About Us

In 1982 by Doug Donald and Lenore Howard co-founded Fly-By-Night Theatrics, established to foster diverse and challenging theatrical opportunities for artists and audiences alike. For many years, housed in no single location, Fly-By-Night performed in found spaces that enhanced the plays’ settings and themes.

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For example:
1) Ruth & Russ Nash’s Loras Blvd. basement for our 1 st season
2) The cell area of The Old Jail for the old west of JESSIE & THE BANDIT QUEEN
3) The dungeon of that same jail for the post-nuclear destruction of ENDGAME
4) The North Courtroom of the Dubuque County Courthouse for the courtroom drama:
IN THE MATTER OF RALPH, A BLACK MAN
5) The intimate setting of the Brownstone Art Gallery for Emily Dickinson’s parlor in
THE BELLE OF AMHERST
6) The cavernous underground setting of The Bijou Room for CABARET
7) The Spirit of Dubuque riverboat for TALES OF MARK TWAIN

 

For 43 seasons audiences will have followed FBNP to 39 different locations, including Five Flags’ Main
Stage and Bijou Room (34years). (Other: Convivium, Voices, Clarke University, Loras College, Ham
House, National Mississippi River Museum, Lacy Mansion, Dubuque Museum of Art and most recently,
Bluff Strokes Art Center)

 

In 1990 Fly-By-Night Theatrics joined forces with another local group, KH&H Productions, which then,  evolved into Fly-By-Night Productions In 1996 Fly-By-Night Productions incorporated as a 501[c]3 non-profit organization.

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By the end of our 2025-2026, 43rd Season FBNP will have:

1) Mounted: 168 productions, live radio shows, public play readings & special presentations

2) Toured 11 productions

3) Held 4 public theatre workshops

4) Fulfilled grants for: NEA-ARPA Grant City of Dubuque; NEA Our Town, The City of
Dubuque; Special Projects Grants, The City of Dubuque (4x);The Iowa Arts Council; The
Community Foundation of Greater Dubuque; Mediacom (3x); DRA Core Grant 1x; Iowa
Humanities Board; The State Historical Society; The National Bar Association; The Iowa
Supreme Court; and Armstrong’s Department Store. Received operational grant support: The
City of Dubuque (12 years); The Wahlert Foundation; John Deere Forestry Division.

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Collaborations/Partnerships: The City of Dubuque (DUBUQUE AT WORK: 1912);The Dubuque
Multicultural Family Center (a public reading of CROWNS & sponsored the African American Play
Reading Club);The Dubuque Museum of Art (The Famous Dead Artist Series, since 2007; DUBUQUE AT
WORK: 1912 and A PIECE OF MY HEART); The Loras College Players (SHAKESPEARE’S VOICES with Voices from the Warehouse, and HAMLET/ROSENCRANTZ & GUILDENSTERN ARE DEAD); The Old House Enthusiasts’ House Tour (DUBUQUE AT WORK: 1912); Voices from the Warehouse (YOU REMEMBER 9/11); The Dubuque Symphony Orchestra (300 th Anniversary Celebration of Mozart); The Friends of India Association (A PERFECT GANESH); The Dubuque County Historical Society (IN THE MATTER OF RALPH, A BLACK MAN; JULIEN DUBUQUE: LE PETIT NUIT; A CHRISTMAS CAROL at Historic Ham House, and 5 performance monologues for 2015 Titanic Exhibition); Physicians for Social Responsibility (IN THE MATTER OF J. ROBERT OPPENHEIMER); Lacy Mansion (PEACE ON EARTH, GOOD WILLL TO DOGS and FAMOUSE DEAD ARTIST: ORSON WELLES); Bluff Strokes Art Center (WHAT THE CONSITUTION MEANS TO ME)

5. To Date: Engaged the services of over 5000 Tri-State volunteers.

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Doug Donald served as Founding Artistic Director from 1982-1999, when he was hired to teach and become director of theatre at Loras College.  Lenore Howard was then installed as Artistic Director, a position in which she served until the end of the 2025-2026 season. Sunil Malapati now serves as Artistic Director and Kay Schroeder serves as Managing Director. FBNP is a federal 501(c)(3) non-profit theatre company governed by the Board of Directors. FBNP is primarily a volunteer-based community theatre company.

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The 2026-2027 Season marks FBNP’s 44th year of producing bold, innovative and engaging theatre in Dubuque, Iowa, and the Tri-State Area.

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Flying High

FBNP values risk and challenge in its choice of fare and in its artistic working style.

Plays are chosen by three criteria based on our resources:

​  1. Is it a good script, and would anyone else do it locally soon?
2. Can we stage it differently to make it a unique production?
  3. Is there a challenge for actors, director, designers, audience,
or the production as a whole?