DeLine's theater company is in the midst of the run of a musical titled The Last Five Years that's garnered acclaim in the theater community. DeLine is a theater buff who brought a number of American plays to Asian stages during the five years she spent in Hong Kong. Now back in the United States, she hopes to duplicate the success of the last five years of her own life, growing her new company into an artistic force in the local theater scene.

"After this show, we'll have to see if there's a market for this kind of theater," DeLine says. "I've got a list of five plays that I would love to do."

DeLine grew up in Wisconsin and attended Northwestern University, where she majored in theater and worked with a number of successful actors in the beginnings of their careers. "David Schwimmer was in my class, though I don't think he'd remember me," she says with a grin.

After graduation, she acted a bit, but returned to business school and eventually made her way to the Bay Area to work at Intel.

"Acting was really just a hobby while I was doing the corporate thing," she says. Among other activities, DeLine sang with the West Valley Light Opera.

It was her job with Intel that sent DeLine and her husband, Rob, to Hong Kong in 1999. She quit her job around the time of the birth of her first child, and while Rob continued to work with Intel, DeLine began pursuing her interest in theater again. "A lot of companies over there were looking for fun entertainment at corporate events, and American theater was something different," she says. "There's a lot of cache in things that are new."

DeLine formed her own company—then called Trailing Spouse Productions—and staged several productions of American plays such as I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change and Wit, which was the Asian debut of the acclaimed drama. These productions toured through a number of Asian locales, including Beijing and Hanoi.

But, as DeLine puts it, they were "SARS-ed" out of performing in locations like Singapore. She and her family then returned to Sunnyvale in June 2003, and before she returned, she had been discussing buying the rights to The Last Five Years. It just felt natural to continue the negotiations with an eye toward producing the play here.

"I invited myself to different theater companies in the area because I hadn't directed here, and they told me I needed to build up a body of work," DeLine says. "This piece has been performed about 40 times in the last three years, and actors are very drawn to it. It's well-known in the theater community."

Because established theaters were loath to commit to a newbie director, DeLine decided to take her chances on the word-of-mouth surrounding The Last Five Years and form her own production company. After incorporating in August 2003—and assembling a board of directors comprised of former Intel co-workers—DeLine went forward with her plans.

She looked at various theaters, and received the go-ahead on rights for The Last Five Years on the same day that the Pear Avenue Theater in Mountain View committed to hosting the production. The theater, which opened around the same time that DeLine started her company, only seats 40 in the audience, but it's still a great deal of work.

"Acting is definitely different from putting on a show," she says. "I learned that it's best to rehearse with individuals separately before going through with staging, and though the piece is scored for five musicians, we're doing it with three."

To save costs, DeLine had her actors rehearse in her garage, and though the door was closed, she said youngsters in her neighborhood enjoyed gathering in her driveway to listen.

But despite the creative challenges, DeLine says the play's subject matter makes it worth it. "It feels like I'm driving a Ferrari," she says.

The Last Five Years premiered in Chicago in 2001, and tells the story of a couple at the end of their relationship as they're looking back at the events that led to their breakup. The play, which is completely sung, is based on the first marriage of playwright and composer Jason Roberts Brown.

"She's an actress, and he's a writer," DeLine says. "Having been married for five years myself, it's amazing to see how men and women see different things. I really think married couples should see this. It's about them."

Her two leads could come away with some advice as well. Jeff Leibow and Melody McArtor, who play the broken couple, are engaged in real life. "I didn't know that when they came in to audition, and even though I saw them separately, I honestly thought they would have great chemistry together," DeLine says.

If The Last Five Years does well, DeLine hopes to pique the interest of other local theaters and move on with a series of plays throughout the year. But while she has a slew of productions under her belt, those expectations don't help with the last-minute jitters. "This is my first outing here," she says. "I'm a little nervous."

"The Last Five Years" is running through Oct. 31. Performance times Thursdays through Saturdays are 8 p.m., with matinees on Sundays at 2 p.m. Tickets can be reserved by calling 408.203.9110 or emailing deliteonstage@yahoo.com. The Pear Avenue Theater is at 1220 Pear Ave. in Mountain View.