TimeLine Theatre’s 30th Anniversary Season at its new home in Uptown rolls merrily along in November with the company’s 100th production, the Chicago premiere of Home, I’m Darling by Laura Wade. TimeLine Company Member Mechelle Moe directs Wade’s award-winning, darkly funny exploration of marriage, nostalgia, and the allure—and delusion—of the “perfect” past.
A smash hit on the West End and winner of the 2019 Olivier Award for Best New Comedy, Home, I’m Darling is a razor‑sharp satire that feels both timely and timeless. Previews start November 11. Press opening is Wednesday, November 18 at 7:30 p.m. Performances run through December 13 at TimeLine Theatre, 5035 N. Broadway in Uptown. For tickets and information, call the TimeLine Box Office, (773) 281-8463 x1 or visit timelinetheatre.com.
TimeLine Theatre’s 30th Anniversary Season continues in its new home in Uptown with the Chicago premiere of Home, I’m Darling by (from left) Laura Wade, directed by Mechelle Moe, featuring TimeLine Company Member Janet Ulrich Brooks as Sylvia, with Brandon Dahlquist as Marcus, Claire Kaplan as Judy, Gloria Imseih Petrelli as Alex, Maya Rowe as Fran, and Elliot Sagay as Johnny.
LIVING THE DREAM: MORE ABOUT HOME, I’M DARLING
Judy and Johnny are living their dream: the idealized 1950s suburban life. As Judy doubles down on her fully immersive retro domestic fantasy, the seams of their hyper-curated life begin to fray. What begins as a lifestyle choice becomes a revealing—and unsettling—interrogation of gender roles, identity, and what it costs to perform happiness.
“What I love about Home, I’m Darling,” said director Mechelle Moe, “is how incredibly seductive Judy’s fantasy can be. She has fully embraced the role of a domestic goddess, creating this picture-perfect version of a life that becomes increasingly difficult to sustain. And it’s really funny.”
“The play gives us permission to laugh at the absurdity of it all while also asking some pretty uncomfortable questions about nostalgia and our tendency to romanticize, or even fetishize, a past that was never quite as simple or perfect as we imagine it,” Moe added. “Underneath all of that humor is a very human desire to make a life feel safe, beautiful, and meaningful. I hope audiences will recognize both the seduction of that fantasy and the cost of trying to make it real—and leave with plenty to talk about when the cracks begin to show.”
TimeLine’s Chicago premiere of Home, I’m Darling features Company Member Janet Ulrich Brooks (she/her) as Sylvia. The rest of the cast – Brandon Dahlquist (he/him) as Marcus, Claire Kaplan (she/her) as Judy, Gloria Imseih Petrelli (she/they) as Alex, Maya Rowe (she/her) as Fran, and Elliot Sagay (he/him) as Johnny – are all making their TimeLine Theatre debuts.
The design and production team includes Mechelle Moe (Director, she/her), Courtney O’Neill (Scenic Designer, she/they), Christine Pascual (Costume Designer, she/her), Maggie Fullilove-Nugent (Co-Lighting Designer, she/her), Josiah Croegaert (Co-Lighting Designer, he/him), Andrew Hansen (Sound Designer, he/him), Amy Peter (Properties Designer, she/her), Greg Geffrard (Intimacy Director, he/him), Breon Arzell (Choreographer, he/him), Eva Breneman (Dialect Coach, she/her), Jared Bellot (Dramaturg, he/him), Dina Spoerl (Dramaturgical Display Designer, she/her), Logan Smart (Assistant Director, he/they), Trent Jones (Assistant Scenic Designer, he/him), Paloma Locsin (Assistant Properties Designer, she/her), Katie Klemme (Stage Manager, she/her), and Mia Maccarella (Assistant Stage Manager, she/her). Understudies are Jeannie Affelder (she/her, Sylvia), Dave Honigman (he/him, Marcus), Rachel Kang (she/her, Judy), Ben Murphy (he/him, Johnny) and Heidi Musec (she/her, Fran).
“TimeLine is thrilled to introduce this wickedly smart comedy to Chicago. We’ve been huge admirers of this play since it took London by storm, and we’ve been longing to produce its Chicago premiere ever since,” said TimeLine Theatre Artistic Director PJ Powers. “Coming on the heels of our world premiere of The Birth of the Pill, this production furthers a conversation about gender and progress, through the lens of one of the theatre’s most exciting and provocative playwrights, Laura Wade. As our inaugural season in our new home continues, we’re delighted to have director Mechelle Moe lead a stellar cast and design team, immersing our audience in a seemingly idyllic fantasy world of the 1950s, shining a light on how far we have and haven’t come.”
PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE
Previews of Home, I’m Darling are Wednesday, November 11, Thursday, November 12 and Friday, November 13 at 7:30 p.m.; Saturday, November 14 at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m., Sunday, November 15 at 2 p.m.; and Tuesday, November 17 at 7:30 p.m. Press Preview is Wednesday, November 18 at 7:30 p.m. Opening Night is Thursday, November 19 at 7:30 p.m. Regular performances continue through December 13: Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday at 7:30 p.m.; Saturday at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.; and Sunday at 2 p.m. Exception: No show 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, November 21.
BUYING TICKETS
Single tickets to Home, I’m Darling are on sale now, priced $40–$100. Preview tickets are $40 - $63. Tickets to regular performances are $65 - $100. Prices vary based on performance date and seat location. Listed prices include fees. For tickets and information, visit timelinetheatre.com or call the TimeLine Box Office at (773) 281-8463 x1.
Pay What You Will pricing is available for these previews: Wednesday, November 11, Thursday, November 12, and Friday, November 13 at 7:30 p.m. Student discount to all performances is 35% off regular price with valid ID. TimeLine is also a member of TCG’s Blue Star Theatre Program and is offering $30 tickets to U.S. military personnel, veterans, first responders, and their spouses and family.
Ticket buyers ages 18-35 may join TimeLine’s free MyLine program to obtain access to discounted tickets, special events and more. Discounted rates for groups of 10 or more are also available. Visit timelinetheatre.com/discounts for more about available discounts.
TimeLineTheatre's new home at 5035 N. Broadway, at Argyle, in Uptown.
Courtesy HGA. Credit: Kendall McCaugherty
LOCATION/PARKING/TRANSPORTATION
TimeLine’s new home is located at 5035 N. Broadway (at Argyle) in the heart of Chicago’s Uptown community.
TimeLine Theatre is easily reached via public transportation, located steps away from the CTA Red Line stop at Argyle. The #36 Broadway bus stops at Broadway and Argyle, the #151 Sheridan stops three blocks east at Argyle, and the #81 Foster stops at Broadway and Foster, just two blocks north.
Convenient parking is a new hallmark for TimeLine Theatre. The self-park garage at 5051 N. Broadway, two doors north of the theatre, offers up to 6 hours of parking for $10, with validation. Ask for a validation sticker from TimeLine’s Audience Services staff. The self-park surface lot at 5017 N. Winthrop in the heart of Asia on Argyle also offers discounted parking for up to 6 hours for just $7 via an app and QR code.
Nearby street and metered parking is available but limited. Please note some streets are zoned for resident parking only. Visit timelinetheatre.com/venues/timeline-theatre for additional information, including driving directions and nearby dining recommendations.
TimeLineTheatre's Bar & Café
Courtesy HGA. Credit: Kendall McCaugherty
COME EARLY, STAY LATE AT TIMELINE THEATRE’S NEW BAR & CAFE
TimeLine’s new Bar & Café is a central gathering place that welcomes you to the building, offering a cozy space to enjoy refreshments and conversation. Enjoy coffee, drinks (alcoholic or non-alcoholic), and light snacks. The Bar & Café is now open Wednesdays through Fridays, 8 a.m. - 11 p.m. and Saturdays 12 p.m. - 11 p.m, with additional hours during performance weeks. For more including the menu, visit timelinetheatre.com/bar-cafe.
DISCUSSIONS
Pre-Show Discussions: Starting one hour before the performance, a 30-minute introductory conversation will be hosted by a TimeLine Company Member and the dramaturg on Tuesday, November 24, 6:30 p.m. - 7 p.m.
Post-Show Discussions: A brief, informal post-show discussion hosted by a TimeLine Company Member and featuring the dramaturg and members of the production team on Sunday, November 22; Thursday, December 3; and Thursday, December 10.
Company Member Discussion: A post-show discussion with the team of artists who choose TimeLine’s programming and guide the company’s mission on Wednesday, December 2.
Sunday Scholars Panel Discussion: A one-hour panel discussion featuring experts on the themes and issues of the play in a moderated discussion, following the performance on Sunday, December 6.
All discussions are free and open to the public.
ACCESSIBILITY
Captioned Performances: Open-captioned performances with a text display of words and sounds heard during performances are Friday, December 11 at 7:30 p.m. and Saturday, December 12 at 2 p.m.
Audio Described Performance: The performance on Saturday, December 12 at 2 p.m. will feature narration about visual elements of the production around the dialogue, available for individual patrons via headphones.
ASL Interpreted Performance: The performance on Saturday, December 12 at 7:30 p.m. will be interpreted live in American Sign Language.
TIMELINE’S INAUGURAL 2026-27 SEASON AT ITS NEW HOME IN UPTOWN
Following Home, I’m Darling, TimeLine Theatre’s 30th Anniversary Season continues with:
- The Chicago premiere of The Far Country by Lloyd Suh, directed by TimeLine Company Member Helen Young—a sweeping immigration epic and 2023 Pulitzer Prize finalist exploring identity, sacrifice, and generational resilience in the shadow of exclusionary U.S. policy (February - March 2027).
- Merrily We Roll Along, music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, book by George Furth, based on the original play by George S. Kaufman and Moss Hart, directed by TimeLine Associate Artistic Director Nick Bowling with music direction by Otto Vogel—a Tony Award–winning musical unfolding in reverse, tracing the shifting relationships and ambitions of three friends over two decades (April - May 2027).
See all three plays for yourself … from the best seats in the house! Save up to 25% off regular ticket prices and enjoy ultimate flexibility, priority access, and preferred reserved seating with a TimeLine FlexPass. Three- and four-admission options are now on sale, priced from $144 to $389. MyLine FlexPasses (exclusively for patrons age 18-35) are also available for $85 (after enrolling in TimeLine’s free MyLine program). For more information and to purchase, call (773) 281-8463 x1 or visit timelinetheatre.com.
TimeLineTheatre's Bar & Café
Courtesy HGA. Credit: Kendall McCaugherty
IT’S TIME: ABOUT TIMELINE’S NEW HOME
In 1997, six graduates of The Theatre School at DePaul University each pitched in $50 to launch a new theatre company focused on plays inspired by history that connect to today’s social and political issues. Over 30 years, largely operating out of a modest, 99-seat black box theater in a Lakeview East church, TimeLine grew to be a vital force in Chicago’s arts scene.
Building on this legacy, after nearly eight years of preparation including approximately 18 months of construction, TimeLine Theatre successfully repurposed a 1910s Reebie and Brother warehouse in Chicago’s Uptown community into a vibrant new cultural destination and the city’s newest live theater space.
TimeLine Theatre’s new home spans five stories and 33,600 square feet, combining 21,000 square feet of new construction with 12,600 square feet of adaptive reuse of portions of the former warehouse. Today, 5035 N. Broadway is home to a new, flexible, intimate 250-seat black box theatre that can be re-imagined for every show; exhibit galleries that enhance the production experience; dedicated space for Living History students, education programming, and community gathering; expanded social spaces, including a bar and café with patio; a spacious and visible rehearsal room that invites a view of the art as it’s being made; and office and production space for TimeLine’s growing staff.
TimeLine’s sleek facade brings new visual excitement to the Broadway streetscape with a 40-foot vertical blade marquee inspired by historic marquees in the neighborhood, including the Uptown Theatre and Aragon Ballroom. A green storefront canopy nods to nearby Uptown landmarks including Sun Wah BBQ and the Green Mill. A prominent glass curtain wall completes the Broadway facade, providing dramatic views into interior spaces that highlight the cultural activity inside.
Since launching It’s Time: The Campaign for TimeLine’s New Home, TimeLine has successfully raised more than $43 million toward the approximately $46 million project cost, including $12.9 million in public support ($2.9 million from the State of Illinois, $10 million from the City of Chicago), and funds from more than 200 generous individual donors.
Click here for architectural photos of TimeLine’s new home. Courtesy HGA. Credit Kendall McCaugherty
ABOUT TIMELINE THEATRE COMPANY
TimeLine Theatre Company, recipient of the 2016 MacArthur Award for Creative and Effective Institutions, was founded in 1997 with a mission to present stories inspired by history that connect to today’s social and political issues.
Now celebrating its 30th Anniversary Season, TimeLine has presented 99 productions, including 17 world premieres and 45 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 64 Jeff Awards, including an award for Outstanding Production 11 times.
TimeLine is led by Artistic Director PJ Powers, Executive Director Mica Cole, and Board President Anne Voshel. TimeLine Company members are Will Allan, Nick Bowling, Janet Ulrich Brooks, Behzad Dabu, Charles Andrew Gardner, Lara Goetsch, Juliet Hart, Anish Jethmalani, Mildred Marie Langford, Mechelle Moe, David Parkes, Ron OJ Parson, PJ Powers, Maren Robinson, and Helen Young.
Major corporate, government and foundation donors providing season support via TimeLine’s Annual Fund include Abe and Ida Cooper Foundation, Bayless Family Foundation, Crown Family Philanthropies, HGA, John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, Joseph & Bessie Feinberg Foundation, Laughing Acres Family Foundation, Lloyd A. Fry Foundation, Paul M. Angell Family Foundation, Polk Bros. Foundation, The Service Club of Chicago, The Shubert Foundation, Van Dam Charitable Foundation, and Walder Foundation. Major supporters of TimeLine’s Sustainability Fund include The Madge Goldman Foundation, The Passionflower Foundation, The Pritzker Traubert Foundation, and Anonymous. TimeLine also acknowledges support from the Illinois Arts Council Agency and the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity.
For more information, visit timelinetheatre.com, or Facebook or Instagram (@TimeLineTheatre on both platforms).
PLAYWRIGHT, DIRECTOR AND CAST BIOGRAPHIES:
Laura Wade (Playwright) is an Olivier Award-winning playwright and screenwriter. Her National Theatre play Home, I’m Darling premiered at Theatr Clwyd in 2018 before playing at the National and in the West End, going on to win the award for Best New Comedy at the 2019 Olivier Awards. In 2018, Wade wrote a bold theatrical adaptation of Jane Austen’s unfinished novel The Watsons for Chichester Festival Theatre, which subsequently played in London at the Menier Chocolate Factory. Previous plays include an adaptation of Sarah Waters’s Tipping the Velvet (Lyric Hammersmith and Royal Lyceum in Edinburgh); Posh (Royal Court Theatre, transferring into the West End at the Duke of York’s Theatre); Alice, a modern adaptation of Alice in Wonderland (Crucible Theatre, Sheffield); and Kreutzer vs. Kreutzer, a play for voices originally performed by the Australian Chamber Orchestra with music by Beethoven and Janacek (national tour of Australia, including the Sydney Opera House). Earlier plays include Colder Than Here, Other Hands (Soho Theatre), and Breathing Corpses, for which Wade won the prestigious George Devine Award (Royal Court Theatre). Wade’s screenplay The Riot Club, an adaptation of her 2010 stage play Posh, premiered at Toronto International Film Festival 2014, directed by Lone Scherfig and starring Max Irons, Sam Claflin,and Douglas Booth. Wade is an Executive Producer and lead writer for Rivals on Disney+, adapted from the novel by Jilly Cooper.
Mechelle Moe (Director) is a Company Member at TimeLine, where her directing credits include The Lifespan of a Fact, Rutherford and Son, Cardboard Piano and In the Next Room, or the vibrator play. She also has appeared on stage in many TimeLine productions, including Black Sunday, Boy, The Apple Family Plays, My Kind of Town, The Front Page, The Children’s Hour, Not Enough Air, and Paradise Lost. Other directing credits include Milk Like Sugar, The 4th Graders Present an Unnamed Love Suicide, and columbinus. Moe is a Jeff Award recipient for Actress in Principal Role for her performance in Machinal (The Hypocrites) and received a Jeff Award nomination for Actress in Principal Role for Stage Door (Griffin). She graduated with honors from the University of Illinois Chicago with both a bachelor’s degree in Theater as well as Anthropology.
Janet Ulrich Brooks (Sylvia) is a Company Member at TimeLine, where she has performed in nearly 20 productions, most recently as Margaret Sanger in TimeLine’s 30th Anniversary Season opener, The Birth of the Pill, and Maria Callas in Master Class (Equity Jeff Award — Performer in a Principal Role, Play). Selected credits include Prayer for the French Republic (Northlight); The Audience, Fiddler on the Roof, and Murder on the Orient Express (Drury Lane); The Cherry Orchard, 2666, and Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike (Goodman); Beautiful and The Music Man (Marriott); The Children (Steppenwolf); Plantation (Lookingglass), Tiny Beautiful Things (Victory Gardens); and regional work with Milwaukee Rep, Theatre Squared (Fayetteville, Ark.), Woolly Mammoth and The Kennedy Center (Washington, D.C.), and Peninsula Players (Door County, Wis.). Film credits include Divergent, One Small Hitch, and Conviction. Television credits include The Chosen, Work in Progress, Fargo, Sense8, Proven Innocent, Boss, Chicago P.D., Chicago Med, and Chicago Fire.
The balance of the Home, I’m Darling cast are all making their TimeLine debuts:
Brandon Dahlquist’s (Marcus) recent Chicago credits include Big White Fog (Court), The Audience (Drury Lane), The Music Man (Marriott), work with Writers, Paramount, Porchlight, Lyric Opera, plus nine seasons as “George Bailey” in It’s a Wonderful Life: Live in Chicago (American Blues Theatre). Regional credits include A Little Night Music (American Conservatory Theatre, Asolo Repertory), As You Like It (Guthrie Theatre), The Glass Menagerie (Milwaukee Repertory), City of Angels (SF Payhouse) and Bronx Bombers (Broadway-Circle in the Square). TV credits include Dark Matter, Somebody Somewhere, A League of Their Own, The Chi, Difficult People, Chicago Fire, and Chicago PD. Brandon trained at Second City and is a busy photographer.
Claire Kaplan (Judy) is an actor, choreographer, and teacher from Long Beach, CA. Chicago credits include Top Girls (Raven), The Brightest Thing in the World (About Face) and Remnants (Wender Collective). Regional credits include Pride and Prejudice (South Coast Rep), She Kills Monsters (East West Players), Our Town and Three Sisters (WOWFest, La Jolla Playhouse), and Oklahoma! (Sierra Repertory Theatre). Kaplan holds an MFA degree from Arthaus Berlin and Columbia College Chicago and a BA degree from UC San Diego.
Gloria Imseih Petrelli (Alex) is a Chicagoland born and based actor, playwright, intimacy choreographer, and community organizer. Petrelli is making their TimeLine debut, though she previously served as the Palestinian Cultural Consultant on TimeLine’s Oslo. Recent stage credits include SPEECHaLICIOUS (playwright/actor), part of A Red Orchid’s Incubator Series, Hedda Gabler (Remy Bumppo), Wish You Were Here (Remy Bumppo), Iraq, But Funny (Lookingglass), A Lie of the Mind (Raven Theatre), short film Rabbit Rabbit, short film Darning, Mosque4Mosque (About Face Theatre) and Layalina (Goodman New Stages).
Maya Rowe (Fran) played “Nadine” in The Wild Party at NY City Center (Off-Broadway), “Anne” in Muse (Global Premiere/Edinburgh Fringe), “Audrey” in Little Shop of Horrors (Marriott) & “Rose” in Titanique (Porchlight/ Broadway in Chicago). Other favorites include Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812 (Writers), Beauty and the Beast (Chicago Shakespeare), Cabaret (The Studio Theatre TDS), The Light in the Piazza (AGPA) and more. Film and TV credits include Chicago Fire and Tankhouse.
Elliot Sagay (Johnny) has regional credits including No Singing in the Navy (Playwrights Horizons, Off-Broadway), Working Girl (La Jolla Playhouse), Except That It Is God (Ojai Playwrights Conference), Hamlet (Santa Cruz Shakespeare), and A Christmas Carol (Indiana Repertory). Chicago credits include Passing Strange (Theo Ubique), Stateville Voices (Goodman), Botticelli in the Fire (First Floor), The Magnolia Ballet (About Face), and Call Me Madam (Porchlight). Film/TV credits include Chicago Med. Sagay holds a BA degree in Theatre from Northwestern University and an MFA degree in Acting from UC San Diego.