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!
by **Tyla Abercrumbie**directed by **Ron OJ Parson**
World Premiere
#### January 21 - February 26, 2022
at [Theater Wit,
1229 W. Belmont Ave
##### *Relentless* is now playing at Goodman Theatre! 
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##### In this world premiere play developed through TimeLine’s Playwrights Collective, Tyla Abercrumbie weaves a mother’s past with her daughters’ present in a centuries-spanning tale of family, legacy, and progress.
Set in the Black Victorian era, *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.*
*Relentless* is the second play developed through TimeLine’s  to receive a full production. The play received its first public reading as part of our inaugural  in December 2018.
*PLEASE NOTE: Proof of vaccination and mask-wearing are required to attend.*
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### Meet the Artists
Learn more about the cast and production team behind the show.
### Reviews & Features
The critics agree: *Relentless* is one of the most impressive, must-see new plays in years! Read all the praise in our review highlights.
### Discussions & Events
Join us for post-show discussions and other events featuring special guests close to the story and themes explored in *Relentless*.
### Explore & Learn
Explore & Learn more about Relentless through video promos, historical background, an online lobby, and more.
*  **Ron OJ Parson \* ~ +**
  Director
*  **Tyla Abercrumbie \* +**
  Playwright
### Cast
*  **Ayanna Bria Bakari \***
  Annelle, Mother
*  **Rebecca Hurd \***
  Mary Anna Elizabeth
*  **Xavier Edward King \***
  Franklin
*  **Jaye Ladymore \***
  Janet
*  **Demetra Dee**
  Zhuukee, also known as Annabelle Lee
*  **Travis Delgado**
  Marcus
### Production Team
*  **Mike Tutaj # ^**
  Projections Designer
*  **Tiffany Fulson**
  Assistant Director
  Scenic Designer
  Costume Designer
  Lighting Designer
  Original Music and Sound Design
  Properties Designer
  Wig and Hair Designer
  Dialect Director
  Intimacy and Violence Director
  Dramaturg
  Stage Manager
  Lobby Display Designer
  Production Assistant
### Understudies
*  **Sierra Coachman**
*  **Jordan Gleaves**
*  **Jordan Ashley Grier**
*  **Dylan Rogers**
*  **Aja Singletary**
*  **Marlene Slaughter**
\* Member of Actors Equity Association
# Member of United Scenic Artists
~ Member of Stage Directors and Choreographers Society
+ TimeLine Company Member
^ TimeLine Associate Artist
§ TimeLine Playwrights Collective
### Reviews
* #### Chicago Tribune
  Tyla Abercrumbie’s *Relentless* is the finest new play to emerge in Chicago since the days before the COVID-19 crisis that delayed this world premiere for so many months. Smart, challenging and deeply moving toward its close, *Relentless* is **fully the equal of many of the serious dramas that populated Broadway this past fall.** … Parson’s production crackles with pace. The play’s clashing ideas come fast and with a rare level of excitement and spontaneity … I could see a movie coming from this play, or a Netflix series, or, heck, a Broadway showcase. **It’s that good. Catch it now.”**
  —Chris Jones
* #### Let's Play
  “One of those plays that should be considered **a historical masterpiece that will have you spellbound and wanting more** … Abercrumbie blows us away with this brilliant and wonderfully written play that points out one of the main reasons Black Americans feel enslaved by hatred and racism that still plagues us today. … **[it’s a] once-in-a-lifetime play that anyone should see.”**
  —Rick and Brenda McCain
* #### Chicago Sun-Times
  **“It’s remarkable how timely *Relentless* proves** at a moment in 2022 when so many are expressing an aversion to engaging with history … bracing and truthful … terrific performances … a visual treat … Abercrumbie’s play will likely create some discomfort in the audience. We’d do well to sit in it.”
  —Kris Vire
* #### Chicago Reader
  “Fits our current moment … **the play isn’t just about exploring the past; it’s about pondering what the future might hold in an age of both unrest and promise.** … a fascinating era, and one that we don’t often see from the point of view of characters like the ones Abercrumbie has created … [a] big-hearted and complex portrait of ‘Black Victorians,’ particularly Black women, standing on the verge of great change.”
  —Kerry Reid
* #### Picks In Six
  “The gifted playwright Tyla Abercrumbie’s absorbing and expertly-crafted new play *Relentless* succeeds on so many complex and interwoven levels … Bakari’s heart-wrenching performance and the overwhelming resolve that churns within Dee’s powerful portrayal … breathe life into Abercrumbie’s rich, profoundly poetic text. In the hands of Parson—truly one of our great interpreters of new works—the humor, pathos and inhumanity of this piece strike often with stunning force and immediacy. … **[it’s] one of the most visually satisfying and dramatically fulfilling experiences you will ever have in a theater.”**
  —Ed Tracy
* #### Windy City Times
  **“The care and attention invested by director Ron OJ Parson, his ensemble of tireless actors and a team of superlative craftspersons, is evident** in the agility with which the individual personae deftly navigate real-world references embedded in the dialogue, trading repartee with never a stumble for the speedy three hours (including an intermission) needed for both the characters, and us, to acknowledge the value of knowing the TRUTH, as well as the wisdom of revealing it to those who are still living.”
  —Mary Shen Barnidge
* #### Stage and Cinema
  “As the snow falls, a fire is currently smoldering centerstage at Theater Wit. This slow-burning ember is better known as the World Premiere, *Relentless*. Playwright Tyla Abercrumbie’s ferocious, fierce, determined and monolithic three-hour play is definitely a conversation starter. … ***Relentless* proved itself unrelenting and required viewing.”**
  —Stephen Best
* #### Splash Magazine
  “Beautifully directed by Ron OJ Parson … With this play, [Abercrumbie] offers so much to contemplate about the human condition, white privilege, and the seemingly endless Black struggle for justice and equality. … **a powerful and stunning new work, seamlessly performed by a talented cast, and deftly produced by one of Chicago’s finest theaters.”**
  —Fran Zell
* #### Around the Town
  **“TimeLine is back … with a vengeance**. This is a sterling production with an amazingly powerful cast bringing these characters to life. The set (Jack Magaw) is flawless and makes the venue seem so much larger. Christine Pascual’s costumes are just right and Heather Gilbert’s lighting perfect. Christopher Kriz as always does original music that is perfect for the story.”
  —Alan Bresloff
* #### Buzz Center Stage
  “One thing you can count in Chicago theatre, if you go to a TimeLine production, you will spend a great deal of time researching what you have just seen … TimeLine productions teach and enlighten, you walk out wiser than when you walked in. … The dialogue is fast, witty and engaging. … **[Abercrumbie] was supported in the development process by TimeLine’s Playwrights Collective and the result is pure magic.”**
  —Wesley David
* #### Newcity
  “Though the characters in *Relentless* are educated and well-to-do, they are far from reserved in world view—their rage seethes, hidden only by the comfort of their surroundings and the decorum of their lives. … **It’s a mistake to assume that the expression of Black anger is confined to those marching in the streets or staging acts of civil disobedience. *Relentless* makes the point that this rage is universal.** … The story reveals layers of anger with nuance rather than big dramatic acts.”
  —Brian Hieggelke
* #### Hyde Park Herald
  “The ending is simultaneously shocking and hopeful, a sign of the ongoing struggle and resilience that propel the action into the present. But what I find most impressive is how much I cared about each and every one of Abercrumbie’s characters. … **Kudos also to every aspect of the physical production … one of the more compelling new works I’ve seen in a while.”**
  —Anne Spiselman
* #### GoPride
  **“By the end, you will want it to keep going thanks to dynamic performances and intriguing storylines that are woven together throughout** … The script is quite unpredictable and tackles tough topics. … *Relentless* deserves to take home many awards in the future … Make haste to see this production before it closes … **don’t miss this story that will haunt you long after it is done!**
  —Jerry Nunn
* ##### RELENTLESS: Post-Show Discussions
  **Various Dates**
  Join us for informal post-show discussions with members of the production team and cast.
* ##### RELENTLESS: Virtual Post-Show Discussions
  Join via Zoom for informal discussions with members of the production team and special guests.
* ##### RELENTLESS: PRE-Show Discussions
  Join us for an informal sneak peek into this production with members of the production team.
* ##### RELENTLESS: Company Member Discussion
  **Sunday, February 13 at 5pm**
  Join us for an informal chat with TimeLine’s Company Members after today’s performance.
* ##### Open Captioned Performances of RELENTLESS
  Featuring a text display of words and sounds heard during the performance.
* ##### RELENTLESS: Virtual Sunday Scholars Panel Discussion
  **Sunday, February 20 at 7pm**
  A one-hour online panel discussion featuring experts on the themes of the play.
* ##### Audio Described Performance of RELENTLESS
  **Friday, February 25 at 7pm**
  Featuring audio description of visuals during the performance via individual headset.
Annelle (Ayanna Bria Bakari, left) tries to tempt her sister Janet (Jaye Ladymore) into enjoying a night on the town.
Photo by Brett Beiner Photography
Sisters Annelle (Ayanna Bria Bakari, left) and Janet (Jaye Ladymore) have differing opinions about what to do with the diaries left by their mother.
Black Victorians Franklin (Xavier Edward King, from left), Janet (Jaye Ladymore), Marcus (Travis Delgado), and Annelle (Ayanna Bria Bakari) discuss the state of their world in 1919—racial inequality, a pandemic, and more.
Janet (Jaye Ladymore, left) and Franklin (Xavier Edward King) discover that they share a passion for making change in the world.
View Full Gallery
### Audience Reactions
* > RELENTLESS was breathtaking. Beautifully written and superbly acted. Loved it!
* > The preview yesterday was OUTSTANDING—truly, a must-see!
### RELENTLESS is supported in part by
“We learn from history that we learn nothing from history.” — George Bernard Shaw
“History: gossip well told.” — Elbert Hubbard
“I can't give you a simple answer to that tricky question, but I can tell you this: The fact that we don't is one of the many reasons why I've come to feel that the Windy City is blowing the Big Apple out of its once-secure spot at the top of America's theatrical tree.
”
— Terry Teachout, The Wall Street Journal
“People tend to forget that the word 'history' contains the word 'story.'” — Ken Burns
“Intimate, literate theater aimed at those with serious, curious minds.” — Chris Jones, Chicago Tribune
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