Flashback Theater Co. (FbTC) is thrilled to announce that season tickets are now on sale for its eleventh season of productions. This season features three mainstage productions as well as a fringe show: Count Dracula by Ted Tiller, The Wickhams: Christmas at Pemberley by Lauren Gunderson and Margot Melcon, The House of Blue Leaves by John Guare, and When We Get Good Again by James McLindon. These shows will be produced at venues all around the Lake Cumberland region – upholding Flashback’s mission to uplift local artists and create theater that speaks to the soul. Season Tickets are the most cost-efficient way to support Flashback year round – and guarantee you get special priority when choosing the best seat in the house.
In her Season Statement, Producing Artistic Director Sommer Schoch muses that a theme each of these plays has is that of the outsider; how it feels to be “on the outside, looking in – and wishing that’s where they could be. “ Schoch writes, “We will see each of these scenarios play out over the course of the season – it is a universal experience and the stories we explore this year will ask you to examine your own sense of belonging. Where do you fit in? Is it where you want to be? And what is the cost?” Furthermore, she relates these questions back to the company itself. Flashback made the decision to leave its longtime home in Old City Hall this past year, moving their offices to a new space at 209A E. Mount Vernon St., while producing shows at venues around the city. Flashback is changing – and thus finding a new sense of belonging in our growing community.
The season begins with a bang with a thrilling adaptation of Bram Stoker’s classic novel: Count Dracula by Ted Tiller, directed by Sommer Schoch. Produced in The Center for Rural Development’s 750 seat Cornelia Dozier Cooper Theater, this production will be an exhilarating technical spectacle that will enamour the entire community with its thrills and chills October 17th-27th. Though full of the gothic horror expected from Dracula’s Victorian vampire flavor, this particular adaptation also promises to pack in comedic treats as well as tricks. It’s the perfect way to celebrate the Halloween season with the entire family!
In December, Flashback offers the community another exciting holiday offering with The Wickhams: Christmas at Pemberley by Lauren Gunderson and Margot Melcon, directed by Thomas Alvey. Longtime Flashback fans may recall the 2018 production of Miss Bennet: Christmas at Pemberley, a witty and charming Christmas story starring one of literature’s favorite families: the Bennet sisters of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice. In this companion piece, Gunderson and Melcon introduce us to a new charming cast of characters: the servants of Pemberley estate, which balanced with the upstairs drama gives the play a delightful “Downton Abbey” feel. Appropriate for both Austen fans and newcomers alike, this play will warm your spirits all holiday season long. Bring your whole family for a performance full of yuletide tidings December 5-15, 2024.
After ringing in the new year, Flashback will give audiences some food for thought with their Fringe Production of When We Get Good Again by James McLindon, running one weekend only February 20-23, 2025, directed by Billy Christopher Maupin. Focusing on a low-income college student struggling to make ends meet while her wealthier peers skate by with minimal personal effort – When We Get Good Again explores themes of wealth inequality, personal integrity, and the higher education system. This intimate production is geared toward a late night audience, with performances beginning at 8:30 p.m.
Rounding out the season is a dark comedy that may have you laughing one moment and gasping the next – John Guare’s award winning Broadway play The House of Blue Leaves, directed by Jenny Denney. Set on a hot sunny day in 1960s New York City, this play farcically lampoons the personal as well as the political, and puts the lengths one goes for fame and fortune to the test. Featuring music, mayhem, lovers, a mistaken political bombing, and singing nuns – The House of Blue Leaves will have you in stitches! The play will run May 8-18, 2025.
With each production offering a unique experience, you’ll surely want to purchase Season Tickets so you can enjoy everything Flashback has to offer. Season Tickets guarantee you Priority Seating at each of Flashback’s four productions; a representative of Flashback Theater will contact you during the initial week of ticket sales to make sure you get the best seats in the house! Cheaper than purchasing tickets for each show individually, you’ll save big on entertainment this season at $85 a person.
Don’t miss out; get your Season Tickets today to celebrate the world, our past, and theater with FbTC!
Production Information
Count Dracula by Ted Tiller
Directed by Sommer Schoch
Presented by The Weigel Family
October 17th-27th, 2024
The Center for Rural Development
There’s a new patient at the asylum and a new resident in the castle across the valley, who has been seen only at night. Dr. Seward is desperately trying to keep his asylum and his spinster sister in order, when his ward, Mina, becomes very ill after a visit from the new neighbor. Mina’s fiance Jonathan arrives just in time to try to cure her of the illness before it claims her life. Baffled by the horrific events that have unfolded, Dr. Seward sends for the self-proclaimed ‘Vampire Hunter’ Van Helsing to put this nightmare to bed for good. The wolves howl, the bats fly, the lights flicker … and the legendary story of Count Dracula unfolds.
The Wickhams: Christmas at Pemberley by Lauren Gunderson and Margot Melcon
Directed by Thomas Alvey
Presented by Weichert Realtors
December 5 – 15, 2024
Location TBA
In this sparkling sequel to Miss Bennet: Christmas at Pemberley (produced at Flashback in 2018), Gunderson and Melcon explore the grounds of Jane Austen’s Pemberley Estate (of Pride and Prejudice fame) from a new level: the downstairs servants quarters. To prepare for another busy holiday season, longtime housekeeper Mrs.Reynolds hires a new charge, a witty young maid named Cassie. Working together on holiday preparations, sparks begin to fly between Cassie and the estate’s inventive young footman Brian, but all comes to a screeching halt when a midnight arrival from a forbidden guest threatens to tear the family apart. This charming holiday tale captures the heart of Austen’s beloved heroines with a delightfully fresh perspective that all audiences can enjoy.
FRINGE: When We Get Good Again by James McLindon
Directed by Billy Christopher Maupin
February 20 – 23, 2025
Flashback Theater Co.
Poor but brilliant college student Tracy needs straight A’s to get into a top law school that will forgive her mountain of academic debt so she can be a lawyer for the poor. With the economic odds stacked against her, she tries to rationalize her job writing term papers for wealthy students. But she’s not sure she can do it. When We Get Good Again explores the current age in which personal integrity seems to be eroding before our eyes, and each day seems to bring new headlines about politicians who lie as naturally as they breathe and parents who buy their child’s admission into the college of their choice. In a world of privilege and deprivation, is it still immoral to cheat in order to level a playing field that is already supposed to be flat?
The House of Blue Leaves by John Guare
Directed by Jenny Denney
May 8 – 18, 2025
Location TBA
Zookeeper Artie Schaughnessy has his sights set on arrogant aspirations of Hollywood stardom. On a hot sunny day in 1965, the day Pope Francis Vl is visiting New York City, Artie and his girlfriend Bunny launch a plan to escape to California by disposing of Artie’s wife Bananas in a mental hospital that has trees with blue leaves. But their plans are more than derailed as the day unwinds into chaos; lost nuns take refuge in Artie’s apartment, Artie’s son Robbie has gone AWOL, and his apartment becomes the site of a political bombing. This outrageously biting farce puts into perspective just how low some are willing to go for fame.
Ticket Information
Season tickets are $85 per person and can be purchased online at: https://fbtc.ticketleap.com/fbtc-season-24-25/ , by visiting the box office in person at 209A E Mount Vernon St. during office hours, or by calling the box office at (888) 394-3282, ext. 1. Box office hours are Tuesday through Friday, 11:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Season ticket holders will be contacted in the first week of ticket sales for each show to confirm the desired date of attendance. Seating will be assigned at the time of each show’s reservation. Tickets for each production will be sent via email. Patrons need not present a physical ticket at the venue – digital tickets and check in by reservation name are available for all shows.
Single ticket pricing for the 11th Season of Flashback productions will be:
Adults – $23 Advance, $25 Door
Students – $12 Advance, $15 Door
Seniors – $20 Advance and Door
Season Sponsors & Supporters
Flashback Theater Co. is grateful to our 2024-25 Starlight Sponsors: Applied Behavioral Advancements, The City of Somerset, and The Shubert Foundation. Spotlight Sponsors: M&W Printing and CHI Saint Joseph London; as well as our Footlight Sponsors: David Daring Rentals, Lake Cumberland Regional Hospital & Lake Cumberland Residency Programs, First & Farmers National Bank, The Weigel Family, United Cumberland Bank, T. Ronald Kidd Trust, Somerset Community College, Buffalo Wings & Rings, and Citizens National Bank.
The Kentucky Arts Council, the state arts agency, provides operating support to Flashback Theater Co. with state tax dollars and federal funding from the National Endowment for the Arts.