Fly by Night

By Kim Rosenstock, Michael Mitnick & Will Connelly

Directed by Bill Fennelly

Originally produced at TheatreWorks, Palo Alto, CA.

July 16, 2011 through August 13, 2011

About the Premiere Production: Fly By Night follows down-on-his luck Harold McClam who finds himself in a dead-end job, a loveless marriage, and a seemingly unwavering daily routine. All of this changes on November 9th 1965, the night of the infamous New York blackout. In addition to Harold the hapless sandwich maker, we meet sisters Daphne and Miriam, one an aspiring actress with an appetite for Broadway fame and glamour, the other a melancholic yet contented diner waitress who trusts the stars to determine her fate. With a cast of struggling New Yorkers who have all fallen short of their dreams, the musical explores how even a small break from the monotony of daily life can have resounding effects. At times laugh-out-loud funny and others dreamily poignant, the imaginative book and dynamically multi-faceted score give this musical an eclectic contemporary voice. This somewhat offbeat and undeniably unique musical shows us that sometimes it takes a blackout to see things clearly for the first time.

Artistic Statement: "Fly By Night was first brought to our attention by the venerated playwright and Yale professor, Paula Vogel. While in residence during the TheatreWorks production of her A Civil War Christmas in December 2009, Ms. Vogel recommended that we consider developing the work of three soon-to be Yale School of Drama MFA graduates in our 2010 New Works Festival. Fly By Night is a truly collaborative new musical created by an unconventional trio of two up-and-coming playwrights and one brightly talented actor/musician. There is something very exciting about new artists for the theatre exploring and expanding the musical form. the distinctive voice and drive of the up-and-coming generation of theatre practitioners has hit its stride with American audiences, and the energy of their work is catching. This is precisely the case of the new musical Fly by Night and its three collaborative creators, Kim Rosenstock, Michael Mitnick, and Will Connelly. Essentially, these artists are precisely the kind of that the new works arena of American theatre should promote, encourage, and support. - Merdith McDonough, Director of New Works"

Grant Statement: Extra rehearsal provided by the Edgerton Foundation will be vital to the fruition of Fly By Night as a world premiere. Since graduating from Yale in May 2010, each collaborator has been steadfastly engaged in various projects around the country and the opportunity to work on the piece collaboratively in the same city has been scarce. Additional rehearsal will allow for synergistic exchange to flourish between the writers, the director, and the cast, helping to realize the final draft of the musical, fully staged and choreographed on our mainstage.

Director: Bill Fennelly

Set Design: Dan Laffrey

Lighting Design: Paul Toben

Sound Design: Tanya Finkelstein

Dramaturg: Meredith McDonough

Musical Orchestrations: Mike Pettry

Additional Funders: National Endowment for the Arts, Harold & Mimi Steinberg Chartitable Trust, The James Irvine Foundation

News

Painfully Awkward Situations (On Stage and Screen)

Huffington Post

August 1, 2011

TheatreWorks' 'Fly by Night' not your normal candlelight romance