NOT ENOUGH AIR

WORLD PREMIERE
by Masha Obolensky
directed by Nick Bowling

JANUARY 24 - MARCH 22, 2009
previews 1/21 - 1/23

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This world premiere drama follows famed journalist-turned-playwright Sophie Treadwell as she is drawn into the real-life tragedy of Ruth Snyder’s 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 an 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 — and prevailed.

“We’ve been involved in the development of this remarkable new work over the last year,” Powers said. “The experience with Masha has been outstanding and we are honored to premiere her dynamic new play for Chicago audiences.”

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. 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 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 59 East 59th Street Theatre 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.

Nick Bowling (Director) was the founding artistic director of TimeLine and is now a Company member. He is the recipient of four Joseph Jefferson Citations 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 a 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, Buffalo Theatre Ensemble’s Angels in America, Impulse Theatre’s Blithe Spirit and Carpe Noctem’s The Subject was Roses.