CHICAGO PREMIERE BY LUCY KIRKWOOD DIRECTED BY NICK BOWLING YOUR GUIDE TO TIMELINE PRODUCTIONS BACKSTORY people—rather mysteriously and ominously, considering the horrific events of the previous day. The symbiotic relationship between the U.S. and Captured in video footage and photographs, the China adds layers of intrigue and curiosity to an image of “Tank Man” spread across the globe, becoming one of the most iconic moments of ongoing debate about the ways in which these two Dear Friends, the 20th century and the ignition for the epic countries have grown more different, and the ways journey of Chimerica. Welcome to the final show in in which they’ve grown more similar. TimeLine’s 2015-16 season— In the opening stage direction of the play, Lucy A MESSAGE Chimerica by Lucy Kirkwood. writes: “It is a photograph of heroism. It is a not matching any of the real-life photographers with the “other,” but also the ways Winner of the Evening Standard photograph of protest. It is a photograph of one present in Tiananmen Square that day. Joe is in which we relate. Award for Best Play and the country by another country.” a fictionalized version, and Chimerica takes us The word "Chimerica" blends two Laurence Olivier Award for Best While the play’s title comes from an economics well beyond the known events of 1989, stretch- disparate parts, with each half New Play, Chimerica arrives term about how the U.S. and China are ing 23 years later and taking us on a ride to informed and influenced by the at TimeLine as one of the most intrinsically linked, Lucy explores far more determine whatever became of “Tank Man." other to create a whole. Inspired acclaimed pieces of theater to in Chimerica than just these countries’ Was he murdered? Is he still alive? If so, where by that idea, Lucy has crafted a hail from London in the last financial co-dependence. She examines how is he living? Where was he during the June 4 remarkably theatrical story that decade, and we’re proud to one country views another country. How two massacre? What prompted his act of defiance pieces together countless disparate present its second production in superpowers regard each other culturally and in front of the tanks? What was inside those parts, creating a wholly dynamic the United States. politically—how they mirror each other, vie mysterious shopping bags he held? And why tale laced with humor, intelligence, The play begins in June 1989 in with each other, criticize each other, and does his image still live not only in our minds but drama and curiosity. the center of Beijing, China, as a strategize to supplant each other, all while also in the (uncensored) history books? FROM ARTISTIC DIRECTOR PJ POWERS PJ DIRECTOR ARTISTIC FROM U.S. photographer takes an iconic being intrinsically reliant upon one another. I am so proud that TimeLine is These questions linger, and the symbiotic photograph. Student-led protests introducing her play and artistry to Fascinating in this examination is the fact that, relationship between the U.S. and China— had gripped the city for nearly Chicago for the first time, under the being from Great Britain, Lucy wrote this play intertwined as consumer and manufacturer, two months, culminating in a direction of our esteemed Associate as an outsider with a vantage point in between buyer and lender—adds layers of intrigue and troop-led massacre on June 4. On Artistic Director Nick Bowling. her two subjects, somewhat removed yet incred- curiosity to an ongoing debate about the ways the following day in Tiananmen Yet again, Nick and his team of ibly well-studied. She acknowledges that in which these two countries have grown more Square, a Chinese man holding two collaborators have reimagined our Chimerica is her imaginative leap. different since 1989, and the ways in which shopping bags stood defiantly in theater in a way that surrounds and they’ve grown more similar. front of a line of tanks attempting While we know there was indeed a “Tank Man” immerses you in Lucy’s play, split to leave the city square. captured on film, and that there are at least As we’ve worked on this play, we’ve questioned between two halves and connecting six recognized versions of the historic photo, what the actions of both the “Tank Man” and the parts of the whole. As the lead tank attempted to go Lucy’s character of Joe is her own creation, the photojournalist mean to us today. As one around him, the daring "Tank Man" I hope you enjoy the electrifying country looking at another, how do they impact repositioned himself, standing in Coburn Goss, pictured at first rehearsal, portrays the fictional odyssey of Chimerica, capping off our notions of freedom, activism, courage, th its path, halting it, challenging photographer Joe in TimeLine's Chimerica. a thrilling 19 season for TimeLine provocation and understanding? it. His confrontation continued for Theatre Company. some time, before he climbed up In this age of connectivity, we now find Onward to our twenties! onto the lead tank to provoke a ourselves far more globally intertwined than discussion with the soldiers inside. we were in 1989, able to look at one another Best, across the world with greater ease and more Following that verbal encounter, immediate access to events either mundane or “Tank Man” returned to his position of historic proportion. Armed with our own lens blocking the tank’s path. Then he and windows into diverse cultures, we’re able was ushered aside by a group of to consider not only the ways in which we differ THE TIMELINE: LEAD-UP TO THE TIANANMEN Harvard historian Niall Ferguson the cost of labor.” Between 1998 and 2007, SQUARE PROTESTS coined the term “Chimerica” in The two countries—which China and America accounted for 40 percent his 2008 book The Ascent of did $450 billion worth of of all global economic growth. And for the 1966 The Cultural Revolution in China begins: Mao Zedong, the founder of the Money to capture the unique and first time in history, capital began flowing trade with one another in People’s Republic of China, implements co-dependent economic relationship from East to West. While the United States policies that eliminate all traditional and between China and the United 2008—are “one intertwined, ran a large trade deficit, China ran a surplus, “bourgeois” aspectsPREMIERE of Chinese society. States. Ferguson argues that the essentially bankrolling American consumer As a result, the economy declines, integrated hypereconomy.” O two countries—which did $450 spending, much like a credit card. many universities close, and many THE TITLE – Niall Ferguson, The Ascent of Money billion worth of trade with one Although the two economies are intertwined, people suffer. This will end in September 1976, when Mao dies. another in 2008—are “one inter- China did not suffer nearly as much as the possible in the 1990s, when China made CHICAG twined, integrated hypereconomy.” United States during the mortgage default 1978 – 1979 China adopts economic re- a series of economic reforms that allowed forms, ushering in a new era wherein the The word “Chimerica” not only foreign capital into China, and which caused crisis of 2008. In part this was due to the refers to a combination of the Chinese government (instead of the free mar- national economy is more important than domestic growth in China such that a larger communist ideology. Universities closed words “China” and “America,” ket) controlling the value of China’s currency. portion of the population had disposable during the Cultural Revolution reopen. but also to the word “Chimera,” income. In what he calls a “marriage of For decades, American investors and econo- G the Greek mythological hybrid 1981 Hu Yaobang becomes Chinese opposites," Ferguson writes: “China saved, mists have suspected that China has been Communist Party (CCP) General Sec- IN monster that is part goat, part exported and lent while America consumed, undervaluing its currency in order to subsi- retary. Mao is openly criticized in a CCP lion, and part snake (or some- imported and borrowed. For ... years, the dize its manufacturing and export industry. meeting for the first time. And a private times dragon, pictured below). odd couple were happy together. Not only did In more recent years, China’s economy has economic system is formally accepted; WHAT DOES “CHIMERICA” MEAN? “CHIMERICA” DOES WHAT The symbiotic economic rela- the glut of Chinese savings lower the cost of shown cracks at the same time as its domes- foreign investors are allowed into the BOWL People’s Republic for the first time. tionship of Chimerica became capital, the glut of Chinese workers reduced tic consumer base has grown. K 1982 to 1985 A PREMIEREnew university opens Lucy Kirkwood’s play makes reference to the O in China every 3 to 4 days. Bronze sculpture of Chimera D’arezzo, circa 400 B.C. economic dynamics of the idea of Chimerica, 1985 and 1986 Traditional college NIC but it focuses more on Chimerica as a cul- BY tural paradigm. Chinese activists protest, and student funding changes from a need- based stipendCHICAG to a merit-based scholar- LUCYED KIRKWOOD the West watches; American universities BY ship system. Many students from poor enroll more than 300,000 Chinese students families lose their stipends, while some DIRECT each year; people living in China—both students from wealthy families receive Americans and Chinese—buy Nikes and generous scholarships. Inflation grows watch Game of Thrones. People from both at the same time, meaning those who G countries live in cross-global families, with still received a stipend now live in pov- IN members living in both nations.