TimeLine Theatre Company is pleased to announce a weekend of special events that will serve as a preview for its new home in Chicago’s Uptown neighborhood.
TimeLine will open the doors to its new home for the first time starting Thursday, March 19 through Saturday, March 21, to offer its supporters, subscribers, members of the Uptown community, Chicago theater artists, media, and the public at large the chance to step inside 5035 N. Broadway for an early sneak peek.
“Designed as a stage for both art and community, the new TimeLine Theatre will become a lasting cultural destination, supporting performance, learning and engagement in Uptown for decades to come,” said PJ Powers, Artistic Director of TimeLine Theatre Company.
Construction is approaching substantial completion at TimeLine’s new home at 5035 N. Broadway in Chicago’s Uptown neighborhood. Recent happenings include installation of rear signage visible from the Argyle stop on the CTA Red Line, a vertical marquee sign on the front of the building, and tours for TimeLine’s staff and 48th Ward Alderwoman Leni Manaa-Hoppenworth. To view and download full resolution photos with captions, click here.
“Our new home is a place where the community will gather, learn, and be inspired,” said Mica Cole, Executive Director of TimeLine Theatre. “It preserves the intimacy of our productions while opening the doors wider, inviting neighbors, students, and audiences from across Chicago to engage with our mission more deeply.”
TimeLine holds its official Grand Opening in May 2026 with the inaugural production at its new home—An Enemy of the People, running May 6 – June 7, 2026.
The initial schedule of media and public events includes:
Thursday, March 19, 7 p.m.
TimeLine Theatre Vertical Marquee Sign Lighting
Media are encouraged to join TimeLine staff, artists, and invited campaign supporters for the official lighting of the building’s new blade sign for the first time. This 40-foot vertical marquee adds visual excitement to Uptown’s Broadway streetscape, clearly marking TimeLine’s new home. The sign’s modern style is inspired by historic marquees of the Uptown Entertainment District, including the Uptown Theatre and Aragon Ballroom.
Complementing the sign will be the building’s entrance canopy, featuring a green hue that pays tribute to neighboring Sun Wah and Uptown’s famous Green Mill jazz club just a few blocks south on Broadway, among other neighborhood architectural inspirations.
Saturday, March 21, 10 a.m. – 11 a.m.
Civic Celebration Press Conference and Ribbon Cutting, 10 a.m. – 10:45 a.m.
This media event and ribbon cutting will feature key elected officials, community leaders, and TimeLine staff and artists previewing this new venue’s positive impact on the Uptown community, Chicago at large, and the Chicago live theater community. Opportunities for interviews with TimeLine leadership and the project design team will be available.
Civic Celebration VIP Photo Session, 10:45 a.m. – 11 a.m.
Media are encouraged to shoot additional photos, video, or livestream a VIP photo session immediately following the press conference.
Thursday, May 14 at 7 p.m.
An Enemy of the People Press Night
Members of the press are invited to view the inaugural production at TimeLine’s new home.
PUBLIC EVENTS
These events are FREE and open to the public, but reservations are encouraged. For details and to register, visit timelinetheatre.com/new-home-opening.
Friday, March 20, 4 p.m. – 8 p.m.
Uptown Community Preview
A special night reserved for TimeLine’s new neighbors—those who live, work, or go to school in Uptown, and make the community vibrant every day. Whether folks are discovering TimeLine for the first time or have watched the building come to life with curiosity, this is the moment to meet the TimeLine team, enjoy free food and drink, and explore the public areas that will serve as a welcoming gathering place.
Saturday, March 21, 12 p.m. – 5 p.m.
TimeLine Theatre Open House
All are invited for this lively celebration of the company’s remarkable new space. Longtime subscribers, loyal donors, students, neighbors, concierges, theatre lovers across the city, and anyone who is curious about TimeLine will find something to enjoy. Doors will be open throughout the afternoon for guided and self-guided tours, information highlighting TimeLine’s history and vision, interactive activities, a live DJ, refreshments, and more.
Friday, May 15, 5 p.m. – 11:30 p.m.
Gala Opening Night Dinner
This culminating event of TimeLine’s new home celebrations will include a private, pre-show seated dinner and cocktail reception, a VIP performance of An Enemy of the People, followed by an after party and celebration.
TimeLine’s An Enemy of the People is the Chicago premiere of playwright Amy Herzog’s new, award-winning adaptation of Henrik Ibsen’s historic masterwork about citizens standing up to power. TimeLine Company Member Ron OJ Parson will direct. Performances run May 6 – June 7, 2026. Cast and full performance schedule is TBA.
Tickets and sponsorship packages are available, priced from $300 – $100,000. To be part of this once-in-a-lifetime evening, contact TimeLine Director of Development Miguel Fernandez, miguel@timelinetheatre.com or (773) 281-8463 x130.
OTHER EVENTS
TimeLine’s plans also include various private celebrations honoring those who have helped bring its new home to reality, including donors to the It’s Time Capital Campaign; TimeLine’s core constituencies of Board, Company, Staff, and others; and members of the design and construction teams, including HGA, Schuler Shook, Threshold Acoustics, Bulley & Andrews, and Cullen Construction Management. In addition, TimeLine will welcome friends and colleagues from the Chicago theatre community for a special industry party, raising a glass to the collective creativity that makes Chicago one of the most dynamic theater communities in the country.
The moving-in process will continue throughout March and April, even while TimeLine begins using its new facilities for An Enemy of the People rehearsals.
IT’S TIME: ABOUT TIMELINE’S NEW HOME
For nearly 30 years, TimeLine Theatre Company has been a vital force in Chicago’s arts scene, producing socially and politically relevant work inspired by history that engages audiences across the region. Building on this legacy, TimeLine has reimagined a former warehouse, converting it into a vibrant cultural destination that honors Uptown’s rich theatrical heritage while meeting modern performance needs.
Since purchasing the building in December 2018, TimeLine’s new home has been a transformative project that ultimately combined new construction with the adaptive reuse of a former warehouse into a transparent, flexible, and community-focused live performance venue. The new TimeLine Theatre more than doubles the company’s previous seating capacity, fosters community engagement, and creates spaces for both performances and public enjoyment.
Project highlights include:
- Total facility spanning 33,600 square feet, combining new construction and adaptive reuse
- 21,000 square feet of new construction along North Broadway
- 12,600 square feet of adaptive reuse of a 1920s Reebie Bros. warehouse for production support and offices
- Flexible 250-seat black box theater with seven stage configurations and advanced acoustic and staging systems
- Street-level bar and café with patio, exhibit galleries, and education/community room
- Publicly visible fourth-floor rehearsal and event space
- Back-of-house spaces organized around a central Green Room intended as a living room for staff, artists, and collaborators
- Located steps away from the newly renovated Argyle CTA Red Line station
- Adjacent space available for future expansion
Since launching It’s Time: The Campaign for TimeLine’s New Home, TimeLine has successfully raised more than $42.6 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.
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. As it celebrates this milestone 29th season, TimeLine has presented 96 productions, including 16 world premieres and 43 Chicago premieres, and launched the Living History Education Program and TimeLine South summer arts program, which bring the company’s mission to life for students in Chicago Public Schools and beyond. 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 Thaddeus J. Malik. 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; Bulley & Andrews, LLC; Carol Oppenheim and Jerome Lamet Charitable Fund; Crown Family Philanthropies; Joseph & Bessie Feinberg Foundation; Laughing Acres Family Foundation; Lloyd A. Fry Foundation; Paul M. Angell Family Foundation; Polk Bros. Foundation; The Shubert Foundation; and Walder Foundation. 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).