Dear Friends of Fly-By-Night-Productions,

 

We remain grateful and humbled by your continued support as Fly-By-Night Productions (FBNP) enters its 44th season! We can engage, entertain, and educate our audiences in unique ways with thought-provoking live theatre because friends like you believe in us and help us challenge ourselves every day.
 

Our 43rd season was a transitional time when we explored new venues amid leadership changes. Doug Donald and Lenore Howard stepped down from leadership roles but remain actively engaged with FBNP. Doug is directing for the upcoming season. Lenore is still on the board and script committee as she mentors me as the incoming artistic director, and Kay Schroeder as managing director. Kay and I have been with FBNP for decades and pledge to maintain the ethos of the company.
 

Last season, we started a new event, An Evening of Vanity Theatre, and brought back an old favorite, Famous Dead Artist Series. Both are back this season as we continue to explore new spaces and partnerships while working toward a permanent space. As you will notice in the accompanying brochure, we have a fairly ambitious season, and that does not even include Venus and Adonis, a show we took to Green Bay, WI, this summer to premiere at the Green Bay Fringe Festival.
 

Our 44th season celebrates essential humanity while asking urgent questions about the world we live in. We begin this month with The Downfall of Justice, a unique theatrical event curated and directed by Doug Donald, involving a play written in 1777 and its publication. November starts with An Evening of Vanity Theatre, where needy actors pay us for the privilege of performing monologues. FBNP's own improv troupe, Wingin' It, will contribute skits to add to the merriment.
 

We start 2027 with the Famous Dead Artist Series at the Lacey Mansion, with the return of the ever-reliable duo of Margi Buhr (script) and Kevin Firnstahl (interviewer). Our exploration of pioneering early 20th-century women continues with The Half-Life of Marie Curie in March. We end our season with a classic Pulitzer Prize winner, Edward Albee's Seascape. We are producing this play at Ja Mar Pattern, a performance space that opens new possibilities for FBNP.
 

We are also excited to bring back season tickets, a frequent request from our friends. Season tickets will go on sale for $40 a piece on Friday, October 2, through our website, www.flybynightdubuque.com. Tickets include the two mainstage shows and early access to RSVP for the Famous Dead Artist Series. Of course, our cherished talkbacks will continue as well.
 

On a personal note, I am thrilled and a trifle nervous about stepping into the role of artistic director for FBNP. I am grateful to our officers, board, and you, our dear friends, for your support and promise that FBNP will continue to deliver the engaging, entertaining, and inspiring theatre the tri-state community expects of us. Fly-By-Night is ready, wheels up, for takeoff into our 44th  season. Please consider supporting FBNP with a donation in any amount. We look forward to conversations with you in our new season.
 

Warmly,

 

Sunil Malapati

Artistic Director