A Message from Executive Artistic Director, Summer Lukasiewicz

Though my varied work experience both in and outside the theatre gave me a strong foundation, there was a great deal about leading a nonprofit theatre organization that I had to learn on the job. There were many missteps and bumps in the road over the last four seasons. For those involved where I tripped up, messed up, and missed the mark, please forgive me. For those who came alongside me as I moved through the growing pains, know that the growth Flatwater Shakespeare has experienced and surviving 2020 would not have been possible without you.

I have striven to lay a solid financial foundation for the long term health and growth of the company. Through tight budget oversight, expansion of funding applications and donor outreach, Flatwater Shakespeare has been able to increase programs and increase accessibility both to theatre and to theatre education in Lincoln and rural communities across southeast and south central Nebraska. We continue to produce Shakespeare in a more traditional “full length” (it’s never *really* full length) shows and also reach a broad range of community members including young children through our Short Shakes productions and our new educational tour, creating positive entry points into the joy of theatre. We believe these young people will grow into lifelong theatre supporters who know they have a seat at the Shakespearean table.

In 2021, we were able to add a part time Education Director to our small staff. Ashley Kobza’s creativity, experience, and passion for theatre education brought a new vitality to our education programs. I have no doubt that education and outreach can grow exponentially and have an impact that I cannot begin to imagine. I would have drowned in the regulations of nonprofit funding without the support of Linda Zinke, FSC’s Operations Manager, and would have been out of my depth for certain without the wise guidance of Resident Scholar Stephen Buhler.

The possibilities are limitless! We have a solid foundation on which to grow. We have 20 seasons of high quality theatre under our belts. We survived the heartbreaking loss of our 2020 season and seized the opportunity to return, refresh, and renew in 2021. Flatwater Shakespeare is part of a beautiful community of artists seeking to welcome more and more people into the stories. I take my bow here at the end of 2021 and trust the story will continue.

Break all the legs,

Summer Lukasiewicz -- Executive Artistic Director, 2018-2021