THE BLUE-SKY BOYS Comes to Florida Studio Theatre
The production is directed by Richard Hopkins, who has directed over 40 productions in FST's five theatres.
Florida Studio Theatre will produce the southeastern premiere of The Blue-Sky Boys, written by Deborah Brevoort. Previews begin Jan. 21, officially opening Jan. 23, with performances running through Mar. 8, 2026 in FST's Gompertz Theatre.
When President Kennedy vowed to put a man on the moon, the task landed in the hands of a band of maverick engineers – once the misfits of American science. With no rulebook, they embraced “blue-skying,” drawing inspiration from Buck Rogers, Greek myths, Louis Leakey, and even Snoopy and the Red Baron.
“At its heart, The Blue-Sky Boys is a story about visionaries who refused to be constrained by the limits of what others believed was impossible,” said Richard Hopkins, Producing Artistic Director of FST and Director of the production. “It is playful, imaginative, and deeply entertaining, but it also resonates powerfully with our present moment. The play reminds us that progress is rarely born from consensus or caution; it comes from daring ideas, restless curiosity, and the courage of unconventional thinkers willing to imagine a future no one else can yet see.”
Hopkins has directed over 40 productions in FST's five theatres and has received numerous awards, including the Arts Leadership Award from the Sarasota Arts Council and the Richard G. Fallon Award for Artistic Excellence from the Florida Professional Theatre Association.
This FST veteran cast includes Greg Balla* as Buck Rogers/Dr. James Towers/Tycho Brahe/Icarus (The Cottage), Danny Bernardy* as Jed Berman (Shear Madness, Alabama Story, Spamalot, The Underpants), Gil Brady* as Apollo/Louis Leakey/Snoopy (Don't Dress for Dinner, The Outsider, Pictures From Home, Shear Madness, The Play That Goes Wrong, Outside Mullingar), Howard Kaye* as Galileo/The Red Baron/Reporter (The Lehman Trilogy, The Cancellation of Lauren Fein, Tom Jones), Patrick Noonan* as Howard Haggerty (Advice, Spamalot, Irma Vep), Johnny Shea* as CJ Caldwell (Ugly Lies the Bone), and Kraig Swartz* as Vencel Von Volp (Something Rotten, The Legend of Georgia McBride, Visit Joe Whitefeather, Pictures from Home).
Making up the creative team is Richard Hopkins (Director), Isabel & Moriah Curley-Clay (Scenic Design), Rob Perry (Lighting Design), Nicholas Christensen (Sound Design), Janice Pytel (Costume Design), Dylan Uremovich (Projection Design), Shira Lebovich* (AEA Stage Manager), Ashley Nolt (Stage Management Intern), and Lexy Hatch (Assistant to the Director).
*Indicates members of Actors' Equity Association, the Union of Professional Actors and Stage Managers in the United States.
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