The critically acclaimed original cast reassembles for Relentless at the Goodman—featuring Ayanna Bria Bakari and Jaye Ladymore as sisters Annelle and Janet, with Rebecca Hurd as Mary Anna Elizabeth, Xavier Edward King as Franklin, Demetra Dee as Zhuukee (also called Annabelle Lee) and Travis Delgado as Marcus. Set in the Black Victorian era, Abercrumbie’s play looks at the deep personal secrets we keep to protect the ones we love most. It’s 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.
“TimeLine is thrilled to partner with Goodman Theatre to provide Chicago audiences more opportunities to experience Relentless,” said TimeLine Artistic Director PJ Powers. “This play has been a multi-year passion project for us, launched and developed through TimeLine’s Playwrights Collective starting in 2017. After the originally planned 2020 run was delayed by the pandemic, we finally celebrated its world premiere in January. The response was overwhelming, and it was clear that the play deserved more life beyond its limited run. Audiences and critics alike have recognized that Tyla Abercrumbie’s voice has a beauty and poetry that is absolutely searing. The play already has the feel of a classic, yet it burns with a contemporary relevance that is unmistakable. We can’t wait to introduce Relentless to more people, thanks to this partnership with the Goodman.”
The production team includes Jack Magaw (Scenic Designer), Christine Pascual (Costume Designer), Heather Gilbert (Lighting Designer), Jennifer Wernau (Properties Designer), Christopher Kriz (Sound Designer), Mike Tutaj (Projections Designer), Megan E. Pirtle (Wig and Hair Designer), Rachel Flesher (Intimacy and Violence Director), Sammi Grant (Dialect Director), Khalid Y. Long (Dramaturg) and Tiffany Fulson (Assistant Director). For more information about Relentless, including artist bios and headshots, visit GoodmanTheatre.org/Relentless.
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