can sell out, TimeLine has limits to the number of remote views we can sell, so I encourage you to jump on this opportunity or spread the word before it's too late."

Whether you'd like to see The Chinese Lady online or in-person, you should act fast. Remote view tickets are limited in number, and tickets for in-person performances are going quickly, spurred by strong word-of-mouth and more than a dozen highly recommended reviews.

Critics rave that The Chinese Lady is "a testament to important swaths of history that have previously been swept under the rug" (Chicago Reader); "a must-see production ... staged with sensitivity, wit and empathy" (Chicago Theatre Review); and "ninety minutes of engaging drama that left me somewhere between laughing, crying, and standing on my feet to cheer" (Buzznews.net).

In-person performances of TimeLine Theatre's The Chinese Lady continue through June 18-when the show must close-at Theater Wit, 1229 W. Belmont Ave. in Chicago's Lakeview neighborhood. Show times are 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. There is an added weekday matinee on Tuesday, June 14 at 2 p.m.

Single tickets are still on sale at timelinetheatre.com or by calling the Box Office at (773) 281-8463 x6. Tickets for in-person performances start at $42 (Wednesday through Friday), $49 (Saturday evenings) and $57 (Saturday and Sunday matinees). Student discount is 35% off regular price with valid ID. TimeLine is also a member of TCG's Blue Star Theatre Program and is offering $25 tickets to U.S. military personnel, veterans, first responders, and their spouses and family.

Theater Wit is located one-half block west of the corner of Belmont and Racine in Chicago's Lakeview neighborhood. The theater is accessible via the CTA El stop at Belmont (Red/Brown/Purple lines). CTA bus #77-Belmont stops at Racine. Parking is available in a lot across the street for $8 and there is also limited free and metered street parking nearby. Visit timelinetheatre.com for complete directions and parking information.

VIRTUAL DISCUSSIONS

Virtual Sunday Scholars Panel: A one-hour virtual panel discussion featuring experts on the themes and issues of the play-including The New York Times best-selling author Jamie Ford, writer of The Many Daughters of Afong Moy-in a discussion moderated by dramaturg Yiwen Wu, hosted online via Zoom on Sunday, June 12 at 7 p.m. (CST).

Virtual Post-Show Discussion: ​​A 45-minute informal discussion hosted by The Chinese Lady dramaturg Yiwen Wu and featuring scenic designer Arnel Sancianco and costume designer Izumi Inaba, hosted online via Zoom on Tuesday, June 14 at 7 p.m. (CST).

All online discussions are free and open to the public. For details, visit timelinetheatre.com.

ACCESSIBILITY

Chinese Captioned Performance: The performance on Thursday, June 9 will feature a text display of words heard during the performance, translated into traditional Chinese.

Captioned Performances: An open-captioned performance with a text display of words and sounds heard during performances on Friday, June 10 and Saturday, June 11 at 4 p.m.

Distanced Performance: Performance on Tuesday, June 14 will have a capacity cap and seating chart so that patrons can sit with additional space allocated between parties.

Audio-Described Performance: On Friday, June 17, the performance will feature narration about visual elements of the production around the dialogue, available for individual patrons via headphones.

Theater Wit is accessible to wheelchair users and visitors who need to avoid stairs.

HEALTH AND SAFETY

In accordance with protocols adopted by a coalition of more than 60 performing arts venues and producers across Chicagoland, TimeLine has been ensuring COVID-19 vaccination and mask requirements for audiences, artists, and staff attending the company's performances at Theater Wit.

In general, protocols have required that patrons be masked and fully vaccinated with an FDA-authorized vaccine in order to attend. These protocols are subject to change as the pandemic evolves. For the most current information about TimeLine's COVID-19 safety protocols, visit timelinetheatre.com/health-and-safety.

ABOUT THE CHINESE LADY

Brought here from China in 1834 by enterprising American merchants, 14-year-old Afong Moy is put on display so the American public can get its first view of an "authentic Chinese Lady." Over the course of 55 years, Afong performs an ethnicity that both defines and challenges her own views of herself. Meanwhile, she witnesses stunning transformations in the American identity. As these dual truths become irreconcilable, Afong must reckon with herself and the history of her new home with startling discovery and personal revelations.

Written by Lloyd Suh and directed in TimeLine's Chicago premiere by Helen Young, this piercing and darkly poetic portrait of the United States as seen through the eyes of the first Chinese woman to step foot on U.S. soil unearths hidden history with humor and insight, illuminating the roots of the bigotry and hate facing today's Asian American and Pacific Islander community, and inspiring us to see and understand each other anew. According to The New York Times, The Chinese Lady "steadily deepens in complexity. By the end of Mr. Suh's extraordinary play, we look at Afong and see whole centuries of American history. She's no longer the Chinese lady. She is us."

The Chinese Lady cast features Mi Kang (she/her) as Afong Moy and Glenn Obrero (he/him) as Atung. The production team includes Arnel Sancianco (Scenic Designer, he/him), Izumi Inaba (Costume Designer, she/her), John Culbert (Lighting Designer, he/him), Forrest Gregor (Co-Sound Designer, he/him), André Pluess (Co-Sound Designer, he/him), Rowan Doe (Properties Designer, they/them/he/him), Eva Breneman (Dialect Director, she/her), Yiwen Wu (Dramaturg, she/her), and Jill Yetsky (Stage Manager, she/her).

"Among the questions The Chinese Lady asks is, how did that exchange happen in 1834 between Afong and her presentation to her audience?" said Young. "I think if we inspect that exchange we
might be able to understand what roots were created, and from understanding those roots we may be able to sort out some of what's happening today in the conversation between Asians and whites in America. And if we can sort out some of those things, then maybe we as a community of storytellers, with empathy, can try to influence and effect positive change for the future."

"The past few years, I've been writing about the forgotten moments in Asian American history," said Lloyd Suh. "I'm trying to understand why they were forgotten, what they mean about where we are now, and how these moments might help us find a way forward. With The Chinese Lady, I'm trying to excavate Afong Moy's story in a way, trying to conjure and honor her, because she was lost to history. She was unknowable."


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