Entering
the lobby of TimeLine Theater is entering the Nikola Tesla Museum in
Belgrade, Serbia.
If your knowledge of the father of alternating current (AC) and the
turbulent history of the Federal
Republic of Yugoslavia is nil, you aren't alone. Jeffrey Stanley's
tight drama, "Tesla's Letters," is
here to turn the lights on… pun only slightly intended. Director Nick
Bowling has taken great
care in shaping this story as much about American complacency as it is
a lesson on Tesla's
biography. The small cast exercises tight control over their characters
with rich specificity and a
real sense of inhabitation. Janet Ulrich Brooks stands out as Biljana,
the matriarch of a family
mauled by war. Collette Pollard's scenic design is infused with subtle
detail and Mike Tutaj's
name is one more for the list of innovated projection designers
throwing images all over Chicago
stages. Timeline's exploration of contemporary topics through
historical context is well served
by "Tesla's Letters." Do not miss this show.
"Tesla’s Letters" plays at TimeLine Theatre, 615 West Wellington, (773)281-8463, through December 23.